Eddlemon

The Eddlemon family has a brick wall that I've been stuck at for quite a while. So I haven't been able to get past this oldest generation, which starts at around 1825, and that's not that far back in my mind. Another problem, which is happens all over genealogy, is the spelling of the name Eddlemon. It's not that it's a problem with people misspelling it in documents so much as it seems that different branches might spell it differently. As I was starting my research on this line, which is through my wife's grandma, I asked her about the Eddlemon family and she stressed to me that is was spelled with an O at the end and not an A. So I have a small dilema with which is the correct way so spell it? I'm going with the O instead of the A, even though it seems some branches may now spell it with an A.

(I) Felix James Grundy Eddlemon is the furthest Eddlemon that I have found. I don't know the order of his names as I have seen it in just about every combination, but many times you just find the initials of FJG, again in some combination. He was born around 1825 in Tennessee most likely, but also maybe Missouri. In 2 out of the 3 censuses that I have found him in it says he was born in Tennessee, and in the 3rd it says Missouri. He was married 3 times and he married the first wife in Missouri, the 2nd in Tennessee and the 3rd in Arkansas.

FJG married first Margaret J. Dunn on 21 April 1842 in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. It is unknown if she died or if they were divorced. It is also unknown if they had any children as I have not found any reference to any. His second wife was Susan F. Adams and they were married on 6 March 1856 in Hardeman County, Tennessee. They had 4 kids and then she probably died because on 9 May 1869 FJG married Lucy Ann (Chitwood) Coleman. Lucy had been married previously to George W. Coleman and had 2 children with him. So in a very confusing 1870 census you can see all the children. The first 2 are the Coleman boys James and William - but now have the last name of Eddlemon, 4 children from FJG and Susan, and 1 from FJG and Lucy.

According to Findagrave, FJG died on 1 February 1897 in Arkansas. I have not been able to confirm that date as there is no image of the grave. Here is a listing of his children and I went ahead and included the Coleman boys as they may have been adopted.
Children with Susan Adams:
1. Jane Eddlemon b: ABT 1858 in Tennessee
2. Mary Elizabeth Eddlemon b: ABT 1859 in Tennessee
3. Charles Henry Eddlemon b: 6 SEP 1862 in Arkansas
4. Alice Eddlemon b: ABT 1866 in Arkansas

Children with Lucy Chitwood:
5. Susan Margaret Eddlemon b: ABT 1870 in Arkansas

Lucy's children with George Coleman:
6. James A (Coleman) Eddlemon b: ABT 1856
7. William E (Coleman) Eddlemon b: ABT 1860

(II) Charles Henry Eddlemon, sometimes referred to as CH Eddlemon, was born on 6 September 1862 in Arkansas. He married Mary Lee Jordan on 26 October 1884. Mary was only about 15 at the time and CH was 21. Together they had 5 children, but Mary did not live long after the birth of her last child. Other family had to help take care of the kids while CH worked. Then a year after Mary's death, CH came down with the flu and died on 1 August 1897, orphaning his 5 children. They went to live with CH's brothers and sisters.


The children of CH Eddlemon and Mary Jordan were:
1. James Henry Eddlemon b: 22 NOV 1888 in Hot Springs Co, AR
2. Elsie Lee Eddlemon b: 6 AUG 1890 in Montgomery Co, AR
3. Willie Lee Eddlemon b: 31 MAR 1892 in Garland Co, AR
4. Annie Lee Eddlemon b: 17 AUG 1893 in Arkansas
5. Charles Judston Eddlemon b: 7 AUG 1895 in Dallas, Calhoun Co, AR

(III) Elsie Lee Eddlemon technically would be the last in my direct Eddlemon line as far as the last name is concerned. She married Lewis Albert Orrell in 1909 and had 4 children in Arkansas. They then moved to Arizona for a short time followed by California in the late 30s.


Elsie and Lewis' children are:
1. Elvie Marie Orrell b: 18 JUL 1912 in Arkansas
2. John Albert Orrell b: 4 JUL 1915 in Hot Springs, Garland Co, AR
3. Edgar Reed Orrell b: 8 NOV 1918 in Arkansas
4. Jennie Allene Orrell b: 18 NOV 1923 in Hot Springs Co, AR

Here are some good posts with some more detailed family history and stories:
Elsie Eddlemon's History
Long Lost Eddlemons