The Relationship of Susan Davis and Martin L. Schenck

Susan E. Davis was born around 1879 or 1880. She first appears in the 1880 census as a 6 month old baby in the home of her parents, Benjamin Franklin and Julia Ann Sibley Davis.

Members:	Name Age Benjimine F. Davis 51 Julia A. Davis 42 Louvena Davis 17 Thomas F. Davis 15 Eliza M. Davis 13 Hartwell Davis 11 John S. Davis 9 Mary Davis 6 Catharine Davis 5 Sallie Davis 2 Susan Davis 3m

Twenty years later, she is the only daughter in the home with her mother "July" (pronounced Julie) Davis, brother Hartwell Alexander Davis, and a niece, 8 year old "Victory", whose identity I have not determined.

NameSusson July
Age20
Birth DateMar 1880
BirthplaceNorth Carolina
Home in 1900 Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
Race White
Gender Female
Relation to Head of House Daughter
Marital Status Single
Father's Birthplace North Carolina
Mother's Name Davis July
Mother's Birthplace North Carolina
Household Members

Name	Age
Davis July	71
Alexander July	33
Susson July	20
Victory July	8

1910 finds Susan, or Susie as she was called, as in inmate at Broughton State Hospital in Morganton, North Carolina.

Name	Susie David
Age in 1910	32
Birth Year	abt 1878
Birthplace	North Carolina
Home in 1910	Morganton, Burke, North Carolina
Race	White
Gender	Female
Relation to Head of House	Patient
Marital Status	Single
Native Tongue	English
Able to read	No
Able to Write	No

However, she was  not alone there. Also there were her sisters, Sarah,( or Sallie), Davis Whitaker and W. C. (or Kitty) Davis Cox.

In a land dispute in 1911, sister Sallie Davis Whitaker is still alive and Susie is still a Davis.

I have no proof, but it may be possible, that Susan met her future husband, Martin Luther Schenck, of Rowan County, there. 

Name:	Martin Luther Schenck
Gender:	Male
Marriage Date:	9 Jan 1916
Marriage Place:	Rowan, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:	Susie E Davis
Spouse Gender:	Female
Event Type:	Marriage

Luther and Susie would be married in Rowan County, NC, 6 years later. I know that this is the correct Susie E. Davis, because her address is Norwood, North Carolina, which is in Stanly County and near the farm where she was raised, and also, because later land divisions and court actions after the death of her mother Julia in 1914, and sister Kitty, in 1922, gives her name as "Shank/Shenk". 

Despite being married in 1916, Martin Luther Schenck's draft registration for World War I lists him as single. 

Name:	Martin Luther Schenck
County:	Rowan
State:	North Carolina
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Birth Date:	26 May 1891
Race:	Caucasian (White)
Age: Occupation: Nearest Relative: Height/Build: Color of Eyes/Hair: Signature:	View image

The other interesting thing that this document gives is his reason for exemption, "Off in Mind". This is why I believe Susie may have met him in Broughton. They both obviously had been released by 1916.

The document gives his occupation as a farmer, working for his father and living in China Grove. He is tall, slender, and had light gray eyes and light brown hair. 

The 1920 census finds Luther living with his parents, and no Susan, although it does list his marital status as married.

Name:	Martin L Shank
Age:	28
Birth Year:	abt 1892
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Street:	Gold Hill Road
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Son
Marital Status:	Married
Father's name:	Augustus G Shank
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's name:	Maggie Shank
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Farm
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Augustus G Shank 57 Maggie Shank 50 Martin L Shank 28 Douglas A Shank 21 Beulah F Shank 15 Sherly B Shank 14 Bessie F Shank 13 Burleson T Shank 12 Richard E Shank 6 Spencer F Shank 4 [4 6/12]

Maybe his death record would shed some light on Martin's life and perhaps Susan's.

