For a variety of reasons, I've been looking a lot at Frances Garner Roberts Carr, mentioned in the last two posts. Her life was unconventional in some respects - she did not marry young and have a lot of children - but conventional in others as the Aunt/sister/stepmother who filled others' places and kept things going.
There are very few records on Frances other than the censuses and her marriages. She did join Union Baptist Church in 1859 along with her sister Minerva. This was the same church her parents and grandparents attended and where she is buried. Her cousin Wiley Garner joined at the same time.
She was 20 or 21 when her mother died. Her father never remarried and she did not marry for another 19 years, so it would have fallen to her to take care of the household and help raise the younger children. At the time of her mother's death, there were ten younger children at home. Some of them (Lawson, then 20, and A.J., age 18) were nearly grown themselves certainly by the standards of the time. In fact Lawson enlisted in the Confederate army in 1861, followed by brother A.J. a few months later. William C. and James T. supposedly served as well but I have not found their records yet and for James it would have been near the end of the war since he was 17/18 when it ended.
Of the other children, the Twins would have been 11, Louvenia 9, Washington 7, Linton 5 and Lizzie 3. While there is no record of course of her decisions or reactions, it might be of note that she did not marry until after both Louvenia and Lizzie had married and left home, Washington was grown and working on the farm and Linton had finished school and become an MD.
She then married a much older widower in 1880, when she was 41. He had no children at home but was of an age that he might have required care himself. It is of course possible that she married him for love, but the fact that he omitted her from his will would tend to indicate that was not it. He died five years after they married. She does not seem to have asked for support so it is possible that she moved back home or in with one of her siblings then. While a widow could live alone, there is nothing to indicate she would have had the means to do so.
Her sister Lizzie died in May of 1889 leaving 5 children. Frances then married her brother-in-law, who was 8 years younger than she was. They were married until her death in 1911. It is possibly of note that her stepson named his oldest daughter Frances.
Showing posts with label Garner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garner. Show all posts
Friday, January 4, 2019
Monday, December 31, 2018
Ahnentafel #16 William Garner and #17 Sarah Johnson
William Garner was born on 27 May 1811 in Washington County, Georgia to Henry and Sarah Garner. He was the second oldest of 5 known children, 4 boys and a girl. Sarah was born on 28 February 1819 to Timothy and Judith Knowles Johnson. She was the second child and oldest daughter, with at least 9 younger siblings. She lived in Hancock County until her marriage.
William starts to appear on the extant tax records about the same time he got married. In 1836 he appears next to his probable aunt Patience and his father. He owns no land but pays a poll tax. The same is true in 1837. In 1838, William's father Henry paid for sons John, Joshua, and William as well as for his probable sister Patience. Patience owned land but the 3 sons only paid poll tax.
William and Sarah (Bill and Sally according to some descendants) married on 27 Jul 1837 in Hancock County. They apparently lived with his parents after their marriage. They do not appear on the 1840 census, but Henry's household includes both a male and female 20-30 plus two females under 5, which could be them and their daughters Minerva (born 1838) and Frances (1839). All of his brothers are listed in their own households, again making it likely that William is the son still living with Henry.
William's aunt Patience Garner was a founding member of Union Baptist Church near Warthen in Washington County. The church was founded in 1844. William's parents joined in 1845, while he and Sarah joined in 1848 and he was made a trustee shortly thereafter. Throughout the 1850s, he was frequently one of the men charged with investigating problems among the church congregation, including the fact that Sister Cherry was no longer attending.
The next surviving tax record is 1848 with William again listed by his father, aunt, and two brothers. He is the only one to not own land at this point, with his father having 600 acres, his aunt 200, and his brothers 150 each. It is probable that he was in fact still working his father's property or possibly his Aunt's. In 1849, he and Patience are still listed with Henry but John is further away in that same district and Joshua does not appear there at all. None of them own slaves.
William and Sarah do appear in the 1850 Federal census, in Washington County. William, age 38, is a farmer with no property listed. Sarah appears to be 30. The household includes their children Manerva (Minerva), 12, Frances - 10, John L. 9, Andrew J. 6, William C 4, and James T. 2. Also in the household is John Bridges, 16, listed as a labourer. Frances and Lawson (John L.) both attended school. Everyone in the family was born in Georgia. With no property, William does not appear in the agricultural census for that year, nor is he in the slave owner's census.
The last available pre-war tax record in 1851 is interesting because William again just pays a poll tax. Patience, listed next to him, pays property tax but Henry is not listed in the records even though he was certainly alive and owned property at that time. As noted previously, Patience probably died between 1851, when she is last noted paying taxes, and 1855 when William purchased from Nancy Garner the land she had inherited from Patience.
In 1860, William (49) and Sarah (41) appear in the census with a whole flock of children: Minerva - 21, Frances - 19, John L. - 18, Andrew - 16, William - 14, James T - 12, Levi (Lee Roy) - 10, Green L - 10, Lavina - 7, Washington - 6, Linton - 4, and Elizabeth - 2. Also living with them is George Barron, "mechanic", age 49.
This census is the first document to reflect William owning any property, giving him a real estate value of $1200 and personal property of $1000. William does appear on the 1860 agricultural census, immediately above his father. That census shows him having 200 acres of land, of which 25 acres were unproductive. This matches closely the 200 acres that Patience had been paying tax on. At that time he had 4 horses, 2 milch cows, 2 oxen and 8 other cattle. He produced 8 bushels of wheat, 350 bushels of Indian corn, and 7 bales of ginned cotton.
Sarah died early the following year, cause of death unknown. She was 42 at the time and her youngest child was about 2, so she might have died in childbirth or just from one of many diseases. William did not remarry after her death despite having so many children to raise. The 1860s turned out to be a hard time for him, not only with the war and Sarah's death but he lost his mother in 1865, his father in 1867 and probably also his oldest daughter Minerva in 1867. And while their exact dates of death are not known, Sarah's father and mother apparently died during that period as well.
Sarah's death will have spared her the anxiety of seeing several of her sons go to war. Lawson, A.J., Columbus and James all ended up either volunteering or being drafted into the Confederate army, although they all survived. Lee Roy and Green Lee were just slightly too young when the war ended to have to serve. William was very fortunate in this regard, as two of his brothers did lose sons in the war. William, his brothers and his sons took the Oath of Allegiance on 12 July 1867. William and his brother John probably went together since they are sequential on the oath pages. Both signed with their marks although their sons could write their names.
Despite the difficulties of the 60s, William was still doing fairly well in the 1870 census. He is still a farmer, with $2305 real estate and $1200 personal property. His children are growing up, but most are still at home. Thomasa, age 30 (possibly Frances) is listed as a housekeeper. Frances did not marry until late in life, so it would make sense for her to still be in her father's house. John L. age 28 is next in the household, although he is listed as a farmer and has property in his own right, $1930 real property and $700 personal. Andrew J. age 28 is also listed as a farmer. He has no real property but he does list personal property of $1000. The remaining children at home were James L. age 22, Leroy (Lee Roy), age 20, Greenleaf (Green Lee) age 20, Lavinia 17, Washington 15, Linton 13, and Sarah E 12. James, Lee Roy and Green were all listed as farm laborers. Lavinia was stated as having no occupation and the youngest 3 were attending school. His sister Sarah (too many Sarahs in this family) does not show up in the census, but was probably living with him or possibly one of his brothers. Family lore has it that she inherited property from her father which she eventually gifted to her niece Lavinia and her husband, but in 1870 Lavinia was still unmarried.
The 1870 agricultural census reflects William's relative prosperity as well. He has more land now, having presumably inherited some from his father. The number is hard to read, but he appears to have 280 acres of improved land, 231 acres of woodland, and 30 acres of "other unimproved" land. His farm was valued at $1200 and farming implements and machinery at $200. He had paid $400 in salaries the previous year, including any room and board offered. He owned 4 horses, 2 mules, 4 milch cows, 2 oxen, 12 other cattle, 17 sheep, and 60 pigs for a total livestock value of $750. The 60 pigs are interesting, that's far more than any of his neighbors. He had produced 155 bushels of spring wheat, 800 of Indian corn, and 75 of oats.
There are 3 surviving tax returns for William between 1872 and 1877. Unfortunately, they do not give the year on the returns but they are in sequence. On the first, William has 3 children between 6 and 18, so this would have had to have been in 1872 since that is the year Washington turned 18. He owned 706 acres of land, valued at $3580. He had $643 in cash or solvent debts. All other property was valued at $1032. This gave him a total value of $5255 and a taxable value of $5055. As a farmer, he did not have to pay the additional Professional tax.
On the next tax record he has 750 acres valued at $4641. He did not pay a poll tax, presumably because of his age. He owned household and kitchen furniture worth $300, livestock worth $810, and farm equipment worth $548, giving him a total value of $7554.
The final assessment for this set, so some point between 1874 and 1877, William's property has grown to 938 acres with a value of $4581. His household goods are valued at $300, livestock at $805, and farm equipment at $440 for a total property value of $6833.
In 1878 or 1879, his property is assessed as 870 acres worth $4241. His household and livestock have not changed significantly, $300 and $730 respectively, with $395 of farm equipment. That made his total property assessment for that year $6666.
1880 is the final census where William appears. He is a farmer, age 69, widowed. He states he was born in Georgia with his father born in South Carolina and his mother in North Carolina. He was not able to read and write. Also in the household were Lawson, 40, Andrew J, 38, Lee Roy, 30, Washington, 26, and Linton Stephens, 23. Lawson and A.J. were listed as farmers. Lee Roy and Washington were described as 'working on the farm' and Linton as a physician. All were listed as single, although in Lawson's case that is only technically correct. All were also listed as unable to read and write. They could all certainly write their names but Linton in particular, as a university graduate, was highly unlikely to be illiterate.
William has not been found on the 1880 agricultural schedule but neither have his sons. The extant schedule for that area is not in good physical shape and there are several Williams for whom the surname cannot be read.
William's tombstone states that he died in 1894. However, the tombstone appears to be much newer than the grave and may have been added considerably after the fact. In his estate records, his son Lawson, the executor, states that he died on 6 January 1889. He died intestate but Lawson was granted letters of administration on the estate. Lawson took out a $12000 bond for this, witnessed by 3 of his brothers. He first estimated the value of the estate at close to that, including 1000 acres of land and personal property but shortly afterwards changed that to $6200. Lawson quickly requested permission to sell all perishable goods as well as some of the land.
The land sale was to pay off debts and to facilitate dividing the estate among the children. The land was described as The Home place, 250 acres, the Mathis/Mathews place 500 acres and the Watkins place 249 acres. This was later revised to be as follows:
The Mathews place - 310 and 3/4 acres bounded by J.C. Duggan and J.L. Garner on the North, A.M. Mathews and T.G. Duggan and T.J. Cummings on the East, and by his own land on the South and West.
Also 20 acres adjoining lands of J.M. Archer on the North, East by T.T. Brown, South by J.J. Garner, West by John Garner.
Also 33 acres of land near Union Church, bounded on the North by G.W. Garner, East by Duggan, South by Duggan and West by G.W. Garner.
The Home place was 503 acres bounded on the North by S.A. Garner [his sister Sally Ann], J.L. Duggan, East by his own lands and T.J. Cumming; South by G.E Walker, J.E. Garner, A. J. Garner and J.C. Duggan; West by S.A. Garner and L. S. Garner.
After the land, crops, and personal items were sold, each of William's heirs received $466 in January 1890, an additional $275 each in 1891, and $10 in 1892. Sarah Elizabeth's share, which would have gone to her children, was dispersed to their father J.P. Carr, who was designated as the guardian.
William and Sarah Johnson Garner had the following children:
William starts to appear on the extant tax records about the same time he got married. In 1836 he appears next to his probable aunt Patience and his father. He owns no land but pays a poll tax. The same is true in 1837. In 1838, William's father Henry paid for sons John, Joshua, and William as well as for his probable sister Patience. Patience owned land but the 3 sons only paid poll tax.
William and Sarah (Bill and Sally according to some descendants) married on 27 Jul 1837 in Hancock County. They apparently lived with his parents after their marriage. They do not appear on the 1840 census, but Henry's household includes both a male and female 20-30 plus two females under 5, which could be them and their daughters Minerva (born 1838) and Frances (1839). All of his brothers are listed in their own households, again making it likely that William is the son still living with Henry.
William's aunt Patience Garner was a founding member of Union Baptist Church near Warthen in Washington County. The church was founded in 1844. William's parents joined in 1845, while he and Sarah joined in 1848 and he was made a trustee shortly thereafter. Throughout the 1850s, he was frequently one of the men charged with investigating problems among the church congregation, including the fact that Sister Cherry was no longer attending.
The next surviving tax record is 1848 with William again listed by his father, aunt, and two brothers. He is the only one to not own land at this point, with his father having 600 acres, his aunt 200, and his brothers 150 each. It is probable that he was in fact still working his father's property or possibly his Aunt's. In 1849, he and Patience are still listed with Henry but John is further away in that same district and Joshua does not appear there at all. None of them own slaves.
William and Sarah do appear in the 1850 Federal census, in Washington County. William, age 38, is a farmer with no property listed. Sarah appears to be 30. The household includes their children Manerva (Minerva), 12, Frances - 10, John L. 9, Andrew J. 6, William C 4, and James T. 2. Also in the household is John Bridges, 16, listed as a labourer. Frances and Lawson (John L.) both attended school. Everyone in the family was born in Georgia. With no property, William does not appear in the agricultural census for that year, nor is he in the slave owner's census.
The last available pre-war tax record in 1851 is interesting because William again just pays a poll tax. Patience, listed next to him, pays property tax but Henry is not listed in the records even though he was certainly alive and owned property at that time. As noted previously, Patience probably died between 1851, when she is last noted paying taxes, and 1855 when William purchased from Nancy Garner the land she had inherited from Patience.
In 1860, William (49) and Sarah (41) appear in the census with a whole flock of children: Minerva - 21, Frances - 19, John L. - 18, Andrew - 16, William - 14, James T - 12, Levi (Lee Roy) - 10, Green L - 10, Lavina - 7, Washington - 6, Linton - 4, and Elizabeth - 2. Also living with them is George Barron, "mechanic", age 49.
This census is the first document to reflect William owning any property, giving him a real estate value of $1200 and personal property of $1000. William does appear on the 1860 agricultural census, immediately above his father. That census shows him having 200 acres of land, of which 25 acres were unproductive. This matches closely the 200 acres that Patience had been paying tax on. At that time he had 4 horses, 2 milch cows, 2 oxen and 8 other cattle. He produced 8 bushels of wheat, 350 bushels of Indian corn, and 7 bales of ginned cotton.
