| Notes |
- William James Jones was born in Sumter County, South Carolina. on July 31, 1854. His parents were Francis A. Jones and Sarah Elizabeth Baker. He married his first wife Maggie Mathis in 1880 and she died in 1881. In 1883 he married Mary Anna (Mamie) Josey. They were known to family and friends as Willie and Mamie. Mary Anna was born in Lee County on July 21, 1866. Her parents were George Lafayette Josey and Alice Jeanette Smith
Willie and Mamie had 10 children. They lived all of their life in Sumter County and he was a farmer. In 1928 when he was 74 and she was 62, they came to live with us in our little house near Oswego, South Carolina. Granddaddy was a soft spoken, kind, and gentle man and he and our father Vernie Parnell Watts held each other in close friendship and respect. Granddaddy was a big help to Daddy, doing many of the chores that are required in keeping a farm running. They both loved to fish and spent many happy times doing this. He and Bo also fished together and he helped Bo build bird traps. Once, when they caught a bird, he dressed it and I was allowed to roast it in my "Mary Lou" aluminum roasting pot, (Toy Sized)
He picked cotton with us, and one day he left his sack to go to the house, probably for water, and Bo and I decided to fill our sacks from his, but soon we saw him returning and were very quick to put back what we had taken. But somehow, we knew, he would only see the humor of our behavior.
Grandaddy had a toy, it was a monkey on a stick that when shifted up and down would cause the monkey to do flip-flops. Also in their trunk they had Ruby Leona's hair which was long and thick and lustrous and dark brown. They had cut it when she was ill with influenza and died in 1917 at the age of 14. I wonder who has it now--also the monkey.
Grandmother often entertained us time and again through those years with the story of her family's trip to Arkansas when she was 5 years old. They went by wagon train to pioneer a farm. Unfortunately, her father died and also one of her siblings and her mother could not manage to carry on with several children to care for. Great grandmother brother rode a horse from South Carolina to bring all of them back to South Carolina. It would have been so nice if some of them had written their experiences.
Grandmother & Granddaddy helped mother during the busy canning season, and in the winter Bo and I had the usual childhood deceases she always had a remedy at hand. Some of which we were not happy about, however they usually worked. She spent hours piecing quilts from scraps of material she and mother used to make our clothes. I was sixteen before I had a "bought" dress. When I completed elementary school she and mother made me a beautiful dress of blue organdy--ruffles from waist to hem, edged in pink. They made me stand on the way to school in the car so that I wouldn't wrinkle.
They lived with us some of the time, when we were away from Oswego for 2 years, living in an old large house near Mayesville, South Carolina. to manage a farm for Mr. Jim Mayes. The stairs in that house were difficult for them and so they lived elsewhere most of the time. We returned to our house near Oswego in late 1938 and they returned to live with us. I remember when Granddaddy got out of the car he was crying and pleaded that he would never have to leave our house again. He was 85 years old at that time and was with us for about another year, until he died on December 8, 1939. (prepared by Colzie Mae Watts Britt)
This is a copy of a note, written by Leila Jones the eldest daughter of Willie and Mamie Jones, found with a pair of white knitted socks:
("This is a pair of socks knit by Grand Daddy Jones first wife Maggie Mathis in 1880. She died in 1881 just one year after they were married. In 1883 he married Mary Anna Josey. This is written by their daughter Leila Jones Peebles in 1965")
[Josey.FTW]
William James Jones was born in Sumter County, South Carolina. on July 31, 1854. His parents were Francis A. Jones and Sarah Elizabeth Baker. He married his first wife Maggie Mathis in 1880 and she died in 1881. In 1883 he married Mary Anna (Mamie) Josey. They were known to family and friends as Willie and Mamie. Mary Anna was born in Lee County on July 21, 1866. Her parents were George Lafaytte Josey and Alice Jeanette Smith
Willie and Mamie had 10 children. They lived all of their life in Sumter County and he was a farmer. In 1928 when he was 74 and she was 62, they came to live with us in our little house near Oswego, South Carolina. Granddaddy was a soft spoken, kind, and gentle man and he and our father Vernie Parnell Watts held each other in close friendship and respect. Granddaddy was a big help to Daddy, doing many of the chores that are required in keeping a farm running. They both loved to fish and spent many happy times doing this. He and Bo also fished together and he helped Bo build bird traps. Once, when they caught a bird, he dressed it and I was allowed to roast it in my "Mary Lou" aluminum roasting pot, (Toy Sized)
He picked cotton with us, and one day he left his sack to go to the house, probably for water, and Bo and I decided to fill our sacks from his, but soon we saw him returning and were very quick to put back what we had taken. But somehow, we knew, he would only see the humor of our behavior.
Grandaddy had a toy, it was a monkey on a stick that when shifted up and down would cause the monkey to do flip-flops. Also in their trunk they had Ruby Leona's hair which was long and thick and lustrous and dark brown. They had cut it when she was ill with influenza and died in 1917 at the age of 14. I wonder who has it now--also the monkey.
Grandmother often entertained us time and again through those years with the story of her family's trip to Arkansas when she was 5 years old. They went by wagon train to pioneer a farm. Unfortunately, her father died and also one of her siblings and her mother could not manage to carry on with several children to care for. Greatgrandmother's brother rode a horse from South Carolina to bring all of them back to South Carolina. It would have been so nice if some of them had written their experiences.
Grandmother & Granddaddy helped mother during the busy canning season, and in the winter Bo and I had the usual childhood deseases she always had a remedy at hand. Some of which we were not happy about, however they usually worked. She spent hours piecing quilts from scraps of material she and mother used to make our clothes. I was sixteen before I had a "bought" dress. When I completed elementary school she and mother made me a beautiful dress of blue organdy--ruffles from waist to hem, edged in pink. They made me stand on the way to school in the car so that I wouldn't wrinkle.
They lived with us some of the time, when we were away from Oswego for 2 years, living in an old large house near Mayesville, South Carolina. to manage a farm for Mr. Jim Mayes. The stairs in that house were difficult for them and so they lived elsewhere most of the time. We returned to our house near Oswego in late 1938 and they returned to live with us. I remember when Granddaddy got out of the car he was crying and pleaded that he would never have to leave our house again. He was 85 years old at that time and was with us for about another year, until he died on December 8, 1939. (prepared by Colzie Mae Watts Britt)
This is a copy of a note, written by Leila Jones the eldest daughter of Willie and Mamie Jones, found with a pair of white knitted socks:
("This is a pair of socks knit by Grand Daddy Jones first wife Maggie Mathis in 1880. She died in 1881 just one year after they were married. In 1883 he married Mary Anna Josey. This is written by their daughter Leila Jones Peebles in 1965")
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1854 - 1939 (85 years)
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