Mattie Moad
Chapter 2 - First comes Marriage
Jumping to 1887 Grandmother Mattie is now a 17 year old young lady. On April the 6th Mattie marries Nicholas H. Voyles born in Posey County, Indiana in 1866, who is 21 year old painter and is the son of a widow Jennie Green Voyles of Georgia (1826-1911) and his deceased Father was John Henry Voyles of Pickens, South Carolina (1821-1877).
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| Courting in the 1880's |
Unfortunately, the 1890 Federal Census was destroyed by fire and so we have a 20 year gap in information. What we do know is that Mattie and Nicholas had a son William George Voyles February 24, 1888. We also know according to court, marriage, death and burial records that Nicholas Voyles and Mattie Blackburn divorced in 1890. On December 11, 1890 Nicholas married Bertha Brigman then died at 27 years old, probably of consumption aka tuberculosis October 17, 1893 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana and is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Mattie is now a 21 year old divorcee with one son in a south western Indiana small town. On January 10, 1891, Grandma Mattie seals our fate by marrying our Grandfather Merritt Harrison Utley in Posey County, Indiana. Harrison was the son of a relocated farming family originally from Muhlenberg County, Kentucky both parents families were from the Paradise and Lewisport area after their families traveled west from the colonies after the Revolutionary War. James Perry Utley (1831-1899) and Susan Cobb McLain (1831-1913). Harrison, a widower was born in 1854 and was 37 years old. Mattie was his second wife after his first wife Mary Byrd died in childbirth in 1884. Harrison had a daughter named Grace who was born in 1882.
Now we have a blended family until Harrison and Mattie have two children William Perry Utley in 1892 and Ada Mae in 1895. Marriage was bliss perhaps until sometime after 1900 for the Utley family. We find Harrison and Mattie divorced due to record showing Mattie finds a new Beau...
Third times a charm?
On May 7, 1906 I found our subject in love again at 36 years old, perhaps third time is a charm for her...
Mattie marries Allison Voyles Sr. Allison's relation to Mattie's first husband Nicholas is unknown but at this time would not have made much fuss because remember Nicholas passed away in 1893.
Allison was 28 years old, Mattie was 36, twice divorced and had 3 children. What makes this coupling interesting was they married May 7th 1906 and Mattie gave birth to a son, Allison Voyles Jr. October 29th 1906....Scandalous!
Sadly, Allison Sr. died December 31, 1908 at 30 years old of tuberculosis.
In 1909 our Mattie Blackburn Voyles Utley Voyles is now a twice divorced and once widowed 38 year old woman with 4 children. By this time the older children are grown and working to help support their family.
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| 1908 Evansville, Indiana Young boy basket weaving. |
Mattie Moad/Mode is made
In the 1910 Federal Census for Pigeon Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana we find a family at #12 Mayhugh Street in Evansville. Mr. Hardin Mode, 23 years old, his wife Mattie 39 years old, William Utley 17, Ada Utley 16 years old and Allison Voyles 3 years old. Hardin's occupation is listed as odd jobs, William works as a dobber at a mattress factory and Ada works as a spool-er at a wool mill.
In 1915 on November 2nd, little Allison Voyles Jr. dies from Typhoid Fever.
Mattie's Pa Jack Blackburn passed away earlier in the year August 28th.
Moving forward Mattie loses her Ma, Charlotty Duckworth Blackburn and her eldest son William George Voyles in February of 1922.
Fast forward to 1926. November 20th. Mattie is 56 years old. We now find a marriage record for Mattie and John Henry Schisler. Mr. Schisler passed away in 1941, which is strange because we find Mattie Schissler (Spelling difference on record), claiming to be a widow, claiming to be 50 years old and living with her 36 year old married daughter Ada Young and Granddaughter Martha Young.
Note* Ada may have been married but was living separate from her husband and other child.
So, finally Mattie settles into her retired life without a husband even though records state she is a widow and so she claims the rest of her life. Yes, she was widowed at one point by poor Allison Voyles Sr. was she ever really divorced from any of her husbands? Was she even really married to Hardin Moad? Did she even know? I would not tell this story had the Voyles family researchers insisted on me putting Mattie's business out there. She was infamous for her time. Was she a lush making her difficult to live with? Probably. A bad house keeper? The living now will never know. Was she beautiful? Probably. We don't have any pictures of Mattie. We know she did not always tell the truth.
Mattie Moad was our Grandmother, she was married as she claimed by record 5 times. Regardless, I'm sure her life was not an easy one. A lesson we could learn from her is the grass isn't always greener on the other side and there is no prince in shining armor that will rescue us from our common lives.
Mattie Moad died in the wee hours of the morning July 25, 1932 in her sleep in Evansville at the home of her daughter Ada Young on West Alabama Street. For a genealogist her grave marker is just short of saying Jane Doe. Nothing indicates who she really was...Just a little girl from a small town in South Western Indiana looking for a better life.
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| 1870 Child with a book |