Mystery solved

This picture was in Grandma Theresa’s things. She wrote on the back “Grandma Heed mother of Rilla Stone with Rilla’s children”. Rilla was Pop’s oldest sibling. This confused me because in her notes Theresa mentions Nancy Heed. Pop’s mother was Nancy but never had the name Heed. The names of the girls are listed. The baby is Pearl Brittendall who was born in 1903 and only lived 11 months. This means the picture was taken in 1903 or 1904. Pop’s mother Nancy would have been about 47 years old. Nancy’s mother Sarah would have been about 73. This woman is at least that old. So this is Sarah Norris Farrington Heed who was Pop’s grandmother and great grandmother to these girls.

This is further verified by the 1910 Census which lists Nancy’s brother George living in Ellsworth, Kansas with his wife, children and mother Sarah Heed age 78. Pops’ mother Nancy was the oldest of nine children that Sarah had with James Farrington. He died in 1882 when she was 49 and still had young children. She apparently married a Heed at some point. I have no information on him. Sarah died in 1915 at 83 still living with son George. Theresa was in her late 80’s and living in rest home when she labeled some pictures and made a few notes for my brother. She obviously made a mistake identifying Sarah who was on Pop’s side of the family and someone she probably never met.

Update I just found Sarah A. Heed in the 1885 Census married to Samuel A. Heed. He was eight years younger than her. There were three young Heed children and five Farrington children in the household. All the names, ages, and places of birth are correct.