This is the story of my Great Great Grandfather, Henry Bias' 2nd wife. In 2001 we all knew her only as "Granny Bias" we were unsure of her maiden name, we knew her as Mrs. Wood from her first marriage when she married Henry Bias on 15 Apr 1888.
In 2001, Sarah Marcum and her father accompanied me on a hike to the location of the Burial of Henry Bias and his first wife, Cassandra. After which we walked to the other side of the hill onto what had once been the property of the Wood and Woodard families. There we located the old family cemetery where Sarah's dad (then 84 years old) remembered that Elsby was buried. It is referred to by some as the Wood Family cemetery and by others as the Woodard Family Cemetery.
So after years of no answers regarding the origins of Mrs Elsby Bias, I was contacted by 'Find A Grave's' "Genieresearcher" with questions and information. So here we are, AT LAST with the story of Elsby, a 2nd wife that was almost lost to our family.
When you read this story, understand that this was a very strong and independent woman....look at what she endured, the years without a husband to assist in the raising of her 3 daughters...in the 1800s that was almost unheard of...women remarried for financial security and protection of rights.....I so admire this woman, I understand why my Great Great Grandfather, Henry was drawn to her after he lost his first wife, Cassandra, who was also a very strong and independent woman.
Elsby was the daughter of John Wood and Lydia (Bryant) Wood of Old Virginia. On March 2nd 1854 she was married in Paline, Virginia to Andrew 'Jackson' Wood.
These were the beginnings of major turmoil for the country and I am sure that Jackson and Elsby were not aware of the impact it would have on their lives in just a few short years. The following year "The War" began.
On the 10th of March 1862 Jackson enlisted in the confederate army as a private.....over the next few months he would suffer with various aliments prevalent during those times due to the harsh conditions for soldiers on both sides of this conflict. After several incidences of hospitalization in the Richmond area, he was finally able to rejoin his company and fight. Just a few months after his enlistment, he was mortally wounded on Jun 27 1862 in the battle of Gaines Mill, VA.
Now Elsby was a young widow with 3 daughters to raise and she did exactly that. She never remarried until 1888 when she married the widower, Henry Bias.
After the death of her 2nd husband Elsby again remained unmarried and in 1910, at the age of 77, she is living by herself as the head of household in the Grant District of Cabell Co, WV. In 1920, at the age of 87, she is living with her son-in-law Patrick McCallister and her daughter, Lou Ann (Wood) McCallister also in the Grant Dist, Cabell County, West Virginia.
I guess the saddest thing for me, is that her grave is not marked with a headstone and without the memory of Sara Marcum's dad no one would know where she was buried...there are other burials there, some marked and some unmarked....but there were 2-3 other unmarked graves where she is and so we do not know the EXACT location of her final resting place. So let this be the tribute to Wonderful and courageous woman, wife, mother and her life!
In 2001, Sarah Marcum and her father accompanied me on a hike to the location of the Burial of Henry Bias and his first wife, Cassandra. After which we walked to the other side of the hill onto what had once been the property of the Wood and Woodard families. There we located the old family cemetery where Sarah's dad (then 84 years old) remembered that Elsby was buried. It is referred to by some as the Wood Family cemetery and by others as the Woodard Family Cemetery.
So after years of no answers regarding the origins of Mrs Elsby Bias, I was contacted by 'Find A Grave's' "Genieresearcher" with questions and information. So here we are, AT LAST with the story of Elsby, a 2nd wife that was almost lost to our family.
When you read this story, understand that this was a very strong and independent woman....look at what she endured, the years without a husband to assist in the raising of her 3 daughters...in the 1800s that was almost unheard of...women remarried for financial security and protection of rights.....I so admire this woman, I understand why my Great Great Grandfather, Henry was drawn to her after he lost his first wife, Cassandra, who was also a very strong and independent woman.
Elsby was the daughter of John Wood and Lydia (Bryant) Wood of Old Virginia. On March 2nd 1854 she was married in Paline, Virginia to Andrew 'Jackson' Wood.
These were the beginnings of major turmoil for the country and I am sure that Jackson and Elsby were not aware of the impact it would have on their lives in just a few short years. The following year "The War" began.
On the 10th of March 1862 Jackson enlisted in the confederate army as a private.....over the next few months he would suffer with various aliments prevalent during those times due to the harsh conditions for soldiers on both sides of this conflict. After several incidences of hospitalization in the Richmond area, he was finally able to rejoin his company and fight. Just a few months after his enlistment, he was mortally wounded on Jun 27 1862 in the battle of Gaines Mill, VA.
Now Elsby was a young widow with 3 daughters to raise and she did exactly that. She never remarried until 1888 when she married the widower, Henry Bias.
After the death of her 2nd husband Elsby again remained unmarried and in 1910, at the age of 77, she is living by herself as the head of household in the Grant District of Cabell Co, WV. In 1920, at the age of 87, she is living with her son-in-law Patrick McCallister and her daughter, Lou Ann (Wood) McCallister also in the Grant Dist, Cabell County, West Virginia.
I guess the saddest thing for me, is that her grave is not marked with a headstone and without the memory of Sara Marcum's dad no one would know where she was buried...there are other burials there, some marked and some unmarked....but there were 2-3 other unmarked graves where she is and so we do not know the EXACT location of her final resting place. So let this be the tribute to Wonderful and courageous woman, wife, mother and her life!
