|
| Remembering " Shining Star " Workman Smith. |
|
" A Very Special Tribute to our " Shining Star " . We are so glad to have found her in Davidson County,
North Carolina . She was in our family history and talked about down thru the years, but we didn't have any solid proof she
really existed in North Carolina. We found her in the 1850 Census for Davidson County , North Carolina . I feel so proud to
know she was my ggggrandmother. I am so proud to claim her for our Family Tree and give her a special place. I hope
we can keep her memory alive in all the family to come behind us. I know she faced many dangerous and trying times in her
life and deseves our honor and respect.
| Leonard Smith ? |
|
|
| Could this be our Leonard Smith ? |
History and Bible Notes from the Family Bible of Elizabeth
Evaline ( Smith ) Woodall and her family.
This part of our family tree
starts in Davidson County , North Carolina about 1805.
A baby girl was born to Thomas Workman and his wife Elizabeth [Garren] Workman
in 1805 in Davidson County , North Carolina .
They named their daughter Rebecca . We know
Rebecca was a girl of mixed indian blood. Rebecca had several brother's and sister's but there is know mention of there being
any indian blood according to the Family History.
That is a mystery to us. We feel her father
was Thomas Workman but not sure Elizabeth Garren was her birth mother. Rebecca's indian name was " Shining Star " , but
she was given the English name of Rebecca Workman. It looks like she was raised as apart of that family. In our research
we find Elizabeth Garren married Thomas Workman sometime between 1797/1807. Our research for more information about her has
hit a dead end. We do not have her recorded in the Family Bible as the mother of Rebecca.
Rebecca meet and married Leonard Smith of Davidson County , North Carolina
in 1823 .
They were married in Rowan County, N.C.
by a bondsman named Turkey Harris. After their marriage they made their home in Davidson County, N.C.
According to family history records Leonard
was a trapper when he meet Rebecca but decided to settle down and become a farmer.
Leonard and Rebecca had three children They
had two sons named , Obediah Smith born :1823 and Thomas E. Smith born:1836 in Davidson County , North Carolina. They also
had a daughter Elizabeth Evaline Smith born : 1822 in Davidson County. N.C
In the census of 1850 for Davidson County
, North Carolina , we find a 48 yr.old Leonard Smith and wife Rebecca Smith 48 yrs. living with their son Thomas E. Smith
, 14 yrs old. The 1850 Census shows them living next door to their daughter Elizabeth Evaline [Smith] Woodall 26
, and her husband George W. Woodall 28 yrs old.
It also shows their son Obediah Smith b.
1823 has married a Maraguite ( Rider ) Smith and lives in the same area. We also find in Obediah 's household two
sons , Albert and George Smith.
Obediah and Maraguite have three other daughters , Sarah Caroline Smith ,born
06 July, 1857 and Dolcenia Jane Smith , born Aug 1864 , and Rebecca Adeline Smith , born 29 Nov 1866 ,who were born
after they came to Yell Co. Ar.
We also find in the same area , the parents of George W. Woodall .
They are James Woodall age, 52 and Eliza [unk]Woodall
age 47. In the same household we find several siblings of George. The children listed are John , Jane, Thomas , Elizabeth
, Benjamin and James C. Woodall.
We
know from family history the whole family group of Smith's and Woodall's decided to leave Sailbury , N. C. and travel to Yell
County , Arkansas. They made the trip by wagon train. It was a hard long journey and a sad one. Margurite( Rider) Smith
was expecting another child when they left and the baby was born dead. It wasn't until they reached Alabama and stopped at
an old farm house , that they were able to bury their baby. The farmer took some boards from his barn and made a coffin for
the baby. I know that must have been a very sad time for them.
Riley Creek , Yell County , Arkansas was open for homesteading , so they claimed
a parcel of land and settled there. They built a large log cabin and out buildings that stood until the 1950's . It became
locally known that Obediah Smith and his mother Rebecca ( Workman) Smith were a very private family. No tax collector
ever came to their place to collect , because Obediah always sent his taxes to town by a friend.
They even had a friend bring them their supplies because they never went to town. This behavior caused
people to think they were strange and mysterious. I know in the olden days people of indian blood may have felt strange or
uncomfortable when not with their own . There are many strange tales told about Obediah Smith and his family. During
the Civil War , bushwackers rode the backroads of Riley Creek , and several of the surrounding communities. It was a very
dangerous time and many people were killed by them. Leonard Smith and his wife " Shining Star " , Rebecca Workman Smith
, took the family and children to Fort Morrilton for safety , after his son -in-law George Washington Woodall was killed by
a band of bushwackers near Riley Creek. After the danger passed they returned to Riley Creek and helped their daughter Elizabeth
raise their grandchildren. They lived there until their deaths. Obediah's wife Margurite became cripped with arthritis and
unable to help on the farm. Obediah divorced her and married another woman named Jennia Hunt and moved in and lived
with her on the old Wes Hunt place. Obediah and Margurite ( Rider ) Smith had one daughter after they had moved to Arkansas.
