Julian Ellen "Helen" Dove
b: 23 FEB 1857 d: 25 FEB 1910
Bailey's - Paternal 3rd g-grandaunt
Note To Bailey: I spent a lot of late nights working on this one. I even had dreams about Miss Ellen Dove......I think she was helping me find all the pieces to the puzzle!!
Julian Ellen "Helen" Dove was born on February 23, 1857, in Barbour County, Alabama, to Nancy Anna McDonald, age 24, and James Henry Dove, age 35.
The mystery of Ellen "Helen" Dove fascinated me. Each new clue had me running in several directions but the facts eluded me.
Some family members said she was married to my 2nd g-uncle, Joseph David Davis, Jr., b: 16 Aug 1873, d: 16 Mar 1931. I could not locate a marriage license. There was a marriage license showing up in several trees on Ancestry for Joseph Davis and H. E. Taylor … married 29 Dec 1897 in Marengo County, AL. I was not convinced this was my Joseph Davis because I could not find any Taylor connections. I had it attached to my tree but decided to remove it until I had more sources.
I believed that my Joe Davis and Ellen Dove were married when I found the headstone above in Pine Barren Baptist Cemetery, Escambia County, Florida. The inscription has "Helen Wife of Joe Davis, Born Feb 23, 1857, Died Feb 25, 1910. I was convinced this was "Ellen Dove's Headstone" because this was her birth date recorded in a family book that my Mom had. I had to find the source to document this. I turned my research to Ellen's early years.
Family stories stated James Henry Dove, Ellen's father, enlisted in the Confederate Alabama Thirty-second Infantry in April of 1862. Ellen was five years old. Before leaving he moved his wife, Nancy McDonald Dove and children, to New Orleans, LA. He thought they would be safer there .
Ellen's mother, Nancy McDonald, died about 1863 in New Orleans, LA. from yellow fever. Her children were placed in St. Joseph’s German Orphan Asylum on Laurel St. in New Orleans. In the 1870 census I found Ellen. She was listed as 16 years old.
1870 US Census - Louisiana - Orleans Parrish
Ellen Dove is listed on line #39
I finally found what I was looking for....
My 2nd g-uncle Joseph David Davis, Jr. was indeed married to Julian Ellen "Helen" Dove and not the H.E. Taylor attached to multiple trees on Ancestry.
I started searching in the New Orleans area for her. I found her marriage license to Theodore Adolphe Otto Schwaner on 29 Oct 1881.
Louisiana Marriage Record For
J. Helen Dove & Adolphe T. Schwaner
29 Oct 1881
Ellen's parents are listed on the license as James Henry Dove and Nancy McDonald. That was a piece of luck!! Most marriage licenses I have seen do not have parents names.
Note To Bailey: This was one of my dreams......I had dreamed I found a marriage license in New Orleans. Do you think "Ellen" was helping me?
Theodore Adolphe Otto Schwaner died 31 May 1895 and sometime after that Ellen Dove Schwaner returned to Marengo County, Alabama.
I found her Marriage License to Joseph D. Davis, Jr in Marengo County, Alabama. They were married 18 Nov 1897. She is listed as J. H. Schwarner. This confirms that Joseph D. Davis, Jr. and "Ellen" Dove were indeed married and the headstone I found is Ellen Dove's.
Alabama Marriage Record
Joseph D. Davis, Jr. & Mrs. J. H. Schwarner
18 Nov 1897
Julian Ellen "Helen" Dove Schwaner Davis died 10 February 1910. Her Headstone is in Pine Barren Baptist Cemetery, Escambia County, Florida. The Headstone is for "Helen Davis", Wife of Joe Davis, born 23 Feb 1857....died 25 Feb 1910.
****NOTE****: "Ellen" Dove is listed in some family records as Julian Ellen Dove, b: 23 Feb 1857.
RIP....Julian Ellen "Helen" Dove
