Job's Children: The Descendants of Ephraim Starnes

In my previous post, titled "Ephraim Starnes", my focus was his connection to a William Byram, who might be my ancestor, but I neglected to explain much about the descendants of Ephraim Starnes, for the benefit of those who are descended from him.

To have been someone who perished in the Civil War, Ephraim really does not have that many descendants, not as many as others of his era.

Pvt Ephraim Starnes

Ephraim Starnes was born about 1822 in the section of Mecklenburg County, NC, that became Union County in 1842. Family researchers have him pegged as being the son of Charles and Elizabeth Starnes, however, this is something I've not looked into, so I can't testify as to it's authenticity.

Indeed, the Rev. Charles Starnes was the ministered who performed the ceremony to marry Ephraim Starnes and his wife Nancy E. Holden, daughter of Samuel Holden.

The Monroe Journal link. Ephraim's marriage listing.

Name:	Ephram Starnes
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Spouse:	Nancy Holden
Spouse Gender:	Female
Spouse Race:	White
Marriage Date:	1859
Marriage County:	Union
Marriage State:	North Carolina

Ephraim and Nancy would have four children:

1) August 22, 1855 John Robertson Starnes
2) January 25, 1857 Doctor Franklin Starnes (Doctor being the name, not a title. Sometimes seen as David.
3) April 12, 1864 Susan Jane Starnes
4) December, 1865 Sarah Ardine "Denie" Starnes

Ephraim Starnes passed away on January 12, 1865 at Elmira Prison Camp in New York. The tale of his widow and fatherless children echo of many of the times.

Pvt Ephraim Starnes

Residence: Union Co,NC. Enlistment age-43

Enlisted: Sep 24,1863 at Union Co,NC.

Mustered into Co "H" 30th NC Infantry. Died of disease while a POW at Elmira Prison,NY.

Listed:
POW May 12,1864 at Spotsylvania C.H.,VA.
Confined May 18,1864 at Point Lookout,MD.
Transferred Aug 10,1864 to Elmira Prison,NY.

Above information from "Find-a-Grave.com"

John Robertson Starnes

Born 1855 and shows up first in the 1860 census with his parents and younger brother.

Name:

John R Starnes

Age in 1860:

Birth Year:

abt 1856

Home in 1860:

Union, North Carolina

Gender:

Male

Post Office:

Monroe

Value of real estate:

View image

Household Members:

Name	Age
Ephreim Starnes	35
Nancy Starnes	35
John R Starnes	4
Or Franklin Starnes	1

The family is not to be found in the 1870 census and in 1871, Sixteen year old "Bob" marries Hannah Melton, age 18, daughter of John and Emmaline Montgomery Melton.

Name:

Robertson Sterns

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1857

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1880:

Buford, Union, North Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Male

Relation to Head of House:

Son

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

Hannah Sterns

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's name:

Nancy Sterns

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Neighbors:

View others on page

Occupation:

Farms

Cannot read/write:

Blind:

Deaf and Dumb:

Otherwise disabled:

Idiotic or insane:

View image

Household Members:

Name	Age
Nancy Sterns	49
Robertson Sterns	23
Hannah Sterns	22
Mary Sterns	5m
Sarah A. Sterns	16
Susan Sterns	19

The 1880 census show him living in his mother's household with his wife, firstborn daughter, Mary and his two younger sisters, Susan and Sarah.

Household Members:

Name	Age
J Bob Starnes	48
Hanna L Starnes	46
Thomas H Starnes	18
Maggie Starnes	13
Blanch Starnes	10
Bob L Starnes	6
Mary A Knight	20
Joe Knight	22
Andrew Bowers	19

By 1900, the family has relocated to Gill's Creek in Lancaster County, South Carolina. In additon to Bob and Hannah, chidren Thomas, Maggie, Blanch, and Bob Lee Starnes, along with oldest daughter Mary A. and her husband Joe Knight. Andrew Bowers is a boarder.

John R Starnes	53
Hannah Starnes	52
Lee Starnes	18
Lilian E Starnes	8
Joe C Knight	30
Almetta Knight	26
Carlton Knight	8
Joe Knight	0

In 1910, Bob and Hannah have Lee and Lillian left at home, along with oldest daughter, Mary Almetta, husband Joe and 2 sons.

