My Father's Mother

Jennie (Bartlett) Lyles (1883 -1926.)
She lived to about 41 or 42 years.
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I have been doing some thinking about the life of my Grandma Jennie. After compiling information, I have come across some things that I have not seen before.

I can make the assumption of what may have happened in her life.

I have been searching birth and death records. I have come across some last month.
I have heard the story that my mother told me. My mother got this from her mother.

Both my father's mother Jennie and my mother's mother Mary were friends. They did not live to far from each other. Their kids knew each other. Grandmother Jennie was said to have had 19 children. I have come across 8 or 9 of her children's death records who died as infants.

On my exploration through the vital records,
I have discovered 12 children from my Grandma Jennie's first marriage with Grandpa John Blakey.

There were about 4 or 5 in her second marriage with Grandpa Chelton Lyles.

Grandma Jennie was born perhaps in May of 1883 in Carrollton, Mo to Elais W. Bartlett Sr.(born ca 1822 - ? ) and Harriett Hooper (1949-1909.)

Grandma Jennie came from a large family. Great Grandpa Elais was the father of about 9 children:

William, Warren, John, Fanny, Lena, Harriet, Sally, Charles and Lucy
during his first marriage to Rachel (1859 - ?). I believe that there could have been more children born between 1870 - 1878.

There were 5 other children Elais W. Jr, Sam, Jennie , Paul and Juanita by my Great Grandma Harriett Hooper ( 1854 - 1909 ). I believe that there could have been other children 1880 -1892.

I have not come across my Grandparents' marriage record. I can assume that Grandma Jennie and Grandpa John met in Carrollton, MO around the turn of the century. Grandpa John's father, Isaac Blakey came for Howard and Chariton County in MO.

The first record that I have come across my Grandparents together is on a death record. There was a still born female child recorded on November 10, 1902 in St. Joseph Mo. I have located records of 12 children born between 1902 - 1917.

Still born female, Edna, John R Jr., Isaac, Paul, Cecil, Juanita, Mary Jane,
(Rev) Olbery Pierson, David W., Hazel, and Baby BLakley. Only 7 lived to be adults.

I have been trying to piece together the puzzle. On June 27, I came across a death record. I looked at an unknown baby death with our family surname. The parents names of this child were my Grandparents.

I found this to be so interesting.
This baby died three months before my Grandpa John died in July of 1918.
This child was 11 months old without a name. I thought that that was odd.
Grandpa John was the informant.

I am still wondering about the story that my mother told me.
Grandpa John was said to have left his wife and moved north.
I can assume that Grandpa's sickness was so bad that he could not live in his area.
Nor did he want to get his family sick. The air up north may have been better for him.

This meant that Grandma Jennie was raised her 7 children. She had family in town.
Grandma Jennie was about 34 or 35 when she became a widow.

Grandma Jennie later remarried to Grandpa Chelton F. Lyles. I cannot locate their marriage record in MO. I have search if they had children. They had about 4 or 5 children.

Dorothy, Davis, F. Chelton, Geniva, and Edgar. Only 2 lived to be adults. This children were born between 1920 - 1925.

What I mean by 4 or 5 children. I came across two death records with two different names, Davis and Dorothy. Two different death dates July 3, 1920 and July 5, 1920.

Could Dorothy and Davis have been twins? Davis was listed as a female. Grandma Jennie was said to have had twins. This is the only records that could have been.

Grandma Jennie gave birth to a baby boy Edgar in 1925. He died April 16, 1926. It would be 8 months later Grandma Jennie passed on December 29, 1926.

What my mother told me according to my mother's mother Grandma Jennie was a hard worker. Grandma Jennie died of a heart attack. She passed leaving a husband and 9 children.

I have wondered about the stories that my parent shared with me. It's what my parents knew about their ancestors that got me to thinking. I still wonder. Is there more that I can find out?

I was fascinated by what my parents shared with me. Now, as I have been searching,
I have been seeing some of what they said. The clues to the puzzle is being put into place.

I am thankful that I have a family history.
I am thankful that I am in the family of God.
I am thankful that I have a family bloodline.

I am thankful for the goodness of God.
I am thankful for good treasures.
I am thankful that God grants me understanding.