The Migrations of Jacob Wiley Eudy

Jacob Wiley Eudy was born on  October 14, 1834. Some descendents claim his place of birth as the town of Mount Pleasant in Cabarrus County, but land records prove he farmed on property located in both the counties of Stanly and Cabarrus. His earliest acquistions and the property of his father was in Stanly, so it is most likely he was born in Stanly County near the community of Endy.  Land records mention Ramsey branch and Little Bear Creek which run near Canton Church and the Endy community. Ramsey road crosses Ramsey branch and runs from Endy Road, near Canton Church, an historic old church, and ends at Austin Road, a long road which stretches from New London, in the northern part of the county, to Locust, in the furthest western part of the county. 

The community of Endy and the Endy road, should actually be Eudy and Eudy road. Today, home to not much more than a school, volunteer fire department and a top-notch vineyard, Endy once boasted the best little restaurant in the South, and a post office of whom the postmaster was an Eudy. Due to an error in reading someone's handwriting, the town was labeled "Endy" instead of "Eudy" and it stuck. But it is in this area, just west of Albemarle and South of Mount Pleasant that the Eudy family made their mark. 

A deed from George C. and James R Mendenhall of Guilford County, North Carolina to Jacob Eudy of Stanly County, North Carolina was made on  March 8, 1854 for 2 tracts of land on the waters of Ramsey's creek adjoining Nelson Shoe and Alexander Sides.

On March 26, 1856, William Hatley sold Jacob Eudy a tract on the headwaters of Ramsey's branch for $212.50, in Stanly County.

On Feb 22, 1856 John Eudy, father of Jacob Eudy, sold a tract of land to his son for $504, bordering Jacob Misenheimer's corner and Esther Harkey's corner in Cabarrus County.

In 1869, Jacob and wife Elmira, sold a small parcel of land containing a Poll Bridge to a Miss Perlina Lewis for $45.

It seems that in the year 1870, something went sour for the Eudy's.

On the 27th day of April in 1870, Joseph Marshall, esquire, High Sherriff of the County of Stanly and the State of North Carolina made an indenture between himself on behalf of the county and Ms. Adeline Eudy for the properties of Jacob Eudy, "whereas by virtue of a vendition expense issuing from the superior court of Stanly against the property of Jacob Eudy for the sum of $66.80 to which was recovered by judgement of the said Jacob Eudy". His property had been taken and sold to the highest bidder, which was Adeline Eudy, for $85.00 and located on the waters of Bear Creek  adjoining the heirs of Solomon Harkey. (From the record of the Stanly County, Register of Deeds Office, North Carolina).

Bear Creek

Jacob Wiley Eudy Family in Pope County, Arkansas.  

The last land record involving Jacob W. Eudy and wife E. B. Eudy in North Carolina involved the couple and A. B. Coleman. For the sum of $400.00 "said Coleman has this day purchased of the said Eudy a tract of land  situated in the counties of Cabarrus and Stanly adjoining J. Lanier, John Eudy, William Eudy and others containing 165 acres. I have not been able to obtain access to land records in Pope County, Arkansas to acertain when the Eudy family purchased any property there. I do know that they were there by September of 1873, as one young daughter died there in that month, and just 6 days later another daughter was born there.

Jacob Wiley Eudy married Elmira Belinda Furr, the daughter of John Furr and Bonita (or Benetta) Burris Furr of Stanly County, in Albemarle, Stanly County on April 13 of 1854. (Stanly County marriage records).

Jacob enlisted as a Private for duty in the Civil War in 1862.

Name:	Jacob Eudy
Residence:	Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Enlistment Date:	13 Mar 1862
Enlistment Place:	Stanly County, North Carolina
Side Served:	Confederacy
State Served:	North Carolina
Service Record:	Enlisted in Company K, 28th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 7 Sep 1861. Enlisted as a Private on 13 March 1862 at the age of 27. Transferred Company H, 8th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 9 Nov 1864. Transferred out of Company K, 28th Infantry Regiment North Carolina on 9 Nov 1864.

