Charles King Thomas, Sr. Family,
McCrory, Woodruff County, Arkansas
by Gary Telford, Woodruff County Monitor
It would seem that between childbirth and either yellow fever or typhoid fever or diptheria, the only member of this family, including the parents, to live to "senior citizen" status was the tenth child, Martha (Mattie) Gabriela Thomas. She married Samuel Caldwell Wilkerson of Augusta and moved to Morrilton. The following letter taken from the January 1932 issue of the "Arkansas Central Leader" tells of her sad childhood.
Morrilton, Arkansas
January 4, 1932
Dear Editor:
Please find enclosed $2.00 check for the "Arkansas Central Leader" for another year. I noticed sometime back you said when renewing our subscription to please give you our biography. Here is mine: I was born January 22, 1854, two miles from McCrory, Arkansas, on a farm once owned by my father, Charles K. Thomas, and my mother, Nancy Brown (Edmonds) Thomas. I will be 78 years old the 22nd of this month. My father died when I was four years of age and mother died when I was nine, so I fell into the hands of a guardian, Major W.C. Myrtle, of Augusta, Arkansas, with whom I lived until his death. I then made my home with Mr. Duke Revel and wife, Sophia of Augusta, who was my sister. She died a year later and I was taken to the home of Dr. G. B. Fakes and wife, of McCrory, who was my cousin. I was married at their home to Samuel C. Wilkerson of Augusta, on January 22, 1873. To this union three children were born, two daughters and one son. The elder daughter, Mrs. Myrtle Massey, a widow, is now living in Austin, Texas. The other daughter, Mrs. Wilma Cobb, who is also a widow, is living with her daughter in Chicago, Illinois. My son, Samuel C. Wilkerson, an electrical engineer, lives at Calderwood, Tennessee.
Respectfully,
Mrs. S.C. Wilkerson.
Charles King Thomas, Sr. was born in Tennessee August 4, 1800, and married Nancy Brown Edmonds, born July 3, 1814, in Wilkes County, Georgia, the daughter of John S. and Fanny (Brown) Edmonds. They moved to Limestone County, Alabama, where the first of eleven children was born...two boys and nine girls. The 1850 Alabama census shows him to be a hotel keeper. Eight children were born in Alabama, one in Mississippi and two in Arkansas. Charles King Thomas, Sr. died October 13, 1858 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and is buried in the Thomas Family Cemetery. Nancy Brown (Edmonds) Thomas died September 26, 1864 in Woodruff Co., AR. The Thomas Family Cemetery is located about one and one half miles Northwest of McCrory off Highway 17 across from the Dr. G. B. Fakes farm in which eight members of the family are buried. The graves are marked by one tall, square monument.
(1) John Edmonds Thomas, born October 13, 1833 in Alabama and died October 13, 1834 in Alabama.
(2) Elizabeth Thomas was born November 12, 1835 in Alabama and on February 19, 1853 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR, she married Stephen H. Shettleworth who was born about 1833 in Alabama. He was the son of Elijah and Frances Shettleworth. They were the parents of five known children; (2-1) Julie F. Shettleworth, born about 1853 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and married July 20, 1870 in Woodruff Co., AR, David N. Jefferson who was born in Tennessee; (2-2) Nannie B. Shettleworth, born about 1854 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR; (2-3) Louise Shettleworth, born August 9, 1857 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR. She married Perry Wilson Braselton, born April 10, 1854 and died April 30, 1893 in Lamar, Johnson Co., AR and is buried in Walnut Cemetery. Louise died in Russeville, Pope Co., AR; (2-4) Charles Shettleworth, born about 1858 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR; (2-5) Claudia "Claud" Shettleworth, born about 1863 in Woodruff Co., AR. She married William Henry Bonds, born about 1852 in Arkansas.
(2) Elizabeth (Thomas) Shettleworth married the second time on November 13, 1870 in Woodruff Co., AR, Alonzo Charles Shouse, born November 10, 1841 in Arkansas and died November 4, 1917. Elizabeth died May 1927. Both died in Russeville, Pope Co., AR and are buried in Bakers Creek Cemetery.
