Heritage Home | Family Genealogy | Recipes Home

 

 

Genealogy

Parents: John William Nelson Dec 27, 1862 - Mar 25, 1928 Martha Callie Bolinger Nov 15, 1863 - Nov 21, 1927

Name: Rose Bell Nelson Born: 05 Mar 1908 Location: Greene or Washington County, Tennessee Married: 1) March 16, 1926 - William Mack Stoots     Location: Washington Co., TN   Died: 17 Jan 1984 Death Place: Johnson City, Washington Co., TN

Children of William and Rose 1) Junior Frank Stoots 2) Leonard Columbus Stoots 3) Eva Pearl Stoots 4) Robert Paul Stoots 5) Samuel Grant "James" Stoots

Notes: Rose played the banjo with Mame who played the violin. The family story goes William Mack married Mary Elizabeth Nelson. Rose's older sister by 8 years. They had 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls (one passed before the age of 1). Mary Elizabeth died 16 Feb 1925 and everyone told Mack he needed a mother for those kids. Almost 1 year later, he married Rose and they 5 children, 4 boys and 1 girl.   Maw Scoots, as we used to call her told me about going to the movies every weekend with William Mack. And playing the banjo for the family on Sunday's.   When William Mack died 31 Oct 1938, Rose was forced to care for all the children alone. They spent many years share cropping in Limestone, Tn. Share cropping meant they lived and worked on someone else's farm and shared in the proceeds of the harvest. It was a hard life.   One story Leonard related to me about Maw Scoots shows how hard and serious their life was at that time. One night someone tried to steal the mule they used to plow the fields. Maw took out after them with a shot gun full of rock salt. She reportedly hit one of the thieves and the mule was rescued by the boys.   Eva Carey told her children that when she was young working on the farms, it was her task to climb to the top rafters of the barn and hang the tobacco so it would dry. And they would take eggs to the local general store and trade them for bacon, flour and other basic needs.   One thing Rose made sure of however, was that her children got a formal education that she wasn't allowed to attain. Her children taught her how to write and read when they came home from school.   When Eva married David Carey, times were hard. The Kingsport Press shut down and David lost his job. He moved the family to Florida for another job that didn't pan out. But while in Florida, their youngest daughter Vickie (who was 2 at the time) was left in Tennessee and cared for by Maw Scoots for about 8 months. Eventually David and Eva returned to Tennessee and settled in Springfield Virginia outside of DC.   Over the years Rose cared for a number of her grand children and great grand children. In her senior years she moved in with her sister Minnie Pearl, known to most as Pearl. She cared for Pearl until her death, 24 Auk 1981.   Rose's children purchased Pearl's house and provided Maw Scoots with a place of residence until her death, 17 Jan 1984. The house was then given to James Scoots.

Sources: Mattie C. Bolinger Bible, (American Bible Society, New York, 1883) Rose Bell Scoots New Testament Bible, (A.J. Holman Co., Philadelphia, 1900.).

 

.