Aunt Nay Clark - Story of a Maiden Aunt

I have never blogged before, but I'm going to give it a try.  The impetus to start a blog comes from an email I received concerning genealogy from Amy Johnson Crow, www.amyjohnsoncrow.com.  She blogs, gives presentations and sends tip in email that are always very helpful. In January, she sent out a challenge to write "something" each week about an ancestor or family member.  She calls it "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks".  Each week we receive a topic to write about.  I thought it would be a great idea and planned to jump on board.  Well, here it is the 2nd of April, week 14, and I have yet to write anything. BUT, I am about to change that!

The topic for this week is "Maiden Aunt", and it grabbed my attention!  I have several "aunts" who fall in this category, but one in particular stands out.  Her name is "Aunt Nay"!

Alta Nay Clark, who went by Nay, was born in Ellis County, Texas on July 30, 1893 to Zachary Taylor and Eliza Reed Clark.  She was the youngest of 8 children, and outlived them all.  Her siblings were John Thomas "Tom", Amos Bateman "Ame", Joseph O. "Joe", Robert Lee "Bob" and Otis  Taylor, "O. T.".  Before Nay was born, her sister, Milly May had died in 1886 when she was just 10 years old.  According to the 1900 census, the first one in which Nay appears, her mother stated that she had given birth to 8 children, but only 6 were living.  I have yet to find any record of this 8th child, probably born between 1880 and 1886.

When Nay was born, her oldest brother, Tom, was 24 years old and already married.  And just 6 days before Nay was born, Tom's first child, Almon, was born.  In October 1897, when Nay was just 4 years old, Tom's wife, Maggie died (probably in childbirth).  Soon after, Tom and his 2 sons, Almon "Pete" and Elmer "Ned" moved in with grandparents Zachary and Eliza.  So, Nay grew up with her own brothers and sister, but also with her nephews, and were actually younger that the oldest.

By 1920, when Nay was 26, she was living with her brother, O. T. and his family in Decatur, Wise County, Texas. Nay never married, but about this time, she had a special friend, Taylor Dean.  Here they are together about 1920.

Zachary Taylor Clark, Nay's father, died December 14, 1926 in Dallas and by March of 1930, Nay had moved to Dallas to take care of her mother.  They lived at 3808 San Jacinto Street in Old East Dallas, just northeast of downtown.  At this time, Nay was a telephone operator.  Here is a 1930 letter from Nay to my mother sharing news about Eliza.

The 1940 census finds Nay and Eliza still living on San Jacinto Street, but in a different house.  Her occupation at this time remains telephone operator, but adds that she works in a hospital.  On May 1949, Eliza turned 90 years old and Nay invited her family to a celebration.  Here are some photos from that celebration.

Eliza passed away on December 27, 1940, but Nay remained very close to all of her siblings and their descendants for many years to come.  Nay passed away February 27, 1983 at the age of 89.  She was laid to rest with her parents in Edgewood Cemetery, Lancaster, Dallas County, Texas.

One of the things I will never forget about Aunt Nay was her love of family.  When I knew her, she lived in an assisted living facility in Dallas.  She was very active and loved to visit with her family.  My mother, Dorothy Nell Clark (Ned's only daughter) made clothes for Aunt Nay. Nay would choose the type of fabric she wanted and gave my mother her measurements.  Here is Dorothy Nell and Nay sharing photos of the family!

Nay loved to visit and share photos of all of her nieces and nephews and their children. She also loved to write letters and receive letters from her family.  Here are some of O.T.'s great and great-great grandchildren.

Since Nay was the last of her generation, she was deliberate about sharing her family's history.  One of my favorite stories of the Clark family was from Nay.  I love how she remembered the stories she had been told of her parents and brothers and their pioneer journey from Illinois to Texas.  And how she shared it with my mother, who shared it with me, so I can share it with you!

Here is a typed version of the above story, in case you have difficulty reading this.

Family Record of Zachary Taylor and Eliza REED CLARK

by Alta Nay CLARK, their Youngest Daughter

Zachary Taylor CLARK was born Dec 16, 1848 and died Dec 14, 1826. Eliza REED was born May 18, 1849 and died Dec 27, 1940. Zachary Taylor CLARK and Eliza REED were married Aug 2, 1868 in Wayne City, Wayne Co., IL.

In 1873, Zachary Taylor and Eliza CLARK, with two small children, Tom, 3 years and Amos B., 1 yr. old, left Wayne City, IL, for Texas. His mother and youngest brother were living in Texas at the time. [Editor's Note - the part about his mother and brother seems to be a mistake because the 1880 census shows the mother still in IL! But, I have learned that Martha's father, step mother and her younger half siblings were already in Texas!)

There were 15 families in covered wagons left at the same time, each had a destination in mind. After going several miles together, they began to separate, one turning to the right, another going to the left. As one left, they would bid each other farewell, knowing they would probably never meet again. When they would camp at night, mother would tie Tom to the wagon wheel to keep him from running away. After they had separated one by one, there were just 4 or 5 wagons left together.

One day about noon, as they drove along, the sky began to get dark. They were near a house on a hill. The people were all out in the yard, looking at the sky. The chickens were up in the trees, thinking it was night. They were all very frightened. They went to the house and asked the people, what was happening? They said, "We don't know, we think the world is coming to an end." They all stood together and watched. Finally the sun began shining, the chickens came down out of the trees and they all went on their way. No one had ever heard of the eclipse of the sun, before.

Their first night in Texas was spent on the banks of the Trinity River, where the old Court House was later built. They settled in Ellis County near Red Oak. They lived in Ellis County and Dallas County the rest of their lives. They were six weeks and five days, coming from Wayne City, Illinois to Red Oak, Texas.

By Daughter, Nay CLARK, August 7, 1977

I hope you have enjoyed getting to know my "Maiden Aunt" Nay.  She was a very special lady whom I will never forget!

#52Ancestors