The date is not noted for the photo. I would guess that it’s early 1860s. Interestingly, she appears to be wearing several rings on her left hand. It’s a wonderful photo with the detail of her belt, and other decoration such as the ribbon about her neck. Perhaps that is a sewing basket upon which she’s resting her arm, but was it hers or a decoration offered by the studio?
Sarah Melissa Noyes, a daughter of James Noyes and Sally Marble, was sister to our ancestor, James Allen Noyes. She was born 1836 April 24 at Kalamazoo County, Michigan and grew up in the Alphadelphia Community.
On 1857 June 14 in Wisconsin she married John T. Slater who was born 1833 Aug 7 in Vermont. He died 1866 Sep 24 in Weyauwega, Waupaca, Wisconsin.
With a bit of investigation I was able to find that her second marriage, 1871 Oct 4, was to Captain John C. Anderson who was born 1833 March 1 in Norway.
The family history on Sarah:
Sarah Melissa NOYES was born 24 April 1836 at Kalamazoo Co. MI. She married John T. SLATER, 14 June 1857 in Wisconsin. SLATER was an Indian agent in Wisconsin. They moved to Butler MO in 1866. When on a trip to St. Louis to buy “goods”, he took yellow fever and died while on the trip. Sarah married (2) J. D. ANDERSON on 4 Oct. 1871. She died 7 May 1936 at Berryville, AR. at the age of 100. Pansy Noyes Bryant, her great-neice, wrote of Sarah, “Sarah Melissa was very religious and bought her home for later years across the road from the church she loved in Berryville, where she was a constant attendant, even being carried to services after she was blind and deaf and could not enjoy the services. I visited in her home in 1925 and a retired minister and his wife were caring for her. They talked with her in Morse code by tapping on her hand. Her mind was clear until the end.”
SOURCE: Grace Noyes Pinkerton research on Noyes.
The census information on Sarah:
She appears in the 1850 Kalamazoo Co. census living with her sister Elizabeth LOVETT.
1850 KALAMAZOO SCHOOLCRAFT TOWNSHIP MICHIGAN CENSUS
1332/1346
LOVETT Elizabeth 31 $1000 b. NY
John W. 11 b. Michigan
James F. 9 b. Michigan
NOYES Malissa 14 b. Michigan
Census was taken August 14 or 19 (can’t tell which) so Elizabeth died shortly thereafter. A few households up, live Freeman and Susan WATERS, 22 and 23, both born NY. Freeman is perhaps a brother of Susan WATERS who was James NOYES’ second wife.
In 1860 she is with her first husband in Wisconsin. They appear to have had a child, Etta J., who is not mentioned in any of the family history on them.
Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Rural, Waupaca, Wisconsin; Roll M653_1433; Page: 724; Image: 34; Family History Library Film: 805433.
112/103 John J. Slater 28 merchant 1000 2000 VT
Sarah M. 24 MI
Etta J. 3 WS
Dorthea Shell 17 domestic MI
Some problems surrounding what we know on John need to be cleared up. He is given as an Indian agent in Weyauwega, but I know of no reservation there. There was an Oneida Reservation next to Fort Howard Military Reservation and there are several land deeds in the name of a John SLATER at Fort Howard 1866 to 1868. This John SLATER is however likely a John SLATER from Ireland who is on the WI Brown Co. Howard Township census in 1860, aged 43, with wife Marcia 42 and children.
Also, John is given both as dying in 1866 in Weyauwega and also after having moved down to Butler Co. MO. with Sarah, and dying of a an epidemic while on a buying trip in St. Louis.
In 1870 we find the widowed Sarah in Butler, Missouri, living in the household of John Jannah, a merchant. Etta is not observed and I am assuming she had died. Was Etta a child of Sarah’s and John’s? In the 1900 census, Sarah is given as never having had children. Right now I am favoring that Sarah and John did indeed have a child.
Butler, Bates, Missouri
60/64 JANNAH John W. 31 merchant Hardware 6000 10,000 NY
Jennie 23 IL
Gertrude 2 MO
Wellington 1/12
Millin Charlotte 18 IL
Rose Albert 20 clerk LA
SLATER Sarah 35 6000 NY
We also find Sarah’s second and future husband in Butler.
1870 Butler, Bates, Missouri,
78/82 SMITH Wesley 40 Sheriff County PA
Adelade 38
Mary 20
Julia 15
Charles 13 IA
Ella 6 KS
ANDERSON John 39 Deputy Sheriff Norway
I don’t locate Sarah in 1880 but in 1885 she is in Junction City, Davis, Kansas.
Ancestry.com.. Kansas State Census Collection, 1855-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009.
388/406 ANDERSON J. C. 52 druggist b. Norway from MO
S. M. b. MI from MO
DELEHANT John 23 b. NY from NY
On March 30 1886, Sarah’s niece, Cora Rachel Noyes, was married to Frank Greene in Junction City, Greary, Kansas. I don’t know if they might have been living with Sarah but perhaps Sarah’s presence in Junction City had something to do with the couple being there.
1900 in Junction City, Geary, Kansas.
Junction City, Geary, Kansas
ANDERSON John C. March 1 1833 67 md 29 years b. Norway illegible occupation
Sarah M. April 24 1836 64 no children b. MI
I’ve thus far been unable to locate the pair in 1910 and 1920.
In 1930 she is residing in the household of Milton Johnson in Berryville, Carroll, Arkansas.
AR, Carroll, Berryville, District 22
Prairie Township
April 7
4B
102/106 JOHNSON Milton head own $3000 no radio, not a farm mw 65 md 22 b. MI father b. IN mother b. OH Methodist clergyman
Muzette wife 58 md 24 b. KS mother b. MO father b. KS
ANDERSON Sarah M. lodger 94 wd b. MI father b. NH mother b. NY
MAXWELL Bell R. lodger 69 wd b. MO parents b. MO
Sarah died May 7 1936. She and Captain John Anderson are both buried at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Berryville.
I’ve two obits for Sarah that I’ll give in another post.
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