Mary Louisa Abbitt was born August 28, 1879, the seventh of eight children born to William Kinchen Abbitt and Lucy Frances Graddy. She was born in Pike County, AL.
When she was small, her brothers Bill and Jim told her that if she nursed on a sow she could see the wind – she did, and she didn't.
Ben Reynolds and Mary Louisa married in Pike County on Sunday, November 26th, 1899 at her parent's house.
The newly married couple set up house in Brundidge, AL. There home was on land that belonged to William Benjamin Reynolds, grandfather of John Benjamin.
Their first child was born March 21st, 1901, a son named John William, he was named after both grandfathers. When cotton picking season came, sometimes as late as October to January in Pike County, Mary Louisa had a girl to sit with the baby while she helped in the field. The girl was afraid to be in the house alone, so she opened the door where she could look across the fields. The draft from the open door made little John William sick, and he died in February 1902 and was buried at Sandfield Cemetery in Pike Co. William K. Abbitt had furnished the land for the cemetery in 1889; John William Reynolds is the first Reynolds/Abbitt family member to be buried there.
A second son was born on December 13th of the same year, James Reuben Reynolds. James was the name of Mary Louisa's grandfather Abbitt, and Reuben was the name of Ben's great-grandfather Reynolds.
In 1903, John Benjamin Reynolds entered into a business partnership with William K. Abbitt "Pepaw", his father-in-law, they opened a grocery store and apparently Pepaw helped finance the venture, he had grocery experience as noted in the 1860 census of Stewart County, GA. Pepaw and Ben got into a little argument that was not resolved. The Edwards family of Pike County had some supplies to sell Ben and he needed to pick them up. The weather was nasty and rainy, the family begged Ben not to go out, but Ben said "You know how those ‘Edards' are, if I don't go, they'll sell to somebody else".
While out in the rain, Ben caught pneumonia. His sickness worsened and he became unconscious. Pepaw went to him and tried to apologize for the earlier argument, but Ben never gained consciousness. Pepaw always regretted this. Ben died December 18th, 1903, just 5 days after his son's 1st birthday, and was buried at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Reynolds moved back home with Pepaw and Mema. Ben may never have known that his wife, Mary Louisa was pregnant with a daughter. Bennie Mae Reynolds was born July 13th, 1904.
Mary Louisa Reynolds, did not remarry, she stayed with Pepaw and Mema until 1917 when she moved to Phenix City to work in the cotton mill. There were several strikes at the mill, and it appears that in 1920, the Reynolds moved back to Pike County as Mary L, Reuben and Bennie are enumerated with the Abbitts on January 29th, 1920. A letter written on March 16th 1919 to Mary L. Reynolds in Phenix City says that Reuben is in Pike County, living with Pepaw, while Mary Louisa, Bennie, and Mary Louisa's sisters Laura and Avey are in Phenix City.
She worked in the cotton mills for many years. Bennie Mae Reynolds married Curtis F. Benefield on December 24th 1921, and Mary Louisa Reynolds remained with Bennie until her death on November 19th, 1976 at age 97. She is buried next to Ben at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Abbitt Reynolds loved to talk about her family, she was a top notch seamstress, could quilt at better than ten stitches to an inch, she loved to garden and play games. She was always doing something, whether it was sewing something, making something or pealing something – she said "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". She could also spell as good anybody and two days before her death could spell every word in her Blue Back Speller.
When she was small, her brothers Bill and Jim told her that if she nursed on a sow she could see the wind – she did, and she didn't.
Ben Reynolds and Mary Louisa married in Pike County on Sunday, November 26th, 1899 at her parent's house.
The newly married couple set up house in Brundidge, AL. There home was on land that belonged to William Benjamin Reynolds, grandfather of John Benjamin.
Their first child was born March 21st, 1901, a son named John William, he was named after both grandfathers. When cotton picking season came, sometimes as late as October to January in Pike County, Mary Louisa had a girl to sit with the baby while she helped in the field. The girl was afraid to be in the house alone, so she opened the door where she could look across the fields. The draft from the open door made little John William sick, and he died in February 1902 and was buried at Sandfield Cemetery in Pike Co. William K. Abbitt had furnished the land for the cemetery in 1889; John William Reynolds is the first Reynolds/Abbitt family member to be buried there.
A second son was born on December 13th of the same year, James Reuben Reynolds. James was the name of Mary Louisa's grandfather Abbitt, and Reuben was the name of Ben's great-grandfather Reynolds.
