Nine Oaks – Charlotte Co., VA.
Nine Oaks was built
in 1876 by John D. Spencer and named for the nine large oak trees which
stood
there. The property was located east of
present day State Route 604, and south of “Campostella”, the home of
William
Morton, one of several large holdings of the Morton families in
Charlotte. Although
the home has burned, some photos remain in the hands of the families
who
resided there and enjoyed the large oaks, only one of which is still
standing.
House
at Nine
Oaks, Charlotte Courthouse, VA, circa 1920.
Adults in
chairs, from L-R: Jesse Lee Edwards with his parents-in-law James W.
Fagan, Ida
Flynn Fagan.
Seated on
grass: Margaret Edwards, Willie Sue Fagan, J. L. Edwards Jr., Richard
Fagan, June
Edwards, and Mae Fagan.
Notes: Willie,
Richard, and Mae are children of James and Ida. Margaret, J. L.,
and June are
children of Jesse and Edyth Fagan Edwards, and grandchildren of James
and Ida.
Left: Willie
Sue
Fagan, circa 1920 Center: Willie Sue
Fagan (1907 – 1930), circa 1920, at Nine Oaks. Note: Picture
taken on same day as above family photo; note the same dress and hat as
in
group photo. Right: Willie Sue
Fagan and Edyth Nevada Fagan Edwards, circa 1920
Front Row, L-R:
John Fagan (1900-1969), Harvey Green Fagan (“Grandfather,” holding
family
Bible,1847-1915),
Agnes Emeline Lewis Fagan (“Grandmother,” 1858-1932), Eliza Jane Fagan
(1898-1965),
James W. Fagan (1876-1928), Henry Marion Fagan (1884-1962).
Back row, far
left: Carl Tilson Fagan (1895-1960).
Women in the
back are unnamed, and the names won’t be in order, but likely include Beatrice
“Attie” Fagan
Anders (1877-1967), Polly Ann “Mollie” Fagan Wilburn (1880-1955),
Talitha Leona
Fagan Sprinkle (1884-1923), Cora Louise Fagan Fender (1887-1954),
Margaret Naomi “Oma”
Fagan (1890-1923) and her twin Martha Sophronia Fagan Pegg
(1890-1924),
Dotty Orpha Fagan Sherlin (1893-1973).
Not pictured is
infant son b/d in 1886.
Right: Agnes Emeline
Lewis Fagan (1858-1932), wife of Harvey G. Fagan.
Left: “Dear Sister” Edyth Nevada Fagan Edwards (1895-1927) in
1918, with her 3 eldest children. Jesse Lee Edwards, Jr. (1917-1986)
June Edwards
(1913-1998) Margaret Edwards (1916-1985).
Right: Edyth
Nevada Fagan Edwards (1895-1927)
with J. L. Edwards, Jr. (1917-1986), in
Charlotte Courthouse, VA, circa 1920.
Left: Jesse Lee
Edwards (1882-1967) with Edyth Nevada Fagan Edwards (1895-1927), near
the time
of their marriage, which was
Right: Edyth Nevada
Fagan Edwards (1895-1927), in CharlotteCourthouse, VA,
shortly before she passed away from breast cancer.
Left: circa 1923 in
Charlotte Courthouse, VA. Adults in back are Addie Denton and Edyth
Fagan Edwards
(1895-1927). Children in front are June Edwards, Richard Fagan,
Margaret
Edwards, and J. L. Edwards.
Note: Richard
Fagan is Edyth’s brother. The other 3 children are Edyth and Jesse
Edwards’
children.Unknown whose picture June is holding on a stick.
Right: Children at
Nine Oaks, Charlotte Courthouse, VA, circa 1920. As numbered in the
photo, 1 -
Mae Fagan, 2 - June Edwards, 3 - Margaret Edwards, 4 - Richard Fagan.
Note: Mae and Richard are
siblings; June and Margaret are
sisters.
Left: Liza Fagan
Waldrop (1898-1965). Right:
Liza Fagan
Waldrop (1898-1965) with her husband.
Pictures above taken at
Mollie Fagan Wilburn (1880-1955)
funeral, Locust Grove, Madison County, NC, 1955. Note:
Mollie and
Liza were sisters to James W. Fagan.
Orpha
Fagan (1893-1973).
Note: Orpha is sister
of James W. Fagan. Picture taken at Mollie Fagan Wilburn (1880-1955)
funeral,
Locust Grove, Madison County, NC, 1955.
