Thomas Glenn Holland

Thomas “Tom” Glenn Holland, son of William Charles “Charlie” Holland and Sarah Elizabeth Wheat, was born in Georgia on August 18, 1902. He was the oldest of two children, himself and a younger sister named Mary Evelyn Holland. Tom is my 1st cousin 2x removed. Our nearest common relatives are Leroy Thomas Holland and Amanda Elizabeth Scott.

On April 19, 1910, Tom and his family lived with his widowed maternal grandfather Samuel H. Wheat and his aunt Susan J. Wheat at Barroner and Phenie Roads in the 10th Militia District of Murray County, Georgia. The census enumerator didn’t note what his grandfather did for a living, just that he made his own income. Tom’s father was a farmer on a general farm. His parents had been married for nine years. Tom and Mary, ages 7 and 6 respectively, both attended school but were unable to read and write. Tom’s grandfather Wheat passed away on December 3, 1915 and was buried at Wheat Cemetery in Murray County.

On January 10, 1920, Tom and his family lived on Dalton Road in the 10th District of Murray County, Georgia. Tom’s aunt Susan, enumerated as Susie, still lived with the family. His father was a farmer on a general farm, while Tom worked as a farm laborer on the home farm. Both Tom and his sister Mary were in school and now able to read and write.

Tom married Eva “Kathleen” Richards, daughter of Warren Barrett Richards and Lillie Lieuraney Coffey, about 1928, probably in Murray County. She was 15. Like his parents, there was a 10-year age difference between 25-year-old Tom and 15-year-old Kathleen.

Tom Holland and his wife Kathleen

On April 15, 1930, Tom and Kathleen lived on Beaverdale Road with his parents, sister Mary, and aunt Susie in the 10th District of Murray County. Both Tom and his father farmed for a living. They lived next door to Kathleen’s family.

Tom’s sister Mary Holland Ridley died in Murray County on March 4, 1940. The census enumerator visited Tom’s home in the 10th District of Murray County on April 8, 1940 and found Mary’s three-year-old daughter Sarah Ruth Ridley living in the home, enumerated as Tom’s niece. The tables had turned in the past 10 years and Tom’s parents now lived with him and Kathleen. The house was valued at $300 and they owned a radio. Tom was farming but it seems his father may have retired as there was no occupation listed for him.

Tom and his family in the 1940 census. Sarah is enumerated as his niece.
(click to enlarge)

Although Mary Holland Ridley’s husband, Henry Killian Ridley, lived until 1975, it’s not known why he didn’t have custody of Sarah who was raised by Tom and Kathleen. Henry lived in Detroit, Michigan in 1942. It’s also not known if Tom and Kathleen adopted Sarah. Tom and Kathleen were listed as Sarah’s parents in her 2020 obituary.  

Tom’s father died at his home near Beaverdale on June 16, 1940. His mother died in Murray County on July 27, 1942. Both were buried at Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in Crandal, Murray County, Georgia.

Tom died at age 79 in Crandall on June 24, 1982. He was buried at Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in Crandall.

Photo by Kari

References

• Barrett Richards and Miss Lillie Coffey, Marriage Certificate, State of Georgia, Murray County.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 20 February 2021), memorial page for Samuel H. Wheat (11 Oct 1833–3 Dec 1915), Find a Grave Memorial no. 70199430, citing Wheat Cemetery, Murray County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Laurie Wilson (contributor 47098859).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 20 February 2021), memorial page for Lillie Lieuraney Coffey Richards (29 Nov 1881–1 Aug 1969), Find a Grave Memorial no. 28972402, citing Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery, Crandall, Murray County, Georgia, USA; maintained by William Thomas “Tommy” Parkman, Jr. (contributor 47584188).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed 20 February 2021), memorial page for Warren Barrett Richards (28 Apr 1882–19 Oct 1951), Find a Grave Memorial no. 28972446, citing Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery, Crandall, Murray County, Georgia, USA; maintained by William Thomas “Tommy” Parkman, Jr. (contributor 47584188).
• Henry Killian Ridley, U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942.
• Obituary, Sarah Ruth Crump, Peeples Funeral Home and Crematory, 2020; https://www.peeplesfuneralhome.net/obituary/sarah-crump. 
• Tom G. Holland, Georgia Deaths, 1919-98.
• Tom Holland, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 10, Murray County, Georgia, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.

Willie Mae Shields

Willie Mae (Shields) Smith

The 52 Ancestors theme this week is “Where There’s a Will” so I thought I would write about a female member of the family that fits the bill—Willie Mae Shields.

