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Note: The first census which counted Sarah Elizabeth was the 1870 Carte r e t C o (Morehead City) of Jul 8, 1870. In that census she is list e d a s SUSA N, age 9. Further, the whole family is shown as "STRICKLI NG ".
The Ancestry of Sarah is based upon her death certificate, whic h a t b e st, is only partially correct. In terms of convention, her f athe r, G eo rge W. Strickland, was previously married prior to his Ju ne 18 62 ma rri age to Emeline Gaskill in Carteret Co., NC and throug h thi s earlie r ma rriage, Sarah Elizabeth was born. Family traditio n and m y Grandfa the r George Willis' death certificate indicates Sar ah's mot her wa s a "Gre en" but there is nothing to prove it and som e survivin g famil y member s believe Sarah was probably an illegitima te child, p erhap s a "bastard " child " born to her "fathers" sister . It is fac t howeve r, that the o nly Mother Sarah ever "knew" was Em eline and i t is fac t that she and M ary (Molly) Srickland (Meekins ) were known i n the fam ily as half-siste rs.
Sarah, known as "Granny", was widowed shortly after 1900 (after 16- y e a rs of marriage) and she never remarried . According to New Ber n Ci t y D irectories of the early 1900's, Sarah supported her famil y by op er atin g "Rooming Houses" at various locations within the cit y, princ ipa lly n ear the waterfront. My Grandfather George (Papa) of ten talke d o f quitt ing school upon his fathers death in order to wo rk to hel p th e famil y meet it's expenses.
Around 1920, Sarah and other members of her immediate family (exc e p t f or my Grandfather George) moved to Norfolk because of better f in an cia l opportunity. Sarah continued to operate Rooming Houses i n Nor fol k (o n York St.) and did so until her death in 1941 at the a ge o f 79 . The m igration to Norfolk resulted in a large number of de scend ant s of Anso n and Sarah and many remain in the Norfolk area t o thi s day.
1930 Census--West York St, Norfolk. Operating a rooming house. St a t e s father born SC and mother in NC
It is said that Sarah suffered a stroke sometime before her dea t h a n d from that point would not allow anyone to take a picture o f he r . I k now of no one who has a photo of "Granny", even one of th e per io d prio r to her stroke which apparently occured in the late 1 930's.
Her Obit is found in The New Bern, NC "Sun-Journal", 26 Sep 194 1 ( p g 5 )
Sarah Elizabeth is buried on my Grandfather Willis's plot in Ceda r G r o ve Cemetary Ext. in New Bern, NC.
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