Genealogy: Sarah Ann Palmer

I had a website and domain name digroots.com for years.  I am dropping it now and adding my genealogy here to my blog.  Nothing to do with kayaking America… just want to make sure the information is saved until I figure out where to put it.

1. Sarah Ann PALMER was born in SEP 1810. She died on 1 MAR 1888 in Covington, IN. Obit: MASON -- Thursday, March 1 at 2:30 a.m., Sarah A. Mason, aged 77 years, 5 months and 18 days. Funeral from residence of her son-in-law, F.W. Spreen, Banklick and Eleventh streets, Covington, Sunday, March 4, at 2 P.M. Friends invited. Burial private.

Obit: Mrs. Sarah A. Mason ____________________ Jesus March 1, A.D. 1898, aged 77 years.

There is no flock, however watched and tended,

But has a vacant chair!

There is no fireside, however defended,

But one is missing there!

We will be patient, and assuage the feeling

We may not wholly stay;

By silence sanctifying not concealink,

The grief that must have way.

HER DAUGHTER (Ethel May Mason)

Sarah Ann PALMER was married to Aurelius MASON (son of Peleg MASON and Olive PETE) on 19 MAR 1835 in Richmond, OH. Richmond Co., OH or Richland Co.? Aurelius MASON was born in SEP 1799 in Cincinnati, Richland, OH. Sarah Ann PALMER and Aurelius MASON had the following children:

1.1. Julietta MASON was born on 19 MAR 1837 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. She died on 2 MAY 1840 in Richmond, OH.

1.2. Laura Jane MASON was born on 13 MAY 1843 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. She died on 14 FEB 1918 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN. I believe this is the Aunt that Olive Carlton Bevis Smith went to live with when she was in high school. She was sent there to live because she was the oldest left at home and the family was very poor.

Laura Jane MASON was married to Fredrick W. SPREEN on 25 DEC 1865 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN. According to the 1920 U.S. Census (Jan. 8, 1920), Frederick Spreen was listed as a boarder under Hanry Cronley, wife Mable and daughter Erin Jean. He was 70 years, b. in IN, parents b. IN, and occupation as “Insurance.”

1.3. Olive Ann MASON was born on 17 JAN 1845 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. She died on 21 DEC 1904 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH.

Olive Ann MASON was married to William ROSENBLOOM, JR. (son of William ROSENBOOM and Johanna CLARK) on 13 NOV 1870 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH. Newspaper announcement: Roseboom -- Mason -- On the 13th inst., at the residence of the bride's brother-in-law, 315 West Seventh St., by the Rev. James H. Spillman, Prof. Wm. Roseboom to Miss Ollie A. Mason. No cards.

Poem by William Roseboom, Jr.

Dated: 22 Feb 1871

Xerox copy sent to Charlene by Ethel Carlton Scott. It is unknown if she had the original.

Transcription (by Charlene)

To My Better-half.

Let Poet tell of Ollie fair,

And Sculptor moddle(model) form;

The one describes thee in the air,

The other less the harm.

Let the Artist to his task be true,

The collors represent;

O auburn hair and eyes of blue,

His time is vainly spent.

The Poet, Sculptor, Artist, too,

Press suit it cloth appear;

They tell of, carve and color you,

They make me Jealous dear.

Vain rivals – own the goal is lost,

For shadow, form and paint,

The substance mine at priceless cost,

I’m happy, with a saint.

You bid me say just what I feel,

Upon life’s briny ocean’

If after prayer the thoughts arise,

To stifle not emotion.

At Vicksburg, and on Castle Hill,

On Mississippi’s shores;

These lines of love to thee I write,

May they echo ever more.

Vicksburg, Miss., Feb. 22, 1871.

Wm.R.Jr.

