Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr.

Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr., son of Nathan Augustus Hobbs Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Lankford, was born in Georgia, probably Greene County, in 1829. He was the fifth child of eight—Robert L. Hobbs, Joel Garner Hobbs, Rebecca L. Hobbs, Caroline B. Hobbs, Nathan Augustus Hobbs Jr., Minor Smith Hobbs, Elizabeth Fanny Hobbs, and Marian Langford Hobbs. He was the brother of my 3rd great-grandmother Caroline B. Hobbs so would be my 3rd great grand uncle. It appears he may have gone by his middle name Augustus, so that’s what I’ll use for this sketch.

Augustus and his family lived in Greene County, Georgia in 1830. They were still living there in 1840. Augustus attended Mercer University in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia during the year 1847. At the time, he was living with his sister Marian Langford Hobbs and her first husband, John Jenkins. 

U.S., College Student Lists, 1763-1924, ancestry.com.

On October 4, 1850, Augustus (as enumerated) lived in District 162 of Greene County, Georgia in the home of Jackson Gobram, a 32-year-old carriage maker from Vermont. In addition to Jackson’s wife Mary and 10-month-old daughter Alice, there were seven young men living in the home, including Augustus. All but one, John W. Daniel, were carriage makers.

Augustus married Harriet Tiller, daughter of Burrell Tiller and Nancy Green, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia on December 30, 1852. It doesn’t appear that he and Harriet had any children together.

Hobbs-Tiller marriage record (click to enlarge)

On June 5, 1860, Augustus and Harriett lived in Penfield. Augustus was a carriage painter with real estate valued at $2000 and a personal estate of $400. His 13-year-old nephew, John N. C. Jenkins (son of Marian Langford Hobbs and John Jenkins), lived with them. They lived next door to Oliver P. Wilson, my 3rd great grandfather.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Augustus and brothers Joel and Minor were quick to join the cause. Augustus was enlisted as a private in Company C, Third Georgia Volunteer Infantry Regiment (Dawson Grays) by Captain Robert L. McWhorter at Penfield on April 24, 1861. Minor joined the Dawson Grays two days later, April 26. Augustus’ brother Joel joined Medlin’s Independent Company, Georgia Infantry (High Shoals Defenders). 

Partial company muster roll

The Dawson Grays arrived in Augusta, Georgia on April 30 and Augustus mustered into service there on May 3, 1861. The company left Augusta via the Georgia Railroad on May 3, on their way to Virginia. In mid-June, the regiment suffered a measles outbreak while in Norfolk, Virginia. In early September 1861, the Third Georgia Regiment was stationed at Portsmouth, Virginia where they were ordered to Hatteras inlet via the Dismal Swamp Canal. They carried cannons with them on the trip, arriving “on the coast just after Hatteras was taken.” The Third Georgia Regiment participated in the Battle of South Mills fought in Camden County, North Carolina on April 19, 1862 so I assume the Dawson Grays were part of that battle. The Dawson Grays fought at the Battle of Malvern Hill that took place in Henrico County, Virginia on July 1, 1862. On August 28, 1862 which was when the Second Battle of Manassas took place, Augustus was admitted to Chimborazo Hospital No. 5 in Richmond, Virginia suffering from debility from fever. Because he was hospitalized in Richmond, does that mean he was not involved in battle at Manassas? Probably not as Manassas is 95 miles from Richmond. Augustus was transferred to Petersburg, Virginia on November 14, 1862. The company muster roll shows that he was absent sick for the period November and December 1862. In early May 1863, the Third Georgia Regiment fought in the Battle of Chancellorsville near Fredericksburg, Virginia. According to the Stone Sentinels website, this was the “fifth deadliest battle of the war” and the battle where the confederates lost Lieutenant General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson. Over the next month and a half, the regiment marched north through Virginia, into Maryland, and finally to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the Battle of Gettysburg that would prove fatal to Augustus. On July 2, 1863, Augustus died at age 34 from wounds received during that battle—158 years ago today. His body was brought home and laid to rest in the family cemetery in Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

Had Augustus survived the Civil War, he most likely would have lived a long life. His grandfather Robert L. Hobbs Sr. died in Greene County in 1845 at the age of 91. His father Nathan Augustus Hobbs Sr. died in Penfield in 1889 at the age of 99.

