UPDATE: Rather than rewrite the entire thing, I am just adding this update: according to a newspaper article concerning Edmond Richards and Spencer DeMumbrie (which will be transcribed in another post!) Caroline McQueen's parents were Peter McQueen and Elizabeth Freeland. The article also states her birth date as May 11, 1826. ALSO, the article states that Edmond settled with Caroline in Mississippi, however, as you can see below, she couldn't have. Edmond isn't found in Mississippi on the census records until 1870, after Caroline had passed. One last thing: the baby book of Caroline's great-grandson, James Paul Stalls Jr-my granddaddy-(1917-1987) has Caroline's name spelled Carolyn.)
There are exactly two records that I have found regarding Caroline (Carolyn, Carolin) McQueen and her (probable) short life.
I haven’t yet figured out who Caroline’s parents are, but I do know that she was born about 1827 in Mississippi. The death certificate of one of her children says she was born in North Carolina (but we all know how accurate those are, right?).
On March 14, 1846 Caroline married Edmond Richards in Crittenden County, Arkansas. She was 19 years old and Edmond was 23 years old.
The only other record I can find of Caroline is the 1850 census enumerated on October 26, 1850 in Tyronza Township, Crittenden County, Arkansas. She is listed as Catherina, age 22 years old. Edmond is listed as Edward, age 25 years old. They have two children, George (age 3 years) and Lucy (age 2 years). Also in the household with them are Mary McQueen (age 18 years), who I presume is Caroline’s sister, and Mary Edwards (age 14 years), who I cannot figure out who she is or why she lives with them.
(note: the family lives next door to Edmond’s widowed mother, Rhoda. Rhoda took care of her adult daughter Susan, known as Sukie, who is listed on the census as “idiotic”. According to Earle Epic by Gladys Wright and Committee Members-no further information on the book-“Sukie’s mind had been affected by some illness so that it never matured”.)
In 1860 the Richard’s family is found on the Eastland, Texas census. Edmond (shown as Edmund, age 37 year) is the only parent. The children listed are: George (age 12 years), Laura (age 10 years), Alice (age 8 years), Marshall (age 6 years) and Jerome (age 4 years). There is also listed Melissa Richards (age 16 years) that I think is Edmond’s niece from his brother John.
So, if Caroline died then it happened between February 20, 1856 (her son Jerome’s birth date) and August 13?, 1860 (the day the 1860 census was enumerated…I can’t quite make out the day). I can only imagine she passed away. The alternatives are she either ran away or divorced. I just know I haven’t found her on the Mortality Schedules. Yet.
