Rufus A BUTLER Oscar BUTLER John BUTLER George Edward BUTLER Nora Lee BUTLER Johnanna BUTLER Thomas Ethelbert BUTLER Evie Lena BROWN Mary James ABERNATHY Mini tree diagram

Thomas Ethelbert BUTLER7,4,1,2,5,6

26th Dec 18523 - 7th Feb 19253

Life History

Nov 1852

Born in Tennessee.4,5,6

(less likely)

26th Dec 1852

Born in Mississippi.3

(less likely)

26th Dec 1852

Born in Panola County, Mississippi.1,2,3

(most likely)

23rd Jan 1886

Married Evie Lena BROWN in Shelby County, Tennessee.7

7th Jul 1887

Birth of son George Edward BUTLER in Shelby County, Tennessee.8,9

25th Aug 1889

Birth of daughter Nora Lee BUTLER in Shelby County, Tennessee.10,6,11

about 1892

Birth of daughter Johnanna BUTLER in Shelby County, Tennessee.5

28th May 1894

Birth of son Thomas Ethelbert BUTLER in Marion, Crittenden, Arkansas.12,13,14,15,16

7th Feb 1925

Died in Shelby County, Tennessee.3

Acute Nephritis

8th Feb 1925

Buried in Mullins Chapel.3

Notes

  • Some genealogies have Thomas' middle name as Ethelbert, after his maternal grandfather, Ethelbert Abernathy.  I have not found a record substantiating the middle name directly, or a report from a specified family record.  However, on his son Thomas'  WWI draft registration, the son's full name is Thomas Ethelbert Butler.  A direct descendant wrote with this personal information on Thomas Ethelbert.

    "My dad was his grandson and he spoke often of him. He told about his middle name being Ethelbert and how his grandaddy wasn't very fond of the name. I think Thomas Ethelbert's son was Jr. but he went by Thomas Elton Butler."
    --  Janice Burgess Lipford, Ancestry Messaging, 23 September 2011

    Since he is referred to in at least one census as Thomas E Jr, I feel that substantiates his name as Ethelbert like his father.  That makes three of them, according to some genealogies.  The other one reported in some genealogies. including David Lee, was born in 1875, son of John Benjamin Butler and Malissa Davidson, according to family sources .

    This is a common pattern.  Where the name came from for the Thomas Ethelbert born 1875, a younger cousin of this one, I cannot find.  I wonder if this is not an error in genealogy sources, based on analogy or confusion with the 1850 Thomas Ethelbert.  I have found no documentation for Ethelbert as the middle name for the 1875 Thomas E.

    1850 Federal Census, Panola County, Mississippi, 24 October, District 13, p 686 (344), Hse/Fam #533
    Rufus A Butler 23 M Farmer $0 Real Estate b Tennessee [born abt 1827]
    Mary Butler 18  Tennessee [born abt 1832]
    Thomas E Butler 4mos M Mississippi [born abt March 1850]
    Elbert S Abernatha 14 F b Tennessee [born abt 1836]

    1860 Federal Census, Panola County, Mississippi, 11 August, Page 45, House/Fam #300
    F M Wells 34 M Hotel Keeper $0 Personal Estate $2200 Personal b Miss [born abt 1826]
    C C Pence 26 F    b SC [born abt 1834]
    E B Wells 60 F b Virginia Cannot read or write [born abt 1800]
    W S Wells 23 M House Carpenter b Alabama [born abt 1837]
    Thos Butler 10 M b Miss [born abt 1850]
    John Butler 8 M b Miss [born abt 1852]
    Robert Butler 17 M Merchant's Clerk b Miss [born abt 1843]

    I have not found a census record for Thomas for 1870.

    1880 Federal Census, Fayette County, Tennessee, 9 June, Civil District 7, Enumeration District 23, page 4, Hse/Fam #40
    Butler, T E  W M  27 Farmer MS TN TN [born abt 1853]
    Body, Sanford B M 28 Servant Married Works on Farm Cannot read or write TN TN TN
    Body, Caty  B F 21 Married Works on Farm Cannot write TN TN TN
    Body, Peyton B M 7 Son Single TN TN TN

    Marriage Records, Shelby County, Tennessee
    T E Butler and Miss Evalena [Evie Lena] Brown
    Issued 22 Jan 1886
    Bond of $1250 signed by T E Butler and G W Brown
    Married Jan 23, 1886 by H J Turner, Minister of the Gospel

    Family genealogies report the name of Thomas' wife as Evie Lena Brown.  In the 1900 census, her name is reported as Evie.

