Sarah Jane Mullins & Samuel Pee Collier

I was searching for my grandmother Rebecca Hays Mullins Adams death certificate. I look for it off and on, thinking one of these times I will find it. I also was searching for her father's death certificate. Many people have him dying in Wisconsin which makes no sense to me, but I can't find him. I also don't know the last name of his second wife. So at times I just do another search hoping I will come across something that will open up the little mysteries for me.

I was making a census file for Rebecca, well for James, really, I had started with a question in my head about old Booker. I made a second file for the Hays since Rebecca lived with her father and his second wife after James died.

When I added in the census records for the children of James and Rebecca, I got kind of into their daughter, Sarah. She was born January 29, 1866. She married Samuel Pee Collier who the son of William Dee "Willie" Collier and Rebecca Meade. He was a brother to Willis Kirk Collier who was the father of Sadie. So my great aunt Sarah was an aunt by marriage to Sadie Collier.

Samuel and Sarah had 9 children that I am aware of. They married about 1891 and in the 1900 census they were in Millstone with 3 children: Nancy J age 9, Rebecca M, age 7 and John A. age 4. Rebecca had had two other children who died before this census was taken. I don't know their names yet.

In 1910 they were still in Millstone. Samuel P 37, Sarah 43, John A. 14, Martha Ann 9, Willie J. 4, Elijah B 2, and Ollie a baby not even a month old. Also living with them was Jane Short, who was listed as a step daughter. I stopped when I read that and wondered if i had the wrong census. I know there is another Samuel P Collier who was married to Martha Roark. I couldn't find where either Samuel had but one wife. I searched for a while trying to figure out who Jane was, but I didn't figure it out tonight. Maybe Janice will know.

In 1920 the transcribers had them as Calliers, but the writing looked like Collier to me. Samuel was 49, Sarah M. 54, John A. 23, Elijah B. 13. Living with them was their son in law, William M. Craft, 30 and his children Samuel P, 9 and Sabrina, 3. I assume either Nancy or Martha was the wife of William, but I don't have any details on either of the girls so I don't know which one it was. Again, maybe Janice has figured this one out. Lastly, living with them is Elizabeth Ratliff and her son James and daughter Etta. Elizabeth is listed as a servant.

I spent a long time searching for the family in 1930. I tried Collier and Callier and drew a blank. Maybe next search they will pop right out at me, but I couldn't find them.

Samuel died on December 8, 1956 at Millstone and was buried in the Dave Collier cemetery there. Sarah died on March 17, 1945.

This picture came from cousin Janice. It is Samuel P. Collier and her dad, Willie Bentley. I don't have a picture of Sarah or for that matter either of her brothers, John or Booker. I am surely glad to have this one.