Nona
(White) Sellers
(1875-1911)
Nona (White) Sellers was born on May 27, 1875 at Haseville, Linn County, MO, the daughter of Lester and Susan (McCarty) White.
At the age of nine, she moved with her parents and grandparents to Isabel, Barber County, KS.
On May 27, 1893, she married George Washington Sellers (1862-1936). He was born on Aug. 1, 1862 in Green County, TN, the son of Hiram and Mary (Morris) Sellers.
They had 6 children -- Arlis Marion Sellers, Virgil Lester Sellers, Floy White Sellers, Merl Lester Sellers, Paul Laverne Sellers and Vina Susan Sellers. Nona was described as "a kind and loving mother, wife and daughter."
Tragically, Nona died eight days after giving birth to their only daughter on Nov. 14, 1911, in Isabel.
After her death, George arranged for his sister Nancy Dickerson to help raise the children. After a year, Belle Wohlford took the daughter to Ashton, KS, to raise. Later, Mary Moriah (Buckingham) Stafford came to live in the Sellers home.
Four years after his wife's death, George married Dr. Annie Stanley, on June 23, 1915. Annie was an osteopathic physician. They enjoyed more than two decades of marriage until George's death on Feb. 25, 1936 in Isabel. Annie moved to Anthony, KS and lived for another 16 years, passing away in about 1952.
Son Arlis served in the U.S. Navy during World War I, and later he and his wife Flora Ann (Toothacre) Sellers were educators in Colorado.
Son Floy is said to have been "the first Isabel High School graduate to enlist for service in World War I…" He later was a "newspaper man" in Galena, KS, and served as a postmaster, location unknown.
Son Merl served in the Marines during World War I and later was a railway mail clerk in New Orleans.
Son Paul taught school at Sand Creek and Athol, KS, later becoming principal of the intermediate school at Fort Scott, KS. He also was a captain in the Kansas State Guard. His wife Mary 'Alberta' (Downey) Sellers worked in the Fort Scott school office, and once served as County Treasurer in Fort Scott.
Daughter Vina married Thomas C. Reeves and was a graduate of the Southwestern Bible School at Enid, OK. In her short life of 35 years, she served as pastor of "one or more Methodist Churches in Kansas."
Copyright © 2000 Mark A. Miner