Martin Edrington Sheets and Malinda B McClenny were my paternal great-great grandparents. Martin was born 3 March 1826 in Franklin County, Kentucky to Charles Sheets and Sarah Edrington. He died in Caddo County, Oklahoma on 11 Aug 1909. Malinda was born on 23 Sep 1829 in St. Charles, Missouri to Micajah McClenny and Malinda Boone. She died in Caddo County, Oklahoma on 16 Oct 1910.
Malinda was the child of Micajah McClenney and Malinda (Boone) McClenney. This couple was married on 13 Dec 1828 in St. Charles County, Missouri. Micajah was born in Virginia in 1775, moved to Kentucky and was a farmer and served as a Lt. in the Kentucky Militia in the War of 1812. He also served as a judge in young St. Charles County. He is buried on the property of Holt High School in Wentzville, Missouri.
The first time we see Martin recorded in documents is in the 1850 U.S. Federal Census. He is listed as a 24 year old "Laborer" in the household of Charles Sheets in the 49 District of Lincoln County, Missouri. Unlike the other children in the household, Martin was recorded as being born in Kentucky. The other children are all listed as being born in Missouri. The family is listed first on the page.
Then I was not able to find Martin or Malinda listed in the Lincoln County, Missouri 1880 census. I looked in census records for two neighboring counties, St. Charles and Warren, but the family was not listed. Also, I new their oldest son, Morris, had just married Ida Dyer in the spring of 1880 yet I could not find their household listed in the census either. Coincidentally, Morris and Ida do show back up in Lincoln County in the 1900 census. [Remember, most of the 1890 federal census records were destroyed in a fire in the Commerce Department Building in January of 1921.] WHERE WERE MARTIN, MALINDA, MORRIS, IDA AND THE REST OF THE SHEETS FAMILY? Daddy never mentioned them moving away. I was at a standstill.
Several months passed and I was doing some general research and googled something referring to Martin Sheets in Missouri. Lo and behold, his 1880 federal census record popped up ... in Henry County, Missouri - Windsor, to be exact! AND, Morris and Ida were listed in the household! The young couple had married in April of 1880 but by June of 1880 they had moved with Morris' family to Windsor, Missouri!
Martin was again listed as a farmer and his family members were listed as Malinda (wife), Morris, Ida, Curg, Carrie, Cora, George and Lillie. The 1880 census didn't inquire about real or personal estate value so we do not know that information. More information about Martin's livelihood is recorded on the 1880 Missouri Agriculture Schedule found in the Missouri Secretary of State archive collection here: https://www.sos.mo.gov/CMSImages/Archives/Census/Ag_1880/Ag_1880_Henry.pdf
It appears Martin was renting some ground for fixed money as opposed to renting on shares of the products. (Crop rent vs. crop share in today's terminology)
I have yet to find a reason for the move from Lincoln County to Henry County. Martin was 53 in 1880 and Malinda was 50. They had young children who moved with them while some of the older children remained in Lincoln County. More research will hopefully provide some clues.
The move to Henry County, Missouri was not the last made by Martin and Malinda. By 1900, they were found living in Nevada, Missouri (Vernon County) with no children in the home at the time of the census. His obituary says the couple remained in the Nevada (Missouri) area for 23 years. They were recorded as owning their home with no mortgage. Then sometime in 1905 they moved again, this time to Hinton, Oklahoma and into their youngest daughter's home, Mrs. Lillian Howell. It appears Malinda was incapacitated or had become an invalid. Martin died at their daughter and son-in-law's home suddenly, as the obituary stated, "His death came suddenly just after he had returned from a walk and was standing at the bedside of his helpless wife talking to her and their daughter." This occured on 11 Aug 1909 at Hinton, Oklahoma. He was buried in the Sickles Cemetery, Sickles, Caddo County, Oklahoma.
Malinda passed away the following year at Lillian Howell's home on 16 Oct 1910. She is buried with Martin in the Sickles Cemetery in Sickles, Oklahoma
Research into this couple's lives including possible reasons for their moves to western Missouri continues.
Just when you think you've found as much as you can about an ancestor, things turn up in the oddest places. For example, during the latter part of the pandemic, I was going through some boxes of old family photos and scrapbooks and I ran across the actual "Family Record' pages from Martin E and Malinda B Sheets' family Bible! My great aunt, Claudean Sheets Gordon had them. My dad was Aunt Claude's oldest nephew and the person to whom she sold her little farm so I suppose she gave him the family memorabilia for safekeeping. I'm not sure he knew these were included and I certainly didn't know I had them until I stumbled upon them that day! These records list the marriage date, family members' birthdates and death dates for Martin E and Malinda B and their children mostly in Malinda's handwriting. As a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, I have submitted this Bible record to our Library/Archive and it will eventually be available for access to anyone in the genealogy section of their website. I'm including the transcription and copies of the actual pages below. I retained the originals and they are stored in my genealogy file. The transcriber mistakenly wrote Dad's name as Francis M. Sheets. It should have been Francis W. Sheets.
