Mahala B. Slaton was born in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Her death certificate says that she was the daughter of Joseph Slaton and Mary E. Bell. Joseph Flippin Slaton was the son of my fourth great grandparents William Slaydon and Susannah Flippin. Joseph Slaton married Elizabeth Bell on 9 Jun 1859 in Jefferson County, Tennessee. Elizabeth Bell and Mary E. Bell were the same person, namely Mary Elizabeth Bell.
The 1860 census shows Joseph Slaton with no wife and with a daughter M.E. Slaton age 1/12. Mahala's death certificate says she was born 2 Aug 1861. If the birth date from the death certificate is correct, then the infant M.E. Slaton was not the same person as Mahala B. Slaton. But if the birth date from the death certificate is off by a year, then M.E. Slaton and Mahala B. Slaton were probably the same person.
I think the truth is a little more subtle than that. Mary Elizabeth Bell's father was Uriah Bell. In the 1860 census, Uriah Bell was in dwelling number 1830, Thomas Fielden Slaton (Joseph's brother) was in dwelling number 1831, and Joseph Flippin Slaton was in dwelling number 1832. Mary Elizabeth Bell was listed in the home of her father Uriah as M.E. Bell age 22. It would make sense that Mary Elizabeth Bell would have had her baby in the home of her parents. It is curious, but not inexplicable, that the baby herself was not listed in the Uriah Bell household. But I think that the census entry for Joseph Slaton should have listed Joseph age 35, his wife M.E. Slaton age 22, and his daughter M.B. Slaton age 1/12. It's easy to see how the entry for the household of Joseph Slaton could have become a little confused.
At the time of her death, Mahala B. Slaton was the widow of Ezekial Harrison Williams.
State of Tennessee State Board of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics Certificate of Death #17742 1. Place of Death County Jefferson Reg. Dist. No. 163 Civil Dist. 1 Village Dandridge Primary Reg. Dist. No. 1st or City RFD 2. Full Name Mahala Williams 3. Sex F 4. Color or race White 5. Single, Widow married, widowed, or divorced 6. Date of birth Aug 2, 1861 7. Age 67 yrs., 11 mos. 23 ds. 8. Occupation Home 9. Birthplace Tenn. 10. Name of Joseph Slaton Father 11. Birthplace Tenn of Father 12. Maiden Name Mary E. Bell of Mother 13. Birthplace Tenn. of Mother 14. Informant Jake Thomas Address Dandridge, T 15. Filed Aug 10, 1929 C.A. Rossa? 16. Date of death July 25, 1929 17. I hereby certify that I attended deceased from July 23, 1929 to July 25, 1929 that I last saw her alive on July 25, 1929 and that death occurred on the date stated above at ___ The cause of death was Cerebral Hemorrhage Signed: T.R. French 7/27/1929, Dandridge 18. Length of residence 19. Place of burial or removal -- Schraders Date of burial -- 7/26, 1929 20. Undertaker -- J.W. Vance Dandridge
The informant Jake Thomas was Mahala B. Slaton's brother-in-law, having married Mahala's half-sister Maggie A. Shurbutt. Joseph Flippin Slaton was born in Virginia, almost certainly in Pittsylvania County. There is a slight chance that he was born in North Carolina. There is almost no chance that he was born in Tennessee as stated on the death certificate.