Kathryn Marston would only celebrate one Mother's Day

The 52 Ancestors theme this week is “Mother’s Day.” Today’s blog post is about a young woman who would only live to celebrate one Mother’s Day.

Photo courtesy of Bulldog Fan, Find A Grave ID 48178484.

Kathryn O. Marston, daughter of Elijah “Frank” Marston and Carrie Cox Armstrong, was born December 1888 in Georgia, most likely Atlanta. As far as I can tell, she was the only child of Frank and Carrie, however, it appears she had at least four siblings from her mother’s first marriage to Joel B. Joyner—Callie Joyner, Hattie M. Joyner, Annie Joyner, and William Hugh Joyner. She went by Katie and was the first cousin 2x removed of my brother-in-law Randy Marston.

Katie’s mother was 10 years older than her father.

Katie came from a musical family—her father Frank was a musician for 40 years according to his death certificate. He played the French horn at the Second Baptist Church in Atlanta, was a traveling salesman for a music house, a member and president of the Southern University Orchestra organization, a member and president of the Atlanta chapter of the American Federation of Musicians Local 148, and a member of the Musical Union Band with his brother John Henry Marston. It’s said his brother John played the tuba in the Old Atlanta Band and with John Philip Sousa’s band but I haven’t found evidence of either yet.

On June 1, 1900, Katie and her family lived on Ivy Street in the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother Carrie, who was the head of the household, ran a boarding house. The census enumerator noted that Carrie was the mother of five children, three of which were living. All three were in fact living in the home on that day. At age 11, Katie was the youngest. Her sister Hattie was 26 years old and her brother Hugh was 22 years old; both were single. Katie’s father was a piano tuner at the time. Her parents had been married for 13 years. One boarder, John W. Collier, would marry Katie’s sister Callie in 1904. Ten of the boarders were men; one a 19-year old female in school.

1900 Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia census

Katie still lived with her parents on Ivy Street in 1906 according to the Atlanta City Directory. She worked as a clerk.

On April 25, 1907, Katie performed a “vocal number” at the piano recital of Miss Rosalie Eubanks that was held at the Cable Hall. The event was open to the public.

Katie married Herbert Maynard in Atlanta on June 19, 1907. The Atlanta Constitution reported the wedding on June 20:

Marston-Maynard. The marriage of Miss Kate Marston and Dr. Herbert Maynard took place yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock at the home of the bride’s parents, Professor and Mrs. E. F. Marston, on Ivy street.

The wedding was a very quiet home affair, only a few intimate friends and the immediate relatives of the bride and groom being present. The ceremony was performed by Dr. H. K. Pendleton in the front parlor, which was tastefully decorated with palms and ferns. The bride wore a traveling gown of leather brown voile trimmed with baby Irish lace. The jacket being worn over a blouse waist of cream embroidered mull. The hat was an ecru straw, sailor shape, and was trimmed with brown velvet ribbon and brown wings.

Immediately after the ceremony, Dr. and Mrs. Maynard left for Augusta, where they will make their future home. 

The bride is a young woman, possessing the happy combination of rare beauty and charming personality, and is an accomplished vocalist. Dr. Maynard, formerly of Boston, Mass., but who for two years past has made Atlanta his home, is a young druggist of high standing. 

Dr. and Mrs. Maynard have a host of friends who are extending to them hearty congratulations and regret that they will not make Atlanta their home.

Katie and Herbert apparently didn’t stay in Augusta for long. By 1908, the Atlanta City Directory recorded them living at 68 Fulton Street. Herbert worked as a “prescription clerk” on Whitehall Street. By the end of the year, they had moved to Ivy Street, probably to be close to her parents.
The couple welcomed their only child, a daughter they named Sarah Carolyn Maynard. The Atlanta Constitution ran a birth announcement on Christmas Day, 1908:

Mr. and Mrs. E. Herbert Maynard announce the birth of a daughter at their residence, 108 Ivy street. She has been named Sarah Carolyn Maynard, for her grandmothers.

According to Wikipedia, Mother’s Day “ … was established by Anna Jarvis, with the first official Mother’s Day celebrated at St. Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908.” Katie would have been pregnant with Sarah when the first Mother’s Day celebration took place so hopefully her husband recognized her on Mother’s Day in May 1909 as this would have been the only opportunity to do so. Katie would be gone by the end of the year, succumbing to typhoid pneumonia in Atlanta on December 1. The Atlanta Constitution reported her death the following day:

Mrs. Katie O. Maynard. Mrs. Katie O. Maynard, 21 years old, wife of E. Herbert Maynard, died at a private sanitarium at 12 o’clock last night of typhoid pneumonia. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Marston and lived with her parents at 102 Ivy street. The body will remain at the chapel of H. M. Patterson & Son until funeral arrangements are made.

Katie was buried at Westview Cemetery in Atlanta.


References:

• Music and Military: The Musical Union Band and the Coming Parade of the Horse Guard, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, October 6, 1883.
• 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Atlanta Ward 06, District 0076, Fulton County, Georgia.
• Musicians meeting notice, A. F. of M., Local 148, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, October 30 1904.
• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1906.
• Miss Eubanks’ Piano Recital, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, April 21, 1907.
• Marston-Maynard, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, June 20, 1907.
• Sarah Carolyn Maynard birth announcement, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, December 25, 1908.
• Mrs. Katie O. Maynard, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, December 2, 1909.
• Find A Grave memorial 177273363, Katie Marston Maynard. 
• Mother’s Day (United States); https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_(United_States). 
• Musicians Serenading the Constitution, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, February 8, 1911.
• Musicians of America to Gather in Atlanta, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, April 11, 1911.
• American Federated Musicians on Parade, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, May 9, 1911.
• Southern University Orchestra, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, November 7, 1915.
• Second Baptist, “The Atlanta Constitution,” Atlanta, Georgia, December 20, 1919.
• E. F. Marston’s State of Georgia death certificate, February 23, 1932.