Gideon Cook's Wives and Children

I've been working on the 1858-1888 timeline for my 2nd Great Grandparents(Wm C & Elizabeth Putman Cook) and their children to see the big picture of what was going on within the family.  It has really been a great experience.  I still have a lot of work to do but will focus on the timeline in an upcoming post. This post focuses on Wm C & Elizabeth's son, Jefferson Gideon Cook.

I believe I've finally sorted thru records and determined how many times Jefferson Gideon Cook was married and identified his children from each marriage.  It really wasn't very clear as there were two women name Mary listed as his wife with a Martha sandwiched in between.  Some trees had the two or all three combined and others had overlapping marriages or discrepancies in the surname of the last of his wives. So what do the records say as far as Gideon's marriages?

On 9th September 1866, Gideon  was married in Williamson Co. TN to Mary S. Hamer by Park Street.  Mary was the sister-in-law of Gideon's brother, James Polk Cook who had married Harriet Hamer  in October of the previous year.  When he made application and bond for the marriage on September the 8th, his brother James was his bondsman.  Mary Hamer Cook was the mother of Robert L. Cook,  Gideon's oldest child who was born on the 16th of May 1868.  The information on Robert's death certificate and in his obituary supports that.  Both Hamer sisters were gone by the 1870 census.  I have not found divorces for either from the Cook brothers and feel it is likely they both  left their marriages by death rather than divorce  If anyone that has researched this family knows I'd love to hear from you.

By the time of the 1870 census, a female named Martha Cook was listed in the household with Gideon and his young son.  While I have not found the marriage book listing for Gideon and Martha, I did find their marriage in a Tennessee state-compiled index at Ancestry from the Rutherford County Tennessee record books.  The date given is 30th of October 1869 and that adds credence to my thinking that this is his wife and not a lady by that name living there to care for the young Robert.  I had considered both scenarios.  Further, Martha Ann Hale is listed as J. G. Cook Jr.'s mother as well as the mother of Gideon's daughter Martha Ann Cook on each of their death certificates.  The fact that Gideon was the informant on his daughter Martha's death certificate while terribly sad, gives me confidence enough to conclude that Martha was the daughter of Gideon and Martha A Hale Cook.  Perhaps the elder Martha had died in childbirth or from complications soon after. Sometimes when that happens the surviving child is named after its mother and that might have been the case with Martha as well.  In total Gideon and Martha had 4 children:  Jefferson Gideon Cook Jr, John R. Cook, Cass B. Cook, and Martha A. Cook.

Faced with the prospect of raising his young family alone,  on the 14th of October 1884, Gideon  married to Mary J. Elliot in Rutherford County, Tennessee.  Mary is enumerated with him in the 1900 US Federal Census in Rutherford Co TN and her entries say she has been married for 15 years and is the mother of one child who is alive at the time of the 1900 census date. That child was Ollie Mai Cook.  Ollie's year of birth varies over her lifetime but I believe that her actual year of birth was 1885.

Ollie's Birth Year

Source-----------Year

1900 Census    1885

1910 Census    1885

1920 Census    1888

1930 Census    1888

1940 Census    1886

1950 Census    1885

Soc. Sec. Rec.  1884

Gravestone       1886

Death Cert        1888

Mary J Elliot Cook died on the 23rd of March 1915 from pulmonary tuberculosis.  Gideon outlived her by almost 16 years, passing on the 18th of January 1931 from chronic fibroid tuberculosis

Sources:
1900 U.S. census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Nashville, Ward 4(part of), enumeration district (ED) 101, sheet 4-A, house 27, Family 30, J G Cook household; imaged, "United States Census, 1900," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS8W-XQH : accessed 20 February 2024).

"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHS-XP1N : accessed 10 February 2024), Entry for J G Cook and Miss Mary S Hamer, 08 Sep 1866(bond date).(notation on bond says marriage was solemnized on the 9th)

"Tennessee, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900," database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com) Martha A Hale and J G Cook 30 Oct 1869 Rutherford Co. TN, citing Rutherford County, Tennessee Marriages, 1851-70. FHL Film #0379649.

"Tennessee, County Marriages, 1790-1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKHS-66RD : accessed 20 February 2024, Entry for Jefferson G Cook and Mary J Elliott, 14 Oct 1884.

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966," FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSWT-VJF : accessed 20 February 2024), Entry for Jefferson Gideon Cook, 18 Jan 1931.

“Funeral for Confederate Veteran to Be Today,” The Tennessean, 20 Jan 1930, p. 5, col, 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 Feb 2024).

"United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KQB-1YTY : 10 February 2023), Ollie M Cook, 

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966", index only, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JCS-JWHF : accessed index only 20 February 2024), Entry for Ollie Mai Cook, 10 Apr 1968. (Digital image forthcoming which will then change the range of years covered in the record set)

"Robert Lee Cook", Nashville Banner, 12 June 1954, p. 2, col. 7; digital images, Newspapers.com(https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 February 2024).

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NSV9-P79 : accessed 20 February 2024), Entry for Robert L. Cook 11 Jun 1954.

"Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014," online database, Ancestry.com; entry for Ollie M Cook 413-84-1422.

1910 U.S. census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Nashville, Civil District 6, ED 93, Sheet 2a, Dwelling 27 Family 27, Household of Jefferson G Cook; unaged "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9TXC-9SG : accessed 20 February 2024).

"Tennessee Deaths, 1914-1966", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N91N-Z68 : Fri Oct 13 18:15:23 UTC 2023), Mary Jane Cook, 23 Mar 1915.

1920 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Nashville, Civil District 6, ED 111, Sheet 7b, Dwelling 135, Family 147, Household of Jefferson G Cook; imaged "United States Census, 1920",database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MN51-8KR : accessed 20 February 2024),

1930 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Nashville, Civil District 6, ED 19-214, Sheet 15b, Dwelling 321, Family 337, Household of David Cook; imaged "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SPWK-CXB : accessed 20 February 2024).

1940 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Woodbine, Civil District 6, ED 19-19, Sheet 9b, Household 195, Household of David S Cook; imaged "United States Census, 1940", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K44V-5YX : accessed 20 February 2024).

1950 U.S. Census, Davidson County, Tennessee, Woodbine, ED 19-37, Page 8, Dwelling 63, Household of Stahl D Cook; imaged "United States 1950 Census", database with images , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6NTM-JT2D : accessed 20 February 2024).

"Mrs. Mary J Cook", The Tennessean, 25 March 1915, p. 14, col. 6; digital images, Newspapers.com(https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 February 2024).(Death announcement for Mary who died on the 24 of March)

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215649022/ollie_mai-cook: accessed February 21, 2024), memorial page with gravestone image for Ollie Mai Cook (1886–1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 215649022, citing Triune Cemetery, Triune, Williamson County, Tennessee, USA; Maintained by Tammy Vermillion (contributor 49014485).

When a Presumed 1st Marriage is Actually a 2nd Marriage--Henry F Hill

 I knew thru my earlier research of Tennie Ferguson HIll that she had been married prior to her marriage to Henry F Hill.  What I didn't know was that Henry had been previously married as well.  Today I finally found his 1880 Census entry.  While Henry Hill is a fairly common name, the Mother's birth place and his occupation give me a high degree of confidence that this is the Henry Hill who later married Tennie.

1880 U.S. Federal Census, Jasper County, Missouri, population schedule, Sarcoxie, enumeration district (ED) 62, p. 404B, dwelling 197, family 202; Henry Hill; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 February 2024); citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 694.

And his wife Isabella is 12 years his senior(according to the census entry) has also been married before and has several adult children.  I was able to find their marriage record from Muskingum County, OH.  The marriage record giving his name as Henry F Hill offered further evidence for the argument that this is indeed the same Henry who later married Tennie.

"Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2016", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZCW-DJL : accessed 3 February 2024), Entry for Henry F. Hill and Isabelle Johnson, 26 Apr 1874.

Using her given name from the census & her childrens' surname, I went looking for Isabella's first marriage, I looked for an Isabella that married a Johnson male and was able to find her 1st husband Payton Johnson who was considerably older than Isabella.  Prior to her marriage. her name was Isabella Blake  I found Isabella and her 1st husband in the 1870 Census. So now that I have an idea of how those marriages map out, I'd like to find either a divorce or a an obituary or death record for Isabella Blake Johnson Hill some time between 1880 and 1884.  Jasper Co MO is about 150 miles north of Fort Smith Arkansas.  

I have been researching the children from Isabella's first marriage and where they ended up and believe that Isabella and Henry's marriage ended in divorce or at least separation since I found her buried in KS in the same cemetery as her daughter and under her previous surname.  So I've been compiling a list of what locations to check.  In Missouri that would be Jasper, Newton, Berry, and Lawrence Counties.  If Henry filed after he got to Arkansas then the counties to checkn are Madison, Newton, Franklin, Sebastian, and Logan Counties 

In the Henry F Hill investigation file, some of the documents in the case are dated 1883 and the information on those give the impression that Henry Hill has been in the Huntsville Madison Co. Arkansas area for a year or more.  That would narrow down the time of the end of Henry's first marriage to about a 2-3 year period--say between June 1st 1880 -1882. 

Things to consider:

• Either party could have filed for divorce.
• It's possible there was just a separation which would make Henry's marriage to Tennie problematic.
• It's also possible that the divorce could have been later up to about early1886.
• If Isabella did get her previous name back after the split rather than the children just burying her with that name or her going back to it once she and Henry were no longer together then it might follow that she likely initiated the divorce.

The search goes on....

Sams-Jakes Marriage(Jan. 1950)

Sgt. & Mrs. Tom B. Sams

Old Hickory Record Clipping Thur. Jan 26, 1950

Old Hickory, TN

Early Newspapers great source for marriages and deaths

Most of Bedford County Tennessee's marriage records prior to 1861 did not survive so locating a marriage mentioned in a newspaper is a wonderful find. 