Charles M. Sheet's death date should read June the 22, 1875. His tombstone reads he was 19 y's, 9 m's. and 20 d's.
According the the family Bible, Martin and Malinda had ten children. They were: Madorah
Morris E.
Charles M.
Elizabeth A.
Edwin H.
Walter L.
Carrie L.
Cora M.
George E.
Lilly May
Two children died as very young children, Madorah and Edwin.
Charles died as a young adult (age 19).
Morris' story is written in the previous post.
Elizabeth Ann was born 30 March 1858 in Lincoln County, Missouri . She married Charley W. Janes in 6 Sep 1876 in Lincoln County, Missouri. She and Charley moved to near Warrensburg, Johnson County, Missouri by 1880 where he listed farming as his occupation on the 1880 census. By 1900, the family had moved to Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri on that census Charley listed his occupation as "Auctioneer." According to The Weekly Post, a Nevada newspaper, "Charley is a hustler and the demand for his services is the best proof of his popularity as an auctioneer." (The Weekly Post, vol. 36, no. ?, pg. 1 18 Jul 1902)
In the 1910 census, Charley was working as a city policeman and Elizabeth was managing a boarding house with 13 registered lodgers. She also had a staff of 3 on the premises at the time of the census including a cook, a waitress and a chambermaid! Elizabeth's sister, Lilly, was living there, too. Charley and Elizabeth had 5 children: Mina (Minnie), Martin E., George W., Jesse S., and Sterling E..
In 1917, the unthinkable happened when Charley, who was serving as a police officer, was shot and killed by an insane man he was guarding at the boarding house. According to the newspaper The Metz Times, 13 Apr 1917, Charley had previously served as the Nevada Chief of Police. I'm attaching the article about the awful event below.
The insane man, Lewis Thompson, was acquitted due to insanity and was placed in a insane asylum in his home state of Iowa.
Elizabeth continued managing the boarding house and in 1920 the census listed nine lodgers as well as three family members. She married James D. Headley of Nevada, Missouri sometime between 1920 and 1930. In the 1930 census, J.D. is listed as head of household with Elizabeth Headley as his wife. He is listed as a manager of a hotel but she is listed as having no occupation. At the time of this census, she is 72 years of age. She died the following year in Nevada, Missouri and was buried with her first husband, Charles Janes at the Deepwood Cemetery in Nevada, Missouri.
Walter Lycurgus was born 1 October 1862 in Lincoln County, Missouri. In 1880, he moved with his parents and siblings to Windsor, Henry County, MO. The family moved several years later to Vernon County, MO, near Nevada. There he married Louisa Hallen 4 June 1884 in Vernon County, Missouri. The couple had 2 sons, Prentice Albert and Eugene Thacker. The 1900 federal census for Vernon County, MO lists Walter's occupation as grocery dealer man. By 1910, the family had moved to Kansas City, Kansas where Walter worked as a 'Motorman' on a street car. Prentice was still living with his parents at that time and was working as a baker in a shop. Their youngest son, Eugene had already married Glessie Fryer in 1905 so he was no longer living at home. Prentice married Anna Bearn in Carrollton, MO on 13 Feb 1918. He continued working as a baker but died at the age of 41. He was buried at the Highland Park Cemetery. Anna died in 1972 in Kansas City, MO and was buried with her husband at Highland Park.
In 1920, I found Walter and Louisa boarding with Thomas and Mae Dickinson at 1019 Maple Ave in Los Angeles, CA. I've no idea what took them to California but Walter was working at a factory and Louisa was a seamstress. Perhaps they went so Walter could work in a factory during World War I. It would be interesting to find our more about this time in their lives.
By 1930, Walter and Louisa were living back in the midwest. They lived with their son, Eugene and his family, at 246 South 10th Street in Kansas City, Kansas. Eugene also became a baker and worked at a grocery store. Walter is listed as a laborer for the County (Wyandotte) and Louisa listed her occupation as "floor lady at a department store." I believe this is the house they shared with their son and his family:
Walter and Louisa continued living in this home after Eugene, Glessie and the children moved to 19th Street in Kansas City, KS.
In June of 1939, Walter and Eugene visited Walter's hometown and some of their extended family. This article is from the 9 Jun 1939 edition of The Troy Free Press:
Walter passed away in 1942 and Louisa died in 1949. They were buried at the Highland Park Cemetery in Kansas City, KS.
Eugene passed away in 1957. Glessie passed in 1970 and they are buried in the Highland Park Cemetery as well.
Carrie Lucky
Carrie was the seventh child of Martin and Malinda and was born on 14 March 1865 in Lincoln County, Missouri. Like many of her siblings, she moved to Henry County, Missouri in 1880 and then on to Vernon County, Missouri a few years later. That's where she met and married her husband, William Mulkey, on 17 Feb 1886.
