William Smith and Ellen Foster are my second great-grandparents. I have a brick wall with Ellen Foster. I have documented my connection to William Smith and Ellen Foster below as well as my thoughts and theories on the Smith and Foster families. My main goal is to determine who Ellen Foster's parents were.
My great-grandparents Elizabeth Ellen Smith and Charles Alfonso Poland were married on May 01, 1901 at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.
On their civil marriage record, Eliza (as she's often referred to in documents) indicated that her father's name was William and her mother's maiden name was Foster and that she herself was born in Missouri.
On the church record of the marriage, Charles McGowey and Caroline Smith are the witnesses.
In the 1910 US Federal Census, Charles and Eliza are living at 220 Hancock in Indianapolis with their 5 children. Eliza's age is listed as 33 and that she was born in Maryland; her father born in Ohio; her mother born in France. This would put Elizabeth's birth at about 1877.
Charles commits suicide and dies December 18, 1911 leaving Elizabeth the raise their now 6 children on her own.
In the 1920 US Federal Census, Elizabeth's age is listed as 43 and that she was born in Missouri. Her father is listed as born in Ohio and her mother born in France with her mother's native tongue being French.
In the 1930 US Federal Census, Elizabeth's age is listed as 52 and that she was born in Missouri. Her father is listed as born in Ohio and her mother born in Missouri.
In the 1940 US Federal Census, Elizabeth's age is listed as 62. There is no information about parents on the 1940 census.
Elizabeth passed away March 12, 1949. Her death certificate says her father's name was William Smith and that her mother's name was Ellen Foster and that she was born on August 15, 1877 in St. Louis, Missouri . The informant was her son Everett Poland.
No birth record for Elizabeth Smith has been found in St. Louis, Missouri. Online searches for birth records in all of Missouri for the 1877 time frame have resulted in no matches.
Elizabeth's obituary indicates that she came to Indianapolis a year before she married Charles.
So, I looked in the 1900 Federal Census for Indianapolis and I found an Eliza Smith living with Edwin L and Caroline B Parker along with a potential sister named Caroline B Smith. Both of the Smith girls are listed as niece to the head of household. Both are listed as being born in Missouri with their father born in Ohio and their mother born in Missouri. Caroline B Parker is listed as being born July 1850 in Ohio and both her parents are born in Ohio. The Eliza Smith has a birth as May 1878 which is not August 1877, but close.
Further research into Caroline B Parker finds her death certificate that lists Harry Smith born in Penn and Eliza Alexander born in Ohio as her parents.
I go on to research Caroline V (Smith) Parker and find her with her parents in Letart, Meigs Co, Ohio in the 1860 census and in Jennings Co, Indiana in the 1870 census. I find her marriage record to Edwin L Parker on May 07, 1874. In 1880, Caroline Virginia (Jennie) and Edwin living in Jennings county with an orphan named Nettie Russel and a female Eva Smith who is 22 years old and a dressmaker. Eva is Caroline's sister based on the 1860 and 1870 census records. As noted earlier, I find Edwin and Caroline in Indianapolis in 1900. In 1910, I find Carry Parker and Carry V Smith (neice) living in Indianapolis.
So I researched Caroline (Carry) V Smith and found her marrying Lewis E Horner May 29, 1911 and she lists her parents as Wm Smith and Helen Foster. At this point, I'm fairly confident I have found a sister of Eliza and I'm pretty sure I have a better understanding of the Smith side of the family. Especially, since one of the witnesses for Eliza and Charles's wedding was a Caroline Smith.
What about the Foster side? Why are the girls living with their Aunt in 1900? Where are the parents? I haven't found a death entry for either of them yet. I've looked between 1884 (Caroline's birth) and 1900 when they show up in Indianapolis.
Still Unknown:
- Eliza's birth date
- Was the mother's name Ellen or Helen?
- Was the mother from France or Missouri?
- Where is the family in 1880? (see possible answer below)
- When did William Smith die?
- Who are the parents of Helen\Ellen Foster? (see notes below)
The later entry lists the wife as Marie were the first lists Mary. The later entry also includes the father Harry born in Ohio which fits with the other research done on Caroline. Questions and thoughts generated from this find:
- Is this the right family?
- Liza's birth is about 1874, not 1877
- Temperance/Tempy hasn't been found in any other documents yet. Perhaps she died young?
- Eva\Evy - William had a sister named Eva, so the naming convention matches.
- Is the mother's name Marie, Mary, Ellen, or Helen? Since both entries have an E as a middle initial, I'm inclined to believe Ellen. So is it Marie Ellen or Mary Ellen?
Parents of Ellen Foster: There is a Foster family living Cape Girardeau with a daughter named Mary Ellen who married a William H Smith Nov 24, 1872. The names are correct, the marriage date in is line with the birth ranges of the children. I'm thinking this might be the right family, but need more proof.
If anyone has any information that could help in this investigation, please leave me a comment!
