Fabian Alvis Nance was born on March 10, 1861 in Mayfield, Kentucky to William Peyton Nance and Martha Ann Eaker. According to the book “Historical Souvenir of Williamson County” published in 1905, one article stated that William P. Nance was a minister with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and moved from Kentucky to Jackson County, Illinois in 1867 and moved to Williamson County in 1869. Another historical source in regard to the M.E. Church, South in Marion stated, “In 1870, Reverend W. P. Nance came as pastor, and through his untiring efforts and energy, the church purchased for $1 a lot on the southeast corner of Jefferson and Liberty Streets”, thus helping kick start the Marion M.E. churches beginnings.
The family movement was reflected in the 1870 federal census, where the Nance family were found to be living in Township 9, Range 2, known today as West Marion Township or somewhere just west of Marion’s downtown. In this census, William P. was listed as a 32-year-old minister, his wife Martha was then only 28 and their two children, Fabian 9 and his younger sister Lulu was aged 4. Fabian’s father claimed a real estate value of $0.00 and a personal wealth of $300 meaning they likely didn’t own the land they were living on. Interestingly, the family had two boarders in the home. One was James Goddard, who didn’t list an occupation but stated his real estate worth at $24,000 and his personal wealth at $25, 000. The other boarder was William Spiller, a 21-year-old life insurance agent. Most of the Goddard’s at the time were known to be living then around the unincorporated village of Bainbridge just West of Marion.
Sadly enough, only a little over a year after the 1870 census was taken, Fabian’s father, Rev. William P. Nance passed away on November 21, 1871 at the age of 33 or 34.
By the time the 1880 census rolled around the remaining Nance family had moved into the city of Marion. Fabian’s 39-year-old mother, Martha, was head of household. Fabian was listed as a 19-year-old spinner at a woolen mill and his sister Lulu had reach 14. Since there was only one woolen mill in the area, he had to be working at the Edwards woolen mill located exactly where the Bob Stotlar Building Center is located on W. Main Street in Marion today in 2023.
On October 5, 1881 Fabian entered into marriage with Mary Jane Broad, daughter of William A. Broad and Maria Cooper Broad. The marriage took place in the Mary’s mother’s parlor, which was likely the William A. Broad building in the 300 block of W. Main Street. A building which the couple would later inherit, live in, do business in and still exists today. Mary’s father, William A. Broad was a tinsmith doing business in Marion until his death in 1867 when Mary was only 7 years old. The couple had a who’s who of Marion stand up for them at their wedding. Their groomsmen and bridesmaids were George H. Goodall and Altha Hundley and Meta Goodall and William H. Warder. Both couples would eventually become husband and wives themselves. George H. Goodall being known for construction of the Goodall Hotel which dominated the west side of the public square in Marion from 1897 until 1941 and Warder becoming one of Marion’s leading attorneys.
Around the time of his marriage in 1881, Fabian joined the state militia that year and served for 11 years reaching the rank of Lieutenant until his last term expired in 1892. After the Marion Electric Light and Water Company was founded around 1892-1893, electricity was brought to Marion for the first time in the form of streetlights. Fabian joined the light company and served as general manager for the company from 1893 until 1901. He would have worked out of the power plant located near the railroad tracks at the corner of North Madison and East Central Streets.
His job at the power company was confirmed in the 1900 federal census where he was listed as a 39-year-old manager at the electric light company. Though no address was listed for the couple it is known that Mary’s mother Maria had passed away in 1897 which left the Broad building on W. Main Street open for them and they are also listed in a 1907 directory as being at 304 W. Main St. In this census, one of the questions was how many children have you had and how many still are alive? The answer was 6 children born and 5 children living. One of their unlisted children who was born in 1891 was a son named Valdemir B. who had passed away. Those children living in the home in 1900 were all boys, Clarence 18, Willie 17, George 15, Eddie 12 and Warder aged 6. The couple stated that they owned their home free of mortgage.
In 1901, Fabian’s mother, Martha passed away and was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery with her husband. That same year, Fabian left working for the Electric light company and started up his own grocery business on N. Market Street, an occupation that he would pass on to his son William Cary. By 1906, Fabian had started working as a bookkeeper for a local coal mine and his son Will C. Nance was advertising a grocery and general merchandise business located at 306 W. Main Street.
In 1907 and again in 1908, Fabian served as alderman to the city of Marion under Mayor J.C. Mitchell. Through this period of time, the couple were active members in the M.E. Church, South and the Modern Woodmen of America, Marion Camp #5337 where Fabian served the position of Sentry.
When the 1910 census was taken, the couple was listed as living at 304 W. Main Street (in the Broad building) and 49-year-old Fabian was confirmed at working as a bookkeeper at a coal mine. Son William was 27 and listed as a merchant, Clarence was a salesman and Warder & Robert were still in school. The couple were also housing 8 boarders in the building whose occupations ranged from salesmen, to laborers and street musicians. The couple stated that they had had 7 children and 6 still are living.
By the 1910’s the Nance’s children were all getting grown with a few moving off to California. One of their son’s, Edwin, had become Dr. Edwin Fabian Nance and got married in Los Angeles in 1914. So by the 1920 census, the Nance family had relocated to California. In that census, 58-year-old Fabian and his 58-year-old wife Mary were living in the home of their son Clarence in Thermal township in Riverside County California. His married son, Clarence, listed himself as a farmer with a wife named Isabel and they had a newborn child named Douglas F. Also living with Clarence was his younger 19-year-old brother Robert. Fabian was found in a government report as having become Postmaster of Thermal township on June 7, 1920 about the same time of the census.
When the 1930 census rolled around, 68 year-old Fabian and his wife were living alone, listed as farmers on a farm located with an address of Foothill Citrus Colony, presumably growing fruit of some kind. They owned their own home and stated they owned a radio set.
On December 21, 1935, Fabian A. Nance passed away in Kern County, California and was buried in Bakersfield, California at Greenlawn Cemetery. His wife, Mary born on November 4, 1860, survived another 14 years and died on October 28, 1949. She died in Fresno, California and was buried alongside Fabian at Greenlawn Cemetery in Bakersfield.
Notes on Children:
Dr. Edward Fabian Nance, born September 12, 1886, married Effie Brown Stephenson in L.A., California in July 1914. Died August 6, 1951 in L.A., buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California
George Holden Nance, born January 16, 1885, married to Jessie Lucille Nance, died July 18, 1975. Buried at Chapel of the Light Cemetery, Fresno, California. Children were Lucille Augusta Nance, Jane Allen Chatfield, George Holden Nance.
Clarence Albert Nance, born September 7, 1890, married Isabelle Nance, died August 9, 1980. Buried at Coachella Valley Public Cemetery. Children named Ida Lee Boomer and Douglas F.?
Warder Peyton Nance, born June 25, 1893, married Olive Genevieve, died in Marion, Illinois on February 3, 1975. Buried in Arvin Cemetery, Arvin, California. Child named William Warder Nance
Robert Douglas Nance, born July 27, 1900, died April 3, 1950 in L.A., California. Buried in Rose Hill Memorial Park, Whittier, California
William Cary Nance, born December, 1882, merchant in Marion, married Edna May Gunning of Carbondale in Paducah, Ky., died in August 1974 and is buried with brother Robert in Rose Hill Memorial Park, Whittier, California
Valdemir B. Nance, died in 1891, birth date or burial unknown
(Sources: Federal Census records, Marion City Cemetery records, Marion Street Directories, Carbondale Free Press, Marion Monitor, Egyptian Press, U.S. Government Postings, FindaGrave.com, Historical Souvenir of Williamson County)