References

• Battle of Malvern Hill; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Malvern_Hill.
• Battle of South Mills; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_South_Mills.
• Burrell Tiller and Nancy Green, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Burrell Tiller, Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742–1992, ancestry.com.
• Company C, Dawson Grays, Penfield, GA., Weekly Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta, Georgia, December 9, 1862.
• Departure of Troops, Augusta Evening Dispatch, Augusta, Georgia, May 3, 1861.
• J. G. Hobbs, U.S., Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865, ancestry.com.
• Nathan A. Hobbs and Harriet Tiller, Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828–1978, ancestry.com.
• Nearly Caught, The Columbus Weekly Times, Columbus, Georgia, September 9, 1861.
• Our Special Army Correspondence, The Third Georgia Regiment, Southern Confederacy, Atlanta, Georgia, June 15, 1861.
• Stone Sentinels, Battle of Chancellorsville; https://stonesentinels.com/chancellorsville/.
• Third Georgia Regiment, Columbus Daily Times, Columbus, Georgia, September 5, 1861.
• Troops Arrived Last Night, “Supplies for the Troops,” “Camp Life Yesterday,” and “Visitors to the Camp,” Weekly Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta, Georgia, May 1, 1861.
• United States Federal Census, District 162, Greene, Georgia, 1850.
• United States Federal Census, Penfield, Greene, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S., College Students Lists, 1763–1924, ancestry.com.

Long lost parents of Amanda Elizabeth Scott

Some people are harder to figure out than others. For a long time, I’ve been trying to determine the parents of my 2nd great grandmother, Amanda Elizabeth Scott, one of my brick walls. Amanda was the first wife of Leroy Thomas Holland, my 2nd great grandfather. It’s been a while since I researched Amanda but she jumped out at me several weeks ago while trying to figure out who to write about so I took the leap. This time when I searched ancestry.com, I found Taliaferro “Toliver” Langford Scott, his wife Lovina Scott, and children Newton Scott, Amanda Scott, Eliza Scott, Martha E. Scott, Langford Scott, and Mary F. Scott living in the Western Division of Anderson, South Carolina in 1850. Jeptha Scott was probably Amanda’s uncle. This Scott family caught my attention when I saw their 13-year-old daughter Amanda. If the Scott’s provided the correct information to the census enumerator, this Amanda would have been born about 1837, well within range of the 1839 date shared by Amanda’s stepson, Aaron Hall Holland, many years later.

Census record, Western Division, Anderson, South Carolina, 1850

At the request of several family members (one of them being my grandfather, Sam Holland), Aaron Hall Holland, son of Leroy Holland and his second wife, Cindarilla Darliska Amanda Hall, spent a considerable amount of time writing an 11-page family history. In a letter dated May 15, 1964, he wrote:

About a year ago Mary Richardsons son wrote and asked me to write him and tell him about our settlement at Alief. It was never answered, although his letter answering him was written. Now, quite a while ago Sam Holland, who lives in Georgia, wrote and asked if I had any records of the Hollands. Well, there was nothing else to do but get busy and look up the records, together with the recollections of the last old man, so this is what the records show and what is remembered by me. It was a long and tough job and is as near correct as it was possible to get. Our records go back to 1800 and to 1964, from the story tells us about our fore Fathers here in the 164th year, we have just run our course.

Hall/Holland family history written by Aaron Hall Holland in 1964
(11 pages, typed front and back)

Buried on the 10th page is one sentence where Aaron mentions Leroy’s marriage to Amanda, including her birth and date dates:

Lee Roy Thomas … His first marriage was to Amanda Elizabeth Scott, who was born 18 Sept. 1839 and died 18 Dec. 1877, they were married by Rev. Jas. Vernon.

This is the only record I have of Amanda’s birth. Where did Aaron get this information? Amanda was not his mother so where did this date come from? Did Aaron have proof in the records mentioned in his letter? The birth year is different than what was recorded in the 1850 census but we all know dates are often recorded inaccurately.

I next searched “Scott” in Anderson’s weekly newspaper, The Intelligencer, for the period 1850 to 1860 and found nothing. In hopes of finding an obituary that might list Amanda’s birth, I also searched The Intelligencer for the period December 1877 through 1878. Again, I found nothing. And finally, I searched for other females named Amanda Scott living in the Anderson area after the 1850 census record and found none.

Having found all I could on Amanda, I next searched Taliaferro Scott, who apparently died January 1851 in Anderson. The June 11, 1891 obituary for his wife Melvina states “Mrs. Gambrell was twice married, her first husband being Tolaver Scott, who died years ago.” Her obituary didn’t have a lot of information, but did provide the name of Melvina’s second husband, which made it easy to find her and her children in census records.

The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, June 11, 1891 (click to enlarge)

Amanda Elizabeth Scott married Leroy Thomas Holland on December 4, 1854 so would no longer show up as Amanda Scott in records. In the 1860 census record, the enumerator recorded Amanda’s age as 23. If that’s correct, her birth year would be about 1837. This matches up with Amanda Scott in the 1850 census record.

In 1860, Amanda and Leroy lived in Regiment 4 of Anderson County, along with a daughter named Eliza. Had this daughter been named after Amanda’s sister Eliza?

