2A-G: John Wilson Guttry
Guthrie Family Group 2A · Branch G · Child Page
John Wilson Guttry
& Murtilla Jane Sanders
John: born in the 1850s; died 1923
Murtilla: 1859–1938
Columbia and Nevada Counties, Arkansas
A farming family in southern Arkansas. John Wilson Guttry, son of Wilson Guttry and Sarah M. Starritt, married Murtilla Jane Sanders in 1879. Census records follow their household through Lake, Harrison, and Parker Townships, while descendant records preserve connections among the Guttry, Sanders, and Drake families.
Their reported family includes seven children. A descendant through their son John Graydon Guttry represents this line in the Guthrie DNA Project. The genetic connection with Branch G is established in the project’s working classification; the earlier documentary connection to James, John, or a closely related ancestor remains unresolved.
John’s birth year and exact death date require reconciliation. Details and source distinctions appear below.
Family at a Glance
John Wilson Guttry
Parents: Wilson Guttry and Sarah M. Starritt.
Birth: Arkansas, in the 1850s. The research profile uses 4 March 1853; the 1900 index gives March 1853, while cemetery sources give 4 March 1858.
Death: 1923. The profile gives 9 December; the memorial index and Shiloh transcription give 9 February.
Burial: Shiloh Cemetery, Columbia County, Arkansas, according to cemetery sources.
Murtilla Jane Sanders
Birth: Reported 1 March 1859, Georgia.
Death: Reported 11 October 1938, Arkansas.
Parents: Not established in the reviewed evidence.
Burial: Shiloh Cemetery. The cemetery transcription uses the name Murtilla Jean.
Marriage: 6 November 1879, Columbia County, Arkansas; license issued 3 November. The index names John Guttry and Trelle Sanders. Later records use Tilla, Matilda, Metilda, and Murtilla.
| Child | Dates | Family & Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Maud Mae Guttry | 1880–1930, reported | Appears as Maude M., age 19, in the 1900 household index. |
| Oscar Guy Guttry | 1882–1972, reported | Oscar G., age 17 in 1900; Oscar, age 27 in 1910. |
| Cecil Emerie Guttry | 1885–1909 | The Tick Hill cemetery compilation identifies her as N. J. Drake’s wife and John and Murtilla’s daughter. |
| Early Otto Guttry | 1887–1966, reported | Early, age 12, appears in the 1900 household index. |
| Carlos Byron Guttry | 1895–1971; birth conflict | His death certificate names John Guttry and Metilda Sanders as his parents; census ages imply an earlier birth. |
| Paul Iris Guttry | 1895–1973, reported; birth conflict | Paul is age 3 in 1900 and 14 in 1910, inconsistent with the profile’s 1895 birth year. |
| John Graydon Guttry | 1899–1984, reported | Married Pearl Idelia Johnson. His reported male line leads to DNA kit 916989. |
Profile-only dates remain reported dates. Carlos and Paul should not be described as twins merely because both profiles currently use 1895.
Other People in the Census Household
The 1900 index includes infants Barbara N. and Allen C., as well as Jane Sanders, age 77. The 1910 list includes Dovie, Barbary, and Cecil Drake; Cecil Drake remains with John and Murtilla in 1920.
The supplied household lists do not display each person’s relationship to the head. These names are valuable leads, but household membership alone does not establish that they were John and Murtilla’s children or grandchildren. They have not been added to the seven-child list.
Historical Highlights
A Family Rooted in Farming
John and Murtilla established their household after their 1879 marriage. Four census indexes place them in southern Arkansas between 1880 and 1920, with farming a recurring occupation for John.
Their recorded residences connect Lake and Parker Townships in Nevada County with Harrison Township in Columbia County. These entries provide dated locations; they do not yet supply the deeds needed to trace particular farms or establish every move.
Names That Connect the Generations
John’s surname appears as Guttry, Guthrie, and Guttrey. Murtilla’s given name varies even more. Their son Carlos Byron’s death certificate offers a useful link across those spellings: it names his parents as John Guttry and Metilda Sanders.
