Saturday, June 7, 2008

Joshua Mullins 1869 - 1946

Joshua Mullins was the fourth child of James "Jim" Mullins and Rebecca Hayes. He was born on January 22, 1869 in Pound, Wise County, Virginia. The family was in the 1870 Wise County census. James was 88, Rebecca 30, John 9, Booker 6, Sarah 3 and Joshua was seven months old. They were living next door to Rebecca's parents, John and Athaleia Hayes (or Hase as they spelled it in this census). John was 51, Atha 49 and Joshua's uncle, also named Joshua, was 16.

Both families moved to Letcher County.

About 1875 when Joshua was about six years old, his father, Jim, died.

His grandmother, Athaliea Hayes (again Hase on her death certificate) died September 28, 1877 in Letcher County. Her death certificate says her cause of death was "knot known".

His grandfather, John Hayes, married again to a Nancy who is about Rebecca's age.

His brother John married Sarah Powers before 1880. John was 21 and Sarah 16 with no children in the 1880 census. They were living in Wise County. Over the years this couple lived in Wise and Letcher Counties.

His sister, Sarah, also married her first husband, James Short, and was also living in Walker, Wise County with her new in-laws.

In the 1880 Letcher County Census Rebecca,widowed, now lives with her father and his new wife. John is 63, Nancy is 43. Rebecca is 41, Booker 16 and Joshua is 10 years old.

In 1883 Rebecca marries again. Joshua is about thirteen. Rebecca married Jesse B. Adams, a widower who lost his wife, Margaret "Peggy" Jenkins in 1882. Jesse is the father of Rosa B. Adams who Joshua will eventually marry.

There is no 1890 census.

On June 8 of 1892 Joshua, age 23, married Annie Houston age 18. Their first son, James, is born June 22, 1893. Nan Vina is born on February 3, 1895 (my birthday buddy). Rebecca is born in 1897 and Willliam Arthur is born in April 1900.

His brother, Booker, marries in 1887 to Sarah Ann Adams. They have eight children but by 1900 only four of them are alive.

In June 1900 the Letcher County Census says Joshua is 31, Anna 25, James 6, Nan V. 5, Coettie 2 and William A. 2 months. They are living next to Annie's parents, Nathaniel "Thaney" Houston and Elizabeth "Betsy" Houston.



His brother John is living in Letcher County now. Six of his seven children are living.

Sarah is no longer with James Short, but I don't know if he died or they divorced. She married a second time to Samuel P. Collier, the son of William Dee Collier and Rebecca Meade. Samuel is the brother of Willis Kirk Collier who is the father of Sadie Collier, Otho Bentley's first wife.

I cannot find a death certificate for Rebecca, but most other sources I have seen say she died about 1903. However, most of those sources don't say that she married again. I cannot find her in the 1910 census. I don't find Jesse Adams either, but he did not die until 1927 and he was 20 years her senior.

Joshua's grandfather, John Hayes and his wife, Nancy, are no longer in Letcher County. I have found a John and Nancy in Wisconsin, but I haven't investigated this couple enough to say for sure if this is where John is in 1900. He dies about 1905.

Joshua and Annie have more children: Marion, Melvina, Betsy and Ellis. In 1906 Anniie dies while delivering a baby who dies, also.

In 1909 he marries "Susan Venters". They are listed in the 1910 census as him being 41 to her age 61. She says she has had one child who is living.

Joshua and Annie's children, James, Melvina, Coetta, Marion and Betsy are living with Annie's parents, Thaney & Betsy Houston.

In 1912 Joshua's wife, Susan, dies. That same year, he and Rosa Adams Fulton, now divorced from John Fulton, marry.

In 1912 Ada Mullins is born and in 1914 Ida. Joshua's children, Mary 17 and Betsy 15, are living with him in 1920. His other children have thier own households or have died. His son, James, who has been to War in France and back, is living next door to his Houston grandparents.



Joshua and Annie lived up the right hand fork of Millstone across from Lucky Fulton's home. He would go out and walk. He was found laying along side the road. His death certificate says he died of acute cardiac failure. He is buried high upon the mountain in Millstone.






Joshua reading the paper on his front porch with Donnie Meade, his grandson. Donnie was the son of Ada Mullins & Grant Meade.

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