Life History

Other facts

Notes

• There is some doubt about the maiden name of Louisa Christian Jenkins.  "... His third and last wife was Louisa (maiden name unknown) Christian, widow of Joseph Benjamin Christian of Cass County, Texas."
  --  Harold K Christian, Jenkins Family History, p 3, http://objgenealogy.com/articles/josephsanfordjenkinshistory.pdf
  
  There was an uncertain idea among some children of Joseph Asa Jenkins that Louisa was a sister of Joseph Sanford's first wife Lucinda Amanda Taylor.  I cannot find details to corroborate this.  But according to other family traditions, Louisa and her first husband, Joseph Benjamin Christian, lived on a farm neighbouring the farm of Joseph Sanford Jenkins in Cass County, Texas, so reported by Harold K Christian in his private Jenkins Family History.  This perhaps indicates some prior tie to the Jenkins household.
  
  I can find no parentage information for Louisa Taylor.  But information indicates she was born in Mississippi, as were Lucinda Amanda and her siblings.  Dates would match, with Louisa being the last born.
  
  Various information sources for Lucinda Amanda and her brother and sister do not mention another sister Louisa.  It is possible that Louisa is a cousin or an aunt, even though younger.  We find the names Taylor, Christian and Jenkins associated at points in Mississippi, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma.  Three generations of the Christians and Jenkins married, in addition to the Taylor connection.
  
  The Taylor children's mother or grandmother was also reported to be born in Ireland.  Perhaps this is one source of the idea that the two women were sisters.  But the censuses report that Daniel's mother was born in Georgia, except 1880, which says Mississippi.  While Louisa's mother is reported by the 1880 Cass County, Texas, census to have been born in Ireland.  This makes it seem likely that Louisa was an aunt or cousin of the other three Day children.  We need more information on the parents to determine definitively.
  
  Louisa was first married to Joseph Benjamin Christian, then after his death she married Joseph Sanford Jenkins, in Cass County, Texas, according to extensive research done by Harold Christian.  He includes the following paragraph in his Jenkins Family History.
  
  "Joseph Sanford was remarried to Mrs. Louisa Christian, widow of Joseph Benjamin Christian of Cass County, on 28 February 1872, probably soon after his return. The Jenkins and the Christian families lived on neighboring farms and included older children at this time. It is believed that Joseph Sanford and Louisa continued to maintain the separate homes for their children following their marriage."
  --  Jenkins Family History, p 11, http://objgenealogy.com/articles/josephsanfordjenkinshistory.pdf
  
  Some other information came to light in February 2016 that calls into question the name of Louisa's first husband.  Another Christian descendant, Loyd Farris, reported to me that his ancestor was Mineola Christian born about 1890, and her father was Joseph Benjamin Christian.  Our date of birth for J S's daughter Minnie was about 1899. Loyd also reported that Joseph Benjamin's father was named Benjamin Franklin Christian.
  
  In doing some checking, I found that a Walkup family genealogy reported this also, but provided no documentation for most of the spotty connections and details provided.  (Walkups are cousins in the Christian line.)   The Walkup genealogy reproted a date of birth for Mineola )Minnie) Christian as about 1892.
  
  "Mineola Christian Battles (1890 - 1972) was my maternal grandmother.  Her father was Joseph Benjamin Christian and his father (my second great grandfather) was Benjamin Franklin Christian (1817 - 1870)."
  --  Loyd Keith Farris, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 31 December 2015
  
  The marriage date reported in the Cass County, Texas, records as reported by Harold Christian differs from that in the compiled records reported by Ancestry.com.  The date Harold reports is 28 February 1872, but the Texas Marriage Collection reports 7 March 1872.
  
  The information reported by family sources with the date of February 1872 is found in another database of Texas marriages.  Only the transcribed record is available.  I have found no image of the original handwritten record with the February date.
  
