Rachel Florana Stevens

Rachel Florana Stevens was the daughter of George W. Lumpkin and Sarah Harrison was born 17 Jan 1864.  The country was at war at the time of her birth.  Central Indiana was not on the cusp of open warfare during the Civil War, but this did not shelter those who lived during this time from the strife that rocked the entire country.  
Rachel married Samuel L Stevens on the 31 of July in 1896. She was 32 years old at the time of her marriage, which would have been considered old during the time.  Samuel was 10 years younger than Rachel.   By the 1900 Census they had produced two children a girl May E. Stevens born in 1897 and a son Author/Arthur born in 1899.  Rachel is counted with her family in the 1900 Census. She passes 1 Feb 1908 and leaves the children without a mother, and her husband Samuel without a help mate. 
Loosing a wife or husband during 19th and yearly 20th Century; as woman did not commonly work; and men did not commonly do what would be classified back then a "womans work"; life would have been hard on the spouse left behind.  Most men did not know how to raise and nurture children, or even cook supper to feed themselves. This is why one finds children fostered out to other family members or families.  Men would end up moving back home for emotional support; whereas widowed woman would move in with relatives for financial support, especially those with small children. Remarriage was usually quick and common during this time. Samuel does get remarried in 1909 to  May Davis a widower with a small son Oren David, who was the same age as Arthur.