CENSUS 1850:
age 1 1850 census home 476 family 476 Monroe Co. Iowa p. 334A
name given as Elizabeth Stise
Present: Peter Stise, age 64, b. North Carolina; Malinda, age 45, b. Kentucky; Peter, age 16, b. Missouri; Mariah, age 13, b. Missouri; Amanda, age 11, b. Missouri; Catharine, age 6, b. Missouri; Elizabeth, age 1, b. Iowa
CENSUS 1860:
age 11 1860 census home 183 family 177 Vancouver, Clark, Washington p. 100
Name given as Elizabeth Stice.
CENSUS 1880:
age 30 1880 census Toledo, Lucas county, Ohio Folio page 78B
name given as Lizzie Love
NAME: second given name from source #2; although she used the name Lottie Grant as a circus name, she may never have been married to Mr. Grant.
BIRTHPLACE: stated in 1850 census as Iowa
MARRIAGE DATE:
1. estimated to be about 1870 based upon the year of birth of her first child William Henry Parker
2. estimate based upon the year of birth of her second child, P. T. Love
3, source #5
DEATHDATE: Source #3 whot got the information from the Register of Death Book dated 1897-..., Record #13, found in the Coldwater Public Library, Branch county, Michigan
BURIAL: Batavia, Branch county, Michigan. Originally buried without a marker. A headstone was dedicated in September 1995 by the local Historical Society, with quite a celebration including a circus elephant from the Kelly-Miller Circus.
SOURCES:
1. Email correspondant Ethelyn Massey whose Nov 2000 email address is
carol84ATjunoDOTcom She is a great great granddaughter
2. Email correspondant Clarence Parker whose May 2003 email address is BudnbernieATaolDOTcom
3. Email correspondant Cheryl Wells Dahl whose March 2004 email address is dahlATthreeriverDOTnet
4. Obituary/death notice, 18 Aug 1899 "Courier" of Coldwater, Michigan; text:
" Mrs. Frank Whitlock of Batavia township died at her home Wednesday, of dropsy. She was probably largest woman in the United States and weighed 650 pounds at the time of her death. She was born in British Columbia 45 years ago and since she was 14 years of age has been on exhibition in many of the largest shows in the country. She traveled with Barnum's a number of years. About two years ago she was taken ill and since that time has lived in Batavia. She has been married three times and a husband and four children survive her. Burrows & Harris, undertakers, of this city, ordered a casket for her 6 feet long, 3 feet 4 inches wide and 2 feet 3 inches deep. The funeral was held yesterday afternoon."
4. Email correspondant Kaye Harwell whose 2005 email address is kayeandjayATmsnDOTcom
She supplied photos and letter from the Hertzberg Circus Colection & Museum of San Antonio, Texas which indicates that they find no evidence supporting the idea that she was connectd with Barnum's ans she is not listed in their route books, but that she could have been with a smaller show or only active for a year or two.
5. Nebraska Historical Society: http://www.nebraskahwww.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm>
A Circus Wedding
Readers of the Seward Reporter on August 9, 1883, learned of a recent wedding in the community in which the bride and groom were not area residents, but members of a traveling circus then performing in Seward. "Last Sunday evening nearly all of the employes [sic] of S. H. Barrett & Co.'s show were at the Grand Central Hotel," said the Reporter, "to witness an event which is a novelty in circus performances-the wedding of Mr. Frank Whitlock, one of the attaches of the circus, and Miss Lottie Grant, the fat woman.
"Landlord Underhill gave the party the use of his dining-room for the ceremony, and the circus people filled it to overflowing. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. T. L. Sexton, after which the happy couple received the congratulations of their friends, refreshments were served, and a merry time generally was enjoyed.
"The bride and groom received many handsome and valuable presents, among which were a diamond ring, an engraved gold ring, a gold locket, a fine photograph album, an autograph album, a dressing case, several articles of silverware, and a large number of smaller articles. Accompanying the gifts was a letter of congratulation from the members of the company.
"The bride is an attractive feature of the show, being remarkable for her size. She is 27 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall; and weighs 593 pounds weight. He is a fine-looking young man, and is spoken of very highly by his associates. He is superintendent of the annex or side-show department. The bride is said to be quite wealthy, although probably she is hardly worth her weight in gold."
The groom, Frank Whitlock, listed in contemporary entertainment publications as a "museum ticket agent" and "side show talker," was probably not as well known as his new wife. Elizabeth Charlotte Stice Whitlock, who used "Lottie Grant" as a stage name, was a well-known circus fat lady, who traveled with several different shows during the 1880s and 1890s. Her circus career did not prevent her from marrying three times and giving birth to several children.
"Such a wedding seldom takes place," concluded the Seward Reporter, "and while the bridegroom has certainly assumed a 'heavy' responsibility, he has also secured a wife who is able to protect and defend him. May their shadow never grow less."
(August 2006)
RESEARCH NOTE: the research and records of Francis Tregaskis states that
Elizabeth was married to a second husband named GRANT.
Documentation from Debra Zook states that there was a letter written by John
Edward Stice, son of Peter J. Stice, grandson of Peter Stice which states that
Elizabeth weighed 600 pounds by age 16, married Dave Parker, has one son, left
them and went with Barnum and Baily Circus for 22 years, traveling under the
name of Grant. Sometimes identified as the "Oregon Giantess".
Eventually weighed 722 pounds. (source #2 states that she weighed 685 pounds)
Source #1 states that her show name in the circus was Lottie Grant and that she
also married F. M. Whitlock, a circus side show talker. Inquiry of the circus
museum broght this reply:
There are limited mentions of F. M. Whitlock and Lottie Grant. Whitlock was
listed as being with the 1892 W. B. Reynolds Circus sideshow, presumably as a
sideshow talker. Lottie Grant is listed as being with the 1883 and 1884 S. H.
Barrett circus. They both placed an "At Liberty" advertisement in the New York
Clipper, January 17, 1885, pages 697 and 704. They did it again in the March
21, 1885 issue. There are no other mentions of them, nor does the Museum have
photographs of them.
Fred Dahlinger, Jr.
Director
Collections and Research
Circus World Museum
550 Water Street
Baraboo, Wisconsin 53913-2597
USA
telephone 608-356-8342 ext. 3282
fax 608-355-7959 (alt. 608-356-1800)
e-mail fdahlinger.cwmATbarabooDOTcom