Name	Martin Luther Schenck
Event Type	Death
Event Date	06 Jul 1969
Event Place	Lumberton, Robeson, North Carolina
Birth Year	1892
Burial Date	08 Jul 1969
Burial Place	Rowan, N.C.
Cemetery	Ebenezer Lutheran Comt.
Residence Place	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Address	Rt. 2
Gender	Male
Age	78
Marital Status	Married
Race (Original)	White
Occupation	Farming
Birth Date	26 May 1892
Birthplace	North Carolina
Father's Name	Augustus G. Schenck
Mother's Name	Margaret R. Roseman

Buried in China Grove, Martin L. Schenck passed away in Lumberton. Was he residing there, or was he being treated in a hospital?

A quick look at his death certificate does give a little more information. The informant was his brother, S. F. Schenck of China Grove, and Martin Luther Schenck was at the Cancer Institute and passed away of Cancer of the Bladder. His usual occupation was given as farming and his parents as Augustus G. Schenck and Margaret Roseman Schenck. His marital status is given as married, but in the blank for spouses name, it is recorded as "UnKnown", His address was given as Rt. 2, China Grove.

His death record declares that he was married. Was he still married to Susan, and was she still alive, or had he married someone else? His Find-A-Grave Memorial does mention that he married Susie E. Davis, although she is not buried with him.




Susan E. Davis Schenck was still alive, at least in 1922, when she was a part of a land division due to the death of her sister W. C. "Kitty" Davis Cox, who had no children.


The Stanly News-Herald
(Albemarle, North Carolina)11 Jul 1922, Tue • Page 3


There are no indications that Susie and Luther Schenck had any children. It actually appears that they split up by the 1920 census, four years after their marriage, but Luther is still shown as married that year, however by 1930, he is not.


Name:Luther M Schenck
Birth Year:abt 1892
Gender:Male
Race:White
Birthplace:North Carolina
Marital Status:Single
Relation to Head of House:Son
Home in 1930:China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Map of Home:View Map
Street address:Concord and Salisbury Road
Dwelling Number:24
Family Number:26
Attended School:No
Able to Read and Write:No
Father's Birthplace:North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:North Carolina
Able to Speak English:No
Occupation:Laborer
Industry:General Farm
Class of Worker:Unpaid worker, member of the family
Employment:Yes
Neighbors:View others on page
Household Members:

Name	Age
Augustus Schenck	65
Maggie Schenck	55
Luther M Schenck	38
Trexlor Schenck	21
Richard Schenck	16
Spencer Schenck	15

What I find most interesting about this census, is that although he is an unpaid family member working on his fathers farm, it claims he is unable to read and write, which was not unheard of then, but also that he was not able to speak English, although he was born in Rowan County, as was both of his parents. Did this mean he was unable to speak at all?

After the 1922 mention in the Stanly County Newspaper, Susie falls off the map.

Perhaps a trip to Rowan County can shed some light on this mystery.


Codicil: The trip to Rowan really answered no questions. It produced the actual marriage certificate, with further information that cemented the fact that Susie Davis who married Martin L. Schenck was indeed the right Susie. There were two other Susie or Susan Davis that married in Rowan County. One was African American and the other was much younger and with different parents.

The Obituary of M. L. Shenck provide no information at all on Susan:

"China Grove- Martin Luther Schenck, 77 of Rt. 2 China Grove died Sunday at 3:40 pm at the Lumberton Hospital after an extended illness. 

He was born May 26, 1892 in Rowan County, the son of the late Augustus and Maggie Roseman Schenck. He was a member  of Ebenezer Lutheran Church. 

Surviving are five brothers, Douglas of Salisbury and wife Shirley, Trexler, Richard and Spencer Schenck, all of Rt. 2 China Grove; and a sister, Mrs. Della Snider of East Spencer (Della was a witness of the wedding). Funeral Services will be conducted Tuesday at 4 pm at Ebenezer Lutheran Church by the Rev. Everette Horne. Burial will be at the churh cemetery. 