Name:

Bob Starnes
[Bab Starnes]
[Bob Stevens]

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1855

Birthplace:

South Carolina

Home in 1920:

Rock Hill, York, South Carolina

Street:

Aragon Mill Village

Race:

White

Gender:

Male

Relation to Head of House:

Head

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

Hannah Starnes

Father's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Occupation:

Card room

Industry:

Cotton Mill

Employment Field:

Wage or Salary

Home Owned or Rented:

Rent

Naturalization Status:

Naturalized

Able to Read:

Yes

Able to Write:

Yes

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Bob Starnes	65
Hannah Starnes	60
Lillian Starnes	18

By 1920, the family had moved from Gill's Creek in Lancaster County, SC to Rock Hill in York County, SC. Bob is working in the card room of a Cotton Mill and only Lillian is left at home.

Name:

Robert Stornes
[Robert Starnes]

Gender:

Male

Birth Year:

abt 1857

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Race:

White

Home in 1930:

Gills Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Map of Home:

View Map

Marital Status:

Married

Relation to Head of House:

Head

Spouse's Name:

Hanah Stornes

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Occupation:
Education:
Military service:
Rent/home value:
Age at first marriage:
Parents' birthplace

View image

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Robert Stornes	73
Hanah Stornes	73
John Carpenter	27
Lillian Carpenter	27

The 1930 census was Bob's last. The family has returned to Gill's Creek by 1935 and Bob's profession is listed as "farmer" and his family as farm labor. His son-in-law, John Carpenter and daughter Lillian are in the household. According to the records, Bob died in Rock Hill, York County, NC and was taken back to Gill's Creek to be buried. He died on March 23, 1936 at the age of 86.

John and Hannah Melton Starnes had 7 children:

1) Mary Almetta Starnes Knight (1879-1962) Married Joseph Cecil Knigth. Died in Morganton, Burke County, NC of bronchiopnuemonia. Buried in Gill's Creek, Lancaster, SC. 3 sons, Carlton B., Joseph Cecil, and James.

2) William Phillip Starnes (1880-1949) Married Floy Morrow. 9 Children: Connie Lewis, Irene Leclair, Helen Inez, Virginia Lee, Floy Morrow, Mary, Harry Pratt, Talmadge, Elizabeth.

3) Thomas Frank Starnes (1882-1949) Died of TB. Spouse unknown.

4)Margaret "Maggie" Starnes Threatt (1887-1965) Married Oscar H. Threatt. 8 Children: Theodore Roosevelt, Velma E. , Katie Lee, Clyborn, Maybelle, Ruth, Robert Lloyd and Margaret Elizabeth "Bettie".

5) Blanche Starnes Knight (1890-1979) Married James Hunter Knight. 8 Children: J. Edgar, Callie E (a son), Cletus Britton, Hazel H (also a son), Bertha, O V (a son, died as an infant), Dorothy Doris Lee, James Blanche (a son).

6) Robert "Bob Lee" Starnes (1894-1980) Married Lula Mae McManus. 5 Children: Ruth Aretta (died young), Lucille, Hubert Ordway, Sybil, Robert Lawton.

7) Lillian Oneda Starnes Carpenter (1901-1994) Married John William Carpenter. 3 Children: Robert Ray, Nancy, Jerry Ann (son).

Doctor (or David) Franklin Starnes

Born in 1857 and first shows up in the 1860 census with his parents and older brother. "Or" is a transcription error. The actual document shows "Dr". Doctor was a common Christian or first name in the later half of the 19th century as children were named for the doctor who aided in their delivery, oftentimes saving their lives, and sometimes with little or no compensation. Not certain who Doctor Franklin, the original, may have been.

Name:

Or Franklin Starnes

Age in 1860:

Birth Year:

abt 1859

Home in 1860:

Union, North Carolina

Gender:

Male

Post Office:

Monroe

Value of real estate:

View image

Household Members:

Name	Age
Ephreim Starnes	35
Nancy Starnes	35
John R Starnes	4
Or Franklin Starnes	1

He married Margaret Louise Plyler in 1880 and shows up with her in the 1880 census. Maggie was the daughter of Doctor Henderson "Doc B" Plyer and Mary Isabella Caskey Plyler.

Name:

Franklin Starns

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1858

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1880:

Waxhaw, Lancaster, South Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Male

Relation to Head of House:

Self (Head)

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

M ... Starns

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Neighbors:

View others on page

Occupation:

Farm Laborer

Cannot read/write:

Blind:

Deaf and Dumb:

Otherwise disabled:

Idiotic or insane:

View image

Household Members:

Name	Age
Franklin Starns	22
M ... Starns	22

In 1910, the family is living in Waxhaw, Lancaster County, SC.

Household Members:

Name	Age
Doctor F Staines	54
Margret L Staines	52
Clyde J Staines Jr.	25
Walter A Staines	22
Hazle H Staines	20
Fredrick Staines	18
Asilee Staines	15
Lula Staines	13

By 1920, Maggie has passed and D. F. Starnes is living with his daughter.

