Eliza Reed was born May 18, 1849 in Wayne County, Illinois to Thomas Jefferson and Martha Ann Beard/Baird Reed. I have written about her and her daughter, Nay Clark, here:
https://regnirpsstories.blogspot.com/2018/04/aunt-nay-clark-story-of-maiden-aunt.html, and shared her amazing journey from Illinois to Texas on a wagon train in 1873. The lunar eclipse that was described in the letter was likely on May 12th, see https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/1873_05_12 for more details.
Eliza was the 3rd of 6 children born to Tom and Martha. Her older siblings were Mary Elmira Reed Renfro b. 1845 - d. abt 1876 in Texas and Jacob W. Reed b. 1847 - d. 1937 in Kansas. Her younger full siblings were William Reed b. 1852 d. ?, Mary Elizabeth Reed Densmore 1855-1917 in Texas and Joseph R. Reed b. 1858 - last census 1900 in Oklahoma. Eliza's mother, Martha, died May 30, 1859 at the age of 34, and Eliza was just 8 years old.
Losing her mother at this tender age had to be very difficult for Eliza, her father and her siblings. Here is the 1860 Wayne County, Illinois census showing Thomas Reed age 35, widowed, with his children Elmira age 14, Jacob age 12, Eliza age 10, William age 8 and Mary E age 4.
Thomas's youngest child, Joseph R is not living with him in this census, but we do find him listed as Josiah Reed age 1, living with Martha's parents, Jacob W and Betsy Beard.
Eliza's father remarried about 1861. Thomas married Lucy Renfro who was born in June 1839 in Illinois. To this union were born additional children: John Samuel Reed 1862-1949 in Texas, Harriet Ellen Reed Hill 1866-1954 in Texas, George Wesley Reed 1872-1939 in Texas, Henry Lee Reed 1874-1971 in Texas, Thomas Jefferson Reed, Jr. 1877-1955 in Texas. These last three were also born in Texas, but I have not been able to pin down exactly when Thomas and Lucy actually moved to Texas.
Meanwhile, before all the talk about going to Texas, Eliza met and married the love of her life, Zachary Taylor Clark. The wedding was on August 2, 1868 and Eliza and Zachary were both just 19. By the 1870 census, Zachary and Eliza had a son, John Thomas (My great grandfather). John T had been born on August 7, 1869. Here, on this Wayne County, Illinois census, "Zackery T" is 21, Eliza is 21 and John T is 10/12.
Another son, Amos Bateman Clark, was born on Oct 25, 1871 while they were still in Illinois. From the story of their wagon train journey, Aunt Nay tells us that Zachary Taylor and Eliza Reed Clark moved to Texas in 1873, and it is believed that her dad, new wife and their children were already here. So, this amazing woman traveled on a wagon train over 700 miles for 6 weeks caring for a 3 year old and an infant. And doing all the other things a wife/mother had to do to feed, clothe and keep the family healthy and together. WOW!
Eliza had her first daughter, Milly May on April 25, 1876. So, their little family was growing as shown here in the 1880 Ellis County, Texas census.
What the census didn't show was that Eliza was expecting her 4th child, another son, Joseph O Clark, born August 14, 1880. On January 7, 1886, another son, Robert Lee Clark was born, bringing the total to 6 children. But sadness visited the family on September 26, 1886, when Milly May (Mae), age 10, died. Because death records were not a requirement in those days, we don't know what was the cause of her death. Here is the marker for her grave.
In my understanding, during these closing years of the 19th century and opening years of the 10th century, it was usually the custom that the oldest daughter of a family cared for their elderly parents in their later years. Losing Milly must have been a very difficult loss in so many ways.
Eliza and Zachary had another son, Otis Taylor Clark on December 24, 1889. Santa had a very special gift for the family this year! There is no 1890 census that has survived, so we cannot see a snapshot of the family from this time period. But, there were now 5 boys and I am sure they were a handful for their mother! John Thomas, the oldest, met a beautiful young lady from Mississippi, Maggie Pitts, and on October 16, 1892, he made he his wife.
Eliza and Zachary had one more child, a daughter, Alta Nay Clark on July 30, 1893. This is the same Aunt Nay who we spoke of in the above post. Eliza was 44 years old. And, as things happen, Nay was born just 6 days after her nephew, Almon Fay Clark, Tom and Maggie's first son, born July 24th, 1893. WOW! What an amazing family. Tom and Maggie had another son, Elmer Clark (my grandfather) on December 6, 1895. The two families live near each other and I am sure grandma and grandpa were very attentive to their first grandchildren! But, the happiness didn't last long, as Maggie died on October 28, 1897. At the foot of her grave, there is a tiny grave, probably the infant she was trying to bring into the world when she died.
