November 5th 2012
Finding Elizabeth Argent Edwards
Born
October 13, 1880 died April 18 1917
Argent was a victim of of a terrible crime. According to family lore (whispers after long silences) she had a baby, out of wedlock, and sired by her own father. Some of the older family members (when they were still alive as all of them are gone now) said she seduced her father. Some of them just said she was an evil vile girl. The Edwards family obliterated any record of her. They clammed up and refused to talk about her. The community crucified her and continued to do so even to the next 2 generations. The only picture of Argent and letters with her name in it were saved by the Williams family (her mothers family) and were passed to cousin Jimmie Lou Edwards. Jimmie Lou, like me is a family historian.
Bare Facts: 1899 Permelia Eveline Williams Edwards died. Argent, the oldest was 18 was not married (her sister Annie,17, also not married). 1904 Argent gives birth to a son Jessie, marries Henry Goodman, moves north "to Covington Tn area" 1907 Evie (my great grandmother Permelia Eveline Edwards Kirksey) married E B Kirksey. Lorenzo Dowe Edwards (Argents father) goes north and gets baby Jessie and brings him back to Mississippi. Mama Kirksey (Evie who is now around 15) takes him and her father in and they live with with her til about 1912 when she has her first born child. Jessie was passed around the relatives, including to relatives out of state and then finally adopted by the elderly Lesley family (Aunt Bette Lesley was Lorenzo Dowe's sister). About this time too, Lorenzo Dowe was commited to the state Asylum for the insane and he dies there in 1915. Sept 22 1911 was the last contact ever made between Argent and Evie. According to the letter, the community still hounded and harrassed her and her husband so they were just going to disapear and Argent would never be heard of again.
Bare Facts: 1899 Permelia Eveline Williams Edwards died. Argent, the oldest was 18 was not married (her sister Annie,17, also not married). 1904 Argent gives birth to a son Jessie, marries Henry Goodman, moves north "to Covington Tn area" 1907 Evie (my great grandmother Permelia Eveline Edwards Kirksey) married E B Kirksey. Lorenzo Dowe Edwards (Argents father) goes north and gets baby Jessie and brings him back to Mississippi. Mama Kirksey (Evie who is now around 15) takes him and her father in and they live with with her til about 1912 when she has her first born child. Jessie was passed around the relatives, including to relatives out of state and then finally adopted by the elderly Lesley family (Aunt Bette Lesley was Lorenzo Dowe's sister). About this time too, Lorenzo Dowe was commited to the state Asylum for the insane and he dies there in 1915. Sept 22 1911 was the last contact ever made between Argent and Evie. According to the letter, the community still hounded and harrassed her and her husband so they were just going to disapear and Argent would never be heard of again.
I began my journey to find Argent when I was a little girl. My great grandmother Eveline Edwards Kirksey
would sit at a table and write Argent's name over and over again on bits of
paper. She continually mourned the
disappearance of her sister. I was
always told, as I am sure all of our family was, that she went off with a man
named Henry Goodman, married him and went to live in Covington, Tennessee. Her son Jessie was taken and raised by the
Lesley family. After she left, she was
never heard from again. Through the
years, I would hunt thru the genealogical indexes and websites hoping I would get lucky. I have left messages on the message boards
for anyone who might have any
information on her and I found nothing.
I know that Cousin Jimmie L (Edwards) Griggs has also spent a lifetime looking for
Argent. We both had made a promise to
Mama / Aunt Evie to keep looking for Argent.
October/November 2012, I received an online offer for a
free 2 week subscription to Ancestry.com.
Since it required the use of a credit card to register I was a bit
hesitant but I decided to go ahead with it. I was at the time trying to
research a bit on my husband’s line…..since nothing was known about them. When I gleaned all I could about his great
grandparents and their journey to America, I started to find documents about
ours. I could access death certificates
and census records even phone listings! It’s a great service if you can afford
it. So why not hunt for her? I began
once again to look for Argent. Shortly
before my free 2 weeks was over, I found quite by accident, (I had put in the
wrong dates or something) a death certificate for a boy named William
Goodman. He died in 1920. His mother was listed as Argenn (or Arginn)
Goodman and his father was Henry Goodman.
