The House Family Connections

The 1910 US Federal Census shows the Tibbs family living in Kingdom in Bibb County, Alabama. The family consists of: Father, Thomas Robert “Lee” Tibbs (39) and Mother, Henrietta Dell “Etta” Burk (26) with children, Dovie Mae Tibbs (5) and Bonnie Lucile Tibbs (2). Robert Tibbs was listed as being a miner in a ore mine and having been out of work a total of 4 weeks. Thomas was listed as being able to read but unable to write and the family rented their home. Fun fact about Henrietta Dell Burk is that she was a twin along with her sister Annie Bell Burk and she herself had a set of twins, although they died as infants.

The 1920 US Census shows that the family has moved from Bibb County across the county line into Tuscaloosa County and are living in the town of Vance. The family has added two more children, those being Wilbert Tibbs (4) and Mary Etta Tibbs (3). Dovie Mae is listed as being 13 years old and Bonnie Lucile being 11 years old. Thomas is shown still working in the ore mine and is listed as being 50 years old with Henrietta being shown as 38 years old.

Bonnie Lucile Tibbs and Molton Alexander Ellis Sr were married in Bessemer Division of Jefferson County on 28 April 1926 when Bonnie was 18 years old and Molton was 23 years old.

On 3 Oct 1929, Bonnie and Molton Ellis had a son named Jim Baker Ellis. He unfortunately died on 5 Oct 1929 as a result of a premature birth. He is buried next to his mother at Bucksville Cemetery.

The 1930 US Census shows Bonnie Lucile Tibbs (22) listed as a grand-daughter in the home of her husband’s parents home. The head of the household was shown as James Alexander Ellis (70) and his wife Jane Vashti Murchison (57) along with Bonnie’s husband, Molton Alexander Ellis Sr (27) and their son Molton Alexander Ellis Jr (3).

The last US Federal Census that Bonnie Lucile Tibbs (32) appears in, is the 1940 US Census. She and her husband, Molton (38), are still living in the household of Molton’s mother, Jane “Janie” Vashti Murchison (67) along with her son Molton Alexander Ellis Jr (13).

During the early morning hours of 14 March 1942, about 4 a.m., Bonnie Lucile Tibbs was killed after her husband, Molton Alexander Ellis Sr, placed 16 sticks of dynamite underneath the home. He had placed the dynamite underneath the house where his wife was sleeping in their bedroom. Bonnie’s son, Molton Jr and her husband’s mother, Jane or “Janie” were also in the house and escaped with either no injuries or minimal injuries.

Bonnie’s cause of death is listed as “Body mutilated by dynamite explosion while in bed”. You can click the image and it will expand so you can read further if you wish.

Bonnie’s husband, Molton, was eventually sentenced to life in prison and started his term at the Atmore Prison Farm in Escambia County, Alabama on 15 Apr 1942. He ended up dying in prison about 5 years into his prison term from an overdose of a narcotic on 19 June 1947. He was 44 years old when he died. He was then buried in the same cemetery as his parents along with the wife that he murdered. I’ll go over his life and death with a little more depth in a future post.