Tillie was the youngest of seven children born to the union of Mississippi natives William Arnold and the former Sarah Jane Dowdney. She grew up in Smith County, Texas after her parents relocated there in the 1890s.

In 1905 Tillie married a young man from a neighboring family, Earl Garrett. The couple enjoyed six years of marital happiness until Earl died tragically at the age of 25. He left behind his grieving young widow and their little 15-month-old son, Verman Richard Garrett.

Possibly as a means of financial support for her young son and herself rather than from true love, Tillie then married Jesse James Shuttlesworth, the widowed father of a son and a daughter, whose first wife's fate remains shrouded in mystery. Her new husband, a man of dubious character, was not known for treating his wives with loving gentleness. Despite his lack of character, Tillie presented him with three more sons and two more daughters. Their oldest child lost his life during a naval battle to liberate Sicily during World War II. At least her own death spared Tillie the heartbreak of losing her son.

In 1929, Tillie developed an ulcerated sore on one of her legs. The sore was diagnosed as "erysipelas" and the doctor prescribed an ointment to be applied regularly to the spot. Her husband withheld the medication and forbade his daughters to give aid to their mother. The consequence of the lack of proper care caused Tillie to go into septic shock which caused her death.

Turning a deaf ear to the pleas of her son Verman Richard Garrett to bury Tillie next to his father in Smith County, Jesse James Shuttlesworth coldly refused. Instead, he had her buried in a nearby country cemetery in Cass County. Tillie has lain there more than 90 years, a tiny island amidst a sea of strangers.

Despite a life that was far too short, Tillie must have found great pride and satisfaction in her children. It is known that they returned her love and devotion.

Less than 11 months after Tillie's death, Jesse James Shuttlesworth married once again. Evidently his wife realized her mistake after giving birth to two children. She disentangled herself from that unholy alliance and went on to make another, happier marriage with a good man.

Dying old and justifiably alone on the third day of December 1943, Jesse James Shuttlesworth was buried in a Smith county cemetery regularly used by the large Shuttlesworth family. His Texas death certificate listed him as a widower. The widower of whom is anybody's guess. There does not seem to have been a fourth marriage, but one must remember that this was a man with many secrets. To this day, no one knows either when or where or even IF he buried his first wife.

His last known wife passed away on 28 June 2003, exactly 74 years and one day after Tillie's death.