The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
?This is the story of a Kentucky girl named Samantha R. Walsh and three Tennessee boys named Marcus Owen, Silas Owen and Marcellus Owen.Circumstances will suggest that the Owen boys were brothers, but there is no proof.
We first meet Samantha in the 1850 U.S. Census of District 2, Christian County, Kentucky, where she was shown as part of family #204, headed by Silas F. Owen:
Silas F. Owens....24MOverseerTennessee
Samantha R."......24F.................Kentucky
Helen Eliz..."..........2F......................."
The obvious inference is that Samantha and Silas were married and that Helen Elizabeth was their daughter together, but relationships were not indicated in census data until 1880.
Silas was never heard from again, but Samantha showed up as part of family #511 in the 1860 census (July 21, 1860) of Warsaw, Benton, Missouri:
Marcellus Owens....30MFarmTenn
Samantha Owens...37F.............Ky
Elizabeth..................12F.............."
Martha........................8F.............."
Lillian..........................2M............."
Willie.................3 days M............Mo
Lillian was actually female, and "Willie 3 days M" turned out to be Annie, born (according to her death certificate) 19 May 1860, female.
Years later, when Lillian and Annie died, Marcellus Owen was shown as father on their respective death certificates.Death certificates for Helen Elizabeth and Martha Susan have not been found.
Immediately next door to Marcellus and Samantha in the 1860 census is family #510:
Marcus A. Owens38MFarmerTenn
Lenora...................28F.................."
Paninalu?..............12F.................."
Isabella..................10F.................."
Elly?..........................8F................."
William.....................5M................."
Marcus.....................2M................Ky
In the 1870 Census, Samantha Owen is back in Pembroke, Christian, Kentucky, shown as a widow with the four daughters.
I have found no trace of Silas Owen after 1850 or of Marcellus Owen after 1860.Marcus and Leonora seemed to remain in Missouri through the 1880 census of White, Benton, Missouri:
Marcus OWEN.........SelfM Male........W 58 TN Farmer............TN.......TN
Leonora A. OWEN.WifeM Female...W 49 TN Keeps HouseTN.......TN
Sallie S. OWEN.......DauS Female...W 14 KY.................................TN.......TN
Auredius OWEN......SonS Male........W 12 KY School.............TN.......TN
Leonora B. OWEN..DauS Female...W 9 MO School.............TN.......TN
There are several unresolved issues, like...
-Did Samantha marry (1) bef. 1848 Silas, then m. (2) aft 1850 Marcellus?
-When did she (or they) remove to Missouri?
We will probably never know the answers to those questions, but other questions that might have knowable answers include:
-What were the illegible names in Marcus' household in 1860?Does anyone recognize the names?
-Were Marcus, Silas and Marcellus brothers?
-What happened to Marcus and Silas?
And, from my personal genealogical perspective,the biggest question of all:
-Who were the parents of Marcellus (and probably the other Owen boys)?
If you can solve any aspect of this mystery, I'd love to hear from you.
Kent
More Replies:
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Re: The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
Kent McMath 12/25/04
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Re: The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
loyd owen 8/27/07
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Re: The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
Kent McMath 8/28/07
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Re: The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
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Re: The Owen Boys - A Tennessee/Missouri Mystery
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Re: The Owen Boys - A hypothesis
Kent McMath 12/25/04