Individual record
Sarah Jane French
1866–1950 · 84 years
also known as "Janie"
Life
Places in Sarah Jane’s life
Notes & Recollections
After the death of her husband she spent most of her life living with her daughter, Esther, and then with her son Dilman. She was a member of Royal Neighbors of America.
Records & Research
Sarah Jane French Bills (born 9 Aug 1866 in Canton, Jones County, Iowa; died 24 Jun 1950) was the daughter of Joseph French (1823-1900) and Grace Catherine Beever French (the family report gives 1836-1911; FindAGrave gives 1837-1911). On 16 January 1894 in Wyoming, Jones County, Iowa, she married Fred A. Bills (1862-1926), with whom she had five children: Esther Eunice, Stephen Chester, Dilman French, Edwin Glenn, and Ruth Eleanor Bills. She is buried in Antioch Cemetery (Anamosa / West of Wyoming, Jones County, Iowa). A FindAGrave memorial (ID 150787788) is an unambiguous multi-anchor match for this person, agreeing with the family report on birth date, death date, spouse, both parents, all five children, and burial; it differs only on minor details (death place listed only as 'USA' rather than Flint, Michigan; mother's birth year 1837 vs the report's 1836; birth place given to county level only). Identity is confirmed; a few specifics (death place, Royal Neighbors membership) remain to be independently documented.
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Sarah Jane French Bills was born 9 Aug 1866 in Canton, Jones County, Iowa, and died 24 Jun 1950 (aged 83).
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She is buried in Antioch Cemetery, Anamosa (West of Wyoming), Jones County, Iowa.
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She was the daughter of Joseph French (1823-1900) and Grace Catherine Beever French (1836/1837-1911).
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She married Fred A. Bills (1862-1926) on 16 January 1894 in Wyoming, Jones County, Iowa.
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Fred and Sarah had five children: Esther Eunice Bills (married Raeburn Iver Paulson), Stephen Chester Bills (1896-1978, married Lillian Christopherson), Dilman French Bills (1900-1956, married Lyda Ann Cool), Edwin Glenn Bills (1903-1978, married Clara R.), and Ruth Eleanor Bills (1908-1940).
Not yet confirmed — probable matches and family lore, shown for research. Treat with caution.
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Her siblings included William Newton French (1857-1940), Mary Joanna French DeMoss (1859-1920), James Myron French (1865-1948), and Arminda Annabel French Bender (1868-1942); half-siblings Charlotte French DeMoss (1851-1903) and Angeline F. French Gracey Dewitt (1853-1941). likely
likely mother birth year: report “1836” vs. found “1837”. The family report gives Grace Catherine Beever's birth as 1836 (11 Dec 1836 in the source document); FindAGrave lists 1837 for Grace Catherine Beever French. One-year discrepancy, common with 19th-century records. The report appears internally consistent on 1836.
unconfirmed death place: report “Flint, Michigan” vs. found “USA (unspecified)”. The family report states she died in Flint, Michigan; the FindAGrave memorial lists the death place only as 'USA' (verified directly), so FindAGrave neither confirms nor contradicts it. The Flint, Michigan death place is supported within the family report itself, which records that she spent her later years living with her children, and the daughter Esther Paulson's household was in Flint, Michigan. Still needs an independent Michigan death certificate or obituary to confirm.
unconfirmed birth place specificity: report “Canton, Jones County, Iowa” vs. found “Jones County, Iowa (county-level only)”. FindAGrave gives the birth place only to county level (Jones County, Iowa); the family report specifies the town of Canton. Not contradictory - FindAGrave is simply less specific.
Open questions (6)
- Confirm her death place of Flint, Michigan via a Michigan death certificate or obituary (FindAGrave lists only 'USA'). The family report supports Flint and notes she lived with her children late in life, but no independent civil/obituary record has been located.
- Verify her exact birth place as Canton, Jones County, Iowa (FindAGrave gives only county-level detail).
- Locate independent documentation (census, civil marriage record) for the 16 Jan 1894 marriage to Fred A. Bills.
- Sarah's membership in the Royal Neighbors of America appears only in the family report notes and was not found in any consulted external source; document it independently before publishing it as fact.
- Resolve Grace Catherine Beever French's birth year (report 1836 vs FindAGrave 1837) with a primary source.
- Confirm the married surnames and death years for the siblings/half-siblings, which currently rely only on user-curated FindAGrave family links (the names and birth years are corroborated by the family report, but the rest is not).
Sources consulted (4)
Sources
- obituary.
- Clifford R. Paulson
p. 190 Ancestry
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