I did know that Rosa Lowe married Joseph Jacob “Jake” Stallings and they had four children, Grady Everett, Hazel Louise, Marjorie J. and Mary Lucille.[1]
Then I found the obituary for “Mrs. Lilla Mae Bell” published in the Augusta Chronicle on 31 October 1944. The obituary states that Lilla died at her home in Ellenton and among her survivors were a sister “Mrs. Jake Stallings, Augusta” and brother “Richard M. Lowe.”[2]

Lilla’s death certificate states that her parents were R.M. Lowe and Judy Stringfield.[3]  With this information­­­ I was able to locate the correct Rosa Lowe on the 1910 U.S. Census where she is shown living in Williston, Barnwell County, South Carolina, with h­­­­­er parents R.M. and Judy Lowe and siblings Lella (sic) and Chester W.[4]  On this census, Rosa’s age is reported to be­­­­­­ 12; however, she isn’t on the 1900 census later records indicate she was born in 1900.[5]

Rosa’s older siblings, Julius and Richard, Jr., who had moved out by 1910, are shown on the 1900 census.[6] Rosa was the youngest of seven children.[7] It appears that not all children survived. In fact, the 1910 census states that the Lowes had seven children and three of them were living in 1910 but later records indicate that there were other living children. Perhaps the number three for living children was used because there were three in the household at the time the census was taken.

Julius’ death certificate identifies his parents as Richard Lowe and Judie Lowe.[8] A death certificate for Winchester “Chester” Lowe identifies his parents as Richard Lowe and Judie Stringfield.[9] In 1880, Richard and Judie Lowe were living in Rosemary, Barnwell County, South Carolina, with their two-year-old son Julius.[10] I haven’t yet located Richard, Sr. on earlier censuses and haven’t yet determined who his parents were.

It appears that Judie Stringfield’s parents were Edmund Stringfield and Elizabeth _______.[11]

When Rosa was about 21 years old in 1920, she can be found living with George W. Stallings and his wife Martha in Silverton, Aiken County, South Carolina. She is identified as George’s cousin.[12] George’s wife’s maiden name was Lowe (Martha Lowe) and George’s mother’s maiden name was Lowe (Jane Lowe). If Rosa was George’s first cousin, she would be Jane Lowe’s niece, which would mean Jane was Richard, Sr.’s sister, but Jane was born in about 1845, which would make her too old to be Richard’s sister.

However, Martha Lowe was born in 1880. She could have been one of the seven children of Matthew and Judie and therefore Rosa’s sister. If she were born in 1880 after the census was taken and married George by the time she was 20 in 1900, she would never have appeared on a census with her parents (most of the 1890 census having been destroyed). Of course, that would technically make her George’s sister-in-law and not cousin, but that could easily have been a mistake by the census taker, or a loose application of the term “cousin.”

In conclusion, Rosa Lowe was born 4 November 1900 in South Carolina to Richard Matthew Lowe, Sr. and Judie(y) Stringfield. Other children of Judie and Richard were Julius Lowe, Richard Matthew Lowe, Jr., Winchester Lowe, Lilla Mae Lowe and Martha Lowe. There was possibly one other child who either didn’t survive or was born between 1880 and 1900 and lived in other households when the 1900 census was taken (most of the 1890 U.S. Census having been destroyed).
I would love to know if anyone has any knowledge to share about this family.

© Sherrie T. Cork
Please cite as:
Cork, Sherrie T. “The Parents of Rosa Lowe” Web blog post. Descendants of Rebellion. 19 July 2017.
Endnotes:

[1] 1930 U.S. Census, Augusta, Richmond, Georgia; Roll: 382; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0019; Image: 749.0; FHL microfilm: 2340117, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls).
1940 U.S. Census, North Augusta, Aiken, South Carolina; Roll: T627_3783; Page: 21A; Enumeration District: 2-33, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls).
[2]“Lilla Mae Bell,” Obituary, The Augusta Chronicle, 31 October 1944, page two.
[3] South Carolina, Death Records, 1821-1965, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing South Carolina death records, Columbia, SC, USA: South Carolina Department of Archives and History).
[4] 1910 U.S. Census, Williston, Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: 1518; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0028; FHL microfilm: 1241518­­­­, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C).
[5] Gravestone; family history
[6] 1900 U.S. Census, Williston, Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: T624_1450; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0056; FHL microfilm: 1375463, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls). ­­(The son R­­­­­­­­ichard is identified as Richard, Jr.; the father is identified on censuses and on Lilla’s death certificate as R.M.; later records for Richard, Jr. report his name to be Richard Matthew Lowe, Jr.)
[7] 1900 census reports 7 children born to the couple who had been married for 30 years.
[8] South Carolina Department of Archives and History; Columbia, South Carolina; South Carolina Death Records; Year Range: 1925-1949; Death County or Certificate Range: Barnwell.
[9] South Carolina Department of Archives and History; Columbia, South Carolina; South Carolina Death Records; Year Range: 1925-1949; Death County or Certificate Range: Aiken.
[10] 1880 U.S. Census, Rosemary, Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: 1220; Family History Film: 1255220; Page: 347C; Enumeration District: 037, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.).
[11] 1870 U.S. Census, Rosemary, Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: M593_1484; Page: 363A; Image: 228; Family History Library Film: 552983, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.).
1860 U.S. Census, 1860; Census Place: Barnwell, South Carolina; Roll: M653_1213; Page: 427; Family History Library Film: 805213, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Record).
[12] 1920 U.S. Census, Silverton, Aiken, South Carolina; Roll: T625_1683; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 22, (http:ancestry.com : accessed 9 July 2017 [database on-line], citing Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City)).

Check out my other adventures in sewing at Sew Vintagely.