Here's a photo of Margaret Jane (Bodine) Earickson [seated] and her granddaughter Florence Margaret (Davis) Pennington [standing]. This came from Belinda Rinehart, Margaret's great-granddaughter. Florence is Margaret's granddaughter by Josephine Owen and James Davis. Margaret's second husband was Joseph Newton Owen. Florence married Rube Pennington. The photo is of poor quality, but it is what we have. If someone has a better copy, please let me know. The family knew Margaret as "Grandma Earickson."
While working on this line, I could not find Margaret in any 1860 Census. This would be when she was about 13-14 years old and by then an orphan. There is a Margaret Burdin/Burden (age 13, KY) in the household of James (age 32, KY) and Nancy J. (age 26, KY) Kenton in Nicholas Co., KY. Maybe the Kentons have some connection to her family and took her in after her parents passed away. Or maybe that Margaret Burdin is someone else. This Margaret Jane Bodine did report in one census that she was born in KY. That is not accurate, but it implies some connection to Kentucky.
Ronny sent me this: 1880 San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA: Henry ERICKSON 34 ME [Maine] Solicitor, Margaret 28 KY wife dress maker, Josephine 3 CA dau. [Margaret states her father was born in England and mother in France]. I noticed also that there is a Charles Spaulding living with them as a boarder. This agrees with what Belinda said above that Margaret ran a boarding house in San Francisco.
Both of Margaret's parents are listed as from Tennessee in the 1900 Census of Manhattan, New York (household of Henry Earaskon).
Josephine's birth father and mother are listed as from Maine and England in the 1880 Census; from Maryland and Tennessee in the 1900 Census, and from Illinois and Tennessee in the 1910 Census. She was always listed as born in California.
From: Belinda Rinehart
Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Subject: Margaret Jane Bodine
Hello -
I stumbled across a post on Genealogy.com looking for information about Margaret Jane Bodine. The original post is over 20 years old with no comments or replies, I posted the following message. A few minutes later, I found this email address and decided to reach out to see if anyone could share information about her. She was a gutsy lady, I'd love to fill in more of her story.
Link & my post: https://www.genealogy.com/forum/surnames/topics/bodine/256/.
Hello - I realize the original post is over 20 years old, so hoping someone reads this. Margaret Jane Bodine is my paternal great grandmother. Her son, Edgar Sherman Slaten is my grandfather. I'd love to learn more about her and am happy to share what I know about her with you.
Kind regards,
Belinda Rinehart
From: Belinda Rinehart
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2022
Subject: Re: Margaret Jane Bodine
Hello Dave!
Thank you for getting back to me. I don't have a lot of hard facts to share, just what I've learned from my father and his siblings:
.....She somehow met James Clinton Slaten during his service in the Civil War
.....He volunteered when the war broke out and served in Company E, 3rd Illinois Cavalry
.....According to my aunts, they married "much against her family's wishes". So, she was estranged from them
.....Her family owned slaves, but freed them sometime during the war
.....She had siblings, including at least one brother
.....She and James Clinton Slaten had three children:
..........Laura: Died on the table during an operation to remove gall stones. She was in her 20s
..........Edgar Sherman Slaten: My grandfather
..........Walter: Died in childhood, around age 4
.....Around 1874-1875 she and James Clinton Slaten divorced. According to my aunts, she found him "impossible to live with", and "she couldn't go home to her family because she'd married a damn Yankee!"
.....She traveled by train to San Francisco to begin a new life. There, she opened a boarding house and eventually owned several properties
.....She met and married a Mr. Owens, first name Harry I believe. He died during the great San Francisco earthquake when a pole fell on him.
.....At some point, she met and married a Mr. Erickson. My father and his siblings knew her as Grandma Erickson
.....She eventually ended up in the Hot Springs area in Arkansas. My dad grew up near Crystal Springs, so I can't be sure where she lived. I believe she is buried in or around Hot Springs.
I'll look into my family information and get back to you with whatever hard data I have. It isn't much but may be of use to slot her into the Bodine family tree.
