Family Biographies
Nellie Thompson
Great-grand Aunt of James D Thompson Jr.
(1860 – 1929)
My research on the life of Nellie Thompson has been vital in my quest to prove the parentage of Rufus J Thompson.
Nellie Thompson was the 7th child and 4th daughter of William M and Mildred (unknown) Thompson. She was born in August, 1859, in south central Georgia, probably Echols County. The Thompson family removed to Tampa, Florida and is shown there in the census of 1870. By 1880, the family has returned to Georgia, living in Naylor, Lowndes County. William was dead by 1880, and Mildred is listed with the children remaining at home.
On October 11, 1893, Nellie married John Isom, a 75 year-old, widowed, Civil War veteran, in Lowndes County. Sometime before the 1900 census, John and Nellie relocated to Early County, Georgia. Nellie's brother Rufus and sister Eugenia (Davis) also lived in Early County that year. It is possible that the families moved to Early County at the same time. Rufus had married in 1892 and Eugenia about 1895.
In 1898 John Isom applied for a Civil War pension with the state of Georgia. Among the pension application documents, I was surprised to find a copy of a handwritten letter from Nellie and Eugenia's older sister, Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Horner). (see transcript below.) The letter is addressed to Nellie. Lizzie refers to Nellie, "Genie", "Brother Isom", John and Emma Carter (niece), and "Lamos", their sister Mellissa Salamos (Watson). The letter contains 4 pages, but only the first two pages are complete. Pages 3 and 4 appear to have been ripped in half. Nevertheless, finding the names mentioned in the letter provides the long-awaited confirmation that I have the correct family of my great grandfather, Rufus J Thompson. We know from family members, that Rufus and sisters named Nellie and Gennie1.
Transcript of letter:
Page 1
Naylor Oct ineligible 1902 ?
Nelly Dear sister I will write to you to let (you) hear from me. I am looking for you and Genie every day dont come through the country come on the fast rail. it comes hear at 4 oclock in the evening. be shure to come on the rail. Brother Isom asked about crops hear crops ar good hear corn was east of some but there is plenty corn made I want
Page 2
you all to move back to this country. Nelly I want to see you and talk with you. I have a heep to tell you that I cant write. I told you that I was going to come but I rather you would com than for me to go their. if you don’t come I am going to try to come after Christmas. Lama is worrying me. she says she is not able to do anything. She hasent done anything this year John and Emma has moved and left her her children.
Original Letter: (click on image)
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Also among the documents in John Isom's pension application is an affidavit signed by several of his friends and neighbors which attest to his character. Among these neighbors is Green Chambers. Hold that thought.
John Isom died on June 22, 1904 and was buried in Thomas County, Georgia, beside his first wife.
I have not located Nellie in the census of 1910.
In the census of 1920, Nellie is married to Green Chambers, a former neighbor and friend of John Isom. Green's wife, Sarah Bailey Chambers had died on March 10, 1910. Nellie and Green married shortly thereafter, on September 11, 1910.
Bothe Nellie and Green are buried in the Cedar Spring Cemetery4 in Early County, Georgia. The tombstone reveals that Nellie was born in 1860, died on January 12, 19292, and was the second wife of Green Chambers. Green was born in 1844 and died on November 30, 19272. Green’s first wife, Sarah J. Bailey is also in this cemetery.
Nellie’s death certificate from the State of Georgia3, gives her name as “Mrs. Nellie Chambers”, age 67.
From the certificate3:
County: Early Militia District: 1572
Full Name: Mrs. Nellie Chambers
Sex: female
Color or race: white
Marital status: widowed
Name of husband or wife: Green Chambers
Age: 67
Occupation: none
Birthplace: Georgia
Name of father: Do not know
Birthplace of father: Do not know
Maiden name of mother: Do not know
Birthplace of mother: South Carolina
Informant: Mrs. Emma Motes, Jakin, GA
Filed Dec 4, 1929
Registrar: L E Peterman
Date of death: Nov 12, 1929
Cause of death: Pneumonia
Place of burial: Cedar Springs
Date of burial: Nov 13, 1929
Nellie's death date is officially November 12, 1929. This means the month of death is wrong in the cemetery survey. This is not unusual. The person taking the cemetery survey could have easily read 11/12/1929 as 1/12/1929 on an old tombstone. Actually, the surveyor’s notes say “Some of the graves were very old and hard to read”3. Because the husband’s name is correct on the certificate, and the cemetery is correct, I have no doubt that this is our Nellie Chambers. It is unfortunate that Emma Motes did not know the parents names. This is something I was hoping to confirm, especially her mother's maiden name. However, her knowledge that Nellie’s mother was born in South Carolina corresponds with what we know of William and Mildred.
The informant, Emma Motes, was actually Emma Davis Moates, the daughter of Nellie's sister Eugenia Thompson and William Napolean Davis. She was therefore Nellie's niece. Another connection of Emma to Nellie is that her husband, Miley Dew Moates, had a sister named Venera. Vanera married William Bryant Thompson, the son of Nellie's brother Rufus. If you can follow this line......that makes Emma Davis and William Bryant Thompson first cousins.
I wish there was more to report about the personal life of Nellie Thompson. Much of what I have written was uncovered during my attempt to prove that the parents of Rufus J Thompson were William M and Mildred Thompson. With the early death of both William and Mildred, I was left with connecting the family through the children.
I am very grateful to the late Morris James Thompson, who provided so many valuable clues about our family that helped me piece this story together and find our true great-great-grandparents. I am also grateful to the good Lord, who was loving enough to plant a personal letter, in 1902, 51 years before I was born, among the papers for the Civil War pension of John Isom, for me to find in 2010. To anyone else in the world, at any time, this letter would be meaningless.
Jim Thompson- June, 2010.
Sources
1. Information provided by Morris James Thompson, provided to him by Mattie Evelyn Thompson, (b. December 18, 1914, d. December 15, 1998), youngest daughter of RJ and Mattie Thompson.
2. Tombstone, Cedar Springs, Early County, Georgia. Surveyed by Joelyne McGriff, May, 30, 1983.
3. Certificate of death, Mrs. Nellie Chambers. Georgia certificate number 29-32196.
4. Collections of the Early County Historical Society, Volumes I, II, and III.
