Sepia Saturday: Death by Fire

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo shows a family rescuing what remained of their household belongings following a fire. Interviews with survivors of housefires always say the same thing: “We lost everything, but at least we’re alive. We can rebuild.” I hope that if such tragedy comes my way, I can be that positive. Several distant relatives experienced the horror of devastating fires.

For several years I have searched without success for the story of a fire that took the lives of two little children, Vernon and Daisey Clift.

George and Sallie Jollett Clift
Vernon and Daisey

Vernon and Daisey were the first children born to George and Sallie Jollett Clift, my great-grandmother’s sister. Whether the house caught on fire or the children were playing near an open fire is not known. However, their little tombstones tell a bit of the story.

Vernon

Son of

Geo. T. and Sallie

Clift

Died Mar. 30, 1897

Aged 5 yrs 0 mos and 15 days

The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. 

Daisey

Dau of

Geo. T. and Sallie

Clift

Died Apr. 8, 1897

Aged 3 yrs 6 mos and 8 days

Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not

for to such is the kingdom of heaven.

Some years later, a similar tragedy struck the Jollett family again. Macile Sullivan, granddaughter of my great-grandmother’s brother Burton Lewis Jollett, was just a little over a year old when she got too close to an open flame. Her clothes caught fire and she suffered extensive burns. Was it from a fireplace in the house? Was there a burn pile outside where her parents John and Fleta Sullivan burned trash and brush? Apparently, her death did not make the newspaper either.

 

On the back of the death certificate.
I don't understand the request for eye drops.

In 1959 a son-in-law of my great-grandmother’s sister Leanna Jollett Knight died from pneumonia brought on due to 2^nd and 3^rd degree burns. Ben Shifflett had tried to put out a brush fire when his clothes caught fire.

Ben and Bertha Knight 
Shifflett

This was a real downer, wasn’t it! Let’s hope my friends at Sepia Saturday will have amusing stories of moving households and people with mattresses on their head.

Wendy

© 2021, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

Sunday's Obituary: Sallie Jollett Clift

Sunday’s Obituary is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers asking us to post obituaries along with other information about that person.

Mrs. Clift Dies; Funeral Today At Shenandoah

SHENANDOAH, July 9 – Mrs. Sallie Clift, 73, widow of George T. Clift and a former resident of Shenandoah, died Friday in Garfield Hospital in Washington following an illness of six weeks. She had been in failing health for several years.

Mrs. Clift, who made her home in Shenandoah until six months ago when she went to live with her children in Washington, was a daughter of the late James and Lucy Ann Jollett, of Greene County.

Surviving are two sons, Leonard and Raymond Clift, of Washington; one daughter, Mrs. Wilson Suite, of Washington; three sisters, Mrs. A. J. Coleman and Mrs. Laura Sullivan of Shenandoah; and Mrs. W. B. Davis, of Harrisonburg; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at two o’clock from the Shenandoah United Brethren Church. Services will be conducted by Elder E. L. Cave assisted by the Rev. P. W. Fisher.

The body will arrive Monday morning and lie in state at the church until the hour of the funeral.

And from The Page News & Courier edition of 13 July 1944 page 4 column 6

Mrs. Sallie Catherine Clift, age 73 years, widow of the late George T. Clift, died at Garfield Hospital, Washington, D. C. on Friday, July 7, 1944 after several years of illness.

Mrs. Clift had been a patient in the hospital three weeks prior to her death.  A heart condition following several parlytic strokes ending in pneumonia, caused her death.

 Mrs. Clift was born in Greene County on May 10, 1871 and spent her younger life there. She was the daughter of the late James Franklin Jollette and Lucy Ann Shifflett Jollette. After her marriage to Mr. Clift she moved to Shenandoah. During the later years she spent a good part of her time with her children in Washington. She was a member of the Shenandoah U. B. Church and her body was brought there early Monday morning where it lay in state until 2:00 in the afternoon when her funeral was conducted by Elder B. L. Cave assisted by the Rev. P. W. Fischer.

