TOLLEY
The Tolley
family moved to Decatur County sometime between 1827 and 1850 from Carroll
County near Huntingdon, Tennessee. There were seven children. Not much is known
about them. They were the children of William Tolley whose father is believed to
be Jonathan Tolley. It is thought that they came from North Carolina or South
Carolina and came by the way of West Virginia and Kentucky and settled near
Huntingdon. Their names were George, Arthur, Martha, Joe, Nerve or Manurvia,
and Rachel. There was another sister whose name is not known.
George
stopped in Kentucky and settled there and the family lost trace of him.
Manurvia married Lewis Jones. She was born July 22, 1823 and died June 8,1896.
She is buried at Mt. Lebanon Cemetery. Rachel and Joe did not marry. One sister
whose name is unknown married a Condor. Martha married a Chester.[1]
Arthur
Tolley was born in Carroll County on April 2,1827 and married Morning Rushing
born Jan. 15, 1833 from Decatur County. Arthur and Morning lived on the Rushing
farm now owned by the Townsend brothers. Their first child, George Alston was
born there on December 30, 1853. The family moved from there to the Houston
farm about 1/2 mile east of Mt. Tabor. They had four additional sons: James
Arthur born Nov. 20, 1858; Martin Andrew b. January 25, 1862; Joseph Thomas b.
Aug. 29, 1866; Samuel Jackson b. May 13, 1872.
His wife, Morning Tolley, died Feb.
14, 1873 and is buried at the "old" Tolley Cemetery located next to
the Featherfoot development overlooking Beech River. He then married Mary
Skinner Readey who had previously been married to John R. Readey who was
deceased. She had two children by that marriage, Doiph and Dossie Readey.
To
the union of Arthur and Mary were born two girls, Mary Ellen born Feb. 11 1879
and Lucy born Mar. 12, 1882. Arthur Tolley died in 1898, his wife Mary in 1908
and both are buried in Mt. Lebanon Cemetery.
All
of Arthur’s sons moved to Henderson County around the turn of the Century
except for Joseph Thomas who married his step sister, Dossie Readey. After her
death he moved to Ridgely, Tenn. where his children and their descendants now
reside. George Alston, Martin Andrew and Samuel Jackson moved to Henderson Co.
and lived there the rest of their life. James Arthur lived in Henderson Co. for
awhile but returned to Decatur Co. and operated a General Merchandise Store in
the Camp Ground Community. He is buried at the Camp Ground Cemetery.
Even
though George Alston, Martin Andrew and Samuel Jackson Tolley remained in
Henderson County, some of their sons have been instrumental in shaping and
influencing the history of Decatur County.
Arthur
F. Tolley, son of Samuel Jackson lived in Parsons, was a mortician and half
owner of Parsons Mortuary. He was manager of the Holcomb Produce Co. in Parsons
and a large stockholder in the Company. Arthur F. Tolley Bridge between Parsons
and Decaturville is named after him.
John
T. Tolley, son of Samuel Jackson was Sheriff of Decatur Co. during the 1940’s
served in World Wart and is mentioned in notables of the South. Two of his sons
served in World War II, a grand child in the Korean War and an in-law in the
Vietnam War.
William
Madison Tolley, son of Martin Andrew was principal of Decaturville High School
in the early 1920’s. Before his death he set up a trust fund to provide a
scholarship for deserving students at Riverside Schools (between Parsons and
Decaturville).
Bud
Tolley, accomplished Banjo player, and Jess Tolley, master of the violin were
sons of James Arthur.
Alston
was a successful farmer and it was on his farm at Bible Hill that one of the
first gravel pits was developed and furnished gravel for some of the early
rural roads in Decatur Co.
Dolph
Readey, stepson of the elder Arthur Tolley was a business man and his son Jess
Readey was a successful businessman and prominent citizen of Decatur Co.
Grandchildren
and descendants of Ellen Tolley Gross are community leaders in and around
Parsons and Perryville.1
Direct Line of Descent from
William to Samuel Lee Tolley
William[1] Tolley. Died, before 1850, married Rachel Conder, born circa 1798, in KY. Died, after 1860, in Decatur Co., TN. Burial in Tolley Cem., Decatur Co., TN (fieldstone). Census 1850, in Decatur Co., TN.