Sarah died early the following year, cause of death unknown. She was 42 at the time and her youngest child was about 2, so she might have died in childbirth or just from one of many diseases. William did not remarry after her death despite having so many children to raise. The 1860s turned out to be a hard time for him, not only with the war and Sarah's death but he lost his mother in 1865, his father in 1867 and probably also his oldest daughter Minerva in 1867. And while their exact dates of death are not known, Sarah's father and mother apparently died during that period as well.
Sarah's death will have spared her the anxiety of seeing several of her sons go to war. Lawson, A.J., Columbus and James all ended up either volunteering or being drafted into the Confederate army, although they all survived. Lee Roy and Green Lee were just slightly too young when the war ended to have to serve. William was very fortunate in this regard, as two of his brothers did lose sons in the war. William, his brothers and his sons took the Oath of Allegiance on 12 July 1867. William and his brother John probably went together since they are sequential on the oath pages. Both signed with their marks although their sons could write their names.
Despite the difficulties of the 60s, William was still doing fairly well in the 1870 census. He is still a farmer, with $2305 real estate and $1200 personal property. His children are growing up, but most are still at home. Thomasa, age 30 (possibly Frances) is listed as a housekeeper. Frances did not marry until late in life, so it would make sense for her to still be in her father's house. John L. age 28 is next in the household, although he is listed as a farmer and has property in his own right, $1930 real property and $700 personal. Andrew J. age 28 is also listed as a farmer. He has no real property but he does list personal property of $1000. The remaining children at home were James L. age 22, Leroy (Lee Roy), age 20, Greenleaf (Green Lee) age 20, Lavinia 17, Washington 15, Linton 13, and Sarah E 12. James, Lee Roy and Green were all listed as farm laborers. Lavinia was stated as having no occupation and the youngest 3 were attending school. His sister Sarah (too many Sarahs in this family) does not show up in the census, but was probably living with him or possibly one of his brothers. Family lore has it that she inherited property from her father which she eventually gifted to her niece Lavinia and her husband, but in 1870 Lavinia was still unmarried.
The 1870 agricultural census reflects William's relative prosperity as well. He has more land now, having presumably inherited some from his father. The number is hard to read, but he appears to have 280 acres of improved land, 231 acres of woodland, and 30 acres of "other unimproved" land. His farm was valued at $1200 and farming implements and machinery at $200. He had paid $400 in salaries the previous year, including any room and board offered. He owned 4 horses, 2 mules, 4 milch cows, 2 oxen, 12 other cattle, 17 sheep, and 60 pigs for a total livestock value of $750. The 60 pigs are interesting, that's far more than any of his neighbors. He had produced 155 bushels of spring wheat, 800 of Indian corn, and 75 of oats.
There are 3 surviving tax returns for William between 1872 and 1877. Unfortunately, they do not give the year on the returns but they are in sequence. On the first, William has 3 children between 6 and 18, so this would have had to have been in 1872 since that is the year Washington turned 18. He owned 706 acres of land, valued at $3580. He had $643 in cash or solvent debts. All other property was valued at $1032. This gave him a total value of $5255 and a taxable value of $5055. As a farmer, he did not have to pay the additional Professional tax.
On the next tax record he has 750 acres valued at $4641. He did not pay a poll tax, presumably because of his age. He owned household and kitchen furniture worth $300, livestock worth $810, and farm equipment worth $548, giving him a total value of $7554.
The final assessment for this set, so some point between 1874 and 1877, William's property has grown to 938 acres with a value of $4581. His household goods are valued at $300, livestock at $805, and farm equipment at $440 for a total property value of $6833.
In 1878 or 1879, his property is assessed as 870 acres worth $4241. His household and livestock have not changed significantly, $300 and $730 respectively, with $395 of farm equipment. That made his total property assessment for that year $6666.
1880 is the final census where William appears. He is a farmer, age 69, widowed. He states he was born in Georgia with his father born in South Carolina and his mother in North Carolina. He was not able to read and write. Also in the household were Lawson, 40, Andrew J, 38, Lee Roy, 30, Washington, 26, and Linton Stephens, 23. Lawson and A.J. were listed as farmers. Lee Roy and Washington were described as 'working on the farm' and Linton as a physician. All were listed as single, although in Lawson's case that is only technically correct. All were also listed as unable to read and write. They could all certainly write their names but Linton in particular, as a university graduate, was highly unlikely to be illiterate.
William has not been found on the 1880 agricultural schedule but neither have his sons. The extant schedule for that area is not in good physical shape and there are several Williams for whom the surname cannot be read.
William's tombstone states that he died in 1894. However, the tombstone appears to be much newer than the grave and may have been added considerably after the fact. In his estate records, his son Lawson, the executor, states that he died on 6 January 1889. He died intestate but Lawson was granted letters of administration on the estate. Lawson took out a $12000 bond for this, witnessed by 3 of his brothers. He first estimated the value of the estate at close to that, including 1000 acres of land and personal property but shortly afterwards changed that to $6200. Lawson quickly requested permission to sell all perishable goods as well as some of the land.
The land sale was to pay off debts and to facilitate dividing the estate among the children. The land was described as The Home place, 250 acres, the Mathis/Mathews place 500 acres and the Watkins place 249 acres. This was later revised to be as follows:
The Mathews place - 310 and 3/4 acres bounded by J.C. Duggan and J.L. Garner on the North, A.M. Mathews and T.G. Duggan and T.J. Cummings on the East, and by his own land on the South and West.
Also 20 acres adjoining lands of J.M. Archer on the North, East by T.T. Brown, South by J.J. Garner, West by John Garner.
Also 33 acres of land near Union Church, bounded on the North by G.W. Garner, East by Duggan, South by Duggan and West by G.W. Garner.
The Home place was 503 acres bounded on the North by S.A. Garner [his sister Sally Ann], J.L. Duggan, East by his own lands and T.J. Cumming; South by G.E Walker, J.E. Garner, A. J. Garner and J.C. Duggan; West by S.A. Garner and L. S. Garner.
After the land, crops, and personal items were sold, each of William's heirs received $466 in January 1890, an additional $275 each in 1891, and $10 in 1892. Sarah Elizabeth's share, which would have gone to her children, was dispersed to their father J.P. Carr, who was designated as the guardian.
William and Sarah Johnson Garner had the following children:
- Minerva. Born 7 Nov 1838, supposedly died 8 August 1867. Never married and no children.
- Frances (Fannie), born 16 Dec 1839, died 6 Dec 1911, buried at Union Baptist Church cemetery in Washington county. She married James Roberts in 1880 and her widowed brother-in-law John P. Carr in 1889. She did not have any children.
- John Lawson, born 18 Aug 1841, died 7 Jan 1897, buried at Union Baptist church. He married Mary Victoria McCook on 18 Aug 1892, after they had already had four children.
- Andrew Jackson (A.J.), 23 March 1843 - 23 Dec 1911. Buried at Union Baptist Church. Never married and no children.
- William Columbus (seen in some family records as Christopher Columbus or just Columbus), born May 1845, married Mary Catherine Dutenhoefer 15 Dec 1867. Date of death has not been determined. He may be the W.C. Garner of the correct age who appears in the Milledgeville Asylum in 1910 and 1920. When his brother A.J.'s estate was distributed in 1911, his son Hollifield signed as his guardian, indicating some sort of incapacity. He had 7 children.
- James Thomas, 29 Feb 1848-17 Jun 1926. He is buried at Balerma Baptist church in Hancock County. He married Louise Victoria McCray on 27 Dec 1877 and they had 6 children.
- Lee Roy, 4 Jun 1850- 3 Nov 1932. Twin brother to Green Lee, buried at Union Baptist Church. He married Catherine Lou Dutenhoefer and they had 5 children.
- Green Lee, 4 Jun 1850 - 14 Mar 1930. Married first Amanda Lou Walker on 21 Jan 1879 and then Hattie Gheesling on 18 Jan 1884. Buried at Union Baptist Cemetery.
- Louvenia (also seen as Lavinia and her tombstone says Lounera), 6 Dec 1852 - 6 Nov 1897. Buried at Union Baptist Cemetery. Married Green Mills on 27 April 1879. They had at least 3 sons but only one lived to adulthood.
- Washington Moses, 11 Aug 1854 - 28 Sep 1896. Buried at Union Baptist Church. He married Claudia May Hood on 2 May 1889 and they had 3 children. She later married a second time to Lee Blount.
- Linton Stephen, 16 Nov 1856 - 26 Sep 1893, Buried at Union Baptist Church. He was a medical doctor. He married Addie Lee Archer on 11 Sep 1881. They had 4 children of whom one died as a young child. After his death, Addie married a second time to Oscar E. Smith.
- Sarah Elizabeth (Lizzie), 16 Jun 1858 - 19 May 1889. Buried at Union Baptist Church. She married John (J.P.) Carr, but date of marriage is unknown. They had 5 children. After her death, John married her sister Fannie.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
The Reports of his death may have been exaggerated
When I first started looking at Tilman Gooch, all that was known of his death was that he had been one of the militia on the Trail of Tears and reports had come back that he had died en route. That was accepted in the family for a century or so, then modern genealogy came along and a woman discovered that a Tilman Gooch of about the right age appeared in Mississippi, near Tilman's brother William, in the 1840 census. There was also a Tilman, possibly the same one, who died in San Francisco in 1850. None of these men overlap with each other so they easily could be the same person.
His daughter's bounty land application adds to the interest. She was only tiny when he died so on her first go says that he came home from the wars and died. Then, after talking to her older siblings, she amends that to say that Moses Justice had been with him in the militia and brought home the report that when he (Moses) left him, he was on the verge of death. Which is a very different matter altogether.
Adding to the interest here is that Moses is probably a relative by marriage since Tilman's wife was Elizabeth Justice. No way to tell across this much time but Moses could have been reporting factually or could have been sparing his sister/cousin's feelings by not telling her that her husband had just decided to not come back to her.
His daughter's bounty land application adds to the interest. She was only tiny when he died so on her first go says that he came home from the wars and died. Then, after talking to her older siblings, she amends that to say that Moses Justice had been with him in the militia and brought home the report that when he (Moses) left him, he was on the verge of death. Which is a very different matter altogether.
Adding to the interest here is that Moses is probably a relative by marriage since Tilman's wife was Elizabeth Justice. No way to tell across this much time but Moses could have been reporting factually or could have been sparing his sister/cousin's feelings by not telling her that her husband had just decided to not come back to her.
Saturday, March 10, 2018
Women's History Month and the ABCs of Women in the family.
I am copying a friend here, seeing how many letters of the alphabet I can fill with women from the family, as many as possible from memory because we're so much more likely to forget the women. Most of the names (except Q, U, X, and Z) were from memory but I have gone back and doublechecked dates and places.
A is for Agnes Petley, born about 1496 in County Kent, England. One of 4 daughters (and no sons), she brought a portion of the Petley estate into the Manning family when she married John Manning.
B is for Betty Jean Becham my mother and most loved of my female ancestors. She fought her family to go to college and ensured that her daughters knew that they could do anything they set their minds to.
C is for Catherine Chauser (or LeChauser). She was born about 1342 in London. Three hundred years later her descendants claimed she was the sister of Geoffrey Chaucer but that is highly unlikely.
D is for Delia (Sarah Lodelia) Mathews Becham, born 1870 in Brooks County, Georgia to T.F. Mathews and Kate Peterman. She married Fate Becham and was the mother of 6 boys and 1 girl.
E is for Elizabeth Duggan 1 and 2. Elizabeth 1 was born about 1795 to John Duggan and Mary Jane Joyce. She married Samuel Gheesling in 1817 in Washington County, GA. Elizabeth 2 was her niece, the daughter of Asa Madison Duggan and Susie Lord. Elizabeth 2 also married Samuel Gheesling, in this case her cousin and the son of Elizabeth 1. They married in 1851, again in Washington County. Sorting these two out was a challenge.8
F is for Feraby, the wife of Nimrod Lewis. She may (emphasis on may) have been a Cates by birth. She only appears in one record that I have found so far, the 1850 census in Crawford County, GA. However, her name and that of her husband helped me make the connection to her daughter Martha, who named her 2nd daughter and 2nd son Feraby and Nimrod respectively.
G is for Elvira Grizzle Gooch. How can you not love that name? The daughter of John and Sally Taylor Grizzle, the wife of James Gooch, and the mother of (among others) Lucinda Jane Gooch Hendrix. A mountain farm wife who probably never had it easy.
H is for Harriet (Hattie) Gheesling, daughter of Sam and Elizabeth Duggan the younger, married Green Lee Garner as his second wife. Raised 4 sons and a stepdaughter, who loved her enough to name her own daughter after her.
I is for Irene Moore Wade. She went back and forth between Irene and Arena as her first name, doubly confusing because in that part of Georgia they would be pronounced much the same. Married and had 14 children with Moses Thomas Wade, before finally kicking him out. The descendant of several strong women and apparently one herself. Born in 1855 to John Moore and Peggy Powers.
J is for Judith Knowles or Noles, known as Judia, a name which has lead some folks to transcribe her as Julia. She was born abt 1801 in Georgia and married Timothy Johnson in Hancock County in 1817.
K is for Kate (Susan Catherine) Peterman, mother of Delia above. Born and raised in Georgia, 1849-1933, she married T.F. Mathews in 1866. Although both of them were from Taylor County, GA, the disruption of the war meant that they actually married in Madison County, Florida. They stayed in southern GA for some years but finally settled back in Crawford County, GA.
L is for Lucinda Jane Gooch. I fell in love with her name at a young age. She was the daughter and James and Elvira Gooch, the wife of Warren Hendricks, and the mother of many children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood. She and her husband also raised at least one foster child. She was known in later life as Jane but I like the Lucinda too much to leave it out.
M is for Mattie Hendrix Garner. Daughter of Lucinda Jane and Warren David Hendricks, she married Charles Gordon Garner. She was a graduate of North Georgia Agricultural College, as it was known at the time, and worked for several years as a teacher and home extension agent in Emanuel County, GA, until forced to give up that job after her 1921 marriage to Gordon Garner. She was very proud of her education and career.
N is for Nancy Whitaker Horne. Born in Georgia about 1806, she married Nathan Horne in Wilkinson county in 1821. Her parents and her life before that point are a complete mystery. She was left a widow with at least 7 kids in 1840 but made a success of the farm and had considerably enlarged it by her death about 1870. She was unusual among my earlier Georgia female ancestors in that she could read and write.
