Treasures: Jennie / Geneva (Bartlett) Blakley Lyles

Entry date: June 27, 1981

Notes: Grandmother on father's side... said to have died at age 41 years old. She had a number of children (20). Some were twins which died at birth.  She (Jennie) had to work odd jobs...to care for her family.

I've done some research on my Grandma Jennie.
I have searched the censuses, city directories, children's birth and death records and so forth. I was trying to find documents of Jennie's children. Here's some info I have discovered over the years. She came from a large family.

She went by Jennie. But, I have seen a few records mentioning her as Jeneva / Geneva. She was believe to have been born in May of 1883 to Elias and Harriett Bartlett in Carrolton, Missouri.  Her first husband was John Blakey / Blakley. They were married from 1902 to 1918.

Jennie became a widow. Her 2nd husband was Chilton Lyle / Lyles. They were married from 1920 - 1926. Jennie passed in December 29, 1926 at the age of 43.

My mother's mother Mary was a friend of Jennie. They were neighbors. Their children went to school together. And two of Mary's daughters would married into the Blakley family. From what my mother told me; from what her mother told her; Mrs. Blakley (Lyles) had 20 children.

I have come across records of all but three of her children. Jennie did have twin daughters. Some of Jennie's children died as infants. Only one known stillborn daughter.  Here's the order of birth of Jennie's children with the surnames spelled on birth or death records.

 Children born from 1902 to 1917
  Father: John Blakey / Blakley

 1.  Stillborn girl Blakey
 2.  Edna Blakley 

 

 3.  John Blakley Jr.  

 4.  Isaac Blakley 
 5.  Paul Blakley

 

 6.  Cecil Blakey  (female)

 7.  Juanita / Wanita Blakey

 

 8.  Mary Jane (Blakley) Richardson

 9.  Olbery Pierson Blakley

10. David W. Blakley

 

11. Hazel V. Blakley

12. Baby Boy Blakley

 

Children born 1920 - 1925

Father: Chilton Lyle / Lyles

13 Doris LYLES

14. Dorothy LYLES (Twin of Doris)

 

15 Faris Chilton LYLE 

16. Geneva (LYLE)  Jones

17. Edgar LYLE 

I was thinking.

I believe that my Grandmother Jennie did have 20 children. And that she told my Grandmother Mary... It could have been that Jennie had miscarriages. Or her 3 other children's death wasn't recorded.

 

(I found some of Jennie's children's birth or death recorded before 1909. I checked the index for births and death before 1909 at the city library.... )

 

It's sad to see that only 9 of Jennie's children lived to be at least 18. The others 11 lived less than a year:  from a stillborn, two days old, 6 to 11 months.

 

Jennie's child who lived the longest was Mary Blakley Richardson at age 89. She passed 2 months before her 90th birthday in 2001. Jennie's last surviving child, Faris C. Lyle lived to be 84. He passed on Feb 1, 2008.

 In Remembrance of my Grandmother Jennie.

Thank for reading.

S.A. Blakley