Life History

Notes

• The form of this surname is found as Woodward and Woodard.  Most records have Woodward.
  
  1850 Federal Census, Newton County, Arkansas, 27 October, Union Township, page 27 (scan 14), Hse/Fam #172
  David Woodward 49 M Farmer $200 Real Estate b NC
  Anna Woodward 40 F b TN Cannot read or write
  James W Woodward 20 M b MO
  Cyntha Woodward 11 F b MO
  John W Woodward 14 M b MO
  Martha Woodward 12 F b MO
  Marilda Woodward 9 F b MO [b abt 1841]
  Jaleb [?] A Woodward 8 M b AR [b abt 1842]
  ** George W Woodward 4 M b AR **
  Angeline Woodward 1 F b AR
  Peter W Woodward 19 M b MO
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  George Washington Woodward
  Age 22, Birth Year abt 1852
  Residence Johnson County, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Mary June Rizel
  Spouse's Age 18
  Spouse's Residence Johnson County, Arkansas
  Marriage 30 Mar 1874 Johnson County
  
  Arkansas Marriages, 1851-1900
  George W. Woodward
  Spouse Mary E. Self
  Marriage 20 Aug 1881 Johnson County AR
  
  Another compilation provides more detail on the record of marriage for George W Woodard and Mary Self (spelled Selph in some instances), who appears to be Mary E Terry, whose first husband was Nathaniel Self, but whose grave says she died on 1 Apr 1881.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Nathan S Self
  Age 22, Birth Year abt 1855
  Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Mary Terry
  Spouse's Age 20
  Spouse's Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Marriage 16 Aug 1877 Johnson County
  Marriage License Date 10 Aug 1877
  
  There is also another earlier marriage record for a George W Woodward, who appears to be this same individual.  That record reports that George W Woodward married a Caroline Terry in 1877.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  George W Woodward
  Age 30, Birth Year abt 1847
  Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Caroline Terry
  Spouse's Age 18
  Spouse's Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Marriage 16 Aug 1877 Johnson County
  Marriage License Date 14 Aug 1877
  
  This Caroline Terry appears to be Mary's sister.  In the 1880 census, Caroline is enuemrated in her father's home under the name Caroline Woodward.  Yet Caroline was reported as a widow.  Was this an enumerator error?  In the 1880 census, next door to Isom, his new wife Celia and his daughter Caroline Woodward, is George W Woodward, who appears to be the same person reported as Caroline's husband in their marriage record.  But George is also reported as widowed.
  
  Maybe Caroline and George were divorced.  But in that case, why would Caroline's sister take the chance of marrying the same George Washington Woodward a year later?  And in George's 1880 household is Mary Self, also a widow, who matches Caroline's sister and Isom's daughter Mary E Terry, who married Nathaniel Self.
  
  Mary is reported as George's niece.  I initially thought it was through her husband Nathaniel Selph, and a few hours later was able to confirm that when I found his mother's memorial on Find a Grave.  His mother was Mary Woodward, George's sister.
  
  1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 5 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 88, page 6A (scan 260A), Hse #43, Fam #51
  Woodward, George W  W M 32 Head Widowed Farmer AR KY KY [b abt 1848]
  Self, Mary W F 22 Niece Widow Keeping House KY KY KY [b abt 1858]
  Terry, Robert W M 5 Son of the W (?)  AR AR KY
  Self, Elizabeth C  W F 2 Dau of the [designation unclear] AR AR KY
  Woodward, Ann W F 72 Mother Widow Resides with Family KY KY KY
  
  The name and designation of the two children is confusing.  Elizabeth Self is documented in family information as Mary's daughter, but she has the same designation as Robert Terry.  They are reported as "Son/Daughter of the <unreadable, looks like the letter W>".  The two children have the same birth states reported for themselves and parents. They appear to be siblings, both children of Mary.  Then why the different surnames?  But Mary and Nathaniel are reported to have had only one child.
  
  June Yeager, a granddaughter of of Elizabeth, reports to me that Elizabeth was the only child of Mary and Nathaniel before he died of gas poisoning while digging a water well.
  
  In the 1880 census, next door to George on the other side is another Woodward household, headed by John C, with his wife Sarah C and several children.
  
  In 1881, George married his niece (by marriage apparently) Mary E Terry Self.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Mary Self
  Age 23, Birth Year abt 1858
  Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name George W Woodward
  Spouse's Age 34 [b abt 1847]
  Spouse's Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Marriage Date 20 Aug 1881 Johnson County
  Marriage License Date 13 Aug 1881
  
  George married again, after Mary Terry Self's death.
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  George W Woodward
  Age 37, Birth Year abt 1846
  Residence Ft Duglass, Johnson, Arkansas
  Spouse's Name Sarah Wilson
  Spouse's Age 33
  Spouse's Residence Ft Duglass, Johnson, Arkansas
  Marriage 6 Jun 1883 Johnson County
  Marriage License Date 5 Jun 1883
  
  The 1910 census confirms that George has married 4 times.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 7 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 9B, Hse #151, Fam #157
  Woodward, George W Head M W 65 Marriage 4 Married 28 yrs [abt 1882] AR NC MO Farmer Rents [b abt 1845]
  Woodward, Sarah E Wife F W 63 Marriage 2 Married 28 yrs [abt 1882] 3 children/2 living AR MO MO [b abt 1848]
  
  Previous censuses have reported George born in Kentucky and both his parents in Kentucky.
  
  Another aspect of the family configuration is confirmed in this census also, when I find Caroline (spelled Carolina here) and her second husband Presely Bowman living only three hosues away.  The census reports this is the first marriage for Presely and the second for Caroline.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 7 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 9B, Hse #154, Fam #160
  Bowman, Presley Head M W 48 Marriage 1 Married 28 yrs [abt 1882] KY KY KY Farmer Owns [b abt 1862]
  Bowman, Carolina [sic] Wife F W 51 Marriage 2 Married 28 [abt 1882] yrs 9 children/8 living KY KY KY [b abt 1859]
  
  This seems to confirm that George and Caroline were divorced.  This means the report in 1880 that they were widowed was incorrect as surmised.  And Mary Terry Selph does seem to have married George depsite the fact that he and her sister Caroline had divorced.
  
  "Mary marrying Caroline's first husband George Woodward jibes with what dad had always been told.  It is her grave at Ft Douglas.  My dad and I would tramp around Ft Douglas, Bowman Holler, Haw Creek and thereabouts when I was a girl.  I thought it was like another time.  I have some family collectibles of Caroline.  My grandma was born on top of Bowman Holler. They were kind of wild in there I think."
  --  Jami Sue Yarger Brandt, Geneanet Messaging to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 28 April 2015

Sources

• 1. 1850 Federal Census, Newton County, Arkansas
  • 27 October, Union Township, page 27 (scan 14), Hse/Fam #172
• 2. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 3. 1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 7 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 9B, Hogansville & Ft Douglas Rd, Hse #151, Fam #157
• 4. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 5 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 88, page 6A (scan 260A), Hse #43, Fam #51
• 5. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 5 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 88, page 6A (scan 260A), Hse #44, Fam #52
• 6. Email Sources
• 7. Arkansas Marriages, 1851-1900
• 8. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #112245708
• 9. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
  • Memorial #31172587, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Terry&GSiman=1&GScid=2221327&GRid=31172587&
• 10. 1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 7 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 9B, Hogansville & Ft Douglas Rd, Hse #154, Fam #160