O is for Ola Pauline Bryant Becham, my grandfather's first wife and mother of his 5 oldest children. Like so many women historically and even some today, she died from complications of childbirth.
P is for Peggy (Margaret) Powers Moore. Peggy was born to a white father John Powers and (free) black mother Sarah Turner Powers in South Carolina about 1816. Her husband John G. Moore is the only ancestor I have who emigrated to the United States rather than the colonies, being an Irishman who settled for some unknown reason in central Georgia. She and her full siblings successfully sued her younger half-siblings over their father's estate after his death in 1868.
Q is for Queen Victoria Pyles who is actually a cousin rather than an ancestor, born in 1860 to William Piles and Susan Becham.
R is for Rebecca Douthit Keith, born abt in Pickens County, SC in 1799 to Solomon Douthit and his wife Mary. She lived her entire life in Pickens County, marrying Allen Keith and raising 7 children. Her youngest daughter Jane (Jenny) married George Washington Hendricks.
S is for Sarah Turner Powers although there are many, many Sarahs in the family to choose from. Sarah (Sally) Turner was the daughter of a former slave, John Turner, and his freeborn wife Patience and was born in Marion County, SC. She married a white man, John Powers, by whom she had 4 children before she kicked him out for wasting away her inheritance. She later moved with her children first to Alabama and then to Georgia.
T is for Trenilla Patrick Becham - my aunt by marriage. Another loved memory.
U is for Ursula Thompson, born about 1745 in Virginia, she is the sister to my ancestor Patience Thompson Glenn, so my 7X great-aunt. Not that she was memorable but it turns out that she is the only woman in the family I can find whose first, last or nickname starts with U. She married Thomas Ray.
V is for Viola Wade Becham, my grandmother and mother to my grandfather's youngest 3 children.
W is for Sarah Wooten, who was born about 1729 in Somerset County, MD. She married John Lord in 1745 in Sussex County, DE, which was at the time a neighboring county. Her parents were John Wooten and Margaret Davis.
X - Stretching this one but the only person in the tree who starts with X is a Xavier. Next best is EXie Dickson Carr, who was a cousin by her marriage to my grandfather Garner's 2nd cousin Linton Stephens Carr.
Y is for Eva Lou Young Ward, since the only woman I have with a name beginning in Y is still living so does not qualify. Eva Lou was not really my family, but she is the grandmother of many of my cousins, so she goes here. She died in 2009 at the age of 94, having survived her husband Fletcher Claude Ward by 25 years.
Z is for Zelma Evans, a cousin. Born in 1919 in Irwin county, GA to Carrie Morris and Robert Evans, making her my 2nd cousin 2x removed. She died in 1967 and is buried near her parents. She is like so many unmarried women in the records. I know when she was born, when she died and where she was buried but find nothing in between. She was listed in 1940 as not having attended school and being unable work, so it is likely that she lived at home her entire life.
A is for Agnes Petley, born about 1496 in County Kent, England. One of 4 daughters (and no sons), she brought a portion of the Petley estate into the Manning family when she married John Manning.
B is for Betty Jean Becham my mother and most loved of my female ancestors. She fought her family to go to college and ensured that her daughters knew that they could do anything they set their minds to.
C is for Catherine Chauser (or LeChauser). She was born about 1342 in London. Three hundred years later her descendants claimed she was the sister of Geoffrey Chaucer but that is highly unlikely.
D is for Delia (Sarah Lodelia) Mathews Becham, born 1870 in Brooks County, Georgia to T.F. Mathews and Kate Peterman. She married Fate Becham and was the mother of 6 boys and 1 girl.
E is for Elizabeth Duggan 1 and 2. Elizabeth 1 was born about 1795 to John Duggan and Mary Jane Joyce. She married Samuel Gheesling in 1817 in Washington County, GA. Elizabeth 2 was her niece, the daughter of Asa Madison Duggan and Susie Lord. Elizabeth 2 also married Samuel Gheesling, in this case her cousin and the son of Elizabeth 1. They married in 1851, again in Washington County. Sorting these two out was a challenge.8
F is for Feraby, the wife of Nimrod Lewis. She may (emphasis on may) have been a Cates by birth. She only appears in one record that I have found so far, the 1850 census in Crawford County, GA. However, her name and that of her husband helped me make the connection to her daughter Martha, who named her 2nd daughter and 2nd son Feraby and Nimrod respectively.
G is for Elvira Grizzle Gooch. How can you not love that name? The daughter of John and Sally Taylor Grizzle, the wife of James Gooch, and the mother of (among others) Lucinda Jane Gooch Hendrix. A mountain farm wife who probably never had it easy.
H is for Harriet (Hattie) Gheesling, daughter of Sam and Elizabeth Duggan the younger, married Green Lee Garner as his second wife. Raised 4 sons and a stepdaughter, who loved her enough to name her own daughter after her.
I is for Irene Moore Wade. She went back and forth between Irene and Arena as her first name, doubly confusing because in that part of Georgia they would be pronounced much the same. Married and had 14 children with Moses Thomas Wade, before finally kicking him out. The descendant of several strong women and apparently one herself. Born in 1855 to John Moore and Peggy Powers.
J is for Judith Knowles or Noles, known as Judia, a name which has lead some folks to transcribe her as Julia. She was born abt 1801 in Georgia and married Timothy Johnson in Hancock County in 1817.
K is for Kate (Susan Catherine) Peterman, mother of Delia above. Born and raised in Georgia, 1849-1933, she married T.F. Mathews in 1866. Although both of them were from Taylor County, GA, the disruption of the war meant that they actually married in Madison County, Florida. They stayed in southern GA for some years but finally settled back in Crawford County, GA.
L is for Lucinda Jane Gooch. I fell in love with her name at a young age. She was the daughter and James and Elvira Gooch, the wife of Warren Hendricks, and the mother of many children, 9 of whom lived to adulthood. She and her husband also raised at least one foster child. She was known in later life as Jane but I like the Lucinda too much to leave it out.
M is for Mattie Hendrix Garner. Daughter of Lucinda Jane and Warren David Hendricks, she married Charles Gordon Garner. She was a graduate of North Georgia Agricultural College, as it was known at the time, and worked for several years as a teacher and home extension agent in Emanuel County, GA, until forced to give up that job after her 1921 marriage to Gordon Garner. She was very proud of her education and career.
N is for Nancy Whitaker Horne. Born in Georgia about 1806, she married Nathan Horne in Wilkinson county in 1821. Her parents and her life before that point are a complete mystery. She was left a widow with at least 7 kids in 1840 but made a success of the farm and had considerably enlarged it by her death about 1870. She was unusual among my earlier Georgia female ancestors in that she could read and write.
O is for Ola Pauline Bryant Becham, my grandfather's first wife and mother of his 5 oldest children. Like so many women historically and even some today, she died from complications of childbirth.
P is for Peggy (Margaret) Powers Moore. Peggy was born to a white father John Powers and (free) black mother Sarah Turner Powers in South Carolina about 1816. Her husband John G. Moore is the only ancestor I have who emigrated to the United States rather than the colonies, being an Irishman who settled for some unknown reason in central Georgia. She and her full siblings successfully sued her younger half-siblings over their father's estate after his death in 1868.
Q is for Queen Victoria Pyles who is actually a cousin rather than an ancestor, born in 1860 to William Piles and Susan Becham.
R is for Rebecca Douthit Keith, born abt in Pickens County, SC in 1799 to Solomon Douthit and his wife Mary. She lived her entire life in Pickens County, marrying Allen Keith and raising 7 children. Her youngest daughter Jane (Jenny) married George Washington Hendricks.
S is for Sarah Turner Powers although there are many, many Sarahs in the family to choose from. Sarah (Sally) Turner was the daughter of a former slave, John Turner, and his freeborn wife Patience and was born in Marion County, SC. She married a white man, John Powers, by whom she had 4 children before she kicked him out for wasting away her inheritance. She later moved with her children first to Alabama and then to Georgia.
T is for Trenilla Patrick Becham - my aunt by marriage. Another loved memory.
U is for Ursula Thompson, born about 1745 in Virginia, she is the sister to my ancestor Patience Thompson Glenn, so my 7X great-aunt. Not that she was memorable but it turns out that she is the only woman in the family I can find whose first, last or nickname starts with U. She married Thomas Ray.
V is for Viola Wade Becham, my grandmother and mother to my grandfather's youngest 3 children.
W is for Sarah Wooten, who was born about 1729 in Somerset County, MD. She married John Lord in 1745 in Sussex County, DE, which was at the time a neighboring county. Her parents were John Wooten and Margaret Davis.
X - Stretching this one but the only person in the tree who starts with X is a Xavier. Next best is EXie Dickson Carr, who was a cousin by her marriage to my grandfather Garner's 2nd cousin Linton Stephens Carr.
Y is for Eva Lou Young Ward, since the only woman I have with a name beginning in Y is still living so does not qualify. Eva Lou was not really my family, but she is the grandmother of many of my cousins, so she goes here. She died in 2009 at the age of 94, having survived her husband Fletcher Claude Ward by 25 years.
Z is for Zelma Evans, a cousin. Born in 1919 in Irwin county, GA to Carrie Morris and Robert Evans, making her my 2nd cousin 2x removed. She died in 1967 and is buried near her parents. She is like so many unmarried women in the records. I know when she was born, when she died and where she was buried but find nothing in between. She was listed in 1940 as not having attended school and being unable work, so it is likely that she lived at home her entire life.
Monday, February 19, 2018
Dorothy Bird Lord
I have thought about doing some blog posts on my favorite female ancestors since so much research is centered on the men. While that is not the point of this post, if it were, Dorothy would definitely be on the list. She is surprisingly well documented for someone who lived at her time - or at least surprising when most of your family is in the South. She could not have had an easy life, immigrating to the early colonies, but she survived.
Dorothy was born about 1588 in England, baptised on May 25th of that year in the St. Laurence church, Towcester, Northhamptonshire. Her parents were Robert Bird and Amy Hill.
In February 1610/11, she married Thomas Lord in the same place. Between 1612 and 1629, they had at least 8 children, including our probable ancestor John. In 1635, their oldest son Richard, then about 22, went to the new world. Thomas, Dorothy, and their younger children left from London in April 1635, aboard the ship "Elizabeth and Ann". At this point, Dorothy was 46, which was not elderly but unusually old still to leave everything behind for such an uncertain adventure and to risk her own life and those of her family on the North Atlantic voyage. The trip back then averaged 60 days.
The family joined son Richard in Newtown, now Cambridge, Massachusetts, but they did not stay there long. In 1637 they joined a group of approximately 100 men, women, and children, lead by Puritan minister Thomas Hooker and marched overland to the present-day site of Hartford, Connecticut. This was yet another strenuous journey for a woman who was approaching 50.
Dorothy died in 1676 at the age of 87, having survived numerous childbirths, an Atlantic crossing, a trek through the wilderness, and the general hardship of setting up a brand new community. Her husband and at least two of her children predeceased her. Her will survives and shows that she had considerable property as well as personal goods worth about $187.
Dorothy was born about 1588 in England, baptised on May 25th of that year in the St. Laurence church, Towcester, Northhamptonshire. Her parents were Robert Bird and Amy Hill.
In February 1610/11, she married Thomas Lord in the same place. Between 1612 and 1629, they had at least 8 children, including our probable ancestor John. In 1635, their oldest son Richard, then about 22, went to the new world. Thomas, Dorothy, and their younger children left from London in April 1635, aboard the ship "Elizabeth and Ann". At this point, Dorothy was 46, which was not elderly but unusually old still to leave everything behind for such an uncertain adventure and to risk her own life and those of her family on the North Atlantic voyage. The trip back then averaged 60 days.
The family joined son Richard in Newtown, now Cambridge, Massachusetts, but they did not stay there long. In 1637 they joined a group of approximately 100 men, women, and children, lead by Puritan minister Thomas Hooker and marched overland to the present-day site of Hartford, Connecticut. This was yet another strenuous journey for a woman who was approaching 50.
Dorothy died in 1676 at the age of 87, having survived numerous childbirths, an Atlantic crossing, a trek through the wilderness, and the general hardship of setting up a brand new community. Her husband and at least two of her children predeceased her. Her will survives and shows that she had considerable property as well as personal goods worth about $187.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
The children of Tilman Gooch
I know that people have figured out who Tilman Gooch's children were but there was still some variance over birthdates. Recently I found a Bounty Land application where his youngest daughter applied. It's rather odd because she claimed on the first document to be his only child - even though her sister Eliza Ann Sutton was one of the witnesses - but then clarified later to explain that she was his only minor child. The claim could be made by any person who was a minor at the time the law went into effect on 1 Mar 1855, so Mary qualified even though she did not apply until 1883. One page of the claim lists all the children as follows. I have tried to keep it true to the original except for adding a line between the children for reading clarity.
Samuel Gooch the oldest child was born on 6th of July 1824. and now resides at Nimberwill, Lumpkin County Georgia. Dahlonega PO Add. [Note in margin: 1st, over age].
Caroline. The second child was born in Rabun County Georgia October 10, 1826 and now resides at Dawson County, Georgia. [Note in margin: 2nd, over age.]
James. The third child was born in the County of Rabun State of Georgia on the 10th February 1829 and now resides in Gaddistown, Union County Georgia. [Note in margin: 3rd, over age].
And Viney Adaline the 4th child Was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on the 21st of January 1831 and died on or about 1st of December 1864. [Margin note: 4th dead]
Eliza Jane [Second name is written over and may have originally been Anne or corrected to Anne] the 5th child was born in Rabun County State of Georgia Feb 9th 1833 and now resides in Hall County state of Georgia. [Margin note: 5th over age]
Margaret was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on 18th day of October 1835 and died September 4th 1862. [Margin note: 6th dead]
Mary the youngest and seventh child was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on the 6th of July 1837. [Margin note: claimant].
Samuel Gooch the oldest child was born on 6th of July 1824. and now resides at Nimberwill, Lumpkin County Georgia. Dahlonega PO Add. [Note in margin: 1st, over age].
Caroline. The second child was born in Rabun County Georgia October 10, 1826 and now resides at Dawson County, Georgia. [Note in margin: 2nd, over age.]
James. The third child was born in the County of Rabun State of Georgia on the 10th February 1829 and now resides in Gaddistown, Union County Georgia. [Note in margin: 3rd, over age].
