Fall, Sarah Polk Jetton, 1847-1924

Sarah "Sallie" (Jetton) Fall was a grand niece of 11th Pres. James Knox and Sarah (Childress) Polk). Her husband was George William Fall, b. Jan 1835, Kentucky - d. 1909, Tennessee. Her parents are Robert Brevard Jetton Jr. and Mary Sansom Childress. Sarah's mother, Mary, died from childbirth complications.
Mary Sansom Childress was the daughter of Anderson Childress, the brother of Sarah Childress Polk. This makes Sarah Polk Jetton Fall the niece of President and Mrs. Polk. Sarah was indicated as "adopted" by Sarah (Childress)Polk after Pres. James Knox Polk died in 1849. However, there has never been legal papers that state that Sadie Polk Jetton Polk Fall was adopted by Sarah Childress Polk. She stayed with Sarah (Childress) Polk for the next 30 years untile her death, 1891.

Sarah Polk Jetton Fall[b] (April 1, 1847 – July 22, 1924) was a wealthy Nashville socialite and philanthropist. She was the great-niece and unofficially adopted daughter of former First Lady Sarah Childress Polk. Sallie's mother died when she was only a few months old. Sallie lived with her great-grandmother, who gave Sallie to her daughter Sarah after the death of Sarah's husband President James K. Polk.

Sallie was raised at the Polks' private residence Polk Place. She married George Fall in 1865, and they had a daughter Saidee. Sallie inherited the Polk estate upon Sarah's death in 1891, including several artifacts and papers from the late president which she later sold and donated to the Library of Congress. Sarah also willed some of the president's items to Saidee. Shortly before Sallie died in 1924, she and her daughter co-founded the James K. Polk Memorial Association. In 1929 Saidee worked with the state of Tennessee to acquire the president's home in Columbia which was then opened to the public as a museum.