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collins
12-02-2005, 03:13 PM
My Great Grandma's name was Jonnie Alice Stanford.
Her father was Dock W. Stanford born May 8, 1873 Athens, AL Limestone County and died Feb. 5, 1942 Dallas, TX Dallas County. He married Mary Ella Dement born March 2, 1880 Athens, AL Limestone County and she died Feb. 23,1966 Gilroy, CA Santa Clara County.

Dock's family has always been some what of a mystery to us. Some have thought his last name to have been Stafford.
Dock's father is believed to be H.G. Stanford b. cir. 1843 and mother is Mary J. Webb. I have heard that it may be possible that this Mary J. Webb
is related to the other Webbs.
(SIDE NOTE:Mary Ella Dement was a first cousin to Ellen Evely Webb who married Charles Pinkley Riley.)

Black Dutch is claimed on this side of the family although when asked about this my greatgrandma would reply "we don't have no black blood". She used to say that we where Indian on both her parents sides. Choctaw and Cherokee were claimed as the tribes they came from.

We were told that Dock had two brothers and that his brothers and father worked in a mine some time around 1900. This mine had an explosion that killed one of his brothers and injured or killed his father. It has further been stated that Dock used to go back and forth from Oklahoma regularly. I have tried to track down information on mines and accident reports in Alabama since they supposedly came from there, but with no real luck. I have yet to check into mines in Oklahoma. I was told that after the explosion Dock moved to Texas.

Dock died on Feb. 5, 1942. My greatgrandma wasn't told about this until one year later which brought much sadness to her. He was found dead in the North Dallas Dump as per his death certificate. It has been speculated that he worked for the city of Dallas at the dump across the street. His death certificate states he had a heart attack. For a long time no one knew where he had been buried. Back in 1994 I found his grave at Dallas City Cemetery located between Shady Trail and Harry Hines Blvd. The cross streets are Freewood and Myrtle Springs. This was a popers grave site and has since been surrounded by industrial buildings. It was very hard to find even after getting a map to the location. He was buried with several other persons unknown. In these cemeteries they would pile burials one on top the other. May God rest his soul.

saj
12-02-2005, 05:23 PM
That's a sad story. Must be some way to find out about mine explosions you'd think. I feel like you said the other day Collins, that my brain is just full of names. Ready to burst. Sue J..cuz! :) :)

Bill Childs
12-02-2005, 10:47 PM
Where was your Grt-GrandMother Jonnie Alice Stanford born and when.
Bill

collins
12-03-2005, 01:49 AM
Dock W. Stanford's death certificate #6502 states that he was born in Texas, however Ella his wife puts down unknown for parents names and place of birth of the parents. On a family group sheet, sent to me by either my great uncle Rex or my cousin Oneta Pruitt, they have him listed as being born in "5-8-1873 Alabama?"

From family they tell me that they all were migrant farm workers.
There is a story in the family about Dock's mother. She was supposedly an Indian found wondering the woods half dazed and tattered. She was either taken in by the Webb family or the Stanfords.

Jonnie Alice Stanford was born October 14,1907
She was born in Rusk, TX which is the county seat of Cherokee County, TX.

She had three sisters.
1. Pearl Norette Stanford b. 1902 d. 1990 m. Lawson Bailey and 2nd m.Harold D. Pierce

2. Ivy Stanford b. unknown m. Newt Goodman

3. Mattie I. Stanford b. unknown m. Thomas Jefferson Moore b.1910 d. 1974 (supposed to have been a Cherokee Nation member)

Several years back I contacted Jim Walter Resources, Inc.
They sent me a booklet called "History Of Coal Mine Explosions In Alabama 1891-1991"
No names of the victims are given, however it does give dates, towns, and the amount killed.
May 22,1891 Mine-Pratt No.1 Pratt City, AL 11 killed.
Feb. 21, 1899 Mine-Blocton No.2 Blocton, AL 5 killed.
Feb. 20, 1905 Mine-Virginia City Virginia City, AL 112 killed.
Feb. 27, 1906 Mine-Little Cahaba Piper, AL 12 killed.
Dec. 16, 1907 Mine-Yolanda Yolanda, AL 57 killed.
Feb. 2, 1909 Mine-Short Creek Short Creek, AL 18 killed.
April 20, 1910 Mine-Mulga Mulga, AL 40 killed.
May 5, 1910 Mine-Palos No.3 Palos, AL 84 killed.
Nov. 3, 1910 Mine-Yolanda No.1 Yolanda, AL 5 killed.

This is a 35 page booklett with maps of the mines and description of the events, but no names of the victims.

Other possible locations for these events are the Smackover oil fields of Arkansas, other mines in Arkansas, and or Oklahoma. From family they say that Dock, his brothers, and his father worked in mines in Alabama before Dock moved east, however no one seems certain as to the location.

