Marriah Fagan Collins

Marriah Fagan Collins

Birth Date: Feb 6, 1886, Louisiana

Spouse: Rowden Collins (1907)

Children: Anthony Jerry Collins

Last Residence: Jonesville, Catahoula, Louisiana

Death Date: June 15, 1973

Marriah is the first child born to Rafe and Phine Fagan. She was likely named after Phine’s youngest sister, Marriah Bowman (DOB: 02/1880) whom was only six years older than her first born child. She married Rowden Collins (1907) and at age 22, she gave birth to her only son, Anthony Jerry “AJ” Collins (June 9, 1908 – 1977). A 1910 Census listed her occupation as a farm laborer. At that time her household consisted of the couple (Marriah and Rowden), their one year old son (Anthony). They lived on Black River to Heth Buyus.

Census dated 1930 has Marriah Collins as not able to read or write and continued to live in Catahoula Parish. In her home were her and her husband (Rowden), their adult son (Anthony) and her adopted daughter (Maria Craven – 12 yo).

During the 1940 Census, Marriah was widowed at the age of 53 and rented her home, paying $8 monthly rent. That’s $153 in today’s dollars (2022). She lived in between her mother, Josephine Fagan, on one side and her sister Atlanta (39yo) and Atlanta’s husband, Jake Washington (50yo), on the other side. Census indicated that she had not attended any formal schooling and continued to work as a farm laborer. The Census doesn’t acknowledge her citizenship. While African Americans were granted citizenship in 1869, their legal and civil rights were severely restricted for decades later. Cora Collins McClendon was able to confirm that her mother, Beulah Stevenson Collins, taught Marriah to read.

Marriah returned to her parents home and at the age of 64 began living in Jonesville, Louisiana with her son, Anthony Jerry “AJ” Collins, his wife (Beulah S Collins – age 40) and her three grandchildren – Jerome A Collins (4), Cora M Collins (2), and Rowden L Collins (1).

Corrections: We are unable to corroborate some information that is listed in the Census documents. The 1910 Census states that a 7yo sister, named Lannie, lived with Marriah’s family. We believe the 1940 census suggests that Marriah has three daughters living in her home (Atlanta – 16yo, Millie – 15yo, and Fannie 14yo) during the time she returned home to live with her parents.