(3) Frances A. "Fanny" Thomas was born June 29, 1838 in Alabama and on May 5, 1856 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR, she married Henry Jordan Forehand, born about 1833 in Georgia and died 1861. He was the son of William W. (1800-1857) and Macy Forehand. William W. Forehand died in Woodruff Co., AR and is buried in Fakes Chapel Cemetery.
(4) Mary L. Thomas was born November 3, 1840 in Alabama and married William Wesley Forehand, born September 9, 1836 in Georgia. William Wesley Forehand was a brother to Henry Jordan Forehand. Mary L. (Thomas) Forehand died April 4, 1861 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and is buried in the Thomas Family Cemetery. William Wesley Forehand died January 2, 1904 in Dover, Pope Co., AR and is buried in the Forehand Family Cemetery. They were the parents of one known son; (4-1) Charles West Forehand, born August 4, 1859 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR who married Mary Ellen Faucette, born August 28, 1857 in Pope, Panola Co., MS. They were married May 15, 1882 in Dover, Pope Co., AR. Charles died May 1923 and Mary died November 7, 1901. Both died in Dover, Pope Co., AR and are buried in the Forehand Family Cemetery.
(5) Laura A. Thomas was born November 22, 1842 in Alabama and died January 30, 1860 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and is buried in the Thomas Family Cemetery, Woodruff Co., AR.
(6) Charles King Thomas, Jr. was born March 2, 1845 in Alabama and died May 4, 1861 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and is buried in the Thomas Family Cemetery, Woodruff Co., AR.
(7) Ellen E. Thomas was born February 8, 1847 and died September 9, 1857.
(8) Sophia C. Thomas was born December 24, 1848 in Alabama and on January 24, 1870 in Augusta, Woodruff Co., AR she married Duke Revel, born October 20, 1833 in North Carolina. Duke Revel was the son of Lewis Revel, born August 25, 1799 in Hertford Co., NC and Martha Outland, born May 6, 1807 in North Carolina. Lewis Revel died May 19, 1874 and Martha died 1868. Both died in Shelby Co., TN and are buried in the Tabernacle Hill Cemetery.
(8) Sophia C. (Thomas) Revel died November 30, 1871, just two days after the birth of Etta, and is buried in Augusta Memorial Park Cemetery, Augusta, Woodruff Co., AR. Duke Revel never married again. They were the parents of one known daughter, (8-1) Etta R. Revel who married on April 27, 1892 in Augusta, Woodruff Co., AR, Thomas Edward Kelly, the son of Dr. William Creason Kelly and Mary Jane (Miller) Kelly. Thomas Edward Kelly died June 13, 1906 in Memphis, Shelby Co., TN and is buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery, Jackson Co., AR. Etta R. (Revel) Kelly died January 24, 1952 in Newport, AR.
The Thomas family lived a short time in Mississippi where their ninth child, Nancy C. Thomas was born April 14, 1852. After a short time the family then came to Arkansas. Apparently they were asked to move to Arkansas from Mississippi by Nancy B. Edmonds' brother, William W. Edmonds.
(9) Nancy C. Thomas was born April 13, 1852 in Mississippi and died September 26, 1864.
(10) Martha "Mattie" Gabriela Thomas was born January 22, 1854 in Jackson, now Woodruff Co., AR and on January 22, 1873 In Augusta, AR, she married Samuel Caldwell Wilkerson, born December 24, 1845 in Haywood Co., TN. He was the son of Dr. Samuel M. Wilkerson, born 1801 and Mary A. L. (Wyatt) Wilkerson, born August 3, 1809, both natives of Virginia. Samuel Caldwell Wilkerson and Martha "Mattie" moved to Morrilton, Conway Co., AR after they married. Samuel died December 28, 1916 and Martha lived to be 91 years of age and died July 24, 1945 in Morrilton, Conway Co., AR.
(11) Lucy C. Thomas was born September 18, 1856 and died December 6, 1864.
© 2004 William Gary Telford