The body will remain at  Linn-Honeycutt Funeral Home, Landis, until placed in the church 30 minutes before the services. The family will recieve freinds at the funeral home tonight from 7 to 5.

-The Salisbury Post, July 7, 1969  page 15.

Where Went Willie?

This will not be a very long post, because the information I have on Willie Alice Mauldin was minimal. I refer to her as the lost girl. 

I first came across Willie, living in the home of my Second Great-Grandparents, James Duncan and Margaret Solomon Mauldin. She was their granddaughter and my grandmothers' first cousin. 

Also in the home was her mother, Mary Louise Mauldin, a single woman aged 24, and Mary's sister Tine, who also had a 3 year old daughter living with her and her parents, named Scrappy, whom I discovered was actually named Bertha Mae. 

Bertha Mae went on to marry widower Charlie Doby and became the mother of 4 children, 3 of whom lived to adulthood and helped him raise the 4 sons he had already. 


But Willie is a different story altogether.

Willie appears in the birth records of Stanly County, with her mother, Mary Mauldin listed. No father. 

Name:	Willie A Manden [Willie A Mauldin]
Age:	3
Birth Date:	Apr 1897
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1900:	Center, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Granddaughter
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Occupation:	View on Image
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age James Mauden 56 Margeret W Manden 56 Tine Manden 28 Mary L Manden 24 Walter J Manden 20 Minnie L Manden 18 Willie A Manden 3 Scrafy B Manden 3

She then appears in the 1900 census living with her grandparents, mother, aunts, uncle and cousin. 

Name:	Willie Alice Mauldin [Willis Alice Mandin]
Age in 1910:	13
Birth Year:	abt 1897
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1910:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Street:	Efird Street No 1
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Daughter
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's name:	Mary Maulden
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Native Tongue:	English
Occupation:	Spinning
Industry:	Cotton Mill
Employer, Employee or Other:	Wage Earner
Able to Read:	No
Able to Write:	No
Out of Work:	N
Number of Weeks Out of Work:	2
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Mary Maulden 24 Rosy Maulden 37 John Thompson 41 Willie Alice Mauldin 13 Seraffy Mauldin 13

Her grandparents, James Duncan and Margaret Solomon Mauldin, would pass away before the next census and Willie would be found at age 13, living in Albemarle and working as a spinner in the cotton mill with her mother, Mary heading the household and Aunt Tine, cousin Scrappy, or Bertha and a boarder named John Thompson, living with them. 

After that is when things start getting "hole-y". 

On May 1, 1916, Willie Alice Mauldin, daughter of Mary, marries William "Willie" Cephus Kimmer. 

Name:	Willie Maulden
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Age:	19
Birth Year:	abt 1897
Marriage Date:	1 May 1916
Marriage Place:	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Mother:	Mary Moulden
Spouse:	Will Kimmer
Spouse Gender:	Male
Spouse Race:	White
Spouse Age:	20
Spouse Father:	John Kimmer
Spouse Mother:	Phrona Kimmer
Event Type:	Marriage

Will Kimmer was the son of John Bratton Kimmer and Sophronia Eliza Burleson "Fronie" Kimmer. 

He and Willie would have one child, named Harris. 




Harris was born in 1916 and died of influenza on October 18, 1918, according to his death certificate and was buried at Chestnut Hill cemetery. His parensts address was listed as West Innes Street in Salisbury at the time.

A review of the 1917 Salisbury City Directory does not reveal this family yet living in Salisbury. The next available Directory, that of 1919-1920 doesn't either. However, it does show Willie's mother, Miss Mary Mauldin, living as a boarder at 96 Shives Street in Salisbury, which is now described as a 1593 square foot single family home. 

The Kimmers are not found in this directory either, but something else interesting is. 

At 94 Shives is Cicero A. McCollum, employee of Salisbury Cotton Mill and at 92 Shives is Lucian and Velma McCollum. 