    1900 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 4 June, Civil District 16, Enumeration District 53, page 10A, Hse/Fam #34
    Butler, Thomas  Head W M Nov 1852  48 Married 14 years MS TN TN Farmer Rent
    Butler, Evie Wife W M Mar 1870  30 Married 14 years 4 children/4 living TN MS MS Farm Laborer
    Butler, George Son W M Aug 1888 12 Single TN TN TN At School
    Butler, Nora Dau W F Aug 1889 11 Single TN TN TN At School
    Butler, John A Dau [sic] W F Feb 1892 9 Single AR TN TN At School
    Butler, Tom Son W M Mar 1895  5 Single AR TN TN

    Evie's parents are living two houses away.

    1900 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 4 June, Civil District 16, Enumeration District 53, page 10A, Hse/Fam #32
    Brown, George W Head W M May 1847  53 Married 35 years MS TN TN Farmer Rent
    Brown, Mary Wife W M Jun 1845  55 Married 35 years 11 children/6 living AL AL AL
    Brown, Walter W Son W M Aug 1874 26 Single TN MS AL
    Brown, Robert W Son W M Feb 1878  5 Single TN MS AL
    Brown, Nolen I Son W M Jan 1885 15 Single TN MS AL At School

    Between these two families appears to be Evie's sister Frances and her husband Frank Noe.

    1900 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 4 June, Civil District 16, Enumeration District 53, page 10A, Hse/Fam #33
    Noe, Frank Head W M Dec 1867  33 [should be 32] Married 14 years MS TN TN Farmer Rent
    Noe, Frances Wife W M Aug 1867  32 Married 14 years 6 children/4 living MS MS MS
    Noe, Bula Dau W F Jun 1884 16 Single MS TN MS At School
    Noe, Malica Son W M Oct 1891 9 Single TN TN MS At School
    Noe, Earl Son W M Jun 1892  8 Single TN TN MS At School
    Noe, Gerdie Dau W F Jun 1898 2 Single TN TN MS

    Frank's birth date is reported as later than Frances' yet he is reported as older!

    By 1910, Thomas owns his farm.  Here Evie Lena is recorded as Evalinaa, but with the added middle initial L.

    1910 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 4 May, Civil District 16, Enumeration District 88, Page 10A, Hse/Fam #181
    Butler, Thomas E Head W M  57 Married 24 years MS TN TN Farmer Owns
    Butler, Evalina L Head  W F  39  Married 24 years 4 children/4 living TN MS MS Own Income
    Butler, Johanna Dau W F  18  AR MS MS
    Butler, Thomas E Jr Son W M  15  AR MS TN Farm Job
    Brown, Cora Sister-in-law W F  3  TN MS TN

    I have not found Thomas and Evie Lena in the 1920 census.  I have found the record for their son Thomas E Jr.

    1920 Federal Census, Shelby County, Tennessee, 6 February, Civil District 9, Enumeration District 32, page 19A,  Hse #422, Fam #437
    Butler, Thomas E  Head  Rents M W 25 Married TN TN TN General Laborer
    Butler, Clara M Wife F W 30 Married TN PA KY
    Butler, Alleen  Dau F W 4 TN TN TN
    Butler, Eugene Son M W 1ye7mos  TN TN TN
    Stauffer, Benj F Father-in-law M W 73 PA PA PA

    Benjamin Stauffer is described as Thomas' Father-in-Law.  His step-father was also named Stauffer.  His father died in 1925, and Eva Lena married a Stauffer.  Janice Burgess Lipford helps us here.

    "About Evie Lena Brown Butler marrying a Stauffer.  He was her daughter-in-law's brother. Evie Lena married him after Thomas E. died.  I think the Stauffer guy was younger than my great grandmother.  I couldn't find my great grandmother's death certificate because I was searching for Butler instead of Stauffer. I found a marriage record for her and Mr. Stauffer making it easier to find her death cert."
    --  Janice Burgess Lipford, Ancestry Messaging, 23 September 2011

    Thomas' birth certificate reports his birth date as 26 Dec 1852, which cannot be, since he was already 4 months old in the 1850 census.  In the 1880 census, his age makes his birth about 1853, and in 1900 it is Nov 1852.  Somewhere along the way, Thomas adjusted his age, or remembered wrong, or someone incorrectly reported his birth date.  Since he reported was in the 1850 census, we know he was born before that date.

    Tennessee Death Certificate
    Certificate #004513
    Thomas E Butler, Occupation Farmer
    Birth 26 Dec 1852, Mississippi
    Death 7 Feb 1925 at residence 3530 Forrest Avenue (City, Memphis?), Shelby County, Tennessee
    Cause of Death Acute Nephritis
    Father Rufus Butler, born Mississippi
    Mother's maiden name Abernathy, born Dk [sic, no indication what this means, today it would be Denmark, but Mary was born in Tennessee]
    Informant Mrs Euline [wife Evaline?] Butler, 3530 Forrest Avenue (No City)
    Burial 8 Feb 1925 Mullins Chapel, by Thompson Brothers
    Certificate filed 8 Feb 1925

Sources

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