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This Bible record and commentary has been provided by Leslie R. Tate,
ltate at hiwaay dot net
Surnames mentioned: GRANTHAM, WILLIAMS, SANDERS, ATKINSON, HARDIN, COCKRELL, WOODING, and in added notes HANSON/HENSON/HINSON.
The following text contains all the handwritten entries in the family Bible belonging to Odella Grantham Williams Sanders, my great grandmother. The Bible was passed from her to daughter Bessie Lena Williams Dickinson (my grandmother) to grandson Travis R. Dickinson (my uncle). When I learned of its existence in 1997, I borrowed the Bible and photocopied the pages containing handwritten information. Odella's first marriage and the birth of her first children take place in Cherokee County, AL, while later events take place in Jefferson County. She apparently did not obtain the Bible until her second marriage, so many of the entries are not listed in proper time order.
I have included printed information from the marriage certificate page, along with the various page headings, to help better identify the records. The original spelling and method of entry on the pages has been preserved, although punctuation has been corrected and page headings capitalized for readability. I also added some notes in brackets to provide the correct spelling of a few names with which I was familiar, and my best guess at the correct spelling for others.
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MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE
This certifies that Mr. E. H. Sanders and Mrs. Odella Williams were solemnly united by me in the bonds of Holy Matrimony at Adamsville on the 30th day of August in the year of our Lord One Thousand 1903 conformably to the Ordinance of God and the Laws of the State In Presence of [and individually signed by]
Mr. F. M. Harden and Mr. J. E. Cockrell
Signed:
Mr. W. A. Wooding, J. of P. and all
[On a separate blank page]
E. H. Sanders and Wife
Lived to geather up
to this date May the 14, 1929
26 years 3 months and 16 day
FAMILY RECORD
MARRIAGES
J. M. [Joseph M.] Williams and Wife [Odella Grantham] wor maried October the 26, 1884
[This apparently took place in Cherokee County, AL, since Joe was born there and their first children were born there. I have not yet located Odella's birthplace or family. Joe was one of 28 children born to William Scott Williams and his two wives, Syntha/Cintha HANSON and Virginia A. HENSON, her younger sister; both were daughters of Tapley HENSON/HANSON/HINSON. William, both wives, and a few of their children are all buried in Cherokee County at the Friendship Baptist Church cemetery in a family plot in graves marked only with unlettered concrete markers.]
E. H. Sanders and
J. M. Williamses widder
wos united to geather in matrimony
August the 30, 1903
J. M. Williams
wos Bornd July the 29, 1866
Odellar Grantham
wos bornd November the 1, 1866
FAMILY RECORD
BIRTHS
E. H. Sanders wos Bornd September the 16, 1858
Odellar [Odella] Sanders Bornd November the 1, 1866
E. Nolar (Enola) Sanders Bornd July the 1, 1904
Noal [Nowell?] Grady Sanders Bornd September the 22, 1911 Adamsville, Ala, Jeferson Co
Wesley Williams Bornd September the 6, 1885 Spring Garden, Ala.
Pace Williams Bornde April the 5, 1888 Center [Centre], Ala
Besie Lenar [Bessie Lena] Williams Bornd June the 25, 1890
Hurmon [Herman?] Williams Bornd July the 3, 1893 Key post ofice, Cherokee Co, Ala.
Normon [Norman?] Williams
Bornd December 15, 1896
Key post ofice, Cherokee Co, Ala.
Mary Mertie Williams
Bornd May th 2, 1899
Chessie Williams
Bornde June the 11, 1901
Adamsville, Ala., Jeferson Co
[NEXT PAGE]
FAMILY RECORD
BIRTHS
Normons [Norman's] Children
[These apparently were all born in Jefferson Co., AL]
Melton Williams
Bornd June the 17, 1915
Eugean [Eugene?]Williams
was Bornd October the 11, 1917
[in parentheses below October is the word November]
Maxie McClindon Williams
Bornd August the 2, 1919
Normon [Norman] Williams
and Wife seprated
in March 1920
FAMILY RECORD
DEATHS
J. M. Williams
Deceaste July the 10, 1901
E. H. Sanders
Deceast May the 14, 1929
[The following was on a separate page listing the Books of the New Testament]
J. M. [Joseph M.] Williams Deceaste July th 10, 1901
Mary Elizeabeath [Elizabeth] Atkinson
Deceaste Jauary th 16, 1905
Lucy An [Ann] Grantham
Deceaste August the 16, 1907
Mandy Melviny Grantham
Deceaste May the 4, 19...[page torn]
J. H. Adkerson [Atkinson?]
Dide March the 11, 1928
J. J. Atkinson
dide June the 19, 1928
E. H. Sanders
Dide May the 14th, 1929
[There were no other handwritten notes. Odella Grantham Williams Sanders died 23 Nov 1954 in Docena, Jefferson County, AL. ...Her death certificate, which contains information provided by N.G. (Grady) Sanders, the youngest son from her second marriage, lists Odella's mother's maiden name as "Mary Gradum" (Mary Grantham) and the father as "Don't know". Research in 2007 demonstrates that Odella's mother was Mary Elizabeth Grantham and that Odella, who was born in 1 Nov 1866, may have been born out of wedlock. Mary Elizabeth later married John Henry Atkinson, a widower 14 years her junior, in Henry County GA on 1 Feb 1883. The J.J. (John J.) Atkinson listed in Odella's bible was John Henry Atkinson's son by his first wife Susan C. Harrison. Lucy Ann Grantham and Amanda Melvina (Mandy) Grantham, who are also listed in the bible, were Odella's aunts. Joseph M. Williams was Odella's first husband, who she married in Cherokee County AL. Emery H. Sanders was Odella's second husband, who she married in Jefferson County AL. Additional information on each of the people listed in this bible may be found in my online genealogy database on Rootsweb at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?db=lrtate |
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![[Cherokee County map]](pics/cherokee.gif)
Cherokee County, Alabama