John
Fagan (1900-1969) (left)
Carl Fagan (1895-1960) (right)
John and Carl are brothers
of James W. Fagan.
Pictures were taken at
Mollie Fagan Wilburn (1880-1955)
funeral, Locust Grove, Madison County, NC, 1955.
Left: Richard Fagan
(1916-1960), son of James and Ida Fagan. Baby photo taken in Madison
County,
NC.
Right: Richard Fagan at work.
Photo courtesy of Richard’s granddaughter, Carrie Hill, in Michigan.
Jessie Fagan (b. 1899 in Scotland), wife of Luther Fagan (1896- 1955). Jessie immigrated to the U.S. from Scotland in 1923. Luther was Edyth Fagan’s brother.
Biographical
Notes from Lynne Edwards Wheaton 4/7/15
Edyth was the
eldest child of 11 siblings. One brother and one sister died in infancy
in NC. One
sibling, Cora, had married prior to the family moving and remained in
NC.
Sister May Fagan remained with her. The remaining siblings moved to
Charlotte
Courthouse with their parents. Edyth’s uncle, Henry Marion Fagan, also
relocated to the area.
The family
appears in the 1920 census in Charlotte Courthouse. My grandmother
mentioned that
“things weren’t working out very well” and her father Jesse went to
work for
the railroad and was gone quite a bit. When her mother was ill with
cancer,
Jesse found a local woman to take care of my grandmother. After Edyth
died, the
woman begged Jesse to leave my grandmother with her; she had gotten
quite
attached to the little 4-year-old and promised to rear her in church
and send
her to school. Jesse said, “No, I’ll take her home to my sisters,” and
that’s
what he did. Jesse sold his property in Charlotte County in 1928 and
moved back
to NC.
My grandmother
thought she was born in Charlotte Courthouse, and that her name on her
birth certificate
was Ida Catherine Edwards, named after both her grandmothers. She has
received a
birth certificate from Virginia stating so. She says that after her
family
returned to Madison County, NC,
they began calling my grandmother “Edith.” However, her mother’s
obituary refers
to her as “baby Edith,” and I have also found her name hand-written
into the NC
index of births as “Edith Edwards” born on the same birthdate in
Madison
County, NC. I’ll locate the original birth
certificate if possible and resolve the issue. It’s entirely possible
that the
Edith Edwards born in Madison County is a different family member.
Some family
members who lived in Charlotte Courthouse:
• Edith E.
Edwards (born Ida Catherine Edwards, April 1923, Charlotte Courthouse,
VA)
• Jesse Lee
Edwards (1882-1967, NC), Edith’s father.
• Edyth Nevada
Fagan Edwards (1895 NC - 1927 VA), Edith’s mother.
• June Edwards
Loeser (1913 NC -1998 NJ), Edith’s sister.
• Johnney
Margaret Edwards Sprinkle (1916-1985, NC), Edith’s sister.
• Jesse Lee
Edwards, Jr. (aka JL Edwards, 1917-1986, NC), Edith’s brother.
• James W.
Fagan (1876 NC - 1928 VA), Edyth Fagan’s father.
• Ida Flynn
Fagan (1876 NC - 1946), Edyth Fagan’s mother.
• Edith E.
Edwards (aka Ida Catherine Edwards), born 4 April 1923.
• Edyth Nevada
Fagan’s death, 11 July 1927.
• Jesse L.
Edwards, owned property according to the 1920 census.
• James W.
Fagan’s death, 14 Nov 1928. Buried in Bethelehem Presbyterian Church
Cemetery.
• Ida Fagan’s
death, 3 March 1946. Buried in Bethlehem Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
1940
census shows her living in Farmville, VA. Death location unknown.
Parents
unknown/unconfirmed
identity.
Monday,
July
11, the sun was sinking
in the west, and the beautiful spirit
of Mrs. Edith Fagan Edwards, wife of Mr. Jesse L. Edwards
of Charlotte County, departed heavenward.
Her death did not come
unexpectedly as she had been sick for more than two years,
although
she had
not been confined to
her bed for only a short time. Her home
going in young womanhood, with
so much to
live for and cheer her,
surrounded by loved ones, who needed her, impresses
us with a sense of mystery, but we know that God knoweth and doeth all
things well.