 Mrs. Clift is survived by her three children: Leonard K. Clift, Raymond B. Clift, and Mrs. (Alda) Wilson Suite; seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren and three sisters:  Mrs. A. J. (Emma) Coleman, Mrs. W. B. (Mollie) Davis, and Mrs. W. J. (Laura) Sullivan. Two sisters and three brothers are deceased:  Mrs. Victoria Breeden of Washington, D.C., Mrs. Mitchel (Leanna) Knight of Greene County, U. F. Jollette of Baltimore, B. L. Jollette and Isaac Jollette, of Green County. Burial was in the U. B. Cemetery.

Wendy

© 2016, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Tombstone Tuesday: Sallie Clift

Tombstone Tuesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks bloggers to include an image of a gravestone of one or more ancestors along with a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Even though Sallie Jollett Clift lived with her children in Washington D.C. at the end of her life, they brought her back to Shenandoah where she had lived for over 50 years. She is buried at the Coverstone Cemetery (formerly EUB Church Cemetery) where her first two children and most of her sisters and brothers are as well.

Daisey
dau of
Geo T and Sallie
CLIFT
died Apr 8, 1897

Aged 3 yrs 6 mos and 8 days

Suffer the little children to come 

unto me and forbid them not 

for to such is the kingdom of heaven.

Vernon
son of
Geo T and Sallie
CLIFT
Died Mar 30, 1897
Aged 5 yrs 0 mos and 15 days
The LORD gave and the LORD
has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Wendy
© 2016, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

James Franklin Jollett's Kids: Sallie Clift

As part of my “Genealogy Do-Over” efforts AND to force myself to get crackin’ on my James Franklin Jollett book, Jollett Reunion, I will be researching and writing brief biographies of James Franklin, his wives, and his children.

Sallie Jollett

In May 11, 1872, James Franklin and Lucy Ann Jollett welcomed their sixth child, another girl, and named her Sallie Catherine. She attended school near Swift Run and learned to read and write.

At age 19, she married George Thomas Clift of Page County and moved to Shenandoah where George worked for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. They started a family right away. Within two years, they were the perfect American family with a little boy and a little girl. In five years, though, their perfect life was no more. Their two precious children died due to injuries from a house fire. Little Vernon died just 2 weeks after his 5^th birthday, and Daisey followed a week later.

George and Sallie Clift
Vernon and Daisey
about 1894 or 1895

Although Sallie and George had 3 more children, their marriage was never the same. George’s work with the railroad required quite a bit of travel allowing him to explore a number of relationships with other women over a period of many years. In 1913, Sallie discovered love letters hidden in various places around their house and property.

There was no reason for Sallie to whimper and beg George to remain faithful. There was no reason to profess her love anymore. His treatment of her had become abusive over time, both verbally and physically. When Sallie found the letters, she also found some inner strength to take action.

Sallie tracked down the latest girlfriend and knocked on her door. Sallie demanded she hand over George’s love letters or she would tell the girl’s parents.

Over 35 letters and postcards were entered into evidence in the divorce case of Sallie C. Clift vs. George T. Clift. All Sallie wanted was sole custody of their three children and money to help take care of them. Although George tried to blame Sallie, claiming SHE was the abusive one, SHE was the one who lost interest in their marriage, SHE was the one who abandoned him by refusing to cook his meals, the Court sided with her, granted a divorce, and awarded her $7 in monthly alimony.

The two younger children had nothing to do with George Clift after that, but the oldest son and his wife kept in contact, perhaps out of pity or obligation.

 

Sallie Clift about 1942 or 1943
used by permission of great-grandchildren

The children obviously understood what their mother had endured for so many years, and they sympathized with her plight. They appreciated all she had done to take care of them. After she died, her daughter Alda and Alda’s daughters wrote poems for the newspaper in memory of Sallie.

