Matilda C. Ogle

Matilda C. Ogle, daughter of Perry Ogle and Martha Lucinda McMahan, was born on March 4, 1892 in Tennessee, most likely Sevier County. There were 12 children in this family; I can document 10—Richard Ogle, Matilda C. Ogle, Mary Ethel Ogle, Harrison Gilbert Ogle, John Walter Ogle, Cam Andrew Ogle, Otis Ogle, Frank Daniel Ogle, Elizabeth Mae Ogle, and Winston “Lawson” Ogle. She went by Tilda and is my 1st cousin 3x removed. Our nearest common relatives are my 3rd great-grandparents, William Cleason Ogle and Rosanna Chasteen Watson.

Tilda on left, daughter Veryl behind her, Issac on the right, and Bruce in the front.

On June 4, 1900, Tilda and her family resided in Civil District 13 of Sevier County, Tennessee. Her parents had been married for 14 years, and her mother was recorded as having given birth to seven children, five of whom were still alive. Tilda’s father worked as a farmer, while her brother Richard worked as a farm laborer. Richard, the oldest at 12 years old, was the only child in the household who had attended school; he could read but not write. The five-year age gap between Richard and Tilda, who was 7 years old, likely explains the loss of two siblings.

On September 2, 1909, the State of Tennessee legally bound Print Valentine and H. L. Valentine for a sum of $1250, ensuring that there were no legal impediments to the marriage of Tilda and Arthur Printes “Print” Valentine. Tilda and Print were married by Joe Williams, a Sevier County Justice of the Peace, on September 4, 1909.

Ogle-Valentine marriage bond and license

Tilda and Print were blessed with six children—Valaria Valentine (born in 1911), Ronald Valentine (born in 1913), Veryl Anna Valentine (born in 1915), Ola “Gladys” Valentine (born in 1918), Isaac “Ashley” Valentine (born in 1923), and Bruce L. Valentine (born in 1930).

On April 18, 1910, Tilda and Print, recorded as Arthur P. Valentine, lived on a rented farm in Civil District 13 of Sevier County. They were recorded on the top of page 4 for that census; their parents were at the top of page 1. It was the 1910 census that I learned Tilda’s mother had 12 children, 11 of them alive at the time. This census record shows that Tilda and Print were both 17-years-old, newlyweds, and childless at this stage of their marriage. Arthur worked as a farmer on a general farm. Both could read and write, but only Tilda had attended school. 

It appears Tilda’s brother Lawson was just a toddler when he died on April 3, 1912. I say “appears” because I have not found a death record to confirm his parents, but the age is correct. I did find a birth record for Winston L. Ogle, born April 4, 1909, whose parents were Perry and Lucinda Ogle. The birth date is the same as the Lawson Ogle buried at Shady Grove Cemetery in the Richardson Cove community of Sevier County. This cemetery would have been in the vicinity where they lived. He was one day shy of his third birthday. 

Winston L. Ogle birth record

Tilda and Print, a farmer, had three children when he registered for the World War II draft in Sevier County on June 5, 1918. Tilda gave birth to their fourth child, Gladys, in July. Print claimed an exemption from the draft based on inflammatory rheumatism. At the time, they lived at 10 R.F.D. in Sevierville.

On January 13, 1920, Tilda, Print, and their four children—Valaria, Ronald, Veryl, and Gladys—continued to live in Civil District 13 of Sevier County. Print, worked as a farmer on a general farm. Both Tilda and Print were able to read and write. Valaria, Ronald, and Veryl were attending school, but not Gladys who was just an infant. Tilda and her family lived on a farm in the community of Richardson’s Cove in Sevier County in August 1923 when son Isaac was born. According to Isaac’s December 2023 obituary, his father Print “was one of three preachers in the county at the time” and Tilda, his “mother was a 5th generation Ogle of the original Ogle family that is considered to be the first settlers of Gatlinburg, Tennessee.”

On April 14, 1930, the Valentine family lived on Evan’s Chappel Road, Route 10, in Civil District 13 of Sevier County. Print was recorded as Arthur P. Valentine. There were still four children living in the home; the two oldest, Valaria and Ronald, had moved out of the home. Print continued to work as a farmer on a general farm. The census enumerator noted that Tilda was 18 and Arthur was 16 when they married, different than the 1910 census which showed them both as age 17. Veryl, Gladys (enumerated as Ola), and Isaac were attending school. Bruce, the youngest, was 10 months old. Print’s 75-year-old widowed father, William R. Valentine, was also living in the home. He worked as a laborer on a farm. William was able to read and write. Neither Print or his father were veterans.