Regiment 4, Anderson County, South Carolina census, 1860 (click to enlarge)

Aaron’s record includes a son named John Newton Holland, born and died on May 3, 1860. Was John named after Amanda’s brother Newton? Amanda and Leroy had another son named Thomas N. Holland. I haven’t found a record with his middle named spelled out, but could it have also been Newton?

In 1860, Amanda’s brother Newton Scott and his wife Margaret also lived in Regiment 4 of Anderson County. They were recorded on page 1 in the census record. Amanda and Leroy were recorded on page 6 so they were in close proximity to each other. In that same census record, Melvina, now married to Jordon Gambrell, was also living in Regiment 4 of Anderson County, recorded on page 20. All of Melvina’s children were enumerated with the last name of Gambrell, although their father was Taliaferro Scott. I find it significant that Amanda, Newton, and Melvina were all living in the same area. After all, families tend to stick together.

Melvin and Jordan Gambrell, Regiment 4, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1860
(click to enlarge)

In 1870, Amanda and Leroy lived in the Broadway Township of Anderson County. The enumerator recorded her age as 30 years which in this case means her birth year would have been about 1840. Close but not 1837. Melvina and Jordan were also living in the Broadway Township (recorded on page 7 by the census enumerator). Newton lived in the Varennes Township of Anderson County and was the town marshal. 

Amanda and Leroy Holland, Broadway Township, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1870
(click to enlarge)

ThruLines in ancestry.com suggests a DNA connection.

(click to enlarge)

So, are Taliaferro Langford Scott and Melvina Parker the parents of Amanda Elizabeth Scott and my 3rd great grandparents? What do you think? By the way, all the more interesting to me is Taliaferro’s middle name Langford as my maiden name is Lankford. I know for a fact that the “k” and “g” in that name is often used in the same families. Langford would have probably been a family name so how does it fit in the tree? The research continues!

If anyone reading this can shed some light on all of this, I’d love to hear from you.

UPDATE 6/8/2026: Subsequent research has resolved the question of Amanda’s parentage. Equity court filings and later Scott probate records confirm that she was the daughter of Taliaferro “Toliver” Langford Scott and his first wife, Eliza E. Strickland—not Melvina Parker. These same records also identify Newton and Eliza as children of that first marriage, firmly placing all three in the Strickland‑Scott line.

References

• Hall/Holland family history, Aaron Hall Holland letter, May 15, 1964.
• Letter of Administration, Toliver L. Scott, vol. 1, p. 423, Anderson County, South Carolina, January 30, 1851.
• Mrs. Vina Gambrell obituary, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, June 11, 1891.
• Taliaferro Langford Scott ThurLines, ancestry.com.
• United States Federal Census, Broadway Township, Anderson, South Carolina, 1870.
• United States Federal Census, Regiment 4, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1860.
• United States Federal Census, Varennes Township, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1870.
• United States Federal Census, Western Division, Anderson, South Carolina, 1850.
• Vina Parker, South Carolina, U.S., Compiled Marriage Index, 1641–1965.

Otis Cleo Holland

Otis Cleo Holland, son of Doctor Carroll Holland and Louise Christianna McCoy, was born on April 4, 1885 in Anderson County, South Carolina. He was the 5th of 9 children—Louis Cornelus Holland, Effa Holland, Lilla E. Holland, Joseph Reese Holland, Otis Cleo Holland, Arley Major Holland, Henry Grady Holland, Zadie Elucia Holland, and Laura B. Holland. Otis is my 2nd cousin 2x removed, with our nearest common relatives being John Holland and Elizabeth H. Majors.

On June 5, 1900, Otis and his family lived in the West Centerville Township of Anderson County. His father was a farmer with Reese, Otis, Arley, and Grady all helping as farm laborers. Sisters Zadie, age 9, and Laura, age 6, were the other children living in the home at the time. Otis’ parents had been married for 21 years. His mother was enumerated as having had nine children, with all but one living. With the exception of Otis’ father, everyone was able to read and write. In 1905, Otis worked as a clerk for J. R. Holland in Anderson.

On May 11, 1910, the Holland family lived in the Center Township of Oconee County. At age 25, Otis was still living at home, along with brothers Arley and Grady (enumerated as Henry G.), and sisters Zadie and Laura. Otis, his father, and brother Arley were all farmers on a general farm. Brother Grady worked as a laborer on a home farm. The census record shows that his mother had lost another child and that his father was now able to read and write. On November 16, 1910, Otis married Johnnie Holder, daughter of John Carey Holder and Carrie Louvinia Hutchison. The Greenville News, published in Greenville, South Carolina, carried a marriage notice on November 8, 1910:

Holder-Holland. Cards reading as follows have been issued: Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Holder request the pleasure of your company at the marriage of their daughter, Johnnie Kathleen to Mr. Otis C. Holland on the evening of Wednesday the sixteenth of November, at half-after eight o’clock at their home, 1015 Ella Street, Anderson, South Carolina.

