Martha Bartee

The mystery of Martha Bartee; also known as "Mattie".

Martha Bartee was the last child born to Mary Ann (Hunter) and John S. Bartee. She was born about 1858-1861, in Montgomery County, Missouri. She first married Edmond F. Woodroof on December 24, 1874 in Mexico, Audrain Co., Mo. If she and Edmond divorced or if Edmond died is not known. But, in October of 1876, Martha married Samuel Appleton Dunn in Montgomery County, Mo.

The marriage of Martha to Edmond Woodroof is recorded in the records of Audrain, County. The marriage of Martha to Samuel Appleton Dunn is recorded in the Montgomery County records.

In the October, 1876 marriage record of Montgomery County Martha is listed as "Matilda" Bartee. I have no explanations for the wrong name of the listing. In the 1880 census records for Samuel Appleton Dunn's household her name is correctly spelled as "Martha". That census also shows Martha's mother, Mary Bartee, as living within the household. Mary Bartee is listed as the mother-in-law of Samuel. It also list a child named "C. Thomas Dunn" as a two year old son of Samuel Dunn. The full name of the child was Charles Thomas Dunn, aka "Charley".

The next census we find Martha in is the 1900 census for Dallas, Dallas County, Texas. Her mother is still living with Martha. She, "Mary Ann Bartee", mother of Martha, is listed as being a widow, and 72 years old, in 1900.

Martha herself is listed as Mrs. E. F. Woodroof"; a widow. Charley Dunn, born in 1878 in Missouri, is also listed as living within the household of Martha's. Charley's relationship to Martha is not shown in the census. He is simply listed as a "Lodger". Martha owned, or ran, a boarding house in 1900, in Dallas, Texas.

One other very important person living in the household of Martha's in 1900, is Homer Woodroof. Homer is listed as five years old, born 1895. It is not understood why Martha took back her first-married name by 1900, or why she indicated that Homer's last name was Woodroof. As it was, she, Martha was married to Edmond F. Woodroof first, then later to Samuel Appleton Dunn. Charles Thomas Dunn would appear to have been her child, and not a stepchild, son of Samuel A. Dunn. Martha's only brother was also named Thomas (Thomas Perry Bartee), and Samuel Appleton Dunn's father might have been named Charles Dunn. These families, the Woodroof, Bartee, and Dunn family, were neighboring families in the 1860s and 70s in Montgomery County, Mo., prior to the move of Martha and her mother Mary Ann Bartee to the Mexico, Audrain County, Missouri, and then later to Dallas County, Texas.

After 1900, and the census record of that year for Dallas, Texas, we lose track of both Martha and Mary Ann.

An additional comment:
All census records involved, as well as marriages recorded, do document the above listed information as correct.

References:
1860, 1870, 1880, and 1900 censuses, for Montgomery, and Audrain counties of Missouri, and Dallas, Dallas County, Texas.
Marriage records for Audrain and Montgomery counties of Missouri. 

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