Introduction

Most people assume fictional characters are plucked from pure imagination. But for me, some of the strongest voices in my historical fiction novel, Mary’s Burden, come straight from blood memory.

Tilbitha — the sharp-tongued, opinionated aunt who never backs down — was inspired by a very real woman. Her name was Talitha Whitlock, and she was my 3× great-grandmother.

The Real Person Behind the Story

Talitha’s adult life began early. She married Tillman Richard Copeland at the age of sixteen, and by the time she was twenty-four, she had already given birth to six children. Her youngest two — twins born in 1860 — arrived just before the most tumultuous time in American history.

Both Talitha Whitlock and Tillman Copeland were born in the heart of Dixie during the 1830s. Tillman was only three years her senior. Together, they built a young family in Fort Payne, Alabama, a small town just south of the Tennessee border, near Chickamauga — the site of one of the Civil War’s bloodiest battles.

When war broke out in 1861, Tillman enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving as a corporal. He died in one of the very first battles — not yet thirty years old — leaving Talitha and their six children without the man they depended on for protection, support, and survival.

The exact details of his death may be lost to time, but the consequences were not. Talitha became a widow, raising a large family in a region shattered by war.

She may have had two brothers, though little is known about them. Tillman, however, came from a large family — he had nine siblings — and it’s possible that one or more may have offered her some form of support. But whether she had help or not, one truth remains: Talitha endured.

Her youngest son, William Richard Copeland — twin to Martha Ann Copeland — was likely struggling with many challenges that faced babies born during the chaos of the Civil War. Whether it was starvation, cholera, a bullet, the constant threat of violence, or the trauma of living in a war zone, his fragile life was weighed down by the war’s grip.

Sadly, William didn’t survive. At just three years old, he died in Talitha’s arms. The pain of losing both her husband and her baby must have been nearly unbearable, but Talitha didn’t have the luxury of grief. She had five other children — all under the age of fifteen — who needed her. And so, she suppressed the anguish of such profound loss to focus on their survival.

The Fictional Connection

In shaping Tilbitha, I wasn’t just creating a character — I was giving my ancestor another chance to be seen, to be understood, to be heard in a world that never let her speak fully.

Those eyes peering out at me from the past spoke to something deep inside as I continued my family research — often while writing specific chapters of Mary’s Burden. I needed a strong presence. A woman who took no gruff, who was quick to point out your faults and reprimand you for even the smallest infraction.

That force — Talitha’s force — came through. I felt her in my bones. She is a direct link to my father’s mother, who rarely showed emotion. She didn’t need to. One look, one nod of her head, and the room shifted. Her authority was quiet but unshakable.

From that lineage of women, Tilbitha was born — not just as a character, but as a visceral presence.

Granted, in Mary’s Burden, Tilbitha is not a widow. She has a living husband. There is no war — but there is political unrest, religious confinement, and exile. She and her husband have followed his brother into hiding. And yet, even in this different setting, Talitha’s voice echoes through Tilbitha’s strength, her silence, and her refusal to soften for anyone.

Talitha Whitlock Copeland

Talitha Whitlock Copeland, my 3× great-grandmother — the real-life fire behind Tilbitha.

Why It Matters

Writing fiction inspired by real ancestors is more than creative expression — it’s a form of remembrance. Through Tilbitha, I gave voice to a woman who had to silence her own grief just to survive. I gave space to the sorrow that history books leave out, and I honored the strength that lives in the quiet resilience of so many women like her.

Talitha’s story shaped generations — including mine. And through Mary’s Burden, her spirit lives on not just in my family, but in the hearts of every reader who meets Tilbitha and recognizes that kind of strength.

Who do you know in your family?

Do you have a strong woman in your family tree whose story deserves to be told?
I’d love to help you bring her to life through a custom-written Legacy Story.
Start your Legacy Story here or email me at cece@ancestorstories.org to begin.

Thank you for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts or reach out.