Life History

Notes

• Ara Bell married Thomas Edmonds in 1898.
  
  NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
  Yancey County
  (Very Common Transcription Error in Tom's last name)
  Thomas EDWARDS [Edmonds] 22
  Spouse Ana [Ara or Arra] Belle HALL 18 [b abt 1880]
  18 Jun 1898
  Witnesses:  D J Young - A E Hensley, R J Hyatt, H B Silver
  --  Courtesy of Suzy Crews, comment on this genealogy on Ancestry.com, 2 Nov 2013
  
  Her age of 18 in this marriage record makes her birthdate in about 1880, as reported in the 1900 census, Dec 1880.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina, 29 June, Upper Laurel Township, District 84, page 11A, Hse/Fam #193
  Edmonds, Thomas Head W M Feb 1876  24 Married 3 years NC NC NC Farmer Owns
  Edmonds, Ara B Wife W M Dec 1880  19 Married 3 years 1 child/1 living NC NC NC
  Edmonds, Bertha Dau W F Apr 1899 1 Single NC NC NC
  
  "Hi, Tom is my grandfather. His first wife was Ara Hall who is a sister to Pansy Mae Hall. Also Katherine White Edmonds Reed, my great grandmother, is buried at the Divide Cemetery as you say. I have been there and have pictures of her headstone. William Edmonds, son of Katherine & Cam married my Mary Thomas who is a sister to my great grandfather William Emmett Thomas of Little Creek, Madison Co. NC. Hope this helps. Suzy"
  --  Suzy Crews, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 13 Sep 2011
  
  In 1904, after Ara Bell's death, Thomas married her sister Pansey Mae Hall.
  
  NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
  Thomas EDMONDS 29 - Pansey M HALL 19
  Married 16 Apr 1904 Yancey County
  Ceremony performed by Rev E Silver
  --  Courtesy of Suzy Crews, comment on this genealogy on Ancestry.com, 2 Nov 2013
  
  "Ara and Pansy were both born in Yancey Co. Pansy is my grandmother. I loved her so. Ara died shortly after her and Tom's first and only child was born. Pansy raised their child as her own."
  --  Suzy Crews, Ancestry Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 15 Sep 2011
  
  In the census record above, Ara Bell's birthday is reported as Dec 1880.  Tom's first wife died in 1876.  He did not marry Pansey's mother Rachel Gurley until about 1879.  If they married in early 1880, Arra could have been her first child, born in Dec 1880.  But this would make her Pansey's full sister, not half-sister.  I was unable to find any Hall family genealogies with any daughter named Ara/Arra Bell or similar, as the daughter of either of Thomas' wives.  Ara Bell was born, grew up and married between the 1880 and 1900 censuses.
  
  Suzy Crews is a descendant of Pansey who has collected good evidence on this family and put up memorials for many of them on Find a Grave.  Suzy says on Find a Grave that James' first wife Judith (Judy, Judea, Juda) died before 1879.  Others give the date as 1876.  And in the 1880 census, Rachel is already James´ wife and there is no Arra in the household yet.  Finally Arra's birth date appears to be Dec 1880 (from 1900 census).  I have not found Arra's birth record yet.
  
  Suzy confirmed with one of her aunts that Rachel was Arra Bell's mother.  "Ara Belle Hall Edmonds is a full sister to my grandmother Pansy Mae Hall Edmonds.  I finally spoke to one of my aunts, Pansy's youngest living daughter, today and she confirmed that Ara and Pansy are full sisters."
  --  Suzy Crews, Facebook Message to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 29 March 2014
  
  There is another Ara B Hall enumerated in the 1900 census as the daughter of James B Hall, still in James' household in Notla Township of Cherokee County, North Carolina.  This Arra B Hall is reported as born in May 1886.

Sources

• 1. 1900 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 29 June, Upper Laurel Township, District 84, page 11A, Hse/Fam #193
• 2. Suzy Crews
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, Madison County, North Carolina
  • 3 May, Upper Laurel Township, District 92, page 8B, Upper Laurel Rd, Hse #148, Fam #149
• 4. NC Marriages List 1850 - 1920
• 5. North Carolina, Birth and Death Indexes, 1800-2000
  • Volume: 15, Page 104
• 6. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014