E. S. Farris and Surilda Horr
in Missouri, Illinois and Colorado from 1895 through 19xx. Welcome Cousins!
At long last we find the whereabouts of Orville and Mahala's oldest daughter. And this by following the lead given by Jesse's grandkids of a circus family that was somehow related. Their only surviving child, Ruth, married Ira Millette more than ten years after entering a famous family circus troop. See Millette Farris for Ruth after marriage and Mylette Alphonse for her true circus years from a teenager onward.
We include two other marriages / husbands for Surilda here as Ed died shortly after the birth of Ruth. Clifford James and Lewis B Tucker are included on this page as well. Rilla, as she became known, had one son with Clifford. Clifford was committed some ten years after the marriage. During this likely turbulent time, Ruth was given / sold / joined the infamous Silbon Family troupe and quickly shipped off to Australia for training until she came of age. Eugenie would be a second mother, it appears from records, until Ruth is pregnant. At which time, she sought Rilla's help and comfort. By this time, Rilla had been married to Lewis Tucker for 6 years and had a stable life that would seem to suit her fine.
Early Years
There is only one record of Surilda and Ruth — the 1900 census showing the widow and her daughter. There is a birth record in 1895 with all three though and possibly a death record a year after for Ed.The next record we find is a 1910 census where Surilda is with a Clifford James Sr and they have a son Clifford as well as Ruth there. Appears they married soon after the 1900 census and Clifford was born soon after in 1901. An earlier newspaper article indicates Surilda ran a boarding house in an Illinois suburb of St Louis; St Louis being where they actually lived. It also indicates some marital strife.
By 1912, we see Surilda remarrying a Lewis E Tucker and she appears in the 1920 csnsus, 1930 census and beyond with him. "Beyond" because we have found Ruth's relatives who have some mementos to fill in the blanks. Namely, that Ruth would leave her kids with Surilda in the 1920's and 1930's while they toured with the circus. And that Jimmy was born at Rilla's home with Lewis in Taylorville, Illinois — where Lewis would eventually return and die in the 196x time frame.
We find a passenger list showing Ruth returning from 3 years in Australia, having likely been there from her teen years till 20. For the rest of Ruth's story see her Millette Farris page where she is a parent. For simplicity, we include the time in the circus from before her marriage to Ira on that family page.
Clifford Jr. is with Lewis and Surilda in the 1920 census as an 18 year old in Taylorville, Illinois. It appears Clifford Sr is institutionalized in that same 1920 census. Neither Clifford Jr nor Sr appear in any records after the 1920 census that we have found. Ruth's son Jimmy was born in Taylorville, IL in 1918. So we suspect Ruth stayed with her mother and Lewis for the birth and likely left Jimmy there while Ruth continued in the circus.
Before Surilda
We really need to mention that it appears Ed Farris was married before Surilda and had three children by that marriage. The kids stay with the mom. So Ruth has 3 half-siblings from her Father and one half-sibling from her mother. But based on information from Ruth's grandkids, Ruth was either not aware and definitely not close to any of them.Later years
Ruth's 1931 Passport Emergency Contact
We find Lewis dies in 1966 back in Morrisonville, Illinois. The area where Jimmy was born in 1918 and where Rilla and Lewis appeared in the 1920 census. Suspect that this is where Lewis and Rilla lived in the 1910's and maybe early 1920's. They then returned there to live out the remainder of their life. Not sure what took them to Durango and what brought them back.
We have not found any record of Rilla after the 1940 census. Did she die? In Colorado or Illinois? Did she divorce and remarry? No indication from Ruth's grand-daughters as to what happened either. Still searching.
Recreated Timeline for Surilda / Rilla
So to help us further understand, here is the timeline of locations / events we have for Rilla.| Date | Event |
| 1873 Oct | Born Serilda C Horr in Kansas (parents were there a few years before returning to Fulton County, Illinois) as captured in various census records |
| 1875 Mar | Census (State) in Ladore, Kansas captures her and her parents |
| 1880 Apr | Census (Fed) in Fulton County, Illinois; with parents Orville and Mahala, siblings Cora and Jesse |
| 1895 Apr | Birth record in St Louis, Missouri of Ruth Farris to Ed Farris and Surilda |
| *1895 Feb | Death record of Edward Farris in St Louis, MO; age 53; buried Calvary. Same lot as Catherine Farris who died 1892 at 46 and buried with two others (newborns?): Johanna and Thomas. |
| 1900 Apr | Census (Fed) in St Louis, Missouri; widowed with 5 year old daughter Ruth Farris |
| *1905 Aug | Front page Article in Belleville, IL newspaper of charges dismissed against border Orley Uhls by Clifford James claiming Orley was very intimate with his wife and that she was an unfit mother to their young son. He further claims she tried to commit suicide |
| 1910 | Census (Fed) in St Louis, Missouri; married to Clifford James with son Clifford James Jr (8) and Ruth (Ruth incorrectly labelled Ruth James); married 10 years |
| 1912 | Marriage in Ste Genevieve, Missouri to Lewis Everett Tucker |
| *1918 | Birth of Jimmy Picchiani to Ruth Farris (stage name Ruth Silbon) in Taylorville, IL |
| 1920 | Census (Fed) in Taylorville, IL with Lewis Tucker and Clifford James Jr |
| *1920 | Census (Fed) in St Louis, MO of Clifford James (sr) in Institution (asylum) |
| *1921 | Ruth's passport application lists birth location as Belleville, IL (on outskirts of St Louis) |
| 1930 | Census (Fed) in Durango, CO with Louis Tucker and J. Anthony Millette |
| *1931 | Ruth's passport listing emergency contact: Mrs L.E.Tucker, 364 7th St., Durango, CO |
| 1939 Feb | Photos in Durango, CO in front of high school with Louis Tucker and granddaughter Mildred Ruth "Penny" Millette |
| 1940 | Census (Fed) in Durango, CO with Louis Tucker on 364 7th St |
| (1966) | Death record / tombstone for Lewis Everett Tucker in Morrisonville, IL |