By 1900 Carrie and Bill had moved to Lemhi County Idaho and started a stock ranch sometime between 1890 and 1897. The federal census lists them as owning their stock farm free of mortgage. They had five children, Marvin, Guy, Pauline, Hazel and Leslie. I have only found one newspaper article about Carrie and it was about her finding and saving her youngest child, Leslie, from a near drowning. It was published in The Missoulian May 19, 1913
Bill Mulkey passed away in Salmon, Lemhi County in 1941. In October of 194, she visited Missouri to visit family. Below is an article from the October 1942 Troy Free Press:
Cora M
Cora, born 31 Dec 1867, was also born in Lincoln County, Missouri and moved with her family to Windsor, Missouri in 1880 and later to Nevada, Missouri. She married Richard Henderson Jennings on 20 Feb 1884. The couple was for only married 8 years before Cora died 31 July 1892. It does not appear they had any children. As the 1890 census was destroyed in a fire, there is no census listing where they were living just before or at the time of her death. She is buried in the Troy City Cemetery in Lincoln County, Missouri near her grandparents, Charles and Sarah Sheets. Her stone is quite large, larger in fact that any of the other "Sheets" stones in that area.
I am curious as to why she was buried in her grandparents' plot in Lincoln County, MO and why she died so young as she was only 25. (Although her marriage record says she is over the age of 18, she was only 17 at the time. It does state that consent was given by her parents.)
George Ellington Sheets
George was born 7 July 1870 in Lincoln County, Missouri. In 1880, he too moved to Windsor, Missouri then to Vernon County several years later. George served in the Spanish American War in the "2 United States Volunteer Calvary." He enlisted as a Private and was discharged as a Trumpeter. In September 1898 he became very ill while stationed in Jacksonville, Florida. Brother Walter went down to be with him. After some time, George did recover but here is the news article found in the Troy Free Press, 16 Sep 1898.
By 1900, he had moved to Salmon, Lemhi County, Idaho and was working as a salesman in 1900, as recorded in that year's federal census. In 1904, he is listed as one of the Village Officers of Salmon in Lemhi County Idaho serving as the Nightwatchman.
He came back to Missouri to marry Lillian Howser on 28 Sep 1901 in Nevada, Missouri. On the marriage license, he lists his residence as Salmon City, Idaho. In 1903, the couple was making their home in Salmon City where Lillian gave birth to their son, Don Hila Sheets on 8 July 1903. George listed his occupation as "Chief of Police" of Salmon City and had "spent 18 months in this work."
The family returned to Nevada, Missouri by 1910 and was living at 901 West Austin and was just down the street from Cottey College in Nevada. George was working as a salesman in a grocery.
Martin and Malinda's youngest child, Lillie, was born 19 May 1874 in Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri. She married Robert M. Howell in 1894 in Vernon County, Missouri. The couple had three children, Ralph (1897-1970) and Paul (1901-1918) and an infant who died in 1904.
Robert applied for and was awarded a land grant in 1909 for 160 acres of land in Caddo County, Oklahoma.
Paul died unexpectedly 20 Sep 1918 at his home. From newspaper articles prior to his passing he appeared to be a normal, active young man who was involved in school activities and spent the summer (July) of 1918 on a harvesting crew in Kansas. Here is an obituary from the Anadarko Tribune (3 Oct 1918):
From this article, we discovered his brother Ralph was "somewhere in France" serving in World War I. The only record I found online for his service was a transport/passenger list on the USS Aeolus departing St. Nazaire France on 7 June 1919 and arriving in Hoboken, New Jersey on 28 June 1919. He served as a private in the army.
{Incidentally, the AEolus had been a German passenger ship the United States seized at the onset of World War I. The ship, originally named the SS Grosser Kurfürst, was converted and recommissioned as the Aeolus and carried almost 25,000 men to France during the hostilities, and returned over 27,000 healthy and wounded men after the Armistice.}
In the 1920 census the family had moved to Hinton, Oklahoma and was living in town on Clark Street. Robert listed his occupation as Assessor and Ralph was working as a bookkeeper at a bank. in 1930, Ralph had married Gladys Kent and the couple had two children. They were living in the home of his parents. It appears from this census record Robert owned a filling station in Hinton and Ralph was working as a salesman.
Lillie passed away of a heart attack on 21 Dec 1931 at her home. Here is her obituary from The Hinton Record (23 Dec 1931):
Even though the obituary says Lillie was buried in the Sickles Cemetery in Hinton, Oklahoma, I could not find documentation of this on Find-a-Grave nor could I find out when and where Robert died. He was not living with Ralph and his family in 1940 so I suppose he stayed near Hinton. Lillie's parents, Martin and Malinda B Sheets and her son, Paul, all have gravestones in this cemetery.
Documentation for the information presented above is available on my family tree at Ancestry.com. If you need anything specific, please let me know.
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