Thursday, November 01, 2018

LoGenWriMo #1: Elsina D. "Sis" Taylor (1850-1878), wife of Sid O. Morgan

Elsina D. "Sis" Taylor (1850-1878), wife of Sid O. Morgan. Photograph from Lyle Dearborn Taylor scrapbook, formerly held by the late Dwight Dearborn Taylor, Oklahoma City.

Elsina D. "Sis" Taylor was born 23 August 1850 in White Oak, McLean County, Illinois to Stephen and Betsey (Dearborn) Taylor.1 She was enumerated at the age of one month in her parent's household in White Oak Grove, McLean County, Illinois on 2 October 1850. Although the official census date for 1850 was June 1, it appears the enumerator included the infant, recording her age at the time he visited the home.2 She lived with her parents in White Oak in 1860.3 She remained in her parents' household in White Oak in 1870.4

Elsina married Sid O. Morgan 15 March 1871 in McLean County.5 She gave birth to daughter Zetta in December 1871 in Wisconsin.6 Elsina gave birth to daughter Engie 12 January 1876 in Illinois.7 She gave birth to Sidney Othniel Morgan, Jr., 16 February 1878 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio.8 Some undocumented sources say Elsina had two other sons, presumably between late 1872 and early 1875.9 Elsina died 2 August 1878 in Independence, Cuyahoga County, Ohio of typhoid malaria fever.10

Note: Elsina was my great-grandmother Laura Taylor's sister. This sketch is the first entry in my LoGenWriMo Challenge.


1 1850 U.S. census, McLean County, Illinois, population schedule, White Oak Grove, pp. 49B-50A (stamped), dwelling 930, family 949, Stephen Taylor household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-67T9-HWC?i=3&wc=95R4-6YV%3A1031317001%2C1033297801%2C1033303301&cc=1401638 : accessed 1 November 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M432, roll 117.
2 Ibid.
3 1860 U.S. census, McLean County, Illinois, population schedule, White Oak, p. 165 (written), dwelling 1098, family 1078, Stephen Taylor household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YBK-WWQ?cc=1473181&wc=7QVJ-55B%3A1589423252%2C1589424590%2C1589424888 : accessed 1 November 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, roll 204.
4 1870 U.S. census, McLean County, Illinois, population schedule, White Oak, p. 6 (written), dwelling 43, family 44, Stephen Taylor household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6W37-3YM?cc=1438024&wc=92KC-TQH%3A518684301%2C519761301%2C518700201 : accessed 1 November 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication M593, roll 259.
5 Illinois Secretary of State, Illinois State Archives, "Illinois Statewide Marriage Index," database, (https://www.ilsos.gov/isavital/marriagesrch.jsp : accessed 1 November 2018), Sid O. Morgan-Elcena D. Taylor, 1871; citing McLean County marriage volume F, page 393.
6 Birth date and location from 1900 census: 1900 U.S. census, Morton County, North Dakota, population schedule, Mandan, supervisor's district (SD) 199, enumeration district (ED) 239, page 154B (stamped), dwelling/family 74, line 89, Zetta Morgan; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-677S-1P7?cc=1325221&wc=9B7Q-DRD%3A1031459501%2C1032306201%2C1032339501 : accessed 1 November 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1230. Zetta lived with her father Sidney O. Morgan and his second wife Nellie in Morton County, Dakota Territory in 1885, being listed as the household head's daughter. See "North Dakota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1885, 1915, 1925," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 November 2018), 1885, Morgan County, pp. 51-52 (written), dwelling 25, family 29, Sidney O. Morgan family.
7 Birth date and location from 1900 census: 1900 U.S. census, Morton Co., North Dakota, pop. sch., Glen Ullin, SD 199, ED 238, dwelling/family 43, line 86, Engie Morgan; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6773-3QP?cc=1325221&wc=9B7Q-D5F%3A1031459501%2C1032306201%2C1032328101 : accessed 1 Nov 2018); citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 1230. She resided with her father and stepmother in Morton County, Dakota Territory in 1885, listed as the head of household's daughter. See "North Dakota, Territorial and State Censuses, 1885, 1915, 1925," Morgan Co., pp. 51-52 (written), dwell. 25, fam. 29, Sidney O. Morgan family.
8 Date of birth from military registrations: "U.S. World War I, Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 November 2018), card for Sid O. Morgan, serial no. 548, Local board for Glendive, Dawson County, Montana; also "U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 November 2018), card for Sid Othniel Morgan, serial no. U3874, Local board for Seattle, Washington. Sid's death certificate provides his father's name as Sid Othnieal Morgan I and his mother's name as Eleanor E. Taylor. The informant did not personally know Elsina, who died when her son was only six months old, and considering the unusual name, the informant may have thought her name was Eleanor rather than the more unusual Elsina. See "Washington, Death Records, 1883-1960," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 1 November 2018), Sid Othnieal Morgan II, 1959; citing Washington State Death Records.
9 My reserach has not discovered the identities of these boys, but the gap in ages between Zetta and Engie leaves room for two additional children's births in that time period.
10 "Ohio, County Death Records, 1868-1879," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99ZR-V8RY?cc=2128172&wc=7DZ2-GT3%3A1296031701%2C1296033702 : accessed 1 November 2018), E. F. Morgan, 1878, Cuyahoga County.

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