James Madison Perry and Alice Myrtle Rodgers

James Madison Perry (1848-1914)

James Madison Perry was born 18 December 1848 in Lawrenceburg, Anderson Co., Kentucky.  His parents were William Perry and Sarah Paine Crooke.  He is found on the 1850 census for Anderson Co. with his parents; he was 2 years old.   According to other Perry researchers, his nickname was "Wax."

He is found with his parents on the 1860 census for Anderson Co.  The household consisted of: William Perry, 36, Farmer; Sarah Perry, 36; James M. Perry, 12; Cecil Perry (female), 10; Seleste Perry (female), 7; and Martha Crook, 38.  Still in Anderson Co., they are on the 1870 census; the household consisted of William Perry, 46, Farmer, cannot read or write; Sarah, 46, cannot read or write; James M., 23; Celestine, 17; and J.W. Cozino, 7, male (no identifying information).  And on the 1880 census, James was still living with his parents and was listed as a merchant; he was 32 years old.

 In June 1894, James was named as the trustee of property left to his mother, Sarah, and Aunt Martha, by his uncle, Jesse Crook.  This included a house, lot, store and the goods in the store.  Sarah and Martha were living on the property at the time of Jesse's death.

On 15 September 1898 at the home of Newton Harrod in Frankfort, Kentucky, James Madison Perry married Alice Myrtle Rodgers, daughter of John William Rodgers and Emily Francis Allison.  On 15 September 1898, a marriage bond was entered into by James M. Perry and J. W. Rodgers (Alice's father).  J.W. Rodgers signed with a mark.  The marriage was performed that same day.  It was witnessed by Ambrose Polsgrove (husband of Alice Myrtle's sister) and Tom Read.  The minister was the Rev. J.A. Peters.  James Madison was 49 and Alice Myrtle was 20 years old.

Alice Myrtle Rodgers (1878-1943)

Alice Myrtle Rodgers was born 17 July 1878 in Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky.  She was a redhead.  She is found on the 1880 census with her parents and brother, Tom, in Shelby Co., Kentucky.  The household consisted of John W Rodgers, 28, Farmer; Emily F., wife, 29; Thomas W, son, 8; and Alice M., 1, daughter.

Alice Myrtle Rodgers (left) and her sister, Leoma Rodgers (right)

On 26 June 1899 at Harp, Bald Knob, Franklin Co., Kentucky, a son, James Mortimer Perry, was born to Alice and James.  The family in Kentucky called him "Mortimer" or "Mort."

James Mortimer Perry

James Madison was a storekeeper, a teacher, and a grocer.  He worked mostly as a teacher who also kept a store to supplement his salary.  The store burnt down about 1900.  He rebuilt it, but it wasn't ever successful again.  His uncle, Jesse Crook, gave him the money to start his store.
The family is found on the 1900 census (taken June 25, 1900) in the Bald Knob District, Franklin Co., Kentucky.   They were listed as:  Perry, James, head, married 1 yr, (age not shown), dry goods merchant, can read & write, owned farm; Perry, Myrtle, wife, born July 1878, 21 yrs old, married 1 yr; Perry, Mortimer, son, born June 1899; Perry, William, father, born July 1824, 75 yrs old, married 53 yrs, cannot read or write, born KY, both parents born KY; Sallie P. Perry, mother, born April 1824, 76 yrs old, married 53 yrs, 5 children, 2 living; can read & write; born KY; both parents born KY. And Martha Dewit, Aunt, born June 1818, widow, no children. 

On 19 November 1900, daughter, Venus was born.  Venus had red hair. 

Venus Perry

According to Venus Perry's daughter, Venus thought that the store burned when she was about 5.  After the store burned, the family moved to a house at the crossroads and Mortimer went to school near the Pleasant Ridge Church.  About 1906, the family moved to Frankfort, Kentucky.

