She was married to John H. Reynolds on March 26th, 1859 and lived out her life as a resident of Marion, Illinois. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and was always an active worker in the church.
John Henry Reynolds was born in Warren Co., Tennessee August 24, 1833, and came to Marion in 1858. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and worked at the business for ten years. He served as a Justice of the Peace for sixteen years continuously until his death.
They had twelve children, six girls and six boys.
In June of 1860, the newly married Reynolds family had a one month old female child (then named only as “infant”). John was listed as a carpenter with a real estate value of $400 and a personal estate at $400. The “infant” would not make it to the next census. Nor, would a second child, named John Henry after his father. The latter infant was born in 1862 and died the following year.
By the time of the 1870 census, John and Almira had four daughters, Nanny born in 1863, Mary Jane in 1865, Mary F. in 1866, and Alice A. born in 1869. John claims to be a miller by trade and they are living in East Marion Township so it is likely they are residing at 303 N. Market St. John claims a real estate value of $600 and a personal estate of $400.
In 1873, they had a child by the name of Howard, but he died the following year of 1874.
On June 29, 1880, John was now 46 and Almira 38. John claimed to be a wagon maker by profession. In addition to their four daughters, they now had an additional daughter and three sons living at home. Daisy H. was born in 1872, Charles H. in 1874, Drew in 1877 and Edward, their youngest was 4 months old. In 1882, they would have their last child Benjamin Franklin Reynolds.
There is no 1890 federal census due to a fire but it is fairly certain that the children Mary Jane and Edward Reynolds both perish before the 1900 census. That census will reflect that Almira had lost four children prior and though no records have been found on the latter children, they no longer show up on any records.
On September 8, 1891, John passed away, leaving 49 year old Almira with nine children. I have no doubt in my mind that, out of necessity, Almira started taking on boarders as children left the home to help pay bills. I am fairly certain that this is what created the Commercial Hotel at 303 N. Market Street which had previously been the home of their large family that now had no income.
On June 25, 1900 when the federal census was taken at the hotel, Almira was 58 and serving as the hotel manager. Her youngest son Frank (Benjamin Franklin) aged 18 was the hotel porter. Frank had just married that year and he and his new bride, Wylie 19, were living at the hotel, assisting his mother.
In 1910, Almira, now 68, was still actively working the hotel as proprietor. She had two of her sons living with her. Charles Henry Reynolds, who was now 35, widowed and employed as a machinist and her youngest son Frank Reynolds who is now 28 and also widowed since the last census. Lizzie Good was a 22 year old who lived there and served as cook. They only list one boarder present. The son, Charles Henry Reynolds died in 1912.
By the 1920 census, Almira had reached 78 and was still living at the hotel, but was now renting the operation out to another couple. Mamie Norman, 34, is listed as proprietress, while her husband Claud Norman is a laborer at a coal mine. The census lists 17 boarders occupying space in the hotel and a chambermaid by the name of Jessie Stockton, 26, a widow from Kentucky.
On June 2, 1923, Almira died at age 81 and was buried on June 4th. According to Illinois death records she was buried at Barkain, but I have been unable to figure out where that is to date. If anyone has a clue, let me know.
Details related to their children:
“Infant girl”, born 1860, died 1860
John Henry Reynolds, born 1862, died 1863
Nanny Reynolds, born 1863, married George F. Senter 08/07/1881, died 1924
Mary Jane Reynolds, born 1865, death date unknown but suspect between 1880 and 1900 censuses
Mary F. Reynolds, born 1866, died 1957
Alice A. Reynolds, born 1869, married X Davis 05/10/1893 and J.H. Brooks 08/04/1895, died 1957
Daisy H. “Dolly” Reynolds, born 1872, married R.R. Stanley 09/19/1894, died 1973 at 100
Howard Reynolds, born 1873, died 1874
Charles Henry Reynolds, born 1874, married Ollie Gertrude Campbell 11/15/1896, widowed, died 1912
Drew Reynolds, born 1879, married Dolly Duke 10/17/1897, died 1945
Edward Reynolds, born 1880, death date unknown, believe him to be short lived
Benjamin “Frank” Franklin Reynolds, born 1882, married Wylie (unknown), widowed, died 1937
(Data and photos collected from 1905 Souvenir History, WCHS; Federal census records; city directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; Illinois Death Records; Illinois Regional Archives Depositories; Ancestry.com; compiled by Sam Lattuca on 02/15/2013)