Belzora! Doesn't that make it's own statement! I just love the name, but my children are all very glad that I didn't find her in time to name any of them after her! Belzora comes through my husband's family - she is his great-grandmother. I don't have any photos of her, but I would to find one.
Belzora, one of nine children, was born to Eli and Martella (Castle) Castle on 15 May 1879. She had a twin sister Victoria, who died before 1900, along with their mother. Belzora lived her entire life in Johnson County, Kentucky and probably never left the county. Her father was a farmer. Education was not a big priority for this family - her parents, her husband and Belzora never learned to read or write. She married James Daniels sometime around 1904 (I'm still looking for a marriage certificate) and they started their married life as a farmer on a rented farm. They moved between 1910 and 1920 to their own farm, but on the 1920 census James listed his occupation as a miner, as were most of the men in Johnson County. James and Belzora had ten children between 1904 and 1920. Her father Eli, moved in with them in 1920 and was on hand to give information for her death certificate when she passed away on September 6, 1923 from TB.
I'd love to be named Belzora. Although I would want everyone to call me Zora. I think your grandchildren are more glad that you didn't discover Belzora in time for their crazy mother to give them that name.
ReplyDeleteIn some of the census years, her name was shortened to Belle. I totally would have gone with Zora!
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