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Month: May 2015

Memorial Day Military Roll Call

This is my Memorial Day 2015 Military Roll Call.  I’m only listing direct ancestors.  If I missed anyone, please feel free to leave a comment or message me.  I did not list cousins, uncles or anyone not in my direct line so if you wish to add yourself or someone that is not in my direct line- feel free to leave a comment or message me.  Happy Memorial Day and don’t forget:

Military memorial plaque.
Military memorial plaque.
POW-MIA meme.
POW*MIA


DRAKE Family:
Vietnam:  Roy Drake
Civil War: Sanders Littrell           
                Joseph Larkin
                Bartlett Underwood
                Quincy Bell
Mexican-American:  Ervin Drake
Revolution:  Aquilla Greer
Also don’t want to forget my son-in-law who served: Timothy Easter
BATES Family:
Spanish-American:  William Riter
Civil War:  John Bates
                James Bullock
                Charles Seely
                John Davis
                Jefferson Latty
War of 1812:  Frederick Foster
                    Benjamin White
Revolution:  William Chenoweth
Bart WILLIAMS’ Family:
Korean:  Bart Williams Sr.
Civil War:  Frances DeWitt
                Richard DeWitt
                William Page
War of 1812:  Isaac DeWitt
Revolution:  Peter DeWitt


PEACE.  PRAYERS.  LOVE.
~Lisa @ Days of Our Lives

Speling- Hoo Neds It??

Let’s wind the calendar all the way back to the first part of April- where I got busy and couldn’t keep up with the blog schedule. (This end-of-the-school-year stuff is killing me!!)  The theme of the week was, “How do you spell that?”  I chose to write about my Latty family- my great-great grandmother Druziller LATTY BULLOCK.  Her mom Irena WALLS LATTY and Irena’s mom Delila WALLS also put in an appearance.  I created a Google map to go with this post but apparently no one can see it unless they are logged in to my account.  So sadly- you have no map to see how many times she moved back and forth in a very small geographical area.
You ask why I chose Druziller for this week? Well…I’ve seen her first name spelled Druzilla and Druziller (Druziller is, the best I have been able to find, the correct way to spell it). I’ve seen her middle name spelled Mahala and Mahaley and also shortened to Halie (Mahala is correct the best I can tell). And I’ve seen her last name spelled LATTA, LATTY, and LATTIE, and mis-transcribed as TUTTIE. I figured that was good enough for the theme this week.
Please meet Druziller Mahala LATTY BULLOCK:

Portrait of Druziller (Latty) Bullock.
Portrait of Druziller (Latty) Bullock.

I only have one photo of Druziller and it is the one posted above. Druziller was born in 1857 in McDonald County, Missouri, to Jefferson and Irena (WALLS) LATTY. She was the first of five known children (Druziller Mahala, Sarah Ellen, James, Lucinda Cynthia, and Martha E.). In the 1860 census she was living with her parents in Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri. She was listed under the name Mahala.

In 1870, the family is found on the census living in Bentonville, Osage Township, Benton County, Arkansas. She was going by the name Mahala. Mahala and her mother (Irena) and younger sister (“Elen”) were living in the household of Thomas NICHOLDS. Irena’s occupation was listed as “keeping house”. Both Thomas and Irena were born in Tennessee. An older gentleman named Philip LYDICK was also living in the home along with a woman named Elizabeth LYDICK, and five children with the LYDICK surname. Irena’s relationship to Thomas is not listed and I do not know what connection they had beyond this one moment in time. While trying to research the relationship of the LYDICKs, NICHOLDs, LATTYs, and WALLS’, I discovered that the children listed as LYDICK children are actually Thomas NICHOLDS’ children and Elizabeth is Thomas’ wife.

In the home next door to the NICHOLDS, LYDICK, and LATTY families, Druziller’s maternal grandmother, Delila WALLS was living with Jesse and Sarah FULLER. Nancy LATTIE was also living in the home with Delila and the FULLERs. Jesse FULLER was the nephew of Irena (grandson of Delila). Jesse’s mother was Irena’s sister, Elizabeth WALLS. I believe the Nancy LATTIE in this census record was Irena’s sister-in-law (Jefferson LATTY’s sister).
Here is an 1874 map of McDonald County, Missouri.  This is what the area would have looked like when Druziller lived there.

McDonald County, Missouri map, 1874.
McDonald County, Missouri map, 1874.

On 2 April 1879 Druziller married my great-great-grandfather, James Mathaniel BULLOCK. They married in Pineville, McDonald, Missouri.

1879 Map of the Arkansas-Missouri state line area that includes McDonald County, Missouri and Benton County, Arkansas.
1879 Map of the Arkansas-Missouri state line area that includes McDonald County, Missouri and Benton County, Arkansas.

Above is an 1879 map of the Missouri-Arkansas border- just as it would have looked when James and Druziller were married and started their family there.
In the 1880 census the couple was located in White Rock, McDonald, Missouri. James and Druziller are listed by their initials (J. M. and D. M.) but their daughter, who was born in May of that year, is listed by her name- Mary E. (Mary Ellen) – and so is Druziller’s mother Irena who was living with James and Druziller that year. In 1883, Druziller had another girl- Syntha Jane. By 1885 the family was living across the state line in Benton County, Arkansas, where they had their first son- William Edward. In 1887, they were back in McDonald County, Missouri in a little town called Caverna where they had my great-grandmother, Laura Ann. After Druziller had my great-grandmother, she gave birth to a son- Clarence Levi in 1890- and twins Oscar Morris and Alice Mae in 1892. I am uncertain which state (Missouri or Arkansas) Clarence was born in but Oscar and Alice were born in Benton County, Arkansas.

