Anna DeMaro
When I first began researching my 2X Great Grandmother, Annie, I saw that several people had identified Annie as Annie DeMaro, parents Francis and America DeMaro. After a bit of research, it became obvious that Anna DeMaro was not my 2X Great Grandmother, Annie. I still see many researchers identifying Anna DeMaro as the third wife of John Farney Woodruff and mother to Edna, Maude, Frank, Robert, David, William, Florence, Lee, and Brownie and have had varying degrees of success in convincing them otherwise.
At first blush, this is a tempting association, as the 1880 Federal Census lists Annie’s year of birth at about 1857 and her birthplace as Ohio. Annie’s death certificate lists her father as being from France. Also, her second husband, John Farney Woodruff, was from Ironton, Ohio. However, Annie’s death certificate identified her father as “Cheney,” so it is assumed that was her family name. As you will see in the documentation below, Anna DeMaro married and raised her family in West Virginia, so she can’t possibly be my 2X great grandmother - third wife of John Farney Woodruff.
DeMaro family 1850-1880
Reviewing the 1850-1860 Federal Census Reports for the DeMaro family shows that census workers have had some very interesting variations on the family name:
1850 Federal Census |
1860 Federal Census |
1870 Federal Census |
1880 Federal Census |
Francis Morrow |
Frances DeMero |
Francis Demarre |
Frank Demanon [Demarre] |
America |
America |
Sarah (married 1864) |
Sarah |
Nancy J. |
Nancy Jane |
Mary |
William |
Rebecca Akers |
Mary |
Permelia |
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William |
Anna |
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Anna |
Thomas |
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Thomas |
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1850 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Kentucky, population schedule, p. 86b (stamped), dwelling 474, family 477, Francis Morrow; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 October 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 209.
1860 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Ohio, population schedule, Ironton, p. 162 (stamped), dwelling 12, family 13, Frances Demero; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 October 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M653, film 803997.
1870 U.S. census, Lawrence County, Ohio, population schedule, Ironton, p. 375A(stamped), dwelling 574, family 579, Francis Demarre; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 October 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 1231.
Amelia D DeMaro Hunter
Amelia (obviously, the “Permilia” listed on the 1870 Census) DeMaro’s Find-a-Grave memorial describes her family relationships, including her sister, Anna:
“HUNTER, MRS. AMELIA IET FEB. 10, 1926
Mrs. Amelia Hunter, wife of P. F. Hunter of 619 North 5th St., passed away this morning . . . Mrs. Hunter was 67 years old, being born in this city, a daughter of Francis and America DeMaro. Her parents were among the early settlers of this district, Mr. DeMaro coming direct to Ironton from France in 1848. She and Mr. Hunter were married in Ironton and reared their family here. Mr. Hunter was one of the founders of the First M. E. church. A husband and five children survive: Henry of Ironton, John of Vermillion, Charles of Philadelphia, James P. and Mary at home. One son, Samuel, passed away three years ago. T. O. DeMaro of Columbus is a brother and Mrs. Anna M. __ymkle of Lunleith, WV, a sister. The latter’s husband was killed in an automobile accident several months ago. One sister, Mrs. Mary Williams of Russell, and one brother, Will DeMaro, preceded Mrs. Hunter in death. Interment at Woodland.”
It is obvious that this is the correct family, and Amelia’s sister, Anna DeMaro, married someone with a last name that is some variation of “__ymkle” and moved to West Virginia.
Anna DeMaro did, indeed marry someone with a name that a newspaper could easily corrupt by replacing the first two letters with underscores and adding a “k” instead of an “a” - you can see how they obviously intended to print Anna “Plymale.”
Anna DeMaro Plymale
Marriage
Wayne, West Virginia, United States, "West Virginia Marriages, 1853–1970.” unnumbered p. 1, John M. Plymale and Anna Demarrow, 13 Oct 1864; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 25 October 2020).
Death
West Virginia State Department of Health certificate of death no. 16859, Anna De Maro Plymale (1937); Kenova, Wayne County.
Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 25 October 2020), memorial page 194782607, Anna De Maro Plymale (1859–1937), created by "Darryl Diemer"; citing Ridgelawn Memorial Park, Barboursville, Cabell County, West Virginia, USA. gravestone posted.