Saturday, December 27, 2008

Lydia Ann Hood with children

Lydia Ann Hood is pictured here standing by her husband's gravemarker at the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery in Itawamba County. Behind her are nine of her ten children.

Lydia's husband was Harrison H. Hood, son of Joshua Hood and Margaret Johnson. By the way, Harrison's brother William was Elvis Presley's great-grandfather. Harrison was born December 15, 1855 in Alabama and died July 30, 1921 in Itawamba County. He and Lydia were married February 26, 1880 and had ten children together.

Lydia can be found as a six year old child in her parents' household in the 1870 census, shown in the census as Thomas and Martha Minyard. Some researchers have indicated that the surname was Maynard however. I've been unable to locate Thomas and Martha in the 1880 or 1900 censuses. Lyda was born August 27, 1863 and died September 8, 1945. Her tombstone shows her name as Lydia Ann, but according to descendants, her full name apparently was Lydia Ann Rebecca.

Pictured above with Lydia in the cemetery are (left to right): Richard, Jeff, Effie, Alma, Charley, unknown, unknown or Ellie, unknown or Ellie, and Eula. Ellie is either the second or third from the right, and yes, he was a son. The two unknown men are likely sons Durell and Dennis (or "Den") but I don't know which is which. Another son, Riley, died in 1901 when he was eighteen years old and thus is not pictured here.

Mrs. Jesker Hood Miles gave the photo and the names to Cousin Don Dulaney who provided both to me. Hat tip to Don and Mrs. Miles.

4 comments:

Don Dulaney said...

Ms. Mona Mills will looked upon from generations to come as a great historical researcher. The Hood Clan as well as Itawambians owe her a debt of gratitude for what she is doing and done. I loved this post.

Bob Franks said...

I noticed the Thomas Minyard family lived by my gg grandparents, Richard Leake and Sidney Leana Stovall Gillentine in the Keyes-Hopewell area of the third district during 1870. I have come across some old Minyard graves (old Loyd pottery monuments) and offhand I think they were in the third district but I forgot which cemetery they were in. Will have to dig out those photos. I noticed also in the Itawamba County marriage records, the surname is spelled Minyard also. I really think the surname is Minyard rather than Maynard as the Minyard name is used on tombstones as well as marriage records A very good article and photo Mona.

Mona Robinson Mills said...

Don, you are making me blush. Let me point out that YOU are the one who obtained this photo and others from Hood descendants so the gratitude goes to you.

Bob, I agree with you that Minyard is the most likely surname over Maynard. But I'm puzzled about the Keyes-Hopewell location. I thought that Minyard family would be living near the Hood and Dulaney families in northeastern Itawamba County. I'm also puzzled by the fact that I can't find this couple in either the 1880 or 1900 census, but supposedly a photo of the couple has turned up which I would think would have been taken around 1900 or so. The photo may be mis-identified. I'd like to see the Minyard grave markers when you find them.

Bob Franks said...

Mona, I searched through my photographs and came upon the Minyard gravestone photo. It is a photograph of Thomas Minyard's pottery monument in Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery in the third district. He died during 1878 so would not be in any subsequent census records. There are several unmarked graves adjacent to his monument - probably other Minyard family members. It is quite puzzling that a Hopewell-Keyes family married into a family northeast of Fulton. It seems during the 1800's folks "west of the river" intermarried with other "west of the river" folks and the same usually goes for folks east of the river. It seems that old Tombigbee River literally separated the county as there were few crossings. However, one Hopewell-Keyes family member married Mary Ann Senter in 1871 from the Dulaney settlement northeast of Fulton - Thadeus Guess (His father was Levi Guess, buried in Keyes Cemetery). Thadeus and his family were living next to Joseph Dulaney during 1880. It is interesting to note that some of the early Guest/Guess family members married into the Minyard family out in Georgia (Colbert Guest son of Moses married a Minyard I believe.)I will be sending you a copy of the photograph I took of the Thomas Minyard gravestone.