This week we conclude our outline of the descendants of Nancy (Hurst) Williams (1805-1903), niece of Tazewell County pioneer an Underground Railroad conductor Peter Logan (c.1780-1866), who was the first formerly enslaved person to own land in Tazewell County. The pedigree of Nancy’s descendants is here brought down to the present day. Due to early deaths and individuals who never married, most branches of her descendants have died out. Consequently, all of Nancy’s known descendants — a very large kin group — stem from her great-great grandson Odie Roy Mitchell Jr. (1914-1982) of Detroit, Michigan, and Springfield, Illinois, who worked for many years for Cadillac Motors in Detroit.
Fifth Generation
Mary Smith, dau. of George and Georgia (Hudson) Smith, b. 6 June 1894 prob. in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 29 Sept. 1918 of Spanish Influenza in Springfield, Ill., bur. in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill., m. c.1913 to Odie Roy Mitchell, b. 4 July 1887 in Carmi, White Co., Ill., d. 21 June 1918 of Spanish Influenza in Springfield, Ill., bur. Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill., son of James and Ella (Hughes) Mitchell. Odie worked in his father’s business as a plasterer. Mary and Odie had issue two sons.
Children:
- Odie Roy Mitchell Jr., b. 6 July 1914 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 7 May 1982 in Springfield, Ill., bur. in Roselawn Memorial Park, Springfield, Ill. Odie married for times. He m. 1st c.1936 to Mildred LaBerta Wilson, b. 6 April 1916 in Petersburg, Menard Co., Ill., d. 3 Sept. 1940 in Springfield, Ill., bur. Oakland Cemetery, Petersburg, Ill., dau. of William McKinley and Rubie S. (Gaines) Wilson. Odie and Mildred had issue three daus. On 7 Jan. 1942 in Palmyra, Marion Co., Mo., Odie, res. of Petersburg, took out a license to marry Mabel Banks, res. of Taylorville, Ill., b. 17 March 1917 in Monticello, Wayne Co., Ky., d. 12 Dec. 1999, dau. of Milo and Elizabeth (Sloan) Banks. Odie and Mable had no known issue and divorced. On 5 April 1947 in Detroit, Wayne Co., Mich., Odie m. Sallye Belle Allen, b. 2 Oct. 1925 in Glasgow, Barren Co., Ky., d. 6 March 1981 in Detroit, Mich., ex-wife of (NN) Cochran and dau. of John and Mary E. (Milan) Allen. No known issue. Finally, Odie m. c.1961 Ruth Ann Lynch, b. April 1941 in Ill., dau. of Elbert Rolin and Mary Louise (Ward) Lynch. Odie and Ruth Ann he had issue a son and a dau.
- Tully Gerald Mitchell, b. 11 Aug. 1917 in Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 29 Jan. 1918 of Spanish Influenza in Springfield, Ill., bur. in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill.
Edna Corrine Hagan, dau. of Edward H. and Florence (Smith) Hagan, b. Feb. 1890 in Ill., d. unknown, m1. c.1912 John Harold (“J. Harold”) White, b. 15 May 1886 in Salem, Marion Co., Ill., d. 17 Jan. 1971 in Cook Co., Ill., bur. in Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Cook Co., Ill., son of Edward L. and Alice Gertrude (Herndon) White. Harold was a warrant clerk in the Illinois State Treasurer’s Office. Edna and Harold had issue one son. Edna and Harold divorced in the 1920s, and she remarried to Emil Conrad Coleman, b. 21 March 1903 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 9 June 1967 in Springfield, Ill., bur. Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill. Edna and Emil, who was auto mechanic, had no issue.
Children:
- John Harold White Jr., b. 27 June 1914 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 11 June 1978 at Lakeside Veterans’ Hospital, Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., bur. in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill. Harold was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He worked as a baggage supervisor and assistant terminal manager of the Greyhound Bus Depot on Randolph Street in Chicago, and also was a founder and former treasurer of the Greyhound credit union. He never married and had no known issue.
Grace Olivia Hagan, dau. of Edward H. and Florence (Smith) Hagan, b. 31 Aug. 1891 in Ill., d. 22 Aug. 1954 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., bur. in Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, Cook Co., Ill., m. 21 Oct. 1914 in Joliet, Will Co., Ill., to Benjamin Alex Walton Jr., b. c.1887 in Mo., d. unknown, son of Benjamin Alex Walton of St. Louis, Mo. Grace and Benjamin, who later divorced, had issue one dau.
