Her death certificate records Malissa Anderson, age 92 years 1 month 6 days, born 8 Sep 1840 in Owensville, Ky, died 14 Oct 1932 in Lee’s Summit, Prairie township, Jackson Co., Missouri, widowed, father Thomas Atchison, mother’s maiden name Lucrecia Wright, birthplaces unknown, cause of death bronchitis following influenza, informant Chas R. Bailey, Lee’s Summit, Mo, burial in Lee’s Summit Cemetery.

I cannot find Malissa/Melissa in the 1850 census, not even by doing a search on all Atchisons, Wrights or Claytons or variant spellings in the Bath, Fleming or surrounding counties. I also cannot find any Thomas Atchison in the area and time frame who married a Lucretia or a Wright. There was a Thomas J. Atchison born ca 1814, probably a brother of Samuel Crain Atchison, but his only wife, whom he married in 1834 and who was named Matilda Barnes or Bains. Thomas and Matilda had a full stable of children born one every other year between 1837 and 1852, listed with him and Matilda in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, all of whom are accounted for not to be Malissa. I also cannot find an 1850 census reading for the Lucretia Clayton who married first Samuel Crain Atchison and second Thomas Wright. Most likely wherever Lucretia was in 1850, Malissa was with her.

So what I strongly suspect is that the informant (who was Malissa’s son) got her parents’ names mixed up, and attached the given name of Malissa’s stepfather (Thomas Wright) to the surname of her birth father (Samuel Crain Atchison), and then referred to Malissa’s mother by her married name of Lucretia Wright. Charles may have not known his grandmother’s maiden name of Clayton. The only problem with this theory is that it would mean that Samuel named two daughters Malissa, one by his first wife Lucretia Clayton, and one by his second wife Sarah B. Jones (the one born in 1852 is proven.) So it is possibly that Lucretia had a child out-of-wedlock by Thomas J. Atchison before she married Samuel Crain Atchison.

Malissa’s obituary in the Kansas City Times of Sat., Oct 15, 1932 (p. 6, col 1) reported:

MRS. MALLISSA ANDERSON DIES
..
The Lees Summit Woman could Remember Four of Nation's Wars.
...
Mrs. Mallissa Anderson, 92, died yesterday at her home at Lees Summit.

Mrs. Anderson could remember four of America's wars, the Mexican War, The Civil War, the Spanish-American War and the World War.She was born in Owingsville, Ky., and went to Lees Summit in 1907.

Surviving are three daughters: Miss Mary E. Bailey of the home, Mrs. J.H. Hopkins, 6638 Wabash Ave., Mrs. J.L. Spotts, Parker, Kas., and two sons, Charles R. Bailey of the home and Thomas J. Bailey, Owingsville, Ky. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 o'clock Sunday at the Fields chapel, Lees Summit; burial in the Lees Summit cemetery.
..........

Bath Co., Ky marriage records list the marriage on 3 July 1877 of John Q. Anderson, age 42, born in and both parents born in Bath Co., to Melissa Atchison, age 27 (should be 37), born in and both parents born in Bath Co., second marriage for both.

1880 census of Bath Co., Ky, Wyoming precinct, enumerated 14 June, lists on p. 23 as family #204/211:
Anderson, Johnathan, 44, laborer; Malica, 40, wife; Thomas J., 22, son; William W., 20, son; Charles R., 18, son; Mary E., 17, dau; Ida P., 9, dau. All born Ky Ky Ky.

All the children here are actually children of Malissa and her first husband David Bailey.

1900 census of Bath Co., Ky, Wyoming precinct, enumerated 27 June, lists on p. 18B as family #371:
Anderson, Malissa, 59, b. Sep 1840, widowed, mother of 10 children, 7 living; Baliey, Thomas L., son, 41, b. Aug 1858; Betty, dau-in-law, 32, b. Jan 1868; Kathleen, granddau, 3, b. Aug 1896. All born Ky Ky Ky.