James Thomas Stafford (1846-1912), son of Thomas G. Stafford, husband of first wife Martha Ellen Hiller Stafford, second wife Manerva Jane Hiller Stafford, third wife Mattie Fulkerson, and fourth wife Matilda Artz; and father of John William Stafford. The marriage produced three children: John William, Mary Ann, and Flora May. The actual data for all people in this site is available in GEDCOM files, which can be downloaded and imported into any genealogical program. Just click the file cabinet icon at the right of this paragraph.
James Thomas, a civil war veteran, served with Company A 11th Regiment Illinois Infantry (transferred from Company G 109th Illinois Infantry). The preceding data comes from a Discharge Certificate dated 10 July 1917. John Thomas enrolled on the Union side on 14 August 1862 and was mustered out on 14 July 1865. He was awarded a pension of $14 per month in February 1890 for "disease of eyes with resulting impaired vision of right eye and rheumatism of the lumbar region." An 1870 census of Union County, Rich Precinct, Lick Creek Post Office District, where James was postmaster, shows his home as occupied by himself (age 24), his first wife Mary[?] Ellen (age 22), son John W. (age 2), and a 19-year-old housekeeper named Caroline Vann. The 1880 census shows the home occupied by James (34), his second wife (Manervia, 29), John W. (12), Mary J. (10), Martha E. (8), Thomas J. (6), Flora May (4), and Inas O. (2). Flora May died the following year at the age of five and is buried in the New Liberty Cemetery in Progress, Union County, IL. Manerva died in 1899; the 1900 census shows no spouse for James.
He must have remarried Mattie L. Fulkerson, a seamstress in Cobden, sometime thereafter. I gather the marriage went badly quickly, because James traveled to North Carolina in 1903, perhaps for a respite from the divorce from his wife, who was declared insane (according to Frances Ashley's notes). If I correctly recall my conversation with Frances, Mattie had to be forcibly committed to a state hospital, and the battle to do so nearly took James with her. (This information is not verified; one lineage chart shows "Matilda Holland" as James's third wife and Mattie Fulkerson as his fourth.)
James returned to Progress, where he remarried Matilda Holland Artz in 1910. James died about one year later and is buried in Progress.
Last Updated 12/22/04