Since Tom was now left to raise his 2 young boys, ages 4 and 1, his mother, Eliza stepped in and became their mother, too. Tom and the boys moved in with his parents making a very large family! Of course Nay was the same age as Almon, so it was like having twins! WHEW!!
In the 1900 census, Zachary and Eliza have three generations living in their home. John T (Tom), Joseph O, Robert L, Otis T, Alta N, and the 2 grandsons, Almon and Elmer. In the column where the wife of the family lists how many children they have given birth to, Eliza states that she has had 8 children and 6 are living. We know about the death of Milly, but have no information about an 8th child. Was the baby stillborn, lived a few days or years? I guess we will never know.
Another tragedy strikes this family on July 24, 1902, when Robert Lee dies at the age of 16. From a note on https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16757347/robert-lee-clark,
we see this newspaper notice:
The last child to die while their mother was still living was John Thomas Clark, her oldest, who died February 19, 1930. Eliza's remaining children married and had children, except one, Aunt Nay. And as was the custom, she took her mother in, after her father died on December 14, 1926, and Nay cared for her the rest of her life.
When Eliza was forced to move from her home in Lancaster after Zachary died, she wrote this beautiful "Thank You" to her friends. She was strong and very kind!
Eliza died December 27, 1940 at the age of 91.
This amazingly strong woman lost her mother at a very young age, buried 3 young children, lost her eldest when he was only 60, reared 5 children and 2 grandchildren to adulthood, took care of her husband for 58 years, did all of the cooking, cleaning, and farm work that was her portion and lived a full life to age 91. My mother was 19 when her great grandmother died and she lovingly remembered her as a strong woman.
'Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
https://regnirpsstories.blogspot.com/2018/04/aunt-nay-clark-story-of-maiden-aunt.html, and shared her amazing journey from Illinois to Texas on a wagon train in 1873. The lunar eclipse that was described in the letter was likely on May 12th, see https://moonblink.info/Eclipse/eclipse/1873_05_12 for more details.
Eliza was the 3rd of 6 children born to Tom and Martha. Her older siblings were Mary Elmira Reed Renfro b. 1845 - d. abt 1876 in Texas and Jacob W. Reed b. 1847 - d. 1937 in Kansas. Her younger full siblings were William Reed b. 1852 d. ?, Mary Elizabeth Reed Densmore 1855-1917 in Texas and Joseph R. Reed b. 1858 - last census 1900 in Oklahoma. Eliza's mother, Martha, died May 30, 1859 at the age of 34, and Eliza was just 8 years old.
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| https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112734054/martha-ann-reed |
Losing her mother at this tender age had to be very difficult for Eliza, her father and her siblings. Here is the 1860 Wayne County, Illinois census showing Thomas Reed age 35, widowed, with his children Elmira age 14, Jacob age 12, Eliza age 10, William age 8 and Mary E age 4.
 |
| Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Township 2 S Range 8 E, Wayne, Illinois; Roll: M653_236; Page: 40; Family History Library Film: 803236. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. |
Thomas's youngest child, Joseph R is not living with him in this census, but we do find him listed as Josiah Reed age 1, living with Martha's parents, Jacob W and Betsy Beard.
 |
| Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Township 2 S Range 8 E, Wayne, Illinois; Roll: M653_236; Page: 36; Family History Library Film: 803236. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. |
Meanwhile, before all the talk about going to Texas, Eliza met and married the love of her life, Zachary Taylor Clark. The wedding was on August 2, 1868 and Eliza and Zachary were both just 19. By the 1870 census, Zachary and Eliza had a son, John Thomas (My great grandfather). John T had been born on August 7, 1869. Here, on this Wayne County, Illinois census, "Zackery T" is 21, Eliza is 21 and John T is 10/12.
 |
| Year: 1870; Census Place: Arrington, Wayne, Illinois; Roll: M593_288; Page: 1A; Family History Library Film: 545787 |
Another son, Amos Bateman Clark, was born on Oct 25, 1871 while they were still in Illinois. From the story of their wagon train journey, Aunt Nay tells us that Zachary Taylor and Eliza Reed Clark moved to Texas in 1873, and it is believed that her dad, new wife and their children were already here. So, this amazing woman traveled on a wagon train over 700 miles for 6 weeks caring for a 3 year old and an infant. And doing all the other things a wife/mother had to do to feed, clothe and keep the family healthy and together. WOW!
