West, Thomas A.

Submitted by: William G. Latham Jr.     E-mail: llatham@peoplepc.com
Thomas West was born Nov. 15, 1813 died July 15, 1896.
He married Malinda Murff Oct. 8, 1835 in South Carolina.
Malinda Murff was born Oct. 5, 1812 in Laurens Co., S. C., the daughter of Randolph S. & Martha Caroline Patsy} “Gaines” Murff. She died Apr. 25, 1890. Thomas and Malinda both died in Calhoun Co., Miss., and were buried at Poplar Springs Cemetery, in Calhoun Co., Miss.Thomas & Malinda migrated from S.C. to Miss. before 1853.

They were the parents of seven children. The six oldest born in South Carolina, their youngest son; Powhattan was born in Calhoun Co., Miss.

Their seven children were:

(1) William Randolph was born Sept. 29, 1836 in S.C., he migrated from S.C. to Miss. with his parent’s. He married Lynn {Puss} Creekmore, who was born Feb. 16, 1842. William died Oct. 30, 1891, and his wife Lynn died Jan. 4, 1892, they were both buried Shiloh Church Cemetery, Calhoun Co., Miss. They had nine children; Laura Alice, Ada Lois, Sabra, Robert, Edgar Leon, Hiram Creekmore, Mabra Ethel, Minnie Creekmore, and Manie West.

(2) Helena West was born Dec. 9, 1837 in S.C., she never married. After her parent’s died, she lived with a cousin; Belton Murff. Helena West died Jan. 6, 1919.

(3) Roena West was born Jan. 11, 1839 in S.C. She married William Samuel Gillespie in Miss. He was born May 6, 1841, & died Feb. 2, 1901. Roena “West” Gillespie died Sept. 6, 1928, and they were both buried at Poplar Springs Cemetery. They had two known children; Angie & Martha Ida Gillespie.

(4) John Simpson West was born May 22, 1841 in S.C., he was a civil war casualty, and died Mar. 4, 1862. He never married.

(5) Thomas Anderson West was born Jan. 19, 1845 in S.C., he married Samantha Jane Harden, and they had ten children. Thomas A. & Samantha settled in Rising Star, Texas. Their children were; Thomas T., Fettie Lizzie, Amos Lee, May, Jerusha, Marvin Enoch, Ernest Ray, Edgar Clarence, Rufus, and Arrie West.

(6) Martha Pickens West was born Sept. 24, 1846 in S.C., she married William Carrol Brown Dec. 13, 1866 in Miss. William was born Feb. 27, 1832 in Walker Co., Alabama, and died Apr. 16, 1909. Martha Pickens Brown died Nov. 28, 1918; they were both buried at Poplar Springs Cemetery, Calhoun Co., Miss. They had 11 children; Helena Electra, John T., C. Oscar, Samuel Payton, Warren Egbert, Ava Malinda, Emily Elizabeth, Frank Oliver, Cordelia Vernon, Otho O., and a infant who died young.

(7) Powhattan “Bud” West was born Jan. 15, 1853 in Calhoun Co., Miss. He died abt. 1917 in Marlow, Oklahoma. Powhattan married four time’s, he first married Matilda Catherine Winter abt. 1871 in Calhoun Co., Miss. She died Sept. 2, 1877, and was buried at the Loyd Cemetery. Powhattan & Matilda had two children, James Luther, and Mary Jane Mollie West.
Powhattan married second to Susie Josephine Coleman in 1878, and she died in 1886 in Miss. “Bud” & Susie had five children; Eudora Alice, John William, George Elize, Nina, and a infant, that died in 1886.

Powhattan married third to Eliza Ferguson in 1887, and they had three children; Christina, William Edgar, & Walter Andrew West.

Powhattan married fourth to Sara Ann Freer Jan. 25, 1894. And they had nine children; Willie, Daisy, Mandy, Pearl, Ola, May, Mack, Lowin, and Henry West.

From the The Calhoun Monitor

December 3, 1903
Reverend Thomas A. West, whose picture heads this sketch [not copied] was born in Anderson District, S. C., January 19, 1845, and before he was one year old his parents emigrated to Mississippi. In 1853 they located in Calhoun county near the present post office -- Loyd, eight miles east of Pittsboro, where young Tom was principally raised.

He received a limited education in the common schools of the county. The breaking out of the war when he was fifteen or sixteen years of age and just as he was beginning to make some advancement interfered, with his studies, and he enlisted in Co. "E", 3rd Mississippi Calvary.

He surrendered with his command at Gainesville, Ala., in May 1865; came home, and went to work on his father's farm where he remained until Oct. 24, 1867, when he was married to Miss S. J. Hardin, of Chickasaw county, with whom he has lived these thirty-six years.

Tom was licensed to preach at Old Hurricane Church in 1880 under the ministry of the Rev. Thos. J. Lowery and was ordained deacon at Waco, Texas, in 1892.

He is still at work on the farm and in the pulpit. By hard work and good management he has accumulated considerable property and by his zeal in the Master's cause has accomplished much good. He has ever been affable, up-right and considerate in his dealings with his fellows and is withal an ex-Calhounnite in whom our citizens should have a just pride. His course in Texas is gratifying to his many friends here.