Phoebe And Morgan Mills Maddox
Morgan Mills Maddox was born on 11 October 1852 in Iron Springs, Butts County, Georgia to Dennis Maddox (1815-1860) and Lutecia Cynthia Carter (1825-1880). Morgan had three brothers and three sisters: Genoa, Marietta, Lucian, William, Joseph, and Eunice. Morgan's father died at an early age of disease. He, along with his mom and siblings moved into the home of his uncle Spencer located in Iron Springs.
Morgan married Sarah Frances "Fannie" Preston on 22 November 1877 in Butts County, GA. They had two children together and likely there was a third according to the Middle Georgia Argus newspaper, dated April 4, 1884. The journalist present at her bedside as she was dying wrote, "...while her youngest saw the light only one week before the grim monster bid the mother leave it to the care of others." That would indicate a date of birth in March 1884, but I have not yet found any documentation to confirm this. There are some who list a child named Ernest to Morgan and Fannie. Lela Estella Maddox (1878-1919) was their first child who was reported to have a serious deformity that required medical attention at Atlanta hospitals. They also had a son named Lavosia M. Maddox (1881-1935). Morgan and Fannie were only married slightly more that six years when Fannie tragically died on March 25, 1884 at the age of 24 years due to illness.
In the nearby Grubbs and Niblett township of Jasper county, Simeon and Martha (nee: Ellis) Maddux were raising their children on their farm. In the year 1884, their 21 year old daughter, Phoebe Ann Frances married Morgan on December 17, 1884. By 1900, they lived in their own home in Flovilla, Butts County, Georgia where he was self-employed as a wheelwright (makes/repairs wooden wheels). Between 1885 and 1898 they had eight children together: Woodie, Dennis, Edward, Mathew, Ruby, Elizabeth, Spencer, and Mary. Their fifth child, Ruby Kay Maddox was my paternal grandmother.
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| Maddox family of Flovilla c. 1898 |
Morgan is seen in this photograph (right) seated on the far left next to Phoebe. Around the time of this photograph, all of Phoebe's and Morgan's children still lived in the household so are probably pictured here. Morgan's children are also probably present. Based on age, the girl at the window is almost certain to be Lela although she was living with her birth mom's (Fannie) parents at that time. One of the two older ladies in the photo could be Phoebe's mother, Elizabeth and the other could be Fannie's mother. If anyone has any information that would help in identification, please contact me.
Morgan died at a relatively young age of 53 on September 7, 1906. He was buried at the Macedonia Baptist Church located at 151 Macedonia Church Rd, Jackson, Georgia next to his first wife, Fannie Preston Maddox. By the time of the 1910 U.S. Census, Phoebe and seven of the children had moved together to the Minter/Gilstrap district of Jasper County, Georgia. Phoebe's son Dennis is listed as the head of household and owner of the home.