Cicero Albright McColllum was the son of Esquire Gray "Squire" McCollum and Francis Adeline Osborne McCollum. In 1920, he was a 48 year old widower, living with some of his children in Salisbury. Lucian and Velma were his children. His first wife was named Emma Cape. Cicero was born in Montgomery County, NC. 

In the 1920 census, Cicero is listed as living on Walnut Street in China Grove.

Name:	Cicero A Mccollum [Cieoro A Mc Collum]
Age:	51
Birth Year:	abt 1869
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Street:	North Walnut
House Number:	Farm 726
Race:	White
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Marital Status:	Married
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Weaver
Industry:	Cotton Mill
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Cicero A Mccollum 51 Lucien Mccollum 25 Velma Mc Collum 19 Vera Mc Collum 17 Pauline Mc Collum 12

While Mary Mauldin is no longer found living on Shives Street near the McColllum's, but with the widower of her younger sister Minnie and young nephew, Ellis Pinion. 

Name:	Mary Mauldin
Age:	36
Birth Year:	abt 1884
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Salisbury, Rowan, North Carolina
Street:	Ryne Street
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Sister-in-law
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Ellice D Pinion 36 Clyde A Pinion 14 Mary Mauldin 36

Willie Alice Mauldin Kimmer, I have not been able to find in the 1920 census. However, I did find her husband, William Cephus Kimmer. He was back in Albemarle, living with his parents. 

Name:	Will Kimmer
Age:	25
Birth Year:	abt 1895
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Street:	Bosses Allie
Race:	White
Gender:	Male
Relation to Head of House:	Son
Marital Status:	Single
Father's name:	Jno Kimmer
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's name:	Frona Kimmer
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Mason
Industry:	Brick Work
Employment Field:	Wage or Salary
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Jno Kimmer 57 Frona Kimmer 54 Will Kimmer 25 Quincy Kimmer 19 Nola Kimmer 17 Burtha Kimmer 15 Johie Kimmer 6 Jno Holder 22 Jas I Thompson 25 Lela Hearn 20

Mary Mauldin and Cicero A. McCollum were married in 1921. They might have taken the train from Salisbury to Danville, which I found was not that unusual. Danville was a major destination for Salisbury trains and not an unusual marriage destination, much like Chesterfield County, South Carolina would become to people from this area a few decades later, because of its more lax rules and regulations, and how Los Vegas has become on a nationwide level. 

Name:	Cicero Mccollum
Gender:	Male
Marital Status:	Widowed
Race:	White
Age:	54
Birth Date:	1867
Birth Place:	Guilford Co., N.C.
Marriage Date:	22 Aug 1921
Marriage Place:	Danville, VA.
Father:	Squire Mccollum
Mother:	Adeline Mccollum
Spouse:	Mary Maulden
FHL Film Number:	888942
Reference ID:	p56 cn421

By 1930, a great many changes had occurred for both Willie and her mother. 

Willie is not to be found in 1920. Her former husband, married a second time to Josie Mathews, in December of 1920, a few months after he is shown living with his parents in Albemarle. He and Willie were probably divorced after the devastating loss of their son, although I have not found the record, yet. 

Name:	Will Kimmer
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Age:	24
Birth Year:	abt 1896
Marriage Date:	7 Dec 1920
Marriage Place:	Stanly, North Carolina, USA
Spouse:	Jossie Matthews
Spouse Gender:	Female
Spouse Race:	White
Spouse Age:	19
Event Type:	Marriage

In 1930, Will Kimmer and his wife are living south of Albemarle and have 3 children. 

Name:	Will Kimer [Will Kirner]
Birth Year:	abt 1896
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1930:	South Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home:	View Map
Dwelling Number:	167
Family Number:	167
Home Owned or Rented:	Rented
Home Value:	10
Radio Set:	No
Lives on Farm:	No
Age at First Marriage:	28
Attended School:	No
Able to Read and Write:	Yes
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Bricklayer
Industry:	Building Construction
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker
Employment:	Yes
Veteran:	Yes
War:	WW
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Will Kimer 34 Josie Kimer 29 J B Kimer 7 Jeanette Kimer 5 Emmy Kimer 2

And Willie Alice Mauldin reappears, having married Zeb Honeycutt in 1929.