  Texas, Select County Marriage Index, 1837-1965
  Louisa Christian
  J S Jenkines [sic]
  Marriage 28 Feb 1872 Cass County, Texas, United States
  
  From the format of varioius state marriage databases, I conclude that the following record reporting the February date is reporting the date of the marriage license.  This would match the marriage date reported in the actual recorded marriage record.
  
  The marriage record found in Texas records had the date of 7 March 1872.  This would be the date of the ceremony.  The original record is not available to report the name of the person officiating this mrriage ceremony.
  
  Texas Marriages, 1851-1900
  J S Jenkins
  Mrs Louisa Christian
  Marriage 7 Mar 1872 Cass County, Texas
  
  "The Christians [sic] children ... Their mother, Louisa, married a second time, J. S. Jenkins, March 7, 1872, and had one son, Henry.  After her death in 1900, Joseph Benjamin Christian [her son] sold the family farm to Lonzo Hicks.  Family tradition states that there is a lineage connection to the Hensley family but this has not been proven."
  --  Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 August 1971, p 9G
  
  In 1875, J S, J A and W S are all listed together on the same page, all owning land.  J S's new wife Louisa Christian, is also reported as a land owner.  Louisa was not listed in the 1873 and 1874 tax rolls.
  
  Texas, County Tax Rolls
  J S Jenkins, abstract #1013, original owner T Wood, 215 acres, $400 Real Estate value, personal property $140, Total $540, tax ad valorem $2.70, poll tax $1.00, total tax $3.70
  W S Jenkins, No Real Estate, personal property $65, tax ad valorem $.32, poll tax $1.00, Total $1.32
  Louise [Louisa] Jenkins, abstract #1076, original owner H Millsap, 160 acres;  $300 Real Estate value, total value $433, tax ad valorem $2.16, no poll tax, Total Tax $2.16
  1875 Tax Assessment, Cass County, p 45
  
  Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910
  Jenkins, L, by J S Jinkins [sic], abstract #689, original owner H Millsap, 150 acres;  $150 Real Estate value, total value $346, tax ad valorem $1.78, no poll tax, county tax $2.56, Total Tax $4.82
  Jenkins, J C, no real estate, personal property value $116, ad valorem $.58, state poll tax $2.00, county tax $1.87, Total Tax $6.65
  Jenkins, J S, no real estate, personal property value $233, ad valorem $1.73, state poll tax $2.00, county tax $2.76, Total Tax $3.93;
  1877 Tax Assessment, Cass County, p 38
  
  Louisa's age is given as 42 in the 1880 Cass County, Texas, census. This census reports her father born in Mississippi, her mother born in Ireland.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas, 16 June, District 12, Precinct 3, Page 17, House and Family #144
  Jenkins, Joseph  W M 52 Farmer  SC SC SC
  Jenkins, Louisa   W F 42 Wife Keeps House  Miss Miss Ireland
  Jenkins, Mary L  W F 21 Daughter Farming  Ga SC Miss
  Jenkins, Lucinda  W F 19 Daughter Farming  Ga SC Miss
  Jenkins, Margaret C  W F 17 Daughter Farming  Tx SC Miss
  Jenkins, Joe Asa   W M 16 Son Farming  Tx SC Miss
  
  After Louisa married Joseph Sanford Jenkins, the two continued to maintain their separate neighboring farms in Cass County, Texas, until the combined family moved about 1890 to Indian Territory, finally settling in Marlow, Chickasaw Nation (later Stephens County, Oklahoma).  There is no record of whether Louisa died in Cass County before the move, along the way on the trip to Indian Territory, or in Marlow, where the family settled.
  
  Since Joseph Sanford's death is recorded, and his cemetery exists in Marlow, it seems safe to assume that Louisa died before the family left Cass County in 1890.  But it is unclear why we find no burial site or record there either.
  
  Date of death is uncertain.  While J Epperson reports that Louisa died in Marlow, Indian Territory, Harold Christian indicates Louisa apparently did not accompany Joseph Sanford to Indian Territory.  Harold suggests that Louisa died in Texas, or moved to Healdton, Indian Territory, but then remained with her children there when the Jenkinses moved on to Marlow.  No record for Louisa has been found in any of the cemeteries in either area.
  