The Greenville News, November 8, 1910

Otis and Johnnie didn’t waste time before starting their family. Their first child, a daughter they named Thelma, was born on October 28, 1911. A second daughter named Cleo, apparently after her father, was born about 1914. Sadly, neither daughter would grow up knowing their father. Otis died at Anderson County Hospital on July 3, 1915 following surgery for appendicitis. His brother Reese was the informant on his death certificate. Otis was buried on July 4 in the Oakwood Section of Silver Brook Cemetery in Anderson. He was 30 years old at the time of his death. 

Photo by L N M W H, Find a Grave member 47583636.

His nephew, Frank Dickson (son of Laura B. Holland), wrote a beautiful obituary (full of genealogical information) for Otis that was published in Anderson’s newspaper The Intelligencer on July 9:

Saturday morning, July 3, a little before the clock struck the hour of ten, the noble life of Otis Cleo Holland had ended its earthly pilgrimage. Only a few days before he had undergone an operation for appendicitis. From the start it was feared that he could not live. He was given every attention possible at the Anderson hospital, but for several days nothing could ease his intense pain and dreadful suffering, then “The Great Physician” simply touched him and he was at rest.

Otis Cleo Holland was born near Anderson, April 4, 1885. He was son of Mr. D. C. and Mrs. L. C. Holland, both of whom still survive him. He joined Neal’s Creek church when a boy and had been a consistent member of the Baptist church ever since. At the time of his death he was a member of the First Baptist church at Anderson.

From his youth up he was a good boy, developing into a true manly man. Well did he fulfill that great commandment, “Honor they father and mother.” A truer boy to his mother never lived, our hearts go out today to the “Grand old mother of Israel” with her heart bleeding and aching, she gives up her boy, yet the spirit of God shining in her eyes as she trusts in his goodness and knows ere long she shall again gather her children in those empty arms.

Otis loved all his people, especially his sisters, and his love and care for them was beautiful. To know him was to love him. He was so pure and clean. His language was pure and elevating, never did we hear him utter one word that was wrong. He held himself high above the crowd. Never did he mix with the unclean. Today we find joy in his last words that all was well and that he was ready to go.

November 16, 1910, he was married to Miss Johnnie Holder of Anderson. To them was born two precious little girls, Thelma, age 4 years and little Cleo, age 10 months. Their married life was sweet and beautiful, just one courtship and honey-moon. He devotedly loved his babies and how his heart must have ached as he kissed them goodbye at the hospital. In the last days his wife showed watchless courage and unlimited strength and love as she tenderly watched him. Then when the end came she was heart-broken and her life was crushed.

He leaves besides his own family and his father and mother, three brothers, J. R. Holland, A. M. Holland, H. Grady Holland, all of Anderson; three sisters, Mrs. Lila Carroll of Georgia; Mrs. Zadie McCarley of Anderson and Mrs. Laura Dickson of Townville. A sister and little brother preceded him to the grave.

The funeral was conducted at home in the room where he was married by Rev. John Speake of St. John’s Methodist church. The following acted as pallbearers: L. H. Seel, Dr. Mack Sanders, Dr. Carl Sanders, J. F. Geer, Dr. Atkinson, John Pruitt.

Internment was made at Silver Brook cemetery. The grave was left covered in beautiful flowers.

Frank A. Dickson

Johnnie was pregnant when Otis died and gave birth to a third daughter in Anderson on February 5, 1916. She named her new daughter Otis Louise Holland, apparently a second nod to the husband she loved so dearly.

References

• Anderson, South Carolina, City Directory, 1905.
• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/100198117/otis-c.-holland: accessed 12 June 2021), memorial page for Otis C. Holland (4 Apr 1885–3 Jul 1915), Find a Grave Memorial ID 100198117, citing Silver Brook Cemetery, Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina, USA; maintained by Clagett Girl (contributor 50087197).
• O. C. Holland, Certificate of Death no. 12815, State of South Carolina, Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health, South Carolina Death Records, 1821-1955, ancestry.com.
• Otis C. Holland – Life was Very Beautiful and He Was One Among Many, The Intelligencer, Anderson, South Carolina, July 9, 1915.
• Otis Louisa Holland, Certificate of Birth no. 47909, State of South Carolina, Bureau of Vital Statistics, State Board of Health.
• U.S. Federal Census, Center, Oconee County, South Carolina, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Centerville, Anderson County, South Carolina, 1900.

