Sarah Ellen Miller Mitchell (1887-1948)

This is Sarah Ellen and her first son, Norman. Sarah’s grandmother was born in Churchville, Ontario, Canada in 1835, sister to my great great grandmother, Charlotte Turley. I found Sarah last night as I was searching for more of Theodore Turley’s descendants. Sarah’s mother was named Charlotte, I’m sure after her favorite aunt.

This photo of Sarah Ellen has captured my heart. Sarah Ellen was born in San Bernardino, California in 1887. In 1906 she married Lloyd Merritt Mitchell. They had eleven children. Ten of the twelve lived to adulthood. Five of her sons served in WWII. All five returned home safely.

As I was looking for information about Sarah Ellen’s life, I found two pages she recorded in a notebook listing the birth information of each of her children. I’m grateful these records were preserved for her posterity. I wonder if there’s more recorded somewhere. I wonder what her life was like, raising such a large family at the turn of the century. I wonder what she was doing in 1909 when her second son, Elmer was born in a place called Page in California. There is a Paige in Tulare County which is the same county I grew up in in the San Joaquin Valley. I wonder why they were there.

I love how she spelled “weighed” in each of the birth entries. “Waid” is so much more sensible. I think I really like Sarah Ellen. I would have enjoyed knowing her. I hope to meet her someday.