  Some possible light was shed on this in 2011, when a coresearcher Wanda Cox, found some old newspaper clippings in her 98-year-old mother's family collections.  An obituary of Mrs G Funsten Bilbrey, refers to Louisa and her family.
  
  --------------------------
  MRS. G. FUNSTEN Bilbrey, Rt. 2, 824 N. 5th, Frederick, Okla. 73542, is re [line giving her husband's name left out in the original print version] …, born 1827, Louisiana and married first, Nancy (maiden name unknown), born South Carolina. Their children, all born in Cass County, Texas, were David, Laura, George, John and Robert.  His second marriage was to Frances Elizabeth Christian in 1877.  They had six children and he disappeared in 1889.
  
  The Christians [sic] children included Joseph Benjamin, Frances Elizabeth, Lucinda and Emily, all born in Cass County between 1854 and 1862.  Joseph Benjamin married Catherine Smith; Lucinda, Larkin Dycus; and Emily, Jason Forsyth.
  
  Their mother, Louisa, married a second time, J. S. Jenkins, March 7, 1872, and had one son, Henry.  After her death in 1900, Joseph Benjamin Christian sold the family farm to Lonzo Hicks.  Family tradition states that there is a lineage connection to the Hensley family but this has not been proven.
  --  Ft Worth Star-Telegram, 22 August 1971
  --------------------------
  
  This source indicates that Louisa died in 1900.  The selling of the Christian family farm related to her death seems to indicate she was still on the Christian farm in Cass County, near Dalton.  No actual record or burial site has been found.  Information in the family history indicates her date may have been earlier, about 1890.
  
  Louisa's husband Joseph Jenkins moved to Indian Territory about 1890 with his son Joseph Asa Jenkins.  Louisa does not appear to be on this trip.  The way the story is told,  oseph Benjamin Christian and his wife, along with Catherine Jenkins and her husband Nelson Winter, had already moved to Healdton, Chickasaw Naiton, Indian Territory.  It seems odd that Louisa would have wanted to stay back.
  
  From the information available in the Jenkins famliy tradition, it seemed the Jenkins family farm was sold before Joseph Sanford Jenkins left in about 1890 for Indian Territory, with his son Joseph Asa.  The Jenkins farm was next to the Christian farm, and when Joseph Jenkins and Louisa married, they maintained their separate farms and households, according to family research by Harold Christian (See the Jenkins family history).  Thus Louisa could have stayed on the Christian farm when her husband moved with his son to Indian Territory.
  
  The Jenkins family story says also that Louisa's son Joseph Benjamin Christian moved with Joseph Asa or before.  If the 1900 date in the news story is correct, did Joseph go back to Cass County from Indian Territory in order to sell the Christian family farm?  Or was the death date of Louisa before the 1890 move, instead of later in 1900?  I have not found the record of sales of the farms.  Harold Christian, in his story of the Jenkins famliy, leaves open the likelihood that Louisa did stay behind, though no details or evidence has been found.
  
  "Louisa is believed to have remained in Cass County when Joseph Sanford Jenkins moved to Marlow, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), ca 1890. Her date and place of burial is unknown at this time. ... DEATH OF JOSEPH SANFORD JENKINS  Joseph is believed to have moved to Marlow, Indian Territory (now Stephens County), Oklahoma ca 1890. He passed away while living there on May 26, 1893, and was buried in the Marlow cemetery. ... During the 1952 TV interview, Joseph [Asa Jenkins] first stated he had lived in Oklahoma since 1890."
  --  Jenkins Family History, pp 9-10, 13, http://objgenealogy.com/articles/josephsanfordjenkinshistory.pdf
  
  -------------------
  Louisa Taylor Jenkins
  Birth 1838 Mississippi, USA
  Death 1890 Cass County, Texas, USA
  
  Louisa Taylor was born about 1838 in Mississippi, according to census records. Her parents are not known. The 1880 census reports that her father was born in Mississippi and her mother in Ireland. She married Joseph Benjamin Christian 28 Feb 1872 in Cass County, Texas.
  
