Some Notes on a West Alabama Family by Laura Vonceil Duckworth, Reform, Alabama.

One of the joys of exploring family history is learning from 2nd, 3rd and 4th cousins of great uncles and aunts who lived in different times and places.  Laura Vonceil Duckworth of Pickens County, Alabama and I visited twice in 2011 and have traded emails about  descendants of James Grantson Holliman (1750 - 1836), our common 4 GGF.  


What follows below is in no way comprehensive of Elijah Holliman's Civil War struggles but does allow us to begin to know of his life and offspring.  Our thanks to Vonceil for this glimpse of her family and their lives in West Alabama.  Any errors in these articles belong to me, and I welcome additions and corrections. - GNH

“My great grandfather was the famed Civil War veteran Elijah Holliman, born on 12 July 1839 in Newtonville, Fayette County, Alabama.  He was the son of Charles and Barbara Walters Holliman who emigrated from South Carolina in 1836. 

Elijah Holliman in his Confederate uniform during the Civil War

Elijah married three times.  His first marriage was to Mary Shaw of whom three children were born:  Sarah Melissa Holliman, Mary Elizabeth Holliman and Peter Aaron Holliman.

                                               Mary Shaw Holliman 
His second marriage was to Permelia Gibson ( 1834-1873).  She is my great grandmother.  From this union there were two children: William Green Holliman and Laura Jane (Jannie) Holliman, my grandmother.  Unfortunately I do not have a photograph of Permelia or even know where she is buried.

Elijah’s third wife (photo below) was Malinda Elmina Levisa Jane Johnson, born December 23, 1846 and died September 12, 1926.  She is buried in Springhill Southern Baptist Cemetery, five miles west of Millport, Alabama next to Elijah.

                                                    

Next posting more on Vonceil Duckworth's Holliman ancestors....