Monroe's ChildrenSamuel & David Markham - Child 13 and 14Samuel 1898-1981David 1898-1898

Samuel David Markham, Sr.

Samuel and David Markham were the first set of twins born to Monroe and his wife Mary. The boys were the couple's 13th and 14th child, the last sons born to them. They were born on 04 Oct 1898 in Caseyville, a rural community in Lincoln County, Mississippi. David died shortly after birth and the couple decided to combine the names of their sons for the surviving son, Samuel David would be his name. The census records show he like the rest of Monroe's children could read and write.

He married Rosanna Thomas, daughter of Alex Thomas and Roxanne Smith, in 1922.

Monroe maintained a relationship with the David Buie family until his death in 1931. David Buie was the Markham's family enslaver. Monroe b. 1852 was given to Prentiss Buie b. 1850 when they were both young children.

Hallie Buie, Prentiss Buie's daughter, shared this> about Samuel in a 1936 letter she wrote to her sister Prential.

The Old Home
July 21, 1936

My Dear Prential,
The box came alright, thank you. I know you are wondering how I get things done. Well, I have found out that is all right for Samuel Markham to come down here, he has a corn field rented from Estelle and comes to get their corn to have ground. I just don’t know what they could do without him. I hope you will not mention this--he has a mailbox and if we need him for anything we drop him a card and he comes right over. He lives on the Adams place. His house is located about a mile from this one. He charges ten cents for bringing things from Mr. Smith’s and twenty cents from Lamar’s, charges for the time and not the size of the package, large or small the same price, he certainly is nice about it. He just happened to come along the day the box came. he said, “Dat box aint hebby.”

Samuel and his wife Rosanna had four children. Their first child, an unnamed daughter, was born prematurely and died one day after her birth in 1923. Jessie Mae was born in 1925, Velma "China" in 1928, and Samuel David Jr., in 1932.

Samuel was a farmer who eventually owned his own land, which remains in his family.

Samuel died on 02 Jul 1981 in Brookhaven, Mississippi.

Monroe's Children Mattie Markham Vaughn Hall ~ Child 12 1894 - abt. 1965

Mattie Markham is the 12th child of Monroe and Mary. She was born in August 1894, in Caseyville, Lincoln County, MS. Mattie married John Vaughn in 1921. Mattie was John's second wife. He was previously married to one of Mattie's first cousins Colar Markham.

Mattie and John had seven children: James Davis, Ralph Edward, Ada Frances, Mary Jeniece, Helen Joanne, Robert, and Helen.

Years after John's death, she married Will Hall. Mattie died about 1965.

Mattie is the one standing

Monroe's Children Rose Ada Markham Spencer ~ Child 11 1892-1985

Ada

Just the Facts and Pictures

Rose Ada Markham, known as Ada, was born 13 Aug 1892, to Monroe and Mary Byrd Markham in Caseyville, MS. She was their 11th child.

She married Ernest Spencer 23 Feb 1914 in Lincoln County, MS. The couple's children were Ernest, Jr., Othelda, Ivan, Herbert, Percy, Eunice, Mary, Robert, Arthur, and John.

The family farmed in Copiah County near the Mercy Seat Community.

Ada died 27 July 1985 in Buffalo, New York.

Ada and her husband Ernest

Ada

All photographs courstey of Ada and Ernest's granddaghter, Anita Smith Christopher.

Monroe's ChildrenAlice Markham Marshall ~ Child 101891-1966

Alice is seated, standing is her sister Mattie

Alice was the 10th child born to her parents Monroe and Mary Byrd Markham. She, like most of Monroe's children, remained home until marriage.

1900 Census - 9 years, living in Caseyville, Lincoln County, MS, with parents and 9 siblings.

1910 Census - 19 years, living in Caseyville with parents and 9 siblings.

1920 Census - 29 years, living in Caseyville with parents and 7 siblings.

1930 Census - 32 years, living near Hazlehurst, MS, with husband Daniel Marshall and their one year old son Jehu. Alice married Dan in Copiah County on 24 Mar 1927.

1940 Census - 42 years, still residing in rural Copiah County with husband Dan and 2 children, Jehu and Vistula. My mother Vistula often said she was born from old people. Alice was just a couple of days shy of her 43rd birthday when my mother mother born in 1933.

1950 Census - 58 years, still in the same house with husband and two children.

My grandfather Dan died 01 Jan 1955, and the children were both in their own households. The 1960 census will likely show Alice living in the same place, alone. She developed Alzheimer's Disease during the early 1960s, and had to leave her home to live with her sister Beatrice in Brookhaven, MS. Beatrice was the caregiver for both my grandmother Alice and another sister Louella who were suffering from the same disease. Alice died 15 Aug 1966.

