John Benjamin BUTLER Mary Suffrone BUTLER Elnora D BUTLER John Benjamin BUTLER George Washington BUTLER Thomas Ethelbert BUTLER Milus Marion BUTLER Matthew BUTLER Rosebud BUTLER Kirby Bonner BUTLER Benjamin Calvin BUTLER Fairlee TICHENOR Annie Davidson BUTLER Malissa Edward BUTLER Malissa Edward DAVIDSON Mini tree diagram
Matthew Oliver BUTLER

Matthew Oliver BUTLER14,1,2,9,3,4,5,7,15,16,13,6

22nd Dec 18799 - Feb 196310,7,6

Life History

22nd Dec 1879

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,3,4,5,6

(most likely)

between 1880 and 1930

Resident in Prairie Township, Arkansas, Arkansas.1,2,9,3,4

22nd Dec 1880

Born in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.10,11,12,13

(less likely)

1881

Born in Arkansas.9

(less likely)

21st Nov 1909

Married Fairlee TICHENOR.25,9

10th Dec 1910

Birth of son Matthew BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.7

10th Dec 1910

Death of son Matthew BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.7

2nd Jul 1912

Birth of daughter Rosebud BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.17,18,19,20,3,7

26th Nov 1913

Birth of son Kirby Bonner BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.11,21,10,22,23,3,24

27th May 1922

Birth of son Benjamin Calvin BUTLER in Arkansas County, Arkansas.23,15,10,14,7

Feb 1963

Died in Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas.10,7,6

Feb 1963

Buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas.7,8,6

Notes

  • Libby Beliew first reported to me that Matt's middle name was Oliver:
    "I believe it probably stood for “Oliver”. My ggg-grandparents, the previously mentioned Thomas Jefferson and Sallie Amanda Wakefield Davidson, had a son named Matthew Oliver Davidson (b. 1873). I believe that Thomas J. Davidson and Malissa E. Davidson Butler were cousins, though I’m not sure exactly how.  I assume that Matthew O Butler was either named for Matthew Oliver Davidson or they were both named after the same person (who was apparently important to the Davidson family)."

    I later found the WWI and WWII registrations, which confirm that Matthew's middle name is Oliver.  We also see an exact birth date, which differs from the date reported in the 1900 census:  Dec 1879.  Note also that the name on both draft registrations is spelled with two Ts: Matthew.

    WWI Draft Registration, 1942
    Matthew Oliver Butler
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Birth 22 Dec 1879 [no location reported on this form]
    Occupation Farming, self-employed
    wife (nearest relative) Fairlee Butler
    Eyes Grey, Hair Black
    registration 12 Sept 1918 Stuttgart, Arkansas, Arkansas
    Signed Matthew Oliver Butler

    WWII Draft Registration, 1942
    Matthew Oliver Butler
    Birth 22 Dec 1880, Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas
    Residence Ethel, Arkansas, Arkansas
    wife (nearest relative) Fairlee Butler
    signed M O Butler

    The birth date on the two registrations differ.  The year of birth is transcribed by Ancestry.com as 1878 for the WWI registration, but in fact the last number is smudged, and perhaps was partially overwritten, and could very well meant 1879.  For WWI it was definitely 1880.

    This is probably a sign that he was uncertain, like so many other families of that time.  Exact dates were not always a priority.  The gravestone reports simply the year 1880.  But census reports below make it more likely he was actually born in December 1879.  The Social Security Death Index supports the 1880 birth date.

    Social Security Death Index
    Mat Butler
    Born 22 Dec 1880, Died Feb 1963
    No Residence address reported
    SSN 432-70-6039 issued Arkansas (1956)

    No residence information was provided in the SSDI.  I assume it was still Ethel.

    The census reports support a birth date in December 1879.  The 1910 census reports Matt's age as 30 for the April census.  If correct, this would place his birth in 1879.  This date is consistent with the 1880 census report that in June 1880 he was 5 months old (born December 1879).

    1880 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 June, Prairie Township, District 2, page 23, Hse #155, Fam #164
    Benj Butler   W M 52    TN SC VA Farmer
    M E Butler  W F  Wife 34  AL TN  MS Housekeeping
    Mat [Mathew O] Butler  W M  5Mos  Son AR TN AL

    1900 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 14 June, Prairie Township, District 7, page 10A, Hse #160, Fam #164
    Butler Malissa Head W F Nov 1846  53 Widow AL TN MS Farmer
    Butler Mathew Son W M Dec 1879  20 Single AR TN MS Farm Laborer
    Butler Malissa Dau W F May 1886  14 Single AR TN MS Farm Laborer

    In 1910, Matthew has been married just a short time to Fairlee Tichenor.  The enumerator does not record how long they have been married.  Their first son Matthew was born in December 1910.