And Viney Adaline the 4th child Was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on the 21st of January 1831 and died on or about 1st of December 1864. [Margin note: 4th dead]
Eliza Jane [Second name is written over and may have originally been Anne or corrected to Anne] the 5th child was born in Rabun County State of Georgia Feb 9th 1833 and now resides in Hall County state of Georgia. [Margin note: 5th over age]
Margaret was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on 18th day of October 1835 and died September 4th 1862. [Margin note: 6th dead]
Mary the youngest and seventh child was born in Rabun County State of Georgia on the 6th of July 1837. [Margin note: claimant].
Sunday, April 26, 2015
James Larkin Hendricks will
Oconee County, Georgia, Wills 1875-1966, p 193, available online at familysearch.org. James was the brother of Warren David Hendricks and the son of George Washington Hendricks and Jane Keith. He died of cancer on 11 June 1921.
Georgia, Oconee County}} Last Will and Testament of Jas. L. Hendrix
I Jas L Hendrix of said state and county, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and annulling all others, by me heretofore by me made.
Item 1st) I desire and direct that my body be buried in a decent and Christianlike manner suitable to my circumstances and condition in life.
Item 2) I desire and direct that all my just debts be paid as soon as practicable by my executor hereinafter named and appointed.
Item 3) I give, bequeath, and devise to my beloved wife, Elizabeth Hendrix, for and during her natural life, my tract of land in Statham Barrow County Georgia containing twenty nine and three tenths acres (29.3) the same being the same tract of land which was deeded to me and Pool W. Hendrix jointly and later Pool Hendrix deeded his one half undivided interest to me, said tract bounded on north by Day, East by a public road, South by Thrasher, West by ?Afrin? and being about one half mile west of present site of S. A. L. Ry depot in said town of Statham. At her death said land is to go to and be divided between my estate and my son Oscar Hendrix upon said Oscar paying over to my estate the sum of three hundred ($300) Dollars before coming into his half interest in said land. The half coming into my estate as well as the three hundred dollars to be paid by Oscar to be disposed of as hereinafter directed.
Item 4) I have delivered to my sons Pool W. Hendrix and Carl W. Hendrix possession and controll of my place near Eastville, Ga Oconee County together with certain personal property for running said farm and they have agreed to assume an indebtedness against said land, and it is my will and it is my will and desire and I hereby give, bequeath and devise to my said sons Pool W. and Carl W. Hendrix my said tract of land in Oconee County, about one mile north of the town of Eastville, eighty two (82) acres more or less, bounded on north by Breedlove, East by Thomas, South by R. L. Malcom, and west by a public road leading from said town of Eastville, and lands of Hardy Breedlove. This land to go to and become the property of my said sons Pool W. and Carl W. Hendrix upon their paying of the loan which is on the property or whatever part thereof remains unpaid at my death and upon their paying over [[end of page]]
[[start of page 2, reads like clerk may have left out a few words]] and grandchildren the sum of three hundred ($300.00) dollars each. My Grand Children are to receive the share that would have been coming to their father or mother if in life, in other words my children Arvie Jane Graham, Fulton Hendrix, Vercy Hendrix, Candie Hendrix are to receive the sum of three hundred dollars each, or their children if I should survive them shall receive the respective share of their father or mother, and the children of my deceased son Warren Hendrix, to wit Fred, Carrie, Dottie, Willie and David Hendrix are to receive their father's part or the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars to be equally divided between them .
The payments of said sums being a charge upon my estate and upon the land.
Item 5) I give and bequeath to my son Oscar Hendrix one mule to be selected by him after my death.
Item 6) I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth Hendrix one milk cow to be selected by her after my death.
Item 7) I give and bequeath to daughter Mrs. Georgia Ann Palmer five ($5.00) dollars and no more, she having heretofore received from me her share of my property real and personal.
Item 8) My son Archie Hendrix who enlisted in the U.S Navy during the war with Germany and who was on board a U.S. steamship Cyclops which disappeared and was never heard from is supposed to be dead but in case he is in life and shows up at any time he is to receive the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars to be paid as the other items in item fourth of this will, except, however this item shall not be a charge upon the lands.
Item 9) All the rest of my property real and personal shall shall [sic] be sold by my executor hereinafter named and appointed, at public or private sale, with or without advertisement and without any order of court. And the proceeds thereof shall be applied to the payment of debts which I owe and the obligations outstanding which are a charge or lien upon the lands herein described if there is a residue after the legacies hereinbefore specified are satisfied, the remainder if any shall be equally divided between my children, share and share alike, except Grand Children shall receive the share of their parent to be equally divided between them.
Item 10) I hereby constitute and appoint my wife Elizabeth Hendrix sole executrix of this my last will and testament and expressly confer upon her power, as such, to administer my estate, excusing her [[end of page]]
[[start of page 3]] from giving any bonds or making any returns to the ordinary, and I expressly confer upon her full authority and power to sell any part of my estate which is not hereinbefore specifically devised, at public or private sale, with or without notice, as she may deem best, and without any order of court, making good and sufficient conveyances to the purchases and holding the proceeds of said sale to the same uses and trusts as hereinbefore declared in the several items of this will
And I further expressly confer upon her full power and authority and power to borrow money for the use of my estate, in any instance where she may deem necessary and proper, and to secure the same by lien, security deed, trust deed, or other form of security to or on any part of my estate not herein specifically devised, all this she may do without any order of court and without making any returns to the Court of Ordinary. This the 21st day of May 1921.
[[ss]] J. L. Hendrix
Signed, sealed, declared, and published by Jas L Hendrix as his last will and testament, in the presence of us, the undersigned who subscribe our names hereto, in the presence of said testator, after he had signed his name thereto, and at his special instance and request, and in the presence of each other. This the 21st day of May 1921.
[[ss]] F. S. Dooley
[[ss]] John F. Ridgeway
[[ss]] F. A. Gillen
Probated Jan 2, 1922
Recorded Feb 10 1922
Georgia, Oconee County}} Last Will and Testament of Jas. L. Hendrix
I Jas L Hendrix of said state and county, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do make this my last will and testament, hereby revoking and annulling all others, by me heretofore by me made.
Item 1st) I desire and direct that my body be buried in a decent and Christianlike manner suitable to my circumstances and condition in life.
Item 2) I desire and direct that all my just debts be paid as soon as practicable by my executor hereinafter named and appointed.
Item 3) I give, bequeath, and devise to my beloved wife, Elizabeth Hendrix, for and during her natural life, my tract of land in Statham Barrow County Georgia containing twenty nine and three tenths acres (29.3) the same being the same tract of land which was deeded to me and Pool W. Hendrix jointly and later Pool Hendrix deeded his one half undivided interest to me, said tract bounded on north by Day, East by a public road, South by Thrasher, West by ?Afrin? and being about one half mile west of present site of S. A. L. Ry depot in said town of Statham. At her death said land is to go to and be divided between my estate and my son Oscar Hendrix upon said Oscar paying over to my estate the sum of three hundred ($300) Dollars before coming into his half interest in said land. The half coming into my estate as well as the three hundred dollars to be paid by Oscar to be disposed of as hereinafter directed.
Item 4) I have delivered to my sons Pool W. Hendrix and Carl W. Hendrix possession and controll of my place near Eastville, Ga Oconee County together with certain personal property for running said farm and they have agreed to assume an indebtedness against said land, and it is my will and it is my will and desire and I hereby give, bequeath and devise to my said sons Pool W. and Carl W. Hendrix my said tract of land in Oconee County, about one mile north of the town of Eastville, eighty two (82) acres more or less, bounded on north by Breedlove, East by Thomas, South by R. L. Malcom, and west by a public road leading from said town of Eastville, and lands of Hardy Breedlove. This land to go to and become the property of my said sons Pool W. and Carl W. Hendrix upon their paying of the loan which is on the property or whatever part thereof remains unpaid at my death and upon their paying over [[end of page]]
[[start of page 2, reads like clerk may have left out a few words]] and grandchildren the sum of three hundred ($300.00) dollars each. My Grand Children are to receive the share that would have been coming to their father or mother if in life, in other words my children Arvie Jane Graham, Fulton Hendrix, Vercy Hendrix, Candie Hendrix are to receive the sum of three hundred dollars each, or their children if I should survive them shall receive the respective share of their father or mother, and the children of my deceased son Warren Hendrix, to wit Fred, Carrie, Dottie, Willie and David Hendrix are to receive their father's part or the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars to be equally divided between them .
The payments of said sums being a charge upon my estate and upon the land.
Item 5) I give and bequeath to my son Oscar Hendrix one mule to be selected by him after my death.
Item 6) I give and bequeath to my wife Elizabeth Hendrix one milk cow to be selected by her after my death.
Item 7) I give and bequeath to daughter Mrs. Georgia Ann Palmer five ($5.00) dollars and no more, she having heretofore received from me her share of my property real and personal.
Item 8) My son Archie Hendrix who enlisted in the U.S Navy during the war with Germany and who was on board a U.S. steamship Cyclops which disappeared and was never heard from is supposed to be dead but in case he is in life and shows up at any time he is to receive the sum of three hundred ($300) dollars to be paid as the other items in item fourth of this will, except, however this item shall not be a charge upon the lands.
Item 9) All the rest of my property real and personal shall shall [sic] be sold by my executor hereinafter named and appointed, at public or private sale, with or without advertisement and without any order of court. And the proceeds thereof shall be applied to the payment of debts which I owe and the obligations outstanding which are a charge or lien upon the lands herein described if there is a residue after the legacies hereinbefore specified are satisfied, the remainder if any shall be equally divided between my children, share and share alike, except Grand Children shall receive the share of their parent to be equally divided between them.
Item 10) I hereby constitute and appoint my wife Elizabeth Hendrix sole executrix of this my last will and testament and expressly confer upon her power, as such, to administer my estate, excusing her [[end of page]]
[[start of page 3]] from giving any bonds or making any returns to the ordinary, and I expressly confer upon her full authority and power to sell any part of my estate which is not hereinbefore specifically devised, at public or private sale, with or without notice, as she may deem best, and without any order of court, making good and sufficient conveyances to the purchases and holding the proceeds of said sale to the same uses and trusts as hereinbefore declared in the several items of this will
And I further expressly confer upon her full power and authority and power to borrow money for the use of my estate, in any instance where she may deem necessary and proper, and to secure the same by lien, security deed, trust deed, or other form of security to or on any part of my estate not herein specifically devised, all this she may do without any order of court and without making any returns to the Court of Ordinary. This the 21st day of May 1921.
[[ss]] J. L. Hendrix
Signed, sealed, declared, and published by Jas L Hendrix as his last will and testament, in the presence of us, the undersigned who subscribe our names hereto, in the presence of said testator, after he had signed his name thereto, and at his special instance and request, and in the presence of each other. This the 21st day of May 1921.
[[ss]] F. S. Dooley
[[ss]] John F. Ridgeway
[[ss]] F. A. Gillen
Probated Jan 2, 1922
Recorded Feb 10 1922
Saturday, September 13, 2014
David Murphy Griswold - 1,2, or 3? Or someone else?
In 1911, Fulton Jasper Hendrix married a widow (maybe) Emma Pearl Holliday Griswold and took into his household her children Thomas Murphy Griswold (known as Murphy), Gilbert G. Griswold, and Jackson F. (Jack) Griswold. All of them are living together in Oconee county, Georgia in 1920. Emma had apparently died by 1924, when Fulton married Nancy Ollen Roberts (known as Ollen) in Mississippi. Fulton and Ollen settled in Louisiana where they lived the remainder of their lives. I'm presuming Emma died because I can't find her in the census and because Fulton is listed as Murphy's stepfather in Murphy's obituary. Mom's ex-husband would have been less likely to be remembered as such.
Thomas Murphy Griswold was born in Rebecca, Turner County, GA and died in Baton Rouge, LA. His obituary lists his survivors as his wife Margaret, two stepsons, his stepfather and stepmother Mr and Mrs. F.J. Hendrix, 4 unnamed stepbrothers and 4 unnamed stepsisters. This links Thomas M. Griswold to the Murphy Griswold in the 1910 household. His SS-5 lists his parents as David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday.
Gilbert M. Griswold was also born in Rebecca and died in Galveston, TX. He was survived by his widow Mrs. "Joseph" Griswold (from other records, probably Josephine), and his two brothers. His death certificate also gives David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday as his parents.
Jackson Franklin Griswold was born in Shubuta, Clarke County, Mississippi in September 1908. He died in Galveston, TX in 1986, survived by his two sisters-in-law, and cousins Lelia Grobman of Texas and John Smith of New Orleans. Lelia's obituary indicated that she was a Smit (not Smith) by birth and the census confirmed a brother John. Further investigation indicated that their mother was Maggie Holliday, Emma Pearl's older sister. Of interest was that the Smit children were all born in Mississippi, possibly an indication of why Emma went there.
Murphy's social security application and Gilbert's death certificate both list their parents as David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday. Emma has been relatively easy to trace (other than her death) but David has become one of those mysteries that bug me. It's not important, none of the boys seems to have had children, it's just a mystery.
In 1910, Emma is listed as widowed and the 3 boys all show their father as born in Connecticut, their mother in Georgia. This info presumably came from Emma. She is running a boarding house in Rebecca, GA, with Fulton Hendrix as one of her boarders. In 1920, their father is from "Georgia", but since the boys names are badly mangled and they are all listed as Hendrix in this census, I think most of this information can be ignored. By 1930, Murphy is living near his stepfather in New Orleans, while Gilbert and Jack (and Gilbert's wife) are in Alabama. For Gilbert and Jack, the father's birthplace is Michigan, but Thomas still has Georgia. There's no way of knowing who provided the information in either case.
Online records and family trees show three David Murphy Griswolds of an appropriate age to be these children's father.
One: born to Stephen and Sarah Purdom Griswold in 1848 in Tennessee. He had a twin brother George Gilbert. However, he married Missouri and they appear in every census through 1900, with him reportedly dying in 1908 in either Russell County, AL or Colquitt County, GA in 1908. They lived most of their married life in Russell County, on the Georgia border.
Father: Pro - His name and his son Gilbert's name and his date of death, which matches well with a son born in 1908 but wife widowed in 1910. He was a salesman and may have died in Colquitt county which gets him at least closer to Turner county, where at least the two oldest children were born. Emma's family was in Lee County in 1900 and her father Thomas was a merchant. His death in February 1908, when Emma was newly pregnant with Jack might have spurred her to go to her sister's in Mississippi.
Con - He was married to someone else and there are no specific records connecting him with Emma or Turner county. While a salesman might have covered a large area, it could also just mean someone who works behind the counter at a store. He would have been about 53 when beginning a relationship with Emma. He would not have been able to marry Emma and she does use the Griswold name and call herself widowed in 1910.
