Re: Fay Massie Butler, 1888-1961
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In reply to:
Fay Massie Butler, 1888-1961
claudia stanton 3/12/13
In researching the Massie family, I also have come to the belief that Fay was a daughter of Thomas Massie and Adelia Humphrey.Here is a way that you can prove (or disprove, which I doubt) is to send to NARA in Washington, DC and get a copy of his Civil War Pension file.He was a private in Company K of the 7th Illinois Cavalry.He applied for a pension in 1889 and when you applied for a Civil War pension you had to list your spouse (if living) and the ages of all your minor children as the more you had the larger your pension.Since the pension was filed in 1889 Fay should be listed since she was born in 1888.Make certain you ask for the pension file and not the service record.The service record will not have any family information and usually consists of nothing but absent or present on the muster rolls.
The 1900 census is interesting as it shows Adelia living with her sister and brother-in-law in Kansas City and it states she is married - but no husband, Thomas.It turns out that Thomas was staying in Galveston, Texas with their son, Elmer T Massie, during the 1900 census.When the great Galveston hurricane hit in September 1900, everybody except Elmer perished in this tragedy which took upwards of 6,000 lives.Elmer lost his wife, baby son and father.Elmer remarried and moved to Santa Monica, California where he died on 22 Nov 1939.
So, go for the Civil War pension file.
-Larry