Name:

D F St?Rnes
[D F Sternes]
[D F Starnes]

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1858

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1920:

Waxhaw, Lancaster, South Carolina

House Number:

Farm

Race:

White

Gender:

Male

Relation to Head of House:

Father-in-law

Marital Status:

Married

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Occupation:

Farmer

Industry:

General Farm

Employment Field:

Own Account

Able to Read:

Yes

Able to Write:

Yes

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
E N Courtney	31
Lula Courtney	22
Clelia Courtney	5
Louise Courtney	3 [3 1/12]
E N Courtney	0 [2/12]
D F St?Rnes	62

Doctor Franklin and Maggie Starnes family

D. F. Starnes died on October 25, 1925 in Monroe, NC, but made his home and raised his family in the Van Wyke community, Lancaster County, SC.

He and Maggie raised 7 children:

1) Doctor Barber Starnes (1882-1940)

2) Clyde J Starnes (1885-1952)

3) Walter Alexander Starnes (1887-1944)

4)Hazel Henry Starnes (1889-1958)

5)Frederick "Fred" Franklin Starnes (1892-1960)

6) Azilee Starnes Herring (1894-1964)

7) Lula Blanche Starnes Courtney (1895-1966) Married Ernest Nebraska Courtney. 2 sons: Earnest Newton and Dock Bernard.

Sarah Ardene "Denie" Starnes Craig

Records show Denie as being born in December of 1865 or even 1866.

She first shows up in the 1880 census with her mother, sister Susan, brother John R. and his young family.

Name:

Sarah A. Sterns

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1864

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1880:

Buford, Union, North Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Daughter

Marital Status:

Single

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's name:

Nancy Sterns

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Neighbors:

View others on page

Cannot read/write:

Blind:

Deaf and Dumb:

Otherwise disabled:

Idiotic or insane:

View image

Household Members:

Name	Age
Nancy Sterns	49
Robertson Sterns	23
Hannah Sterns	22
Mary Sterns	5m
Sarah A. Sterns	16
Susan Sterns	19

In 1882, at the age of 17, Sarah Ardene married George W. Craig.

By the 1900 census, their 4 children were born.

Name:

Sarah A Craig

Age:

Birth Date:

Oct 1864

Birthplace:

South Carolina

Home in 1900:

Gills Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Wife

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

George W Craig

Marriage Year:

1882

Years Married:

Father's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Mother: number of living children:

Mother: How many children:

Occupation:

View on Image

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
George W Craig	43
Sarah A Craig	35
Judge A Craig	13
John R Craig	11
Lonny L Craig	9
Thomas H Craig	5

The 1910 census leads to a bit of confusion. Son John Robert Craig is listed twice, once ahead of his brothers, then again, ahead of his wife and daughter.

Name:

Denie Craig

Age in 1910:

Birth Year:

abt 1869

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1910:

Gills Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Wife

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

George Craig

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
George Craig	54
Denie Craig	41
Juddie Craig	23
Robert Craig	22
Lonnie Craig	17
Hasel Craig	14
Robert Craig	22
Perine Craig	22
Sulie Craig	3

By 1920, George and Denie had an empty nest.

Name:

Sarah A Craig

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1868

Birthplace:

South Carolina

Home in 1920:

Gills Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Street:

Brooklyn Street

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Wife

Marital Status:

Married

Spouse's Name:

George W Craig

Father's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

South Carolina

Able to Read:

Yes

Able to Write:

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
George W Craig	64
Sarah A Craig	52

By 1930, Sarah Ardene was living in the home of her son Hazel. Hazel was a very common name for sons amongst this family. I have not tracked the source of the first Hazel. There is a Hazeltine Starnes in the Starnes family tree, born on 1858 in Rowan County. Perhaps there is a connection to an earlier male Hazel or Hazeltine Starnes in this family line.

Sarah Ardene Starnes died on Feb 23, 1936 in York County, South Carolina. She and George W. Craig had 4 sons.

1)Judson (or Judge) Allen Craig (1886-1956)

2) John Robert Craig (named for uncle?) (1888-1962) Married Perine "Perry" Adams

3) Lonnie Lee Craig (1890-1917) Died at age 26 of pellagra.