Belinda
From: Belinda Rinehart
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2022
Subject: Re: Margaret Jane Bodine
Hi Dave,
You're right! I was wrong about Josephine, Florence and the Penningtons being blood relatives! Also, I had it wrong as to whose husband was killed in the San Francisco earthquake. I revisited notes my Aunt Irene, Dad and Uncle Richard jotted down for me shortly before Aunt Irene passed in the early 1980s. They all knew Margaret Jane Bodine, Josephine and, of course, the Penningtons. I'm going to use bullet points to make this easier to follow.
Margaret Jane Bodine
.....Pronounced her first name with a long e sound
.....Born in Davidson County Tennessee, my records say 1850 although her grave marker seems pretty clear about her being born in 1848
.....Owned some lots in San Francisco which were also let go for taxes in the depression
.....Owned 14 lots in Vermont which she let go for taxes during the great depression
No idea how Vermont fits into the picture or why she owned property there
.....Dad, Irene & Richard believed she had
..........One brother, possibly named John
..........Family legend has it that a rich man paid the brother $1,000 to take his son's place in the Civil War. He took the money and went to serve, but the war was over shortly thereafter, so he didn't get so much as a scratch, but got the money.
..........Three sisters Sarah, Sue and Linda. She called them Sister and then their name. So Sister Sarah, Sister Sue and Sister Linda
.....Her parents had slaves, but sold and freed them a year or so before President Lincoln emancipated slaves
.....Shook hands with Abraham Lincoln after one of his speeches
.....Married James Clinton Slaton (b. April 15, 1842, d. October 1, 1909) on April 15, 1866. They lived near Harrisburg, Illinois. They had 3 children:
.....Edgar Sherman Slaten, b. January 19, 1867, d. 1941
..........Walter Slaten, b. ?, d. ?
...............Died of pneumonia at age 4
..........Laura Mae Slaten, possibly named DeLury Mae Slaten, b. ?, d. ?
...............Died on the operating table during gallstone surgery
...............No idea if Walter or Laura was born first, or if Laura ever married
.....Divorced James Clinton Slaton (b. April 15, 1842, d. October 1, 1909) when Edgar Sherman Slaten was 8 years old - so 1875. My Aunt Annabel said she left James because she found him 'impossible to live with'. Interesting sidebar is that he married the housekeeper Minerva Jennie Davis on April 15, 1876. Given the reason for divorce and the short turn time on his marriage to Minerva, I suspect there may have been some hanky panky going on.
.....Travelled by train with Edgar Sherman to San Francisco.
.....The family has no idea if Walter or Laura was with them. I suspect that Walter may have already passed away by this time, but it's strictly conjecture given his young age at death)
.....Edgar remembered looking out the window and seeing Indians on horseback riding alongside harassing the train. (I imagine that really would make a big impression on an 8 yr old boy!!)
.....At some point Margaret married Harry Owens
..........They had a daughter named Josephine (she went by Josie)
..........At some point Margaret moved with her family to New York City.
..........No idea when they married
..........Edgar Sherman Slaten was living in New York City when he was 19 years old, so about 1886. For a while, he drove a horse-drawn street car
..........No idea if this is before or after she married Harry Owens
..........No idea how many or which of her children with her
.....At some point Margaret married a Mr. Earickson.
..........My Dad and his siblings always pronounce the EAR part of Earickson as ear
..........No idea if this was before or after she moved to New York City
..........No idea when they married
..........At some point, Margaret moved to the Hot Springs Arkansas area and lived there until her death in 1935.
..........Ironically, James Clinton Slaten also lived there when he passed
..........No idea if they were in touch
..........No idea if Edgar Sherman Slaten lived in the area before or after Margaret or James moved into the area
..........James served in the Civil War in Company E, 3rd Illinois Cavalry. The history of the unit shows they spent a fair amount of time in southern Missouri and Arkansas. I've always wondered if this influenced his decision to live there
Josephine Owens married Mr. Davis
.....No idea when
.....Mr. Davis was killed in 1906 when a light pole fell on him during the San Francisco earthquake
.....Josephine and Mr. Davis had a daughter named Florence
Florence Davis married Rube Pennington
.....No idea when
.....They lived on Pennington Road in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The road is named for their family
.....They had nine children, I don't have any dates of birth or death, marriages, etc.