  After the death of Joseph Benjamin, Louisa married widowed neighbor Joseph Sanford Jenkins. The Jenkins and Christian farms near Dalton, Texas, were adjoining or near each other. She was probably a relative, maybe an aunt, of Joseph Sanford's first wife Lucinda Amanda Taylor, who was also born in Mississippi, and whose parents are also unknown. She and J S had one child, Henry, who died at about age 3-4, and was buried in a private grave.
  
  Louisa's death and burial details are unknown. No record, public or private, has been found. She died between 1890 and 1900. She does not appear in the 1900 census. Her husband and son moved to Indian Territory about 1890. She is not mentioned in regard to the move or thereafter.
  
  One family story does report that her son returned from Indian Territory after her death, to sell the Christian family farm in Cass County. This would indicate that for some reason she did not move to Indian Territory with her husband and other family members, but stayed on the family farm in Cass County. This is all uncertain.
  
  Spouses:
  Joseph Benjamin Christian (1835 - 1870)
  Joseph Sanford Jenkins (1826 - 1893)
  Children:
  Henry Jenkins (1876 - 1880)
  
  Burial Non-Cemetery Burial
  Last known residence was near Dalton, Cass County, Texas. She is not listed in any cemetery near Dalton or other family residence or burial area. No record of date or place has been found.
  No stone has been found. It is thought she was buried on the Christian family farm of her first husband or the neighboring Jenkins family farm of her second husband. Her second husband and some of her children moved to Indian Territory about 1890.
  
  Created by Orville Jenkins Jul 04, 2015
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #148647305, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=148647305
  -------------------
  

Sources

• 1. Jenkins Family History by Harold Keith Christian
• 2. 1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas
  • 16 June, District 12, Precinct 3, Page 17, House and Family #144
• 3. Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910
  • 1877
• 4. Fort Worth Star-Telegram
• 5. Texas, County Tax Rolls, 1846-1910
  • 1875
• 6. Texas Marriages, 1837-1973
• 7. 1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas
  • 16 June, Precinct 3, District 12, page 17 (scan 128A), Hse/Family #143
• 8. 1910 Federal Census, Wichita County, Texas
  • 6 May, Justice Precinct 3, District 233, page 11A, Hse/Fam #148
• 9. Texas Deaths, 1890-1976
• 10. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 11. 1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas
  • 17 June, Justice Precinct 3, District 12, page 20, Hse/Fam #172
• 12. 1930 Federal Census, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
  • 10 April, Kiowa Township, District 32, page 7A, Hse/Fam #120
• 13. 1920 Federal Census, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma
  • 31 January, Kiowa Township, District 199, page 18B, Hse #350, Fam #357
• 14. Ancestry Trees
  • Christian and related, http://awtc.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=*v70t0775&id=I08258
• 15. 1900 Federal Census, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory
  • 2 July, Marlow Town, District 164, page 18A, Hse #326, Fam #329
• 16. 1880 Federal Census, Cass County, Texas
  • 9 July, Precinct 3, District 12, page 55 (scan 147C), Hse/Fam #526
• 17. 1920 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas
  • 19 January, Dalby Springs, District 21, page 2B, Hse/Fam #38
• 18. 1910 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas
  • 18 April, Precinct 4, District 19, page 2A, Hse/Fam #23
• 19. 1940 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas
  • 24 April, Justice Precinct 7, District 19-37, page 15B, Hse #268, Owns $400
• 20. Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982
• 21. 1930 Federal Census, Bowie County, Texas
  • 14 April, Justice Precinct 7, District 33, page 9A, Dalby Springs and County Line, Hse #175, Fam #185
• 22. Various Sources
• 23. Texas, Marriage Collection, 1814-1909 and 1966-2011
• 24. Texas, Select County Marriage Index, 1837-1965