John Stanley Pearce (1870-1931) Illinois

My tale of woe today might involve successfully researching a family to whom I am not related. Let me explain. Mary Ann Miles seems to have married a Murphy who disappears, and then she marries a Wesley Greer. Or, Mary Ann Murphy may have married Wesley Greer and she never was a Miles. Or, there may have been something else going on. Wesley and Mary Ann had a daughter, Charlotte "Lottie" Greer...a person whose descendants I have had lots of luck with the past few days. So regardless of whether we're related, I thought I'd share the wealth!

Wesley Greer
b. 1820 Tennessee
d. 1879 Union County, Illinois
m. 30 Sep 1847 Union County, Illinois
Mary Ann Miles or Murphy or perhaps another name...
b. 1826 Illinois
d. Hmmmm...don't know

Child #7 for Greer/Miles
Charlotte "Lottie" Greer
b. Sep 1866 Illinois
d. Hmmmm...don't know
m. 1895ish
John Stanley Pearce...look for records under Pierce too
b. Apr 1870 Illinois
d. 15 May 1931 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois

Child #1 for Pearce/Greer
Clarence Clayton Pearce
b. 25 Dec 1896 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois
d. 6 May 1936 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois (FAG 90077656)
m. 10 Sep 1917 Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri
Susie Annabelle Colyer
b. 1900 Sweetwater, Monroe County, Tennessee (FAG 90194356)
d. 20 Feb 1977 Granite City, Madison County, Illinois

Child #2 for Pearce/Greer
David Clyde Pearce
b. 1 Feb 1899 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois
d. 8 Nov 1975 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois (FAG 90195234)
m. 1918
Helen E. Callen
b. 31 Jan 1897 Delta County, Illinois
d. 21 Jun 1927 McClure, Alexander County, Illinois

Check the Find A Grave (FAG) memorials and you'll find obituaries and links to descendants. If you're chasing this family and want me to transfer the memorial, please just Edit the memorials and send me your FAG number. I'll be happy to turn them over to your care.

Earl Julius Yarbro 1910-1989 Arkansas, Texas, Missouri

I'm still hacking my way thru the Murphy family. So much has been published online since the last time I tried that after two months I remain in the hitting pay dirt at every turn phase of gathering records. I am surprised since this family was in Union County, Illinois...rural Southern Illinois where I didn't expect to find all that much published online at this point. So much for condescending expectations!

Anyway, I've hit upon an interesting piece of info. A daughter in the Murphy line--Hallie Martha Hasty--married Earl Julius Yarbro...more than once!

First Marriage Record
19 Sep 1928 Kennett, Dunklin County, Missouri

Second Marriage Record
28 May 1968 Liberty County, Texas

So far I've found no record of Hallie and Earl having lived in Texas. They seem to have always lived in Missouri. So what's the story. I'm sure it has to be an interesting one. Here are their vitals.

Earl Julius Yarbro s/o William Yarbro and Dora Unknown
b. 6 Apr 1910 Carpenter, Clay County, Arkansas
d. 8 Mar 1989 Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri
m. well you know this part
Hallie Martha Hasty d/o Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Hasty and Florence Opal Murphy
b. 7 Apr 1910 Independence, Dunklin County, Missouri
d. 30 Sep 2000 Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri

I've sent for Hallie's obituary; however, I can't imagine that it explains the details of the second marriage and the sojourn in Texas. Perhaps someone reading this blog some day can offer details. In the meantime, it remains an amusing mystery...a quirky aside to what people do in their lifetimes.