Solomon Thomas Motsinger, who went by Thomas, was born August 24, 1865 in Crab Orchard, Illinois to Solomon Fisher Motsinger and Mary Ann Caplinger. He was captured in the 1880 census record at the age of 14 living on a farm near Crab Orchard with his parents, Solomon 46 and Mary 39. Siblings present in the home were George F. 12, Minnie O. 11, Charles J. 9, Theodore M. 7, Victoria 5, Elizabeth 2 and Moody age 1. His father was listed as a laborer.

On October 12, 1890, Thomas married Julia Ensminger, the daughter of S.D. Ensminger and Lizzie Morland. While married to Julia, the couple had two children, one died in infancy and the other was named Blanche. The 1900 federal census for the couple could not be located.

Apparently, the marriage with Julia did not go well, because Julia filed for divorce from Thomas in 1902 stating that he had left them 2 years before in 1900. At the time of the divorce, they only had one child, Blanche, who was 9 years old.

Thomas remarried again on October 10, 1903 to Elizabeth Wiley Rains. Her last name has also come up as Connor. Two children came of the marriage, one named Edith and one who died at the age of 8. In the 1907 Marion street directory, Thomas and Wylie were listed as living at 309 N. Buchanan in a rental home and he was a miner.

In 1907 and 1908, Thomas served as Alderman to the city of Marion under Mayor J.C. Mitchell.

When the 1910 census was taken, Thomas 44 and Wiley 28 were living were living on a farm near Crab  Orchard, Illinois, they had one child named Edith aged 5. Thomas claimed to be a self-employed farmer who owned his own home free of mortgage.

In May of 1911, Thomas filed for divorce against his wife with the claim of infidelity on her part. He reported that she had had extra marital affairs with two men. Their divorce was granted, but she filed for alimony in 1913. She admitted the motherhood of their daughter Ada but would not confirm or deny a relationship to a child named Rue.

Thomas remarried again for a third time on September 12, 1915 to a Gertrude Motsinger. In Thomas’s obit she is also listed as Gertrude Bolinger Motsinger. The couple had one child, a son, named Barry.

On October 30, 1916, Thomas was killed while working a gopher hole coal mine on his property near Crab Orchard by a fall of slate from the roof of the mine. He was survived by his wife Gertrude and children Edith and Barry. A married daughter Blanche lived away from Marion. He left four brothers, George, Theodore, Edward and Charles all of Crab Orchard. Three sisters, Mrs. Minnie Alexander and Lois Motsinger of Marion and Mrs. Ollie Carter of Light, Arkansas, two half-brothers, Jefferson Motsinger of Rector, Arkansas and William Caplinger of Marion. Two half-sisters, Mrs. Mary Ann Clarida and Mrs. Delia Edwards of Crab Orchard. Burial was in Mt. Pleasant cemetery.

(Sources: Federal Census Records, Marion Daily Republican newspaper, Marion Street Directories, FindaGrave.com. Compiled by Sam Lattuca on 12/16/2023)