Sara Agnes (Casteel) Certain (1871 - 1963)

Born 18 Oct 1871 in Limestone County, Alabama

Ancestors

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Biography

This profile is part of the Casteel Name Study.

Sara "Sallie" Agnes (Casteel) Certain (1871-1963)

[Note that some unverified secondary sources give her first name as Elisa, though there doesn't seem to be any documentary evidence to support this. Note also that her gravestone gives her year of birth as 1874, but census records and other evidence would suggest that she was actually born in 1871 (or 1872 at the latest).]

Sallie Casteel was the third child of James H. Casteel and Teresa H. (Lentz) Casteel of Limestone County, Alabama. Sallie was most likely born in the Lentzville/Temperance Oak/Pleasant Grove area of western Limestone County, though the family moved to the Leggtown area in the northernmost part of Limestone County, very close to the Tennessee state line, when she was quite young. That is almost certainly where she was living when she married.

On 11 July 1887, Sallie married Anderson Lee Certain in Limestone County, Alabama. Their marriage license (issued on that same date) is in the Limestone County Archives. (Note that the names on the license are entered as Sarah Casteel and A.L. Sirten.)

Lee and Sallie soon moved to Madison County, Alabama (the county just to the east of Limestone County), which is where they would make their permanent home and raise their children.

They had at least eight children (though it is possible that they had others who died young and do not show up in census records):

• Maud (or Maude) M. Certain (b. 1888) — her married name was Pridmore
  
• James H. Certain (b. 1893)
  
• Clarence Reeves Certain (b. 1895)
  
• Bryan Certain (b. 1898)
  
• Bertha Lee Certain (b. 1905) — her married name was Case
  
• Helen C. Certain (b. 1907)
  
• Lionel Certain (b. 1910)
  

[In his book, An Alabama Rose Garden, Lynn Parham lists another daughter named Sarah Annett Certain, though census records indicate that Sarah is actually Sallie's granddaughter — she is Lionel Certain's daughter.]

Bryan Certain most likely died young, since his name appears only in the 1900 census.

Helen Certain died in 1910, just two days after her third birthday.

On 5 January 1908, Maud Certain married John Pridmore in Madison County, Alabama. They are listed as husband and wife in the 1910 census for Madison County, but in the 1920 and 1930 censuses Maud is listed as divorced and in the 1940 census (the last one for which individual records have been made public) she is listed as widowed. Maud would die in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, in 1975.

A. Lee Certain died in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, on 9 November 1914. It appears that Sallie never remarried.

On 18 April 1917, James Certain married Aldie Reese in Madison County, Alabama. (The bride's maiden name is spelled Reece in the marriage record, but other sources give it as Reese.) They would still be married and living in Madison County as of the 1930 census. (They have not yet been found in the 1940 census.) James would die in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, in 1976.

On 26 February 1921, Clarence Certain married Jessie Brazelton in Madison County, Alabama. They would still be married and living in Madison County as of the 1940 census (the last census for which individual records have been released to the public). Clarence would die in New Hope, Madison County, Alabama, in 1980.

On 4 September 1925, Bertha Certain married Samuel Adams Case in Madison County, Alabama. Sam would die in 1937. Bertha would die in 1972. (Her death record has not yet been located, so it is unclear exactly where she died.)

On 1 November 1927, Lionel Certain married Ursula Belle Swindell in Lincoln County, Tennessee (the county just to the north of Madison County, Alabama). (Note that on the marriage record, the bride's first mane is spelled Urcilla.) They would have a daughter named Sarah Ann. Sadly, they would be married less that two years when Lionel, age 18, would die in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, in 1929. After Lionel's death, Ursula and baby Sarah would move in with the family of Lionel's sister, Maud Pridmore, for a while (which is where they can be found in the 1930 census), though Ursula would remarry in 1932.

Sallie Certain remained in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, at least through 1930. However, she has yet to be located in the 1940 census. She would die in 1963. No death record has yet been found, so her exact date and place of death remain unknown. She is buried in the Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. (Her husband and children are also buried there.)

Sources

James Lynn Parham, An Alabama Rose Garden (1998) — a useful source on the history of the Casteel family of Limestone County, Alabama; though much of the information in it has been either disproved or cast into serious doubt by discoveries made since its publication.

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For records not available via FamilySearch:

Limestone County Archives: http://limestonearchives.com/

Madison County Records Center: http://madisoncountyal.gov/mcrc/index.shtml

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-1880 census record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M4JT-M9T
(Note that there are lots of transcription errors in the record at FamilySearch, but the names are much clearer in the original images.)

[Unfortunately, almost all of the 1890 census records were destroyed in a fire before they could be preserved on microfilm; so no record is available for that year.]

-1900 census record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9DZ-J2D

-1910 census record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK7D-T4V

-1920 census record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX8T-41W

-1930 census record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3JND-NT2

-1940 census record: (not yet located)

[Note that 1940 census is the last one for which individual records have been released to the public.]

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Her marriage record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V5Z3-ZN9
(Image available at the Limestone County Archives.)

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Her Find-a-Grave entry: Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 03 October 2020), memorial page for Sara Agnes Certain (1874–1963), Find A Grave: Memorial #107838018, citing Maple Hill Cemetery, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, USA ; Maintained by Heather (contributor 47800689) . Sara Agnes Certain

Her husband's death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDD9-JYX

His Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #107838000 Anderson Lee Certain

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Records concerning Sallie's children:

Maud

Marriage record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FQK4-XQF

Death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V9D5-L2H

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #104384003 Maude G (Certain) Pridmore
(Note that her name is listed as Maude G Pridmore when, in fact, the name on the gravestone is Maude C. Pridmore.)

James

World War I draft registration: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3PK-8T4

Marriage record: (not currently available via FamilySearch, but may be found at the Madison County Records Center) — Madison County Marriage Licenses, 1900-1939, Vol. 42, p. 575

Death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JLHV-5WY

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #107838010 James Certain

Clarence

World War I draft registration: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3PK-8TW

Marriage record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VZVZ-NXC

Death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JRR5-1JF

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #37808991 Clarence Certain

Bertha

Marriage record: (not currently available via FamilySearch, but may be found at the Madison County Records Center) — Madison County Marriage Licenses, 1900-1939, Vol. 51, p. 54

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #50908916 Bertha L. (Certain) Case

Helen

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #107838008 Helen C Certain

Lionel

Marriage record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK41-VMJT

Death record: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDNX-6Y5

Find-a-Grave entry: Find A Grave: Memorial #107838013 Lionel Certain