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| Fannie (1880 - 1971) & Savannah (1895-1982) My Gr. Great & Great grandmothers |
This is the earliest document I have found:
Fannie(listed as Annie) was married to Ardis(listed as Ossie) Phillips for six years (second marriages for both), meaning they were married somewhere in about 1904. Ardis and his brother Elsie are listed as born in Louisiana. Ardis was a laborer/janitor and his brother Elsie worked in a saloon. Fannie was born in Arkansas, and Savannah's is listed as Savannah Rogers - born in Missouri.
I searched the 1900 census and found this:
Ardis Phillips was previously married to a woman named Bell. He was living in Shreveport, Louisiana along with his brother Elsie,who was listed as a boarder. Four years later he would be married to Fannie, living in a new state. What became of Bell is unknown, as I can find nothing of her. I searched nearby looking for a Fannie with a child 4-5 years old named anything close to Savannah in Shreveport and adjacent counties with no luck. I also tried Arkansas and Missouri and came back with nothing. WHERE WERE MY GRANDMAS???
Looking ahead to the 1920 Census:
This time Fannie is listed as being born in Arkansas. Savannah is listed as a McBride, widowed with a daughter named Core Lee McBride, and born in Arkansas. In 1910- she was born in Missouri, ten years later and she's born in Arkansas? At first I thought maybe she or Fannie did not know where they were born. Then I decided to see what I could find out about Savannah's first husband. I only knew his name was McBride.
This is what I found:
GREENE COUNTY MISSOURI, CIRCUIT COURT
DIVORCES - MCBRIDE, Savannah / MCBRIDE, Charlie
80426. Div 2. Final Decree 16 Sep. 1921 Book 128 p 420. Default. Decree for Plaintiff. She is innocent and injured party. Plaintiff awarded care and custody of minor child, Cora Lee McBride.
I found this:
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| 1910 U.S. Census, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri |
I searched the 1900 census and found this:
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| 1900 U.S. Census, Shreveport, Caddo, Lousiana |
Ardis Phillips was previously married to a woman named Bell. He was living in Shreveport, Louisiana along with his brother Elsie,who was listed as a boarder. Four years later he would be married to Fannie, living in a new state. What became of Bell is unknown, as I can find nothing of her. I searched nearby looking for a Fannie with a child 4-5 years old named anything close to Savannah in Shreveport and adjacent counties with no luck. I also tried Arkansas and Missouri and came back with nothing. WHERE WERE MY GRANDMAS???
Looking ahead to the 1920 Census:
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| 1920 U.S. Census, Springfield, Greene, Missouri |
This is what I found:
GREENE COUNTY MISSOURI, CIRCUIT COURT
DIVORCES - MCBRIDE, Savannah / MCBRIDE, Charlie
80426. Div 2. Final Decree 16 Sep. 1921 Book 128 p 420. Default. Decree for Plaintiff. She is innocent and injured party. Plaintiff awarded care and custody of minor child, Cora Lee McBride.
So clearly Savannah was not a widow! She lied! Why would she lie about being divorced? I figured divorce wasn't accepted as widely is it is now, and I knew they were heavy into the church. That's when my mom told me Grandma Phillips ( what the family called Fannie) was married to a minister. I rechecked the census records and sure enough, by 1920, Ardis Phillips became a minister! Kinda funny to me considering his brother worked in a saloon- but I digress...
History of Reedy Chapel A.M.E.
Weaver Street, Springfield MO
"In 1918 Rev. A. PHILLIP and wife came to take over. They met the one member they had and held meetings every night. Rev. Phillip was a God fearing man and his wife had a voice like an angel. He preached and she sang and Sister Clay prayed until the doors opened and people came in. He organized the Stewards board and the trustees board.
With two other men of the neighborhood, Brother Green FULBRIGHT and Brother Woody REED, Rev. Phillip started a building on this very spot. They had prayer meetings and services in Sister Clay’s home until the building was finished. Rev. and Mrs. Phillip’s daughter, Mrs. Savanah MCBRIDE came to help.