Alice Davis Holland

Alice Davis Holland was born in Washington, District of Columbia (DC) in 1907. Her father was Andrew Turner Holland from Anderson, South Carolina. Sometime after 1893, Andrew moved from Anderson to Washington, DC to work for Asbury Churchwell Latimer, a Democrat from South Carolina. Latimer served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1893 to 1903 and then as a Senator until his death in 1908. Andrew apparently met Evelyn E. Padgett, daughter of George Thomas Padgett Sr. and Mary C. Racket, in DC. Alice, their only child, did not survive infancy. In October 1908, she became ill with Cholera Infantum, defined by Merriam-Webster as “an acute noncontagious intestinal disturbance of infants formerly common in congested areas of high humidity and temperature but now rare.” The website Medigoo.com describes the illness as “… an acute infectious disease of infancy, characterized by diarrhea, and in severe cases by vomiting, rapid emaciation and extreme prostration.” Several other sites note that the disease is common during the hot, summer months. Alice most likely suffered greatly and tragically died on October 20. From what I’ve read, Alice was too young to understand what was happening to her but it would have been terrifying for her parents.

Alice was buried at Congressional Cemetery, located on Capitol Hill in DC, on October 22 following a 2 pm funeral service at her parents’ home. The bio in Alice’s Find a Grave memorial 49402272 reads “The Congressional Cemetery office confirmed that this burial is unmarked. They also reported, specifically: Alice HOLLAND is buried in the Thomas PADGETT site. There is no stone for her.” She is buried in section 5, range/family vault 12, space 57b, near her grandfather, George Thomas Padgett, in section 5, range/family vault 12, space 55a. Two newspapers carried word of Alice’s death and burial:

“The Evening Star,” Washington, DC, October 21, 1908. – HOLLAND. On Tuesday, October 20, 1908, ALICE DAVIS, infant daughter of Andrew T. and Evelyn E. Holland (nee Padgett). Funeral from parents’ residence, 304 C street northeast, Thursday, October 22, at 2 p.m.

 

“The Washington Times,” Washington, DC, October 22, 1908, p. 2 – DIED – HOLLAND—On Tuesday, October 20, 1908, Alice Davis, infant daughter of Andrew T. and Evelyn E. Holland (nee Padgett).

 

“The Evening Star,” Washington, DC, October 23, 1908, Deaths in the District—The following deaths were reported to the health office during the past twenty-four hours: … Alice D. Holland, 1 year, 304 C street northeast.  

 

Evening Star, Washington, DC, October 21, 1908

I mentioned Alice in my post about her father but decided she needed her own post. I’m always saddened to see an infant death in my research. In Alice’s case, she doesn’t appear in any census records so you have to work a little harder to tell her story. I’m glad I took the time. Alice is my 1st cousin 2x removed. Our nearest common relatives are Leroy Thomas Holland and Amanda Elizabeth Scott.

References

• Alice Davis Holland obituary, The Evening Star, Washington, DC, October 21, 1908.
• Cholera infantum, Medigoo; https://www.medigoo.com/articles/cholera-infantum/.
• Cholera infantum; Merriam-Webster Dictionary; https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/cholera%20infantum. 
• Congressional Cemetery; https://congressionalcemetery.org/.
• Deaths in the District, The Evening Star, Washington, DC, October 23, 1908.
• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/49402272/alice-d-holland: accessed 23 May 2021), memorial page for Alice D Holland (1907–20 Oct 1908), Find a Grave Memorial ID 49402272, citing Congressional Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA; maintained by Susan Ing (contributor 47043987).

Charles Moore Lankford

This blog post is another in a series connecting the dots in my tree to the souls buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

Charles Moore Lankford, son of Curtis Caldwell Lankford and Nancy A. E. McCarty, was born in Greene County, Georgia on September 7, 1865. He was the 6th child of 10—William A. Lankford, Mary A. Lankford, Rebeckah H. Lankford, John R. Lankford, George Washington Lankford, Charles Moore Lankford, Wade Hamilton Lankford, Joseph Jackson Lankford, Nancy Crawford Lankford, and Florence Lee Lankford. He went by Charlie and is my 1st cousin 4x removed with our nearest common relatives being Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore.

On June 16, 1870, the Lankford family lived in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. His father worked as a common laborer while his mother stayed home keeping house. Of the six children in the home, only John was shown with an occupation in the census record—farm laborer.

By June 7, 1880, the Lankford family had moved to the Bowling Green District of Oglethorpe County, Georgia. His father worked as a well digger, his mother kept house, and Charlie kept busy as a farm laborer. His brother Hampton was attending school but appears to be the only child at home doing so at the time. 

Charlie married Mary Franklin “Minnie” Williamson, daughter of William F. Williamson and Emily “Emmie” Allen, in Oglethorpe County, Georgia on February 18, 1886. Their first child, a daughter named Maude Estelle Lankford was born in Oglethorpe County on May 11, 1889. Their second child, a son named Horace M. Lankford, was born in Georgia, probably Oglethorpe County, on September 17, 1897.

