Posted by Tommie Reeves Smith on Wed, 23 Sept 1998
Surnames:
Biography Of Elijah Wallace Reeves
And Wife Mary Anna Samuel Scott
By Tommie Reeves Smith and
Written Notes From Mary Etta Willingham
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Elijah Wallace Reeves was born May 18, 1856 in Gwinnett Co. Georgia to
James Marion Reeves and Mary Ann Childers Reeves. He died June 8, 1915
in Billington, Texas and is buried in the Mt. Antioch Cemetery. As the
Cival War began ,the farm of James Marion Reeves was destroyed by
Northern Forces according to the family history of another of his sons.
James Marion did not want to join the war effort primarily because of
the health of his wife. He was forced to join without delay and hours
after his departure his wife died. Elijah Wallace Reeves and his
siblings were nurtured by their fraternal grandparents, Thompson and
Cinderella Reeves during the duration of the war according to written
memories of his grand daughter, Mary Etta Willingham. Elijah Wallace and
his siblings are found again in the home of his father in Roanoke
Alabama in the 1870 census. Mary Anna Samuel Scott was born to Polly Reeves and Samuel L. Scott. She had two brothers . Their names were James Emery Winfield Scott and William Alexander Scott. In 1860 Mary Anna and her brother William Alexander Scott are found in the home of their maternal grandparents, Thompson and Cinderella Reeves. James Emery Winfield Scott was found in the home of the Scott fraternal grand parents. Research has not disclosed as yet what happened to their parents. For a time during the Cival War, first cousins, Elijah Wallace Reeves and Mary Anna Scott were in the home of their mutual grandparents in Clay Co. Alabama. About 1875 Elijah Wallace and Mary Anna Scott were married. The 1880 census shows them with Cinderella Reeves in their home. Thompson Reeves was deceased at that time. After Cinderella's death Elijah Wallace and Mary Anna migrated to Marshall Co. Alabama near the Arab and old Rice Community area. Six of their children had been born at this time. In the newly created community the families lived in camp out situations until the homes could be built. An epidemic of some type swept through causing many deaths and claimed the life of twelve year old Fannie Reeves. The Rice Cemetery began to be formed with those who died at this time. The eldest child of Elijah Wallace and Mary Anna was named Mary Lee Ada. She married John Daniel Willingham on February 2, 1896 and settled in the nearby area known as Oleander, Alabama. In approximately 1897 Elijah Wallace Reeves began to prepare to move to Texas. He left his family in the home of Mary Lee Ada and John Willingham and traveled to Texas to find a place to live. He arrived in the Mt. Calm and Billington area primarily because some of his Moore cousins and his brother-in-law William Alexander Scott had preceded him in Settling there. It seems the family had two different sites where they lived. According to the memories of Mary Etta Willingham, .." The Reeves lived some ten or twelve miles from Mt. Calm, Texas in Hill County and three or four miles from Billington in Limestone County until their deaths."..end quote. The eight children of Elijah Wallace and Mary Anna Scott attended school at Billington and settled there as adults. Most are buried in the Mt. Antioch Cemetery. It has already been established that Mary Lee Ada Reeves married John Willingham. They bought a farm from a Moore cousin, the parents of Mr. Bert Moore. Ten children were born to this union. Eight of whom grew to maturity in the Billington area. The childrens names are: Mary Etta b. 1897 d. May 12, 1983. She never married. Burial is in Mt. Antioch, William Emory b.1899 buried Kitt Cemetery, Irving Texas, Lula May b.1901 d. 1902 buried in Old Town Cemetery near Mt. Calm, Rosie Ellen b. 1903 d. 1985 burial in Mt. Antioch. Rosie Ansilar b. 1878 married J. Frank Shaffer and remained in the community. Rosie died at the time of the birth of her third child. Burial in Mt. Antioch Cemetery. Fannie had died in Rice Community in Alabama. Aria Jane b. 1884 married James Rufus McKee. They settled in the area. She died in childbirth with her first child. Both she and her husband are buried in Mt. Antioch. Georgia Estrella b. 1886 married J. Frank Shaffer after the death of her sister. They established their home in Denison , Texas and are buried there. John Clevlin (or Cleveland) Elijah b. 1888 He grew to maturity and was known as a music teacher in the area. He taught singing primarily it seems. He died in 1913 and is buried in an unmarked grave in Mt. Antioch. He never married. Martha Pinckney b. 1894 was nicknamed "Mattie" She married Elmer Massey. She died in 1915 in childbirth with her first child who also died . Both are buried together in Mt. Antioch . Thomas Van Buron b. 1896 grew to maturity in Billington. After both of his parents had died he joined the Navy at what turned out to be almost the end of World War II. After his discharge he married Tessie Lee Sue Culpepper in Hopkins Co. and they established their family there. They were parents of five children. Edna Earl, Annie Jo, Billy Buron, Tessie Merle and Tommie Sue. Thomas was a farmer. His death from Leukemia came on February 5, 1970. He is buried in Sulphur Springs, Texas. |
Error correction
Posted by Tommie Reeves Smith <tommies@airmail.net> on Wed, 30 Sep
1998, in response to Reeves, Willingham,Moore and Scott Family,
posted by Tommie Reeves Smith on Wed, 23 Sep 1998
Surnames:
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In the Biography for Reeves, Willingham, Moore and Scott You will find the indication that Thomas Van Buron Reeves served in World War II. That is incorrect. Thomas served in World War I. Thank you. Tommie Reeves Smith |