ALSO - who were John Marion Woods' parents and siblings????

HELP is needed on these people. CAREFUL HELP. Many folks seem enamored by the "Indian" connection and have cut & pasted information that may not be correct. My information may be incorrect as well. I hope that a young analytical person will pursue this and figure out the TRUTH! [Sally Randol-Hardy]

Source: RootsWeb.com Entry #21295 posted by Kelly Stidham - Title of Post = "Stidham" had parents of Margaret Wood(s) Steadham [Mrs. Reuben Steadham] as "Sis Woods" and a "McDowell" The source given = "Henry H. McCawley, Jr. Mobile, AL interviewed Oct. 1, 1988." I believe strongly that the McDowell and Woods families are connected.

This connects the "McDowell" name to Margaret. Many people have posted [or cut&pasted] that Margaret is d/o Mary Weatherford - They may not be happy to consider other options because of the "Indian" connection that Mary Weatherford provides.

I will start by saying that there is PROOF that Mary Weatherford was NOT the biological mother of: John Marion Woods, Jr. [b abt 1860]; Mary Woods [b abt 1864] and Margaret Ann "Maggie" Woods Steadham [b 25 Mar 1864]

I can't say with 100% confidence who the biological mother was for these 3 children, but there is a possibility that is worth reviewing/pursuing CAREFULLY.

Possibility: That Susan McDowell was very likely the biological mother of some children of John Marion Woods, Sr. [b abt 1830 SC] OR another man named Woods - perhaps John Marion Woods had a brother that married Susan McDowell? HAS ANYONE TRACED JOHN MARION WOODS' LINE????? I have found no other contenders for husband of Susan McDowell. I am open to any other ideas with proof.
If John Marion Woods is not the father of Susan McDowell's children, then he may be the uncle [if so, who was his brother?]
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SOURCE: Two articles in Erma Baggett's book, "Across the Creek", pp 65-66 & 170-172 have information related to John Marion Woods. The 2nd article pp 170-172 by Minnie Ruth Morris Flowers lists the first 3 children: Marion, Mary & Margaret Woods as ch of John Marion Woods "by a previous marriage." The name of the article is "Dicen & Minnie Ruth Morris Flowers". Flowers adds, "Mary Weatherford Woods raised these three children with her own."

5-13-2005: I e-mailed (Baldwin) Hist. Soc for info on Minnie Ruth Morris Flowers, but got no reply.

HERE ARE THE 3 OLDEST CHILDREN - my notes in parentheses:

1. "Marion" [Erma Baggett's book has he d 16 Jun 1903 Uriah, Monroe Co., AL] + [I have a death cert that may be Jr.(?) or Sr.(?) d 26 Jun 1919 Monroe Co. AL]
2. "Mary" [I cannot find her after the 1880 US Census]
3. "Margaret" Woods. [m Reuben Steadham and d before 1905]

1870 US Census "Maryon Wood" per Ancestry.com transcription 2nd/3rd Jul 1870:
Jack Springs, Escambia Co., AL
HH=10 FAM=10 Wood, Maryon 35 MW Farmer S. Carolina
Mary 25 FW K. House Alabama
Marion, Jr. 8 MW at Home Do [=Ditto = "]
Mary 5 FW " " Do
Margaret 4 FW at Home Alabama
Ellen 3 FW " " Do
Leon 1 FW " " Do [Leona]
Boon, Jane 60 FW Farmer Mississippi

[Note Jane also has Real Estate = 300 & Personal Estate = 500]
Per the 1870 Census, Marion was b abt 1825 SC & his wife, Mary b 1835 AL
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Marion Woods' daughter, Leona Morris' Death Certificate AL-Escambia Co. # 26380 gives her mother's name as Mary "Boone." Jane, in the 1870 US census with the family is very likely the maternal grandmother of Leona, i.e. Mother-in-Law to Marion Woods, Sr.

1880 US Census for "Marion Woods [July 1, 1880 - Canoe, Escambia Co., AL]:
Marion [Jr.] 20 or 21 years old & Mary [16] both definitely has an "sT" in front of "Son" and "Daughter" respectively. There is a smudge in front of "Daughter" after Margaret's [16] name. I take the "sT" to indicate "step-children." The other children in the home are listed as just “daughter” or “son.”

I believe these 3 children may have been Susan McDowell's. [2010 SAR-H] Susan McDowell's brother Alec/Alex G. McDowell did not marry or have children that we know of; nor did Annie Love McDowell who was also Susan's sister. Annie Love may have been = "Sis"(?)

1998 Patricia Anita Blair Gray shared information with me. She is a descendant of known daughter of Susan McDowell, Laura Alice Woods Johnson. She told me that Laura Alice was raised by Anna McDowell [sister of Susan McDowell] and lived with Uncle Alec/Alex G. McDowell [Susan McDowell's twin brother].

The 1910 US Census has Susan with birthing 7 children, 5 of them still living on the census date [May 17th]. I know 4 of the 5 that are definitely Susan McDowell's children:
Parents on Death Certificate Listed as:
Laura Alice Johnson; "Susan McDowel" [1 "L'] & "Unknown"
Virgina Pearl McGill; "Susan McDowell" & "D.K." [=Don't Know]
Lillie Bell Stewart; and "Susie McDowell" & "?"
Rosie Weekley. [blank] b Ala. & [blank] b Ala.
[NOTE: "12-10-19 P" is handwritten on Rosie's
death certificate in the father's name space.]

If the 1910 census is correct and the children of John Marion Woods "by a previous marriage" do belong to Susan McDowell, then either Mary Woods or John Marion Woods, Jr. would still be living in 1910. Margaret Woods Steadham had d 1905.
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12 Jan 2011: I have not been able to locate a marriage record for Susan McDowell to anyone to date. "Deep South Genealogical Quarterly" Vol. X, No. 4, p 165 Nov. 1973 has Susan as "Mrs. Susan WOOD" on her step-brother's marriage record, therefore she was m. <8-18-1866 to a WOOD or WOODS. Does ANYBODY know who Mr. WOOD or WOODS was?????

Another mystery:
"Across the Creek" by Erma Baggett p 66 has Marion Woods, Jr. d. 6-16, 1903 in Uriah (Monroe) AL. I have a death cert for "a" "Marion Woods" that is extremely hard to read, but the death date is definitely 6-26-1919 in Monroe Co., AL Is this connected? Could it be that the John Marion Woods, Sr. (FHS RID#1809) d. 6-16-1903 in Uriah (Monroe) AL instead of Marion Woods, Jr. or vice versa... if the 1919 record even connects to the same family. Was there a 3rd generation Marion Woods who may have d 1919? Would cemeteries in Monroe Co., AL help with the Woods family?

The formatting went squirrelly (?)
Any analytical minds out there with better proof and data, please reply. I need objective and factual help.
Appreciatively,
Sally Randol-Hardy