Mary Frances Scarth ^{1 2}

  Noted events in her life were:

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in East Lincoln Township, Logan, IL on 1 June 1880. ¹

1880 US Census
Page 156B, District 43, Dwelling 49, Family 51, Roll 0227
East Lincoln Township, Logan County, Illinois
Mary Houser..Wife..30..IL..Keeping House

(Living with husband and 4 step-sons.)

NOTE - If her birth date was in Feb 1849, then her age should have been 31 instead of 30.
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• She appeared on the 1900 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on 1 June 1900. ²

1900 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 100, Dwelling 2, Family 2
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned with mortgage
Married 20 years
Mary F. Howser..Wife..Feb 1849..51..IL..1/1

(Living with husband, 2 step-sons, and 1 daughter.)
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Mary married James Morrison Houser, son of Joshua Howser and Rebecca Miller, on 9 November 1879 in , Sangamon County, IL.^{1 2} (James Morrison Houser was born on 21 February 1834 in , Spencer County, KY,^{2 3 4 5 6 7 8} died on 18 January 1917 in Creston, MT ³ and was buried after 18 January 1917 in Kalispell, MT.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in East Lincoln Township, Logan, IL on 1 June 1880. ¹

1880 US Census
Page 156B, District 43, Dwelling 49, Family 51, Roll 0227
East Lincoln Township, Logan County, Illinois
Jas. M. Houser..Self..45..KY..Farmer
Mary Houser..Wife..30..IL..Keeping House
Joshua Houser..Son..21..IL..Works On Farm
Edgar Houser..Son..12..IL..Works On Farm
Frank Houser...Son..8..IL
John B. Houser..Son..7..IL

NOTE - Joshua and Edgar Houser were children from James Houser 's first wife, Mathilda Moyer.

After his second wife (Margaret Patterson) died shortly after giving birth to a daughter named Margaret, James Houser married his third wife, Mary Scarth. For some reason, the young daughter Margaret Houser was sent to live with her Aunt, Elizabeth Howser, who was married to James R. Adams. James Houser and his sister, Elizabeth Houser-Adams, lived close to each other in Logan County.
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• They appeared on the 1900 US Census in Illinois Township, Nelson, ND on 1 June 1900. ²

1900 US Census
Sheet 1A, District 100, Dwelling 2, Family 2
Illinois Township, Nelson County, North Dakota
Farm owned with mortgage
Married 20 years
James M. Howser..Head..Feb 1834..66..KY..Farmer
Mary F. Howser..Wife..Feb 1849..51..IL..1/1
Frank M. Howser..Son..Dec 1870..29..IL..Farmer..farm rented
John C. Howser..Son..Feb 1872..28..IL..Farmer..farm owned (should be rented?)
Emma P. Howser...Dau..Jun 1883..16..IL..At School

NOTE - Living adjacent to James and Mary Houser were other Houser families including Arthur C. Howser and family, James Morrison Howser and family, along with Charles Metcalf and family whose mother's maiden name was Houser. All three of the Howser families were listed consecutively on the census which might indicate they were immediate neighbors but I don't know how far apart they actually lived. It took the enumerator 5 days to visit just 10 households on this particular page.
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