Perseverance: Matilda Pearl “Tillie” Davey

Not much is known about my husband’s grandmother, Matilda Pearl “Tillie” Davey’s early life, except that her mother died young and her father had a severe drinking problem. Despite being shuffled between family and an orphan home, she survived, married, and had four children. She involved herself in community life as a member of the Christian Church, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Webb City Garden Club.

Tillie was born on 18 April 1880 in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky to Frederick Henry Davey and Matilda Wollenweber.[1] Her mother died on 1 November 1885 of diphtheria when young Matilda was just five years old.[2] Fred was left with four children under the age of eight, the youngest at two.

It is unfortunate that the 1890 census was lost. Many events occurred during the twenty years between 1880 and 1900. As a child, she would not likely be found in many records. To learn more about her childhood, one needs to learn what the adults in her life were doing. They were the ones to create records.

Immediately after her mother’s death, her maternal grandmother, Phillipena Woolenweber, came to Carthage to stay through the winter.[3] That was probably a great help to Fred for as long as she stayed there. The stories passed down stated the children were scattered among relatives. Tillie told her daughter she was sent to live with her father’s sister, Rose McFall, who lived in Indianapolis, and grandmother, Mary Davey, who lived in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Later she moved in with her father’s sister, Susan Wellman, who lived in Cincinnati.[4]

Fred married his wife’s youngest sister, Julia Wollenweber on 28 July 1887.[5] The children returned to live with their father and aunt. Fred and Julia would have one child together, George T. Davey. This marriage did not last. Julia divorced Fred on 18 January 1892 due to “cruel and inhuman treatment.” She received custody of her children.[6]  Who were the other children? Julia and Fred had only one child, George, who was living with Julia in 1900.[7] After her divorce, she married Jacob Ettel in Jeffersonville on 26 May 1892.[8]

And where were the children now? It is possible they were sent to the orphanage in Jeffersonville. Tillie spoke of the orphanage to her daughter.

Matilda’s father married a third time to Mrs. Annie Grace (nee McDonald) in Carthage, Missouri on 16 March 1898.[9] By 1900, he is not living with his wife, two step-sons, or son, Edward.[10] Fred had a drinking problem. His niece, Marie Davey Korn, commented “Father said he was the best pattern maker at the Carthage Foundry and as long as he was sober, [he] would turn out splendid work in a remarkably short time. The pity was that he inherited the English love of liquor and had no control when he started.”[11] This is likely the reason he had multiple marriages that did not last and children who were scattered about with family and friends.

She married Joseph Norman Gorrell in 1900.[12] Together, they had four children, three daughters and one son. Tillie was very active with the Christian Church, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and the Webb City Garden Club.[13] Despite her early childhood trauma, Tillie led a full and productive life.

#52Ancestors-Week 51: Perseverance— Matilda Pearl “Tillie” Davey

This is my fifth year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow (https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/) at Generations Cafe. I write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways

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[1] “Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1969,” Missouri Digital Heritage (http://www.sos.mo.gov), state file no. 1696, 1958, Tillie D. Gorrell.

[2] Notes written by Ada May Thomason (daughter of Matilda Pearl), Gorrell Family Papers, held by Lisa Gorrell.

[3] “City News in General,” Daily Evening News (Jeffersonville, Indiana), 4 Nov 1885, p. 4, col. 3, concerning the death of Mrs. Fred Davey.

[4] Notes written by Matilda D. Gorrell, held by Lisa Gorrell. Also, Lewis C. Baird, Baird’s History of Clark County, Indiana (Indianapolis: B.F. Bowen, 1909), p. 357.

[5] “Missouri, County Marriage, Naturalization, and Court Records, 1800-1991,” FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/collection/2060668) > Jasper > Marriage records 1881-1888 vol H-J > image 741, v. J, p. 261, Fred H Davey to Julia Wollenweber, 1887.

[6] "Four Divorces Granted," Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), 19 January 1892, p. 8, col. 3; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com : accessed 21 December 2022).

[7] 1900 US census, Clark Co, Indiana, ED 8, sht 16, family 339, Jacob Ettel household; NARA T623, roll 363.

[8] “Indiana Marriages, 1811-2019,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1410397) > Clark > 1891-1893 Volume P > image 209, p. 415, Jacob Ettel to Julia Davey, 1892.

[9] "Missouri, U.S., Marriage Records, 1805-2002," Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/1171/), p. 267, Davey-Grace, 1898.

[10] 1900 US census, Jasper Co, Missouri, pop sched, Galina Twp, ED 46, sht 20b, fam 425, Anna Davey.

[11] Letter from Marie Korn to Ada Thomas, 2 Aug 1937, Gorrell Family Papers, held by Lisa Gorrell. Marie’s father was Thomas N. Davey, Fred’s older brother.

[12] Jackson County, Missouri, marriage license, vol. 26, p. 528, no. 21336, Joseph N Gorrell to Tillie Davey, 1900, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/search/film/007515712 : accessed 22 Dec 2022), film 7515712, image 345; citing Jackson County Recorder of Deeds, Kansas City, Missouri.

[13] For WCTU, see “W.C.T.U. Program at Webb City Announced,” Joplin (Missouri) Globe, 1 Dec 1931, p. 7, col. 4. For Christian Church, see “Webb City Society,” 6 June 1937, p. 4, col. 4. For Webb City Garden Club, see “Webb City Society,” Joplin (Missouri) Globe, 28 April 1946, p. 4, col. 3.

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