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Biography
Lillian Constance Wark was born in 1857 in Nassau, Bahamas to James Wark and Rebecca Abascal.
Lillian married Edward Burton Ceruti, son of Theodore Ceruti and Catherine Matilda Necks Ceruti, 28 January 1875, at Key West, Monroe County, Florida. The couple had children: Evelyn Ella, Alexander Byron, Wilbur Wark, Maud Mary, Catherine Matilda, Edward Burton, May Lilian, Ruth, James David Wark, Frederick Lin, William Tracy, and Dorothy Ceruti.
N.B. Phoebe R. Ceruti's profile represents a so-called "person" who never existed. As such, Phoebe has no parents, a listing in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census not withstanding. For more information, see the Ceruti Family Mysteries page, mystery number 11.[1]
According to the Family History document from Dorothy Joan Heller, Lillian and Edward "had 15 girls and boys. They all lived." This is only partially true. A more accurate statement is, "Lillian and Edward had children and they all lived until they passed away, some of them in infancy."
Edward, Lilian, and their daughter, Evelyn Ella, moved to Beaufort County, South Carolina sometime before 1879. The Ceruti family lived there twenty-plus years; Edward worked primarily as superintendent of the old Coosaw mines. After the turn of the century, EB Ceruti took his skills as a manager and carpenter to Pensacola, Florida. A year before his death, Lilian and Edward returned to South Carolina and resided with their daughter in Columbia, South Carolina. Until her death in 1930, Lilian divided her time between her children.
Lilian Constance Wark Ceruti died in 1930 in Columbia, South Carolina, at the home of her daughter, Evelyn Ella Ceruti Kirkland. She was buried, with her husband, at Elmwood Memorial Gardens, Columbia.
Photo Notes
Two ladies in the female-group photo were immediately recognized: the lady on the far right is Lilian Constance Wark Ceruti, and the lady on the left is her oldest daughter, Evelyn Ella Ceruti Kirkland. The other two in the middle proved somewhat more challenging to identify.
Based on facial pattern recognition, the year of the photo was estimated to be about 1924-1925. A comparison of the facial features of the lady in the middle of the group photo to a photo of Benjamin Brown Kirkland, Jr., and his wife, Evelyn Ella Ceruti Kirkland has proven to be key in establishing the identity of "the middle lady" as Evelyn Kirkland Bennett (Kirkland-3322), who is Evelyn Ella Ceruti Kirkland and Benjamin B. Kirkland, Jr.'s oldest daughter.
This photo of Benjamin Brown Kirkland, Jr. can be viewed at the following URL. [1] Cropped from a photo found in the book, South Carolina Illustrated, Lewis Pub. Co., 1920, page 263. Added to Find-A Grave by: rdsxfan on 2 Oct 2012.
The facial features of the "middle lady" appear to match those of Benjamin Brown Kirkland, Jr. much more closely than the features of any of Lilian's daughters for whom we have photos. In 1924, Evelyn Kirkland Bennett would have been 25, the approximate age of the lady. This finding supports the hypothesis of that the photo is generational one, which includes four generations of first-born women, each the oldest in their respective families.
This hypothesis was tested to ascertain if the unknown child could be one of Evelyn, Jr.'s children. Rea Bennett Davis Hedgecock (1923-1908) fits this description. If one assumes that the year of the photo was 1924 or 1925, and the child would be 1 or 2 years old. If one further assumes that the generational pattern that has been established with the two older women continues, this photo features the first born daughter of each generation. This hypothesis provides the best fit of all known data.
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Sources
- Bahamas birth record, New Providence, 24 Nov. (year illegible ending in 7) unnamed female, father James Wark, mother Rebecca Wark formerly (illegible). Father's occupation was listed as that of a seaman.
- "Florida, County Marriages, 1830-1957," database with images, FamilySearch [2] entered 17 October 2017, Edward B. Cerriti and Lilian C. Wark, 28 Jan 1875; citing Marriage, , Monroe, Florida, United States, Liberty County, Clerk of Courts, Florida.
- 1880 United States Federal Census for Lilian Crity, South Carolina, Beaufort, Sheldon, 048.
- "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch [3] accessed 21 December 2018, Lilian Ceruti in household of Edward B Ceruti, Beaufort Township, Port Royal town, Beaufort, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 3, sheet 21B, family 577, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,518.
