Polly Roberson LEGG ³

   Another name for Polly was Mary.²

  Research Notes:

The full middle name of Roberson only appears in the family records of Bertha Dell Young nee Strong. The family bible shows only her middle initial. The original spelling of her middle name may have been Robertson and she may have been named after someone in the Robertson family, neighbors in Cole County, Missouri. Polly Robertson, first wife of John Carroll Vanpool, is a possibility. On the other hand, Roberson could be the maiden name of Polly's unknown maternal grandmother.

The Certificate of Death for Polly R. Strong identifies her father as Jno Legg. This, of course, contradicts all other records, which clearly show Samuel Legg was her father and John R. Legg was her much older half-brother. Since the informant for the Death Certificate was not a family member, she was probably not knowledgeable about the family relationships. Note the informant also did not know the name of Polly's mother, who had lived in the Strong household in the years before her death. ^{3 5}

  Death Notes:

Cause of death was Lobar Pneumonia.

Death Notice appearing in Nevada Daily Mail:

""AUNT" POLLY STRONG PASSED AWAY

L. D. Huffaker of Richards who was in Nevada on business Friday reports the death of Mrs. Polly Strong which occurred at the home of her son J. T. Strong Thursday night. Mrs. Strong was 75 years of age; she is survived by four children, J. T. Strong, Harry Strong, Mrs. Bettie Young and Ida Strong. Funeral services were held Friday afternoon, Rev. Blalock conducting the service."

[The use of the endearment "Aunt" suggests she was a respected and beloved member of the community.]

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census: 1850, Cole County, Missouri. ⁸

Household of Samuel Legg: Mary, age 2, female, white, born in Missouri.

2. Curatorship: 1857-1867, Cole County, Missouri. ^{9 10 11 12}

3 Nov 1857, Vol 3:346
Sarah J. Legg appointed Curator of Polly R. Legg, infant daughter of Samuel Legg, Dec'd. Bond, with J. A. Vanpool and Marcellus Barry as securities, in the amount of $1,000 presented and approved.

10 Nov 1859, Vol 4:56
Sarah J. Legg, Curatrix of the Estate of Polly R. Legg, a minor heir of Samuel Legg, presented an additional bond in the amount of $1,000, with Pellington Merritt and James A. Vanpool as securities; approved and filed. [It would appear a new bond was required due to the death of Marcelmus Barry.]

8 Feb 1860, Inventory Record
Sarah J. Legg filed an Inventory of the Estate of Minor Heirs of Samuel Legg, Dec'd. The inventory showed $220.00 received from the Estate of John King and $111.00 from the Estate of Samuel Legg. [John King, the father of Sarah J. Legg, died in 1842 in Barren County, Kentucky. While his Will did envision future distributions to his daughters from cash generated from the hiring out of his slaves after his death, no such provision was made for grandchildren, let alone unborn grandchildren. Perhaps Sarah shared her inheritance with her children.]

9 Nov 1860, Vol 4:128
Mrs. Sarah Legg ordered to appear at next term of Court to give new bond.

9 May 1861, Vol 4:155
Mrs. Sarah J. Legg made first annual Settlement on the Estate of P. R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg; approved and filed.

6 Jun 1861, Vol 4:161
Court ordered an Alias Citation against Mrs. Sarah Legg, Curator, be issued to the sheriff of Moniteau County. [Query what the problem was or what an Alias Citation was. Perhaps moving to Moniteau County raised some issues with the bond.]

7 Nov 1861, Vol 4:173
S. J. Legg filed bond as Guardian of the Estate of Polly R. Legg in the amount of $1,500, with E. Strong and Jacob Colvin as securities, as substitute for the previously filed bond.

5 May 1863, Vol 4:241
Mrs. Sarah J. Legg, Curator for P. R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg, Dec'd, made her second annual Settlement; approved and filed.

7 Feb 1865, Vol 4:346
Sarah J. Legg, Curator for Polly R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg, Dec'd, made her third annual Settlement; approved and filed.

8 Feb 1866, Vol 4:403
Sarah J. Legg, Curator for Polly R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg, Dec'd, made her fourth annual Settlement; approved and filed.