The family profiles and census entries preserve seven working child lines. Cemetery records add a Drake marriage for Cecil Emerie. The youngest reported son, John Graydon, carries the documented research interest forward through the submitted pedigree of a Guthrie DNA Project participant.
The shared artwork evokes the family’s Arkansas setting; it is not a record of their house or land.
Family Timeline
-
6 November 1879
John and Murtilla marry
The Columbia County marriage index records the ceremony three days after the license.
Source: Arkansas marriage index; FHL film 988809.
-
1880
A household in Lake Township
J. W. Guthrie, 25, and Tilla, 21, appear in Nevada County. John is listed as a farmer.
Source: 1880 census index, dwelling 265.
-
1900
Harrison Township, Columbia County
John W. and Matilda J. report 21 years of marriage. The index lists their seven reported children and additional household members. John farms an owned, mortgaged property.
Source: 1900 census index, sheet 15.
-
25 February 1909
Cecil Emerie’s reported death
The Tick Hill cemetery compilation gives Cecil’s dates as 16 March 1885–25 February 1909 and identifies her as N. J. Drake’s wife.
Source: Cemetery compilation, page 46; original inscription not reviewed here.
-
1910
Farming in Parker Township
John and Murtilla appear in Nevada County after 31 reported years of marriage. The index describes the farm as owned free of mortgage.
Source: 1910 census index, enumeration district 0107, sheet 4B.
-
1920
A smaller household
John, Murtilla, and eleven-year-old Cecil Drake appear together in Parker Township. John is still a farmer; the property is listed as rented.
Source: 1920 census index. Ownership differences alone do not explain a change in circumstances.
-
1923
John’s death
The year is consistent across the reviewed profile and cemetery sources; February and December remain competing months.
Source: Research profile, memorial index, and Shiloh Cemetery transcription.
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11 October 1938
Murtilla’s reported death
Her profile and the Shiloh transcription agree on this date.
Source: Research profile and Shiloh Cemetery transcription.
Explore the Records
Marriage and census indexes establish the main research trail. A descendant’s death certificate supplies direct evidence of the parents it names. Cemetery transcriptions and research profiles preserve additional dates and relationships, with their conflicts retained below.
The Guthrie DNA Project
Kit 916989 represents the reported line through John Graydon Guttry. The project review dated 15 October 2026 records Big Y-700 and haplogroup R-FTJ23678. This page carries forward that dated review.
| Child Line | Y-DNA | Big Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maud Mae Guttry | Not transmitted through this daughter | Not applicable through this daughter | Not identified |
| Oscar Guy Guttry | Not identified | Not identified | Not identified |
| Cecil Emerie Guttry | Not transmitted through this daughter | Not applicable through this daughter | Not identified |
| Early Otto Guttry | Not identified | Not identified | Not identified |
| Carlos Byron Guttry | Not identified | Not identified | Not identified |
| Paul Iris Guttry | Not identified | Not identified | Not identified |
| John Graydon Guttry | Kit 916989 | Big Y-700; R-FTJ23678 | Not identified |
“Not identified” means no participant is identified in the reviewed project notes; it does not mean no descendant has tested. A daughter does not transmit her father’s Y chromosome, but her descendants may contribute autosomal evidence.
The Tested Line and Its Branch G Connection
The supplied pedigree follows Wilson Guttry → John Wilson Guttry → John Graydon Guttry (1899–1984) → John Graydon Guttry (1928–2015) → kit 916989. The younger John Graydon is reported as the son of the elder John Graydon and Pearl Idelia Johnson.
Kit 916989 carries the reviewed Branch G pattern DYS442 = 11 and DYS712 = 20, compared with GFG2A reference values 12 and 19. This supports the paternal association, while the earlier documentary connection remains unresolved.
R-FTJ23678 is not exclusive to Branch G: it also appears for Branch K kit 1035005 in the dated review. Neither the SNP nor the marker pattern proves Wilson’s proposed parentage under William Guthrie and Martha Rogers, or places his family under James or John.