4) Thomas Hazel Craig (1894-1950)

Susan Jane Starnes

Susan or "Susie" was the most difficult of the family to trace. She was born on April 12, 1864. The dates of birth of both Starnes daughters are a bit of a mystery. According to the military records of Ephraim Starnes, he was imprisoned a month after the birth of Susie, having enlisted on September 24, 1863, he left Nancy just a few months pregnant with Susan Jane. Her younger sister, Sarah Ardene Starnes was born 11 months after Ephraims death.

Her first appearance was in the 1880 census, listed above in her siblings profiles as a teenager.

By 1900, she has had two children, her only two, and is living with her mother Nancy, the last census that Nancy appears in. A mystery couple are also listed in the home, possibly boarders.

Name:

Susan J Sturnes
[Susan J Starnes]

Age:

Birth Date:

Apr 1870

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1900:

Gills Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Daughter

Marital Status:

Single

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's name:

Nancy E Sturnes

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother: number of living children:

Mother: How many children:

Occupation:

View on Image

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Nancy E Sturnes	65
Susan J Sturnes	30
Ray Sturnes	12
Nannie H Sturnes	8
Thomas E Estudy	45
Mary A Estudy	45

The 1910 Starnes is nearly wholly incorrect, but with research, I figured it out.

Name:

Susan Starnes

Age in 1910:

Birth Year:

abt 1868

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1910:

Cane Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Head

Marital Status:

Widowed

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Susan Starnes	42
Hoy Starnes	22
Nettie Starnes	20
Pearl Starnes	1
David Starnes	18
Nannie Starnes	16 [10]
J D Starnes	2

Hoy is her son Hoyt Edgar Starnes, Nettie is his wife Jeanetta and Pearl is their oldest daughter and this group were Starnse. David is not a son, but a son-in-law and his last name was Deese. Nannie is daughter Nannie Helen Starnes and their oldest son J D Dees. J D became and important tool in linking this family altogether.

Name:

Susie Thomas
[Susie Karnes]
[Susie Storner]

Age:

Birth Year:

abt 1867

Birthplace:

North Carolina

Home in 1920:

Cane Creek, Lancaster, South Carolina

Street:

Midway Street

Race:

White

Gender:

Female

Relation to Head of House:

Head

Marital Status:

Widowed
[Widow]

Father's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Mother's Birthplace:

North Carolina

Able to Read:

Yes

Able to Write:

Yes

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Susie Thomas	53
Otis Thomas	31
Nettie Thomas	29
Pearl Thomas	11
Foster Thomas	8
Louise Thomas	6
Margie Thomas	3 [3 4/12]
Lonnie Thomas	1 [1 10/12]
J D Dees	10
Mary Belle Dees	7
Hellen Dees	2 [2 10/12]
Emil Bullman	28
Pearl Bullman	18
Dexter Roads	37
Ada Green	40

I don't believe I would have been able to find either Susan or Hoyt in the 1920 census if it were not for J D Dees and his sisters. In finding him, and his two younger sisters, I looked up and noticed that the names of the children in the "Thomas" family matched the names of their first cousins, their Uncle Hoyt Edgar Starnes, and his wife Nettie. And certainly, their mother was named Nettie. Then, J D and his sibling were listed as grandchildren of "Susie Thomas"...could it be Susan? So, I went directly to the original document. And there it was, it said "Starnes" and "Otis" was actually "Hoyt". The census taker had overlined the "T" and "A" in Starnes, and nearly obliterated the "S". The only clear part of the name was the "nes" at the end, and in the barely legible script, the transcriber must have thought he or she saw "Thomas". The transcribers are not from the area and thus, not familiar with the common names of the locality. It's always a benefit to help correct these errors if you are sifting through the scanned originals and know the local family names are incorrect, like "Belt" for "Belk" or "Stames" for "Starnes". It doesn't change them completely, it just gives the next researcher another option and if they are searching for the name in its correct spelling, it will pop up as a possibiltiy.

So, in 1920, Susan J Starnes is living in the community of Cane Creek on Midway Road. She is listed as a widow despite having never married. This must be confusing to those trying to climb up the family tree. Families often bent the truth in order to save face in those days. The truth is that nowhere are the names of her children's father or father listed in documents. She can read and write and she is taking in boarders, as well as raising her daughters 3 children. Hoyt and his wife Nettie are working in the Cotton Mill. Their children Pearl, Foster and Louise, along with his sister Nannie Helen's two older children, J D and Maybelle, are attending school. Margie is only 3 and Lonnie only a year old, and the youngest Deese, Helen, only 2.

Of the boarders, Emil Bullman is a Carpenter, while his wife does not work. Dexter Rhodes is a Contractor, building homes, and Ada Green works in the cotton mill.