    1910 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 21 April, Prairie Township, District 13, page 3B, Hse/Fam #46
    Butler, Matt Head M W 30 AR AL AL Farmer Owns Farm [b abt 1880]
    Butler, Fairlee  Wife F W 20 AR IN KY [b abt 1890]

    1920 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 31 January, District 16, Sheet 5B, Prairie Township, LaGrue Springs & Ethel Rd, Hse #99, Fam #102
    Butler, Mathew O  Head  Owns Farm  M W 40  AR AL MS Farmer
    Butler, Fairlee T  Wife  F W 29  AR Indiana Kentucky
    Butler, Rosebud Dau  F W 7 AR AR AR
    Butler, Kirb B  Son W 6 AR AR AR
    Tichnor, Mollie  Mother-in-Law F W 61 Widow MO US MO

    1930 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 16 April, District 25, Sheet 5A, Prairie Township, Ethel & Point Rd, Hse #90, Fam #91
    Butler, Mathew O  Head  M W 49  Married at 29  AR AL USA Farmer  Owns Farm
    Butler, Fairlee Wife  F W 40  Married at 20  AR Indiana Kentucky
    Butler, Rosebud Dau  F W 17 Single AR AR AR
    Butler, Kirb B [Kirby B]  Son  F W 16 Single AR AR AR
    Butler, Benjamin C  Son  F W 7 Single AR AR AR

    1940 Federal Census, Arkansas County, Arkansas, 5 April, Ethel, District 1-26, page 2A, Hwy 17, Hse #27, Owns Farm, $800 value
    Butler, Matt O Head M W 44 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Farmer
    Butler, Fairlee Wife F W 48 Grade 8 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Housekeeper
    Butler, Calvin Son M W 17 Single Grade HS-1 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
    Butler, Bennie Nephew M W 22 Single Grade HS-1 b Arkansas same house in 1935 County Laborer
    Cohns, Luke Lodger M Neg 39 Divorced Grade 4 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Farm Laborer
    Filer, Celo Lodger F Neg 23 Grade 7 b Arkansas same house in 1935 Cook, Private Home

    -------------------------------

    Hello, Thank you for your email.  Matthew O. Butler was my great grandfather.  I did not know him, but I did know Fairlee Tichenor, my great grandmother.  They actually had four children:  Matthew, Kirby B., Rosebud (who married and became Rosebud Nicholson), and Benjamin Calvin.  Matthew died as a baby or small child.  Rosebud, my favorite great aunt, died a couple of years ago at around 93 years.  Benjamin Calvin died in 1985.  He either killed himself or was murdered.  Kirby B. was my grandfather; he died of a stroke or a heart attack in 1975.  Kirby Bonner Butler, Sr. (my grandfather) had 3 children: Kirby Bonner Butler, Jr. (my dad), Pamela Butler, and Greg Butler.  My maiden name is Laurie Lee Butler.  I have a twin sister and two brothers.
    --  Laurie Lee Butler Myers, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 20 March 2007

    -------------------------------

    Matthew Oliver Butler
    Birth Dec 22, 1879 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
    Death Feb 1963 Ethel, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
    Matthew was the son of John Benjamin Butler (1829-1887) and Malissa Edward Davidson (1846-1904)
    All three are buried in Mt Pleasant Cemetery.
    Spouse Fairlee Tichenor Butler (1890 - 1976)
    Son Mathew Butler (1910 - 1916)
    Siblings:
    Mollie S Butler Bunyard (1865 - 1942)
    Elnora Butler McKay (1868 - 1953)
    John B Butler (1870 - 1936)
    George Washington Butler (1872 - 1888)
    Thomas Ethelbert Butler (1875 - 1877)
    Milus Marion Butler (1877 - 1894)
    Annie Davidson Butler (1882 - 1898)
    Burial Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Arkansas County, Arkansas, USA
    Created by Orville Jenkins Jul 15, 2017
    --  Find A Grave Memorial #181385161, https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=181385161

Sources

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