Family Evidence & Open Questions
John’s Birth Year and Death Month
The working profile gives 4 March 1853. The 1900 index supports March 1853, but the other reviewed census ages imply later birth years. The memorial index and Shiloh transcription give 4 March 1858.
The death month also differs: the profile gives 9 December 1923, while those cemetery sources give 9 February 1923. Agreement between derivative sources does not establish that they are independent. A legible gravestone photograph, death record, obituary, or probate record would help resolve the conflict.
Murtilla’s Name and Parentage
Murtilla Jane Sanders is retained as the working name. The Shiloh transcription uses Murtilla Jean; marriage, census, and descendant records use additional variants including Trelle, Tilla, Matilda, and Metilda.
The profile’s potential-parent hints for Joseph Sanders and Jane Black have not been established by the reviewed records. Jane Sanders’s presence in the 1900 household does not, by itself, prove that she was Murtilla’s mother.
Carlos, Paul, and the Additional Household Members
Carlos Byron’s death certificate gives 14 February 1895–23 June 1971 and names John Guttry and Metilda Sanders as his parents. The 1900 and 1910 indexes give Carlos ages 7 and 17, suggesting about 1892/93. The certificate reports his birth decades after the event, so the discrepancy remains open.
Paul’s profile also uses 1895, while the census indexes give ages 3 and 14. These entries require reconciliation and do not establish a twin birth.
Full census pages are needed for Barbara N., Allen C., Jane Sanders, Dovie, Barbary, and Cecil Drake. The proposed connection between young Cecil Drake and Cecil Emerie Guttry Drake should be tested with relationship entries and vital records, rather than inferred from their names.
Sources & Research Notes
Open the Source List
- Arkansas marriage index: John Guttry and Trelle Sanders, Columbia County, license 3 November and marriage 6 November 1879; FHL film 988809. Supplied index screenshot reviewed.
- United States census indexes: 1880, Lake Township, Nevada County, dwelling 265; 1900, Harrison Township, Columbia County, sheet 15; 1910, Parker Township, Nevada County, ED 0107, sheet 4B; 1920, Parker Township. Index screenshots reviewed, not the complete original household pages.
- Texas death certificate 44006: Carlos Byron Guttry, died 23 June 1971, Kilgore, Rusk County. Actual certificate image reviewed for dates and parentage.
- Tick Hill cemetery compilation, page 46: Cecil Emerie Guttry Drake and related family entries. Publication title remains unidentified; compiler-added relationships require comparison with original records.
- Shiloh Cemetery transcription: Doris Fletcher and Marcia Chapman’s May 2001 cemetery survey; John W. Guttry and Murtilla Jean Guttry, section N, row 20. Consulted 26 October 2026. Supplied John memorial-index screenshot also reviewed; the original stones were not examined for this page.
- Guthrie Research Tree: supplied profiles for John Wilson, Murtilla, and the two John Graydon generations. These supply the working seven-child list and pedigree; profile-only dates remain qualified.
- Guthrie DNA Project review, 15 October 2026: kit 916989, Big Y-700, R-FTJ23678, and Branch G marker comparison. This is the saved project snapshot, not a fresh audit of live results.
Most Wanted Documents
Records That Could Clarify This Family
- John’s gravestone, death record, obituary, or probate file to resolve his birth year and death month.
- Complete 1900, 1910, and 1920 census pages showing every household member’s relationship, together with records identifying Barbara, Allen, Dovie, and Cecil Drake.
- Murtilla’s original marriage and death records and earlier Sanders family records to establish her parents and clarify her recorded names.
- Early records for Carlos and Paul to reconcile their birth dates; marriage, death, and obituary records for the other children to strengthen the family reconstruction.
Preserving the Family’s Story
John and Murtilla’s family can be followed through a marriage entry, Arkansas census households, a daughter’s cemetery record, and a son’s death certificate. Together, these records preserve more than a list of names: they identify the places and relationships from which further research can grow.
Family photographs, Bible entries, letters, obituaries, and documented descendant lines are welcome. Please use the private contact option for information about living relatives or DNA participants.
Researched & Curated by Ann Guthrie