Porch Swings, Fireflies, and Jelly Jars: Clara Ann Galt, Daughter of James J. and Mary Ann (Brown) Galt

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Clara Ann Galt, Daughter of James J. and Mary Ann (Brown) Galt

Clara Ann Galt, born about 1869 in Nebraska, to James Junius and Mary Ann (Brown) Galt is included on the double tombstone of her parents in the Appleton City Cemetery of Appleton City, Missouri. Only her name appears on the stone. No dates.

At the time of Clara Ann Galt's death in 1882, her parents and family were living in Bates County, Missouri, on the Blackwell farm in the southeast portion of the county. Here is the first newspaper clipping that I found about her death:

It's in very poor condition, but it indicates that Clara died on Sunday and was buried on Monday with the funeral held in her parents' home. The words "Appleton cem" can just be made out along the top of the bottom portion of the article. Her extended family from Appleton City, St. Clair County, Missouri, must have travelled to the Blackwell farm to be in attendance. Then they must have formed a procession back to Appleton City for her burial.

The second article that I found provided Clara's cause of death:

Of the three children, Clara was the one who died. Based on census records, the other two must have survived. This makes me wonder who cared for the sick children while their parents attended their sister's funeral. Perhaps, a neighbor stepped in to help? They may have contracted typhoid or cholera.

1 comment:

Miss MerryJanuary 25, 2026 at 7:06 PM
so tragic.
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About Me:

My favorite memories from childhood include visits to my grandparents in East Texas. At dusk we'd run around my grandparent's yard, catching fireflies and putting them in jelly jars. When darkness descended, we'd return to the porch. It was a special treat to sit in the porch swing. Inevitably, the adults would launch into family stories of Pink Kelley's brush with Sherman's troops, of Great Uncle Hood Brown's tragic death, and of the Kelley family's wagon trip to Texas, among many others. The stars on those nights were magical.

I began my genealogy research in the summer of 1975, less than a month after my high school graduation. When I married in 1983, I started researching my husband's family as well. I was fortunate to start this hobby as a youngster because it gave me an opportunity to correspond with researchers who are long gone; to ask questions of family members -although not enough, never enough; and travel a bit. The result is a lot of information. I've come to the realization that I will probably never be able to afford to publish, so this is my publication.

This blog contains a mixture of information on my husband's family and mine. I've expanded into a second blog called Flimsies and Frippery with the intention of focusing on quilts and dolls, but I have several historical research entries there with more planned, which is why I don't get more quilting done.

Ultimately, genealogy is my passion. This is where I plan to record family stories, research adventures and misadventures, and those serendipitous moments that happen out of the blue. You should be warned that I have a bad habit of going back and adding information and links to individual entries, so it is beneficial to check back often if there is a family of particular interest to you. If you wander in and discover that you are a cousin, please contact me.

Since many younger family members who are new to genealogy are starting to contact me about their ancestors, I've started adding family trees to help them see how everyone is connected. The trees are divided between my family and my husband's. You will find them below under the label's Family Trees - My Husband's Side and Family Trees - My Family's Side.

For better or worse, this blog reflects the research, thinking, and writing of a human.