Aunt Belle Wade (1845–1925)

Grandma referred to this woman as Aunt Belle, and Grandma would’ve been around 15 years old when Aunt Belle died. Her death certificate lists William Wade as her father and Maria Baker as her mother. It says she was born in Marion County, Ohio. To call anything mysterious means you don’t know enough about it, but I think Aunt Belle may have been a sister to Mattie Fisher, William Franklin Fisher’s wife. I say this because in the 1920 Federal Census Belle is living with William Fisher and Martha J Fisher in Pana. It says her relationship to the head of the household is that of sister-in-law. The census says that Aunt Belle was 72 years of age in 1920. She was almost always listed as a servant in home whatever’s house she was living in during the census year. William and Mattie Fisher were both 68 that year. Aunt Belle is buried near them in the Pana Mounds Cemetery.

According to Dad, Grandma never really talked about her great aunt Belle until very late in her life when she could remember her childhood days better than what happened later in life. Grandma remembered Aunt Belle staying with them and taking care of her. That would have been around 1920.

The 1870 Federal Census lists her in Pana living with Benjamin Eller, his wife, Elizabeth and their four kids at or under the age of eight. She is listed at 25 years of age. And is listed as Isabell from Ohio. In 1880 the Federal Census lists her in Taylorville Illinois, age 34, single and living on Park Street. She reported her occupation as that of servant. She was serving Amos A. Rhodes, his wife, Theodora, and his son, Charles. Amos is listed as an office clerk. According to the 1900 Federal Census she was living with A. A. and Minnie Rhodes in Seminary, Fayette County, Illinois. Her relationship was listed as aunt, but her occupation was listed as servant. She was 66 at the time. (In 1900 she would have actually been 55 years of age.) The 1910 Census lists her as 63 and a relationship of sister living with William and Mattie Fisher. The 1920 Federal Census lists Belle Wade as 72 years of age and a sister-in-law to William Fisher, the head of the household. They were all living in Pana, Ward 3, on S. Walnut St. The 1925 Pana City Directory lists her on 105 South Walnut St.

Amos A. Rhodes had a farm southwest of Pana. He came from a fairly well-known family and, he was quite well known and respected in his own right. In 1864 he founded the Eichelberger and Rhodes grocery store in Pana. After five years, he moved into real estate. Later, he was elected Christian County Treasurer and County collector. He was reelected several times. To do this job, he had to live in Taylorville. Even after he retired to his farm, he was elected supervisor of his township. Although his wife’s name was Theodora, she may have been nicknamed Dora and/or Minnie.

If Belle Wade was indeed a sister of Martha Jane Fisher (Mattie Fisher), then maybe we can get a better idea of where Mattie came from, because she is supposedly adopted as well as her daughter, Lillie Mae Fisher.

The following is mostly conjecture, but it is based on a few facts. The death certificate of Belle Wade shows William and Mariah Baker as her parents. The 1850 Federal Census shows William Wade and Mariah Baker as the parents of Isabel Wade, born in 1847 in Marion County, Ohio. Aunt Belle Wade uses the name Isabel on the earlier census. Martha Jane (Mattie) Wade Fisher was born in 1851. Dr. Carl Fischer and his wife, Matilda, may have been the adoptive parents of Martha Jane Baker. Matilda may have married John Loran of Louisville, Kentucky, later on. But, Martha Jane’s last name was Wade when she married William Franklin Fisher. Her last name is listed as Wade on her marriage certificate. This certificate shows Shelby County as the location of the wedding between her and William Franklin Fisher.

Martha Jane Fischer Fisher and Belle Wade were biological sisters. Maybe this is no secret to somebody who knows it as a fact, but they are all gone. To those of us who are alive today, this information is not readily known.

The Dr. Carl Fischer and the Loran connection are not well researched either. At least the research that has been done, has not yielded any good information.