Zelma Doyle's Family

Zelma is the mother of my Aunt Jayne, Mantha Jayne (Doyle) Sylvester. She was originally from Segal, Kentucky and later moved to Muncie Indiana.

I can remember as a little girl going with Zelma and her husband out to their farm. I would "play" with the baby pigs, laughing as they squealed.  I kept well away from the fenced in mommy pigs who were not happy with me at all. And then later having a wonderful lunch of cooked greens and a wonderful meat dish of some sort. All of it tasted wonderful - good country cuisine. Tomatoes with a bit of salt. Fresh milk. Zelma was always kind to me.

Mantha Jayne and Paul John's Wedding Day, 1950

Dreak McAdams, Zelma McAdams, Bride, Mantha Jayne, Groom Paul John, Nellie Sylvester, Paul C Sylvester

James Monroe Doyle Jr. was Zelma's father. He married Mantha Jane Heath - not to be confused with my aunt, who is Mantha Jayne Sylvester.


Zelma was born January 18, 1899. There were 7 children in her family. She was the oldest.

Zelma, Gene, Herman, Nervie, Grace, Gradie and Olga.

In 1914, when Zelma was just about 15 years old, her mother Mantha Jane was operated on for an appendicitis on her kitchen table and died from the operation.

Later, James Monroe Jr. remarried Dora Durbin and they had 6 children.

Marie, Dorene, Zella Mae, James, Pauline and Annabelle.

Zelma married Gourmand Dreyfus McAdams on November 12, 1921. She would have been just 22 years old. She worked hard all of her life. She had 3 children:

Avery Cecil, Gourmand Jr. and Mantha Jayne.

to be continued.....