In 1903, John Benjamin Reynolds entered into a business partnership with William K. Abbitt "Pepaw", his father-in-law, they opened a grocery store and apparently Pepaw helped finance the venture, he had grocery experience as noted in the 1860 census of Stewart County, GA. Pepaw and Ben got into a little argument that was not resolved. The Edwards family of Pike County had some supplies to sell Ben and he needed to pick them up. The weather was nasty and rainy, the family begged Ben not to go out, but Ben said "You know how those ‘Edards' are, if I don't go, they'll sell to somebody else".
While out in the rain, Ben caught pneumonia. His sickness worsened and he became unconscious. Pepaw went to him and tried to apologize for the earlier argument, but Ben never gained consciousness. Pepaw always regretted this. Ben died December 18th, 1903, just 5 days after his son's 1st birthday, and was buried at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Reynolds moved back home with Pepaw and Mema. Ben may never have known that his wife, Mary Louisa was pregnant with a daughter. Bennie Mae Reynolds was born July 13th, 1904.
Mary Louisa Reynolds, did not remarry, she stayed with Pepaw and Mema until 1917 when she moved to Phenix City to work in the cotton mill. There were several strikes at the mill, and it appears that in 1920, the Reynolds moved back to Pike County as Mary L, Reuben and Bennie are enumerated with the Abbitts on January 29th, 1920. A letter written on March 16th 1919 to Mary L. Reynolds in Phenix City says that Reuben is in Pike County, living with Pepaw, while Mary Louisa, Bennie, and Mary Louisa's sisters Laura and Avey are in Phenix City.
She worked in the cotton mills for many years. Bennie Mae Reynolds married Curtis F. Benefield on December 24th 1921, and Mary Louisa Reynolds remained with Bennie until her death on November 19th, 1976 at age 97. She is buried next to Ben at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Abbitt Reynolds loved to talk about her family, she was a top notch seamstress, could quilt at better than ten stitches to an inch, she loved to garden and play games. She was always doing something, whether it was sewing something, making something or pealing something – she said "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". She could also spell as good anybody and two days before her death could spell every word in her Blue Back Speller.
Mary Louisa Abbitt was born August 28, 1879, the seventh of eight children born to William Kinchen Abbitt and Lucy Frances Graddy. She was born in Pike County, AL.
When she was small, her brothers Bill and Jim told her that if she nursed on a sow she could see the wind – she did, and she didn't.
Ben Reynolds and Mary Louisa married in Pike County on Sunday, November 26th, 1899 at her parent's house.
The newly married couple set up house in Brundidge, AL. There home was on land that belonged to William Benjamin Reynolds, grandfather of John Benjamin.
Their first child was born March 21st, 1901, a son named John William, he was named after both grandfathers. When cotton picking season came, sometimes as late as October to January in Pike County, Mary Louisa had a girl to sit with the baby while she helped in the field. The girl was afraid to be in the house alone, so she opened the door where she could look across the fields. The draft from the open door made little John William sick, and he died in February 1902 and was buried at Sandfield Cemetery in Pike Co. William K. Abbitt had furnished the land for the cemetery in 1889; John William Reynolds is the first Reynolds/Abbitt family member to be buried there.
A second son was born on December 13th of the same year, James Reuben Reynolds. James was the name of Mary Louisa's grandfather Abbitt, and Reuben was the name of Ben's great-grandfather Reynolds.
In 1903, John Benjamin Reynolds entered into a business partnership with William K. Abbitt "Pepaw", his father-in-law, they opened a grocery store and apparently Pepaw helped finance the venture, he had grocery experience as noted in the 1860 census of Stewart County, GA. Pepaw and Ben got into a little argument that was not resolved. The Edwards family of Pike County had some supplies to sell Ben and he needed to pick them up. The weather was nasty and rainy, the family begged Ben not to go out, but Ben said "You know how those ‘Edards' are, if I don't go, they'll sell to somebody else".
While out in the rain, Ben caught pneumonia. His sickness worsened and he became unconscious. Pepaw went to him and tried to apologize for the earlier argument, but Ben never gained consciousness. Pepaw always regretted this. Ben died December 18th, 1903, just 5 days after his son's 1st birthday, and was buried at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Reynolds moved back home with Pepaw and Mema. Ben may never have known that his wife, Mary Louisa was pregnant with a daughter. Bennie Mae Reynolds was born July 13th, 1904.
