Zela Elizabeth Tubman

     Zela Elizabeth Tubman was born, 21 August 1899, in Dunkirk, Jay, Indiana, USA.^1,2

Zela Elizabeth Tubman was found in the household of John Tubman and his wife, Madge Tubman, and listed as their daughter on the 1900 United States Census at 548 East Main Street, in Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio, USA. She was 9 months old and born in Indiana.³

Zela Tubman student, boards at 202 South Linden, Sapulpa, Creek, Oklahoma, USA, in 1918. (Sapulpa City Directory 1918, page 194).⁴

Zela Elizabeth Tubman married Russell James Porter 23 June 1918, in Sapulpa, Creek, Oklahoma, USA. From the Sapulpa Herald, Vol. 4, No. 251, Thursday, 27 June 1918, page 3, column 1, Society & Local News Items: "Miss Zela Tubman, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. John Tubman of North Linden Street and Russell J Porter were united in marriage Sunday morning at the Christian parsonage, Rev. H. M. Woods officiating. The pair will continue to make Sapulpa their home, making their residence on East Dewey Avenue. Miss Tubman was a member of the Senior Class, graduating from the local high school in May. Mr. Porter is in the employ of the Frisco (St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad Company). Both are well known young people".⁵

Zela Porter and her husband, Russell James Porter, were listed on the 1920 United States Census, at 202 South Birch, in Sapulpa, Creek, Oklahoma, USA. They were listed as the head of household and wife. Also present listed as their child was, Marguerite Porter. Living at the same address was her parents and sister.. She was 20 years of age and born in Indiana.⁶

Zela Elizabeth Tubman and Russell James Porter were divorced 1 June 1921 in Sapulpa, Creek, Oklahoma, USA.⁷

Mrs. Zela E. Porter boards at 202 South Linden, Sapulpa, Creek, Oklahoma, USA, in 1922. (Sapulpa City Directory 1922, page 189).⁴

Maribel Morgan, left, and Zela Porter, right, about 1925.

The following story is from my uncle Bill Morgan (340) about his uncle, John Tubman (331): John was a glass worker. He and his wife, Madge Hunter (82), moved from one glass factory to another. They when from Clarksburg, to Indiana, to Poteau, Oklahoma. He was laid off in Poteau and could not find other work. Bill Morgan, traveled to Oklahoma to help them. They were living in desperate conditions when he arrived. He brought them back to Clarksburg.

The following story is from Margaret Elizabeth Porter (334): She remembered when Bill Morgan and Gertrude and also the children came to pick them up. they came in a touring car and was quite crowded! Madge and Catty had gone on ahead to live with Lou Eaton (84) at her boarding house in Clarksburg, but John Tubman, his daughter Zela, and her children Margaret and "Bud" stayed because Zela had a secretarial job in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where they lived. When she got laid off from that job is when and why Bill Morgan and family went to get them and bring them back to Clarksburg.

Zela Porter and her children, Margaret Elizabeth Porter and John Robert (Bud) Porter, were roomers in the household of John (Ramig?) on the 1930 United States Census in Poteau, Le Flore, Oklahoma, USA. Zela was divorced and employed as a bookkeeper at a garment factory. Both children were listed as having attended school.⁸

Zela Elizabeth Tubman married James Cooper Thomasson about 1934, in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA.⁹

According to family tradition, Zela worked for Harrison County, in Clarksburg, during the late 1930s and early 1940s. During that time there was a serial killer from Chicago, who abducted women from Chicago and brought them to Clarksburg, there he murdered them. According to Etta Morgan; her husband and his brother may have heard screams from one of the victims, but they could not find the source of the sounds. It was later found to be in a basement of a remote building. Also according to Etta; Mr. O'Grady, Mike Seniors father, called Doo-Doo by the family, who was a guard at the city jail, took prisoners from the jail to recover the bodies.



Zela Elizabeth Thomasson recorded the death of her husband, James Cooper Thomasson, who died 18 November 1948 at Saint Mary's Hospital, Clarksburg, Harrison, West Virginia, USA; at 9:30 AM of a cerebral hemorrhage.^10,11

Zela Elizabeth Thomasson died 21 March 1959 cerebral vascular accident at White Cross Hospital in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA.^12,13,14

Zela Elizabeth Tubman was buried 24 March 1959, at Eastlawn Cemetery, in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, USA..¹⁴