Evaline Virgina Surface (1844 - 1928)

Evaline Virginia Surface was born 15 June 1844 in Virginia. Her parents were Jacob Surface & Catherine Gowans. (see death certificate)

She appears in the 1850 census in the 41st district of Montgomery county, Virginia with her parents and siblings. She is listed as Virginia Surface, female, age 6, born in Virginia.

She appears in the 1860 census as Evaline V Surface, age 15, female born in in Virginia.

It is recorded that she married George Milton Stalnaker on 30 Jan 1866 in Montgomery County Virginia.

Her first child, and only son, Andrew Jackson Stalnaker is born 4 Feb 1868 in Virginia.

Her second child, a daughter, Susan Catherine Stalnaker is born 11 Feb 1869 in Virginia.

The family is listed in 1870 as the last family in Tyler, Hickory, Missouri. (You can see the affidavit from the marshal pasted on the page, thank goodness its not covering up any vital information!)

Her third child, a daughter, Mary Hampton Stalnaker is born 17 Feb 1871 in Elkton, Hickory, Missouri.

Her fourth child, a daughter, Anna Lee Stalnaker is born 25 Jul 1874 in Elkton, Hickory, Missouri.

Her fifth child, a daughter, Victoria Virginia Stalnaker is born 23 Feb 1877 in Elkton, Hickory, Missouri.

Her sixth child, a daughter, Sarah Ellen Stalnaker is born 25 Mar 1878 in Elkton, Hickory, Missouri.

Her husband, George, dies 30 Mar 1880. He leaves her alone with 6 kids, ages 2-12. She appears in the 1880 census in Elkton, Hickory, Missouri.

On 24 Aug 1882, Evaline marries Robert J Rader in  Hickory county, Missouri. This is listed in Marriage records, 1865-1919  Hickory County (Missouri). It is a short lived marriage, perhaps he dies. Very little is known about it. In fact, the only information I have found so far on Robert J Rader erroneously lists Evaline as dying in 1883.

This is inaccurate as less than 2 years later, Evaline marries Edward H Stalnaker on 8 May 1884 in Hickory county, Missouri. It is also listed in the same marriage database. I have not discovered his parentage yet, was he related to her first husband? He is younger than her by 20 years. 

In 1885, they are living in Elwood, Barber, Kansas with her 4 youngest children. Susan is already married to her first husband, John Greaver. Andrew is perhaps working on a farm somewhere?

In 1895, they are living in Avon, Sumner, Kansas as empty nesters - none of the children are with them. All the daughters are married by this time, Susan to her second husband Samuel Musgrove, Mary to Silas Scranton, Anna to James Hudson Vaughn and Sarah to Marvin Harp.

In 1900, Evaline & Ed are living in Hackberry, Labette, Kansas. The have been married for 16 years, she has 6 children, all of whom are living. (So no new children by either her second or third husbands.)

Her son Andrew Jackson Stalnaker is married to Anna Kendall Norton in 1900. I am not sure where he is between 1880 and 1900. Her daughter Mary remarries in 1901 to William Anderson Karnes. 

In 1905, Evaline is alone in the census with a boarder. She is in Caney, Montgomery, Kansas.

In 1910, Evaline is alone with 4 boarders in Caney, Montgomery, Kansas. However, it lists her as on marriage two and having been married for 26 years. So perhaps Ed has gone off to work somewhere and is not dead? Perhaps the marriage to Robert J Rader was annulled? Questions to find answers to some day. 

In 1915, Evaline has her daughter "Mrs S E Harp" living with her in Caney, Montgomery Kansas. Sarah remarries that year to Fred Kock.

In 1920, Evaline is living with her daughter Susan Musgrove in Harmony, Stevens, Kansas.

I have not located her in the 1925 Kansas census.

Evaline Virginia Surface Stalnaker died 9 Jun 1928 in Neosho, Newton, Missouri, in the home of her daughter Mary H Karnes, whom she had been visiting. An obituary (full of spelling and date errors) reads:

STALNAKER, MRS. E. V.
(14 Jun 1928, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Mrs. E. V. Stalnaker, grandmother to Mrs. W. H. Reynolds, died in Neosho,
Mo., June 9, 1928.  Was born in West Virginia, June 15, 1840, aged 87
years, 11 months and 24 days.  She leaves one son and five daughters
living, Mr. Jack Stalnaker of Ruford, Idaho; Mrs. Musgrave, Moscow,
Kansas; Mrs. Anna Vaun of Dolton, Kansas; Mrs. Mary H. Harnes of Neosho;
Mrs. Victoria Eldridge, Carpenter, Oklahoma, Mrs. Ella Hock, Crow Agency,
Mont., also leaves a host of grand and great grandchildren.  She lived in
the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church.  She was an invalid for many
years until her death.  Her last days spent with her daughter, Mrs. Mary
H. Karnes (sic), of Neosho, Mo., where she died.

It does give a lot of great clues and information, but let's list errors: Rupert, Idaho is misspelt, Musgrove is misspelt, Vaughn is misspelt, Karnes is listed as Harnes, Ellen Kock is listed as Ella Hock. Most importantly, Evaline is listed as being born in West Virginia and as 4 years older than she was at her death. Her age and birth location is consistent throughout the census images and her death certificate with 1844, not 1840 and Montgomery, Virginia was not part or close to West Virginia.

It is fascinating to find this obituary though, which I found by chance - it was published in Oklahoma where her granddaughter Edith Karnes Reynolds lived and I found it while searching for information on William Anderson Karnes. I also find it interesting that her husbands aren't mentioned at all in the obituary and on her death certificate, her first husband is listed. That may be because of the informant - Mrs Ellen Karnes Reynolds. (Whom I could not figure out who she was or how she was related until I found out about Mary Hampton's second marriage to William Karnes.)

I cannot upload a copy of the death certificate, but you can view it at the Missouri state archives. Type in Evaline Stalnaker and it will come up. 

Evaline was buried in the IOOF cemetery in Neosho Missouri. IOOF stands for International Order of Odd Fellows. I went to the cemetery, visited with the caretaker and he found the index card with her name on it, but it did not tell where her tombstone was in the cemetery. It is a huge cemetery! I walked around the older parts for over an hour looking and hoping to find it, but was unsuccessful. You can view an index of the cemetery here - she is listed as Stalnamen, Evaline, d.6/9/1928.

Here is a google map of all the known places Evaline lived.

View Evaline Virginia Surface Stalnaker (1844 - 1928) in a larger map

Sources: 

1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920 US Censuses
1885, 1895, 1905, 1915 Kansas state censuses

Death certificate online at Missouri state archives

Obituary online at USGenweb archives for Beckham county, Kansas

Index to IOOF cemetery in Neosho, Missouri at Interment.net

Marriage Records of Hickory, Missouri 1865 - 1919