Mary Magdalene Blackwelder Cagle is very a interesting person, and she has an equally interesting life too! She is my 2nd Great-Grandmother, and there is an old family picture that is four generations with MMBC, her daughter Eva Elizabeth Cagle Fink, her granddaughter Mary Ella Fink Ferguson, and her 1st Great-Granddaughter Bobbie Ferguson (now Mrs. Jack Taylor). In the "Four Generation Picture" Bobbie was an infant baby in her mothers arms. BIRTH is a beginning and this is the best place to begin with Mary's birth, because I have researched a lot of different records about her date of birth an place of birth too! Based on the records researched and my best efforts I think it is reasonable to say that her date of birth is: 4th Febuary 1870. First, consider the year of birth in 1870, and the best method to determine that is to look for the earliest record as proof. The 1870 Federal Census record would be the best place for evidence in this case, and the 1870 Census was actually taken for the household she lived in on this date 15 June 1870. As of June 15 1870 the Census states her AGE as 4/12, so that means she was four months old on the date it was recorded. Since June is the sixth month, and February is the second month that would equal the difference of four months or 4/12 for her AGE. Therefore, I conclude the month and year as February 1870 for her birth. At the time of her death the people alive were not there when Mary was born, and the Certificate of Death is a bit confusing on the date of birth since it says February 8, 1879. This being the case the only point that they have in common in the month of February. The Gravestone only give the years for birth and death, so that is were the year of birth is state to be 1869. However, once again it is at the time of death, and not from a record at the time of birth. In doing research the earliest record is the one that is normally the one to use, and in this case at this moment I am electing to go with the year of 1870. If anyone has evidence or proof to present then I will take it under consideration. For the moment the date of the 4th is the one I am using, because I have it on my Chart that way. Normally I have the backup of the original noted as for the source. There was a reason I went with the 4th, and not the 8th which is on the Certificate of Death. I am very open to any evidence that anyone has on the day of birth between the 4th and the 8th, and the better the original source the more I will like it. [MORE TO COME LATER].