NORTHEAST ALABAMA ETTLEH •: . • ;,,. NICHOLS MEMORIAL LIBRARY Registered National Historic Landmark Headquarters of NORTHEAST ALABAMA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY P.O. Box 8268 Gadsden, Alabama 35902 VOLUME 48 OCTOBER 2009 NO. 3 NORTHEAST ALABAMA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY INC. P.O. BOX 8268 GADSDEN, ALABAMA 35902-8268 E-Mail [email protected] President 1st. Vice President Leon Young—256-547-8477 Leonyoung@comcast. 2nd. V. President Membership Chairman Recording Secretary RoseMary Hyatt 256-538-1122 Gloria Gregg 256-561-3506 [email protected] [email protected] Corresponding Secretary Treasure Wayne Milam 256-442-2099 Carolyn Parrish 256-547-3638 [email protected] [email protected] Librarian Editor Julia Young 256-547-8477 Gail R. Brown 256-546-2249 [email protected] [email protected] LIBRARY HOURS Nichols Memorial Library is the home of Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society. Volunteer's are available to provide help from 10 am to 3 pm every Thursday and 10 am to 8 pm the second Thurs­ day of each month. They will open for anyone out of town by appointments. The Society is very proud of it's 5000 plus family file collection. MEETINGS The Society meets the 2nd. Saturday of ever month at the Nichols Memorial Library. MEMBERSHIP Any person who is genuinely interested and actively participating in genealogical and historical re­ search shall be eligible for membership. There are no residence requirements. Non Members may submit queries at $4.00 per issue. Queries are free to members. Dues are $20.00 per year. OBJECT AND PURPUSES 1. To aid in the preservation of family Bible records, military records, cemetery records and other genealogical and historical records. 2. To promote historical and genealogical research and the study of history and genealogy. 3. To promote interest and encourage people who are interested in genealogical and historical re­ search 4. To cooperate to the extent practical with other societies that are interested in genealogy and his­ tory and preservation. 5. To collect and preserve historical and genealogical data relating to Alabama, particularly, but not limited to the counties of Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, Randolph, St Clair and Talladega. NORTHEAST ALABAMA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY, INC P.O. BOX 8268 GADSDEN, ALABAMA 35902 Volume 48 October 2009 Number 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS President's Page 4 Membership Spotlight 5 Identify Etowah County Cemeteries 6 History of Old Harmony Church and Cemetery 7 Marshall Co., AL Confederates by Robin Sterling 8 1917 Gadsden Times Obituaries 10 Will I. Martin Article 14 My Favorite Ancestor 15 Sansom Family Cemetery 17 Table for Computing Birth Date 18 Editors Notes 19 First Setters Application 20 Membership Application 21 Publications for Sale 22 New Books at Nichols Memorial Library 23 Etowah Co., AL Civil War Soldiers by Linda Ayres 25 Hooton/Boen Family Bible 33 Queries 35 Index 37 Copyright, Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society Inc. ISSN 0742583 X Indexed in Genealogical Periodical Annual Index Volume 48 Northeast Alabama Settlers Number 3 The summer meeting schedule went very well and our monthly meetings were a success. The meetings were informal and made it more a social affair. The year is coming to an end and gets to be a busy time. We will start in November decorating for the Christmas season. This is year-end and time to elect new officers for the next two years. I would like to encourage any members who have suggestions for improvements at Nichols Library to make them known to any of the Officers or Board Members. We have made a great many improvements in the last few years and would like to continue the trend. We want the library to be an asset not only for the genealogical society but to the community and city. A place we can all be proud to call ours. Thanks to all the members who volunteer their time to make Nichols Library a great and wonderful place to research. We are open each Thursday from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM and by appointment. The second Thursday of each month we remain open until 8:00 PM If you know of any groups or clubs that would like a program or classes on genealogy, please contact us. Please email or send to us you current email address if it has changed since you registered for membership. We are trying to keep members updated with email. Our email address is [email protected] . Our new Web Page (http://wWW.neagS.COm/ ) is up and ready Our website is in neags.com, please take a look and see what you think. Leon Young 4 Volume 48 Northeast Alabama Settlers Number 3 Member Spotlight October 2009 Our member spotlight this quarter is on a great couple of