The following is a letter from James Madison ("Wax") to his sister, Celeste (Perry) Goens ("Bets").  There is no date on the transcription, which reads:
"Bets,     I got your letter and was sorry to hear that matters were as they are but some day all things will work out right.  Harry Quire and Henry Harrison are trying all in their power to have me thrown out of doors.  Henry told some men the other day that he saw me with a pillow slip full of silver, more he said than his scoop would hold pocket book full of bills and I wish I may never get up if I have in all over 17 dollars.  I have got my little stock of goods and owe on them 209 (could be 309) dollars.  I know there is not a dollar here that Uncle Jesse willed.  In keeping ma and Aunt Martha besides the building and other things that I bought for their benefit took nearly double the amount he willed, besides what was burned.  I was told that Dud, said he told Tom he would sell his cow & give him the money if he (Tom) would bring suit.  Now such would be mere nonsense when everything was produced in court.  As to your bed keep quiet all will work right.  I have never tried to force or even persuade any of them to sign that paper.  I merely let them see it, and let them do as they pleased.  Tom said he would not sign the paper but would sign a deed. When a suitable time presents itself Harry & Henry Harrison will hear from me.  I am doing but a very small business.  My profits will not feed & clothe us but I trust some day times will be better.  Bets neither of us has but a short time longer to remain here.  And there is but one thing that I wish to live for and that is my babies.  I would be glad if they were big enough to take care of themselves.

As I said about your bed and other things keep quiet and some day all things will work out right.  I won't write any more now, but come as soon as you can.  The children are well, but Myrtle and I are grunty.  I wish you and the rest of your family peace in this world and everlasting happiness in a world to come.   Yours,   Wax"

Venus, Alice Myrtle, James Mortimer, & James Madison (seated) Perry

By the 1910 census, the family was still in Frankfort.  James & Myrtle had been married 12 years.  He was not employed.  She was working in a shoe factory.  James Madison was 61; Alice Myrtle was 31.   Myrtle also worked as a guide at the Kentucky State House and a cleaning lady once James Madison became to ill to work.

On 24 September 1912, James Madison wrote a letter to his sister, Celeste:  The letter follows:
"Frankfort, KY
Sept 24 - 1912

Bets

This gloomy morning I am here alone and not feeling at all good.  I have been feeling very bad for 3 or 4 weeks.  I am feeling very low down, entirely out of heart.  I don't feel that I can stand to be cooped up here all winter, fishing time is over & I thought the first of Nov. I would try to catch a few musk-rats; but I went yesterday and examined the river bank, and found no signs, but found that the bank was so steep that I could not of at wet time get to the edge of the water with sliding in.  I have been trying for three months to catch fish enough to buy me a box of Foleys Kidney pills but they would not bite at all.  I dont believe there are any hardly above the dam.

Myrtle is still at the shoe factory and I reckon will have to stay as I hear the sinking fund commissioners have agreed to hold the two women who are already there, both republicans.  To a great many the workings of McCreary's administration are not satisfactory.  The children are both well and going to school every day.  Venus is hearty and Mortimer eats like a bull. He went to Bills Friday and Sunday he and Bill gathered hickory-nuts in the rain.  Mortimer has played keeps with marbles till he has won 2000.  Mandy Farmer comes to market every week and brings us beans, corn, tomatoes and apples every week.  She was here last week and left Jim sick in bed.  She said if he got better they would come here next Sunday.  Jim is 78 years old.  Bets I have written all I know and will have to close trusting you are all three well.  Has Dud cut his tobacco.  Write soon and all of you come when you can.  J. M. Perry
                         311 - 4th St. Frankfort, KY.
P.S.  Dr J. W. Kidd of Fort Wayne, Ind. has sent to the express office for me a course of medicine $3.50 C.O.D. with the understanding that if does not benefit me he returns my money but I can't take it out and wrote him so."


James Mortimer said he could remember some things about his father who died when he was about 15 years old.  His father was always ill and died of multiple sclerosis.  He also recalls that his father had a wagon and would go from house to house selling pots and pans and various other articles.



James Madison Perry died 8 June 1914 in Frankfort, Kentucky of kidney disease.   He was 65 years old.  He was buried at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery, Frankfort, Franklin Co., Kentucky in an unmarked grave.