Charles Lankford and Minnie Williamson's marriage license

On June 1, 1900, Charlie and his family lived in the Bowling Greene District of Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Charlie worked as a farmer. Minnie and Maude were both enumerated as “Mary” in the census record. The census enumerator noted that Minnie had given birth to three children, two of which were living. I have yet to find a record for the birth or death of this child. 

I have been unable to find Charlie in the 1910 census but will keep looking. When Charlie’s son Horace filled out his World War I registration card on September 12, 1918, he noted that he was employed by his father whose place of business was in Rayle, Wilkes County, Georgia. Horace also noted that his father was his nearest relative and that he lived in Rayle.

On February 2, 1920, Charlie lived on Washington Road in the Bowling Green District. In this census record, his last name was spelled Langford. He worked as a farmer on a general farm. Horace, the only child left at home, worked as a farm laborer on a home farm. Daughter Maude lived next door with her husband Andrew and daughter Knollie.

1920 Soundex Census Index for Charlie and family

On April 19, 1930, Charlie, Minnie, and Horace lived in Taliaferro County. At age 64, he had apparently retired as his occupation was enumerated as “none.” Horace worked as a laborer, hauling lumber. Charlie’s daughter Maude lived next door with her husband Andrew, widowed daughter Knollie, and granddaughter Estelle Fulcher. Minnie died of senility at age 71 in Penfield on March 9, 1939. She was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

On April 2, 1940, Charlie lived with his daughter Maude and her husband Andrew McElreath in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia. They were joined in the home by Horace and his wife Rosie, as well as a cousin of Andrew’s, M. D. Adkins. They had been living in the home since 1935. The only member of the family working was Andrew and he was a brick mason. Those not working were not seeking work according to the census enumerator. 

Charlie died on July 14, 1947 at his home in Shiloh, Greene County. He was buried beside Minnie at Bairdstown Cemetery following a service a Bairds Baptist Church the following day. The Oglethorpe Echo carried a notice of Charlie’s funeral on July 24, 1947:

Mr. Charlie Lankford, son of Mr. Curt Lankford of Civil War fame, was buried here (Bairdstown) last Wednesday with the Rev. O.L. Duval officiating. Mr. Lankford was well advanced in age and had been blind for several years. His funeral was well attended by a host of friends and relatives.

References

• C. M. Lankford Dies at Shiloh, newspaper and date published unknown.
• Charles Lankford and Minnie Williamson marriage certificate, Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1828-1978.
• Charlie Langford, Oglethorpe County, Georgia Soundex, 1920.
• Charlie M. Lankford, Georgia, U.S., Death Index, 1919-1998.
• Funeral notice, Oglethorpe Echo, July 24, 1947.
• Minnie Franklin Lankford, Certificate of Death no. 8759, Georgia Department of Public Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bowling Greene District, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1880, 1900, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Georgia Militia District 228, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 607, Taliaferro County, Georgia, USA, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1940.
• William F. Williams and Emily Allen, Georgia, U.S., Compiled Marriages, 1754-1850.

Remembering Cecil Goodwin Callaway

Cecil Goodwin Callaway, son of Claude Parkis Callaway and Sarah Lucile Wray, was born in Union Point, Greene County, Georgia on November 19, 1922. I have not found any records to show that Claude and Sarah had other children so believe Cecil was an only child. He was the nephew of the wife of my 1st great grand uncle, Nathan Lawrence Lankford. Nathan married Cecil’s aunt, Olivia Callaway. Cecil and I have no common relative.

On April 8, 1930, Cecil, his parents, and widowed grandmother Julia Askew Callaway, lived in the Mill Settlement on the South East Side of Union Point. His father worked as a bridge carpenter for the steam railroad so would have built and repaired bridges for the trains that ran through the area. The Callaway family lived in a rental home. At age 7, Cecil attended school, but at this point, was unable to read or write.

On April 12, 1940, the Callaway family lived in Union Point, the same house they’d been living in since at least 1935. At age 17, Cecil worked 15 hours a week turning socks at the hosiery mill. The 1940 census record shows that Cecil had worked 15 weeks in 1939, receiving an income of $50. His father now worked as a water supply mechanic for the steam railroad with a yearly income of $1,560.

The U.S. officially entered World War II on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Like many young men, it wasn’t long before Cecil was standing in line. Although he lived in Union Point at the time, Cecil went to DeKalb County, Georgia on June 30, 1942 and registered for the World War II draft. He was 19 years old at the time and worked for the Georgia Railroad Pump Gang in Union Point. Cecil was 5’8”, weighed 206 pounds, had brown eyes and hair, and a dark complexion.