In fact, nearly the entirety of Ephraim Starnes descendant were Cotton Mill workers between the late 1800's and the 1940's. This industry sustained them, and in the case of many of them, may also have shorten their lives.

Cane Creek was in and about the city of Lancaster and Midway dead south of it.

Susan Jane Starnes would not live long past this last census. She died on July 12, 1924 of pulminary TB. Her son, H. E. Starnes was the informant, and had the names of his grandparents correct. She was 60 years, 7 months and 10 days old. Bass Furniture Company was the undertaker. It was not unusual for those who built househole furniture to also build caskets in those days, and they went all the way into undertaking at the same time.

The above is just a few examples of this trade that would be considered bizarre today.

Hoyt Edgar Starnes, only son of Susan, married Jeanetty Estelle Rorie, daughter of Robert James and Laura Miller Rorie, of Chesterfield, South Carolina.

His 1918 Draft Registration shows him as being Short in stature, of medium build, with dark hair and dark eyes, having a wife, 4 children and a mother in his care.

Hoyt and Nettie had the following children:

1) 1908 - 2002 Pearl Lee Starnes, Married Earnest George Ivey.

2) 1911 - 1997 Willie Foster Starnes. Married Lillian Mae Culberson

3) 1913 - 1997 Louise Janie Starnes. Married Elva Easton Thomas

4) 1917-1910 Marjorie Helen Starnes aka "Margie". Married 1st: Thomas C. Dixon. Married 2nd Harvey Keller.

5) Lonnie Lee Starnes 1918 - 1997. Married 1st Nannie Doris Holemsback. Married 2nd Tiny Florence Tew.

6) 1921 - 1993 Melton Hoyt Starnes. Married Lula Frances Clayton.

Name:

Hoy E Stames

Respondent:

Yes

Age:

Estimated Birth Year:

abt 1886

Gender:

Male

Race:

White

Birthplace:

South Carolina

Marital Status:

Married

Relation to Head of House:

Head

Home in 1940:

Faucette, Alamance, North Carolina

Map of Home in 1940:

View Map

Street:

Hopedale Road

Farm:

Inferred Residence in 1935:

Faucette, Alamance, North Carolina

Residence in 1935:

Same House

Sheet Number:

30A

Number of Household in Order of Visitation:

503

Occupation:

Section Hand

House Owned or Rented:

Owned

Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented:

300

Attended School or College:

Highest Grade Completed:

Elementary school, 5th grade

Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:

Class of Worker:

Wage or salary worker in private work

Weeks Worked in 1939:

Income:

240

Income Other Sources:

Neighbors:

View others on page

Household Members:

Name	Age
Hoy E Stames	54
Nettie Stames	52
Melon Stames	19

Hoyt Edgar Starnes relocated to Burlington in Alamance County, NC and raised his family there. He passed away on January 11, 1961 at the age of 73. His death certificate gives his father as H. E. Starnes and his mother as Susie Cole. The informant was daughter, Mrs. T. C. Dixon (Margie). This was incorrect, Susan was never married and never a Cole, and there was never a Hoyt E. Starnes, Sr. However, could this have been a hint to the truth? Was Hoyt's father a Cole? Was H. E. his fathers initials? There was a Cole family in the area at the time.

I skipped the 1930 census for one reason, to backtrack. Hoyt E. Starnes raised not only his own 6 children, but his sisters 3 children. What happened to Nannie Helen Starnes?

Household Members:

Name	Age
H E Stames	42
Nettie Stames	40
W Foster Stames	19
Louise Stames	16
Margie Stames	13
Lonnie Stames	11
Miller Starnes	9 [9 ??/12]
J D Dees	19
May Bell Dees	18
Helen Dees	13

Nannie Helen Starnes died on October 26, 1918 at the age of 23 of pnuemonia and influenza. Those two diseases were terribly deadly at that time. She was a cotton mill worker and her mother was given as Susie Starnes and her father as unknown. The informant was her cousin Hazel Craig.

Nannie Helen Starnes married an orphan, David L. Deese. David Deese turned his 3 children over to his wife's family and went on about his life. He remarried, likely twice, and was a Car repairer. Born in Chester, he returned to Chester and died in 1937 of TB.

Name:	David L Deese
Birth Date:	1885
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Death Date:	2 Apr 1937
Age at Death:	52
Death Place:	Chester, South Carolina
Cause of Death:	231
Certificate Number:	005053
Volume Number:	11

The three children of Nannie and David were:

1) James D Deese 1908-1939, never married. He died a young man of ulcerated colitis, and had to be hospitalized at the Sanitorium in Black Mountain, NC. Also a textile worker, he was only 31 years old.