He died in a town called Atoka, TN.
Atoka is a town in Tipton county between Memphis and Covington. It was the right area. The death certificate listed the burial place
as Hebron. I searched FindAGrave and
there was no Hebron cemetery in Tipton County.
I emailed the Tipton county historical society and the man there wrote
back and told me that there was NO cemetery called Hebron in Tipton County and
that he didn’t know of any Goodman’s etc in the record but he gave me some
other tips which I had already exhausted.
I thought it was a dead end. On a
whim I posted a question about it on the FindaGrave forums of which I am a
member and one of the people there said to me “there is an Argie Goodman buried
in a Paupers grave in Shelby County”. They
also said that there was an anomaly with Argie as she has 2 death certificates. One was from Shelby and one from Tipton.
Additionally people buried in that cemetery were not necessarily paupers but
could have some disease or something to prevent the family from taking them or
they were still born births etc…. There
was an interesting discussion about it in our chat but it was suggested that
the first one had gross errors on it etc that a second one would be made to
make the corrections. This is because
the death cert is supposed to be permanent record and have no errors on
it. At the time I discounted this Argie
because of the name difference.
I took my findings which at this point was William’s Death certificate over to show my mother. We were excited and we started going over all the collections of letters and materials she had collected over the years. One thing she has was a bit of scrap paper in which (we think) June was writing down what Mama dictated to her about the family tree. On it, it listed Argent as having 2 children one called Henry and one called Ardiss or Arliss. Also there was a few letters. One of the letters was written to her by her mother Thelma Kirksey Hamblett. In this letter she wrote that she finally got her mother to talk about Argent. She wrote:
I took my findings which at this point was William’s Death certificate over to show my mother. We were excited and we started going over all the collections of letters and materials she had collected over the years. One thing she has was a bit of scrap paper in which (we think) June was writing down what Mama dictated to her about the family tree. On it, it listed Argent as having 2 children one called Henry and one called Ardiss or Arliss. Also there was a few letters. One of the letters was written to her by her mother Thelma Kirksey Hamblett. In this letter she wrote that she finally got her mother to talk about Argent. She wrote:
” Now I
have a real heart stretcher to tell of Aunt Argent (Mama told me) June and I
kept her up until 3 am. I believe she
thinks her time is short. When Aunt
Argent got pregnant, Mamas sister Annie refused to speak to her. I think Mama might have helped her; but she refused to comment
… Aunt Argent, Mama said was crucified over and over at any rate she met Henry
Goodman who took her away with her baby Jessie.
Grandpa Lorenzo Edwards went up there and brought Jessie back to Mama
and Daddy who kept him until he was eight.
Right here is where I just cant get anything coherent. People still wrote and told Henry about
Argent. She wrote Mama Sept 22 1911 and
told her she would never write again because people would never leave them
be. Mama said that Argent cried day and
night for nine months and named the babe Jessie……..” for Jesse in the Bible.
“Later Aunt Annie told
Mama she’d crawl on her hands and Knees to say she was sorry. All of them advertised but no use. Mama said that Argent was the most beautiful
girl ever…….Aunt Argents Jessie is dead, was run over in West Memphis. He was such a delicate (artistic) good
looking boy who told Mama that he’d give his life to know his ma and just see Argent………..”
I read those lines over and over again. Somethings stuck in my
mind. People would never leave them
alone…………… Its easy to discard a letter.
Throw it on the garbage, burn it etc never read it. Such a thing is something easy to ignore. So that means that people were somehow coming
to find them. There had to be ease of
transportation. (was Henry Goodman a
peddler? Were the tormentors peddlers or traders? Was there something to sell?
A central market they were all going to? What?)
Lorenzo went and got him and brought him back as a baby. That means that it wasn’t hard nor difficult for him to travel with a baby. Again ease of transportation.
