Biography

Amanda's parents were Tilman E. Thomas and Narcissus Elizabeth Ward.The death of Jeff left Mandy alone with two infant boys to raise. In February 1891 Amanda writes Huldah and describes the last days for Jeff: “Huldah if I had known Jeff was not going to get well I would have written to you but I did not know that. You know he always thought so much of you he said all the time he was going to die he said he wanted us all to pray for him and to all meet him in heaven. He said he heard some of the prettiest singing while he was sick, he ever heard in his life. He would call us to his bed and ask us if we couldn't hear singing and pretty music. He would tell me nearly every day to come and hug and kiss him and say Mandy meet me in heaven. He said he hated to leave me and the children and for me to do the best I could. I stayed right with him as long as he lived.” She then describes how it was affecting her child: “Dolphy talks about his Pa every day. He says he wants us to dig his Pa up so we can go home and live he thought so much of his Pa. He tells me all about how his Pa was dressed he will never forget how he looked as long as he lives. I did not get to see him. It liked to have killed me when I saw he was gone. He got all the attention any one could have, every body around come to see him we had 2 Dr.'s with him, we all done all we could for him he did not like for any thing at all.”Her sister-in-law, Huldah Montgomery, who was married and childless, especially wanted to adopt Mandy's oldest son, Dolph, but Mandy would not allow it. After Jeff's death, Mandy sold the farm, household items, tools, livestock, and Jeff's beautiful horse and saddle. She asked Alex to build a shelter over and put a picket fence around Jeff's grave at present-day New Hope Cemetery. She feared the grave would grow over with weeds and be lost. In August of 1891 she caught the train with her two boys, her trunks, and her feather bed and headed back to Boaz, Marshall County, Alabama. Mandy lived with her father and mother in the Mt. Vernon Community until 1895 when she married James Nathan Woods who was from Georgia. When Mandy was on her death bed and in the presence of her younger sister and husband, she stated, "I want it clearly understood that the feather bed is to stay in the Beaty family." The feathers were already fifty years old at that time, but in the 19th century, a feather bed was a prized possession. The bed was later divided into four sets of pillows, making five in all to be given out to Beaty family members. Mandy died on March 26, 1937 and was buried beside her second husband, James Woods. They are both buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery, in the Mt. Vernon Community, Marshall County, Alabama

Children:

• Adolphus Gaines Beaty 1886–1950

• Frances Woods Thomas 1895–1981

• Lena Belle Woods 1901–1902

• Homer C Woods 1902–1960

• Florence Irene Woods 1908–1908

Sources

• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41354528/amanda-jane-woods
• "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MK7V-54B : accessed 1 August 2021), Mandy Woods in household of James N Woods, Red Apple, Marshall, Alabama, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 109, sheet 1B, family 14, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 25; FHL microfilm 1,374,038.
• "United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MX82-5XY : 31 January 2021), Manda Woods in entry for James M Woods, 1920.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R4N-WL3?cc=1810731&wc=QZFS-9WJ%3A648803601%2C649489601%2C650993601%2C1589282350 : 8 December 2015), Alabama > Marshall > Boaz > ED 23 > image 29 of 34; citing NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002).
• "Alabama County Marriages, 1809-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:29NC-V1V : 19 February 2021), Jefferson M Baty and Mandy J Thomas, 24 Dec 1885; citing Marshall, Alabama, United States, County Probate Courts, Alabama; FHL microfilm 1,035,277.

Is Amanda your ancestor? Please don't go away!

Login to collaborate orcomment,contact the profile manager,orask our community of genealogists a question.