Rebecca Smith was her name . Rebecca Smith born (1866 ) married Andrew Jackson Talley born ( 1861 ) and
they moved into the old home place. Rebecca( Smith ) Talley took care of her brothers and their mother as
long as she lived. Much of the information about our Smith's , Woodalls, Reed's and Talley's was given by Lula Marie(
Reed )Woodard and the old Family Bible that was keep by Elizabeth Evaline Smith , Rebecca Louisa Woodall Farmer and Arbelia
Farmer Reed.
| Rebecca Adeline ( Smith ) Talley 1866-1950 |
|
|
Rebecca Adeline ( Smith ) Talley was born ; 29 Nov. 1866 in Riley Creek , Yell County , Ar.
and died 05 May 1950 . Rebecca married Andrew Jackson Talley ; 01 Jan. 1885 in Yell County , Ar. She was the daughter
of Obediah and Margurite ( Ryder ) Smith . Rebecca and Andrew Jackson Talley had 13 children together .
"The Children of Andrew Jackson Talley and Rebecca Adeline ( Smith ) Talley "
1. Baby Frank Talley was born 17 Oct 1885 and died 26 Oct . 1885 .
#2 . Baby Talley was b/d on 14
Sept. 1886 .
#3. Mary Asilee Talley was born 19 Oct. 1887 and died in 1901 .
#4. Robert Thomas Talley was
born 15 Nov. 1889 and died 25 April 1957 . #5. William Lester Talley was born 16 Nov. 1891 and died 28 Mar 1951 .
#6. Virgil White Talley was born 05 June 1893 and died 16 Nov. 1972 .
#7. Ollie Mae Talley was born 05 Mar 1895 and died 26 Nov. 1975 . She married Oscar
King Moore 21 Aug. 1925 .
#8 . Luela ( Ludy ) Talley was born 20 Jan 1887 and died 12 June 1899 .
#9. Sara Elizabeth Talley was born 21
Nov. 1898 and died 18 Mar 1992 . She married William Carl Mehle .
#10 . Lillie Gertrude Talley was born 20 Jun 1901 and died 18 March 1990 . She married George
Edward Threatt 16 April 1918 . He was born 31 July 1882 and died 29 Sept 1964 .
# 11. Arie Belle Talley was born
13 June 1903 and died 14 Feb. 1993 . She married Albert Smith 20 Feb. 1926
# 12 . Hestella Talley was born
09 Feb. 1905 and died 04 Sept. 1989 . She married Lewis Moudy in California
. #13 . Alice Francis Talley was
born 23 Jan 1908 and died 13 Dec 2003 . She married Albert Harrison Tubbs 09 Feb. 1932 . Albert Harrison
Tubbs was born 16 Aug 1896 and died 15 Oct 1962 .
| Andrew Jackson Talley ( 1861-1948 ) |
|
|
Andrew Jackson Talley was born 11 Oct. 1861 in Hamilton County , Tn, and died 30 April 1948
. Andrew Jackson and Rebecca A. Smith were married 01 Jan 1885 . Andrew Jackson was the son of Joel A. Talley and Elizabeth
( Roark ) Talley . Andrew Jackson and Rebecca A. made their home in Yell County , Ar.
There is a small cemetery that has been found where there are at least ten known graves. It's called
"Smith / Talley Cemetery ". They have placed a Monument there with the names of the known people buried there. The names
we know : ( Elizabeth Evaline Woodall and George W. Woodall ); (Obediah Smith and Margurite Smith ) ,(
Frank Talley s/o A.J. & Rebecca Talley ); ( Talley , Inf, s/o A,J. & Rebecca Talley ); (Albert Smith s/o Obediah
& Marguerite Smith ), (George Smith s/o Obediah & Marguerite Smith) and two unmarked graves that are believed
to be (Leonard Smith and Rebecca " Shining Star " Workman Smith) . This cemetery is located in Riley Creek , Yell
County , Ar. It is across the road from the old Reed Place and is about 60 ft.off the road.
| Smith / Talley Cemetery , Riley Creek , Ar. |
|
|
| Marker Placed by Roark Moudy . |
Special Notes :
There have been many tales told about seeing a ghostly figure cross the road leading to the old cemetery on many a night as
people pass that place on the road. Could it be that Obediah is still watching over his loved ones ? Many people think
it's Obediah Smith. There are several families that have a tie to Obediah Smith . Here is just a short list of the surnames
; Horn ,Ward, Donnell , Moore , Smith , Johnson , Stanberry , Tubbs , Moudy, Woodall , Farmer , Reed , Talley , Haire
and Misenhimer .
|