The Church was filled with the Holy Ghost. People began to join the church. A choir was organized and was one of the best. After organizing the church, Brothers Fulbright and Reed became trustees. These men had furnished the money to build this church. A rich white woman named DICKERSON paid the mortgage of $600. The church was named after Brother Woody Reed.
The church thrived under the pastorate of Rev. A. Phillip seven years and he was sent to Kansas City, Mo."
Weaver Street, Springfield MO
"In 1918 Rev. A. PHILLIP and wife came to take over. They met the one member they had and held meetings every night. Rev. Phillip was a God fearing man and his wife had a voice like an angel. He preached and she sang and Sister Clay prayed until the doors opened and people came in. He organized the Stewards board and the trustees board.
With two other men of the neighborhood, Brother Green FULBRIGHT and Brother Woody REED, Rev. Phillip started a building on this very spot. They had prayer meetings and services in Sister Clay’s home until the building was finished. Rev. and Mrs. Phillip’s daughter, Mrs. Savanah MCBRIDE came to help.
The Church was filled with the Holy Ghost. People began to join the church. A choir was organized and was one of the best. After organizing the church, Brothers Fulbright and Reed became trustees. These men had furnished the money to build this church. A rich white woman named DICKERSON paid the mortgage of $600. The church was named after Brother Woody Reed.
The church thrived under the pastorate of Rev. A. Phillip seven years and he was sent to Kansas City, Mo."
The good Reverends daughter couldn't come back to town divorced, right? What would the congregation say?
I was pretty convinced Fannie and Savannah were the kind of people to sweep things under the rug. Changing birth states, lying about divorces. I knew that Savannah didn't raise her daughter Cora Lee. Family story is once she married my Great grandfather Daniel Yancy Jr. ( Just 2 months after her divorce!), Cora Lee stayed with Grandma Phillips( Fannie) and her husband Ardis, and visited her father who had two more children.
By 1930 both Savannah and Fannie were claiming birth in Arkansas.
(Why did Fannie put her parents birth place as United States this time? Did she not know them?Hmmm...)
Same thing in 1940. (Notice Cora Lee living with grandparents)
From looking at this, one might conclude that Fannie and Savannah were probably born in Arkansas. My grandpa always thought his mom - Savannah, was from either Arkansas or Louisiana. Apparently when she died, he was shocked by the death certificate because it said one or the other and he had always been told it was the other.Which is which is the question. He wasn't surprised at being surprised apparently because Fannie and Savannah were secretive anyway. I have to wonder why Fannie and Savannah had no other family members around. did they not want to be found?
I need to order the death certificates. I have no clue where to order Fannie's. I thought she died out here in California, but she may have died in Kansas city? I wish a genealogy fairy would sprinkle some dust and magically make any earlier documents appear.
As I type this, Blogger is acting up! Can only wonder if it's them trying to prevent me from writing this!lol
I was pretty convinced Fannie and Savannah were the kind of people to sweep things under the rug. Changing birth states, lying about divorces. I knew that Savannah didn't raise her daughter Cora Lee. Family story is once she married my Great grandfather Daniel Yancy Jr. ( Just 2 months after her divorce!), Cora Lee stayed with Grandma Phillips( Fannie) and her husband Ardis, and visited her father who had two more children.
By 1930 both Savannah and Fannie were claiming birth in Arkansas.
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| 1930 U.S. Census, Kansas city, Jackson, Missouri |
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| 1930 U.S. Census, Springfield, Greene, Missouri |
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| 1940 U.S. Census, Springfield, Greene, Missouri |
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| 1940 U.S. Census, Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri |
I need to order the death certificates. I have no clue where to order Fannie's. I thought she died out here in California, but she may have died in Kansas city? I wish a genealogy fairy would sprinkle some dust and magically make any earlier documents appear.
As I type this, Blogger is acting up! Can only wonder if it's them trying to prevent me from writing this!lol