Lorenzo went and got him and brought him back as a baby. That means that it wasn’t hard nor difficult for him to travel with a baby. Again ease of transportation.
The last official record of Argent was the 1900 census when she was 20 and her
mother had just died …and this letter which states that Mama had been writing to
her and her last known contact with Argent was in 1911.
I went back to the map.
I went on line and found a Tennessee map of 1880 and of 1900. I stared at the maps back and forth back and
forth. Did they move to Atoka? There
were bigger towns to the west and north and south of Atoka so she had to live
to the east. I looked at all the map
features trying to figure it out.
I went back to hunting for a Hebron cemetery. Tipton County has a creek called Hebron
branch. I began looking in the grave
listings at find a grave for all the cemeteries in the area but with no
luck. Either they were not in those
cemeteries or their names were not recorded by anyone yet at Findagrave.
I finally noticed there was a cemetery in Fayette County,
Tennessee, about 27 miles from Atoka (or more) called Hebron….and there is a
small church there. However FindAGrave
does not have many listed as interred there.
(That could be because no one has listed them yet). Not far from the church is a community called
Mason. Why did they go to Atoka for a
doctor? Didn’t the community of Mason have a doctor? It was along a railroad line shouldn’t it have a doctor?
I did a Google search of Mason. The rail road line there was completed in 1855 and it connected the north and south USA. And it was part of a regular route to Memphis and because of that when the yellow fever broke out the disease travelled along the railroad tracks…… Something about what I read hit a cord. …. The railroad made it all click together. EASE of transportation……for a disease, for a baby, for people tormenting others, for trading for all kinds of things. The Railroad had been staring at me in the face!
I supposed then that Mason didn’t have a Doctor and they had to travel to Atoka to the doctor. I stared at the map again…...the funny circumstances of them going to a doctor in Atoka and burying William in Hebron in the next county………they must have lived in or near Mason…probably more west of Mason.
I did a Google search of Mason. The rail road line there was completed in 1855 and it connected the north and south USA. And it was part of a regular route to Memphis and because of that when the yellow fever broke out the disease travelled along the railroad tracks…… Something about what I read hit a cord. …. The railroad made it all click together. EASE of transportation……for a disease, for a baby, for people tormenting others, for trading for all kinds of things. The Railroad had been staring at me in the face!
I supposed then that Mason didn’t have a Doctor and they had to travel to Atoka to the doctor. I stared at the map again…...the funny circumstances of them going to a doctor in Atoka and burying William in Hebron in the next county………they must have lived in or near Mason…probably more west of Mason.
I checked the 1920 census for the area. NOTHING.
No record. William had died in
1920. I looked at the death certificates
again and something occurred to me. I
had assumed that since Argents name was on HIS death certificate she was alive
at the time of her son’s death. HOWEVER there is nothing there to prove
that. The form only asked for the
mothers and fathers name. Assuming she
had died sometime between 1911 and 1920
(and following the leads of the yellow fever epidemic) I began searching
the death records of Tipton and Fayette and because of the yellow fever
epidemic and the movement of people to main areas to get help, I also searched
Shelby counties death records. Nothing
with Argent, or Argenn or Arginn or
Elizabeth. I began thinking about how
some of my relatives had their nick names take over their official
names……..Like my forefather William
Wortham Hamblett was called Buck or Malissa Love is spelled Malissy. I began putting in names like Lizzie, Liz and
Eliza. I thought back to the death
certificate for William and its shortened form of Argenn and I remembered what
the person from Find a grave said in the forums and I put in the search Argie
Goodman. I found her death
certificate. I know its her. This Argie Goodman's father is recorded as Lorenza Edwards of
Mississippi and her husband is Henry Goodman.
She died in St Josephs Hospital in Memphis after spending 21 days there
of Pulmonary tuberculosis. (not the yellow fever I was thinking about but
serendipity is a good thing). She is
buried in the County Cemetery.
