Stephens Roots: A family tree

Chronology:
Mary Kitchens and her parents
I believe her parents were William Kitchens of South Carolina and Rachael Kitchens of North Carolina. I have tracked them through several decades, although I'm not sure about 1840. In 1840, William should have been about 30, and Rachael about 32. Mary would have been about 4.

The 1840 Henry County, Georgia census is somewhat informative, showing a William Kitchens between 30 and 40. Also in the household are two boys, one under 5 and one between 5 and 10. There is also a girl under 5. This is probably Mary. Rachael appears as a woman between 30 and 40. All of this is fairly consistent with the following 1850 census.

The 1850 Henry County, Georgia census used initials instead of first names, making things more difficult. But we see M. Kitchens—a 14-year-old girl—in the household. This age correlates with the 1836 date on the grave.

The entire family includes Wm. (male, age 40), R. (female, age 42), J. (male, age 15), M. (female, age 14), Jno. (male, age 12), Wm. (male, age 8), T. J. (male, age 3).

February 11, 1855: Mary Kitchens marries Dionysius Virgil Stephens (Source: Handwritten marriage certificate, Campbell County, Georgia).

In the 1860 Spalding County, Georgia census, we have William Kitchens (46) and Rachael (45), with John (male, age 22), William (male, age 18), and Jefferson (male, age 14). Here, the ages of William and Rachael are not consistent with the 1850 census, but the children's ages make sense.

On March 14, 1862, Mary Kitchens Stephens dies.

I have not located the Kitchens family on an 1870 census.

On the 1880 census for Butts County, Georgia, we find William (62) and Rachael (68) living by themselves. Again, their ages are all over the place, but this is something we see on old census forms. Their respective birth states of South Carolina and North Carolina are consistent from decade to decade. Living nearby are Andrew J. (?) Kitchens, age 40, and his family. This is probably John. His wife is Anna J. (age 28). Also living there are five children and mother-in-law Sarah Jackson (age 47).

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A link to history

As I dug into the Stephens family history, I was intrigued by my great-grandfather, Dionysius Virgil Stephens (1833–1918). Like most people of his generation, he must have been deeply affected by the War Between the States. It occurred while he was still in his late 20s and early 30s, and it occurred in blazing form in his city of Atlanta.

D. V. Stephens was born in 1833. When Atlanta was burned in 1864, he was 31 years old, and an army private for the Confederate States of America. His Captain was William A. Fuller, the man who just a few years earlier had pursued the locomotive General (below) in what is now known as the great locomotive chase.

 

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Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the Medal of Honor
by Russell Bonds
Thanks to this fascinating book, I was able to piece together the information about William Fuller and his relationship to my great-grandfather.

I recommend this book. It almost reads like fiction, but it's all true. Click this image to purchase it from Amazon.com.

 

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The secret wife of Dionysius Virgil Stephens: part 01 (Mary Kitchens)

When I researched the family of D. V. Stephens, I learned that he was married twice, first to Mary Kitchens and next to Rebecca Catherine Reaves (Reeves). He fathered three children with Mary and six more with Rebecca. I also learned, to my great surprise, that Dionysius had a third wife who is somewhat of a secret. If you can't wait to read about her, go ahead and jump to part 3.

Mary Kitchens
I know almost nothing about his first wife, Mary Kitchens. She was born in 1836, according to the date on the grave stone below. She died on March 14, 1862, at the age of 26. She is buried in the Fairburn (Georgia) City Cemetery on a Stephens family plot. Also on the plot are John Washington Stephens, grandfather of Dionysius Stephens, and his wife Miram (Miriam).

Family stories say Mary died in childbirth, but I have found no evidence to support that belief. There is no separate infant grave at the cemetery site. I'm told that a woman and child who died in childbirth were sometimes buried together. Again, I have no evidence that this is the case.

The children of D. V. Stephens and Mary Kitchens Stephens are:

• Emaline (January 20, 1856–November 18, 1944*)
• William Tillman (January 19, 1857–December 15, 1943)
• Alice J. (circa April 7, 1860–July 22, 1923)

 

*Georgia death certificate 23870 lists Emaline's date of death as November 18, 1944. Two separate researchers in the family list Emaline's date of death as November 12, 1945. One of these researchers may have obtained this date from the other. I am using the date on the death certificate until I have more information.

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1850 Census showing Mary Kitchens at 14 living with her family

 

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Last update: April 7, 2014