Will, Coon & Ed Ward

I enjoyed sitting and chatting with Pete Mintz at the Maysville festival recently. Pete is my first cousin twice removed. In common terms, he's my third cousin. Lula Hooper Wilbanks, my late great-grandmother, and Bessie Hooper Mintz, his late mother, were sisters.

Pete knows I love history and he always asks me when I'm going to have that book done on Maysville's history. It's a project I've said I wanted to get done for years now, yet keep finding out more and more and more as I research census records and property records.

We were discussing Will, Ed and Coon Ward, all of whom once lived in Maysville. Pete said Will Ward had a grocery, Ed Ward was a watchtinker and "Coon" Ward was a blacksmith. The only part of that I had heard before was that "Coon" was a blacksmith.

I knew "Coon" was a nickname but wasn't sure what his real name was. I called Pete back up today and asked him if he knew "Coon's" real name. He started naming off Hubert or Hulett, and I asked Pete if it could be Hulon. I had a Hulon G. Ward in my database that is buried at Grove Level Baptist. When I read the dates off, Pete confirmed that was "Coon." So I searched the census database for Hulon G. Ward and was lucky enough to find him in 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Here is the breakdown:

1900 US Census Banks Co GA Anderson GMD: Hulon Ward, age 11, living with his widowed mother.

1910 US Census Banks Co GA Homer GMD: Hughlon Ward, age 21, married to Etta with two children at home

1920 US Census Banks Co GA Homer GMD: Hulon G. Ward, age 33, married to Etta with four children at home

1930 US Census Jackson Co GA Minish GMD: Hulon Ward, age 41, married to Etta with two children at home

I was also able to find his 1917 World War I Draft Registration Card online and it revealed his middle name of Guy and his full birthdate. He was living in Horton, Marshall Co AL at the time.

Next I searched for Will Ward. He was already in my database as William Jepthy Ward (1879-1965) and buried at Sunrise Cemetery in Maysville. Buried next to him is his second wife, Faye F. Ward (1905-1982). Will was 44 years old when he married 21 year-old Faye, thus the big age difference between the two.

I was able to find Will Ward on 1900, 1920, and 1930 censuses as well. Here's the entries:

1900 US Census Banks Co GA Anderson GMD: Willie Ward, age 19, living with his widowed mother.

1910 US Census:  Where is Will?

1920 US Census Banks Co GA Anderson GMD: Will Ward, age 40, living with Louella, his sister.

1930 US Census Banks Co GA Anderson GMD: Will Ward, age 48, living with Fay and one child at home.

Pete Mintz tells me that Will's son, Will, Jr., is still alive and living near the Jackson - Hall County line near Holly Springs Church. Pete sees Will Jr. at Ryan's Steak House on Sundays on occasion. Oh how I would love to talk to him!

Next I searched for Ed Ward, the clock repairman. Pete says Ed had a shop where Regions Bank is now located. He says the shop was open in the 1920's or 1930's when Pete was a boy, and that it was later that Bill Smith moved that cabin and built the block shop on the same site.

I could not find a burial record for an Ed Ward at Grove Level or the Maysville Sunrise Cemetery, but there is one for an Eddie C. Ward (1878-1948) at Grey Hill Cemetery in Commerce. Buried next to this Eddie Ward is Mamie L. Wilson Ward, his wife.

I do find a Charles E. Ward (1884-1950) buried at Grove Level. Buried next to him is Lila Bell P. Ward, his wife. I do not know how this Charles Ward fits into the bunch, but feel certain he does.

I should also state that these three brothers (Will, "Coon," and Ed) are not the only children of William Jept Ward (1849-1892) and Cynthia L. Dodd (1849-1911), both buried at Grove Level. In fact, there are at least eleven children from that union, including: Lawrence, Effie, Oneal, Henry, Wayne, Luella, Will, Alice, Roscoe, Eddie and Hulon (Coon).

If anyone can add to this, I'd love to hear it!!