Name:	Zeb Honeycutt
Birth Year:	abt 1892
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1930:	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Map of Home:	View Map
Street address:	Near Enochville Road
House Number in Cities or Towns:	Apr 12
Dwelling Number:	191
Family Number:	193
Home Owned or Rented:	Rented
Home Value:	6
Radio Set:	No
Lives on Farm:	No
Age at First Marriage:	38
Attended School:	No
Able to Read and Write:	Yes
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Saw Mill
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker
Employment:	Yes
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Zeb Honeycutt 38 Willie Honeycutt 34

Zeb Honeycutt was working in a saw mill in China Grove. This marriage would not last long either. In the 1940 census, he is still living in China Grove, but this time with his third wife, Rosa Varner, and a 2 year old son, R. V., born in 1938. 

Name:	Zeb V Honeycutt
Age:	49
Estimated birth year:	abt 1891
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Head
Home in 1940:	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940:	View Map
Street:	West Eight
Farm:	No
Inferred Residence in 1935:	China Grove, Rowan, North Carolina
Residence in 1935:	Same Place
Sheet Number:	30A
Number of Household in Order of Visitation:	516
Occupation:	Building Contractor
House Owned or Rented:	Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented:	8
Attended School or College:	No
Highest Grade Completed:	Elementary school, 4th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:	55
Class of Worker:	Employer
Income:	1100
Income Other Sources:	No
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Zeb V Honeycutt 49 Rosa V Honeycutt 22 R V Honeycutt 2

Mary Mauldin McCollum is not to be found in the 1930 census, but she was alive. The death certificate of Mary McCollum lists her address as 113 Poplar Street in Salisbury. She died of pnuemonia stemming from influenza on March 16, 1936. Her birthdate is given as May 15, 1884 and her parents as James Maulden and Margaret Solomon of Stanly County. Informant was her daughter, Mrs. Willie A. Honeycutt, also of 113 Poplar Street. 

Name:	Cicero Mccullom
Birth Year:	abt 1868
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Widowed
Relation to Head of House:	Boarder [Brother]
Home in 1930:	Eldorado, Montgomery, North Carolina
Map of Home:	View Map
Street address:	County road improved dirt
Dwelling Number:	66
Family Number:	66
Attended School:	No
Able to Read and Write:	No
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Able to Speak English:	Yes
Occupation:	Laborer
Industry:	Farm
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker
Employment:	Yes
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Green Honeycutt 57 Mamie Honeycutt 23 Richard Honeycutt 4 [4 6/12]  Roscoe Honeycutt 2 [2 7/12]  Hazel E Honeycutt 0 [11]  Cicero Mccullom 62

Mary's marriage to C. A. McCollum did not last long either, as he is shown in 1930 without her, living in Montgomery County with the Green Honeycutt family. Cicero McCollum married Addie Almond in October of 1930 and died in March of 1938 in Kannapolis, NC. 

Name:	Cicero Albright McCollum
Birth Date:	20 Jan 1872
Birth Place:	Montgomery County, North Carolina, USA
Death Date:	16 Mar 1938
Death Place:	Cabarrus County, North Carolina, USA
Cemetery:	Greenlawn Cemetery
Burial or Cremation Place:	China Grove, Rowan County, North Carolina, USA

Her mothers death certificate is the last trace of Willie Alice. If she passed away herself before her husband remarried, there is no death certificate for her. I've not been able to find a marriage license for her, but something tells me she did indeed remarry at some point and died and was buried under a different surname. 

If anyone knows what happened to Willie Alice Mauldin Kimmer Honeycutt ?, please let me know.