..........Lawrence
..........Cecil
..........Elouise
..........Jessilee
..........Iris
..........Gene
..........Lon
..........Jerry
..........Lorene
Belinda Jane Slaten Rinehart
.....Daughter of JB Graves Slaten, b. 13 June, 1923, d. January 18, 1987
..........Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Clearmont, Nodaway County, Missouri
.....Granddaughter of Edgar Sherman Slaten, b. April 15, 1842, d. October 1, 1909
..........Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Clearmont, Nodaway County, Missouri
..........Quite a few Slatens are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery
.....
I found a poor-quality photocopy of a photo of Margaret and Florence. There's also a photocopy of a photo of Edgar Sherman Slaten with a handwritten note on the bottom of the page reading " Written on the back of the above - Edgar Sherman Slaten (age 22) son of James (Jim) Slaten (Illinois) and Marguerite Jane Beaudine (Tenn.) Taken about 1889 in New York City." Interesting spelling of Margaret's first name.
I'm happy to scan and email these pages to you along with anything else I locate...
Thank you for sharing so much of your research with me!
Cousin Belinda
From: Belinda Rinehart
Sent: Monday, August 22, 2022
Subject: Re: Margaret Jane Bodine
Hi Dave,
This is all so fascinating for me!
Yes, Josephine certainly does seem to have been named for her father. Everything I know about Josephine is below, which certainly isn't much!
Yes, I agree that Jefferson Berdine/Bodine and Margaret Ferguson are her parents. As for their living in Wilson County v. Davidson County, that doesn't bother me, either.
My dad and his siblings were not positive Margaret's brother who served in the war was named John. Also, John may have been a nickname. For example, my dad's name is JB, but some of his siblings called him Jake. Another mystery to ponder!
Margaret pronounced her last name Bow-DINE. I believe the reference with her first name being spelled as Marguerite is a phonetic spelling of how she pronounced her name with the long e sound: Margar-EET.
The James Davis you found who died a couple of weeks after the earthquake certainly could be Josephine's husband and Florence's father. The notes I have that were jotted down by my dad and a couple of his siblings just state that a pole fell on him and he died as a result. Whether his death was instantaneous or a couple of weeks later isn't stated. Knowing how Dad and his siblings talked, if they knew that James Davis was killed instantly, it's very likely they would have written it that way. But, that's just my reading of the tea leaves!
Whether Joseph Newton Owen was nicknamed Harry, I don't know. That's just what my family called him.
It's quite possible that Laura/Lora Slaten was actually named Delury Slaten. I haven't done much research on her, but have come across a female named Delury in sources outside of the family. My family always called her Laura/Lora, so that being a nickname wouldn't surprise me much...
An interesting sidebar about names: My middle name is Jane after Margaret Jane Bodine and my paternal grandmother Martha Jane McClard.
I definitely appreciate your help with this! I'll take a look at FamilySearch to see how that compares to the information I already have.
Best regards,
Belinda
From Ronny Bodine (August 18, 2022):
From great-granddaughter Belinda Rinehart:
She somehow met James Clinton Slaten during his service in the Civil War. He volunteered when the war broke out and served in Company E, 3rd Illinois Cavalry. According to my aunts, they married "much against her family's wishes". So, she was estranged from them. Her family owned slaves, but freed them sometime during the war. She had siblings, including at least one brother.
1st marriage--1866--JAMES CLINTON SLATON.
From Saline County, Illinois Marriage Records:
James C. Slaton AND Margaret J. Bodine were married 15 April 1866.
