WILLIAM IGNATIUS MATHIS 1812-1890
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Obituary in The Walker County (Georgia) Messenger, x 10 Sept 1890:

"William I. Mathis, of Kosse, Limestone County, Texas, a former resident of Walker County, died on the 30th of August of paralysis. He was born Pulaski County, Georgia on the 23th of August, 1812. He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his passing."

William Ignatius Mathis was born Aug. 23, 1812 in Pulaski Co., Ga., the son of Robert Mathis (also shows as Matthews) and Mary "Polly" Barker. When Wm was a boy, his father moved over into Walton Co., Ga. on Bay Creek. The Mathis family became neighbors to the Whitlow family and attended church with them at Bay Creek Baptist Church. That is where Wm I. Mathis met Martha Whitlow, the daughter of Bolden Whitlow, a deacon at Bay Creek Baptist Church. The two were married at Bay Creek Baptist on Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, 1835.

Wm & Martha Mathis moved to the newly opened Cherokee Territory in northwest Georgia, along with Bolden Whitlow and all of his sons-in-laws. They settled on fertile land near Chickamauga Creek.

Wm and Martha had the following children:

1. MARY ANGELINE "ANGIE" MATHIS, b. 19 Sept., 1836, Pond Spring, Walker Co., Ga. Mar. James Jackson Suttle 20 Feb. 1856. J.J. Jackson service C Co., 36th Georgia as a First Lieutenant, from Sept. 1861 until discharge Appomattox, VA April, 1865. Ran flour and grist mill after the War in Pond Spring, Ga. Moved to Texas with her father and other family members in October, 1873. Had 9 children. Several died in infancy. J.J. Suttle applied for Confederate pension 2 Feb 1911, Abilene, Taylor Co., TX. He d. 20 Oct 1913. Angie Suttle d. 24 Sept 1916. Both bur. Abilene Municipal Cemetery, Taylor Co., TX.
2. MARTHA MATHIS, b. 1841, Walker Co., Ga. Mar. Thomas A. Eubanks. Bur. Cove Cemetery, Walker Co., GA.
3. WILLIAM BAILEY MATHIS, b. 9 Mar 1844, Walker Co., Ga.; mar. Emma Ora Garmany. He d. 23 Apr 1880 Falls Co., TX. Bur. Stranger Cemetery next to his father.
4. MILES WEST MATHIS, b. 1846, Walker Co., Ga. Mar. Eliza Dunnigan. Miles Mathis died 4 Oct 1923, Wichita Falls, TX. Bur. Rosemont Cem., Wichita Co., TX.
5. ELIJAH KILLIS MATHIS, b. 1849, Walker Co., Ga. Mar. 1. Mariah Caroline Henderson (1855-1885), 2. Lucy Barron. Lived in Catoosa Co., GA from 1876 until his death in 1929. Bur. Chickamauga Cemetery, Walker Co., GA.
6. JOHN M. MATHIS, b. 1851, Walker Co., Ga. Mar. Jennie Walker abt 1882. Died Jones Co., TX 1929.
7. JAMES BONDS MATHIS, b. 1854, Walker Co., Ga. Died 5 Apr 1926. Bur. Mexia City Cem., Limestone Co., TX.

Wm I. Mathis served in Co. E, 6th Georgia Cavalry during the Civil War along with several of his brothers-in-law, to include Miles Whitlow, Archie Bonds, Avery Camp and James M. Bonds.

Martha Whitlow Mathis died in 1874 and is bur. in an unmarked grave at The Cove Cemetery, Walker Co., Ga. Two grandsons are also buried at The Cove Cemetery: 1. William Newton Mathis, b. 22 Oct 1873, d. 12 Dec 1873, and 2. Robert Lee Mathis, b. 1879, d. 1880. These are sons of Wm Bailey & Emma Ora Mathis, who left for a healthier climate shortly after the death of the second son. Sadly, W.B. Mathis met his death in Texas within a few months of arriving: Wm Bailey Mathis, b. 9 Mar 1844, d. 23 Apr 1880 in Falls Co., TX; bur. Stranger Cem. Emma Mathis moved back to Pond Springs, Walker Co., GA after her husband was buried. She shows in the 1880 household of her father, Wm Newton Garmany. She remarried to John H. Wyatt in 1884.