Cecil's World War II registration card

Cecil married Sara Margaret Phelps, daughter of Paul Phelps and Ellie Maude Jones, on August 15, 1942. Their wedding probably took place in Union Point but I don’t have a record to prove that. With the newlywed’s life just beginning, it was only months before they would be torn apart with Cecil enlisting as a private in the U.S. Army at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia on January 27, 1943. His enlistment record noted he had received four years of high school education and his civil occupation was foremen, transportation, communications, and utilities. Cecil served with Company E in the 164th/168th Infantry Regiments, 34th Division. I learned that he was injured from a February 23, 1944 article published in The Atlanta Constitution: “Wounded in action in the Mediterranean area were: … CORPORAL CECIL G. CALLOWAY, husband of Mrs. Sarah M. Calloway, of Union Point … .” 

Wounded in Action in the Mediterranean Area
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, February 23, 1944

At some point, Cecil was promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sadly, he was killed in action by an artillery shell in Italy on May 30, 1944 during the Battle of Anzio. According to Wikipedia, “the Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 to June 5, 1944.” Cecil was 21 years old, leaving a grieving widow at home in Georgia. He was buried at Wisteria Cemetery in Union Point. His father applied for a military marker on February 12, 1949.

Wisteria Cemetery, Union Point, Georgia

Application for Headstone or Marker (image from ancestry.com)

Remembering Sgt. Cecil Goodwin Callaway who died in Italy while serving his country—77 years ago this Memorial Day weekend.

References

• Battle of Anzio; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Anzio.
• Cecil C. Callaway, U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942–1954.
• Cecil G. Callaway, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946.
• Cecil Goodwin Callaway, U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925–1970.
• Cecil Goodwin Callaway, WWII Draft Registration Cards for Georgia, October 16, 1940 – March 31, 1947.
• Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/73112961/cecil-goodwin-callaway: accessed 21 May 2021), memorial page for Cecil Goodwin Callaway (19 Nov 1922–30 May 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 73112961, citing Wisteria Cemetery, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, USA ; maintained by Samuel Taylor Geer (contributor 46925792).
• National Archives and Records Administration; Hospital Admission Card Files, ca. 1970 - ca. 1970; NAI: 570973; Record Group Number: Records of the Office of the Surgeon General (Army), 1775–1994; Record Group Title: 112.
• Sara Margaret Moon obituary, the Sechrest Funeral Service website; http://sechrest-fun-service-high-point.tributes.com/dignitymemorial/obituary/Sara-Margaret-Moon-103754032.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1930, 1940.
• When Did America Enter WW2?, History on the Net, © 2000–2021, Salem Media, May 19, 2021; https://www.historyonthenet.com/when-did-america-enter-ww2.
• World War II Honor List of Dead and Missing Army and Army Air Forces Personnel, 1946.
• Wounded in Action in the Mediterranean Area, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, February 23, 1944.

Josephine Larimer

Josephine Larimer, daughter of William Larimer and Magdalene Neley, was born in Pennsylvania on August 21, 1838. I can document seven children in this family—Harriet Larimer, Amanda Larimer, Washington Larimer, Elizabeth Larimer, William Larimer, Josephine Larimer, and Robert Larimer. Josephine is the 2nd great grand aunt of my husband. Their nearest common relatives are her parent, William Larimer and Magdalena Neley.

Josephine comes from a line that I felt needed a deeper dive into. I was specifically interested in finding out more about her mother, Magdalene. Josephine’s sister, Elizabeth Larimer Horne, is my husband’s direct ancestor. Elizabeth’s death certificate listed Magdalene’s birthplace as Ireland so I wanted to know more. What I found was census records that listed her birthplace as Pennsylvania, which I tend to believe more accurate than the death certificate. Magdalene would have provided the information for the census record whereas the informant on Elizabeth’s death certificate was her daughter, Lydia Horne, who wouldn’t have had first hand knowledge. I don’t have enough information yet to tell Madgalene’s story so instead decided to write about Josephine, who was easier to track through time.

On August 10, 1850, Josephine and her family lived in the Peebles Township of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Her father worked as a house carpenter. Both of her parents were 50 years old. A 19-year-old male named David Patterson lived in the home. He too was a carpenter so probably worked with Josephine’s father. The house was full with seven of the Larimer children living there, three of them adults—Harriet (age 25), Amanda (age 23) and Washington (age 20). Josephine (age 12) and her brother Robert (age 10) were the only children attending school.

On June 11, 1860, Josephine, her parents, and brothers Washington and William continued to live in the Peebles Township. Her father, and now Washington, worked as a carpenter. Josephine’s father had a personal estate valued at $200.