Druziller next shows up in records in 1897 when she made a sworn statement on behalf of her cousin-in-law (Sarah Ann FULLER) so Sarah could try to get a pension on her deceased husband (Jesse FULLER) for his military service. Since I don’t have access to the pension files I will have to show someone else’s transcription of the record. That person states that Druziller “made a similar statement to her mother’s” (Irena LEETY WALLS) on the same date as her mother. Irena’s statement is transcribed as :

Affidavit
I, Irena Latty, do solemnly swear on oath that I was personally acquainted with William Tittle from the year 1854 to the time he left. In the same year 1862, I heard that he was dead, and

know from my own personal knowledge he never returned, and that until the present time I have never seen or heard anything more of him, and I am personally acquainted with

Mrs. Fuller and that we are neighbors and have all the reasons to know that she has not heard from or seen Mr. Tittle since his departure in 1862 and I was personally acquainted with

Mr. Fuller from his birth until his death and know that he was never married to anyone but Mrs. Tittle, now Mrs. Fuller, his widow. Signed: Irena Latty.
State of Arkansas
County of Benton

Sworn and subscribed to before me, a Notary Public, on this the 4th. day of August, 1897.
W.A. Blair, Notary Public.

In 1899, Druziller made another sworn statement for Sarah and it is transcribed like this on the above website:
State of Arkansas, Benton County.
Personally appeared before me, a Notary Public, in and for Benton County Arkansas, D.M. Bullock, (Druzilla Mahala Latty, daughter of Irena Walls Latty),

who being duly sworn according to law, certifies as follows: That she has lived a neighbor of Sarah A. Fuller, wife of the soldier, from 1860 to present date and

that she was not married to any person from 1862 to January 19, 1868, and that her present Post Office is Sulpher Springs Ark.
Sworn and subscribed to before me this 3rd, day of March 1899
F.M. Marr Notary Public
My commision expires June 13, 1900

This information was found at http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/LATTA/2006-04/1145020385.  The story of Sarah FULLER’s husband sounds like an interesting one and one that the family probably talked about for a long time.

In 1900 the family was listed on census records as living in Sulphur Springs, Benton County, Arkansas. Living in the home were James M. and D. M. (Druziller), and their children Syntha J., William E., Laura A., Levi, Oscar M, and Allice M.. They were among the last few families to be visited by the census taker in Sulphur Springs Township that year.

In 1910 the BULLOCK family was living in Wallace, Benton County, Arkansas. Druziller was a widow and some of her children (Edward W., Levi C., Oscar M., and her married daughter Laura A. RITER) were living with her. She had seven children and according to this census, all seven of her children were still living at the time of the 1910 census. It looks like the three sons may have been supporting the family. Edward was working on a farm, Levi was a railroad worker, and Oscar was also working on a farm. Druziller was widowed seven years prior to this census in 1903. Laura had just married my great grandfather, William RITER, in March of 1910. I’m not sure where he was at the time of the census nor why he wasn’t listed as a member of the household.

Shortly before Druziller’s death, her son William Edward completed the WWI Draft Registration. On his paperwork he listed his nearest living relative as his mother, “Halie Bullock”. This is the only time and the only person I know of that called her “Halie”. He listed her address as “Gravette Benton Ark”. William’s physical description said he was of medium height and build and had black hair and blue eyes. I wonder which parent, if either, he looked like. Levi Clarence’s WWI Draft Registration card gives his physical description as medium height and build, brown hair and brown eyes. Oscar Morris’ WWI Draft Registration card states he is of medium height and build, has brown hair and light blue eyes and that his mother is dependent upon him for support.

Druziller died on 23 November 1919 in Gravette, Benton County, Arkansas. She is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery next to her husband James. It is family oral history that Druziller’s daughter, Laura, had an infant that died shortly after birth that is most likely buried at the foot of James’ grave. No record has been found to verify this story. Druziller’s obituary read:

Mahala Latty Bullock

Mrs D.M. Bullock died at her home northeast of town Sunday, November 23, 1919 following a few days of Illness from Pneumonia.

Mahala Latty was born in McDonald County, Missouri Sep. 19, 1857. She was married to D.M. Bullock, who preceded her in death July 25, 1903. Seven children

survive: Mrs. Ellen Gilbert, Hannock, Mo., Mrs. Cynthia Baty, Mrs. Laura Ritter, Mrs. Alice Rotramel, Edward, Lee and Oscar Bullock of Gravette. The funeral was

conducted by Rev. W.H. Weatherby Monday and burial took place at the Odd Fellows cemetery. Sympathy is extended the family.

(Gravette News Herald 11-28-1919)

According to family stories passed down, Druziller was 1/16 Cherokee and 1/16 Catawba.

For all of the records listed, I still feel like I don’t know much of anything about Druziller. There seemed to be a theme running through her life of returning to places she had already been. And just as Druziller was a widow, so her daughter Laura would be, and her granddaughter Jessie as well. Hopefully one day I will meet someone who knows a little of Druziller’s story and is willing to share it.


Until then,
Lisa @ Days of Our Lives


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