Willie Mae Shields, daughter of James Stewart Shields and Hattie Jane Rhinehart, was born on July 3, 1914 in Varnell, Whitfield County, Georgia. She was the 2nd child of 11—Daisy Lee Shields, Willie Mae Shields, James B. Shields, Betty Ann Shields, Paul Sam Shields, Bessie Lucille Shields, Mary Nell Shields, Dorothy Joline Shields, Bobbie Jean Shields, Charles Dewayne Shields, and Loyal Mack Shields. It’s believed that Hattie had a 12th child, possibly stillborn, but I’ve not found any proof of that. Her older sister Daisy was my granny so she was my grand aunt. I know we visited her a couple of times when I was very young but I don’t remember her at all. What I share here comes from my research and memories of a few family members. Her life timeline follows.

What goes into selecting your baby’s name? I know for my children, we simply created a list of names and crossed them off the list until we came up with a combined name we both liked. I probably shouldn’t admit it, but it never entered my mind to name my children after anyone. I wonder how my Pappy (James Stewart Shields) and Grandma Shields (Hattie Jane Rhinehart) came up with the name Willie Mae. Did they just pick the name out of the blue? The name wasn’t that popular at the time. There were 23 girls given the name Willie Mae in 1914 according to Names.org, although WeddingVendors.com includes the names “Willie” and “Mae” on the list of “100 Most Popular Baby Names of 1914.” According to the Social Security Administration, the name Willie was number 66 and Mae was number 88 in the “Top names of the 1910s” for women. With “Willie” being a shortened form of William, perhaps Willie was given this name to honor family members. Her grandfather was William Dearnald Rhinehart; her great-grandfather William Robert Sneed. Another great-grandfather is said to be William Cleason Ogle although I still need to prove this one. Her uncle was William Elmer Shields. Her middle name “Mae” could have been to honor two of Willie’s great-grandmothers who were named Mary. According to Babynamewizard.com, “Mae” is a “pet form” of Mary. I guess I’ll never know but I do like that it’s a very Southern name which was appropriate given that Willie and her family lived in north Georgia.

Stewart Shields, Daisy Shields, Hattie (Rhinehart)
Shields, and Willie Mae Shields

A month before Willie’s second birthday in 1916, her brother James, the first boy in the family, was born at home. Her sister Betty was welcomed into the family in 1919.

On January 6, 1920, Willie and her family lived in the Lower Tenth District of Whitfield County, Georgia. She and Daisy were both attending school. Willie’s father was a farmer on a general farm. Her 54-year-old widowed maternal grandmother, Betty (Sneed) Rhinehart, lived in the home with the family. Three more siblings were added to the family during this decade—Paul Sam in 1922, Bessie in 1924, and Mary in 1927.

On April 19, 1930, Willie and her family lived at Prater Mill and Deep Springs Roads, still in the Lower Tenth District of Whitfield County. At age 15, Willie did not attend school, however, she was able to read and write. Farming was still the occupation of choice for her father. Willie’s paternal grandparents, Cas and Martha (Ogle) Shields, lived next door, along with her uncle Blaine Shields. Willie’s parents now had a full house (with more to come) of eight children with the girls outnumbering the boys six to two. Joline, Bobbie, Charles, and Mack were all born during this decade.

At age 24, Willie was practically a spinster when she married Loyal Cecil Smith, son of William David Smith and Annie Mae Reed, on March 18, 1939, location unknown. No children were born to this union. Willie did become pregnant once but lost the baby and was never able to have others. I feel sad for Willie that she was unable to have children, but being the second oldest of such a large family, I’m sure she had her hand in raising many children.

Cecil and Willie Smith

At the time of their marriage, Cecil had been living in Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia and Willie in Dalton. By the time the census enumerator made his rounds on April 26, 1940, they had made their home in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia. Willie stayed at home keeping the house while Cecil worked as a clerk in a retail grocery store. It appears they spent a short time living in Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee as I found them listed in the 1942 city directory. Cecil worked as a truck driver for the Malone Freight Line at the time.

By 1951, they had moved back to Dalton. At the time, Willie worked as a machine operator for Dixie Chenilles which is not surprising since Dalton is known for its textile/chenille industry. Willie and Cecil still lived in Dalton in 1958 according to the city directory.