Mary Louisa Reynolds, did not remarry, she stayed with Pepaw and Mema until 1917 when she moved to Phenix City to work in the cotton mill. There were several strikes at the mill, and it appears that in 1920, the Reynolds moved back to Pike County as Mary L, Reuben and Bennie are enumerated with the Abbitts on January 29th, 1920. A letter written on March 16th 1919 to Mary L. Reynolds in Phenix City says that Reuben is in Pike County, living with Pepaw, while Mary Louisa, Bennie, and Mary Louisa's sisters Laura and Avey are in Phenix City.
She worked in the cotton mills for many years. Bennie Mae Reynolds married Curtis F. Benefield on December 24th 1921, and Mary Louisa Reynolds remained with Bennie until her death on November 19th, 1976 at age 97. She is buried next to Ben at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Abbitt Reynolds loved to talk about her family, she was a top notch seamstress, could quilt at better than ten stitches to an inch, she loved to garden and play games. She was always doing something, whether it was sewing something, making something or pealing something – she said "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". She could also spell as good anybody and two days before her death could spell every word in her Blue Back Speller.
When she was small, her brothers Bill and Jim told her that if she nursed on a sow she could see the wind – she did, and she didn't.
Ben Reynolds and Mary Louisa married in Pike County on Sunday, November 26th, 1899 at her parent's house.
The newly married couple set up house in Brundidge, AL. There home was on land that belonged to William Benjamin Reynolds, grandfather of John Benjamin.
Their first child was born March 21st, 1901, a son named John William, he was named after both grandfathers. When cotton picking season came, sometimes as late as October to January in Pike County, Mary Louisa had a girl to sit with the baby while she helped in the field. The girl was afraid to be in the house alone, so she opened the door where she could look across the fields. The draft from the open door made little John William sick, and he died in February 1902 and was buried at Sandfield Cemetery in Pike Co. William K. Abbitt had furnished the land for the cemetery in 1889; John William Reynolds is the first Reynolds/Abbitt family member to be buried there.
A second son was born on December 13th of the same year, James Reuben Reynolds. James was the name of Mary Louisa's grandfather Abbitt, and Reuben was the name of Ben's great-grandfather Reynolds.
In 1903, John Benjamin Reynolds entered into a business partnership with William K. Abbitt "Pepaw", his father-in-law, they opened a grocery store and apparently Pepaw helped finance the venture, he had grocery experience as noted in the 1860 census of Stewart County, GA. Pepaw and Ben got into a little argument that was not resolved. The Edwards family of Pike County had some supplies to sell Ben and he needed to pick them up. The weather was nasty and rainy, the family begged Ben not to go out, but Ben said "You know how those ‘Edards' are, if I don't go, they'll sell to somebody else".
While out in the rain, Ben caught pneumonia. His sickness worsened and he became unconscious. Pepaw went to him and tried to apologize for the earlier argument, but Ben never gained consciousness. Pepaw always regretted this. Ben died December 18th, 1903, just 5 days after his son's 1st birthday, and was buried at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Reynolds moved back home with Pepaw and Mema. Ben may never have known that his wife, Mary Louisa was pregnant with a daughter. Bennie Mae Reynolds was born July 13th, 1904.
Mary Louisa Reynolds, did not remarry, she stayed with Pepaw and Mema until 1917 when she moved to Phenix City to work in the cotton mill. There were several strikes at the mill, and it appears that in 1920, the Reynolds moved back to Pike County as Mary L, Reuben and Bennie are enumerated with the Abbitts on January 29th, 1920. A letter written on March 16th 1919 to Mary L. Reynolds in Phenix City says that Reuben is in Pike County, living with Pepaw, while Mary Louisa, Bennie, and Mary Louisa's sisters Laura and Avey are in Phenix City.
She worked in the cotton mills for many years. Bennie Mae Reynolds married Curtis F. Benefield on December 24th 1921, and Mary Louisa Reynolds remained with Bennie until her death on November 19th, 1976 at age 97. She is buried next to Ben at Sandfield.
Mary Louisa Abbitt Reynolds loved to talk about her family, she was a top notch seamstress, could quilt at better than ten stitches to an inch, she loved to garden and play games. She was always doing something, whether it was sewing something, making something or pealing something – she said "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". She could also spell as good anybody and two days before her death could spell every word in her Blue Back Speller.
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