Life History

Notes

• This person was difficult to confirm initially.  Some genealogies reported Sarah as a daughter of Samuel Ross Tatum and Mary Ann Nelson, but without providing any details like birth date.  There is a marriage record of Sarah Tatum in Ada, who was issued a marriage certificate to Henry Dewberry on 24 July 1915.  That would mean she was at most only 15 years old, since she is not recorded in the census of February 1900.  They are soon reported in Tulsa.  It is not clear that this is a daughter of Samuel Ross.
  
  A genealogy does indeed report a 14-year old Sarah Elizabeth Tatum marrying someone with a similar name, Derryberry.  The genealogy does not have Sarah's parents.  The information does come from family sources.
  
  Sarah Elizabeth Tatum, Birth 15 Jun 1901 in Ahloso, Pontotoc Co., Indian Territory; Death 09 Jan 1990 in Fowler, CA; Marriage 24 Jul 1915 (age 14) in Ada, OK to Henry Spencer "Spent" Derryberry
  --  Riggs-True, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3548541/person/-1720760260?ssrc=&ftm=1
  
  I was not able to find the 1910 census until January 2012.  I found the Tatum family in teh right place with names poorly spelled and more poorly transcribed on Ancestry.com.  This census did report a child matching Sarah.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 15 April, Chickasaw Township, District 25, page 1A, Hse/Fam #2
  Tatum, Sam R Head M W 31 Married 10 years MS NC VA Farmer Owns [b abt 1879]
  Tatum, Marry Wife F W 27 Married 10 years [# of children borne not reported] AR MS MS [b abt 1883]
  Tatum, Sorry (=Sarry=Sarah) Dau F W 9 AR GA AR [b abt 1901]
  Tatum, Siney (Sinie) Dau F W 6 AR GA AR [b abt 1901]
  Tatum, Zoney (Zona) Dau F W 2 AR GA AR [b abt 1901]
  
  With the death location in California from the genealogy, I was able to locate the California death record.  California records ware wonderful, since they provide the surnames of both parents of a deceased.  This confirms that we have the right Sarah.  Her birth date and place match that reported in one or more genealogies as the daughter of Samuel Ross Tatum.  And this Sarah's mother was named Nelson, matching Mary Ann Nelson, the wife of Samuel Ross Tatum.
  
  Note that the California death record reports that death occurred in Kings County, California, rather than Fowler, Fresno County, as reported by the genealogy.  IN the pattern commonly found with death records, this seems to mean that the residence at the time of death was Fowler, while actual death occurred in neighboring Kings County, probably in hospital.
  
  California Death Index, 1940-1997
  Sarah Elizabeth Derryberry
  [Sarah Elizabeth Tatum]
  Sex: Female
  Birth 15 Jan 1901 Oklahoma
  Death 7 Jan 1990 Kings
  Mother's Maiden Name Nelson
  Father's Surname Tatum
  Social Security #552807709
  
  The Social Security Death Index, which usually reports last residence and benefit address, in this cse has no address in the record.  But it does confirm the dates we have discovered.
  
  Social Security Death Index
  Sarah E Derryberry
  Born 15 Jan 1901
  Died Jan 1990
  SSN 552-80-7709 issued California (1966)
  
  All these records report the husband's surname as Derryberry.  In the marriage record, the name was recorded as Dewberry.  It may have been recorded incorrectly in the first place, or this could be a mistranscription.  I have not been able to view the original handwritten record.  They are enumerated under the name Derryberry in the 1920 Oklahoma census.
  
  1920 Federal Census, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, 13 January, Chickasaw Township, District 174, page 3B,  Hse #50, Fam #57
  Derryberry, Spenser  Head  Owns M W 28 Married AR TN TN Farmer
  Derryberry, Sara Wife F W 19 Married OK GA AR
  Derryberry, Ruby Dau F W 2yrs8mos OK AR OK
  Derryberry, Lowis (Lois?) Dau F W 3mos OK AR OK

Sources

• 1. 1910 Federal Census, Pontotoc County, Oklahoma
  • 15 April, Chickasaw Township, District 25, page 1A, Hse/Fam #2
• 2. Ancestry Trees
  • Riggs-True, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/3548541/person/-1720760260?ssrc=&ftm=1
• 3. Social Security Death Index
• 4. California Death Index, 1940-1997
• 5. Ancestry Trees
  • Trevino, http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/16445631/person/404688877?ssrc=&ftm=1