Ancestor of the Day--Mary Jane Woodruff

Mary Jane Woodruff was born 7 Jul 1887 in Illinois, most likely in Champaign County. The first record of her birth that I have found is the 1900 census, which places her in Champaign, Illinois at 13 years old. Her parents were Cornelious C and Cinderella VanKirk Woodruff. Yes, Cinderella, or Sinderella, or Sindereola, depending on the document. Cornelious was born in Kentucky and Cinderella in Virginia, according to the 1900 census. Cornelious was listed as being a farmer.

Mary Jane's occupation is listed as "housewife" on her death certificate, so she was not employed (not surprising) and left no records via an employment record. She was married to Arthur Sayles and their first daughter, Florence May, was born in 1905. I suspect the two were married in 1904, meaning Mary was 17 when they married. Their second daughter, Thelma Clotine (my paternal great-grandmother!) was born 26 Jun 1906. These were their only two children as far as I know.

I have yet to find the 1910 census with her listed and since she died in 1918, she would not be listed in any other census records. I'm also still looking for the 1890 state census that may have listed her at 3 years old.

Mary Jane died 30 October 1918 in Champaign, Illinois of pneumonia, a complication that resulted from influenza. Because of the year and the local newspaper headlines, I suspect she died of the Spanish Flu, though her death certificate simply says "pneumonia" and lists the secondary condition as "influenza." Her death certificate can be found at the Champaign County Historical Archives in Urbana, Illinois.

She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Urbana, Champaign, Illinois under her married name, Mary J. Sayles next to her husband, Arthur Sayles and her mother-in-law, Florence May (Baker) Sayles. Their memorial is pictured above.