Olive Ann MASON and William ROSENBLOOM, JR. had the following children:

1.3.1. Sherwood Mason ROSENBLOOM, JR. was born in 1872 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, OH.

1.3.2. Ethel May MASON was born on 26 OCT 1874 in Cincinnati, , OH. She died on 1 JAN 1967 in Atlanta, GA. She was educated Weslean College, Macon, , GA. Nov. 27, 1973 interview with Ethel Carlton Scott: Ethel May Mason went to Weslean College in Macon, GA when she was 16 and married when she was 17. Newspaper clipping: Mrs. Mason, and daughter, Mrs. Carlton, of Macon, Ga., are visiting their sister and aunt, Mrs. F. W. Spreen, on the hill south of town. Date handwriting looks like Dec, 31, -95. This photo was probably taken during the Weslean era. Would love to get a copy of her school records.

Ethel May MASON was married to William Branch CARLTON / CALFEE (son of John CALFEE and Dorcas A. HELM) in OCT 1891. William Branch CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 11 FEB 1866 in Buncombe Co., NC. He died after 1943 in Atlanta, GA. Some descendants say his middle name was “Boring” but Charlene has a photo in the handwriting of her grandmother Olive Carlton Bevis Smith, the back says “William Branch Carlton.” When Charlene first began conducting genealogical research about 1968, Olive never mentioned anything about the Carlton name not being William's original name. After Charlene had conducted genealogical research on the Carlton name for over 15 years without being able to find any records on the family, did Olive finally admit that it "seems that William may have changed his name from Calfee to Carlton." It is easy to see the signatures could easily be altered from CALFEE to CARLTON.

In another interview with Ethel Carlton Scott on Nov. 27, 1973, Ethel said that Ethel May Carlton told her children when Neva was 12 she visit Aunt Lela (William's sister in Atlanta, GA.). Lela told Neva that William was suppose to have killed a man - don't know why- may never have been accused. Aunt Lela was “like Neva” and Ethel May didn't like Lela. Lela stayed with the family when Olive Carlton Bevis Smith was a child before Ethel Carlton Scott was born. At the time Ethel May was very sick. It was the last time Lela every came to Ethel May's house.

William was born near Chattanooga, TN and lived on a farm, which could have been a tobacco plantation. His mother died when he was 12 and he was the youngest child. (Charlene found a doctor's diary which documents a boy Calfee b. 11 Feb. 1866 in Buncombe Co., NC. Female siblings in census records agree with the siblings William was suppose to have, according to family tradition. "Delv” in NC by Dr. James Americas Reagan - see his Journal.) In 1870 Census, William was the youngest child.

Cecil (who is this?) was a professor of math at a University in North Carolina. After the Civil War, the family moved to North Carolina. William may have been born in North Carolina. Afterwards the family returned to TN when the family finances got better.

William's mother had two slaves when she got married. Rachel was one and she had promised to raise Willie. When William was 16, his father remarried and William ran away and took "Aunt Rachel" with him. Aunt Rachel didn't want a new mistress. She went to an old judge’s (maybe a Helm or Rodgers?) up the river and asked if she could live there and she did, until she died.

William said his grandmother, when she was 91 years old, would ride one mile on horseback to the overseeres cabin and tell him what work to do. Overseerer for the plantation in TN. A descendant said that William B. Carlton rode on the horse with her and that his grandparents raised him. (Why?)

Later, William ran to FL and then Mobil, AL. He did jobs here and there - didn't have much money - would buy bananas to live on for .10 cents from banana boats. He went alligator hunting at night – he told his children some fantastic tells - tried to shoot the alligator in the eye - got lost in Everglades - saw smoke in the distance and found a cabin of a couple of settlers who would only go into town twice a year. They raised hogs, ate hoecake and palmetta cabbage - but William hated cabbage. All this according to two of William’s daughters, Olive and Ethel, and told to Charlene.

William always seemed to have an inferiority complex and if he had killed someone, he may have felt he owed the world more than he could ever repay. He became a cabinetmaker and did excellent work (according to Olive and Ethel). See photo of with him and a pool table he probably made. Photo taken at 156 Garnett in Atlanta.

