Adoptions in Lawrence County

Vincennes Sun Commercial October 5, 1927

Mrs. S. S. Seller, Mt Carmel home visitor, Children's Visitation, Department of Public Welfare of Springfield, was in Lawrence County the first of the week calling on Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Phelps and Charles Dollahan of Bond township.

Both families have orphan children in their homes adopted from county orphanages. Mr and Mrs Phelps have Catherine Mullen, an orphan from the County Orphanage at Vincennes and Mr and Mrs Dollahan have an orphan from the DuQuoin orphanage. Mrs. Seller expressed that she was well pleased with the treatment being received by the charges especially with their home life and schooling.

Ed Note: Further research shows:

The 1930 Census for Bond Twp, Lawrence County IL shows that John D. Phelps (62) and Rosa, (64) his wife had Catherine Millen living with them. She was 15 years old, and was listed as a servant.

In January 1948 John D. Phelps died. His obituary states that he himself was left an orphan at an early age. Though he and his wife, Rose Childress Phelps, had no children of their own, they gave a home to a number of homeless children who regarded them as more than parents.

Charles Dollahan (60) and wife Sarah (Dollahan) (58) had a boy living with them, in 1930, John R. Lance (19) listed as a roomer.

Charles Dollahan’s obituary (Daily Record March 18, 1936) states that one child had been born of his marriage with Sarah A. Waters but that son had died an accidental death in 1911 at age 18. However, the Pinkstaff News column in the Daily Record March 12, 1936 stated that John Lentz (sic) of Kansas was called back to Lawrence County by the death of C. W. Dollahan, in whose home he formerly lived.