1870 Saline Co., IL: Jas. SLATON 27 IL farmer, Maggie 23 TN, Edgar S. 4 IL, Walter C. 1 IL
From great-granddaughter Belinda Rinehart:
She and James Clinton Slaten had three children:
Laura: Died on the table during an operation to remove gall stones. She was in her 20s
Edgar Sherman Slaten: My grandfather
Walter: Died in childhood, around age 4
Around 1874-1875 she (Margaret) and James Clinton Slaten divorced. According to my aunts, she found him "impossible to live with", and "she couldn't go home to her family because she'd married a damn Yankee!"
From Saline County, Illinois Marriage Records:
James C. Slaton AND Jennie Davis were married 15 April 1876. [She was Minerva A. Davis, 8, in Mason Co., IL in 1860)
1880 Saline Co., IL: J. C. SLATEN 38 IL farmer, Minerva J. 27 IL wife, Edgar S. 11 IL son, Delury M. 8 IL dau, Minnie 5 IL dau, Preston C. 1 IL son.
Burials in Avery Cemetery, Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas
(For grave marker photo see Find A Grave Memorial No. 17945937)
JAS. C. SLATEN CO. E 3 ILL CAV Born Apr. 15, 1842 Died Oct. 1, 1909
2nd marriage--1874--JOSEPH N. OWEN.
From great-granddaughter Belinda Rinehart:
She traveled by train to San Francisco to begin a new life. There, she opened a boarding house and eventually owned several properties
She met and married a Mr. Owens, first name Harry I believe. He died during the great San Francisco earthquake when a pole fell on him.
At some point, she took in and raised a young girl named Josephine
From Sacramento County, California Marriage Records:
Joseph N. Owen AND Maggie J. Slaten were married 28 March 1874 in Sacramento.
Joseph N. Owen enlisted as a Private in Company I, 154th Illinois Infantry on 4 Feb 1865 in Nashville, Illinois and was mustered in 17 Feb 1865 at Camp Butler, Illinois. At the time he was aged 18, born in Washington Co., IL and a resident of Richview, Cook Co., IL. He was mustered out 18 Sept 1865 in Nashville, TN.
On 6 Nov 1876, Joseph Newton Owen, 29, native of Illinois, registered to vote in the 4th precinct of San Francisco.
From California Death Records:
Jos. N. Owen, age 29, born in Illinois, died of consumption on 23 July 1877 in Sacramento. He was buried in Sacramento City Cemetery.
On the military service of Joseph N. Owen, Co. I, 154th Illinois Infantry.
On 31 Oct 1890 in New York, minor Maggie Eareckson applied for a minor's pension under no. 483800.
On 5 Oct 1916 in Arkansas, widow Maggie J. Eareckson applied for a widow's pension under no. 1084118.
3rd marriage--1877/1880--HENRY BARNES EARECKSON.
From great-granddaughter Belinda Rinehart:
At some point, she met and married a Mr. Erickson. My father and his siblings knew her as Grandma Erickson
She eventually ended up in the Hot Springs area in Arkansas. My dad grew up near Crystal Springs, so I can't be sure where she lived. I believe she is buried in or around Hot Springs.
Henry B. Errickson, age 4, born in Maryland, was living 1850 with his parents, Terrill and Henrietta Errickson in Baltimore, MD. In 1860, as Henry Earking, age 14 MD, was living with his widowed mother in Baltimore.
1880 San Francisco, San Francisco Co., CA: Henry ERICKSON 34 ME [Maine] Solicitor, Margaret 28 KY wife dress maker, Josephine 3 CA dau. [Margaret states her father was born in England and mother in France]
1880 Henry Barnes Eareckson, age 33, born in MD, is registered as a voter in San Francisco, CA.
1900 Manhattan, NY: Henry EARASKON Feb 1847 MD, Margaret Jan 1849 TN wife, Edgar S. Feb 1872 TN son, Josephine? Oct 1878 CA dau. Married 30 years.
From California Death Records:
Henry B. Eareckson, age 63, died 7 Feb 1907 in San Francisco.
Obituary, The San Francisco Call of 9 Feb 1907.
