Dau of Thomas and Elizabeth Gill, both of NC.

m: James "Jim" Thomas Shelten/Shelton, 1850
ch inc:
-Silas 1856- before 1860 (born in KY)
-Margrett Elizabeth 1859-1934 (m: Hugh Doyal)
-Sarah 1861-1944 (m: Archie Allen)
-Joseph Sylvester 1865-1951
-Mary Ann "Minnie" 1867-1956 (m: Wilse Allen)
-Dillard abt 1868- (not with mother as of 1880)
-Thomas Richard "Tom" 1869-1951 (m1: Nola "Wilse" Allen, M2: Mrs. Maggie (Moore) Headley). Note: Tom is buried as Shelton, not Shelten. (not in 1870 census, DOB probably after Sept 1870)
(Note: in 1900 & 1910 Martha indicated she had 5 of 8 children living, at least one was with 2nd husband. It appears the deceased children were Silas and Dillard Shelten and Mary Ragan

m2: Edward S. Ragan in 1876. Edward died 1921; his tombstone had no engraved DOD as of 2011.
ch: Mary J. Ragan 1878-

1860 Dallas, MO: SHELTEN James /26/TN/farmer, Martha J/22/NC, Elizabeth/1/MO.

1870 Boone, Maines Co MO: SHELTON James/35/TN/farmer, Jane/35/TN, M/ 11/f, Sarah T/9, J.S./7/m, M/4/f, Dillard/1. Children born in MO.

1880 Jackson Maries Co MO: RAGAM Edward /40, Martha/40, Mary J/2/dau; stepchildren SHELTON Jas/15, Monada/13, Thomas/11

Family lore: After her husband was killed in the Civil War (or while he was serving) Martha had young children to care for. "One day she looked out the window and saw a group of Civil War soldiers kill a hog they had found close to her house. When she saw the soldiers coming to her door she hid the children under the bed. The soldiers asked her if she lived alone. When she told them she did, they went back and brought her a ham from the hog they had just killed.
She had no salt to cure the meat so she got dirt from the shed where she cured meat, boiled the dirt and strained off the water to get salt."

ALERT: There are several references that Martha's 1st husband, "Jim" Shelten, was killed in the civil war. However they had children born in 1865, 1867 and 1869, and he is "head" in the 1870 census. Martha remarried in 1876. It appears Jim died between 1870-1876. While he may have died after the war from injuries or disease contracted during the war, there are other reports that he died in an accident while butchering hogs in Maines Co MO., date unknown. No burial location has been found.

Missouri, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1851-1900
Name Edw. S. Ragan
Marriage Date 27 May 1876
Marriage Place Maries, Missouri, USA
Spouse Martha Jane Shelton

Also shown to have been of Irish descent, reportedly spoke broken English.

(Some information to create this bio taken from various entries in the "Shelten Descendents 1996-97" booklet prepared by Julie O'Bannon.)∼Malinda Jane Gill or Martha Jane Ragan, female, white, married, housewife. Daughter of Thomas Gill, N.C., Elizabeth Gill, N.C., died at age 80y 4 mos 7ds of angina pectoris. Informant: E.S. Ragan, Gerster, Missouri.Burial: Sept 17, 1914. Missouri Death Certificate 30168