52 Ancestors - #17 Mary Loucinda Halbert – Don’t go into the Front Room!

She was born in Licking, Texas County, Missouri, on November 30, 1832 the daughter of Eli Garner Halbert and Frances Sherrill. Mary was one 13 children only six of which lived to maturity. She married Philander Davis Mitchell on March 24, 1853 and settled on a 600 acre farm about 5 miles south east of town and lived there for the balance of her life. They lived in a one room log house, until after the close of the Civil War, when they were able to finish their large two story house. The lumber for the house was brought around the Horn and the large front room doors were of solid mahogany. 

Philander and Mary Loucinda had five children -Travis Burke born December 1, 1855; Spencer Eli born October 5, 1858; Frances Malinda (or Malvina) born March 8, 1861; and Mary Elizabeth born November 27, 1863. Their youngest was my great grandfather Hubbard Philander Mitchell was born April 22, 1866. During her life Mary Loucinda worked as a teacher, and she was a member of the South Methodist Church.

In the 1900 census it was just the two of them on the 13^th of June and Philander Davis died two weeks later on the 2^nd of July at the age of 73 and was buried at the Licking Cemetery.

In 1920 she was residing with her son Spencer and his wife Mary at the time of the census which was enumerated on January 12, 1920. Her great grandson Lionell Burris Mitchell (my father) had just been born in the neighboring town of Raymondville the day before. She died October 29, 1920 of old age complications, being a wheel chair invalid for nearly 15 years, previous to her death, caused by a broken hip. They both died at home, in the same exact place (20 years apart) – the northeast corner of the west front room.  (I am started to think that it was a family tradition to stash the old folks in the front room since I have 2 couples in Licking, Missouri that both died in their front room.) Philander and Mary are buried together in about the center of the Licking Cemetery near the driveway.

I was recently contacted by someone who had the Ancestry DNA test done also. It was saying we were second to third cousins but when we both looked into it we discovered that we have mutual great great great grandparents Eli Garner Halbert and Frances Sherrill which makes us fourth cousins not third. I descend from their daughter Mary Loucinda Halbert Mitchell and he descends from Mary’s brother Joel Spencer Halbert. Maybe there is another relative somewhere in our trees that we have in common?

(Thanks again to the Mitchell Grand Aunts Veron and Gwendolyn for some of this information. I think that Grand Aunt Veron also gave me a copy of a picture of Mary Loucinda Halbert - now I just have to remember where it is.)