I have been unable to find Josephine in the 1870 census but it appears that she married William Alexander Thompson, son of David Thompson and Susan Larimer, about 1870. I have yet to determine if his mother, whose maiden name was Larimer, had any connection to Josephine’s family. It wasn’t long before their family began to grow with daughter Harriet Lewella Thompson’s birth taking place in 1871. A second child was born in Pittsburgh on February 17, 1873—a son they named James L. Thompson. Unfortunately, Harriett only lived three years, dying on June 24, 1874 from scarlatina anginosa, better known as scarlet fever. They buried Harriet at Allegheny Cemetery on June 26. The following year, Josephine found herself pregnant again and gave birth to a son in Pittsburgh on September 7, 1875. They named him William, perhaps after his father.

Record of Harriett Lewella Thompson's death (click to enlarge)

The Thompson family lived on Hiland Avenue in Pittsburgh in 1874 but by June 12, 1880, had moved and lived on Pennsylvania Avenue in Pittsburgh. Her 81-year-old mother lived in the home. She was enumerated as Maggie Larimer and widowed. Like her father, Josephine’s husband was a carpenter. She and her husband had two children at the time, James and William. At age 7, James was attending school. William, just 4 years old, was not. Josephine gave birth to a fourth child they named Joseph, I assume after her, on March 31, 1883. Sadly, he died from diphtheria on October 14, 1885 at the age of 2 years, 6 months, and 13 days. They buried Joseph the next day at Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

On June 1, 1900, Josephine, William, and their son William lived in a rental home on St. Andrew Street in Pittsburgh. She was enumerated in the census as having had three children, two of which were living. Josephine, her husband, and son were all able to read and write. The family now had at least a third generation of carpenters with both William and son working in that profession. 

On May 6, 1910, Josephine and William lived on Pace Street in Pittsburgh. The census enumerator noted that they had been married for 49 years, which doesn’t sync with the 1880 census. I really need to find them in the 1870 census records. The 1880 record shows that Josephine had given birth to five children, with only one living. I have yet to find a record to document the fifth child. There was a James L. Thompson and his family living on Princeton Place which appears to be adjoined to Pace Street. Josephine and William lived at house number 207 and James lived at house number 209. The age for James is right so I feel pretty certain he is her only surviving child. James and his wife Margaret had five children at the time—Joseph W. Thompson, Margaret J. Thompson, Marie A. Thompson, Ruth D. Thompson, and Helen G. Thompson. They had lost one child. James was a carpenter, the same occupation as William. 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania census, 1910 (click to enlarge)

Josephine’s husband William died from a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 73 years, 7 months, and 10 days on June 21, 1911. A private funeral service was held at the River Avenue home of their son James on June 23, with burial following at the German Lutheran Cemetery in Pittsburgh. William’s “Record of Burial Place of Veteran” on file with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Military Affairs notes that he was buried at St. Peter’s Cemetery. Unfortunately, I can’t figure out if the cemeteries named are the same, just different names for them. Josephine’s husband served as a Sergeant with Company B of the 123rd Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry from May 13, 1863 to July 1, 1865. She filed for a widow's pension on July 5, 1911.

Record of Burial Place of Veteran for William A. Thompson

On January 7, 1920, Josephine was enumerated as an inmate at the Ladies Grand Army Home on Woodstock Avenue in Swissvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The Ladies Grand Army Home provided care to Civil War widows. She died there on New Year’s Eve, December 31, 1925 from chronic myocarditis (“an inflammation of the heart muscle”) contributed by arteriosclerosis (commonly called “hardening of the arteries”). She was 87 years old. Josephine was buried on January 2, 1926 at German Lutheran Cemetery (again, is this St. Peter’s Cemetery?) in Pittsburgh. She was survived by her son James. 

References

• Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861–1934.
• Joseph Thompson, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S., Deaths, 1870–1905.
• Josephine Larnar [sic] Thompson Certificate of Death no. 125137, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• Mrs. Josephine Lamar Thompson, Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 2, 1926.
• Myocarditis, Mayo Clinic; https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myocarditis/symptoms-causes/syc-20352539.
• Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950, database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2N1-S47 : 15 February 2020), William A. Thompson in entry for William Thompson, 1875.
• Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh City Deaths, 1870-1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZ7N-K46 : 2 March 2021), Harriet Lewella Thompson, 24 Jun 1874; citing v 10 p 162, Allegheny County Courthouse, Pittsburgh; FHL microfilm 505,820.
• Registration of Births in the City of Pittsburgh, State of Pennsylvania, A.D. 1873.
• The Ladies' G.A.R. Nursing Home, Abandoned America; https://www.abandonedamerica.us/slideshow463947.html.
• Thompson death notice, Pittsburgh Daily Post, June 22, 1911.
• U.S. Federal Census, Peebles Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1850, 1860.
• U.S. Federal Census, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1880, 1900, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Swissvale, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1920.
• William A. Thompson, Pennsylvania, U.S., Veterans Burial Cards, 1777–2012.
• William Alexander Thompson Certificate of Death no.59337, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• William Thompson obituary, Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1911.