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The young couple gave birth to their first of nine children around 1850 and named her Nancy. In the 1870 Census, Nancy was with her parents and five siblings in Ward 2 of Washington Parish. She and three of her younger siblings were helping their father work on the farm. Nancy and the rest were listed as natives of Louisiana, black and illiterate.
The 1880 Census for Ward 2 in Washington Parish finds Nancy - 26, married to Jesse Cutrer - 28. The couple had four children: Margaret M. - 7, Samuel - 6, Maria J - 5, and George - 2. Jesse was farming to provide for his young family. All were natives of Louisiana, including parents, except Jesse’s father was born in Virginia. Nancy and the children were listed as mulatto, Jesse as black. Nancy and Jesse were illiterate.
The 1880 Census for Ward 2 in Washington Parish finds Nancy - 26, married to Jesse Cutrer - 28. The couple had four children: Margaret M. - 7, Samuel - 6, Maria J - 5, and George - 2. Jesse was farming to provide for his young family. All were natives of Louisiana, including parents, except Jesse’s father was born in Virginia. Nancy and the children were listed as mulatto, Jesse as black. Nancy and Jesse were illiterate.
Nancy - 48, and her family were still in Ward 2 of Washington Parish on June 23, 1900. The family had grown to 9 children with all listed as black. This time Maria J. was not listed with the family. Nancy stated that she had 12 children of which 9 were living: Melissa (possibly the M. in Margaret M.) - 24, Sammy - 23, George - 19, Fanny - 17, Isaac - 16, Jasper - 14, Elizabeth - 12, Ily - 10, and the baby, Martina - 6. Jesse - 50 and their sons worked the farm that the family rented - most likely sharecropping. All were born in Louisiana; however, the birth place of Jesse’s father was not listed. Jesse and Nancy were still illiterate but all the children, except the youngest, Martina, were literate. Isaac and Jasper had attended school that year.
Ward 2 of Tangipahoa Parish was the rental residence for the family on April 18, 1910. Nancy - 61, married once for 37 years and Jesse - 58, married once for 27 years (could be enumerator error) along with their daughter, Martina - 15, were working on the farm. Samuel - 29 and single, was employed by the railroad on the grading crew. Elizabeth - 21, was not employed but had attended school. This time, Nancy was listed as having 12 children with 7 living. Archie Crew/Cruse, the couple’s grandson, was living with the family. Everyone was listed as black and natives of Louisiana. Jesse’s father was listed as being born in Virginia and Archie’s father in Mississippi. Once again, Jesse and Nancy were the only adults listed as illiterate.
In the winter of 1910 while working for the railroad, Jesse came down with pneumonia and died in New Orleans.
On January 13, 1920, Nansie/Nancy, a 70-year-old widow, was renting a place with her grandson, Archie Cruise - 17, in Pike County, Mississippi. Both worked on the family farm and Archie had attended school. Nancy’s home was near that of her son George - 39, who was living on the Magnolia Road with his family.
No death certificate has been located for Nancy but family believes she died before 1930. Nancy and Jesse were blessed with 10 children, 35 grandchildren… Some are listed here with photos.
According to family lore…Nancy lived in or around Magnolia working as a sharecropper and midwife. She was said to have delivered several of her grandchildren. Nancy delivered her grandson, Archie Cruse, and raised him from infancy after his mother Margaret died around 1904. Nancy would stay with various children throughout the year.
Ward 2 of Tangipahoa Parish was the rental residence for the family on April 18, 1910. Nancy - 61, married once for 37 years and Jesse - 58, married once for 27 years (could be enumerator error) along with their daughter, Martina - 15, were working on the farm. Samuel - 29 and single, was employed by the railroad on the grading crew. Elizabeth - 21, was not employed but had attended school. This time, Nancy was listed as having 12 children with 7 living. Archie Crew/Cruse, the couple’s grandson, was living with the family. Everyone was listed as black and natives of Louisiana. Jesse’s father was listed as being born in Virginia and Archie’s father in Mississippi. Once again, Jesse and Nancy were the only adults listed as illiterate.
In the winter of 1910 while working for the railroad, Jesse came down with pneumonia and died in New Orleans.
On January 13, 1920, Nansie/Nancy, a 70-year-old widow, was renting a place with her grandson, Archie Cruise - 17, in Pike County, Mississippi. Both worked on the family farm and Archie had attended school. Nancy’s home was near that of her son George - 39, who was living on the Magnolia Road with his family.
No death certificate has been located for Nancy but family believes she died before 1930. Nancy and Jesse were blessed with 10 children, 35 grandchildren… Some are listed here with photos.
According to family lore…Nancy lived in or around Magnolia working as a sharecropper and midwife. She was said to have delivered several of her grandchildren. Nancy delivered her grandson, Archie Cruse, and raised him from infancy after his mother Margaret died around 1904. Nancy would stay with various children throughout the year.
Nancy and her mom, Elizabeth, were both said to be daughters of the same slave master. He was an Irishman, last name possibly Dyson, who lived around the town of Chatawa, near Osyka, Mississippi. Nancy used to stay with her mom in a shack on his farm and would play with her white half sisters. Once, when Nancy and her sisters were chasing chickens, her father got mad, hit her with his whip and broke her leg. Her mother ran to the river and packed her leg with red clay dirt – that was all Elizabeth knew to do. Nancy was crippled as a result of the injury.
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