What happen to Rosann and Elvira Caston?
At the 2010 Caston-Brumfield family reunion, descendants of Calvin Caston were present. There were several of his children's descendants that were not represented Rosann, Elvira, Eliza, Jessie and Monroe. Through research of the family homestead I was able to determine what happen to Rosann and Elvira.
In the request for the reinstatement of the homestead made by Calvin Caston, the affidavit mentions that an adult daughter died and he had three children who lived on the land and were dependent upon him. Who was the adult daughter who died? Who were the dependent children?
Calvin Caston's children attended school in Pike County. The enrolled children Jesse, Adiline and Monroe are enumerated in the 1885 school census record. These children are probably the referred dependent children in the homestead reinstatement affidavit. There names are near the bottom of the page.
Calvin Caston's children attended school in Pike County. The enrolled children Jesse, Adiline and Monroe are enumerated in the 1885 school census record. These children are probably the referred dependent children in the homestead reinstatement affidavit. There names are near the bottom of the page.
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| "Mississippi, Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-14208-41161-22?cc=1856425 : accessed 28 July 2015), Pike > 1885 > image 7 of 178; Government Records, Jackson. |
Hollis Caston* was child of Calvin and Liddie Caston but he was not born until May 19, 1889 and therefore would not be one of the children mentioned in the affidavit.
In the 1870 Federal Census for Pike County, Mississippi there are three female children enumerated with Calvin Caston. It is assumed that his daughters are Elvira 17 years old, Rosann 15 years old and Adiline 3 years old. The 1870 census does not identify family relationships.
Adline was 17 years old and living at home in 1885. Her descendants have been located and identified in family reunions. Rosann and Elvira would have been 30 and 32 years old in 1885. I began to look for Rosann and Elvira.
I looked for Elvira on the website Family Search. I had previously associated Elvira with the surname Brumfield and was unable to locate her. I then used the surname Caston and found the following.
A death certificate of Earnest Thomas born May 14, 1888 in Mississippi who lived 39 years in Beaumont, Jefferson County, Texas was found in the search. His father is listed as Jeff Thomas and mother Elvira Caston. I wondered if I found my Elvira Caston. I decided to look for more information concerning Earnest Thomas and Jeff Thomas. Searching military records I located Earnest Thomas.
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| "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZZG-QGY : accessed 28 July 2015), Earnest Thomas, 1917-1918; citing Allen Parish, Louisiana, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,653,578. |
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| "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XP5F-GYS : accessed 28 July 2015), Earnest Thomas, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). |
I found his World War I and World War II registration cards. His date of birth is listed as May 14, 1888 at Walker Bridge, Mississippi. Walker's Bridge, Mississippi is in Pike County the location of Calvin Caston's homestead. Is Earnest Thomas the son of Elvira Caston and grandson of Calvin Caston?
I looked on the census records to see if I could locate Elvira Caston and Jeff Thomas. As a researcher of genealogy, I made the most common mistake not using various spellings of names. After careful review I found them in the 1880 federal Pike county census. I have looked at this census record many times and never notice that the household enumerated before Calvin Caston is Thomas Jefferson, wife Alvira Jefferson, child Horace and child Calvin. The census taker had recorded the family's names incorrectly. Thomas Jefferson is Jeff Thomas, Alvira Jefferson is Elvira Caston Thomas and Horace Jefferson is Horace Thomas and Calvin Jefferson is Calvin Thomas. I have copied a portion of the 188o census
Elvira Thomas was enumerated in Pike County census in 1920 worked in the box factory and 1930 as a laundress on her premises.
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| Elvira Caston house number family number 598/612 Year: 1920; Census Place: Beat 2, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: T625_891; Page: 30B; Enumeration District: 102; Image: 744 |
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| Elvira Thomas House number and Family number 97/104 1930; Census Place: Beat 2, Pike, Mississippi; Roll: 1162; Page: 4B ; Enumeration District: 0004; Image:723.0; FHL microfilm: 2340897 |
Earnest Thomas was born in 1888 and his mother was Elvira Caston Thomas. Elvira Thomas was found in the 1920 and 1930 census she therefore did not die before 1885. Rosann Caston must have been the adult daughter who died and was mentioned in the affidavit. I have not been able to find the cause of death.
* Hollis Caston was enumerated in the 1900 Pike County, Mississippi Federal census as a child of Calvin Caston. He was not a child of Calvin but a grandchild. Updated May 7, 2022
----- The Tree Gardener
