Merry Franklin Christmas was born on 5 November 1848, in Sumter County, South Carolina, to James B. Christmas and Rachel Osteen. He married Sarah Jane Bowden on 15 November 1876 in Drew County, Arkansas. Merry and Sarah had seven children, 6 boys and 1 girl. Merry later married Virginia Henrietta Osteen about 1903 in South Carolina. Merry died on 13 July 1914 in Sumter County, South Carolina.

Census Records

Merry Franklin Christmas appeared in the 1850 U.S. Census with his parents, James B Christmas and Rachel Osteen. His name was listed as Mary T Christmas, a female child, aged 7 months. The way his name was recorded must have confused the indexer because the indexer recorded his gender as female. But a close examination of the image revealed his gender was male. Fortunately, FamilySearch now has the option to correct the index. His name was likely recorded phonetically by the enumerator, though the middle initial still varies from later records.¹

Merry’s parents had a ten-year age gap, with his mother being ten years older than his father. This obvious difference is evident again in the 1860 U.S. census, where we find Merry’s parents had a ten-year age gap, with his mother being ten years older than his father. This obvious difference appeared in the 1860 U.S. census, where we find Merry Franklin Christmas was 10 years old.²

Merry Franklin Christmas has not been found in the 1870 U.S. Census, to date. However, Merry married Sarah Jane Bowden on 15 November 1876 in Drew County, Arkansas. It is unknown when Merry relocated to Arkansas. Land or Tax records may be able to narrow down the date of when that happened, but he was certainly there by 1876.³

In 1880, Merry is living with his wife and infant son in Chicot County, Arkansas. Their son, J. B. Christmas, was a year old. Merry was working as a farm laborer.⁴ Since the 1890 U.S. Census was largely destroyed in a fire, it is not known what happened to Merry and his family from 1880 to 1900. But something definitely did.

In 1900, Merry Franklin Christmas, 51 years old, was living with his brother Robert R. Christmas in Drew County, Arkansas. His marital status was listed as widowed. His children were not with him. Merry and Robert were working as farmers.⁵ Did his wife die, and were his children placed in different homes?

By 1910, Merry was remarried to Virginia Harriet Osteen. The 1910 U.S. Census asked how long a couple had been married. Since Merry and Virginia had been married for seven years, their estimated year of marriage was 1903. The enumerator also sometimes recorded whether the number of marriages with a notation like M2. The census indicated that the marriage between Merry and Virginia was a second marriage.⁶

Divorce

Merry Franklin Christmas’ Find A Grave memorial contained a notation that explained the shift in Merry’s life in 1900. That notation states, “Divorced about 1899”.⁷ Divorce brought a social stigma. That could explain why Merry reported he was widowed in 1900.⁸ Sarah, on the other hand, clearly reported she was divorced in the 1900 U.S. Census with their children.⁹

A search of records in the FamilySearch Full Text search found the final divorce decree for Meriweather F. Christmas and Sarah Jane Christmas on 12 December 1899 in Drew County, Arkansas. The judge ruled in favor of Sarah and awarded her custody of the children, land, and the family home. The final divorce decree does not provide details for the reasons of the divorce, but rather general descriptions of Sarah living in intolerable conditions.¹⁰

While it may seem unusual to find evidence of divorce in that time period, it definitely did happen. It is a little uncommon for Sarah to declare herself divorced in the census, but she clearly did not experience, or worry about, the social stigma.

The many names of Merry Franklin Christmas

Merry had a different name recorded in most documents. His middle name may not be Franklin, but he most likely reported his own name in the 1900 U.S. Census, and that version included the middle name of Franklin. His first name may have actually been Meriweather because that is the legal name that appears on the divorce paperwork. Merry could be a nickname for Meriweather, and seemed to be the name he used in life.

Sources

1. 1850 U.S. Census, Sumter County, South Carolina, population schedule, p. 360 (stamped), dwelling 840, family 840, J B Christmas household; digital image, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M432. ↩︎
2. 1860 U.S. Census, Clarendon District, South Carolina, population schedule, Fulton Post Office, p. 19 (penned), dwelling 144, family 138, Jas B Christmas household; digital image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication M653. ↩︎
3. “Arkansas, Marriages, 1837-1944,” entry for M. F. Christmas – Sarah Jane Bowden, 15 November 1876, Drew County, Arkansas, book C, page 374; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025). ↩︎
4. 1880 U.S. Census, Chicot County, Arkansas, population schedule, Rail Road Township, enumeration district (ED) 25, sheet 310A (stamped), p. 169 (penned), dwelling 660, family 810, M F Christmas household; digital image, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication T9. ↩︎
5. 1900 U.S. Census, Drew County, Arkansas, population schedule, Collins township, enumeration district (ED) 68, sheet 276A (penned), dwelling 92, family 394, Merry Franklin Christmas; digital image, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. ↩︎
6. 1910 U.S. Census, Sumter County, South Carolina, population schedule, Privateer Township, enumeration district (ED) 101, sheet 15B (penned), dwelling 283, family 288, Francis M Christmas; digital image, FamilySearch, (https://www.familysearch.org: accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication T624. ↩︎
7. Find A Grave, database with images (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 5 December 2025), memorial 111155851, Merry Francis Christmas, (1848-1914), gravestone memorial maintainer Anna, member 47329432. ↩︎
8. 1900 U.S. Census, Drew County, Arkansas, population schedule, Collins township, enumeration district (ED) 68, sheet 276A (penned), dwelling 92, family 394, Merry Franklin Christmas; digital image, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. ↩︎
9. 1900 U.S. Census, Drew County, Arkansas, population schedule, Collins township, enumeration district (ED) 68, sheet 276A (penned), dwelling 94, family 96, Jane Christmas household; digital image, FamilySearch, (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025); citing NARA microfilm publication T623. ↩︎
10. “Drew, Arkansas, United States records,” entry for Sarah J. Christmas – Meriweather F. Christmas, Drew. Court Records 1892-1897, 1898-1916, volume D, page 79-80, 12 December 1899, Drew County, Arkansas; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed 5 December 2025), image 284-285 of 917, film number 008750085; citing Arkansas, Chancery Court (Drew County). ↩︎