Sallie Catherine JOLLETT (11 May 1872 Greene Co, VA – 7 Jul 1944 Washington D.C.) and George Thomas CLIFT (Sep 1865 Page Co, VA - ?) married 30 Mar 1891 Luray, Page Co, VA

1. Vernon F. CLIFT (15 Mar 1892 Shenandoah, VA – 30 Mar 1897 Shenandoah, VA)
2. Daisey L. CLIFT (8 Aug 1893 Shenandoah, VA – 8 Apr 1897 Shenandoah, VA)
3. Leonard Jennings CLIFT (29 May 1899 Shenandoah, VA – 18 Dec 1977 Calvert Co, MD) and Lena Mae SECRIST (8 Mar 1900 Roanoke, VA – 3 Jan 1980 Prince Georges, MD) married 31 Aug 1918 Hagerstown, MD
4. Raymond Bertram CLIFT (27 Sep 1900 Shenandoah, VA – 14 Jun 1985 Arlington, VA) and Jessie Rebecca Oliver LLOYD (26 Aug 1908 Augusta Co, VA – 19 Mar 1991 Alexandria, VA) married 21 May 1927 Baltimore, MD
5. Alda Beatrice CLIFT (5 Jun 1905 Shenandoah, VA – Jun 1982 Prince Georges, MD) and 1) Leon Dewey Monger (25 Jul 1899 Page Co, VA – 15 Apr 1953 Norfolk, VA) married 15 Jan 1920 Hagerstown, MD; 2) Wilson SUITE (1905 St Marys Co, MD – Jul 1960 Washington D. C.)  married after 1930

Wendy

© 2016, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sunday's Obituary: James Franklin Jollett

James Franklin Jollett was my great-great grandfather.  I have heard that he was a sentimental man who would cry when you came to visit and cry when you left.  His granddaughter Vessie Jollett Steppe said he would hold the grandchildren on his lap, cut apple slices for them while teasing and playing with them.  Look at those little cheeks -- doesn't he look like a sweet man?

17 Nov. 1836 Greene Co, VA -
3 Jun. 1930 Augusta Co, VA

During the Civil War he was traveling by train delivering Union prisoners to a camp. One of the prisoners began to cry as they passed his home, and he said he'd do anything to see his family again. Grandpap Frank told the prisoner he was going to step outside to take a smoke. When he came back in, the prisoner was gone. Hmm. You don't suppose ....

Here is his obituary:

James Franklin Jollett of Harriston, Augusta County, a brother of the late Rev. John W. Jollett, of Jollett, this county [Page], and the father of Mrs. A. J. [Emma] Coleman, Mrs. W. J. [Laura] Sullivan, Mrs. D. B.[Victoria] Breeden, Mrs. Sallie Clift, and Mrs. W. B.[Mary] Davis, of Shenandoah, this county [Page], passed away at his home at 2 a.m., on Tuesday in his 94th year.  He had been in declining health for some time on account of the infirmities of age, but was confined to his bed for only a few days before the end, which came peacefully.

In previous years the News and Courier has reported a number of family gatherings held to celebrate successive birthdays of this remarkable old gentleman, who retained his faculties and his capacity to enjoy life far past the allotted time of man.  He was ninety-three years old last November.  Mr. Jollett was a man of marked Christian character, who drew constant joy and inspiration from his religion, and was a devout and useful member of the Brethren church during his long, useful life.  He was born in Greene county and during his earlier manhood moved to Augusta, where he operated his little farm near Harriston for many years, enjoying peace and contentment and the highest regard of his neighbors.  His first wife [Lucy Ann Shiflett Jollett] was from Greene county, the second wife [Eliza Coleman], now his widow, from Augusta.  All of his children are from the first union.  To the list of those at Shenandoah are to be added B. L. Jollett, of Greene County, U. S. Jollett, of Baltimore, and Mrs. Leanna Knight of Nortonsville, VA.  There was a general exodus of all the Shenandoah relationship to attend the funeral which was held from the Brethren church at Harriston and was attended by all of the children.

Source:  The Page News & Courier - edition of 6 June 1930 page 1, col. 2