Jacob W. Eudy
Spouse Name:	Elmira B. Eudy
Residence Location:	Pope, Arkansas
State Served From:	North Carolina
Division:	Cavalry
Company:	H
Regiment:	Pope
Death Date:	5 Feb 1898
Comments:	widow applied 1903

Apparently he also a member of the Calvary in Pope County, Arkansas. A great many citizens from Stanly and Cabarrus counties of North Carolina migrated to Russelville and Gum Log and other parts of Pope and Pike counties in Arkansas. Payments in the form of land grants for service were likely part of the reason. Another reason was likely the devastion of the years after the war when land went to ruin and the population was reduced to women, children and old men with burnt farms and their property looted and confiscated by Union troops and the government after that.


Jacob and Elmira had a large family, typical of the era. They were the parents of :

Eli Mathias Riley Eudy 1855 - 1934 b NC d Arkansas
Julia Ann Eudy Kirksey 1857 -1937 b NC d Texas
Jonathan Monroe "Jonas" Eudy b 1858 NC -1918 Arkansas
George Martin Eudy b 1859 NC - 1925 Arkansas
Lawson Alexander Eudy b 1865 -1942 Texas
Mary Jane Eudy Linam  b 1865 Stanly County, NC - d 1942 Texas
Janice Rose "Jennie" Eudy b 1870 NC - 1873 Arkansas
Minnie Lorena Eudy Rushing b 1873 Arkansas - d 1962 Texas
John Jacob Eudy b 1876 Arkansas d 1964 Arkansas
Emma Isabell Eudy Forrest Thorton b 1879 Arkansas d 1969 Texas

Jacob Wiley Eudy in later days

JJ Eudy, Elmira Eudy, Jacob Wiley Eudy and Minnie Eudy outside of their home in Pope County, Ark.

Jacob Wiley Eudy would die on February 25, 1898 in Pope County, Arkansas

Eudy Cemetery in Pope County. 

Elmira would relocate to Texas with some of her children. Her last known residence was living with her youngest daughter, Emma. Elmira died January 10, 1909 in Hubbard Hill, Texas.


Younger members of the Eudy family, Jake and Elmira's grandchildren would relocate to New Mexico, California and Oregon. Others would remain in Arkansas and Texas. Eudy descendants, related to the Stanly/Cabarrus Eudy's, are now scattered all over the USA and a few, in other nations. And it began with Jake's migration.

The Interesting Life of Julia Ann Eudy Kirksey

The above plenus Victorian lady is Julia Ann Eudy Kirksey at around 40 years old. Julia Ann enjoyed a bit of travel in her days and an interesting life.

In my search of the Julia Ann Eudy who was the mother of Martin L. Lambert, I am leaning toward this Julia. The first reason is that there were only two in the community at the time who would have been old enough in 1873 to be his mother, and she was 16 years old. The second reason is that 1873 is the year the family seemed to have migrated to Arkansas, and may have placed young Martin with the neighboring Lambert family to raise. Whether William "Buck" Lambert was his natural father may be a fact that will never be discovered.



But the last, and most telling reason for my belief that the future Mrs Kirksey was the mother of Martin is that in the 1900 census, it records how many children a mother has given birth to, and how many are living. In 1900, Julia has given birth to the children in the above photograph, left to right, Robert Cicero Kirksey b 1884, Washington Henry Kirksey b 1891, Addie Belle Kirksey b 1893 and Mary E Kirksey b 1886. She had not given birth yet, to her youngest child, Annie Mae, and may very well have been expecting her in this photograph.

The census records that in the spring of 1900, Julia Ann Eudy Kirksey was the mother of 5 children with 4 living. The above four all grew to adulthood and had families of their own. Martin L. Lambert died in 1892 at the age of 19, but leaving a young wife and 4 month old daughter, Lotha Elizabeth Lambert.

This is the document that gave cause to my search for Julia Ann. Martin L Lambert's marriage license to Rose Etta Starnes. His mother was Julia Ann Eudy, no father listed, but listed as "living". So, he knew who his father was, he just did not list his name. It is remarkable that he did not list the Lamberts as his parents as his last name is Lambert and he is enumerated in the 1880 census as their son and the youngest child at 7, living close to the family of his future wife, Etta, age 6. They must have played as children.