A note here about "Financial situation of the family and a swindle". I don't remember what that was in reference to.

William's father played the violin while the neighbors just "fiddled." He thought his father was dumb – but all the family was educated. William’s father, probably John A. Calfee, was a High School teacher (Wm. Boyd Helm was a doctor and minister, many other doctors, lawyers, judges, teachers, etc.).

According to Ethel Carlton Scott, in a personal interview with Charlene in 1974, William may have "accidentally" killed someone and then fled from the law and changed his name. Charlene was visiting Pat and Jerry James at their home in Virginia Beach 9/15/74 and they also said there was also a story about a negro slave who had raised William and who ran away with him.

Email to Charlene from Judy Luke, 15 Jun 1998: (Judy wrote this when Charlene asked if she had heard about anyone in Grandma Smith's (Olive) family had inherited slaves) - I heard of the slaves that grandpa(?) Carlton inherited from his father and mother. They were both female; one of the women was named Rachel.

Charlene believes this is a little confused... but still it substantiated what Charlene had heard... and is valuable, since Judy is two years older, she remembers more about the early family traditions.

Ethel May MASON and William Branch CARLTON / CALFEE had the following children:

1.3.2.1. Neva May CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 5 MAR 1893 in Macon, GA. She SS# issued 261-14-4600 before 1951 in FL. She died in JUN 1980 in Miami, Dade, FL. She had Social Security Number 261-14-4600.

1.3.2.2. Olive CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 4 DEC 1897/98 in Fort Valley, Peach, GA. She died before 19 MAY 1986 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN.[1] Her SS# issued 313-16-7203 in Indianapolis, Marion, IN. Olive told Charlene of a two-story schoolhouse that her father built which had all grades. The upstairs was used for roller-skating on weekends. He also built swing sets for kids... Olive still loved to swing up to a could years of her death, in spite of the fact she had become very senile and was unable to have normal conversation. m. 1) BEVIS, m.2) SMITH.

1.3.2.3. Wilbur Sherwood CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 8 JUN 1900 in Fort Valley, Peach, GA. He died after 1947. Note: lived to get bald... have photo. He resided 3837 Ulloa St. in New Orleans, LA. Address found in Olive Carlton Bevis Smith's black notebook of poems.

1.3.2.4. Ethel CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 24 APR 1905 in Montgomery, AL. She died after 9 JAN 1983 in @ Patties house?. Email to Charlene from her sister, Judy Luke, 15 Jun 1998: “As you know, Aunt Ethel was a Christian Scientist and did not believe in docs. I believe Dale was sick and she would not take him to a dr. and he died. I remember Ethel, Patty and Laura Lynn living in a trailer in Grandma’s (SMITH’s) back yard for a time. Laura Lynn died shortly after she was married. Patty had a t.v. show of her own for a while during the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was down here in Fla.”

Charlene remembers Ethel and her girls living in a trailer in Grandma Smith's backyard. One of the kids stepped on an electrical extension cord going from the house to the trailer and was badly shocked but lived. She thinks that was one of Ethel's girls. Charlene also remember how everyone was instructed not to answer the phone, as Ethel and Olive had this code of rings arranged so that Ethel would not have to pay for the call from the hospital- I think it was Dale Arden who was in hospital and may have died then. She would call Olive, let the phone ring a number of times, and then hang up and Olive would call her back.

1.3.2.5. Laura Lee CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 10 OCT 1906 in Montgomery, AL. Her SS# issued 265-18-7034 before 1951 in FL. She died on 16 OCT 1997 in Miami, Dade, FL.

1.3.2.6. Lida CARLTON / CALFEE was born on 6 FEB 1908 in Tallahassee, FL.

See photos where these people lived – Homes

Prepared by:

Charlene Anne Swankie