Nashville Whig (Nashville, Tennessee)
Davidson County, TN
Wed. 17 Oct 1821 Page 3
www. newspapers.com

Mitochondrial Riddle

Never say never.  I guess that somewhat applies here.  I've always said that I didn't have a question that mitochondrial dna(mtDNA--mother line DNA) could answer but as I was sending a Hitchcock researcher additional info, I realized that is not the case.

Since I began researching in 1990 other Hitchcock researchers always listed George Hitchcock's wife as Milly Combs.  I had it written in my notes but had never seen a source and still haven't for that matter. Fast forward about 15 years and I received an email from Agnes Jones about records for a George Hitchcox and Milly Riddle in Roane Co TN marriage records in 1806. In addition to that marriage I was also able to find a Riddle land owner whose land bordered the widowed Millie Hitchcock in Warren Co TN where George and Milly had raised their family.  The land had been granted to Basil Riddle around the time of George and Milly's marriage.  Now he was selling it to William Edde. William Edde's son would later marry Milly Hitchcock's daughter.  There are not many records that I've found so far which I can identify as this Basil Riddle.  The name gets reused for several generations in various areas.  I did find a statement in a wills sales, inventory book in Warren Co TN which mentioned Basil Riddle dying intestate, his meager estate and the fact that he has five heirs--none of whose names are mentioned.(see Bazell Riddle post)

A little backstory into what I feel probably brought about the story that Milly's maiden name was Combs.  While I am a descendant of George Hitchcock and Milly Riddle, I am also a descendant of John Fleming and Nancy Combs.  Two of George and Milly's children(James P and Nancy) married two of John and Nancy's children(Charlotta and Alfred P.)   This may have added to the confusion.  So while I may not be able to tell if Milly was a Combs...I can see if she and Nancy had the same mother.  I carry Nancy Combs Fleming's  mtDNA.  Milly has a lot of female descendants so I could probably find a straight line female line and I'd like for that to be thru a different line than that of her daughter Nancy Hitchcock Fleming's line(Not to be confused with Nancy Combs Fleming)  Of course the thing holding me back now would be to find the finances to pay for the mtDNA test.

Who are you and how do you know my Grandmother? --Part 1

The Holidays
As the holidays approached  I found myself as I do every year looking through my wrapping paper, gift bags & cards and trying to determine what I need to buy more of in order to get thru the current season.  Inevitably, I also find the box which contains cards I have received over the years as well as some older cards that people sent to my paternal Grandmother.  One from her sister, Kitty Jakes Bell, another from Cora Jakes Gibson(another of her sisters)...one from her niece Olive Bell Shriver and her husband Sam.  One of the cards was from someone I couldn't place in her family and I thought it might be a neighbor or someone she has rented a house from as they lived in East Nashville rentals a bunch after moving from Old Hickory and before she moved to Dickson.  I looked inside to get the name which I believe I had done before and just  figured that the card was from family.  In addition to the name I also noticed faded ink across the entire card.  At first it looked like a letter had been in the card and faded, but on further examination I can see that the sender, a lady I'll call Flora had written a letter on the folded inside of the card.  The letter told of some hardships she and her family were going thru and made me further curious about how they knew each other.  My curiosity was peaked even further when she asked about my Uncle Morris and sent her regards.

Clues from the Letter
Flora and her husband live in Akron Ohio on Austin Avenue.  She gave vague details of the health problems she and her husband had been facing.  Flora's son was in the hospital in Chillicothe (OH?) and apparently it isn't a minor hospital stay as she mentioned not having written to him in awhile.  This leads me to believe that it may have been a Veteran's hospital so I want to check the census records for this family and see what I can find. Flora's daughter is also having a hard time. Her husband has left her and her children(Flora's Grandchildren) at the holidays.  What little information I do know is pulling at my heartstrings and I want to know how it turned out for these people....and yes...how they know my grandmother.  I note all of the clues to her identity in the letter so that I can use it in my research.

1940 Akron Ohio but not at the address on the card.

• Flora was born about 1902 which puts her at about 11 years younger than my grandmother.
• Her husband works at a Rubber Plant( Goodyear or Firestone?)
• Living at home is a daughter age 17 and a son age 15
• Living at the same house in 1935 (Stanford Ave, Akron, Ohio)

A check of the 1930 reveals a bit more

• Flora and her husband have a son age 11 who isn't in their household in 1940
• Flora's husband was working at the Rubber Shop(maybe the plant hadn't expanded at that time)
• All are Born in Ohio and there parents were also according to this census.
• Flora was 15 when she married and her husband 21.

Checking some of the suggested records that pop up when I view the census records at Ancestry.com lead me to find Flora's marriage record as well as marriage records for her daughter.  The older son was in the Navy as I find his death noted with U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File as well as a FindAGrave listing which shows his Navy marker..  I wonder if this is how the family would know my Uncle Morris.  He was in the Navy briefly in 1945.  Was the older son the one who was in the hospital

More clues....and more questions.

I want to look for a divorce record for the daughter.  That will give me an idea of what time period the letter was written which will tell me how far back their friendship goes.  I wonder if Ohio has the divorce court records and rulings at Ancestry like Michigan does.  

Lots to think about.