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Sonja Wood from Kansas

Updated July 30, 2008

About Our Family Research


In 1993 my mother, Della Jean Kirkland Jones, asked me to take her to Ozark County, Missouri for a visit. I wasn't too excited about going because 1) I had not been there in about 30 years 2)I was born in Ozark County, Missouri, but left when I was about four and didn't remember much, 3) We didn't know anyone personally in the area.

Well, boy was I wrong. The first place we stopped was in Caulfield, MO and talked to Zelphia Hensley. Zelphia had lived with Mom's grandparents, Zeb Taylor II and his second wife, Rindy Taylor. The snowball had begun to gain speed. We have met family in Ozark and Howell County, that have been just delightful. That has expanded on to to various other parts of the United States. To think what an innocent little trip in 1993 would have created is just incomprehensible, it has been a great ride!

My research involves family members from Ozark County, Missouri in the mid 1800's. The family names are:
Kirkland: George and wife, Jane Kirkland, their son, Charles T. Kirkland and wife, Mary Ellen James, his son: Jesse Bennett Kirkland and wife, Pearl M Taylor, daughter: Della Jean Kirkland, and myself: Sonja James Wood.
Taylor: George Washington Taylor and wife, Margaret Martindale, son: Zebidee "Bud" Taylor, son: Zebidee "Zeb" William Taylor, daughter: Pearl Mae Taylor and husband, Jesse Bennett Taylor, daughter: Della Jean Kirkland, and myself: Sonja James Wood.
James: Mary Ellen James and husband, Charles Thomas Kirkland, son: Jesse Bennett Kirkland and wife, Pearl M Taylor, daughter: Della Jean Kirkland, and myself: Sonja James Wood.
Westmoreland: Cynthia Westmoreland and husband, Zebedee Taylor II, daughter: Pearl Mae Taylor and husband, Jesse Bennett Kirkland, daughter: Della Jean Kirkland, and myself: Sonja James Wood.

I have been completing research since 1993, utitilizing both cemetery records, courthouse documents, verbal family history, and on-line contacts. I hope you'll share your stories, photographs, documents, and mementos. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

Sonja Wood in Kansas

 
Family Trees (viewing trees requires 4.0 or later browser)
  • Sonja Wood's family (795 KB)
    If you are looking for folks from Ozark County, MO who are related to the Kirklands, Taylors, Westmoreland's, Mary Ellen James, Russell Noil James, you will find all sorts of tasty tidbits about our family groups. Please let me know if you have any updates or modifications to my files.
 
Family Photos
  • Cynthia Westmoreland and Zebedee Taylor (177 KB)
    L/R: son, Joda, daughter, Pearl M., and baby boy, Cledith, Mother, Cynthia Westmoreland, Father, Zebedee Taylor II. Baby Cledith died shortly after this photograph on the way to Texas, just outside of Springfield, MO. The family returned to Ozark County, MO where Cynthia Westmoreland Taylor died within the same year of Consumption (Tuberculosis). I suspect Cledith had Consumption as well, but this isn't written anywhere.sw
  • Isaac Newton Kirkland (75 KB)
    Isaac is brother to Charles Thomas Kirkland (father of Jesse Bennett Kirkland). They are sons of George and Jane Kirkland.
  • Maud E. Kirkland Smith, sister J. Bennett Kirkland (79 KB)
    Photo is of Maud E. Kirkland Smith, husband, Isaac Smith, and sons. Robert Smith is located just behind his father, Isaac. Maud is the youngest sister of Jesse Bennett Kirkland, and daughter of Charles Thomas Kirkland.
 
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