Individual Details

1880 Census of Defective, Dependent and Delinquent Classes for Hayes, Franklin, KS, lists Mary E. Comstock as Blind.

Mary died sometime after the birth of William in 1883 and before her husband's marriage to Margaret E. "Mag" Petty Brasher, 1892. She likely died in Kansas; James then moved to Cedar County, MO, where he was murdered in 1893. Testimony of Thomas Brasher at the inquest of Miranda Wallace who was murdered at the same time, indicates Thomas had known Comstock about 4 years, so possibly he moved to Cedar County about 1889.

The only possible family I've found for Mary Elizabeth is in neighboring Barry Co, MO, in 1850 before the Comstocks moved to Missouri. The family is indexed as "Stumps" District 5, Hh 299:
Nattie Stamps, age 31, b. TN Winny, age 27, b. TN
Children born in TN: Mary 10, George W. 9, James T. 7
Born in MO: Nicy & Dicy [twins] age 3, Sarah age1.
The family was not there 10 years later.

The 1860 and 1870 censuses confirm this is surely Mary Elizabeth's family.
1860 Census. Anderson Twp, Benton Co, AR Hh 1355
Nathan Stamps, age 41, b. TN Winney, age 37, b. TN
George, 18, b. TN
Born in MO: Nicey & Dicey, now age 13; Sarah age 11. Dodson age 9.
Daniel age 6, b. AR
Salina, age 4, b. MO
Martha, age 1, b. AR

Then in 1870, living with Mary Elizabeth & James Comstock in Kansas:
Candace Stamps 14, Martha 11, Dodson 19, and Boon [Daniel in 1860] age 17, all shown as born in Missouri. I suspect Candace was "dicey and should have been 24, not 14; and "Martha" might have been Martha Sarah and was age 21. Since the enumerators copied their notes by candle or firelight, I have seen similar errors - even the order of the Stamps young people suggests Candace & Martha were older than Dodson and Boon, since they were to be listed in age order.

Birth	1839	Franklin County, Tennessee
Marriage	Ca 1855	James Irving/Ervin Comstock

Spouse	James Irving/Ervin Comstock (1837 - 1893)
Child	Harvey Alexander Comstock (1858 - 1930)
Child	James Franklin "Frank" Comstock (1859 - 1923)
Child	Belle Comstock (1863 - 1954)
Child	Elonzo Ervan Comstock (1866 - 1933)
Child	Theodosia Comstock (1868 - )
Child	Elizabeth Comstock (1871 - 1955)
Child	William Decatur Comstock (1883 - 1960)

Father	Nathan Dodson Stamps (1819 - 1863)
Mother	Winney Embrey (1823 - 1870)
Sibling	George Washington Stamps (1841 - )
Sibling	James Jefferson Stamps (1843 - )
Sibling	Anida "Nicey" Stamps (1846 - )
Sibling	Dicey Stamps (1846 - )
Sibling	Sarah Stamps (1849 - )
Sibling	Nathan Dodson Stamps (1851 - )
Sibling	Daniel Boone Stamps (1854 - )
Sibling	Salina Candace Stamps (1856 - )
Sibling	Martha Stamps (1859 - )