Two: The son of George Gilbert and Martha Bennett Griswold, born in 1884 in Grundy County, TN. The nephew of option 1. He married Anna Bell Dykes in Grundy County in 1904, where they were still living in 1910, They then moved to Arkansas where they remained.
Father: Pro - only the name and the connection to the name "Gilbert".
Con - There is nothing that connects him to Georgia. If he had not married in 1904, his age would have made him a good candidate, but a marriage to one woman in 1901 (and a continuing relationship) as well as a second marriage three years later and two states away, would have been a bit hard to pursue at the time. Had he severed ties with Emma after the marriage to Bell, then it would have been more likely.
Three: Born about 1872 in Tennessee to Anderson and Martha Warren Griswold, died in Alabama in 1951. Anderson was another brother to David Griswold one. This David married Mary Brawley in 1894 in Grundy County, TN. They moved to Alabama about 1901, to the Birmingham area, where they lived until at least 1940. He died in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Pro: Same as option 2, his name and the family association with the name Gilbert, although somewhat more distant for him. He's closer to Georgia than option 2, but still somewhat distant to be raising two families.
Con: Like with option 2, this would require someone who is actively raising two separate families in two rather distant locations.
So, is one of these my David Murphy Griswold? Of these three I like option one the best, especially since his death coincides so neatly with the given timeline. On the other hand, with this family's apparent propensity for using the same names, it is possible another son from that family had the name. I'm a little more skeptical about a completely unrelated candidate, just because of the combination of the two names, Gilbert and David Murphy. Both names (Murphy and Gilbert) were in relatively common use, but not so common that they would normally be found repeatedly together. The combination David Murphy is even rarer. There is also the problem of where the boys' father was born, since none of the options given includes Tennessee and in fact, all the reasonable options (not counting the Georgia) would have him from some place up north. This could have been a lie told to Emma, or one told by Emma, or just a confusion in the family.
Thomas Murphy Griswold was born in Rebecca, Turner County, GA and died in Baton Rouge, LA. His obituary lists his survivors as his wife Margaret, two stepsons, his stepfather and stepmother Mr and Mrs. F.J. Hendrix, 4 unnamed stepbrothers and 4 unnamed stepsisters. This links Thomas M. Griswold to the Murphy Griswold in the 1910 household. His SS-5 lists his parents as David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday.
Gilbert M. Griswold was also born in Rebecca and died in Galveston, TX. He was survived by his widow Mrs. "Joseph" Griswold (from other records, probably Josephine), and his two brothers. His death certificate also gives David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday as his parents.
Jackson Franklin Griswold was born in Shubuta, Clarke County, Mississippi in September 1908. He died in Galveston, TX in 1986, survived by his two sisters-in-law, and cousins Lelia Grobman of Texas and John Smith of New Orleans. Lelia's obituary indicated that she was a Smit (not Smith) by birth and the census confirmed a brother John. Further investigation indicated that their mother was Maggie Holliday, Emma Pearl's older sister. Of interest was that the Smit children were all born in Mississippi, possibly an indication of why Emma went there.
Murphy's social security application and Gilbert's death certificate both list their parents as David Murphy Griswold and Emma Pearl Holliday. Emma has been relatively easy to trace (other than her death) but David has become one of those mysteries that bug me. It's not important, none of the boys seems to have had children, it's just a mystery.
In 1910, Emma is listed as widowed and the 3 boys all show their father as born in Connecticut, their mother in Georgia. This info presumably came from Emma. She is running a boarding house in Rebecca, GA, with Fulton Hendrix as one of her boarders. In 1920, their father is from "Georgia", but since the boys names are badly mangled and they are all listed as Hendrix in this census, I think most of this information can be ignored. By 1930, Murphy is living near his stepfather in New Orleans, while Gilbert and Jack (and Gilbert's wife) are in Alabama. For Gilbert and Jack, the father's birthplace is Michigan, but Thomas still has Georgia. There's no way of knowing who provided the information in either case.
Online records and family trees show three David Murphy Griswolds of an appropriate age to be these children's father.
One: born to Stephen and Sarah Purdom Griswold in 1848 in Tennessee. He had a twin brother George Gilbert. However, he married Missouri and they appear in every census through 1900, with him reportedly dying in 1908 in either Russell County, AL or Colquitt County, GA in 1908. They lived most of their married life in Russell County, on the Georgia border.
Father: Pro - His name and his son Gilbert's name and his date of death, which matches well with a son born in 1908 but wife widowed in 1910. He was a salesman and may have died in Colquitt county which gets him at least closer to Turner county, where at least the two oldest children were born. Emma's family was in Lee County in 1900 and her father Thomas was a merchant. His death in February 1908, when Emma was newly pregnant with Jack might have spurred her to go to her sister's in Mississippi.
Con - He was married to someone else and there are no specific records connecting him with Emma or Turner county. While a salesman might have covered a large area, it could also just mean someone who works behind the counter at a store. He would have been about 53 when beginning a relationship with Emma. He would not have been able to marry Emma and she does use the Griswold name and call herself widowed in 1910.
Two: The son of George Gilbert and Martha Bennett Griswold, born in 1884 in Grundy County, TN. The nephew of option 1. He married Anna Bell Dykes in Grundy County in 1904, where they were still living in 1910, They then moved to Arkansas where they remained.
Father: Pro - only the name and the connection to the name "Gilbert".
Con - There is nothing that connects him to Georgia. If he had not married in 1904, his age would have made him a good candidate, but a marriage to one woman in 1901 (and a continuing relationship) as well as a second marriage three years later and two states away, would have been a bit hard to pursue at the time. Had he severed ties with Emma after the marriage to Bell, then it would have been more likely.
Three: Born about 1872 in Tennessee to Anderson and Martha Warren Griswold, died in Alabama in 1951. Anderson was another brother to David Griswold one. This David married Mary Brawley in 1894 in Grundy County, TN. They moved to Alabama about 1901, to the Birmingham area, where they lived until at least 1940. He died in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Pro: Same as option 2, his name and the family association with the name Gilbert, although somewhat more distant for him. He's closer to Georgia than option 2, but still somewhat distant to be raising two families.
Con: Like with option 2, this would require someone who is actively raising two separate families in two rather distant locations.
So, is one of these my David Murphy Griswold? Of these three I like option one the best, especially since his death coincides so neatly with the given timeline. On the other hand, with this family's apparent propensity for using the same names, it is possible another son from that family had the name. I'm a little more skeptical about a completely unrelated candidate, just because of the combination of the two names, Gilbert and David Murphy. Both names (Murphy and Gilbert) were in relatively common use, but not so common that they would normally be found repeatedly together. The combination David Murphy is even rarer. There is also the problem of where the boys' father was born, since none of the options given includes Tennessee and in fact, all the reasonable options (not counting the Georgia) would have him from some place up north. This could have been a lie told to Emma, or one told by Emma, or just a confusion in the family.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Ahnentafel #10 Warren David Hendricks and #11 Lucinda Jane Gooch
According to his own account, Warren David Hendricks was born 8 Sep 1854 to George Washington Hendricks and Jane (Jenny) Keith, in Pickens County, SC. His mother died a few years later after the birth of his younger brother James and his life became rather peripatetic at that point. The family lived in Alabama as well as various places in Georgia, before finally reaching Lumpkin County, which is where he married Lucinda Jane Gooch.
Lucinda Jane Gooch was born 19 Mar 1857 in Lumpkin County, Georgia to James Gooch and Elvira Grizzle. They had moved to Union County by the time she was 13 and she married Warren when she was 16, on 27 March 1873. The ceremony was performed by Warren's cousin (by marriage) George Whitmore, who was a J.P.
The young couple almost immediately settled in the Gaddistown area of Union County, where they raised a very large family. Warren was primarily a farmer, Jane was a midwife, mother, and homemaker. For the first 20 years of their marriage, Warren's brother James lived next door to them, before moving down to Madison County. James was married to Jane's sister Eliza. The brothers must have been close, since they named their first sons after each other. They also lived quite close to Jane's parents as well as her brothers William and Madison. Tax records indicate that they owned 260 acres of land.
In 1880 Warren and Jane first appear in the census as a family, with their two oldest children Lucy Ann and John James. Also in the household was a 14-year old orphan Elizabeth Rider. Her relationship to the family is not known but Warren and Jane did later take in at least one other orphaned child whom they raised.
In March 1890 Warren was arrested for making whiskey, although he was not charged with selling it. He was released when one of the witnesses (who worked for him) changed his testimony. Family tradition maintains that he did in fact make whiskey. A few months later, the Atlanta Constitution wrote a short piece about him in their section "Dahlonega Nuggets": 'Mr. Warren Hendricks, One of Union County's most prosperous farmers, was in Dahlonega some days ago. Mr. Hendricks is worth about two thousand dollars and made it by hard licks. He never wore a store coat or store pants in his life, but wears clothing manufactured by the "folks at home." Instead of furnishing his little boys with a bicycle and ((unreadable)) pair of shoes, he gives them a long pair of home-made pants, suspenders knit by his girls, tenders them a hoe and puts them in the cornfield barefooted, with instructions to cut the weeds so as to let the corn grow, is why he prospers.'
By the 1900 census, Jane and Warren's two oldest children were married, with 7 more still at home, the youngest being 4. An additional 4 children had not survived. Her daughter Mattie always claimed that Jane was an excellent midwife, but that she had great difficulty with her own pregnancies and was often bedridden for them.
In 1903, Warren was appointed as the road commissioner for the Gaddistown district, along with two other men. About the same time, he was also made a jury commissioner, a position he remained in until his death.
By 1910, several more of the children had married and left home, but 5 were still living with Warren and Jane as they ran the farm. About 1915 they fostered Evelyn Ingle from Copper Hill, Tennessee. She was about 4 at the time. To date, we have not discovered why she was sent to a family in Union County, Georgia. Her father had died and her 4 brothers were also fostered, separately. She was apparently very fond of Warren and Jane, naming two of her children after them, including her first son.
In 1920, Warren and Jane show daughters Mattie, Maude and Evelyn still at home. Mattie and Maude were both teachers. This census entry is not totally accurate since Mattie was also listed on the census in Emanuel county, where she was working. Since the census was taken in January, its possible that she was still home for the holidays when the census taker came by. Maude was at home but left to marry a few months later. The fact that Mattie and Maude were both teachers is a reflection of the importance that the family apparently attributed to education. At least 3 of the daughters (Viana, Mattie and Maude) and one of their sons (Luther) had attended North Georgia Agricultural college in Dahlonega.
In 1930, Warren is still apparently farming, despite now being 76. Foster daughter Evelyn is still with them, as well as their daughter-in-law Ellen Jones Hendrix Seabolt. Ellen's first husband was their son Joseph. In 1920, he had been serving as the mayor of McCaysville, GA when he intervened in an incident with a drunken man, who shot him in the head. Ellen later married James Seabolt but by 1930 was listed as widowed again.
In 1940, Jane and Warren are living at the same place but he is no longer listed as a farmer. All the children are now gone, but they do have a 15-year old maid in the house. Both Jane and Warren are listed as having done 4 years of school. Warren died on 28 August 1940 and Jane followed him on 25 May 1942. Both of them are buried at Mount Pleasant #2 (the Hill Church) in Suches.
Jane and Warren had the following known children:
-- Mary LucyAnne Hendrix, born 29 September 1875, died 29 April 1956. She married Anderson Asberry McDougald and lived her entire life in Union County.
-- James John Washington Hendrix, born12 Dec 1877, died 17 Mar 1954. He was named after Warren's father Washington and his two brothers James and John. He married Vinnie Gurley and eventually settled in Morgan County, GA.
-- Joseph Benjamin Hendrix, born 18 Mar 1881, died 25 April 1920 while serving as mayor of McCaysville, GA. Married Ellen Jones.
-- Allen Luther Hendrix, born 16 Feb 1884, died 11 Mar 1959 in Gwinnett County, GA. He became a preacher, and met and married his wife Cora Blanche Clyde while serving in Holt County, Nebraska.
-- Vianna Hendrix, born 22 May 1885, died 19 Sep 1947. She married William Carl Gurley.
-- Elvira Hendrix, born 23 Sep 1889, died 20 Aug 1968 in Monroe County, GA. She married John Richard Bearden.
-- William Arthur, born 20 Jan 1891, died February 1976 in Hall County, GA. He lived much of his working life in Franklin County, Ohio, but returned to Georgia after his wife died. He married Gilla May Sparks of Fannin County.
-- Mattie Irene Hendrix, 13 June 1893 - 12 April 1975, Married Charles Gordon Garner
-- Maude June Hendrix, born 21 Oct 1895, died 4 Aug 1967 in Atlanta. She married Edward Lee Floyd, who had been one of the instructors at NGC when she and Mattie were there.
--Alice Evelyn Ingle, born 7 Oct 1911, died 24 Dec 2007 in Haywood County, NC. Married James Thomason and then Dennis Ammons.
Warren and Jane with their descendents, taken about 1938.
Lucinda Jane Gooch was born 19 Mar 1857 in Lumpkin County, Georgia to James Gooch and Elvira Grizzle. They had moved to Union County by the time she was 13 and she married Warren when she was 16, on 27 March 1873. The ceremony was performed by Warren's cousin (by marriage) George Whitmore, who was a J.P.
The young couple almost immediately settled in the Gaddistown area of Union County, where they raised a very large family. Warren was primarily a farmer, Jane was a midwife, mother, and homemaker. For the first 20 years of their marriage, Warren's brother James lived next door to them, before moving down to Madison County. James was married to Jane's sister Eliza. The brothers must have been close, since they named their first sons after each other. They also lived quite close to Jane's parents as well as her brothers William and Madison. Tax records indicate that they owned 260 acres of land.
In 1880 Warren and Jane first appear in the census as a family, with their two oldest children Lucy Ann and John James. Also in the household was a 14-year old orphan Elizabeth Rider. Her relationship to the family is not known but Warren and Jane did later take in at least one other orphaned child whom they raised.
In March 1890 Warren was arrested for making whiskey, although he was not charged with selling it. He was released when one of the witnesses (who worked for him) changed his testimony. Family tradition maintains that he did in fact make whiskey. A few months later, the Atlanta Constitution wrote a short piece about him in their section "Dahlonega Nuggets": 'Mr. Warren Hendricks, One of Union County's most prosperous farmers, was in Dahlonega some days ago. Mr. Hendricks is worth about two thousand dollars and made it by hard licks. He never wore a store coat or store pants in his life, but wears clothing manufactured by the "folks at home." Instead of furnishing his little boys with a bicycle and ((unreadable)) pair of shoes, he gives them a long pair of home-made pants, suspenders knit by his girls, tenders them a hoe and puts them in the cornfield barefooted, with instructions to cut the weeds so as to let the corn grow, is why he prospers.'
