Genealogy and Family History Notes
About Edna M Wilson
Edna M Wilson, who would have been a third daughter of Stephen Melvin and Phebe Jane (Hultz) Wilson, is unknown to present-day family members. She is known only through the 1900 census, in which she is listed.
The 1900 census is rather garbled in regard to Steve and Phebe's family. It lists seven children: John G (John Glenn), Oscar A (Leon Armour), Samuel E (Samuel "Ellis"), Emma R (Eunice R), Edna M, Harry H, and Dwight M (Melvin Dwight). (Steve and Phebe's youngest child, Helen Arvilla, was not born until 1901.) The 1900 census further indicates that Phebe had had seven children. The space for number of children living initially contained a six, but a seven was written over the six.
The 1910 census indicates that Phebe had had eight children, of whom seven were living. Leon Armour and Edna M are the only children not shown in the household in the 1910 census. Leon married in 1907 and, although census information for him is incomplete, he is known to have died in 1959. That leaves only Edna unaccounted for.
Based solely on this census information, it would appear that Steve and Phebe had a third daughter who was born between the 1880 and 1900 censuses, and died between the 1900 and 1910 censuses.
To date, neither other records supporting Edna's birth and death, nor a place of burial has been found.
Several questions arise. Is Edna M this child's correct name? Considering the numerous other mistakes in the listing of Steve and Phebe's children in the 1900 census, can its recitation of the name of this child be trusted?
Are the mistakes in the naming of the children perhaps the sign of a very distraught informant?
Was Edna perhaps so close to death at the time the census was taken that the person giving the information about the family initially mis-spoke as to the number of living children, already beginning to think of this child as deceased?
These questions will not be answered until other evidence is found relating to this child.