Ellen was a widow lady from Tuscola, working as a tailor. She hadlost 4 c hildren in addition to her husband before moving back in withher paren ts.
Her father's family was one of the seven first families of Virginia.He r father, himself, was very interested in the English gentleman'spasti me, especially horseracing. He was described as somewhat a"dandy." H er brother, Joseph Newton Carter, was Chief Justice of theIL Supreme C ourt at one time.
Descendants said that at some time after moving her family to NE, shec laimed land in Kansas, near Oberlin, where they lived in a sod houseth at they built themselves.
In 1883 she homesteaded about 8 miles NW of Atwood (Rawlins Co, KS?)
6/18/1885 McCook, Red Willow Co, NE. The state census list of familym embers does not agree exactly with this family but they were theonly P urvises there. It recorded W, 19, S, 12, C, 10, F, 4, and L,6.
6/23/1900 Same place. The census taker found her as head of the housea t age 59. She was recorded as married 41 years rather than widowed,ha d birthed 10 children but only 6 still survived. Living with herwere J asper N. 30, Clara B, 25, Florence, 20 and grandson Arden H, 2.She had n o occupation but the children worked. Jasper was ne?sstationer conf?? ?, Clara was a school teacher, Florence was a teacheras well as a ne?s s t??? Daughter Lucy and Charles Franklin lived inthe same area.