Julia Ann Eudy Kirksey was born in either Stanly or Cabarrus Counties in North Carolina on May 28, 1857. She was the daughter of Jacob Wiley Eudy and his wife, Elmira Belinda Furr. The marriage license for her parents was recorded in the Albemarle Courthouse in Stanly County on April 13, 1854. Land transactions involving Jacob Wiley Eudy begin about 1856, in both counties as he begins acquiring land for his farm on which to raise his typically large family, of the time.

The Eudy's hovered on the border of Cabarrus and Stanly. In a deed recorded in Cabarrus County in April of 1871, J.W. Eudy and his wife E. B. Eudy sell to an A. B. Coleman a tract of land "situated in the counties of Cabarrus and Stanly adjoining Joe Barrier, John Eudy, Williamson Eudy,  and others". Other neighbors mentioned are M. W. Dry and Jacob Misenheimer.

As both A. B. Coleman and Jacob W. Eudy are shown as grantors and grantees in adjoining documents, it appears they were trading tracts of land. Perhaps to locate in one county over the other. Jacob W. Eudy preferring to be in Cabarrus and Coleman in Stanly. This might have something to do with a April 27th 1870 court order from Stanly commanding James Marshall, sherriff to attach a levy to 369 acres of Jacob W. Eudy's land on Bear Creek adjoining the heirs of Soloman Harkey and sell at the courthouse to the highest bidder, the highest bidder being one Miss Adeline Eudy for $85.

Another fact that can locate the Eudy family in North Carolina and then in Arkansas is the birth of daughter Jennie Rose Eudy on October 7, 1870 in Cabarrus County, North Carolina and then her death in Pope County, Arkansas on September 12, 1873. She is not buried in the same cemetery as most members of the family who remained in Arkansas. Then another daughter, Minnie Lorena Eudy, was born a few days later on September 12, 1873 in Dover, Pope County, Arkansas. It appears 1873 was the year of travel for the family, young Jenny Rose may have gotten ill on the trip.

Tombstone of Jenny Rose Eudy in Arkansas

Julia A Udy
Age in 1860:	4
Birth Year:	abt 1856
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1860:	Subdivision East of NC RR, Cabarrus, North Carolina
Gender:	Female
Post Office:	Mount Pleasant
Value of real estate:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Jac W Udy 25 Elmira B Udy 23 Eli M R Udy 5 Julia A Udy 4 George M Udy 10/12 Green Hatty 20

The 1860 census shows the Eudy family near Mt. Pleasant. Land records show most transactions from 1854 to 1856 in Stanly and then later transactions 1856 to 1871 in Cabarrus.

uly A. Eudy [Julia Ann Eudy]
Age:	23
Birth Year:	abt 1857
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1880:	Dover, Pope, Arkansas
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Daughter
Marital Status:	Single
Father's Name:	Jacob W. Eudy
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Name:	Elnirah B. Eudy
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Occupation:	Housekeeper
Cannot read/write: Blind: Deaf and dumb: Otherwise disabled: Idiotic or insane:	View image
Household Members:	Name Age Jacob W. Eudy 45 Elnirah B. Eudy 43 July A. Eudy 23 Lawson A. Eudy 18 Mary J. Eudy 15 Jonithan M. Eudy 12 Minie L. Eudy 7 John J. Eudy 4

Julia A Eudy
Gender:	Female
Age:	26
Birth Year:	abt 1857
Residence:	Dover, Pope, Arkansas
Spouse's Name:	Matt C Kirkscey
Spouse's Gender:	Male
Spouse's Age:	33
Spouse's Residence:	Dover, Pope, Arkansas
Marriage Date:	20 Dec 1883
Marriage License Date:	20 Dec 1883
Marriage County:	Pope
Event Type:	Marriage
FHL Film Number:	1034013

On December 20, 1883, Julia Ann, now 26, married a widowerd, Madison Christopher Columbus Kirksey, known more often as Matt. Matt was the son of John Madison Columbus Kirksey and Martha A Thompson Kirksey of  Choctaw, Alabama. The Kirksey family had originated in South Carolina before migrating to Alabama, and like the Eudy family, had relocated west to Arkansas during the horrors of Reconstruction. Matt had married an Alabama girl, Sarah F Cooper in 1870 and they had 3 children, Ophelia, Jackson and Fanny.

