Elbert Furnace may be a brother to my great grandmother Jane Furnace. Both were in the same 1870 household but because relationships were not presented, I can only speculate on their relationship. Elbert could not read or write and was 15 years old.
Elbert does not appear in the 1880 census. In 1881, he married Emily Jane Wells in Copiah County, Mississippi. The marriage lasted almost twenty years but ended in divorce in 1899. Elbert claimed Jane deserted him in Jan 1899, taking all her furniture and other property she had in the home to move in the home of Charles Demorrow. Children were not named in the bill for a divorce. Elbert stated he was a good and faithful husband and did not understand why she deserted the marriage.
In 1900, Elbert was 45 years old, living in his household was 18 year old Henry Hall. The relationship was not defined. Elbert was a widower who had been married for 20 years. He was a farm laborer and renter who could not read or write.
Living alone in 1910, Elbert said he was divorced. He was 51 years old working as a servant.
Elbert was still alone in 1920, listed as a widower. He ended his widowhood and married Julia Hooker on Christmas eve in 1921. They were still together in 1930. He was listed as 60 years old and she was listed as 48. He should be about 75 years old and she should be about 62 years of age.
Elbert died 19 Apr 1936, of high blood pressure and heart problems, near Georgetown, Copiah County, MS. His death certificate listed his age as 80. His death record named his father Alex Furnace and did not name his mother.
