Lost in the Shuffle

Mortuary markers are meant to temporarily identify graves until a permanent marker can be placed. They are often made up of a metal frame with letters that snap in. Many also contain dates. Weather and yard maintenance often result in a loss of the letters and numbers, and eventually, the little marker disappears altogether taking with it all opportunity to identify the grave.

A cemetery transcription for Zion Chapel Cemetery in Washington Township done in the 1970s included a mortuary marker for William Morgan. The following decade, William's was no longer around, but one for Mary Morgan was found. What was the relationship between William and Mary? Husband and wife? Father and daughter? Mother and son? The mystery became buried in the ever-growing files (or piles) of things to research later.

Over the decades since those markers were discovered, more and more information has been made available online. With no birth or death dates available, pinning them down might take more than a few clicks. No records appeared to fit either William or Mary in Delaware County. As part of a massive burial database and paper trail project for the Delaware County Historical Society, a death certificate for Florence Marie Morgan, born 21 April 1910 and died 15 May 1910. The little girl's parents were listed as W Elias and Mary (Roberts) Morgan and her burial location was listed as Zion. That find moved the Morgan mystery to the top of the pile...err...file.

A few hours renewed enthusiasm resulted in not only the confirmation of their relationship as husband and wife as well as their death information, it also brought to light the names of ten of Mary's twelve children (six identified as belonging to William and four, possibly six, belonging to her former husband, Abraham Miller. Four of those fathered by William died as infants or children. Their burial locations have also been confirmed in Zion Chapel Cemetery.


Children of Abraham Miller and Mary Roberts
Cora D Miller Gillenwater 14 Feb 1889-17 August 1980
Odie Otto Miller 15 Jan 1895-30 Nov 1948
James Miller 14 Sep 1897-31 Jul 1990
Henry/Harry F Miller 27 Apr 1899-23 Dec 1967

Children William Morgan and Mary Roberts
Leroy "Roy" Morgan 28 April 1906-25 April 1911
Mable Lavonne Morgan 2 Feb 1908-9 Nov 1983
Florence Marion Morgan 21 Apr 1910-15 May 1910
Eddie Leroy Morgan 13 August 1911-23 February 1912
Etta Mae Morgan 13 August 1911-10 Feb 1912
Charles Harold Morgan 7 November 1912-3 December 1986

Two additional children who were born and died prior to 1910. Based on the timing of Mary's identified children, it seems they were most likely born between Harry born 1899 and Mary's marriage to William in 1905 or between Cora born 1889 and Odie born 1895.

None of the Morgans buried at Zion have any sort of marker as of 21 May 2020.

Mary E Roberts married Abraham Miller on 20 January 1888. The couple lived together as man and wife until 20 November 1901. She filed for divorce on 6 October 1902 on the grounds that Abraham had treated her cruelly and inhumanely, and was a habitual drunkard who refused to provide for his wife and children. She stated that he had had been 'calling her vile and indecent names, and accusing her of being unchaste, in the presence and hearing of others'.  He had regularly spent what little money he had in areas saloons. The situation had reached the point of Mary having to make her own way. At the time she filed, she requested that the court grant her custody of the couple's four children, Cora aged 13, Odie aged 6, James aged 3 and Harry aged two and a half. She had left the children with Abraham in Grant County as she tried to find sufficient work as a house keeper to support herself and the children while living near Gaston.