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(Biography that follows was composed by Find-A-Grave contributor Kim White.)
Nancy was the daughter of James Stafford (1826-1877) and Sarah D. Ladd (1831-1924). I found her family on the 1860 Census, living in Monroe, Kosciusko Co., Indiana, where her father James, aged 31, was farming for a living. Her mother Sarah, aged 28, was busy caring for daughter Mary A., aged 7, son Madison, aged 4, and Logan, aged 2. Also with the family were eight other people with the Stafford surname--Joseph, aged 23, Sarah, aged 63, Martin, aged 21, Andrew, aged 19, Robert Jack, aged 22, Francis, aged 28, Marion, aged 4, and Jane A., aged 2. 68-year-old Sarah was James' widowed mother. Joseph, Martin, Andrew and Francis were James' brothers.
Nancy first appeared with her family on the 1870 Census. The family was still living in Monroe (Pierceton P.O.). Nancy's father James, aged 44, was busy farming. Sarah, aged 34, would have had her hands full caring for their six children--Mary A., aged 17, Madison, aged 13, Martin Noble, aged 11, Nancy, aged 7, William Alvin, aged 5, and John Emry, aged 2.
On 26 Apr 1877, Nancy's father died at age 51.
Nancy, aged 19, was with her 47-year-old, widowed-mother Sarah when the 1880 enumeration was done. They had relocated to Center Township, Plymouth, Marshall, Indiana. Also still at home with their mother were Nancy's siblings Madison, aged 24, Noble, M., aged 21, William, aged 14, and John, aged 12.
On 13 Jul 1881, Nancy married John Creed Kline, the son of William K. Kline (1823 PA -1896) and Rhoda Green (1825 VA -1875). In the first nineteen years of their marriage, the couple would welcome ten children--William James (1881), Lenna (1884), Nellie Jane (1886), Ella Belle (1888), Ida P. (1890), Ronald I. (1892), Floyd (1894), Mamie (1895), Cora (1897), and Hattie (1900).
I found them on the 1900 Census, living in Center Township, Plymouth, Marshall, Indiana, where John, aged 40, was farming for a living. Besides caring for their ten children ranging in age from 18 down to 4 months, Nancy, aged 40, was also caring for her 68-year-old widowed mother Sarah Stafford.
As it would turn out, Nancy's mother outlived Nancy by 23 years. Nancy died a year after that 1900 Census on 13 Jan 1901. She was only 40 years old and she left ten children behind.
John didn't remarry until 1906 when he married 47-year-old-widow Clara E. Brooke Wylie. It was a third marriage for Clara. Their blended family appeared together on the 1910 Census, living in Union Township (Culver area), Marshall Co., Indiana. John, aged 50, was still farming. Clara, aged 52, was home caring for their combined seven children--John's five youngest children with Nancy: Ronald, aged 18, Floyd, aged 14, Mamie, aged 13, Cora, aged 11, and Hattie, aged 9, and Clara's children with James Wylie: James, aged 14, and Julia, aged 12.
John and Nancy's son William had married Dessa Reisch on 21 Jun 1900, their daughter Lennie had married William E. Clark on 16 Sep 1905, their daughter Nellie Jane had married Oliver Ray Baker on 16 Aug 1902, those three marriages taking place in Marshall County. Their daughter Ella Belle had married Raymond W. House on 20 Apr 1907, and their daughter Ida P. had married Richard C. Allen on 6 May 1912, both of those marriages taking place in St. Joseph County.
By the 1920 Census, John and Clara had moved to South Bend, St. Joseph Co., Indiana. John had gotten a job in a woolen mill and went into the carpet and rug making trade. The last five of John and Nancy's children had fledged. Their son Floyd had married Mary A. Gehl on 28 Apr 1917 in Marshall County, their daughter Mamie had married Norman Frederick Bushman on 1 Jul 1916 in Edwardsburg, Cass Co., Michigan, their daughter Cora had married Clyde Kemble on 21 Aug 1918 in Cassopolis, Cass Co., Michigan, and their daughter Hattie had married Raymond Poore on 29 Jan 1900 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. I couldn't find a marriage record for their son Ronald.
Nancy's husband lived until age 81, dying on 17 Jun 1941.
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1860 - 1901 (40 years)
