WIDOW
- Jan 23, 2024
- 3 min read
By 1920, Big Ma is listed as a widow on census records. I spent weeks searching for a death record for her husband, Cebron Benton.
Gone were the days of handing over my state I.D. to gather an armful of microfilm in the genealogy room at the Detroit Public Library. I lost track of hours as I meticulously searched endless census and death records pages. I preferred to go through each county record page, noting each name with the hope of finding additional family members. Each time I found the name of a family member, it felt like I hit the lottery. I used all my allowance to print the pages, carefully writing notes on each page and acknowledging any changes between records, family stories, or our family Bible. According to family stories, Big Ma was pregnant with my great-grandmother Willie when her first husband died. Faced with the harsh reality of raising four small daughters on her own, she quickly remarried out of necessity. Cebron Benton was a farmer who embraced Carrie and her children.
Stories often share a palatable version of a reality people would rather forget. It is easy to fill in the spaces between records to fit the pieces of these stories together. In the 1900 and 1910 United States Census records, Cebron is listed as the father of her children. Marriage does not automatically mean security, safety, or happiness.
Now, the records that were limited to microfilm are easily accessible online. Classes, study groups, and research buddies have expanded my skill level. I learned that some techniques I used as a novice were the best way to understand a town and the relationships within a community. One of my biggest discoveries was learning that Cebron Benton was not dead in 1920. Benton lived close to Big Ma with a new young wife and small children. It was at that moment that I realized that Cebron Benton was not technically deceased in 1920, but he was dead to Carrie Carroll Campbell Benton. By 1920, she was living with my great-grandmother Willie and her family. My great-grandfather, Eules Lee, is listed as the head of the household. Big Ma is listed as the mother-in-law, and her occupation was housekeeping. All the records after 1920 listed her as a widow. She lived with her daughters and her grandchildren until she died.
This assignment from Nicka Smith pushed me past my comfort zone. I thoroughly reviewed the records I acquired over the years and my notes. I still had many questions that were left unanswered. If Big Ma listed Mr. Cebron as deceased when he was still alive, did she do the same thing with my second great-grandfather Willie Campbell? If Cebron Benton lived close to her in a small town, didn't everyone know she was not a widow? Did they get a divorce? Was there a stigma to being listed as a divorcee? Separating for years without a divorce is a common practice today.
The Log Cabin Democrat
Conway, Arkansas • Wed, Jan 27, 1915, Page 1
The Log Cabin Democrat
Conway, Arkansas • Tue, Mar 23, 1915, Page 1
C.B. Benton 1728 vs Carrie Benton Faulkner County Chancery Court Record March 24th 1915 Term Third Pg 196 (microfilm page 622 of 830)
Court records v. 6 (cont.) 1906 v. 7-8 1906-1918
Film # 008343028
Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah, at the County Courthouse, Conway, Arkansas. Faulkner County, Arkansas.
The divorce decree for C. B. Benton 1728 vs. Carrie Benton. C.B. Benton is the plaintiff in this case. He had a lawyer, George W. Clark. Carrie Benton was not present at this hearing. Robert Shine, Mon Dozier, and Andrew Winston (my maternal 2nd great grandfather through my grandfather) witnessed their marriage in Faulkner County, Arkansas, on November 29, 1896. C.B. accused Carrie Benton of cruel and harsh treatment for over a year and desertion since December 24, 1914.
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