Eliza had her first daughter, Milly May on April 25, 1876. So, their little family was growing as shown here in the 1880 Ellis County, Texas census.
 |
| Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 7, Ellis, Texas; Roll: 1301; Page: 563B; Enumeration District: 053 |
 |
| Burial is in Bells Chapel Cemetery, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas. Personal Collection. |
In my understanding, during these closing years of the 19th century and opening years of the 10th century, it was usually the custom that the oldest daughter of a family cared for their elderly parents in their later years. Losing Milly must have been a very difficult loss in so many ways.
Eliza and Zachary had another son, Otis Taylor Clark on December 24, 1889. Santa had a very special gift for the family this year! There is no 1890 census that has survived, so we cannot see a snapshot of the family from this time period. But, there were now 5 boys and I am sure they were a handful for their mother! John Thomas, the oldest, met a beautiful young lady from Mississippi, Maggie Pitts, and on October 16, 1892, he made he his wife.
 |
| Tom and Maggie Pitts Clark |
Eliza and Zachary had one more child, a daughter, Alta Nay Clark on July 30, 1893. This is the same Aunt Nay who we spoke of in the above post. Eliza was 44 years old. And, as things happen, Nay was born just 6 days after her nephew, Almon Fay Clark, Tom and Maggie's first son, born July 24th, 1893. WOW! What an amazing family. Tom and Maggie had another son, Elmer Clark (my grandfather) on December 6, 1895. The two families live near each other and I am sure grandma and grandpa were very attentive to their first grandchildren! But, the happiness didn't last long, as Maggie died on October 28, 1897. At the foot of her grave, there is a tiny grave, probably the infant she was trying to bring into the world when she died.
Since Tom was now left to raise his 2 young boys, ages 4 and 1, his mother, Eliza stepped in and became their mother, too. Tom and the boys moved in with his parents making a very large family! Of course Nay was the same age as Almon, so it was like having twins! WHEW!!
In the 1900 census, Zachary and Eliza have three generations living in their home. John T (Tom), Joseph O, Robert L, Otis T, Alta N, and the 2 grandsons, Almon and Elmer. In the column where the wife of the family lists how many children they have given birth to, Eliza states that she has had 8 children and 6 are living. We know about the death of Milly, but have no information about an 8th child. Was the baby stillborn, lived a few days or years? I guess we will never know.
 |
| Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Justice Precinct 7, Ellis, Texas; Roll: 1630; Page: 15B; Enumeration District: 0032; FHL microfilm: 1241630 |
Another tragedy strikes this family on July 24, 1902, when Robert Lee dies at the age of 16. From a note on https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16757347/robert-lee-clark,
we see this newspaper notice:
The Ennis Weekly Local Vol XVII No 31 Aug 1, 1902Here is his grave marker, next to his sister Milly's.
Bob Clark aged 16 yr died at the home of his parents Z.T. and Eliza Clark at Red Oak Thur morning of last week after an illness of more than a year.
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| Burial is in Bells Chapel Cemetery, Red Oak, Ellis County, Texas.Personal Collection |
The last child to die while their mother was still living was John Thomas Clark, her oldest, who died February 19, 1930. Eliza's remaining children married and had children, except one, Aunt Nay. And as was the custom, she took her mother in, after her father died on December 14, 1926, and Nay cared for her the rest of her life.
 |
| Eliza and Zachary Taylor Clark |
When Eliza was forced to move from her home in Lancaster after Zachary died, she wrote this beautiful "Thank You" to her friends. She was strong and very kind!
 |
| Lancaster Newspaper, Personal Collection |
Eliza died December 27, 1940 at the age of 91.
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| Eliza and Nay when Eliza was 90 years old Personal Collection |
This amazingly strong woman lost her mother at a very young age, buried 3 young children, lost her eldest when he was only 60, reared 5 children and 2 grandchildren to adulthood, took care of her husband for 58 years, did all of the cooking, cleaning, and farm work that was her portion and lived a full life to age 91. My mother was 19 when her great grandmother died and she lovingly remembered her as a strong woman.
'Til Next Time!
#52Ancestors
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