Alice's son, Jehu Marshall 1928-2002

Alice's daughter and my mother, Vistula Marshall Durr 1933-2014

Here are other posts about my grandmother you may be interested in reading.
Alzheimer's Disease - Generational
Sisters Teachers
Our White House on Washington Street
Monroe Markham and Family, circa 1920
Heir Property, a Tangled Web

Monroe's ChildrenWillie Markham ~ Child 91888-1971

William "Willie" Louis Markham was the 9th child of Monroe Markham and his wife Mary. He was almost a Christmas baby, born 23 Dec 1887, at home in Caseyville, Lincoln County, MS.

Like many of his siblings, he remained home until marriage when he married Fredonia Culver in an almost Christmas wedding on 30 Dec 1913. He was 26 years old.

The young couple experienced heartache starting their family. They lost 2 boys. Archie Gilchrist born, in 1914, lived almost two months dying of pneumonia. Unnamed male born in 1915 only lived a few days. According to his death certificate, there was "no physican for this child, but think from history was not right when borned."

. The couple had four healthy, thriving children: Joyce Mae born 1918, Willie Mae born 1919, Robert Winfield born 1922, and Arthur Whitfield born 1920. Three of the children moved to California, one remained in Mississippi. All the children are now deceased.

How did Willie provide for his family? In 1920, the census records described his job as a furrier, one who makes, alters, repairs and restyles garments and other articles made of fur. He was working for a wage in 1930, driving a truck for a wholesale grocery. By 1940, he was an operator working his own account, and in 1950 he was a dishwasher at the City Baker. By the time I got to know him, the family described what he did as a gardener.

Willie was a tall, friendly uncle who could read and write. He owned his own home and a few acres of land. He lived next door to his sister Beatrice. My child's mind of Willie's house was that it was a huge wood frame, white washed house with a high roof and steeped steps. The house had a screened in porch where they hung pieces of meat. Uncle Willie owned a piano and from time to time we could hear him playing familiar hymns when we visited his sister Aunt Bea.

Uncle Willie and his family welcome their relatives from rural Mississippi communities who wanted to complete their high school education in the city of Brookhaven. Cousin Allie spoke often about sharing a bed with her two cousins Joyce and Willie Mae.

Willie died in 1971, and his wife Fredonia died in 1977.

Willie's Obituary
Fredonia's Obituary

Monroe's ChildrenLou Ella Markham Howard ~ Child 81885-1966

Lou Ella Markham Howard
Lou Ella was the daughter of Monroe Markham and his wife Mary. Louella was born 16 Aug 1885 during the presidential administration of Grover Cleveland. She was seen in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 federal censuses in the household of her parents with a large number of siblings, living in rural Caseyville, Lincoln County, Mississippi. Lou Ella could read and write and worked as a farm laborer during this time.

She married Elijah Howard 14 May 1924 at the age of 38 years, The couple was missed in the 1930 census but reappeared in the 1940 and 1950 census, living in Brookhaven, Lincoln County, Mississippi, with just the two of them in the household. They lived in the same home in both censuses. The 1940 census shows that Lou Ella did not work any in 1939 but in 1950 she is listed as working as a babysitter.

I remember Lou Ella as a tall, lanky woman who wore thick cotton stockings and an apron with her clothing. She was friendly and gave warm hugs. Her husband Elijah wore a dark suit with a tie. His shirt was white and he wore suspenders. I remember he loved ice cream and when we would visit he would go to the store and get ice cream. He would buy each of us children a small cup of Borden's vanilla ice cream that came with a flat wooden spoon. We would sit on the back porch with our legs dangling over the porch enjoying every spoonful.

Elijah died in 1964.

Aunt Lou Ella moved in with her sister Aunt Bee (Beatrice) who was already taking care of another sister, my grandmother Alice. Lou Ella died May 1966 in Brookhaven.

Lou Ella's Obituary

Monroe's ChildrenMary Jane Markham "Polly" ~ Child 71884-1950

1910 Census of Monroe Markham Household
Mary Jane Markham, the 7th child of Monroe Markham and his wife Mary was born in 1883, Caseyville, Mississippi, the same year Sojourner Truth died. Mary Jane was known as Polly for most of her life. Polly was the name of a character in a school play which Mary Jane was the actress. Because the name was repeated several times during the play, family and neighbors started cally Mary Jane, Polly. The name stuck and she became known as Polly.

Mary was eight years old on the 1892 educable children lists. The 1900 census indicates she was born in Dec 1883. She is 16, single, can read and write, and is the eldest daughter in the household of 12 people. By 1910, she is 25 years old, and the eldest of 9 siblings. The 1920 household has 10 people and at 36 yrs of age, she still reigns as the eldest sibling. The age of Polly decreases in 1930, she is 40, should be about 45-46. She is the only child in the household of her elderly parents. The parents are deceased in 1940. Polly, 52, is living with a younger sister and her husband, Silas and Beatrice Markham Johnson. She is unemployed from her job as farm laborer.

I never met her, Aunt Polly died before I was born.

She was the first Markham sister who did not marry, nor have children. She died in 1950.