By the 1900 census, Jane and Warren's two oldest children were married, with 7 more still at home, the youngest being 4. An additional 4 children had not survived. Her daughter Mattie always claimed that Jane was an excellent midwife, but that she had great difficulty with her own pregnancies and was often bedridden for them.
In 1903, Warren was appointed as the road commissioner for the Gaddistown district, along with two other men. About the same time, he was also made a jury commissioner, a position he remained in until his death.
By 1910, several more of the children had married and left home, but 5 were still living with Warren and Jane as they ran the farm. About 1915 they fostered Evelyn Ingle from Copper Hill, Tennessee. She was about 4 at the time. To date, we have not discovered why she was sent to a family in Union County, Georgia. Her father had died and her 4 brothers were also fostered, separately. She was apparently very fond of Warren and Jane, naming two of her children after them, including her first son.
In 1920, Warren and Jane show daughters Mattie, Maude and Evelyn still at home. Mattie and Maude were both teachers. This census entry is not totally accurate since Mattie was also listed on the census in Emanuel county, where she was working. Since the census was taken in January, its possible that she was still home for the holidays when the census taker came by. Maude was at home but left to marry a few months later. The fact that Mattie and Maude were both teachers is a reflection of the importance that the family apparently attributed to education. At least 3 of the daughters (Viana, Mattie and Maude) and one of their sons (Luther) had attended North Georgia Agricultural college in Dahlonega.
In 1930, Warren is still apparently farming, despite now being 76. Foster daughter Evelyn is still with them, as well as their daughter-in-law Ellen Jones Hendrix Seabolt. Ellen's first husband was their son Joseph. In 1920, he had been serving as the mayor of McCaysville, GA when he intervened in an incident with a drunken man, who shot him in the head. Ellen later married James Seabolt but by 1930 was listed as widowed again.
In 1940, Jane and Warren are living at the same place but he is no longer listed as a farmer. All the children are now gone, but they do have a 15-year old maid in the house. Both Jane and Warren are listed as having done 4 years of school. Warren died on 28 August 1940 and Jane followed him on 25 May 1942. Both of them are buried at Mount Pleasant #2 (the Hill Church) in Suches.
Jane and Warren had the following known children:
-- Mary LucyAnne Hendrix, born 29 September 1875, died 29 April 1956. She married Anderson Asberry McDougald and lived her entire life in Union County.
-- James John Washington Hendrix, born12 Dec 1877, died 17 Mar 1954. He was named after Warren's father Washington and his two brothers James and John. He married Vinnie Gurley and eventually settled in Morgan County, GA.
-- Joseph Benjamin Hendrix, born 18 Mar 1881, died 25 April 1920 while serving as mayor of McCaysville, GA. Married Ellen Jones.
-- Allen Luther Hendrix, born 16 Feb 1884, died 11 Mar 1959 in Gwinnett County, GA. He became a preacher, and met and married his wife Cora Blanche Clyde while serving in Holt County, Nebraska.
-- Vianna Hendrix, born 22 May 1885, died 19 Sep 1947. She married William Carl Gurley.
-- Elvira Hendrix, born 23 Sep 1889, died 20 Aug 1968 in Monroe County, GA. She married John Richard Bearden.
-- William Arthur, born 20 Jan 1891, died February 1976 in Hall County, GA. He lived much of his working life in Franklin County, Ohio, but returned to Georgia after his wife died. He married Gilla May Sparks of Fannin County.
-- Mattie Irene Hendrix, 13 June 1893 - 12 April 1975, Married Charles Gordon Garner
-- Maude June Hendrix, born 21 Oct 1895, died 4 Aug 1967 in Atlanta. She married Edward Lee Floyd, who had been one of the instructors at NGC when she and Mattie were there.
--Alice Evelyn Ingle, born 7 Oct 1911, died 24 Dec 2007 in Haywood County, NC. Married James Thomason and then Dennis Ammons.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Patience Garner
Patience Garner was probably one of the daughters of Jacob Garner, in Washington County, Georgia, since she was closely associated with his other children. Family lore has it that she married a Durden, but every record I have found for her still has her name as Garner, with no evidence that she ever married.
Patience was one of Jacob's older children, born in 1770 while he was still in North Carolina (per her 1850 census entry). The first public record found for her is her joining Bethlehem Baptist church on 16 July 1815, together with her neighbor Eliz.Cone. She was one of the members of Bethlehem to move over to Sisters Baptist Church when it was founded in 1824 and then moved again to become a charter member of Union Baptist when it was formed in 1844.
Patience had property of her own as evidenced by the 1836 tax digest, where she has 200 acres of property. While more work needs to be done on this, it is possible that this reflects an inheritance from her father who disappears between the 1830 and 1840 censuses. He had paid tax on 200 acres in Washington County through at least 1831, and for both of them the land was described as bounded by Long. Her brothers Henry and John and several nephews also pay in 1836 tax records, but brothers Moses and Stephen were both listed as defaulters. She also pays taxes in 1837 and 1838, although the acreage is not given. However, when the online tax records resume in 1848, she is still paying on 200 acres.
In 1840, she appears as head of household in Washington County, Georgia. The household contains three people: A woman age 60-70 (presumably her) and two men age 50-60, probably her brothers Moses and Stephen, since they are all living together in 1850. In 1850, the census lists the household as Moses, 63, farmer with property worth $700, born in SC; Stephen, 63, farmer born in SC, Patience, 80, born in NC and Nancy, 40, born in Georgia. Patience continued to pay taxes on her 200-acre property through 1851.
In 1855, Nancy Garner, relationship still unknown, relinquished to William Garner (Patience's nephew) her rights in a piece of property formerly belonging to Patience Garner. There is no description of the property, leading me to believe that this is part of an inheritance and not a purchase. From this, her age, and the lack of any other records concerning her, I am tentatively assuming that Patience died between 1851 and 1855.
In a family aside, looking at the possibility that Jacob left this property to Patience. Her brother Henry also left his property to his only daughter Sally, also unmarried.
Patience was one of Jacob's older children, born in 1770 while he was still in North Carolina (per her 1850 census entry). The first public record found for her is her joining Bethlehem Baptist church on 16 July 1815, together with her neighbor Eliz.Cone. She was one of the members of Bethlehem to move over to Sisters Baptist Church when it was founded in 1824 and then moved again to become a charter member of Union Baptist when it was formed in 1844.
Patience had property of her own as evidenced by the 1836 tax digest, where she has 200 acres of property. While more work needs to be done on this, it is possible that this reflects an inheritance from her father who disappears between the 1830 and 1840 censuses. He had paid tax on 200 acres in Washington County through at least 1831, and for both of them the land was described as bounded by Long. Her brothers Henry and John and several nephews also pay in 1836 tax records, but brothers Moses and Stephen were both listed as defaulters. She also pays taxes in 1837 and 1838, although the acreage is not given. However, when the online tax records resume in 1848, she is still paying on 200 acres.
In 1840, she appears as head of household in Washington County, Georgia. The household contains three people: A woman age 60-70 (presumably her) and two men age 50-60, probably her brothers Moses and Stephen, since they are all living together in 1850. In 1850, the census lists the household as Moses, 63, farmer with property worth $700, born in SC; Stephen, 63, farmer born in SC, Patience, 80, born in NC and Nancy, 40, born in Georgia. Patience continued to pay taxes on her 200-acre property through 1851.
In 1855, Nancy Garner, relationship still unknown, relinquished to William Garner (Patience's nephew) her rights in a piece of property formerly belonging to Patience Garner. There is no description of the property, leading me to believe that this is part of an inheritance and not a purchase. From this, her age, and the lack of any other records concerning her, I am tentatively assuming that Patience died between 1851 and 1855.
In a family aside, looking at the possibility that Jacob left this property to Patience. Her brother Henry also left his property to his only daughter Sally, also unmarried.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Ahnentafel #8 Green Lee Garner and #9 Harriet Gheesling
Green Lee Garner was born on 4 June 1850 in Washington County, Georgia, the son of William and Sarah Johnson Garner. He lived in Washington County until about 1930 when he moved to Decatur County. He had a twin brother Lee Roy Garner. Green and Lee Roy were just young enough to miss the Civil War, turning 15 just as it ended. They had several brothers who served but none who were killed, unlike many of their neighboring families. They were the 7th and 8th children of twelve who survived to adulthood. All the children grew up working on the farm and most became farmers themselves as adults.
On 21 January 1879, Green married Amanda Lou (Lou) Walker, 19, the daughter of Freeman Flournoy Walker and his wife Amanda Lou Hooks. Rev Asa Duggan performed the ceremony. Both attended - and were later buried at - Union Baptist Church near the Hancock/Washington county line. The families were also connected in that two of Lou's brothers married Garner cousins. They settled in Hancock County, where Green farmed and Lou ran the household. Green and Lou had two daughters, Minnie (14 September 1880) and Lou Wixie (30 May 1883). Lou died a month after her second daughter was born, presumably of complications from childbirth, and Lou Wixie herself died the following year, just before her first birthday.
Green married for a second time on 18 Jan 1884, to Harriet (Hattie) Gheesling. They were married by Thomas West, a minister, in Warren County. Hattie was born on 30 June 1852 in Warren County to Samuel Gheesling and Elizabeth Duggan. I used to wonder how they met, until I realized that Hattie's grandfather lived next to Green's father. Again the families were or became intermingled, in that Hattie's niece Frances Emily married Green's brother James Thomas Garner. Hattie lived in Warren County until her marriage and the rest of her life in Hancock County. Nothing is known about her education, but in the 1860 and 1870 censuses she is listed as attending school and in the later ones she is apparently able to read and write.
Hattie and Green had 4 sons, all of whom appear with them in the 1900 Hancock County census. They were Thomas Lawton (Nov 1884), William Samuel (16 Aug 1886), Henry Grady (Sep 1889) and Charles Gordon (1 Jan 1893). All of the boys went by their middle name. Hattie was apparently a good stepmother, since Green's daughter Minnie named her only daughter Hattie Lou, after her stepmother and mother.
The 1884-1887 Georgia tax digest shows Green owning 261 acres of land in Hancock County, worth $783, worked by 10 hands. This is a high number of hands compared to other farms of similar size. The value of his other property (stock, tools, furniture, etc) brought his total taxable value up to $1683. In 1900, Green and Hattie are on the farm with the boys and Minnie. Green was a farmer, while the children were all in school. Hattie claimed to have had 4 children, all of whom were living. Green owned his farm. By 1910, all of the children except Gordon had married and left home. Minnie was in Atlanta, Lawton in California, Sam in Hancock County, and Grady in Kentucky. They had sold the farm (or given it to Samuel) and were renting a house elsewhere in the county, while Green and Gordon worked as carpenters.
In 1912, they lost their son Lawton to disease, while he was still working out in California, leaving a wife Edna and a young daughter Marcellite. Lawton's widow married his cousin Ivey William Garner, who raised Marcellite after Edna died a few years later. Marcellite went on to work for the early Disney company as an illustrator and as the original voice of Minnie Mouse.
The 1920 census has the same household, with son Gordon still at home. He has now finished college and is working as a farm demonstration agent, while Green is a farm superviser. Green and Hattie still rent the house.
Hattie died in 1925, but I have been unable to find her death certificate, even though one should have been issued. She was buried at Union Baptist Church, near Warthen. Green died on14 March 1930 in Faceville, Decatur County, Georgia. I have not found him in the 1930 census, so it is unclear whether he lived there or was just visiting his son. Like his wives, he was buried back at Union Baptist Church in Washington County.
Green Lee and Amanda Lou had two children:
i. Minnie Lou Garner, 14 Sep 1880 to 15 Oct 1969. She married Robert E. L. Carroll and taught school in DeKalb county, where they resided.
ii. Lou Wixie Garner, May 1883 - May 1884
Green Lee and Harriet A. had the following children:
iii. Thomas Lawton Garner, Nov 1884 - 30 Jan 1912. Married Edna May Michaels on 10 Oct 1908. They resided in California.
iv. William Samuel Garner, 16 Aug 1886 - 11 Jul 1966. Married Mary Lou Boyer about 1906. They lived first in Hancock County, then in Decatur County and finally in Dekalb.
v. Henry Grady Garner, 25 Sep 1889 - 12 Feb 1937. According to family lore, he married several times and had no children. He lived in Kentucky most of his adult life.
vi. Charles Gordon Garner, 1 Jan 1893 - 27 Nov 1955. Married Mattie Hendricks on 10 December 1921.
On 21 January 1879, Green married Amanda Lou (Lou) Walker, 19, the daughter of Freeman Flournoy Walker and his wife Amanda Lou Hooks. Rev Asa Duggan performed the ceremony. Both attended - and were later buried at - Union Baptist Church near the Hancock/Washington county line. The families were also connected in that two of Lou's brothers married Garner cousins. They settled in Hancock County, where Green farmed and Lou ran the household. Green and Lou had two daughters, Minnie (14 September 1880) and Lou Wixie (30 May 1883). Lou died a month after her second daughter was born, presumably of complications from childbirth, and Lou Wixie herself died the following year, just before her first birthday.
Green married for a second time on 18 Jan 1884, to Harriet (Hattie) Gheesling. They were married by Thomas West, a minister, in Warren County. Hattie was born on 30 June 1852 in Warren County to Samuel Gheesling and Elizabeth Duggan. I used to wonder how they met, until I realized that Hattie's grandfather lived next to Green's father. Again the families were or became intermingled, in that Hattie's niece Frances Emily married Green's brother James Thomas Garner. Hattie lived in Warren County until her marriage and the rest of her life in Hancock County. Nothing is known about her education, but in the 1860 and 1870 censuses she is listed as attending school and in the later ones she is apparently able to read and write.
Hattie and Green had 4 sons, all of whom appear with them in the 1900 Hancock County census. They were Thomas Lawton (Nov 1884), William Samuel (16 Aug 1886), Henry Grady (Sep 1889) and Charles Gordon (1 Jan 1893). All of the boys went by their middle name. Hattie was apparently a good stepmother, since Green's daughter Minnie named her only daughter Hattie Lou, after her stepmother and mother.