This is the story of my Great Great Grandfather, Henry Bias' 2nd wife. In 2001 we all knew her only as "Granny Bias" we were unsure of her maiden name, we knew her as Mrs. Wood from her first marriage when she married Henry Bias on 15 Apr 1888.
In 2001, Sarah Marcum and her father accompanied me on a hike to the location of the Burial of Henry Bias and his first wife, Cassandra. After which we walked to the other side of the hill onto what had once been the property of the Wood and Woodard families. There we located the old family cemetery where Sarah's dad (then 84 years old) remembered that Elsby was buried. It is referred to by some as the Wood Family cemetery and by others as the Woodard Family Cemetery.
So after years of no answers regarding the origins of Mrs Elsby Bias, I was contacted by 'Find A Grave's' "Genieresearcher" with questions and information. So here we are, AT LAST with the story of Elsby, a 2nd wife that was almost lost to our family.
When you read this story, understand that this was a very strong and independent woman....look at what she endured, the years without a husband to assist in the raising of her 3 daughters...in the 1800s that was almost unheard of...women remarried for financial security and protection of rights.....I so admire this woman, I understand why my Great Great Grandfather, Henry was drawn to her after he lost his first wife, Cassandra, who was also a very strong and independent woman.
Elsby was the daughter of John Wood and Lydia (Bryant) Wood of Old Virginia. On March 2nd 1854 she was married in Paline, Virginia to Andrew 'Jackson' Wood.
These were the beginnings of major turmoil for the country and I am sure that Jackson and Elsby were not aware of the impact it would have on their lives in just a few short years. The following year "The War" began.
On the 10th of March 1862 Jackson enlisted in the confederate army as a private.....over the next few months he would suffer with various aliments prevalent during those times due to the harsh conditions for soldiers on both sides of this conflict. After several incidences of hospitalization in the Richmond area, he was finally able to rejoin his company and fight. Just a few months after his enlistment, he was mortally wounded on Jun 27 1862 in the battle of Gaines Mill, VA.
Now Elsby was a young widow with 3 daughters to raise and she did exactly that. She never remarried until 1888 when she married the widower, Henry Bias.
After the death of her 2nd husband Elsby again remained unmarried and in 1910, at the age of 77, she is living by herself as the head of household in the Grant District of Cabell Co, WV. In 1920, at the age of 87, she is living with her son-in-law Patrick McCallister and her daughter, Lou Ann (Wood) McCallister also in the Grant Dist, Cabell County, West Virginia.
I guess the saddest thing for me, is that her grave is not marked with a headstone and without the memory of Sara Marcum's dad no one would know where she was buried...there are other burials there, some marked and some unmarked....but there were 2-3 other unmarked graves where she is and so we do not know the EXACT location of her final resting place. So let this be the tribute to Wonderful and courageous woman, wife, mother and her life!
In 2001, Sarah Marcum and her father accompanied me on a hike to the location of the Burial of Henry Bias and his first wife, Cassandra. After which we walked to the other side of the hill onto what had once been the property of the Wood and Woodard families. There we located the old family cemetery where Sarah's dad (then 84 years old) remembered that Elsby was buried. It is referred to by some as the Wood Family cemetery and by others as the Woodard Family Cemetery.
So after years of no answers regarding the origins of Mrs Elsby Bias, I was contacted by 'Find A Grave's' "Genieresearcher" with questions and information. So here we are, AT LAST with the story of Elsby, a 2nd wife that was almost lost to our family.
When you read this story, understand that this was a very strong and independent woman....look at what she endured, the years without a husband to assist in the raising of her 3 daughters...in the 1800s that was almost unheard of...women remarried for financial security and protection of rights.....I so admire this woman, I understand why my Great Great Grandfather, Henry was drawn to her after he lost his first wife, Cassandra, who was also a very strong and independent woman.
Elsby was the daughter of John Wood and Lydia (Bryant) Wood of Old Virginia. On March 2nd 1854 she was married in Paline, Virginia to Andrew 'Jackson' Wood.
These were the beginnings of major turmoil for the country and I am sure that Jackson and Elsby were not aware of the impact it would have on their lives in just a few short years. The following year "The War" began.
On the 10th of March 1862 Jackson enlisted in the confederate army as a private.....over the next few months he would suffer with various aliments prevalent during those times due to the harsh conditions for soldiers on both sides of this conflict. After several incidences of hospitalization in the Richmond area, he was finally able to rejoin his company and fight. Just a few months after his enlistment, he was mortally wounded on Jun 27 1862 in the battle of Gaines Mill, VA.
Now Elsby was a young widow with 3 daughters to raise and she did exactly that. She never remarried until 1888 when she married the widower, Henry Bias.
After the death of her 2nd husband Elsby again remained unmarried and in 1910, at the age of 77, she is living by herself as the head of household in the Grant District of Cabell Co, WV. In 1920, at the age of 87, she is living with her son-in-law Patrick McCallister and her daughter, Lou Ann (Wood) McCallister also in the Grant Dist, Cabell County, West Virginia.
I guess the saddest thing for me, is that her grave is not marked with a headstone and without the memory of Sara Marcum's dad no one would know where she was buried...there are other burials there, some marked and some unmarked....but there were 2-3 other unmarked graves where she is and so we do not know the EXACT location of her final resting place. So let this be the tribute to Wonderful and courageous woman, wife, mother and her life!
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