Children:
- Elizabeth Sylvia Walton, b. 11 Feb. 1917 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., d. unknown, m. 17 July 1939 in Clinton, Iowa, to David Donald Pitts, b. 1 Sept. 1907 in Union Springs, Bullock Co., Ala., d. 17 Oct. 1985 in Chicago, Ill., bur. in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill., son of Eugene and Ramer (Woodard) Pitts. Elizabeth and David had issue one dau., but div. by 1946, after which David rem. 18 Oct. 1946 in Lake Co., Ind., to Margaret Kathryn Tolbert, b. 27 March 1920 in Birmingham, Jefferson Co., Ala., d. 10 May 2003 in Chicago, Ill., bur. in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
Sixth Generation
Odie Roy Mitchell Jr., son of Odie Roy and Mary (Smith) Mitchell, b. 6 July 1914 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., d. 7 May 1982 in Springfield, Ill., bur. in Roselawn Memorial Park, Springfield, Ill. Odie married at least three times, possibly four. He m. 1st c.1936 to Mildred LaBerta Wilson, b. 6 April 1916 in Petersburg, Menard Co., Ill., d. 3 Sept. 1940 in Springfield, Ill., bur. Oakland Cemetery, Petersburg, Ill., dau. of William McKinley and Rubie S. (Gaines) Wilson. Odie and Mildred had issue three daus. (including twins). On 7 Jan. 1942 in Palmyra, Marion Co., Mo., Odie, res. of Petersburg, took out a license to marry Mabel Banks, res. of Taylorville, Ill., but it is not known if Odie and Mabel married and returned their license. No known issue. On 5 April 1947 in Detroit, Wayne Co., Mich., Odie m. Sallye Belle Allen, b. 2 Oct. 1925 in Glasgow, Barren Co., Ky., d. 6 March 1981 in Detroit, Mich., ex-wife of (NN) Cochran and dau. of John and Mary E. (Milan) Allen. No known issue. Finally, Odie m. c.1961 Ruth Ann Lynch, b. April 1941 in Ill., dau. of Elbert Rolin and Mary Louise (Ward) Lynch. Odie and Ruth Ann he had issue a son and a dau. In the 1940s, Odie moved to Detroit, Mich., where he worked for many years for Cadillac Motors. After his retirement, he returned to Springfield, Ill. At the time of his death, Odie had five children, 15 grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren.
Children:
- LaVerta A. Mitchell, b. Aug. 1937 in Ill., m. twice and had issue with living descendants from both marriages.
- LaBerta A. Mitchell, b. Aug. 1937 in Ill., m. twice and had issue with living descendants from both marriages.
- Mary Jane Mitchell, b. 1 March 1939 in Petersburg, Menard Co., Ill., d. 15 July 1988 in Aurora, Arapahoe Co., Colo., bur. in Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colo. Mary m. 1st c.1958 to Robert Eugene Brassfield, b. 26 June 1937 in Ill., killed in a motorcycle-automobile collision 10 April 1966 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill., bur. in Camp Butler National Cemetery, Springfield, Ill., son of (NN) Brassfield and Eva L. Banks (sister of Mabel Banks above). Robert served in the U.S. Army as a medic, rank Pfc. Mary and Robert had issue three sons. Mary m. 2nd Jesse Clayton Hamner Sr., b. 22 Sept. 1937 in Mount Vernon, Jefferson Co., Ill., d. 14 Nov. 2011 in Springfield, Ill., bur. in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Ill., son of George W. and Charley Myrtle (Poole) Hamner. Mary and Jesse had issue a dau. Mary and Jesse div., after which she m. 3rd (as his 2nd wife) Alfred Thomas Williams, b. 22 May 1943 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., d. 11 July 1992 in Fresno, Fresno Co., Calif., bur. in Fairmount Cemetery, Denver, Colo., son of Austin Lewis and Marybelle (Poole) Williams. Mary and Alfred had no issue. Mary has living descendants from her 1st m.
- Odie Roy (‘Mitch’) Mitchell Jr., b. 16 Jan. 1963 in Detroit, Wayne Co., Mich., m. 1st Laurye L. (NN), b. Sept. 1968, d. March 2011, and had issue a son. Mitch and Laurye div. 2 Aug. 1999, after which Mitch rem. 6 Nov. 2000 in Brownsburg, Hendricks Co., Ind., to Linda Rennea (Ramsey) Mijares, b. 16 Sept. 1963 in Hammond, Lake Co., Ind., d. 11 Jan. 2017 in De Motte, Jasper Co., Ind., bur. in Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, Schererville, Lake Co., Ind., ex-wife of Arthur I. Mijares and dau. of Robert and Gloria (Peters) Ramsey. No issue of Mitch’s 2nd m.
- Michele Louise Mitchell, b. March 1969, m. 29 July 1995 in Springfield, Sangamon Co., Ill. to Kevin Miller, b. Jan. 1964, son of William and Wanda Miller.
Elizabeth Sylvia Walton, dau. of Benjamin Alex and Grace Olivia (Hagan) Walton, b. 11 Feb. 1917 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., d. unknown, m. 17 July 1939 in Clinton, Iowa, to David Donald Pitts, b. 1 Sept. 1907 in Union Springs, Bullock Co., Ala., d. 17 Oct. 1985 in Chicago, Ill., bur. in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill., son of Eugene and Ramer (Woodard) Pitts. Elizabeth and David had issue one dau., but div. by 1946, after which David rem. 18 Oct. 1946 in Lake Co., Ind., to Margaret Kathryn Tolbert, b. 27 March 1920 in Birmingham, Jefferson Co., Ala., d. 10 May 2003 in Chicago, Ill., bur. in Oak Woods Cemetery, Chicago, Ill.
Children:
- Janet Grace Pitts, b. 4 March 1940 in Chicago, Cook Co., Ill., d. in infancy 21 July 1941 in Chicago, Ill., bur. in Lincoln Cemetery, Blue Island, Cook Co., Ill.