On September 7, 1962, Willie’s father (my Pappy) suffered a blood clot of the heart and was found dead in the field by his house in Tunnel Hill, Catoosa County, Georgia. Her brother James lived in Alabama when he passed away in 1972. Her sister Betty also lived in Alabama when she passed away in 1975. Pappy and James were both buried at Nellie Head Cemetery in Tunnel Hill. Betty was buried at West Hill Cemetery in Dalton. Willie’s mother Hattie (her children called her “Mommie,” we called her Grandma Shields) passed away in Chattanooga in 1982. Grandma Shields was buried with Pappy at Nellie Head Cemetery. Daisy (my granny) passed away in Riverdale, Clayton County, Georgia in 1987. Granny was buried at Anderson Cemetery in Ringgold.

There was most likely always music in the Shields home. Willie’s father played the fiddle and her mother the banjo. I don’t know about the girls in the family but have seen photos of Paul Sam and Mack playing as well.

Frizzle chickens. Photo by
Jean Bungartz [public domain], 
via Wikimedia Commons.

Willie and Cecil had Frizzle chickens, which according to Wikipedia, “is a breed of chicken with characteristic curled or frizzled plumage.” Mama described them as chickens with the feathers turned backwards. She also remembers them having stuffed rabbits and snakes sitting on the mantel.

After Willie was diagnosed with cancer, the Reed family and her brother Charles’ daughter took care of her. Willie died on January 13, 1994 at the age of 79 in a Dalton hospital. She was buried on January 15 at the Reed Family Cemetery, a private cemetery in Chatsworth on top of a hill overlooking the mountains. They had to dig through solid rock to make the grave.

Willie and Cecil Smith

Photo by Vida Betterton from Find A Grave ID 47182808.

52 Ancestors – William Charles Holland – (week 40 – 2015)

William Charles Holland

William Charles Holland, son of Leroy Thomas Holland and Amanda Elizabeth Scott, was born September 27, 1877 in South Carolina, most likely Anderson County. Charles was the youngest child of 11 born to Leroy and Amanda—Eliza Ann Holland, Marion Scott Holland, John Newton Holland, Thomas N. Holland, William Harrison Holland, John Louis Holland, Brown Lee Holland, Maggie Idora Holland, Elijah Jeffers Holland, Andrew Turner Holland, and William Charles Holland. Four of his siblings died before he was born. Throughout the years, I see his name listed as William Charles, Charles William, W.C., W. Charles, and sometimes just Charles. But he went by Charlie.

Charlie never knew his mother. He had less than three months to spend with her before her death on December 18, 1877. She was buried at Neal’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Anderson along with four children who died before her. Amanda, who was just 38 years old, had given birth to 11 children in 23 years. I don’t know what caused her death at such a young age but perhaps her body was just worn out. Charlie’s father Leroy didn’t stay a widower long—why would he with seven children to raise alone. On August 3, 1879, Leroy married Cindarilla Darliska Amanda Hall, daughter of Aaron Hall and Clementina Norris Hall, at the old home place in Anderson County, South Carolina. Leroy and Amanda would add three additional children to the family—Aaron Hall Holland, Lawrence Lafayette Holland, and Joseph Norris Holland.

On June 1, 1880, Charlie, his father, stepmother, and brothers Harrison, Brown, Elijah, and Andrew lived in Broadway, Anderson County, South Carolina. He was enumerated as Charles Holland that year. Charlie lost a sister in the fall of 1883 when Eliza Ann Holland died on September 10. She was buried at Neal’s Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.

The spring of 1890 brought death again twice to the Holland family. On March 26, 1890, Charlie’s brother William Harrison Holland died at the home of Jap Vandiver. Another brother, Brown Lee Holland, died on April 5. Both died in Broadway, Anderson County. The Anderson Intelligencer published the following article on April 10, 1890—Last week we chronicled the death of Mr. Harrison Holland, which occurred on the 25th ult., and now it is our sad duty to note the death of his younger brother, Mr. Brown Holland, who died last Saturday afternoon at the home of Mr. A. A. Carpenter, in Broadway Township. He had attended the bedside of his brother very closely during his illness, and on Sunday after the latter was laid away in the grave, he was stricken down with pneumonia, which gradually grew worse until death came. Mr. Holland was about 21 years of age, and was an upright, worthy young man, whose death is deeply regretted by a wide circle of friends. His remains were laid to rest by the side of his brother in the Neal’s Creek Churchyard on Sunday afternoon, Rev. C. B. Smith, of this city, conducting the funeral services.