- "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch [4] accessed 21 December 2018, Lillian C Ceruti in household of Edward B Cruti Sr., Pensacola, Escambia, Florida, United States; citing ED 34, sheet 22A, line 2, family 481, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 220; FHL microfilm 1,820,220.
- The State, Columbia, South Carolina, 20 March 1923. Obituary.
- The State, Columbia, South Carolina, 15 April 1930. Obituary.
- "South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965," database with images, FamilySearch [5] entered 5 April 2018, 004177674 > image 1225 of 1668; Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia.
- "South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1965," database with images, FamilySearch [6] entered 13 December 2020, E. B. Ceruti in entry for Lilian Constance Ceruti, 13 Apr 1930; citing Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, United States, Department of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1,913,721.
- Find A Grave, database and images [7] accessed 20 December 2018), memorial page for Lilian Constance Wark Ceruti (24 Nov 1857–13 Apr 1930), Find A Grave Memorial no. Find A Grave: Memorial #109530547, citing Elmwood Memorial Gardens, Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina, USA ; Maintained by rdsxfan (contributor 47525613).
- The J.H. Turner Family Tree, Ancestry.com [8]
- Family History document written by Mary Maud Wark Millard (Wark-83) with contributions from Alberta Maud Millard (Millard-573) and Florence French Albury (French-2567). The document was sent to Marion Ceruti from Dorothy Joan Heller. Subject matter includes descendant of Barnetts and Warks via Don Abascal, father of Rebecca Angelina Abascal Wark. A copy of this document is now in the archive of Marion Ceruti, and other Wark descendants.
- Letter written from Mary Amanda Millard (Millard-2750), daughter of Charles David Millard (Millard-574) to her second cousin, Mary Ruth Mercier Turner (Mercier-1731). The letter is estimated to have been written not later than 1990 in McAlpin, Florida, USA. A copy of the letter was sent from Edward Burton Ceruti IV, son of Mark Ceruti (Ceruti-33) to Marion Ceruti (Ceruti-7) on 4 Feb. 2006.
- Email message 22 Jan. 2022 from Cousin Candace Huddock, daughter of Robert Burton Ceruti (Ceruti-31), identifying two of the four grandchildren sitting on the steps with their grandmother, Lillian Constance Wark Ceruti. The two children in the front row are Robert (Ceruti-31) and Lillian (Ceruti-34). The location is the home of Evelyn Ceruti Kirkland, and the year is about 1928.
- "Florida, U.S., Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1898-1963 for E. E. Ceruti A3621 - Arriving At Miami, Florida, 1899 - 1948" Lillian Ceruti, age 59, on passenger manifest arriving from Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, in the port of Miami, Florida USA on 2 June 1917, permanent residence Pensacola, Florida, USA. West Indian ancestry and a U.S. citizen through naturalization of her husband. Occupation: Housekeeper. Ancestry.com, [9] Point of contact in the Bahamas: Mrs. Nathaniel French, Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, who is Lillian's sister. Ship name: "S.S. Frances E." Name: "E. E. Ceruti." However, the name "EE Ceruti," is not listed in the source document. It is presumed to have been Lillian's husband, Edward Burton Ceruti, Sr.; Gender: Male; Spouse of E. E. Ceruti: Lilian Cer??ti (Ceruti); Description: A3621 - Arriving At Miami, Florida, 1899 - 1948; Catalog Number: 2788508. There is a problem with how this record was listed. It was attributed to "E E Ceruti." However, the name, "E E Ceruti," is not found anywhere on the original manifest document. It is very unlikely that E. E. Ceruti could refer to Lillain's husband, Edward Burton Ceruti, Sr., who returned to the Bahamas only once after his marriage to Lillian in Florida, USA, owing to the fact that he was persona non grata with his mother-in-law, Rebecca Abascal Wark. Rebecca was rumored to have given Edward a very hostile reception, and circumstantial evidence seems to support this. This record was discovered by accident while searching for information regarding Eva Ceruti, (Ceruti-102). Also on board the ship returning to Miami was Lillian Albury, age 26, married, who may be related by marriage to Claribel French's daughter, Florence French Albury.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Ann Carmel for creating Wark-81 on 10 Sep 13. Click the Changes tab for the details on contributions by Ann and others.
