Help please: Willey Anna (Wiliana) Holland b. MO 1853

Question

Not one of my ancestors, but part of my ongoing hobby of documenting the ancestry of my favorite rock stars.

Willey Anna, or Wiliana, was born 1853 in Missouri and died 1909 in Montana, and while that seems straightforward enough, she's proven a challenge to document.

She married a man named Marcellus S. Ray in McDonald co. MO in 1878. On the 1880 census, they're living in that country with their infant son and 19-year-old John I. Adams, described as Marcellus' brother-in-law. On the face of it, he would seem to be Willey Anna's brother (or half-brother). If it helps, no birthplace is given for Wiley's father, but her mother's birthplace is shown as Missouri.

Checking the 1876 Missouri state census, I found Willey Ann Holland, 24, living with Martha Holland, 20 (a sister?). Living next to them is John I. Adams, in the household of who appears to be his mother: Minerva Jackson Adams. Several other young people are living in Minerva's household. There is no sign of Willey Anna or Martha Holland in Minerva's household in 1870, although I may have found Willey Anna living in Christian co. KY in what might be a girl's boarding school of some sort.

Try as I might, I can't find Willey Anna in the 1860 census, not with Minerva or anyone else. Was she Minerva's child from an earlier marriage?

Answer 1

I found a profile on Ancestry.com with a Letitia Williann Adams, born 1854 Missouri, died 27 Feb 1909 in Montana, married Marcellous Ray. The spelling of the name is different, perhaps the "L" in your profile stands for Letitia.

This Letitia Williann Adams appears in the 1860 census, and you can see the image here.  Her parents were John Isom Adams 1822-1870 and Manerva Jackson 1824-1914. 

The same family appears in the 1870 Census, but this time the father is absent. (Presumably he died before the census was taken.) Also, it looks like An is using the name Letitia during the 1870 census. You can see the image here. 

I would do your own research to confirm this relationship, but this might point you in the right direction. Hope this helps.  

Comments

Hi Alex, and thank you. This woman married under the name 'Hollen', so it does not appear her LNAB was Adams. Isom Adams may have been a stepfather. The older Adams children in 1860 (Jesse, Sarah, and James) appear to be Isom's children with a previous wife, Martha, who are found in 1850 Cass co. MO. I think the family in 1860 is their two families blended together. "Ann" aged 7 is probably the Wiliann I'm looking for, and Martha aged 4 is probably the Martha Holland living with her in 1876.