Georgia Anna Amore is somewhat of a mystery to me. She was the daughter of George Washington Amore (my g-grandfather’s brother) and Catherine (Katie) Burden. Born on January 21, 1895 in Plainfield, Coshocton County, Ohio, Georgia was G.W.’s and Katie’s 5th child and 2nd daughter. One brother was born after her.
Georgia married no less than 4 times (Ottis Kazee, John Albert, LeRoy Bennett, and William Smith) and possibly 5 (Unknown Ostler or Osler).
Georgia’s first daughter (and only child from her first marriage to Otis Kazee), died at the age of 13 months from pneumonia. Mary Katherine Kazee’s obituary seems to indicate that Georgia and Otis were not living together any more.
It seems odd that the newspaper states that she was 13 months old (it was the Jan. 12, 1915 edition of the Coshocton Tribune) yet lists her birthdate as the month before (Dec. 1914) – even her death certificate states she was born in Dec. 1914. Georgia was the informant so it would seem logical that she would know how old her daughter was. Georgia also lists her own birthplace as Ohio.
The 1920 Census (above) show Georgia and her second husband, John Albert, living in Tuscarawas Twp, Coshocton County, Ohio. They had been married almost 5 years and had one daughter, Velma, age 3 years and 9 months. One son, George Woodrow, born on Oct. 3, 1918 died on Nov. 21, 1918 (a little over a month old) of “improper nutrition”. The other 3 children (Nellie, Grace and John) were from John’s previous marriage to Elva P.
In the May 23, 1916, June 17, 1919, and May 16, 1921 editions of the Coshocton Tribune, John had posted this notice: “I will not be responsible for any debts incurred by my wife, Georgia Albert.” In the March 15, 1917 edition of the same newspaper there were two different postings. One reads:
Says Hubby Was Extremely Cruel
In the matter of John A. Albert Vs. Georgia Albert asking a divorce, the answer and cross petition of the defendent was held Wednesday in probate court.
In her cross petition the defendent alleges extreme cruelty in that about six months after the birth of their child, “plaintiff came into the room where she was sleeping and while sharpening a butcher knife said he felt like cutting defendent’s d—- head off; and struck her with his fist, and pulled her out of bed.” Other instances of alleged cruelty are also cited.
The next posting reads:
Wants Divorce
Alleging that his wife was guilty of neglect of duty, that she struck him with a rocker and a cream pitcher and stabbed him with a fork so violently that the handle was broken, John A. Albert brot suit in probate court Tuesday against Georgia Albert asking a divorce and temporary injunction restraining her from interfering with his management of the household until the case should be heard. The injunction was allowed. The couple were married Oct. 1, 1915, and one child was born of the marriage. Albert was married previously and has a child by the first marriage. He alleges that his present wife threatened it’s life. George D. Klein represents the plaintiff.
Yet the couple remained married at least until about 1921 and had two more daughters, Betty and Winifred, and a son, Charles. Velma is not seen again after this census and is believed to have died prior to 1930.
Sometime between 1921 and 1926, after Georgia and John divorced, she married Leroy Bennett. Their first son, Robert Leroy Bennett, was born on Apr. 24, 1926 in Fayette County, Ohio. He died four months later on Aug. 10, 1926 of malnutrition. Leroy listed Georgia’s birthplace as Blaine, Kentucky on the death certificate.
The next son, Thomas J. Bennett, born Mar. 2, 1928, lived until he was 15 months old. The cause of death was listed as petroleum poisoning. This time Leroy listed Georgia’s birthplace as Ohio.
The couple had one more known son, Kenneth Bennett, born in 1929 and living to adulthood.
Georgia, age 35, is found on the 1930 Census living on her own in Madison Twp, Greenfield, Madison County, Ohio. She was enumerated as Head of household, divorced, born in Kentucky (?) and with three children: Charles Albert (son with John Albert) – age 8, born in Ohio; Eileen Ostler (daughter with Unknown Ostler) – age 6, born in Ohio; and Kenneth Bennett, age 8 months, born in Ohio.
Daughter, Betty Albert, age 9, was living with Georgia’s sister, Bertha, and her husband, John Woodward, in Linton Twp, Plainfield Village, Coshocton County, Ohio. Winifred isn’t found – but she is listed as married and a survivor later in Georgia’s obituary.
Sometime after the 1930 Census, Georgia married William Smith. The couple had three known children: James, Paul and Gerald. William died in 1954 and the couple were still married. Georgia died on December 23, 1973 at Community Hospital in Springfield, Ohio. Her obituary ran in the Hillsboro, Ohio Press Gazette the following day. It reads:
Georgia Anna Smith
Georgia Anna Smith, 78, Greenfield, died at 1:30 p.m. yesterday at Community Hospital, Springfield. She was a member of the Plainfield, O., Baptist Church and a Gold Star Mother.
She was born Jan. 21, 1895, the daughter of George and Catherine Burden Amore, at Plainfield.
She married William Smith, who died in April of 1954.
She is survived by seven children, Mrs. Clarence (Winifred) Summer of Springfield, James W. Smith, serving with the U.S. Army at Ft. Lee, Va., and Mrs. Arthur (Betty) Payne, Mrs. Herman (Eileen) Daugherty, Kenneth Bennett, Paul Smith and Gerald Smith, all of Greenfield; 36 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.
One son, Charles Albert, was killed during World War II, on Oct. 6, 1944. She also was predeceased by six children who died in infancy, two other children, four brothers and a sister.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Murray Funeral Home, Greenfield. Rev. Noble Miller officiating and burial at Greenfield Cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
She delivered a total of 16 children – five of those who died are known (Mary Katherine Kazee, Robert Leroy Bennett, Thomas J. Bennett; Velma Albert, and George Woodrow Albert. Her son Charles died in the War. Only seven survived her upon her death. There are still three unaccounted children. Not only does it appear that Georgia lived a life of “drama” and engaged in volatile relationships but she had several children who died. I wonder if she ever suffered from depression or post-partum depression.
I have no photos of Georgia nor any information about her descendents – other than from her daughter, Betty (from husband John Albert). I’d like to find out about all the other children she bore as well as the husbands who divorced her. So that is the end of Georgia’s story until I can do further research.
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It was a very small bonnet. I exclaimed to those who were around me that I bet it had been Mom’s baby sister’s. Would there be more clues beneath the tissue paper in the bottom of the box?
Yes! A calendar! And not just any calendar. It was from 1927. The year my grandparents’ youngest daughter, Lois Evelyn, was born – and died.
All My Branches Genealogy 