The next day, I took my findings to my mother and I also
shared them with Jimmie Lou, both wanted me to write about how I found
her. My mother also wants me to write a
time line out of all the events that happened in Argent's life which I have yet
to do.
One thing though, my mother asked me to go back to the where
that one person wrote in forums about the Argie Goodman being buried in a
paupers grave. I went back and clicked
on the link she had provided and it took me to a death certificate……….a
duplicate if you will of the one that I have.
It has errors on it but its essentially the same person, our Argent. This death certificate has much of the same
data except that it lists place of death “Tipton” ; father as Wm Edwards ; Cause of death
“female troubles and pneumonia” birthday April 13 1880…….. the Husbands name is still Henry Goodman,
date, time of death and duration in hospital are exactly the same… but the
INFORMANT of the information provided to
the coroner was NOT Henry Goodman but someone called Mrs Sherrod Allen of
Covington. (Probably not someone
who knew the correct information……infact, I researched this family and she is not related to the Goodmans at all and she came from alabama; Mr Allen came from Indiana). The erroneous one was also written up a month
after the death and burial had occurred in Tipton county. The correct one was recorded at the proper
day and time of death. Its like someone
wanted to record her death in a different county?
Since everything is pretty much the same, I reflect back on the conversation regarding the death certificates and how if one had gross errors instead of “correcting” they made a new one………..I feel that both of them are the same person. I wonder as to why a second erroneous one had been made.
Since everything is pretty much the same, I reflect back on the conversation regarding the death certificates and how if one had gross errors instead of “correcting” they made a new one………..I feel that both of them are the same person. I wonder as to why a second erroneous one had been made.
The one I saved though is the one that states her father is
Lorenza Edwards of Mississippi.
AS to her burial spot, one said County Cemetery and the other (erroneous one) said
Paupers Grave Memphis. I did a search
and discovered they are both one and the same place. Argent was buried in a pauper’s grave in
Shelby County. This graveyard also has
the remains of those who died of contagious diseases like Yellow fever or in
her case Tuberculosis, Still born children, unclaimed dead etc.
“Cemetery notes and/or description:
More than 30,000 people, including victims of yellow fever epidemics, stillborn babies, and paupers were buried in the old Shelby County Cemetery on North Watkins between 1890 and 1965. There were no markers placed for the interments. In the mid-1960s the property was sold for use as a community center and many, but not all, of the remains were transferred to the new Shelby County Cemetery on Ellis Road in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2003 the "Frayser Memorial Garden" was erected as tribute to those who had been interred at the site.”
More than 30,000 people, including victims of yellow fever epidemics, stillborn babies, and paupers were buried in the old Shelby County Cemetery on North Watkins between 1890 and 1965. There were no markers placed for the interments. In the mid-1960s the property was sold for use as a community center and many, but not all, of the remains were transferred to the new Shelby County Cemetery on Ellis Road in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2003 the "Frayser Memorial Garden" was erected as tribute to those who had been interred at the site.”
Through FindAGrave I set up a memorial for her online,
recording her Name, birth and death on the page of Shelby county cemetery. The cemetery is located at: 2907 North Watkins, Memphis, Shelby County,
Tennessee USA, 38127
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Goodman&GSiman=1&GScid=17369&GRid=100194867
My mother and I came up with a hypothesis regarding the second erroneous death certificate. I cannot find any other supporting evidence at this time.
We have already discovered that Mrs Sherrod Allen is not a family member. So why did she need a death certificate?
We also know that Argent was abandoned in some way because she was buried unclaimed in an unmarked grave in the Paupers cemetery.
