Relatively Speaking Blog

Mary Alice Reese, my 2nd great grand aunt, was born 143 years ago on June 30, 1878 in Lycoming County, PA to Josiah and Effie Reese; she was the tenth of their twelve children. Most of her life was spent in Lycoming and its surrounding counties. What I know of her comes from the information I gathered from the U.S. Census and other documents from 1880 through 1948 to help piece together a few details about her life.

When Mary was about three years old, she was enumerated in her first census in 1880. That year she was living with her parents in Davidson Township, Sullivan County, along with eight of her siblings. Her brother William, the 2nd oldest child in the family, had married and was on his own. Her father was a farmer, and it is likely the family lived in or around this location until Mary and her siblings were adults.

1880 census  Davidson Township, Sullivan County, PA
Name	Relationship	Age	Occupation
Josiah Reese	Head	49	Farmer
Effa Reese	Wife	45	Kept House
Wesley Reese	Son	18	Laborer
McClellan Reese	Son	16	Laborer
David Reese	Son	14	Laborer
Milton Reese	Son	22	Laborer
Sarah Reese	Daughter	13
Harvey Reese	Son	9
Clinton Reese	Son	8
Maynard Reese	Son	7
Mary Reese	Daughter	3

In April 1897 a marriage license for Mary and Wilson Kile was filed in Columbia County courthouse. Atypically, F.R. Kitchen, perhaps a family friend, was the person filing the marriage license application on behalf of Wilson and Mary. Both Mary and Wilson were minors and a parent’s consent for each was on file. The returned license indicated they were married in Davidson Township, Sullivan County on the 10th of April by a Justice of the Peace.

When they applied for a marriage license, Wilson lived in Columbia County, while Mary resided in North Mountain “Sullivan County” (although this town was actually in Lycoming). Wilson was born and raised in Columbia County where his family remained throughout their lives. I’m curious how the two might have met. As a young man, Wilson probably was a farm laborer and perhaps he spent some time working around the North Mountain area where he would have had the opportunity to meet Mary.

In 1900 the young couple had a daughter Emma who, according to her death certificate, was born in September 1896; if accurate Mary and Wilson were married after her birth. However, I have been unable to locate the Kile family in that year’s census. I located only one Wilson Kile in Pennsylvania who was enumerated in the 1900 census in Perry Township, Clarion County, as a boarder in the John Shawl household. This Wilson, age 22, married for 4 years and a day laborer who had been unemployed 4 months out of year, appears to be Mary’s husband. Wilson probably had to go wherever he could get work, which would explain why he was working away from his young family.

While Wilson was working away from home, Mary, who was expecting their second child, resided elsewhere in 1900, perhaps with family members. Neither Mary and her daughter, nor her parents, Josiah and Effie, have been found in the 1900 census despite numerous attempts. Family stories suggest Josiah might have moved to NY, possibly for work. Wherever Mary and her family lived that year, as well as her parents, it appears they all missed being enumerated.

In the 1910 census, Mary and her family were living with her father in Jordan Township Lycoming County, suggesting she may have lived with her parents in 1900. Her mother, Effie, had died a few years before, and Mary probably looked after her father. Mary’s husband, Wilson worked in the woods as a laborer in the timber business and her father was a farmer. Their family had grown and Mary had four children, all living. However, only three of the children, Emma, Hurley, and Eva, were listed in the census. Their son Oliver, born in 1900, was either mistakenly omitted or he was living with another relative or family.

During the next ten years, the family returned to Wilson’s native county of Columbia and they lived in Jackson Township when the 1920 census was taken. Two more children were added to the family: Bertha, born just after the enumeration in 1910 and Eugene born at the end of 1917. Also living with them was Mary’s brother, Charles, who family members called Little Dad, as he was very short. Wilson had taken up farming and had the help of his son Oliver.

In the 1930 census they lived in Middleport, Schuylkill County, PA, perhaps because of work opportunities; Wilson was back working in the timber industry as a chopper for a timber tract. Except for their adolescent son Eugene, all the other children were out on their own. By the 1940 census they had returned to Columbia County, this time living in Madison Township. Mary’s brother Charles was once again residing with them; Charles had no occupation and was listed as unable to work. They lived beside their son, Oliver and his family. Wilson had only worked 42 weeks the previous year and was currently working as a laborer on a WPA project. In 1935 Wilson still resided in Schuylkill County, but Mary was in Montour County, as was her son Oliver; she likely lived with him during this time. 1940 would be the last census in which they would appear. Mary died at age 64 in August of 1942; and Wilson lived another six years dying in 1948 at the age of 70.

Comparing the different census enumerations, I get the impression that Wilson had to venture out to find work to support his family; this certainly was the nature of the lumbering industry. I imagine that meant living away from home in a lumber camp for periods at a time, while Mary tended to the children on her own or with the help of family members. This would explain why they resided in a different place every ten years. These challenges to provide for their children may have contributed to the health issues that cut their life short. But whatever struggles they may have faced during their married life, Mary and Wilson raised six children who grew to make their way in the world.