Wednesday’s Child

Tillman Lee Edwards, Sr.

Tillman the oldest child of John Houston and Dollie Ophelia (Lee) Edwards was born 05 September 1900 in Tallassee, Elmore County, Alabama. Tillman Lee Edwards died 21 July 1979 in Wilsonville, Shelby County, Alabama. His wife Ostella Marie preceded him in death 06 December 1972. They both are buried in Fourmile Cemetery in Wilsonville.

Tillman Lee was given the Lee surname for his middle given name. He registered for the World War Draft 12 April 1918. He was a medium built, medium height, brown eyed, black hair eighteen-year-old young man. At the time of his registration for the draft he was living in Vincent in Shelby County, Alabama. He was living on the farm and working for his father. His mother Dollie was listed as his nearest relative when he registered.

By 1920 Tillman Lee is still living at home with his parents and a laborer on the farm. He is single. Then, by the 1930 census he has settled down living on Bethel Church Road in Columbiana. Tillman was a young man of twenty-five years old when he married his wife. His occupation is farming and working on his own. He wasn’t a veteran in any branches of the military. Tillman completed the eighth grade and his wife completed three years of high school. By 1930 Tillman and Ostella had been married four years and they were the parents of two children Tillman, Jr. his namesake, three and a half years old and a daughter Doris Marie, one month old infant. Did Tillman and Stella have more children? I don’t know because the 1940 census is the last census until the 1950 census is released April 1, 2022. In 1960 Tillman, Jr. was living Bessemer, Alabama with his wife Lazelle. They lived at 2716 Clyburne Avenue TCI employee. He and his wife are listed on page 99 in the Bessemer City Directory for 1960.

A strange turn of events happened by the time the next census was taken. April 1, 1935 Tillman and his family were living in rural Shelby County, Alabama. Tillman, his wife and two children were living in Beat 5, Monroe County, Mississippi by the time the 1940 was enumerated. Tillman was a farmer that was his occupation and Stella was a laborer and they worked for themselves; so, why were they living in Monroe County? Why did Tillman moved from the area where he was born and reared to Mississippi? Did he have better opportunities?

This is a new twist in the Edwards family place of residence. The Edwards families have lived in Shelby, Jefferson, Tallapoosa, Coosa, and Elmore Counties for many years. I am not aware of Edwards families living in Mississippi, though there might be families living there. Perhaps Stella has family there and they moved to be near her family. There isn’t an answer to these questions yet; however, there may be a cousin who will come across this blog and have answers.

Tillman Lee Edwards is my father’s half-brother. They share the same biological father. Tillman made occasional trips to Louisiana to visit family. There are happy memories of the Alabama folks coming to Louisiana for their visits.

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Sources
Year: 1910; Census Place: Police Jury Ward 1, Jackson, Louisiana; Roll: T624_516; Page: 24A; Enumeration District: 0053; FHL microfilm: 1374529

Year: 1920; Census Place: Harpersville, Shelby, Alabama; Roll: T625_40; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 121; Image: 1004

Year: 1930; Census Place: Columbiana, Shelby, Alabama; Roll: 48; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0002; Image: 557.0; FHL microfilm: 2339783

Year: 1940; Census Place: Monroe, Mississippi; Roll: T627_2050; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 48-34

U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, Registration State: Alabama; Registration County: Shelby; Roll: 1509430

U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995 for Tillman L Edwards; Bessemer, Alabama City Directory 1960, page 99.

Marriage Records. Alabama Marriages. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, UT, Film Number 001571849.

Find A Grave Memorial# 75021891, Tillman Lee Edwards, Sr.

Ancestry.com. U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current, Ancestry.com

Social Security Death Index, Number: 417-24-1230; Issue State: Alabama; Issue Date: Before 1951