As the end drew near, her suffering
was
intense, yet she was always
bright and cheerful, never complaining
or losing courage or faith.
No cloud
seemed to cross her spiritual
vision as she calmly and patiently awaited the
coming of the Saviour.
Those who mourn for her in
the home circle, a devoted husband
and four children are June, Margaret,
J.L.,
Jr., and the baby, Edith.
She was often known to say "If
it be God's will I trust that I may be
spared to them." She also leaves a father, mother, and several brothers
and sisters. Many years ago
they moved to
this county from North
Carolina. She had made many
friends here in her kind and gentle
manner. She
was a member of
Bethlehem Presbyterian church and
a faithful worker in the Ladies Auxiliary.
She was
laid to rest on Thursday
A.M. at 10 o'clock, in Bethelehem
cemetery, where a large crowd gathered to pay the last tribute
to her. The floral designs were
numerous and
beautiful. Rev. T.W.
De Vane, her pastor, conducted the
burial services. We extend to the
bereaved family
the heartfelt sympathy
of the community and commend them to Him who promised
never to leave or forsake them
and Who is
able to sustain them in this great sorrow.
February
2,
1928, p.7
Miss
Nora
Fagan
passed away January
16, 1928,
at 4:30 p.m. at the French
Broad hospital in Asheville, N.C.,
while on a visit to her brother of that
city.
She was buried at Mars Hill, N.C.
The funeral services were
conducted by her former pastor, Mr. Owen,
and the music
by a quartet of students of Mars Hill College, her Alma
Mater.
Miss
Fagan
was born in Madison county,
North Carolina. From Madison
county she came with her family
to Charlotte
C.H. in 1920, making
her home with her sister, Mrs. A.W. Williams,
where she spent the remaining years of her life.
She
was a
semi-invalid for many years
and was one of God's children who
was made perfect through suffering.
She
was of
such wonderful patience
and cheerfulness, so gentle and
refined and thoughtful of others, possessing
so much courage and industry, and of such simple trusting faith
that there went out from her an influence
that touched the lives of all around
her in a wonderful
degree.
In
her home she
was the center around
whom the family life revolved. Everything that
love and skill could do was
done for her comfort and happiness.
The
hearts
of the whole community
go out in sympathy to the bereaved
family, especially to the sister
whose life
was so wrapped up in
her. Miss
Fagan was a member of Mt.
Tirzah
Baptist church.
November
22, 1928,
p.1
"MR.
J.W. FAGAN DIED LAST
WEDNESDAY
NIGHT"
After
a lingering
illness of some time, Mr.
J.W. Fagan died at Catawba Sanatorium, where he had
been taken for
treatment about ten days before his death,
on last Wednesday night, November
14th.
The
deceased
conducted a cafe here
until his health necessitated his giving it up, and
had many friends throughout
the county.
Mr.
Fagan is
survived by his wife and
eight children as follows: Miss Mary,
Jack, and Richard C., who are with
their mother
in the county. Mr. L.W. Fagan
of Langley Field; Mr. J.C. Fagan, of Indianapolis,
Indiana; Mr. H.T. Fagan of Los Angeles, California; Mrs K.B. Murray, of
Mars
Hill, North Carolina; Miss
Willie Fagan, of Richmond. He is also
survived by his mother, Mrs. Emeline Fagan of Weaversville [sic], North
Carolina; and five sisters: Mrs. A.B.
Wilborne and Mrs. Frank Fender, of
Weaversville
[sic], North Carolina; Mrs.
Waldrop, Pine Bluff, North Carolina; Mrs. Crawford,
Asheville, North Carolina, Mrs. A.E. Anders of near
Charlotte Courthouse, and three brothers,
Messrs.
H.M. Fagan, of Shelby, North Carolina; J.H. Fagan of Gastonia, North
Carolina;
J.T. Fagan, of Kannapolis, North Carolina.
Interment
was made at Bethlehem Church Saturday, November 17th, at 10 o'clock.
Funeral service was conducted by
Rev. Mr.
de Vane.
The
following relatives from a distance
were here for the
funeral: Mrs. Emeline Fagan, of Weaversville [sic], North Carolina;
Miss Willie
Fagan, of Richmond;
Mr. L.W. Fagan, of Langley Field; Mr. W.H.
Fagan, of Gastonia, N.C., and J.T. Fagan, of Kannapolis, N.C.
Plat of
Nine
Oaks (not the original holdings from 1876)