Elizabeth Lowe

"Bettie" Elizabeth Lowe was my maternal great-grandmother; i.e., the mother of my mother's mother.    She was born in 1859 and died about 1908.  Below is a photograph of Elizabeth Lowe with her second husband, William W. Suis.

Records of Elizabeth Lowe include the 1880 and 1900 US Census, Hertford County NC Marriage Register records of 1877 and 1881, and the 1909 will of her mother, Martha V. Lowe.  Family oral history confirms that her surname was Lowe, but no family memory of her seems to have been passed down.  The two marriages caused some confusion to some researchers into the family history.

From microfilm, the following marriage records from Hertford County, North Carolina were copied.

On September 9, 1877, Frank L. Morris, age 24, and Bettie E. Lowe, age 21, both of Hertford County, were married in Winton by W.C. Overton, Baptist minister.  In fact, Bettie was 18 years old.

On January 20, 1881, Bettie E. Morris is married by the same minister to William W. Suis. Bettie is again listed as 21 years old, which is correct.

Other than the single marriage record, nothing is known of Frank L. Morris, Bettie's first husband.  Because the same minister performed both marriages, it is likely that Frank Morris died between 1877 and 1881.

In the 1880 US Census:

1880 US Census - CD ROM

Film 1254968 T9-0968 page 459B

Winton Township, Hertford County, NC

Martha V. Lowe 55

Mary E. Lowe  25

Frank Lowe 23

Ulala Lowe 11

Sarah Lowe 13

Elizabeth Morris 21 listed as DauL  (daughter in law?)

Elizabeth Lowe Morris is living in the household of her mother (not mother-in-law as the census taker inferred,) and therefore, Frank Morris probably was dead before the summer of 1880.

In the 1900 US Census:

1900 census:

Hertford County, Winton Township, Volume 34, ed 56, sheet 3, line 88

William W. Suis listed as farmer, rents home.

7 living children, 9 total children

William W. Suis   March 1858   all born in North Carolina

Betie E.  wife        August 1859

Lillian D.                     October 1881

Julia M.                       Sept 1883

Charlton  son  Oct 1888

Martha V.                    Oct 1891

Alida                Oct 1893

Mary E.                       1895

Marlon  dau    April 1898

Martha Lowe  M.  March 1825  "M" stands for mother

Martha Lowe listed as mother (of Betty Elizabeth Lowe Suis probably).  Martha Lowe listed as having 4 children, all living in 1900.  Both her parents were born in North Carolina

The mother of Elizabeth Lowe Morris Suis, Martha V. Lowe, is living in the household of WW Suis and Bettie.  It is believed Martha actually had seven children:

1. Mary E. Lowe  born about 1854
2. Frank Lowe      born  about 1856
3. Ulala Lowe       born about 1858
4. Elizabeth Lowe born  about 1859
5. Daniel Lowe     born about 1860
6. Sarah Lowe      born  about 1866
7. T.G. Lowe       birth year unknown.

In 1909, WW Suis remarries in May and Martha Lowe writes a will mentioning the heirs of daughter Bettie Suis, so Bettie died before 1909.

The will of Martha V. Lowe does not mention her children Frank, Ulala, and Mary Lowe.  It is presumed they died before 1900.

Sarah E. Lowe Paris (or Parish) was married before 1893 and lived in Chicago much of her adult life.  She is party in a law suit around 1893.  Sarah made several gifts to Bettie; these gifts included a blue bowl now owned by my sister.  Below is a picture of Sarah Lowe Parish.

One brother of Sarah and Bettie Lowe, Daniel Lowe, has living descendents known to us.  They were close to my mother and her sister growing up in northern Bertie/southern Hertford Counties.

By Michael J. Manning,  January 2003.