Researching Tennie-- including a few To-Do items

I've always loved census records because they provide me with so much information along with a time and place framework for finding more documents and more information. After all, pretty much every document you find will lead you to another document.   I'm currently studying a "shirttail relative."  Tennie was the step daughter of my paternal Grandfather's paternal uncle. 😀  The following update on my research detailing the census records that led me to wills, marriage records, newspaper articles, pension files and a number of other records will give you an idea of what can be found if you know where to look.  With the advances in indexing. finding our folks when they are in an unexpected location is so much easier than it used to be.  If you are interested in seeing the sources I mention in this post, they can be found in my tree at Ancestry.  If you don't have an Ancestry subscription, try accessing it thru your local library. 

Tennessee "Tennie" Ferguson's Census entries

• Two entries(1870 & 1880) find her in Bedford Co TN as a Cook(her step Dad's surname)
• One entry(1900) finds her in Sebastian Co AR as Tennie Hill with 2nd husband, Henry F Hill
• Four entries(1910, 1920, 1930 & 1940) find her in Allen Co. KS with George H. Solifelt. She is listed as his Niece.  That relationship remains unproven.
• I also have her in one state census(1925) and a city census(1943)
• The 1900 census is the only census where there is evidence that Tennie had children.  She is listed as Mother of 1 child 0 children living.  I don't know if that was from her marriage to Henry or from her 1st marriage which I can't seem to find much about other than enough info to prove I have the correct Tennie.
• Never enumerated under her actual maiden name.
• Never enumerated under her 1st married name.

Henry F Hill's Census Entries

• Three census(1850, 1860 & 1870) records with parents in Washington Co, Morgan Co and Perry Co of Ohio.
• One entry(his final in 1900) w/ wife Tennie in Sebastian Co AR(They married in 1886 in Franklin Co Ark)
• Not Census Related but worth mentioning:  Henry was a US Pension Agent and a US Civil War Vet.  I've ordered his pension and also a file which contains information on a fraudulent practices investigation against him during his time as a pension agent.  Can hardly wait to see what new info those provide.

George H Solifelt Census Entries

• Census entries with Tennie(1910, 1920 & 1930) in Iola Allen Co KS and their State Census from 1925
• 1900 US Federal Census Mifflin Co PA where he is known to have been

George is a complicated character.  

• He has a paper trail laid out in his obit(likely written by Tennie)which doesn't exactly match the one I've finding in records. 
• He is also a veteran who was a POW and was in the Pennsylvania Eastern State Penitentiary in August of 1870.
• His surname has a variety of spellings:  Solifelt, Solifell, Solifeld, Sollifield etc. and then he has two aliases George Sullivan and Theodore Sullivan which are listed on his pension index card.  
• He was in TX when he filed for his pension in 1886.  I have the Application and the Certificate #s and need to get a copy of his pension papers as well.

Tennie did file for a widow's pension and I also need to get copies of those files.  I'm hoping to find more info about Tennie's first husband, Hugh Clawson as well.  

Tennessee Ferguson Hill(1862-1946)

 Mrs. Tennessee Hill Funeral Tomorrow

Mrs. Tennessee Hill, 83, died last night at her home at 421 South Buckeye.

Mrs. Hill was born in Bedford County, Tenn., and had been a resident of Allen county since 1930. She was a member of the First Methodist church.

She is survived by one sister, Mrs. Sophia Boyce of Unionville, Tenn.

Funeral Services will be at the Sleeper chapel tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock. The Rev. Lynn Rupert will conduct the services and burial will be in Highland cemetery.

Source:  The Iola Register(Iola, Kansas) 12 March 1946 p. 1 col 3.

She was the daughter of James C Ferguson and Susan Carson.  Susan married a 2nd time and Tennie is listed as Tennessee Cook in the home of her stepfather in 1870 & 1880 Bedford Co TN.  She moves with them to Ozark, Arkansas and marries there in 1886.  While her death notice says that she has been a resident of Allen Co since 1930, I was able to find her in a city directory there in 1912 listed as a housekeeper.  She is also listed in several of the Kansas State Censuses one of which notes her as the niece of the head of household George H Solifelt.  I found George's obituary at Newspapers.com and it details the time that he and his niece arrived in Iola.  I have not been able to figure out how she is his niece as of yet.  Perhaps he was married to a sibling of one of her parents rather than being kin by blood.  Will address that in another blog post.