I am looking for information about my grandfather Edward Monroe Fuller born in Francisco Indiana May of 1898.

He was not raised by his parents, and died at the age of 31 years old. I am the daughter of his daughter Dorothy Fuller Dunn. We know very little about my grandfather, we have a date of birth, date of death and place of birth as Francisco Indiana.

My mother remembered very little about her father. She was only four when he died of accidental drowning. At the age of 13 he was living as a boarder with a Forrest family in Reynoldsville Illinois.

Even a slight clue as to the parents of Edward Fuller would be appreciated.

thanks
Sandra Dunn Fann

Sandra. Not related, just trying to help. I think this is your Edward M Fuller. In the 1900 census for Ind, Perry county, Dist 107, page 3, which was part of Clark township, there was a Ruthy Fuller, 23, born Sept 1876, a widow born in Ind as were both parents, working as a servant for another family, included was Eddie M Fuller, 2, May 1898, a lodger, born in Ind as were both parents. I would assume Ruthy was his mother. I also think this is the marriage, although it was probably a shotgun type. William Fuller married Ruth J King in Perry county on 14 Feb 1898, source is book 8, page 107. Hope this helps. Don

Thanks Errhodes. Someone else pointed me in the same direction, and I am more and more inclined to think that Ruthy J and William Fuller were the legal parents of my grandfather. I am not so sure that William Fuller was the actual father of the child that Ruthy J bore.

Here is the reason, in 1901, Ruthy J married Thomas Riley Anderson and in 1902 she had a child by him. William Fuller did not die until the 1960s. The date Ruthy J died is unknown. There is something about the child Eddy M that makes me think William was not his true father, and the thing is, there was a rumor in the area where my grandfather met my grandmother that he was possibly of mixed race. Although he denied it, and claimed to be Black Irish, we have not dismissed the possiblity that he may have been a mixed race child.

None of the family trees the include Ruthy J King, show her as having had a child by William Fuller.

In 1910, my grandfather was living as a boarder in Reynoldsville Illinois, just a few miles from where he spent the rest of his life.

I have sent for my grandfather's military records, they should be arriving soon. I am hoping they will have more info on the place of his birth. I do know for sure it was Indiana. I am going to send for a birth record for him.

Thanks again. I have explored other families with an Edward Fuller of his age in them, none of them have even come close to being him. I think if Ruthy J and William were not his parents, they have adopted him posthumusly. LOL

Sandra F

Sandra. You seem to have a good arguement for not believing them to be his biological parents, but I respectally disagree. In the 1900 census both
Ruthy and William Fuller claim to be widowed, divorces in those day were not as common as they are today and carried a social stigma so a lot of divorced people claimed to be widowed. Also Black Irish did not necessary refer to a person of mixed race. To the Irish it could mean a person whose physical characturistics were different, such as darker skin or darker hair than the norm, or possibly someone descended from the Spanish who washed up on the Irish shore after their fleet was destroyed by the English, and sometimes to someone who differed in their thinking pertaining to religion or politics. Good luck in your search. Don

Thanks so much errhodes. I have made inquiry at the Perry County Indiana genealogical society home page. The lady who replied is in agreement that Ruthy J and William Fuller do appear to be the parents of my grandfather Edward Monroe Fuller. She says his birth place was most likely Bristow Indiana which is in Clark Township.

I truely appreciate your help and comments. Thanks again

Sandra F

Black Irish were not of mixed-race. This is traditional term used by American Irish in describing those with black or brown hair

My understanding of the term "Black Irish" is - when the Spanish armada shipwrecked the survivors married with the Irish - thus the decendants became known as "Black Irish".