One year after the marriage of Matt and Julie, their first son Robert Cicero was born. Robert would marry a Mary Estelle in Bell County, Texas and have 2 sons, Robert Jr. and John M. Kirksey. Second child, daughter Mary, would also be born in Arkansas in 1886.

Mary E. Kirksey would marry Jonas Lucena Barringer, whose family was also from Stanly and Cabbarus Counties in North Carolina. Jonas was born in Ridenhours township in Stanly County, North Carolina. In 1880, his family was still in North Carolina and were in Llano, Texas by 1910. He joined the Service for WW I in 1918 in Lubbock, Texas. He and Mary would have 4 children, Catherine, Annie, J. L. and Julia and relocate to Portland, Oregon.
 Third child, Washington Henry Kirksey was born on May 1, 1891 in Arkansas. He would marry Elizabeth Atkins of Anderson County, Texas, and they would remain in Crosby County, Texas, where his family would migrated from Arkansas to, and raise his only daughter, Julia Annadale Kirksey.
The fourth child of Matt and Julie, Addie Belle Kirksey would marry Ora Derr from Kansas. They would raise two sons, Ora Albert Derr, Jr. and Patrick Millard Derr, in Port Arthur, Jefferson County, Texas.

There appears to have been a daughter, Arlene, who was born and died  between 1900 and 1910. The 1910 census shows Julia Ann to have been the mother of 7 children with 5 living.

The fifth and youngest child of Matt and Julie Kirksey was Annie Mae, born June 21, 1900. She was the first and only Kirksey child to be born in Texas, so they migrated from Arkansas between Addie's birth in 1893 and the 1900 census.

ulia Kirksuf [Julia Kirksey]
Age:	43
Birth Date:	May 1857
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1900:	Justice Precinct 4, Falls, Texas [Falls]
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Wife
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	Madison C C Kirksuf
Marriage Year:	1874
Years Married:	26
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother: number of living children:	4
Mother: How many children:	5
Occupation:	View on Image
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Madison C C Kirksuf 49 Julia Kirksuf 43 Ophelia Kirksuf 25 Jackson M Kirksuf 23 Fannie C Kirksuf 20 Robt C Kirksuf 15 Mary Kirksuf 13 Henry Kirksuf 9 Addie Kirksuf 7

 Annie Mae's first photo was made in Temple, Texas.

Annie Mae would marry Virgil Nathaniel Moore, also born in 1900, in Oklahoma. They would have 2 sons, Ray Kirksey Moore, born in 1928 and Henry Leon Moore, born in 1930.

Like most Americans born around the turn of the century, the Kirksey children came from large farming familes, and as they settled more into towns and trades, they brought smaller families into the world in the World War and Depression eras. Annie Mae and Burt were no different. They raised their 2 sons in the town they were married in, Crosby, Texas, where Matt and Julie had settled.

Bert and Annie in their horse-drawn carriage

Julia Ann, born in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, was laid to rest in Crosby County, Texas November of 1937. She was part of just one family who migrated west following the Civil War in search of a better life from a decimated origin. Was she the mother of Martin L. Lambert? Was he her child who was no longer living in 1900? Did Lotha Lambert know who her grandmother was? She also migrated to Texas. Did they keep in touch. Only a living descendant of this Texas branch of a North Carolina family might have the answers.

Jacob Wiley Eudy family after move to Arkansas. Julia Ann last on right in back row. 

Jacob Wiley Eudy family reunion in Arkansas circa 1895.

Eudy house in Arkansas circa 1890 with Jacob, Elmira, Minnie and J. J. Eudy