volunteers. Wayne and Catherine Milam have faithfully worked at Nichols Library for several years. Wayne is our corresponding secretary and Catherine serves on the hospitality committee. They've also been active volunteers for the Ancestor Swap Meet each year. They live in Southside and enjoy traveling as well as genealogy. Wayne is also an active member of the Killian Family Reunion group in N.C. each year. They enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. Catherine will be glad to show you a picture of the latest addition to the family, if you ask. Please let them know you appreciate their involvement in N. E. Alabama Genealogical Society. Springville, Alabama's Rock School Preservation Just a reminder, those involved in the Rock School preservation are determined to make it safe again for use in the town. Their job is enormous and they need help. If you are interested in knowing more about this project or the preservation group involved, you may contact us and well see that the information is mailed to you, contact us by mail, Neags, P 0 Box 8268, Gadsden, AL 35902 or by email neaqslibPcomcast.net. The ingenuity and self-reliance of our ancestor's remains today in the buildings we save. They used what they had at hand or they didn't build in many cases. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT SOME OF THE EARLY STRUCTURES REMAIN FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN TO SEE. If s not too early to think about attending Ancestor Swap Meet 2010. The date is April 10, 2010 at the Senior Activity Center in Gadsden, AL. Watch for more information or email us for information. ALL MEMBERSHIPS EXPIRE IN DECEMBER, PLEASE SEND YOUR RENEWAL IN JANUARY TO AVOID MISSING A QUARTERLY. Volume 48 Northeast Alabama Settlers Number 3 HELP US IDENTIFY THOSE BURIED IN ETOWAH COUNTY CEMETERIES! At this time several members of Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society are working on cemetery projects. We hope to identify as many people buried in Etowah County as possible. Most of us have ancestors, family members and friends buried in Etowah County, some in unmarked graves. We are concentrating on the older, church cemeteries at this time. The cemeteries we're working on now are McCauley's Chapel, Fairview Baptist Church, Young's Chapel, Tillison (know as Tillison Burger) and Moody's Chapel in Etowah County, close to the Blount County line. We will won\ on others as these are completed. Nancy Lowom has completed a Pilgrim's Rest Cemetery book, which is now for sale. We will be gathering information for future use on any cemetery in Etowah County, so send any information now. If you have information to share on any cemetery, please send it to us by email at neaaslibdcD.comcastnet please put cemetery information in the subject line. You may also send the infonnation by mail to Cemetery Infonnation, NEAGS, P. O. Box 8268, Gadsden, AL 35902. Help us identify as many of those buried in unmanned graves as possible. Everyone should be remembered. We would also like to know about those people who might have died in the influenza epidemic in 1917-1918. We will be including any infonnation we can find on each person buried in these cemeteries, so send us what you would want to share. In many cases we have included spouses, parents and children. We've included census and military infonnation when we find it. PLEASE HELP!!!! ANCESTOR SWAP MEET 2010, APRIL 10, 2010, mark your calendar and make plans to join us. We promise information, food, door prizes, lots of fun and great people all waiting for you. More information will be included in the next quarterly. JUST A REMINDER, WE NEED INFORMATION FOR THE FAMILY FILES. DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE RESEARCHING YOUR FAMILIES. Volume 48 Northeast Alabama Settlers Number 3 COMING SOON History of Old Harmony Baptist Church and Cemetery Something we been waiting on for a long time, The History of Old Harmony Baptist Church and its Cemetery. This book was written by our friend Jerry B. Jones and given to the Nichols Memorial Library. The proceeds from this book will go in a trust fund for the Nichols Memorial Library, Jerry's first love in this area. This book will be available in hard bound. The price has not been established yet. Watch our website www.neags.com for the cost of the book. MAN BURIED CROSSWAYS IN OLD HARMONY CEMETERY JEFF WOFFORD, born In 1885 and died in 1905 is buried in Old Harmony Cemetery behind Old Harmony Baptist Church, in Rainbow City, Etowah Co., AL. The cemetery is on Rainbow Drive south of the City Hall. What has been passed down is that this Mr. Wofford was always cross with everybody and when he died he wanted to buried crossways of the world, the tradition then was to be buried East to West but, he wanted to be buried North to South.