We know she spent 21 days in a hospital (something poor people back then did NOT do....TB was dealt with at home or at a state sanitarium ...my grandmother spent around 2 years in the state sanitarium for TB.... everything from deep cuts to childbirth was handled at home)
My mother, Audrey Eveline Hamblett Kennedy, her first cousin Kay Morgan Lewis, long time family friend Calvin Ellen and a few others were all talking about it a short time after my discovery of Argent's death certificates and it came up that St Joesph's hospital was affiliated with St paul's children's home (orphanage) and we talked about when my grandmother was being treated for TB. Apparently they inflated her abdomen in the area below her lungs to help them to deflate and rest. It was remember that Granny said that pregnant women had it easy because their pregnancy inflated that area naturally. Referring back to the 2 death certificates......the second one said that she had "female troubles" and problems breathing. Back then it was easy to adopt a child all you had to do was show that the mother was dead. This MIGHT be the reason that Mrs Sherrod Allen generated a secondary death certificate........in order to adopt Argent's child. Child birth was usually something done in the home, but if Argent was alone or abandoned, sick with TB , knew that she was going to be in deep trouble giving birth its not unthinkable for her to go to the hospital. I have been told that St Joe's did have a charity ward. At any rate I am going to assume that she did have a child shortly before her death and that this child was adopted by Mrs Sherrod Allen. Unfortunately something happened to the Allen family and all the children was dispersed to other family members. There is one child who has a birthday that fits but I dont have any PRIMARY documentation of him and thats William Allen. Its interesting name choice because William is the name of Argent's son that died, and it was the name that Mrs Allen used for Argent's secondary death certificate)
Known Children of Argent: Jessie Vardamon Lesley Edwards, William (died 1920),Mentioned (mentioned in a letter but no other proof) Henry Goodman and Ardis Goodman (adopted by the Faul family and marries Van Schrock of Ohio) and the one totally ASSUMED that I peiced together; William Allen.
Photo: Argent Edwards Goodman, Martha, Permelia Eveline Williams Edwards (Argents Mother) and either Permelia Eveline (Evie) Edwards Kirksey OR her twin Lucinda Angeline (Angie) Edwards Bailey
My mother and I came up with a hypothesis regarding the second erroneous death certificate. I cannot find any other supporting evidence at this time.
We have already discovered that Mrs Sherrod Allen is not a family member. So why did she need a death certificate?
We also know that Argent was abandoned in some way because she was buried unclaimed in an unmarked grave in the Paupers cemetery.
We know she spent 21 days in a hospital (something poor people back then did NOT do....TB was dealt with at home or at a state sanitarium ...my grandmother spent around 2 years in the state sanitarium for TB.... everything from deep cuts to childbirth was handled at home)
My mother, Audrey Eveline Hamblett Kennedy, her first cousin Kay Morgan Lewis, long time family friend Calvin Ellen and a few others were all talking about it a short time after my discovery of Argent's death certificates and it came up that St Joesph's hospital was affiliated with St paul's children's home (orphanage) and we talked about when my grandmother was being treated for TB. Apparently they inflated her abdomen in the area below her lungs to help them to deflate and rest. It was remember that Granny said that pregnant women had it easy because their pregnancy inflated that area naturally. Referring back to the 2 death certificates......the second one said that she had "female troubles" and problems breathing. Back then it was easy to adopt a child all you had to do was show that the mother was dead. This MIGHT be the reason that Mrs Sherrod Allen generated a secondary death certificate........in order to adopt Argent's child. Child birth was usually something done in the home, but if Argent was alone or abandoned, sick with TB , knew that she was going to be in deep trouble giving birth its not unthinkable for her to go to the hospital. I have been told that St Joe's did have a charity ward. At any rate I am going to assume that she did have a child shortly before her death and that this child was adopted by Mrs Sherrod Allen. Unfortunately something happened to the Allen family and all the children was dispersed to other family members. There is one child who has a birthday that fits but I dont have any PRIMARY documentation of him and thats William Allen. Its interesting name choice because William is the name of Argent's son that died, and it was the name that Mrs Allen used for Argent's secondary death certificate)
Known Children of Argent: Jessie Vardamon Lesley Edwards, William (died 1920),Mentioned (mentioned in a letter but no other proof) Henry Goodman and Ardis Goodman (adopted by the Faul family and marries Van Schrock of Ohio) and the one totally ASSUMED that I peiced together; William Allen.
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