On April 23, 1940, Tilda and her family lived on Richardson Cove Road in Sevier County. Print, a farmer, was enumerated as Print A. Valentine. Their inferred residence in 1935 was Pigeon Forge, also in Sevier County and was the same home they lived in when this census was taken. A 23-year-old male named J. D. Proffit lived in the home as a lodger; he too was a farmer. Both Print and J. D. had worked 50 hours during the week of March 24–30, 1940. When Tilda’s son Isaac registered for the World War II draft on June 30, 1942, he listed his father as the person who would always know his address. At the time, Print’s address was Route 9 in Sevierville, Tennessee. Tilda’s son Ashley served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II. Tilda’s father Perry passed away on January 13, 1943, in Whitfield, Georgia, at the age of 77. He was buried at Good Hope Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia.

On April 21, 1950, Tilda, Print, enumerated as Arthur P. Valentine, and their son Bruce lived in District 13 of Sevier County. Tilda worked as a grocery store clerk, Print as a farmer, and Bruce, age 20, a farm helper. Tilda’s mother Martha passed away on May 20, 1957, in Georgia at the age of 88. She was buried with her husband Perry at Good Hope Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton.

Tilda’s son, Bruce, married Shirley Fay Markem on June 15, 1963, at Knob Creek Baptist Church in Seymour, Tennessee. This was the very same church where Tilda herself was a member. During that period, Tilda and Print resided in Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee.

Print, a retired farmer and respected Baptist minister, passed away at the age of 79 on Christmas Day, 1973. His commitment to the Baptist church spanned an impressive 55 years, no doubt leaving behind a legacy of faith and service. Tilda, his devoted wife, shared 64 years of marriage with Print. Tragically, less than two months after Print’s passing, Tilda also passed away at the age of 81 on February 17, 1974, in the home of her daughter Valaria in Maryville. Both Tilda and Print’s funerals were officiated by Revs. Fred Self, Ben Webb, and Andy Ball at Atchley’s Chapel in Sevierville. Print’s funeral took place on December 29, followed by Tilda’s on February 19. Together, Tilda and Print were survived by their six children, who in turn blessed them with 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 4 great-great-grandchildren. Tilda was also survived by her brothers Harrison, Otis, John, and Cam, and her sisters Ethel and Elizabeth. Tilda and Print were both buried at Providence Baptist Cemetery in Blount County, Tennessee. 

Tombstone photo by S. Sill, Find A Grave member 46979876

References

• Arthur Printes Valentine, U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917–1918.
• Cam Andrew Ogle, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898–1929.
• Deaths, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, February 18, 1974. 
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/168733781/mary-ethel-dixon: accessed 15 January 2024), memorial page for Mary Ethel Ogle Dixon (12 Aug 1894–28 Aug 1980), Find a Grave Memorial ID 168733781, citing Good Hope Baptist Cemetery, Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Melinda Painter (contributor 47917313).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7826341/lawson-ogle: accessed 21 January 2024), memorial page for Lawson Ogle (4 Apr 1909–3 Apr 1912), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7826341, citing Shady Grove Cemetery, Richardson Cove, Sevier County, Tennessee, USA; maintained by Virgil and Deanna Hancock-Cooley (contributor 36950484).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/6341248/tilda-valentine: accessed 21 January 2024), memorial page for Tilda Ogle Valentine (4 Mar 1892–17 Feb 1974), Find a Grave Memorial ID 6341248, citing Providence Baptist Cemetery, Blount County, Tennessee, USA; maintained by Virgil and Deanna Hancock-Cooley (contributor 36950484).
• Isaac Ashley Valentine Obituary, Atchley Funeral Home, December 2023; https://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Isaac-Ashley-Valentine?obId=30230724. 
• Isaac Ashley Valentine, U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947.
• John Walter Ogle, Frank Daniel Ogle, Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869–1909.
• June date set by couple, The Birmingham News, Birmingham, Alabama, May 26, 1963.
• Obituary, Mrs. Tilda Ogle Valentine, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Knoxville, Tennessee, February 18, 1974.
• Obituary, Rev. A. P. Valentine, The Knoxville News-Sentinel, Knoxville, Tennessee, December 27, 1973.
• Personal memories of Tommy D. Shields, December 2000.
• U.S. Federal Census, Civil District 13, Sevier County, Tennessee, 1900–1950.