4 Feb 1867, Vol 4:457
Sarah J. Legg, Curator for Polly R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg, Dec'd, made her [fifth] annual Settlement and also applied for final discharge. Her Settlement showed she had collected $36.93 since the last Settlement, resulting in a new balance of $656.46. It was approved and filed and she was ordered to give notice of her application for discharge. [This is another instance where Mary Legg provided me with a copy of the original document. The reason given for her request for discharge was that "her ward has married and she has paid over to her and her husband all the above." This petition bears her signature, even though by census accounts she could not read or write.]

12 Nov 1867, Vol 5:76
Sarah J. Legg presented final Settlement and was discharged from further service as Curatrix for Polly R. Legg, minor heir of Samuel Legg, Dec'd.

3. Census: 1860, Cole County, Missouri. ¹³

Household of Sally Legg: Polly, age 12, female, white, born in Missouri.

4. Census: 1870, Vernon County, Missouri. ¹⁴

Household of James Strong:
Strong, Polly; age 21; female; white; keeping house; born in Missouri.

5. Census: 1880, Vernon County, Missouri. ¹⁵

Household of James Strong:
Polly Strong; white; female; age 32; wife; married; keeping house; born in Missouri; father born in Tennessee; mother born in Virginia.

6. Deed: 1891, Vernon County, Missouri. ¹⁶

Trustee's Sale, dated 17 Nov 1891, filed 17 Nov 1891:
James R. and Polly R. Strong executed a Deed of Trust on 28 May 1890 (Bk 20:207) for the N1/2 of the NE1/4 of Sec. 27, Twp. 37, Range 33 West to secure a loan of $1,000 from The Mutual Benefit Life Insurance Company. Beginning with the 1 Dec 1890 payment, the loan went into default and at the time of sale the amount due, including costs, was $1,232.11 At the Trustee's sale on the steps of the Courthouse, the property was sold by George W. Toms, Trustee, to the Hume Bank of Bates County, Missouri for $1,232.21. Query who got the $.10 difference.

[Polly and family most likely moved to Richards after she lost the farm. However, no deeds have been found which show Polly bought property in Richards. The 1900 census shows she rented, while the 1910 census says her home was owned free and clear. Note that in 1908, James and Harry purchased property in Richards. The property they purchased was probably the family home in 1910. The story announcing her death in 1916 stated she died at the home of her son, James. Presumably, this was the home purchased in 1908 and the subject of several photographs taken in 1908.]

7. Census: 1900, Vernon County, Missouri. ¹⁷

Dwelling 159, Family 161

Strong, Polly R.; head; white; female; born Jul 1848; age 51; widowed; 8 children born, 5 still living; born in Missouri; father born in Tennessee; mother born in Virginia; no occupation listed; can read and write; speaks English; rents home, which was a house rather than a farm.

Strong, Ida R.; daughter; white; female; born Jul 1874; age 25; single; born in Missouri; father born in Illinois; mother born in Missouri; housekeeper; can read and write; speaks English.

Strong, Bertha D.; daughter; white; female; born Jan 1882; age 18; single; born in Missouri; father born in Illinois; mother born in Missouri; at school; can read and write; speaks English.

Strong, James T.; son; white; male; born Aug 1886; age 14; single; born in Missouri; father born in Illinois; mother born in Missouri; at school; can read and write; speaks English.

Strong, Harry E.; son; white; male; born Jan 1890; age 10; single; born in Missouri; father born in Illinois; mother born in Missouri; at school; can read and write; speaks English.

8. Census: 1910, Vernon County, Missouri. ¹⁸

Dwelling 18, Family 18

Strong, Polly R.; head; female; white; age 61; widowed; 8 children born, 4 still living; born in Missouri; father born in Virginia; mother born in Virginia; speaks English; none for occupation; can read and write; owns house free of mortgage.

Strong, James T.; son; male; white; age 24; single; born in Missouri; father born in Illinois; mother born in Missouri; speaks English; manager lumberyard; employee; can read and write.

Strong, Ida; daughter; female; white; age 35; single; born in Missouri; father born in Missouri; mother born in Missouri; speaks English; none for occupation; can read and write.

Polly married James Riley STRONG, son of Hiram STRONG and Rebecca SCRIVNER, on 28 Oct 1866 in Moniteau County, Missouri.^{2 4} (James Riley STRONG was born on 20 Jul 1841 in Cole County, Missouri,⁴ died on 12 Dec 1890 in Stotesbury, Vernon County, Missouri ^{4 19} and was buried on 13 Dec 1890 in Fields Graveyard, Vernon County, Missouri ¹⁹.)