The book by Rupert Farnahm Thompson gives Joshua's date of death as July 1877. This is incorrect. Gene Kerlin, a descendant of Joshua, writes:
"William Joshua Boon's proper month of death is February, not July as posted in the Farnham book. My authority is 1) newspaper obituary dated 15 March 1877 and 2) dates on grave marker"
William Joshua Boon was born April 24, 1826 in Hancock Co., Georgia. He was the youngest of the five children of Kinchin Sr. and Margaret. As a boy he lived in Coweta Co., Georgia and was in the part that became Heard County in 1830. His family were Baptists and attended Bethel Baptist Church. At the age of 14, his family appears on the 1840 Heard Co., GA census. While only a young man of about 21, his mother passed away.By his family and close friends, William Joshua was known as 'Buck'
On January 23, 1851 in Tallapoosa Co., Alabama, William Joshua Boon married Lucinda Purcilla Vines. It can be found in Marriage Book 3 on page 55. He was almost 25 and she had just turned 19. Lucinda was born January 4, 1832 Abbeville District, South Carolina and died December 22, 1913 at family homeplace, Boone Valley near Jackson's Gap, Tallapoosa Co., ALLucinda was the daughter of Jabez Vines and Nancy Mattison. Jabez Vines' given name has been also spelled as Jabish and Jabesh. He has been called Jabe and John
In January, 1999, Gene Kerlin, my cousin and fellow reseeacher, wrote the following to me:
The Boons earlier had lived near Dudleyville and Buttston, but moved to Rock Springs (Boone Valley) near Jackson's Gap sometime after the first three of their children died of typhoid fever. They wanted to get farther away from the nearby Tallapoosa River.William J. Boon added an "e" to his name later in life. He served as a delegate from Tallapoosa County, Alabama to the 1865 Alabama Constitutional Convention in Montgomery. He had a mercantile business, and he also had a farm and probably other enterprises.
As mentioned above, the first three children died of typhoid fever, all within a week of each other. They were buried in an unmarked grave at Vines Family Cemetery. An inscription that once was over their common grave reads:
"Beneath this pile of stone lye Gustavus J, Nancy Margaret and Benj Franklin Boon, Children of Wm J. and Lucinda P. Boon who, we believe, are now in Heaven, and who once made house a hapy place, August 21st 1857--Their Parents." [Typed as written].Vines Family Cemetery, where many of the Boons and Vines are buried, is located about 100-200 yards behind the old home place SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4, Section 17, Township 20N and Range 24 E.
This family is listed on 1855 state census of Tallapoosa Co., Alabama as Wm. J. Boon. This census shows the family in Beat #13 with 1 male over 21, 1 male under 21 and 1 female over 21.
Special thanks to Gene Kerlin for providing us with this picture of William Joshua and Lucinda - which I believe was taken in 1870.
When William 'Buck' died in 1877, his wife was only 45 and had a whole housefull of children to provide for. They ranged from baby Priscilla who was 2 1/2 to William Leon who wasn't quite 19. There was 11 at home in all She had already lost 4 children.. She really must have been a remarkable woman. Several of these remaining children would die as young adults.
The People's Banner (an Elmore County, Alabama newspaper) dated Thursday, March 15, 1877:
"William Joshua Boon, aged about 53 years, died in Tallapoosa [County] on the 18th ult. From the Dadeville [Alabama] Headlight."And about Lucinda's death in Decmeber 1913, Gene wrote:
"She died of the "Grip" at three A.M. following a sickness of three weeks' duration. She was 82 years old. She was a charter member of Rock Springs Baptist Church, organized 15 June 1888."
*Have any additional information or picutres of William Joshua Boon or his children or grandchildren - please e-mail me, Ann (Jobe) Brown
