Nancy Elizabeth BRANSCOMB ²

Born: 8 Mar 1852, Mineola, Wood County, Texas ³ ⁴
Marriage: Zacharia Taylor ANDERSON on 14 Jun 1868 in Huntsville, Madison County, Arkansas ¹
Died: 21 Mar 1929, Talco, Titus County, Texas ⁵
Buried: Midway Cemetery, Talco, Titus County, Texas ⁶ ⁷

bullet Another name for Nancy was Bettie.¹

bullet General Notes:

Per Rosa Lee Spence nee Anderson as recounted by her daughter, Ollie Baker nee Spence:
"Mom [Rosa Lee Spence nee Anderson] said she did not know anything about her Grandmother [Eliza C. Branscomb nee Lair] for she passed away when Grandma [Nancy Elizabeth "Bettie" Anderson nee Branscomb] was a little girl. Mom's Grandfather was John Wesley Branscomb. He remarried. Mom said they lived somewhere in Texas. Mom said when Grandma was pretty young and lived in Texas she ran away and married in Missouri somewhere [actually married in AR] and later went somewhere in Ark. She was married to Taylor Anderson."

Cf. this runaway story after John Wesley Branscomb's remarriage with the runaway story about James Harrison Branscomb from Rhonda Woodard. Just as Jim ran away from the family home in Cherokee Co., KS to be with Bettie in Choctaw Nation, perhaps Bettie ran away from their Texas home to live with her grand uncle Charles Lear's family in Madison Co., AR. Recall that Bettie and Taylor married in Huntsville, Madison Co., AR. Alternatively, she may have eloped when she met Taylor as her family was moving from Wood Co., TX to Cherokee Co., KS. Perhaps John Wesley's family stayed for a time with the Madison County Lears during this move.

Per Ollie Baker nee Spence:
"She [Nancy Elizabeth "Bettie" Anderson nee Branscomb] was not at my mothers at her death but at Talco, Texas. She was with Aunt Flora." ⁵

bullet Research Notes:

Although the family records of George Johnston list her year of birth as 1853, note that 1852 is the date consistently derived from census records and also that 1852 is a somewhat better fit with Rebecca's year of birth. George's source for the 1853 date was stated to be the 1860 census (he did not know of the 1900 census). Thus, it appears he made a mistake in extrapolating the date.

bullet Noted events in her life were:

1. Census: 1860, Wood County, Texas. ⁸

Household of John W. Branscomb: Nancy E. Branscomb, 8, F, TX

2. Census: 1870, Sebastian County, Arkansas. ⁹

Household of Taylor Anderson: Anderson, Bertha, 20, F, W, Keep House, MO, Can't read or write.

Note: See discussion under Research Notes for Taylor Anderson re this listing.

3. Census: 1900, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory. ³

Anderson, Nancy E., Head, W, F, born Mar 1852, 48, Widowed, 11 children, 9 living, TX, KY, KY, Farmer, Leased Land

Others in household:
Anderson, W. O., Son, W, M, born Oct 1885, age 14, Single, Ind Ter, MO, TX, Farmer
Anderson, Etta, Daughter, W, F, born Feb 1888, age 12, Single, Ind Ter, MO, TX, Farmer
Bowers, Tilitha, Daughter, W, F, Sep 1875, 24, Widowed, AR, MO, TX, Farmer
Bowers, Pearl, Granddaughter, W, F, Aug 1892, 7, Single, I.T., TN, AR
Bowers, Edna, Granddaughter, W, F, Oct 1896, 3, Single, I.T., TN, AR

This census was taken while John DeWitt Bowers was in prison. The enumerator seems to have assumed Tilitha had been widowed. Also, note the state of birth given for Tilitha is incorrect.

Nancy married Zacharia Taylor ANDERSON, son of Richard ANDERSON and Martha, on 14 Jun 1868 in Huntsville, Madison County, Arkansas.¹ (Zacharia Taylor ANDERSON was born on 8 Nov 1848 in Mt. Vernon, Lawrence County, Missouri,¹⁰ ¹¹ died on 29 Mar 1892 in Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory (Cameron, Le Flore County, Oklahoma) ¹ ⁷ ¹² and was buried in Hall Cemetery, near Poteau, Le Flore County, Oklahoma ⁷ ¹².)

1 Application for Widow's Civil War Pension by Bettie Anderson, widow of Taylor Anderson. National Archives Claim No. 908315, Can No. 3158, Bundle No. 6.

2 Family Records of George G. Johnston. George G. Johnston, son of George Goold Johnston and Ola Pearl Bowers, belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Motivated by love of family and the teachings of their church, George, who passed away in 2005, and his wife, Lela, who passed away in 2001, spent much of their life together researching their families. This included not only research at the Family History Libraries in Mesa, AZ and Salt Lake City, UT, but also genealogy trips to interview other Bowers and Anderson descendants and to find the burial places of our Bowers and Anderson ancestors, as well as extensive correspondence with other descendants. George and Lela not only researched the past, but also kept up with the marriages, births and deaths of the current descendants of John DeWitt Bowers and Tilitha Ann Anderson. Our family is indebted to them.

3 1900 Census, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, FHL Film No. 1,241,852, Vol. 13, E.D. 103, Sheet 9, Line 56 (Twp 2-N, Range 8-E, Dwelling 153, Family 153).

5 Family Records of George G. Johnston, Letter from Ollie Baker nee Spence, daughter of Rosa Lee Spence nee Anderson, to George Johnston, dated July 6, 1964.

6 Family Records of George G. Johnston, Information from Ida Lee Ona Loomis nee Janes, daughter of Isabel Janes nee Anderson.

8 1860 Census, Wood County, Texas, FHL Film No. 805,308, Page 355 (Precinct 2, Quitman, Dwelling 160, Family 160).

9 1870 Census, Sebastian County, Arkansas, FHL Film No. 545,563, Page 150 (Mississippi Twp, Sugar Loaf P.O., Dwelling 30, Family 30).

10 Grave Marker, Taylor Anderson. "TAYLOR, Husband of N E ANDERSON, Born Nov 8, 1848, Died Mar 29, 1892." The records of George Johnston show Taylor's year of birth as 1849. The author and his wife visited Hall Cemetery on 14 Jul 2001. Both concluded the year of birth on the grave marker was clearly 1848. The year 1848 is also more consistent with the 1850 census for Lawrence Co., MO. While George has also viewed Taylor's grave marker, it appears he deferred to the information provided by family members. The author believes the grave marker to be the best evidence.

11 Family Records of George G. Johnston, Information from Tilitha Bowers nee Anderson and Mary Francis Potter nee Anderson, daughters.

Nancy Elizabeth BRANSCOMB 2

Sources

Nancy Elizabeth BRANSCOMB ²