My 2nd great-grandmother Mary J “Annie” Bondurant was born in Marshall County, Kentucky on February 24, 1867 to parents Joseph M Bondurant (1842-1886) and Elizabeth Francis “Bettie” “Fannie” Brewer (1845-1922). Annie’s father, a well known merchant, was of the Snow Creek Bondurants.
The first census Annie appears on is the 1870 census in District 5, Marshall County, Kentucky. She is listed as Mary J, age 4 years. She is living with her parents, listed as Joseph (merchant) and Elizabeth. Her siblings in the household are Thomas M (age 6 years) and John W (age 2 years). Other people living in the household are Sarah Cross (listed as “at home”, age 50 years), George W Bondurant (farmer, age 20 years), Daniel (Thurt?) (farmer, age 87) and Ann J (Thurt?) (farmer, age 19 years).
In 1880 the family was living in Smiths, Marshall County, Kentucky. Annie, listed as such, was 14 years old. Her father Joseph is listed as a “trader, buying stocks” and her mother is listed as Francis. Her siblings in the household were Thomas (age 15 years), John W (age 13 years) and Clifton M (age 4 years). The family also had a boarder named Rosa Kline (age 21 years).
On April 30, 1888 Annie married James Franklin Stalls.


The following year on June 12, 1889 Annie gave birth to her only child, James Paul Stalls, Sr. Sadly, when James Paul Stalls, Sr was 6 months old his father passed away from pneumonia.
No census record for 1890.
About 1892 Annie moved to Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee with her young son and her mother (who had been widowed in 1886). We can track Annie throughout the 1890s through the Memphis City directories:
1894 Polk Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James F), bds 45 Mosby.
1895 Polk Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James), res 45 Mosby.
1896 Polk Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James), res 83 Market.
1897 Degaris Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James), boardinghouse 59 Poplar.
1898 Degaris Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid J F), res 59 Poplar.
1898 Polk Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James F), boarding 59 Poplar, res same.
1899 Polk Directory:
Stalls Annie (wid James F), boarding 59 Poplar, res same.
And actually, you can track her throughout the directories in Memphis for quite a while after that. Also to be noted, her mother is listed separately in the directories at the same addresses as Annie.
In 1900 Annie appears on the census in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee as running a boarding house. She is named as Annie. The only other person in the household is her son listed as James P Stalls (age 10 years). Annie gave her birthdate as February 23, 1868, shaving an entire year off of her age. Also, though not represented on the census, Annie’s mother is living with them. The 1900 Polk Directory has both of them living in the same household.
Annie married Frank A Curtius January 18, 1906.

In 1910 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee Annie’s mother is listed as head of household. Her occupation is running a rooming house. Annie’s son, James P Stalls (age 21 years) is listed next. Frank is shown as “Frank A Curtiss” (bookkeeper for the railroad, age 50 years) and Annie is shown as “Mary J Curtiss” (age 44 years). The roomers in the household were: Warren M and Hazel Taylor (ages 27 and 22 years, respectively); Frank L and Sallie J Mitchell (ages 56 and 47 years respectively); Henry Z, Laura S, Charles D and Phil H Lewis (ages 56, 56, 34 and 29 years respectively); and Phil and Ella Thatch (ages 69 and 58 years respectively).
In 1920 the family is still living in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, though apparently no longer running a boarding house. Frank is listed as head of household and the family name is spelled “Curtis” Frank is now a manager at an auto company. Annie is listed as Mary (age 52 years). Also living with them, oddly, are Annie’s son and his family: Paul (age 30 years), Minnie (listed as “Mamie”, age 22 years) and Paul Jr (age 2 years 2 months). Annie’s mother is still living with them, listed as Frances Bonderant (age 74 years). What’s odd about Annie’s son living with them is that in the same year he and his wife are listed as living with her parents, but Paul Jr is only on this census record in 1920.
Annie’s mother passed away in 1922. In 1926 Annie’s son divorced his wife and remarried to Evelyn Fitzgerald in 1928.
In 1930 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee Annie, now age 61 years (as seen on the census) is living with her husband Frank, now a machinery salesman (age 73 years), her son Paul J Stalls (age 39 years) and his wife Evelyn (age 24 years). Just a side note: this census asked how long a person has been married and at what age was their first marriage. Paul, interestingly enough, must have forgotten about his first marriage that included a son because he has that he had been married for 2 years and he was 37 years old at the time of his first marriage.
There are no other census records (currently) for Annie.
Mary J “Annie” Bondurant passed away on May 16, 1950 in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee. The cause of death was hypostatic pneumonia due to left hemiplegia-involving speech and mentation, bladder and bowel function, along with senility. Her body was returned to Paducah, Kentucky where she is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Her obituary reads:

MRS. CURTIUS DIES:
SERVICES TODAY
Memphis Resident
For Many Years
Mrs. Annie Bondurant Curtius, Memphis resident most of the time since 1892 and mother of J. Paul Stalls, widely known and talented Memphis musician, died yesterday at St. Joseph’s Hospital after about a year’s illness. She was 83.
Mrs. Curtius was born and educated near Paducah, Ky., and also lived in Obion, Tn., before moving to Memphis. Her husband, Frank Curtius, retired railroad man, died last November.
For a few years, shortly after the turn of the century, Mrs. Curtius lived in Chaffee, Mo., where she helped organize the Chaffee Christian Church but, except for her stay there, she had maintained her residence in Memphis since first coming here in 1892. She was active in Linden Avenue Christian Church until about 20 (23?) years ago. She lived at 202 N. McNeill.
She leaves her son: her grandson J. Paul Stalls Jr, and two great-grandchildren.
Services at 4 p.m. today at National Funeral Home, Dr. Howard T. Wood officiating. Services and burial in Oak Grove Cemetery at Paducah, Ky., at 2 p.m. tomorrow.
Annie’s will named her daughter-in-law Evelyn as executor. She requested that first all funeral expenses and debts be paid. Then $500 was to go to Linden Avenue Christian church. The rest of her estate was to go to her son and her daughter-in-law.
Comments