Mary Ella Lacy, 1886–1986 (aged 99 years)

Name
Mary Ella /Lacy/
Family with parents
father
1852–1916
Birth: October 7, 1852 19 15 — Decaturville, Decatur Co. TN
Death: February 9, 1916 — Lucas, Logan Co. AR
mother
1861–1917
Birth: May 28, 1861 — Tennessee
Death: May 30, 1917 — Hartford, AR
Marriage Marriage — May 1884 —
Marriage Marriage — September 20, 1892 — Decatur Co. TN
3 years
herself
1886–1986
Birth: October 6, 1886 33 25 — Decaturville, Decatur Co. TN
Death: June 11, 1986 — Seagoville, TX
2 years
younger brother
1889–1961
Birth: February 25, 1889 36 27 — Decaturville, Decatur Co. TN
Death: March 30, 1961
5 years
younger sister
1893–1988
Birth: July 26, 1893 40 32 — Ione, AR
Death: February 22, 1988
6 years
younger sister
1899–1980
Birth: October 29, 1899 47 38 — Ione, Arkansas
Death: January 20, 1980
Family with William Arthur Byrd
partner
1881–1940
Birth: September 16, 1881 — Arkansas
Death: April 20, 1940 — Memphis, TN
herself
1886–1986
Birth: October 6, 1886 33 25 — Decaturville, Decatur Co. TN
Death: June 11, 1986 — Seagoville, TX
Shared note

Mary Ella was born in Decaturville, Tennessee, October 25, 1886. She was four years old when she made the three-month ox and wagon trip to Lucas, Arkansas with her mother, father, brother Jesse Jones Lacy, and Uncle John Edmund Lacy.

Mary Ella married William Arthur Byrd. They had four children: William Fieldon Byrd Nov 3, 1903 / June 23, 1949, Emanuel Auburn Byrd July 28, 1906 / July 1, 1962, Cleo Byrd Patronis April 4, 1908 / May 19, 1989, and Frances "Frankie" Saros Sept 9, 1911.

Arthur worked for the Rock Island Railroad in Booneville. His job was getting the steam engines ready and bringing them to the yard for the outbound trains. At the end of the steam era he was transferred to Little Rock, then Memphis. Arthur was on the job at Memphis when he died of a heart attack April 20, 1940.

Mary Ella was living with her daughter Frankie Saros in Seagoville when she died June 11, 1986. She was only four months from her one-hundredth birthday. Thanks to her memory we have insight on this century and the Lacy’s journey to Arkansas.

Source: James Eddie Warren