Wm I. Mathis sold out in Walker Co., Ga. and moved to Texas in the late 1870's along with several of his family. He lived in Falls Co., TX but had removed to Kosse, Limestone Co., TX to live with his son there a short while before his death. He is buried at Stranger Cemetery, Falls Co., TX.
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Limestone County, Texas Probate Minutes, March Court, 1891:

Item # 653 (summary):

J. B. Mathis applies for letters of administration on estate of W.I. Mathis who died in Limestone County, Texas on August 30th, 1890.

Estate consists primarily of land, approximately 290 acres, lying part in Limestone County, Texas and part in Falls County, Texas.

Last Will and Testament of William I. Mathis presented by J.B. Mathis. Heirs at law:

Wife: Mary O. Mathis

"My children":

Mary Angeline Suttle
Martha Eubanks
Miles W. Mathis
Elijah K. Mathis
J. M. Mathis
James B. Mathis
and to grandchild Ora Mathis, daughter of W.B. Mathis.

LWT /s/ W.I. Mathis
October 2nd, 1888

Witnesses:
Elisha Hall
A.J. Rich

Continuance of Item # 653, March 23rd, 1891:

Estate of Ora Mathis, a minor, as heir of William I. Mathis; grandchild Ora Mathis, minor, resides in Chattanooga, Tenn. Statement that Ora Mathis is heir-at-law to the estate of William I. Mathis, deceased, along with the other heirs being:

Mary Angeline Suttle, who resides in Taylor County, Texas,
Martha Eubanks, who resides in the State of Georgia,
Miles W. Mathis, who resides in Taylor County, Texas,
Elijah K. Mathis, who is a resident of the State of Georgia,
J.M. Mathis, a resident of Taylor County, Texas,
James B. Mathis, a resident of Limestone County, Texas.
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Paternal line of William I. Mathis:

Robert Mathews, son of Isaac Mathews, grandson of Thomas Mathews, and great grandson of James Mathews, Sr., was born about 1774 in Chatham County, NC. He died in August of 1823 in Walton County, Georgia at age 48. John Jean and Robert's widow Mary applied for letters of administration on 1 Sept 1823 so Robert would have died only a few days prior to that since papers had to be filed the day following the funeral.

1827 GEORGIA LAND LOTTERY, Walton County Residents: Mathews/Mathis family:

SEC DIST LOT NO. NAME RESIDENCE CAPT. DIST. COUNTY OF DRAW
1 25 152 Carmichael, James Walton County Bexleys Lee County
1 29 96 Carmichael, William Walton County 559th Lee County
2 2 58 Jean, Jesse Walton County Bexleys Muscogee County
1 18 145 Keadle, John Walton County McQuertors Lee County
1 15 147 Killgore, Theophilus Walton County 250th Lee County
1 6 23 Mathews, Mary wid. Walton County Bexleys Lee County

Walton Co., GA Estate Papers FHL Film #2195280 - Estate of Mary Mathis (note the spelling of the name: Mathis v. Mathews). Mary Mathis appointed her son, William I. Mathis as executor. She mentioned that she has two sons and two daughters - William I. Mathis, Martha A. Medders, Sarah E. Kilgore (wife of Peter W. Kilgore) and Elijah B. Mathis. She mentioned her son-in-law Peter W. Kilgore, her brother Bartley Barker and two slaves named Cleveland and June. The will was dated 9 Sept 1853 and proven 3 Jan 1854, Wit: Joel Blackwell,John W. Edwards, S.M. Whitworth

Robert Mathews/Mathis appears in the 1820 Pulaski County census 15 names above John Jean who was a son of Sarah Mathis (second wife of Isaac) from her first marriage. Note that Pulaski Co., Georgia is where William I. Mathis was born, as stated in his obituary, above.

Robert Mathis and John Jean moved to Walton County, Ga apparently at the same time. They owned plats in Walton County that were adjacent to each other, and next to Bolden Whitlow, father of Martha Whitlow, who married William I. Mathis. John Jean was executor to Robert's estate in Walton County.

Robert Mathews/Mathis married Mary Barker. Mary was born about 1786 in North Carolina and died between 9 Sep 1853 and 3 Jan 1854 in Walton County, Georgia.

Children from this marriage were:

1. William I. Mathis born between 1812 in Pulaski County, Georgia.

2. Martha Ann Eliza Mathis who married John Jackson Meadows on 22 Oct 1835 in Walton County, Georgia. John Meadows died in 1852. Martha married second to Archibald Shamblin.

3. Elijah Mathis. Wm I. Mathis' son, Elijah Killis Mathis named for him.

4. Sarah Elizabeth Mathis.

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