When her husband died, Myrtle was 35 years old.  Son, James Mortimer, was about 15 and daughter, Venus, was about 14.  Just a year later, on 2 June 1915, Myrtle's mother died.  And so sometime before about 1917, she and Venus moved to Muncie.  They were followed by Mortimer and her father, John Will Rodgers.  The 1917 city directory for Muncie shows the four of them living at 121 E. 9th and shows John W. Rodgers, a blacksmith; Mortimer Perry, working at TW Warner; Myrtle Perry, widow of James M.; and Venus Perry, working at Republic Iron & Steel.

On 23 February 1917, Alice Myrtle Perry married Marion C. ("Doc") Clifton in Delaware Co., Indiana.  "Doc" was 53.  This was his second marriage.  His first wife, Rosa Canada, had died in August 1913.  Doc had four children by Rosa: Artie, Goldie, George, and Herschel.

About October 1919, Myrtle and Doc's son, John Marion Clifton, was born in Jamestown, Boone Co., Indiana. 

Herschel, John Marion, Alice Myrtle, and Doc Clifton

Doc Clifton owned a farm near Jamestown, Indiana, and the family lived there during the 1920s and 1930s.  Myrtle's father, John Will Rodgers, lived with them for awhile before his death in 1930.  Venus also lived there until her marriage in May 1920 to William Creager.  There are a number of photos of the family taken at the Clifton farm about 1920.  I have included a few below.

Alice Myrtle and daughter, Venus, about 1920

Georgia Licher & Venus Perry

Georgia, Herschel, Venus, Jim

Jim, Georgia, Doc, Herschel

Jim (Mortimer) and Venus

Jim and Venus

Georgia and Venus

James Mortimer Perry and his mother, Myrtle Clifton

 On 16 August 1943, Alice Myrtle (Rodgers) Perry Clifton died at St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana.  The cause of death was given as "pneumonia due to Empyema (right side)."  She had been in the hospital 25 days before her death.  Her husband, John Marion Clifton, provided the information for her death certificate.  She was 65 years old.  She was buried in Old Union Cemetery, Jamestown, Boone Co., Indiana in an unmarked grave. 

An obituary appeared on 19 August 1943 in the Jamestown Press:  "ALICE M. CLIFTON DIES AT AGE OF 65.  Expires At Indianapolis Of Pneumonia.  Mrs. Alice Myrtle Clifton, age 65, passed away at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon at the St. Vincent hospital in Indianapolis.  She had been ill four weeks of complications followed by pneumonia.
   Mrs. Clifton was born in Franklin county, Ky., the daughter of John William Rogers and Emily (Allison) Rogers.  In 1898 she was married in Frankfort, Ky., to James Madison Perry, who died in 1914.  In 1917 she was married in Muncie to Marion Clifton who survives.  She is a member of the Christian church at Jamestown.  She came to Indiana in 1914 and resided in Muncie until she married when she moved to Jamestown.
  Surviving besides the husband are three children: James M. Perry of Muncie, Mrs. Henry Creager of Hartford City, John Marion Clifton, of the U.S. Rangers, stationed at Camp Forrest, Tenn., fifteen grandchildren and one great grandchild also survive.  One brother, T.W. Rogers of Frankfort, Ky., is still living and one sister, Leoma Polsgrove, is dead.
  Funeral services were held at 2:30 Wednesday afternoon at the Jamestown Christian church, in charge of Rev. Atkins, pastor of the church.  Burial in Old Union Cemetery."


John Marion Clifton died 6 June 1944.  He was killed in action on "Invasion Day," during World War II, on Omaha Beach, Normandy, France.  He is buried in France.

John Marion Clifton

James Mortimer Perry died 21 May 1986 in Muncie, Delaware Co., Indiana.  I will do a full bio post on him at a later date.

Venus Perry Creager North died 22 March 2002 in Hartford City, Indiana.  I will do a full bio post on her at a later date.