The 1884-1887 Georgia tax digest shows Green owning 261 acres of land in Hancock County, worth $783, worked by 10 hands. This is a high number of hands compared to other farms of similar size. The value of his other property (stock, tools, furniture, etc) brought his total taxable value up to $1683. In 1900, Green and Hattie are on the farm with the boys and Minnie. Green was a farmer, while the children were all in school. Hattie claimed to have had 4 children, all of whom were living. Green owned his farm. By 1910, all of the children except Gordon had married and left home. Minnie was in Atlanta, Lawton in California, Sam in Hancock County, and Grady in Kentucky. They had sold the farm (or given it to Samuel) and were renting a house elsewhere in the county, while Green and Gordon worked as carpenters.
In 1912, they lost their son Lawton to disease, while he was still working out in California, leaving a wife Edna and a young daughter Marcellite. Lawton's widow married his cousin Ivey William Garner, who raised Marcellite after Edna died a few years later. Marcellite went on to work for the early Disney company as an illustrator and as the original voice of Minnie Mouse.
The 1920 census has the same household, with son Gordon still at home. He has now finished college and is working as a farm demonstration agent, while Green is a farm superviser. Green and Hattie still rent the house.
Hattie died in 1925, but I have been unable to find her death certificate, even though one should have been issued. She was buried at Union Baptist Church, near Warthen. Green died on14 March 1930 in Faceville, Decatur County, Georgia. I have not found him in the 1930 census, so it is unclear whether he lived there or was just visiting his son. Like his wives, he was buried back at Union Baptist Church in Washington County.
Green Lee and Amanda Lou had two children:
i. Minnie Lou Garner, 14 Sep 1880 to 15 Oct 1969. She married Robert E. L. Carroll and taught school in DeKalb county, where they resided.
ii. Lou Wixie Garner, May 1883 - May 1884
Green Lee and Harriet A. had the following children:
iii. Thomas Lawton Garner, Nov 1884 - 30 Jan 1912. Married Edna May Michaels on 10 Oct 1908. They resided in California.
iv. William Samuel Garner, 16 Aug 1886 - 11 Jul 1966. Married Mary Lou Boyer about 1906. They lived first in Hancock County, then in Decatur County and finally in Dekalb.
v. Henry Grady Garner, 25 Sep 1889 - 12 Feb 1937. According to family lore, he married several times and had no children. He lived in Kentucky most of his adult life.
vi. Charles Gordon Garner, 1 Jan 1893 - 27 Nov 1955. Married Mattie Hendricks on 10 December 1921.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Ahnentafel - #5 Mattie Irene Hendrix
My grandmother Mattie Irene Hendrix was born on 13 June 1897 to Warren David Hendricks and Lucinda Jane Gooch in Gaddistown, Union County, Georgia, near modern-day Suches. Mattie was the next-to-youngest of 9 surviving children and in fact, her oldest sister married the same year she was born. She and her sister Maude always claimed that they were not given middle names at birth, with the expectation that when they married they would use Hendrix as their middle name. Both of them chose to adopt a middle name anyway. The spelling of the family name was definitely in flux at this time, which is really obvious when you look at their college yearbooks, and see it spelled differently on the same page.
Very little is known about her early years. Her father ran a farm and took pride in being a somewhat stern taskmaster. There was no high school in the area, but there was apparently a small country school that the children used to get the basics. Certainly Mattie and her siblings could all read and write, which was not a given for the area. As they got older, several of the children, including Allen Luther, Vianna, Mattie and Maude, went to North Georgia Agricultural College (later North Georgia College, then North Georgia College State University, now University of North Georgia). The college had a preparatory program specifically designed for local students who did not have other access to secondary education. Mattie did the full preparatory program, then went on to get her domestic science certificate, which qualified her as a graduating senior in 1914. All three of the girls played basketball while at the school. According to the yearbook, Mattie "plays for all it's worth at guard's position. Her speed is a feature in every game, and she plays the ball splendidly.." Mattie later used to tell her grandchildren that she was one of the first women in Georgia to play basketball in shorts (bloomers) rather than a skirt, something she was proud of.
Shortly after graduating, Mattie began working as a teacher in Emanuel County, Georgia, possibly as a home demonstration agent. In newspaper reports, she is just noted as a teacher, while the census
has her as a U.S. vocational teacher. Her photo of her first car, shown here, was labeled as "home demonstration agent". She was the 1921 Attendance officer for education in Emanuel County and heavily involved in literacy programs for the county, as well as demonstrating at the county fair and joining the Camp Fire girls on a camping trip. She was also active with the county Georgia University alumnae association, attending their meetings.
Mattie married Charles Gordon Garner on 10 December 1921 in Swainsboro. Apparently at the time this meant that she could not continue in her job, so this was the end of her professional career. She and Gordon lived first in Lyons, Toombs County, where their first two sons Charles Gordon,Jr and Warren Hendrix were born. About 1931 they moved to
Athens, where James Arthur and Robert Edward joined the family. After her father died in 1940, Mattie and Gordon purchased his property in Gaddistown, Georgia. In the late 40s, she moved back there with Jim and Bobby. Gordon joined them after his retirement.
Left a widow in 1955, Mattie continued to run the farm for many years, until finally selling the property in the late 60s. She lived for some time after that with her sons in Kansas, Georgia and Oklahoma. She died in 1975 in Oklahoma City, having been living at the time with her son Warren in Cordell, Oklahoma. She and Gordon are both buried at Mt Pleasant Church #2 (the Hill Church) cemetery in Suches, GA.
Very little is known about her early years. Her father ran a farm and took pride in being a somewhat stern taskmaster. There was no high school in the area, but there was apparently a small country school that the children used to get the basics. Certainly Mattie and her siblings could all read and write, which was not a given for the area. As they got older, several of the children, including Allen Luther, Vianna, Mattie and Maude, went to North Georgia Agricultural College (later North Georgia College, then North Georgia College State University, now University of North Georgia). The college had a preparatory program specifically designed for local students who did not have other access to secondary education. Mattie did the full preparatory program, then went on to get her domestic science certificate, which qualified her as a graduating senior in 1914. All three of the girls played basketball while at the school. According to the yearbook, Mattie "plays for all it's worth at guard's position. Her speed is a feature in every game, and she plays the ball splendidly.." Mattie later used to tell her grandchildren that she was one of the first women in Georgia to play basketball in shorts (bloomers) rather than a skirt, something she was proud of.Shortly after graduating, Mattie began working as a teacher in Emanuel County, Georgia, possibly as a home demonstration agent. In newspaper reports, she is just noted as a teacher, while the census
Mattie married Charles Gordon Garner on 10 December 1921 in Swainsboro. Apparently at the time this meant that she could not continue in her job, so this was the end of her professional career. She and Gordon lived first in Lyons, Toombs County, where their first two sons Charles Gordon,Jr and Warren Hendrix were born. About 1931 they moved to Athens, where James Arthur and Robert Edward joined the family. After her father died in 1940, Mattie and Gordon purchased his property in Gaddistown, Georgia. In the late 40s, she moved back there with Jim and Bobby. Gordon joined them after his retirement.
Left a widow in 1955, Mattie continued to run the farm for many years, until finally selling the property in the late 60s. She lived for some time after that with her sons in Kansas, Georgia and Oklahoma. She died in 1975 in Oklahoma City, having been living at the time with her son Warren in Cordell, Oklahoma. She and Gordon are both buried at Mt Pleasant Church #2 (the Hill Church) cemetery in Suches, GA.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Ahnentafel series - Charles Gordon Garner
I have decided to do at least a weekly post just working up through my Ahnentafel. Since the point of this blog, among other things, was to let me see the gaps in what I know or have documented, at least some systematic approach, once in a while, is a good idea.
I'm skipping my parents (nrs 2 and 3 in my report), so the first one I come to is #4, my Grandfather Charles Gordon Garner. Gordon, or C.G., Garner as he was known was born on 1 January 1893 near Sparta, Georgia, to parents Green Lee Garner and Hattie Gheesling. He was the youngest of 4 boys born to them, but he also had an older half-sister Minnie, from his father's first marriage. They were a farming family, which is probably significant considering Gordon's later choice of career. Green Garner owned the family farm where Gordon grew up, but with 4 boys apparently did not need to hire outside help, at least according to the 1900 census.
By 1910, Green and Hattie had moved off the farm and were renting a house, still in Hancock County, Georgia. Gordon was the only son still at home. His father was working as a carpenter and Gordon was listed as a "carpentering laborer." This was probably in the Granite Hill area, just outside Sparta, since that is where Gordon claimed to be from in college.
In 1914, Gordon enrolled the University of Georgia. There was no obvious reason for his enrolling at a fairly advanced age (21). He was not in the military. Considering that he was already known as "Co-op Garner" by his sophomore year, my speculation is that he was working in agriculture, became interested in the nascent co-op system and realized that he needed a university degree to work in that field.
From the various yearbooks, it is apparent that he was active in student life. He was noted as a photographer, as a member of the YMCA, as a Bible study member, as a member of the track team, and as an officer in the honorary agriculture fraternity, Alpha Zeta. He was already known as "Co-op" Garner, and would be nicknamed that for the rest of his life. In 1917, he received a bachelor's degree in Agriculture at the University of Georgia and was apparently hired almost immediately as a County extension agent, since he was working in Stephens County by June of that same year.
In the 1920 census, he is shown again with his parents, but listed as an agricultural demonstration agent. He was still active in the State's efforts in agriculture, being listed as one of the delegates at a March 1920 conference which established the Georgia Association, a union of the chambers of commerce, farm bureaus and other industrial entities. In newspapers from the era, it is obvious that he quickly established himself as an expert in agricultural marketing. He was first interested in beef marketing with UGA. Then after becoming a county extension agent in Lyons, he traveled throughout the state, appearing as a marketing expert in various meetings and agricultural gatherings. About 1931 he started working directly for the University, moving his family to Athens. In 1940 he got his Masters from the University and spent the early 40s advising farmers on efficient ways to get their goods to market, taking into account shortages and rationing caused by the war.
In December 1920, Gordon married Mattie Irene Hendrix, who was working as a demonstration agent in Emanuel County. They settled in Toombs, Lyons County, while he was the extension agent there and then moved to Athens, Clark County, where they raised 4 sons and where he lived until his retirement in 1955. At that point, he joined Mattie in the Gaddistown, Union County area, where she had grown up and where she had moved with the boys some years earlier. Sadly, he died less than a year later of a heart attack.
I'm skipping my parents (nrs 2 and 3 in my report), so the first one I come to is #4, my Grandfather Charles Gordon Garner. Gordon, or C.G., Garner as he was known was born on 1 January 1893 near Sparta, Georgia, to parents Green Lee Garner and Hattie Gheesling. He was the youngest of 4 boys born to them, but he also had an older half-sister Minnie, from his father's first marriage. They were a farming family, which is probably significant considering Gordon's later choice of career. Green Garner owned the family farm where Gordon grew up, but with 4 boys apparently did not need to hire outside help, at least according to the 1900 census.
By 1910, Green and Hattie had moved off the farm and were renting a house, still in Hancock County, Georgia. Gordon was the only son still at home. His father was working as a carpenter and Gordon was listed as a "carpentering laborer." This was probably in the Granite Hill area, just outside Sparta, since that is where Gordon claimed to be from in college. In 1914, Gordon enrolled the University of Georgia. There was no obvious reason for his enrolling at a fairly advanced age (21). He was not in the military. Considering that he was already known as "Co-op Garner" by his sophomore year, my speculation is that he was working in agriculture, became interested in the nascent co-op system and realized that he needed a university degree to work in that field.
From the various yearbooks, it is apparent that he was active in student life. He was noted as a photographer, as a member of the YMCA, as a Bible study member, as a member of the track team, and as an officer in the honorary agriculture fraternity, Alpha Zeta. He was already known as "Co-op" Garner, and would be nicknamed that for the rest of his life. In 1917, he received a bachelor's degree in Agriculture at the University of Georgia and was apparently hired almost immediately as a County extension agent, since he was working in Stephens County by June of that same year.
In the 1920 census, he is shown again with his parents, but listed as an agricultural demonstration agent. He was still active in the State's efforts in agriculture, being listed as one of the delegates at a March 1920 conference which established the Georgia Association, a union of the chambers of commerce, farm bureaus and other industrial entities. In newspapers from the era, it is obvious that he quickly established himself as an expert in agricultural marketing. He was first interested in beef marketing with UGA. Then after becoming a county extension agent in Lyons, he traveled throughout the state, appearing as a marketing expert in various meetings and agricultural gatherings. About 1931 he started working directly for the University, moving his family to Athens. In 1940 he got his Masters from the University and spent the early 40s advising farmers on efficient ways to get their goods to market, taking into account shortages and rationing caused by the war.
In December 1920, Gordon married Mattie Irene Hendrix, who was working as a demonstration agent in Emanuel County. They settled in Toombs, Lyons County, while he was the extension agent there and then moved to Athens, Clark County, where they raised 4 sons and where he lived until his retirement in 1955. At that point, he joined Mattie in the Gaddistown, Union County area, where she had grown up and where she had moved with the boys some years earlier. Sadly, he died less than a year later of a heart attack.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Sports Center Saturday - Soapbox Derby
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Family Gathering - Warren Hendricks
This photograph will have been taken about 1924, based on the apparent ages of Charlie Garner and Ed Floyd. Not everyone has been conclusively identified. The elderly couple in the middle are Warren David Hendricks and his wife Lucinda Jane Gooch Hendricks. To the left of Warren is his daughter Maude Hendricks Floyd, holding her baby Edward Lee Floyd Jr born in 1924. Ed Floyd Sr is to her left. The woman to the right of Jane Hendricks is their daughter Mattie Hendrix Garner, holding her son Charles Gordon Garner Jr, born in late 1922. Her husband is probably the photographer. The other people are more speculative. The man on the porch, holding the young boy, is probably Arthur Hendrix, based on the fact that he was the only son with boys about the ages of the three there. If he is Arthur, then the boys are probably William (b 1917), Frank (1918) and Kermit (1922). The final man is almost certainly one of the other sons. Joseph had been killed in 1920 which is definitely before this picture was taken. His son would have been too young for this man. Luther and his wife were living out west at the time but could have been home for a family visit. However, he would have had a young daughter, born in 1920, who would have presumably been included in the picture. Therefore, I think the most likely candidate for this last one is John, with his wife Vinnie next to him. Their son Roy was grown which would account for him being absent. Finally, the biggest mystery of the picture is the girl on the right. She is definitely not one of the daughters (Maude was the youngest). She might be the foster daughter listed in the 1920 census, Evelyn Anglund, who would have been about 12 when this was taken.