EARECKSON---In this city, February 7, 1907, Henry B., beloved wife [sic] of the late Margaret Eareckson, and father of Mrs. J. Eareckson, a native of Baltimore, Md., aged 63 years.
Henry Eareckson was buried in Olivet Memorial Park, Colma, San Mateo Co., CA.
1910 (1611 47th Avenue) San Francisco, CA: Margaret EARICKSON 50 TN widow, Josephine DAVIS 24 CA dau widow, Florence 7 CA gdau. Margaret stated her father was born in England and her mother in France.
San Francisco City Directory
1904 EARICKSON, Henry B. 2123 Pine
1905 ERICKSON, Henry B. 2133 Pine
1907 ERICKSON, Margaret r 1815 Eddy
1911, 1912 ERICKSON, Margaret J. r 1611, 47th Av
1915 ERICKSON, Margaret J. (wid Henry) h 745a Clayton
1920 Mill, Garland Co., AR: Edgar SLATEN 32? AR farmer, Mattie 29 TN, Ray STIRGILL 10 AR stepson, Fay STIRGILL 8 AR stepson, Maggie EARVEKSON 72 TN widow mother
1930 Mazarn, Montgomery Co., AR: Edgar S. SLATEN 63 IL farmer, Mattie 39 TN wife, Irene 8 AR dau, James B. 7 AR son, Ritchard 2 son AR, Robert L. 2 9/12 AR son, Ruth 4/12 AR dau, Maggie EARKSOM 80 TN widow mother
In 1940, Edgar S. SLAYTER 72 IL, was a patient in Missouri State Hospital #2 in St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO. His wife, Mattie, and their 5 children lived in Ravanna, Mercer Co., MO.
Son Edgar S. Slaten 1867---1941 is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Clearmont, Nodaway County, Missouri.
The Missouri Death certificate of Edgar Sherman SLAYTEN records he was born 19 Jan 1867 in Illinois to Jas. C. Slayten (b. IL) and Maggie Bodine (b. TN) and died 5 Nov 1941 in St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., MO.
Maggie was alive in April 1930 in Mazarn, Montgomery County, Arkansas. There is no Arkansas death certificate for her. Could she be the Margaret Bodine, age 5 TN, daughter of Jefferson Bodine, living with her family in Wilson County, TN in 1850 and known to be living there in 1858, but not 1860?
Burials in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Pleasant Hill, Garland County, Arkansas.
(For grave marker photo see Find A Grave memorial No. 24327795)
MARGARET J. EARICKSON 1848---1935
From: Ronny Bodine
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2022
Subject: Re: Margaret Jane Bodine
Dave,
...
Land records are available at Family Search for San Francisco, but searching that huge collection would be too time consuming with little return. No probate in Arkansas. That may well sum up what is available. I would like to know how Margaret relocated from Wilson County, TN with both parents deceased to make her way to Saline Co., Illinois. That is a distance of 215 miles. John A. Lester, Margaret's guardian in 1858, never left Wilson County where he died in 1905.
Ronny
**********
Miscellaneous info: The info below would not apply to Maggie (Bodine) Earickson, but I'll leave it for now in case it might apply to Maggie and Henry Earickson's daughter - if she was named Maggie. There does seem to be some evidence for that in the military service record of Joseph N. Owen (see Ronny's notes below) where a minor named Maggie Eareckson applied for a minor's pension. I wonder if that is not Josephine and she is actually the daughter of Joseph Owen.
There is a death record of a George A. Owen, Jr. from New York City, New York. He was born on July 12, 1925 in Tennessee. The mother is a Margaret Erickson and the father is a George A. Owen, Sr. Their son George died on June 13, 1941 in Manhattan and was buried on June 14. They were living in St. Albens, Long Island, New York.
Margaret and George Owen are in the 1940 Census of Queens, New York living in St. Albans. They have children Isabel (age 20, PA), Irene (age 17, TN), George (age 14, TN), and James (age 12, NY). I don't see where parent birth places are mentioned in this census.
Again, the above probably does not apply to this family, but I will leave it in for now.