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| Cornelia Jane Dove |
John Dove and Amanda Holland were married about 1868 and the family grew quickly after they wed. Their oldest child John was born in 1869, followed by Carrie in 1870, both of which were born in South Carolina. Janie, born in Georgia, soon followed in 1872. Had the family moved to Georgia sometime between October 1870 and February 1872? Or were they living in South Carolina and for reasons unknown to me, Janie was born in Georgia? That’s certainly a possibility. Her parents were both from Anderson County, South Carolina which isn’t far from Hart County, Georgia. Assuming it was a move, sometime after Janie’s birth, the family moved back to South Carolina where her sister Elizabeth was born in October 1874. They were still living in South Carolina when Janie’s youngest sister Sallie was born in January 1877.
I’ve been unable to find Janie and her family in the 1880 census records. However, on June 10, 1880 her brother John was living in the Broadway Township of Anderson County with his paternal grandparents, Henderson and Cynthia Dove. Where was the rest of the family? I’ve been told that her father deserted the family and eventually started a second family. In previous blog entries, I wrote that Janie’s father (John Dove) left home in 1893 and went to live with John Joseph Hall’s family (brother of Cindarilla Darliska Amanda Hall, Leroy Thomas Holland’s second wife). However, in researching John E. Dove for this blog entry it appears that he married his second wife Sarah (Sallie) A. Fields, daughter of Joseph Fields and Angeline Powell, in 1882. According to the 1900 Militia District 842, Milton County, Georgia census record John and Sallie had been married for 18 years. This would mean that Janie’s parents probably divorced sometime between January 1877 and June 1880 and John remarried two years later. After John’s second marriage to Sallie, Janie gained at least four more siblings—Joe Dove, Elizabeth (Lizzie) Dove, Walter David Dove, and Alfred Clifford Dove.
Apparently Janie’s mother moved the family to Hart County, Georgia after the divorce as I once again found Amanda Dove listed in Hart County, Georgia property tax digest records for the period 1881–1887. The record recorded her living in the Ray’s Mill district of Eagle Grove, Hart County. She was listed in the same district in the 1890 Georgia property tax digest.
In 1892, Janie, her mother Amanda, and sister Sallie left Hartwell, Hart County, Georgia and moved to Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia where Amanda’s brother Leroy Thomas Holland lived. Sallie’s future husband, Boone Bowers, traveled with them. They lived on part of 80 acres of land owned by Leroy but later moved to land owned by George Brownlee, a friend of Leroy’s.
On March 12, 1894, Janie married her first cousin Elijah Jeffers Holland, son of Leroy Thomas Holland and Amanda Elizabeth Scott, in Whitfield County, Georgia. Janie’s mother was Elijah’s father’s sister. Together Janie and Elijah had four children—Roy Holland, Nellie Holland, Samuel Jackson Holland, and a fourth child that did not survive.
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| Marriage record for Janie Dove and Elijah Holland |
On June 14, 1900, Elijah, Janie, Roy, Nellie, and Janie’s mother Amanda Dove lived in Hart County, Georgia. There was also an 18 year old boarder named Charley Williams living in the home. His occupation was farm laborer so maybe he helped Elijah on the farm. Janie was enumerated as the mother of three children, two of which were living. Elijah was a farmer. They lived seven houses from Janie’s sister Sallie and her family.
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| The family lived in this house in 1904 |
Sometime between 1900 and 1910, the family moved back to Whitfield County. My aunt remembers hearing the story of Elijah and his family traveling to Dalton in a covered wagon. My grandfather, Samuel Jackson Holland, was born in Whitfield County on October 13, 1904.
On May 4, 1910, Janie and her family lived in the Ninth District of Whitfield County, Georgia. Janie and Elijah had been married 15 years. The census records shows that Janie was the mother of four children, three of which were living. Janie was enumerated as a farm laborer on a home farm, as was Roy and Nellie. Elijah was a farm laborer on a general farm. Her sister Sallie and her family lived four houses away.
The next few years brought tragedy to Janie and her family beginning with the death of her husband Elijah who died in Dalton on March 4, 1915. He was buried near his father at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton. His death was reported in the newspaper as “Elijah Holland, a highly respected resident of the Deep Springs section, this county, died last Thursday. Interment was made in Deep Springs cemetery Friday.” There was no celebration in the home New Year’s Day 1919—only sadness as Janie’s son, Roy, died in Dalton on January 1. He was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery near his father and grandfather. The local paper ran a death notice: “Roy Holland, aged 21 years, a popular young resident of the Deep Spring section, died Wednesday. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. C. C. Maples, interment being in Deep Spring cemetery.”
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| Janie Dove Holland and child |
The year 1921 was another sad year for Janie when her daughter Nellie died on May 6 in Varnell, Whitfield County. The local paper ran a death notice: “Miss Nellie Holland, aged 22 years, died Friday at her home at Deep Spring. The body was interred Saturday in Deep Spring cemetery.” Now only one child survived, Janie’s youngest son Sam—my Granddaddy. Thankfully he didn’t have the same fate as his three siblings or I wouldn’t be here today to blog about my ancestors. I wonder if he worried that he too would die young. I hope he didn’t have any anxiety over this. My aunt tells me that Granddaddy didn’t talk much about his family who had suffered a lot of heartache so perhaps he didn’t want to think about such sad memories. Thankfully he went on to enjoy a full life filled with family and love. We lost my Granddaddy in 1972.
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| Headstone for Janie's father, John E. Dove at Silver Brook Cemetery |
Janie died of angina petoris in Varnell, Whitfield County, Georgia on September 19, 1930. The Dalton News ran her obituary: “Mrs. Jannie Holland is Buried Saturday—Mrs. Jannie Holland, 57 years of age, died at her home near Deep Springs at an early hour Friday morning. Funeral services were held at the Deep Springs church Saturday morning at ten o’clock. Rev. Joe Rackley officiating. Interment was made in the local cemetery. Surviving Mrs. Holland are her son, Sam Holland; one grandson, W. L. Holland; and two sisters, Mrs. Boone Bowers of Deep Springs; and Mrs. Lizzie Allen, of Texas. Kenemer Brothers were in charge of funeral arrangements.” Her son Sam was the informant on her death certificate.
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