I am some what perplexed with Dock's origin. His wife some how doesn't seem to know the names or locations of Dock's parents. She writes down Texas as his birth place but nothing more. How Rex or Oneta got to Alabama or came up with H.G. Stanford and Mary J. Webb I am uncertain at this time.
This particular family was very poverty stricken and Dock has always been described as having wonderlust never wanting to stay in any particular place for too long. It has been said that Dock used to go across the Red River into Oklahoma witnessing Indian gatherings out in the woods.

Bill Childs
12-05-2005, 03:42 PM
DOCK WILLIAM STANFORD:

1920 Cherokee Co., Tx Census; ED18 Justice Pct 1; 19 Feb; Sheet 16A; family 323:

STANFORD, DOCK; 46, farmer, Ga, Ga, Ga.*******
................, ELLA, wife, 37, Ala, Ala, Ala.*******
................, Pearl, dau, 17, Tex, Ga, Ala
................, Ivy, dau, 15, Tex, Ga, Ala.
................, JOHNIE, dau, 12, Tex, Ga, Ala.*******
................, Mattie, dau, 5, Tex, Ga, Ala.
.................................................. ............................

WW1 Draft Registration Card, Cherokee Co., Tex:

"Dock William Stanford
Resides: Gallatin, Cherokee Co., Tex
Date of Birth: May 8, 1873.
Race: White
Occupation: Farming
Next Relative: Mrs Ella Stanford
......................Gallatin, Cherokee Tex
Height: Medium
Build: Medium
Color of eyes: Brown
Color of Hair: Black
Infirmities: Blind in right eye and Rheumatism.
Signature: Dock William Stanford"
Date: Sept 12, 1915."
.................................................. .....................

1910 Jefferson Co., Ala (county seat: Birmingham) Census; ED39 Pct 7; 29 April; Sheet 22B; Family: 360:
STANFORD, DOCK, Miner, Coal mine; 36, m1x,m'd 10 yrs; Ga,Ga,Ga
................, ELLA; wife, 29, m1x, 10 yrs, 3 children, 3 living, Al,Al,Al.
................, Pearl; dau, 8, Tex.
................, Ida; dau, 6, Tex.
................, JOHNNIE, dau, 3, Tex.
.................................................. ......................

Cherokee Co., Tex Marriage Records (ancestry.com database):
Dock Stanford + Ella Dement, 21 July 1901.

(Mary Ella Dement's family are on the 1900 Cherokee Co census.
In 1880, they were in Limestone Co., Ala)

1880 Heard Co., Ga Census; ED64 District 939; 24 June; p.67A (county seat: Franklin. Located on Alabama border); family 125:
STANFORD, William; 36, Farming, Ga, Ga, Ga.
................., Elizabeth; 35, wife, Ga, Ga, Ga.
................., John; 14, son, Ga.
................., Alice; 12, dau, Ga.
................., Mattie; 10, dau, Ga.
................., DOCK; 7, son, Ga.*******
................., James; 4, son, Ga.
................., Riley; 3, son, Ga.

a "One World Tree" entry adds 1 additional child:
Lige S.; b. 2 Aug 1885.

That "Tree" lists Elizabeth as nee: WEBB with no info on parents and I haven't been able to confirm the maiden name; and William's father as John C. Stanford and his mother as "Peggy" BAKER. There are no dates listed for his parents.
Tree lists William as William M (maybe Madison) Stanford, b. 1844 Ga; d. 1918 Pleasant Grove, Jefferson Co., Ala.

Next door to Heard Co:
1870 Meriwether Co., Ga Census; Dist 11; 6 June; p.5; P.O: Grantsville (?), Ga (county seat: Greenville); family 40:
STANFORD, William, 26, farm hand, $0, Geo.
................., Elizabeth; 22, Geo.
................., John; 4, Geo.
................., Alice; 1, Geo.
.................................................. ...............

1860 Meriwether Co., Ga Census; P.O: Magdalena, Ga; 31 July; p.481; family 1049:
H. H. HARRISON, 44, male, - , farming; $0, $200, Ga.
MARGARET........, 37, female, - , S. Car.****
James MOORE (?), 5, m, - , Ga.
Emeline..............., 2, f, - , Ga.
WM. STANFORD, 16, m, - , Ga.*******
John................., 15, m, - , Ga.

Bearing in mind that Peggy was a nickname for Margaret, This may be Peggy Baker Stanford with children from previous marriages.
I'm still looking for them in 1850.
Bill

collins
12-06-2005, 07:13 AM
Bill I can't even begin to tell you how greatful I am to know this information. All these years I have looked in Alabama and never even thought to look in Georgia much less looking past 1900 for them in Alabama. There are going to be alot of very happy family members to finally know where Dock came from. That's more information on him than I have ever seen.
Thank you so much.