Bessie, as she was called, married first husband Sherrod Lee Morse on June 30, 1912, in Wolf Pit, Richmond Co., North Carolina. They had 7 children together before the death of Sherrod in 1937. Circa 1939 she married again to Frank John Roberts. They divorced sometime prior to 1954, by which time Bessie moved to California where her daughter lived.
A list of family birth dates written down by Bessie in the 1960s (and preserved by her descendants) indicates she was born March 23, 1898. However, her California death certificate indicates her birth year was 1895. The informant for that date was Bessie's daughter, who lived at the same address with her for many years in Modesto. Moreover, Bessie appeared in the 1900 with her parents, and her birthdate was reported as March 1895 on that document.
Yet Bessie's age of 14 was reported in the 1910 census, enumerated in April of that year -- which infers a birth year of 1896, since the census was taken a month after her March 23 birthday anniversary. Then, in the April 1930 census, Bessie's age was reported as 32, inferring an even later birth year of 1898. Such inconsistencies in reporting were commonplace in that era, especially since she had no formal birth certificate, and women often got "younger" in census data as decades passed.
A list of family birth dates written down by Bessie in the 1960s (and preserved by her descendants) indicates she was born March 23, 1898. However, her California death certificate indicates her birth year was 1895. The informant for that date was Bessie's daughter, who lived at the same address with her for many years in Modesto. Moreover, Bessie appeared in the 1900 with her parents, and her birthdate was reported as March 1895 on that document.
Yet Bessie's age of 14 was reported in the 1910 census, enumerated in April of that year -- which infers a birth year of 1896, since the census was taken a month after her March 23 birthday anniversary. Then, in the April 1930 census, Bessie's age was reported as 32, inferring an even later birth year of 1898. Such inconsistencies in reporting were commonplace in that era, especially since she had no formal birth certificate, and women often got "younger" in census data as decades passed.
Bessie, as she was called, married first husband Sherrod Lee Morse on June 30, 1912, in Wolf Pit, Richmond Co., North Carolina. They had 7 children together before the death of Sherrod in 1937. Circa 1939 she married again to Frank John Roberts. They divorced sometime prior to 1954, by which time Bessie moved to California where her daughter lived.
A list of family birth dates written down by Bessie in the 1960s (and preserved by her descendants) indicates she was born March 23, 1898. However, her California death certificate indicates her birth year was 1895. The informant for that date was Bessie's daughter, who lived at the same address with her for many years in Modesto. Moreover, Bessie appeared in the 1900 with her parents, and her birthdate was reported as March 1895 on that document.
Yet Bessie's age of 14 was reported in the 1910 census, enumerated in April of that year -- which infers a birth year of 1896, since the census was taken a month after her March 23 birthday anniversary. Then, in the April 1930 census, Bessie's age was reported as 32, inferring an even later birth year of 1898. Such inconsistencies in reporting were commonplace in that era, especially since she had no formal birth certificate, and women often got "younger" in census data as decades passed.
A list of family birth dates written down by Bessie in the 1960s (and preserved by her descendants) indicates she was born March 23, 1898. However, her California death certificate indicates her birth year was 1895. The informant for that date was Bessie's daughter, who lived at the same address with her for many years in Modesto. Moreover, Bessie appeared in the 1900 with her parents, and her birthdate was reported as March 1895 on that document.
Yet Bessie's age of 14 was reported in the 1910 census, enumerated in April of that year -- which infers a birth year of 1896, since the census was taken a month after her March 23 birthday anniversary. Then, in the April 1930 census, Bessie's age was reported as 32, inferring an even later birth year of 1898. Such inconsistencies in reporting were commonplace in that era, especially since she had no formal birth certificate, and women often got "younger" in census data as decades passed.
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