The photo was taken in front of the Warren Hendricks house, in Gaddistown, Union County, Georgia.
Editted to add: I have since been given photos of John and Vinnie Hendricks and this is clearly not them in the photo. My next guess would be one of the other daughters and her husband, but I need to look for more photos for comparison. The young girl has been confirmed as Evelyn Anglund by her granddaughter.
Second edit: It was recently pointed out to me that I had Paul's birthdate wrong and looking at my records I see that I had reversed his age and that of Kermit. Therefore the child being held by Arthur would be Kermit. I have corrected it in the main text above.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
A Worthy Man Dies
Atlanta Journal Constitution, 4 July 1882, at the tale end of an article about lightning deaths in Milledgeville - "On the same day an aged German, a worthy, inoffensive man, Jacob Dutenhofer, died."
Monday, June 10, 2013
John Garner's secret family, Washington County, GA
In the traditional history of the Garner family in Washington County, GA, compiled about 1956, John Lawson Garner, the son of William Garner, was shown as marrying Mary Victoria Cook, and having no children. However, in looking at the estate records for his brother A. J. Garner, there is a document where all of A.J.'s heirs agree to share the estate with John, James and William Garner, the heirs of John Garner. A.J. died intestate so his estate would have been divided evenly among his heirs.
This lead to a backwards trail. The estate records for John indeed shows his property being divided among John, James and William Garner as well as with Thomas Dudley, the husband of the late Sarah Garner. Going back to his will, which was drafted about 5 years before his death (and before his marriage), he left his estate to John, Sarah, James and William McCook, described as being the children of Mary McCook. A check of marriage records shows that he married Mary Victoria McCook in 1892, two months after the birth of her youngest son William.
The 1880 Washington County, GA census does in fact show a household with Malinda McCook (62), Mary Victoria (25) and John (3). John McCook is listed as a "son" in the household, but this is almost certainly an error considering Malinda's age and he would in fact probably be the son of Mary Victoria just above him. John Lawson Garner appears in the household of his father. John L. Garner died in 1897 and by 1900, Mary Garner, widow, is the head of a household with 3 children, John, Jim and Bill Garner. This conjunction of dates explains why the children were not previously associated with John, since he never appears in the same household with them. It also explains the appearance of a John Garner in the 1900 census who did not appear under that name in 1880.
The fact that the rest of the family was willing to consider these three young men joint heirs to the estate of A.J. Garner would tend to indicate that they were already known as members of the family. This in combination with their naming pattern (named after their father, maternal grandfather, paternal grandfather) and the fact that they used the Garner name for the rest of their lives would tend to indicate that they were in fact the children of John Lawson Garner. The question still remains as to why John and Mary didn't marry until after the 4th child was born.
This lead to a backwards trail. The estate records for John indeed shows his property being divided among John, James and William Garner as well as with Thomas Dudley, the husband of the late Sarah Garner. Going back to his will, which was drafted about 5 years before his death (and before his marriage), he left his estate to John, Sarah, James and William McCook, described as being the children of Mary McCook. A check of marriage records shows that he married Mary Victoria McCook in 1892, two months after the birth of her youngest son William.
The 1880 Washington County, GA census does in fact show a household with Malinda McCook (62), Mary Victoria (25) and John (3). John McCook is listed as a "son" in the household, but this is almost certainly an error considering Malinda's age and he would in fact probably be the son of Mary Victoria just above him. John Lawson Garner appears in the household of his father. John L. Garner died in 1897 and by 1900, Mary Garner, widow, is the head of a household with 3 children, John, Jim and Bill Garner. This conjunction of dates explains why the children were not previously associated with John, since he never appears in the same household with them. It also explains the appearance of a John Garner in the 1900 census who did not appear under that name in 1880.
The fact that the rest of the family was willing to consider these three young men joint heirs to the estate of A.J. Garner would tend to indicate that they were already known as members of the family. This in combination with their naming pattern (named after their father, maternal grandfather, paternal grandfather) and the fact that they used the Garner name for the rest of their lives would tend to indicate that they were in fact the children of John Lawson Garner. The question still remains as to why John and Mary didn't marry until after the 4th child was born.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Madison Gooch - estate of James Gooch, Union County, GA
Union County} The Honorable, the Court of Ordinary for the County & State aforesaid To Matison Gooch:
Whereas James Gooch, late of the State and County aforesaid, being deceased, died intestate, having whilst he lived and at the time of his death Real and personal estate within the county and state aforesaid by means whereof, the full disposition and power of granting the administration of all and singular the real and personal estate of said deceased, and also auditing the accounts, calculations and reckonings of the said administration and a final dismission of the same to this court is manifestly sworn to belong: I, descrive that the real and personal estate of the said deceased may be well and truly administered converted and ?1wd? disposed of do hereby grant unto the said Matison Gooch full power and by the tenor of these presents to administer the real and personal estate of the said deceased which to him in his lifetime and at the time of his death did belong and to ask, levy, sue for, and recover and receive the same and to pay the debts in which the deceased stood obligated so far forth as the said real and personal estate will extend (2nd pic) according to their rate and order of law, being first sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God to make a true and perfect inventory thereof, and to exhibit the same into the court of ordinary aforesaid in order to be recorded on or before the 1st day of December, 1913 next issuing, and to render a just and true account, calculation and reckoning of the said administration of all and singular the real and personal estate of the said deceased.
Witness the Honorable V. I Burg, ordinary for union county, this the 6th day of Oct 1913.
//signed// V. I. Burt
Ordinary
Recorded Oct 7 1913
//signed// V. I. Burt
Ordinary
Thursday, May 27, 2010
serendipity
Well, moving definitely throws me off balance when it comes to posting. Let's see if I can't make this more regular.
My sister and I have spent the last several years looking for the marriage date and place for our grandparents Charles Gordon Garner and Mattie Hendrix. At first we thought it would be an easy effort, just check out the records in the county where they lived when they got married (Toombs County, GA). Well, there was no record there, so we checked the county where she was from (Union County) and the neighboring counties since transport sometimes made it easier to get to a different courthouse (Lumpkin, White, Fannin). No luck. A cousin thought they got married in Athens, so checked out Clarke county. Then, since we were in the area, checked out the counties where he grew up (Washington and Hancock). We tried the county where they honeymooned (Chatham), where he had lived a couple of years before (Stephens), where his closest sibling lived (Fulton) and then a couple of counties because we were in the area - Crawford, Peach, and Houston. We had actually printed out the Georgia map on the GAGenWeb site and marked off counties as we went.
The only "known" facts we had were that their engagement was announced in November 1920 in the Atlanta Constitution, with no date given for the wedding but a statement that it would be "soon". And in the 1920 census, both of them were shown with their parents, in Union and Hancock counties respectively.
At that point, we had just about reached the point of just working out from all those counties until we had got lucky or eliminated the entire state. However, at that point a little bit of luck hit in. As I had done many times before, I did a news search on her name (genealogybank.com) and had a social news hit - Miss Mattie Hendrix of Swainsboro visited her sister Mrs. Floyd in Atlanta. I knew my grandmother had a sister Maude Floyd, so even though we had no knowledge of any connection to Swainsboro, we checked it out and there it was! Embarrassing moment of high-fives in the courthouse, but the staff just wrote us off as crazy genealogists.
So why Swainsboro - it turns out Mattie was a teacher there at the time. Once I knew that this was my Mattie, I did more research and found out that she was also on the 1920 census down there (something I would have dismissed before since I knew I had her with her parents. Didn't think to check the dates). This also explained the long-term question of how they met - she was running literacy programs from Statesboro, he was doing extension agency outreach in Lyons, putting them actually in fairly close proximity to each other and in fields where their missions might have overlapped.
And the moral of this story - check and recheck every possible source of information. I had checked her name in genealogybank and ancestry many times, but genbank had added more source newspapers and I was not being careful on the census or I would have caught the duplicate entry for her.
My sister and I have spent the last several years looking for the marriage date and place for our grandparents Charles Gordon Garner and Mattie Hendrix. At first we thought it would be an easy effort, just check out the records in the county where they lived when they got married (Toombs County, GA). Well, there was no record there, so we checked the county where she was from (Union County) and the neighboring counties since transport sometimes made it easier to get to a different courthouse (Lumpkin, White, Fannin). No luck. A cousin thought they got married in Athens, so checked out Clarke county. Then, since we were in the area, checked out the counties where he grew up (Washington and Hancock). We tried the county where they honeymooned (Chatham), where he had lived a couple of years before (Stephens), where his closest sibling lived (Fulton) and then a couple of counties because we were in the area - Crawford, Peach, and Houston. We had actually printed out the Georgia map on the GAGenWeb site and marked off counties as we went.
The only "known" facts we had were that their engagement was announced in November 1920 in the Atlanta Constitution, with no date given for the wedding but a statement that it would be "soon". And in the 1920 census, both of them were shown with their parents, in Union and Hancock counties respectively.
At that point, we had just about reached the point of just working out from all those counties until we had got lucky or eliminated the entire state. However, at that point a little bit of luck hit in. As I had done many times before, I did a news search on her name (genealogybank.com) and had a social news hit - Miss Mattie Hendrix of Swainsboro visited her sister Mrs. Floyd in Atlanta. I knew my grandmother had a sister Maude Floyd, so even though we had no knowledge of any connection to Swainsboro, we checked it out and there it was! Embarrassing moment of high-fives in the courthouse, but the staff just wrote us off as crazy genealogists.
So why Swainsboro - it turns out Mattie was a teacher there at the time. Once I knew that this was my Mattie, I did more research and found out that she was also on the 1920 census down there (something I would have dismissed before since I knew I had her with her parents. Didn't think to check the dates). This also explained the long-term question of how they met - she was running literacy programs from Statesboro, he was doing extension agency outreach in Lyons, putting them actually in fairly close proximity to each other and in fields where their missions might have overlapped.
And the moral of this story - check and recheck every possible source of information. I had checked her name in genealogybank and ancestry many times, but genbank had added more source newspapers and I was not being careful on the census or I would have caught the duplicate entry for her.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Samuel Kelley
Samuel Kelley (sometimes Kelly) died in Greenville, SC in 1819, leaving a will, which for a while was the only concrete fact known about him. However, he is starting to emerge from the shadows. Based on the fact that his daughter married in Caswell County, NC, looked there and found a Samuel Kelley, but the name is too common to assume it was the right one. However, that Samuel Kelly, fortunately, owed money and moved away without paying, generating several lawsuits against him. The lawsuits confirmed that he had moved to Greenville, SC. This, combined with his daughter's marriage (to a neighbor of the Samuel in Caswell) gives a fairly strong presumption that this is the same person. Further proof still to be sought, however.
Assuming it is the same, then the following is known about Samuel -
The first official record of him is 1778, when he was granted land in Caswell County, NC.
Caswell county records:
In 1779, he and Sarah Stafford witnessed a deed from Peter Bankston to Isaac Reeves.
In 1784, he paid tax on 300 Acres, with 1 poll.
In 1786, he sold 400 acres of land to David Jones.
In 1789, he sold 300 acres to David Enoch.
In 1793, a deed makes reference to bordering the land of Samuel Kelley. This was the final land record in Caswell County.
In 1800, Margaret Greer, administrator of the estate of Samuel Greer of Caswell County, sent a letter of Attorney to Jonathon Davis of Greenville, SC, to collect money owed by Samuel Kelley to Greer.
In 1807 This debt was paid.
Greenville County records:
In 1790, appears in the Greenville Census.
In 1796, he purchased 150 acres from Benjamin Kevil. However, this was not recorded until 1797, by the oath of Abner Butler.
Also in 1796, he purchased 320 acres from John Peek. Again this was recorded in 1797, immediately after the previous deed but by the oath of (son-in-law) James Gooch. "A. Butler" was one of the witnesses.
In 1819, he died leaving his property to his wife Mary Ann, his daughter Elizabeth Gooch, his grandson Tilman Gooch and his grandson Samuel Forrester. The other children of Elizabeth Gooch were not mentioned in the will.
Based on his will, Samuel's wife was Mary Ann. Her surname is unknown, but a David Porter in Caswell county mentions in his will his daughter Mary Kelly. Further investigation needed.
Samuel and Mary Ann (Polly) had at least two daughters - Elizabeth, who married James Gooch, and an unknown daughter who was the mother of Samuel Forrester.
No idea who Abner Butler was or what was his relationship to the family, but it is interesting that he swore to one land transaction and a known son-in-law swore to the other, which he witnessed. It is probable from the dates and the fact that the two records are sequential that both were probably registered at the same time. Definitely needs to be pursued.
Assuming it is the same, then the following is known about Samuel -
The first official record of him is 1778, when he was granted land in Caswell County, NC.
Caswell county records:
In 1779, he and Sarah Stafford witnessed a deed from Peter Bankston to Isaac Reeves.
In 1784, he paid tax on 300 Acres, with 1 poll.
In 1786, he sold 400 acres of land to David Jones.
In 1789, he sold 300 acres to David Enoch.
In 1793, a deed makes reference to bordering the land of Samuel Kelley. This was the final land record in Caswell County.
In 1800, Margaret Greer, administrator of the estate of Samuel Greer of Caswell County, sent a letter of Attorney to Jonathon Davis of Greenville, SC, to collect money owed by Samuel Kelley to Greer.
In 1807 This debt was paid.
Greenville County records:
In 1790, appears in the Greenville Census.
In 1796, he purchased 150 acres from Benjamin Kevil. However, this was not recorded until 1797, by the oath of Abner Butler.
Also in 1796, he purchased 320 acres from John Peek. Again this was recorded in 1797, immediately after the previous deed but by the oath of (son-in-law) James Gooch. "A. Butler" was one of the witnesses.
In 1819, he died leaving his property to his wife Mary Ann, his daughter Elizabeth Gooch, his grandson Tilman Gooch and his grandson Samuel Forrester. The other children of Elizabeth Gooch were not mentioned in the will.
Based on his will, Samuel's wife was Mary Ann. Her surname is unknown, but a David Porter in Caswell county mentions in his will his daughter Mary Kelly. Further investigation needed.
Samuel and Mary Ann (Polly) had at least two daughters - Elizabeth, who married James Gooch, and an unknown daughter who was the mother of Samuel Forrester.
No idea who Abner Butler was or what was his relationship to the family, but it is interesting that he swore to one land transaction and a known son-in-law swore to the other, which he witnessed. It is probable from the dates and the fact that the two records are sequential that both were probably registered at the same time. Definitely needs to be pursued.
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