Notes |
- The Heritage of Rowan County North Carolina
Volume I, 1991
The Genealogical Society of Rowan County, Inc.
JACOB CLODFELTER
345
Jacob Clodfelter, the youngest son of Felix and Maria Sarah Meier Clodfelter, was born in what is now Davidson County on the 1st day of January 1770. He grew up on the family farm and when he was 20 years old married Margaret Hagge (Hege) on the 28th of June 1790. Felix Glattfelder, his father, stood bond for the marriage. Margaret was born 4 Sept 1771 and died 3 Nov 1857. She did not remarry after Jacob’s death 1 Feb 1837. Both are buried at Bethany Cemetery near the Forsyth-Davidson County line.
In their 37 years of marriage they raised 11 children — Sarah (4 Dec 1791-June 1849) m. Peter Leonard, son of Valentine Leonard II; Mary (24 Oct 1792-26 Nov 1872) m. David Yokeley, son of Hugh and Hannah Yokeley: Molly married David Leonard: Catherine born 1797 married Adam Weir on 2 April 1817; Elizabeth born 1799 married Barnet Weir 3 May 1820; Joseph (30 Nov 1800-16 April 1874) married 29 July 1822 to Charity Yo k e l e y, dau. of Hugh and Hannah and sister to David: Henry (2 Jan 1804-26 June 1888) married 1st Barbary (unknown) (May 1805-21 Dec 1855), married 2rd Elizabeth Tesh (10 May 1810-10 March 1889) on 12 August 1856: Barbara (9 April 1807-18 April 1862) married Adam Sink 12 June 1825; David (9 Oct 1809-23 Jan 1895) married Nancy Myers on 24 Nov 1834; Franey married Philip Knox 17 Feb 1830: and Jacob born in 1815 married Barbary Myers 5 April 1835.
Joseph Clodfelter and Charity Yokeley were married in Rowan County with Daniel Clodfelter giving bond. They made their home near the Bethany community at first because they have two infants buried at Bethany Cemetery. The first buried in 1823 and Lise in 1824. Their first living child was born in 1829 so there may be more infants somewhere. They later moved to the Bethesda Methodist Church community, before the
church was formed.
Their first living son, Adam (6 May 1829-26 Jan 1905) married 25 Nov 1851 to Mary E. Kennedy; Joseph born 1832 married Catharine (unknown); Jacob born 1834; George (6 May 1836-13 March 1907) married Mary Jane Sink 17 Sept 1859; Eliza E. (22 Sept.1839-10 Sept 1913) married 1st David A. Tussey, son of Gersham Tussey and Sarah A. Byerly, he was born 7 April 1828 and died in 1863 in the Civil War. Eliza's brother Jacob Clodfelter gave bond, she married 2nd Alexander Evans; Hugh W. born 1842 David (22 Aug 1844-12 June 1911) married Eliza Jane Hege 27 Aug 1871.
Alexander Evans, son in law to Joseph and Charity, was a member of Shiloh Church and while visiting the old home community during a revival, was converted. He offered a brush arbor on his farm, which he and the neighbors built, and this arbor was later called Bethesda. "Aunt" Charity gave the following account of the happenings at this revival: "It seemed that Joseph Clodfelter was a good citizen, highly respected, a member of Pilgrim Church, but he allowed himself to grow cold and indifferent. Among other characteristics, he had a mind of his own. As the revival progressed, he attended regularly but took his seat at a rather far distant place from the pulpit. The good wife knowing the temperament of her husband, strongly advised all friends to refrain from personal advice or exhortation lest instead of making matters better it would likely cause the brother to leave the grounds and not return. Days went on and the brother continued to occupy his chosen place. All care was used to not speak to him on
The deed to the original one and one half acres of ground was made 3 December 1870 by Joseph Clodfelter and his wife, Charity, to Alexander Evans, Adam Clodfelter, and David Clodfelter, the last 3 being the original trustees of the Church.
Joseph and Charity Clodfelter are buried at Bethesda with at least four of their children and their families.
David C. Clodtelter and Eliza Jane Hege were the parents of 5 children: Jacob Hugh (3 Nov 1872-30 Aug 908) married Sarah Clora Thomason (8 May 1878-6 July 1908) daughter of Huey Thomason and Mary Elizabeth Link; Robert L. born March 1880; Joseph E. born May 1882 and married Tillie Everhart 23 Dec 1904; Ida Jewel born May 1884 married Lorenzo (Renzo) Thorn-ton Wagoner 26 Nov 1907. Ida died 10 Nov 1956 and is buried at Bethesda beside her husband;
Frank Lineberry born 16 May 1899 died 1 July 1954 is also buried at Bethesda.
David was able to farm and to raise 5 children with a handicap. A farm wagon ran over his legs when he was a child and the legs refused to grow. He had the body of a full grown man and the short legs of a child.
The first burial at Bethesda cemetery was a child of David and Eliza Clodfelter. David's was the first adult burial.
Jacob Hugh Clodfelter and Sarah Clora Thomason married 23 February 1893 in the office of Justice of the Peace H.D. Hedrick, in Welcome, NC. Sarah was a native of Welcome and Jacob's farm was not far away. There were 8 children, 6 lived into adulthood. An infant died at birth in 1895 and the youngest daughter Elma Ray died at the age of four months. Jacob, Sarah and Elma Ray died within 2 months time of colitis. The first son, Arnold Lee (26 Oct 1893-28 Nov 1932) married Etta Mae Leonard 24 June 1922, daughter of John Adam Leonard and Elizabeth (Sara) Evans, 011ie Elizabeth (31 Jan 1897-18 May 1960) married Melvin Alexander Essick, son of Samuel R. Essick and Jane (Jennie) Cecil, 26 Aug 1915; Ira Lorenzo (16 Nov 1899-17 Dec 1940) married Sibyl Marie Harriz, dau. of James Brown Harriz and Hattie Belle Hildebrand, 2 Sept 1929;
Eliza Luella (Ella)(16 Nov 1901-6 Sept 1953) mar-ried Elbert Lee Bennett in Florida 23 Oct 1937;
Dora Mae (5 Feb 1904-9 Feb 1969) married James Virgil Massey, son of John William Massey and Sarah Catherine Broadway, 5 July 1919, she was 15 years old; Stamey Roe (1 Jan 1906-12 Nov 1948) married Hattie Rozell Cauble, dau. of Julius Smith Cauble and Eveann Elizabeth Bost, 10 Oct 1931. All of the 6 children who lived into adulthood died of cancer.
Sources: Davidson County Courthouse, Rowan County Registrar of Deeds, History of Bethesda Methodist Church, Family knowledge, The Family of Noah Clodfeller, by Cyril L. Johnson.
• June Clodfelter Watson
- findagrave.com memorial # 8870483
|