Recap Report For Sarah Ann Thomas Bozarth Research

by Patricia A. Johnson 08 June 2004

Sarah Ann Thomas Bozarth is the twin sister of John;'s great grandmother, Mary Eliza Thomas Colyer. I learned a great deal about her in trying to determine who Mary Eliza's parents are. This is a recap of what I know of Sarah Ann.

Birth

Her birth is the same as her twin sister, Mary Eliza Thomas, 22 Aug 1854. Tom Colyer sent me a copy of a will of Elijah Lillard of Adams Co., IL. He found it in the Colyer family Bible, folded up for all these sixty plus years. Tom Colyer is a descendant of Charles Garland Colyer. Elijah Lillard mentions a daughter Elizabeth Thomas. I found Elizabeth Lillard married David H. Thomas on 11 Oct 1849. They are on the1850 Adams Co., IL census, but not on 1855. I believe Elizabeth and David are Sarah Ann's parents, and they died between 1860-1865. Mary Eliza Thomas had a twin sister Sarah whose husband was called "Uncle Red"(thanks to a picture from Tom Colyer). This is Sarah Ann Thomas Bozarth and Erastus Bozarth per Sarah's obituary May 1930.

Marriage

She married Erastus Bozarth on 16 September 1875 in Adams County Illinois. This is found on the Illinois Marriages 1850-1900 published on the Internet by the State of Illinois Secretary of State.

Census

1860 The David H. Thomas family is in Morris Twp., Carroll County Missouri. The family listed is: David H. age 37 born KY; Elizabeth age 33 born KY; Rose age 9 born IL; Mary E. and Sarah E. (should be A.) both age 6 born in IL; and Barilla (?) age 3 born in MO.

1870 She is listed as Sarah Thomas age 18 born in Illinois. She is in the household of Reason and Susan Bozarth. Five years later she married their son, Erastus, as his second wife. His first wife Catherine Hinton died in 1873.

1880 She is in Union Twp, Lewis Co., Missouri with her husband Erastus age 45. She is age 37 and there is Reason, Cora, Netta, Elizabeth, and Thomas (children of Erastus' first wife).

1900 She is in Union Twp. Lewis Co., Missouri, age 45, with her husband, Erastus age 66 and two children Leslie age 18 and Lora age 7.

1910 She is in Lewis Co., Missouri age 58, widowed, has had 3 children and 1 is alive. She has daughter Lora and granddaughter Jessie living with her. Her grandson Gray Bozarth is living with the paternal grandparents Thomas and Sarah Gray in Texas Co., Missouri.

1920 She is in Union Twp., Lewis County Missouri, age 63, as head of household with two grandchildren living with her, Gray and Jessie Bozarth.

1930 She is in La Grange, Lewis Co., Missouri on April 14, age 73. She is living with her daughter, Lora and her husband, Charles Elmer Logan. Sarah died on April 29, 1930.

Death

Her husband died 23 May 1907 in Lewis Co., Missouri. Sarah Ann died 29 Apr 1930. She was buried in Marks Cemetery in LaGrange, Lewis Co., Missouri. Her obituary was published in "The LaGrange Indicator" on Thursday May 1, 1930. The obituary states that her father was John Thomas, but, of course, I have found that not to be true. I think whoever wrote the obituary didn't have a good memory or had been told misinformation. I received the obituary in March 2004 from Marilyn Tebow , 7712 Colonial Dr., Prairie Village, KS 66208. She is a descendant of Erastus Bozarth and his first wife.

Children

Sarah Ann had 3 children:

Leslie, born 04 Jan 1882 and died Nov 1906. He married Eva Gray who died in 1907.

Loretta Pearl (Lora) born 03 Dec 1892 died 25 Jan 1974. She married Charles Elmer Logan 24 Oct 1911.

Unknown child died young

Questions

When & where did her parents die?

What happened to Rose and Burilla?

*************************************************************************************************

MRS. SARAH BOZARTH DIES -- RESIDENT HERE 63 YEARS

After an illness of four weeks during which pneumonia developed, Mrs. Sarah Bozarth died Monday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Elmer Logan, in this city at the age of about 79 years. Mrs. Bozarth had been a resident of this community since she was sixteen years of age and was beloved by many friends for her worthy Christian character and her useful life,.

She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Thomas and was born near Ursa, Ill. Her parents died when she was quite small and she was raised by her uncle, Frank Lillard, of near Ursa. She was married September 16, 1875, to Erastus Bozarth of this vicinity who died May 23, 1907. Of their three children one died in infancy, one son, Leslie, died in 1906 and a daughter, Mrs. Lora Logan, of this city survives. Two of her grandchildren, Gray Bozarth of Peoria, Ill., and Jessie Reed of Kansas City, she had reared as her own, after the death of their parents while both children were young.

Besides her daughter, her five grandchildren and a twin sister, Mrs. Eliza Colyer of Seattle, Wash., she leaves three step-children, Mrs. E.F. Westhoff of this city, Mrs.Nettie Ervin of Kingfisher, Okla., and Thomas Bozarth of Ursa, Ill., to whom she had been as a mother.

The funeral service was held at the home Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Rev. W.K. Moore. Mrs. W.R. Waterston and Mrs. George Richter sang. Burial was inthe Marks Cemetery.

From "The La Grange Indicator" La Grange, Missouri, Thursday, May 1, 1930