After losing their land in the early 1890s, Leroy decided to give the family a new start and moved everyone to Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia. He contacted a friend named George Brownlee there and made a deal to buy a tract of land from him. Leroy purchased an additional 80 acres adjoining the Brownlee land. Around January 1891, the Holland family took a train from Anderson County to Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. They spent the night in Atlanta and left the next morning for Dalton where they met Brownlee. Brownlee was kind enough to let the whole family stay at his home in Deep Springs for two weeks after their household goods were held up in transit from South Carolina. Once they moved into their new home, they settled in and went about the business of farming the land. Charlie’s brother Andrew was unhappy in Georgia and returned to South Carolina a short time after the move. He eventually moved to Washington, DC where he worked as a government clerk.

Leroy worked hard—cutting trees and clearing land—and the crops did well that first year. That was short-lived though when in late spring 1892, Leroy came down with pneumonia and died on May 4 in Beaverdale, Whitfield County, Georgia. He was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery in Dalton.

In January 1895, Charlie’s stepmother Amanda and his stepbrothers Aaron, Lawrence, and Joe moved to Alief, Harris County, Texas. They had come on hard times in Georgia after Leroy’s death and her brother Lawrence Peak Hall offered to furnish all of their food, free of charge, as well as a house and half of what they produced if they moved to Texas.

By the summer of 1900, Charlie had moved to the 10th District of Murray County, Georgia. On June 5, 1900 he was living in the home of Samuel and Mary Wheat as a lodger and working as a farm laborer. That year he was enumerated as Charles Holland. Samuel and Mary Wheat were the parents of Charlie’s future bride—Sarah Elizabeth Wheat. Both Charlie and Sarah (she went by Sallie) were single. Charlie and Sallie were married about 1901. Together they had two children—Thomas Glenn Holland in 1902 and Mary E. Holland in 1905.

On April 19, 1910, Charlie, Sallie, and their children lived with her widowed father Samuel Wheat in the 10th District of Murray County. Charlie and Sallie had been married for nine years according to the census enumerator. He was enumerated as William C. Holland that year and was a farm laborer.

On December 20, 1914, Charlie’s stepmother Amanda died in Houston, Harris County, Texas. She was buried at Italy Cemetery in Italy, Ellis County, Texas. Two months later, his brother Elijah died in Dalton on March 4, 1915. Elijah was buried at Deep Springs Baptist Church Cemetery. Two weeks after Elijah’s death, his brother Andrew died in Washington, DC on March 18, 1915. He was buried in an unmarked grave beside his infant daughter at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.

Charlie registered for the World War I draft as Charles William Holland on September 12, 1918. He listed Sarah Elizabeth Holland as his nearest relative. Both lived in Crandall, Murray County, Georgia. Charlie was a self-employed farmer. He was tall and slender; he had blue eyes and brown hair.

On January 10, 1920, Charlie and his family lived on Dalton Road in the 10th District of Murray County. His 54 year old sister-in-law Susie Wheat lived with them. Charlie was a farmer on a general farm. He was enumerated as Charles that year. His son Thomas was working as a farm laborer on a home farm, probably helping his father. Charlie’s stepbrother Joseph Norris Holland died in Alief on February 26, 1920. He was buried at Alief Cemetery. His brother Marion Scott Holland died in Anderson, Anderson County, South Carolina on February 5, 1928. He was buried at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery in Belton, Anderson County, South Carolina.

Charlie’s father Leroy served in Company L, Second South Carolina Rifles, Jenkins Brigade, C.S.A. during the Civil War and I’m sure Charlie heard many war stories before Leroy’s death in 1892. Charlie apparently wanted to honor his father’s military service and submitted an application to the War Department on July 20, 1929 for a headstone to mark his grave at Deep Springs Cemetery. It was shipped a year later and still marks his grave.

On April 15, 1930, Charlie and Sallie lived on Beaverdale Road in the 10th District of Murray County. He was enumerated as William C. Holland that year. His son Thomas, daughter-in-law Kathleen, their 25 year old daughter Mary, and Charlie’s sister-in-law Susie were all living with Charlie and Sallie. Both Charlie and Thomas were farmers.

Charlie’s stepbrother Lawrence Lafayette Holland died in Alief on August 17, 1934. It’s believed he was buried at Alief Cemetery.

Headstone photo taken by Kari; shared by CADprofessor, Dalton, Georgia.

On April 8, 1940, Charlie and Sallie lived with their son Tom and daughter-in-law Kathleen in the 10th District of Murray County. He was enumerated as William Charles Holland that year. He was unemployed. The highest grade he had completed was the 6th. Just two months after this census was taken, Charlie died at his home near Beaverdale on June 16, 1940. He was buried at Sumach Cumberland Presbyterian Cemetery in Crandall, Murray County.

Out of 14 children born to Leroy Holland, most died young. Only three lived past the age of 60—Charlie, Marion, and Aaron.