Children:
i. Manerva Tolley, m. Lewis Jones
ii. Joseph H. Born, circa 1824. Died,. Burial in Tolley Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Census: 1850, in Decatur Co., TN. Joe Tolley never married.
iii. Arthur Tolley.
iv. George Tolley. Born, circa 1830. Census: 1850, in Decatur Co., TN.George Tolley settled in KY.
v. Martha Tolley.
vi. Rachel El izabeth Tolley.
vii. John Tolley. Burial in Tolley Cem., Decatur Co., TN.
Arthur[2] Tolley (William, 1). Born, 12 Apr 1827, in Carroll Co., TN. Died, 1 Oct 1898, in Decatur Co., TN. Burial in Mt. Lebanon Cem., Decatur Co., TN.
Arthur Tolley was born in Carroll County and married Morning Rushing. They lived on the Rushing farm. Their first child, George Alston, was born there. The family moved from there to the Houston farm about 1/2 mile east of Mt. Tabor.
Young Arthur grew to manhood learning the art of using the axe. He became an expert in hewing logs that were used extensively in the structures of homes, schools, and churches. One of these was the old Mt. Tabor School about two miles south of Parsons. He loved to dance and had the reputation of being one of the best dancers in Decatur County. He professed faith in Christ and joined the Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church.
He fought throughout the Civil War as a Union soldier, enlisting at Decaturville on September 18, 1862, in Company G, 6th Regiment Tennessee Calvary, Capt. W. C. Webb's Company. He was mustered out at Pulaski, Tennessee, on July 26, 1866. [History of Decatur County]
He married, first, Morning Rushing, daughter of Isaac Rushing and Rebecca Saint, circa 1852. Born, 15 Jul 1833, in Decatur Co., TN. Died, 14 Feb 1873, in Decatur Co., TN. Burial in Tolley Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Children:
i. George Alston[3] Tolley
ii.
James Arthur Tolley
iii. Martin Andrew Tolley
iv. Joseph Thomas Tolley
v. Samuel Jackson Tolley.
He married, second, Mary Skinner, 21 Oct 1875, in Decatur Co., TN. Born, 16 Oct 1839. Died, 9 Nov 1908. Burial in Mt. Lebanon Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Children:
vi. Mary Ellen Tolley.
vii. Lucy Elnore Tolley.
James Arthur[3] Tolley (Arthur, 3). Born, 26 Nov 1858, in Decatur Co., TN. Died, 11 Mar 1940, in Decatur Co., TN. Burial in Campground Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN.
He married, first, Caroline Warren, 25 Feb 1881, in Decatur Co., TN. Born, 16 Jan 1864. Died, 25 Jan 1884. Burial in Fisher Cem., Mt. Carmel Com., Decatur Co., TN. Children:
i. James T. (Bud)[4] Tolley.
ii. Infant Daughter Tolley. Born, 23 Jan 1884. Died, 23 Jan 1884. Burial in Fisher Cem., Mt. Carmel Com., Decatur Co., TN.
iii. E. M. (Minnie) Tolley.
He married, second, Sedna Frances (Sissy) Finch, daughter of Thomas Finch and Eliza E. Jones (sister of Lewis?), 17 Dec 1885, in Decatur Co., TN. Born, 19 Jul 1861. Died, 14 Aug 1898. Burial in Mt. Lebanon Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Census: 1880, in Decatur Co., TN. Children:
iv. Liza Frances Tolley.
v. Samuel Lee Tolley.
vi. Jessie Lee Tolley.
vii. Venia Tolley.
He married, third, Alminda Powers, daughter of Stephen Lafayette Powers and Mary Ann Bartholomew, after 1900. Born, 5 Aug 1879. Died, 21 Dec 1972. Burial in Campground Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1952, in Scotts Hill, TN. Census: 1900, in Henderson Co., TN. She is listed as Adore in the 1880 census and as Ada A. in the 1900 census.
Samuel Lee[4] Tolley (James Arthur, 7). Born, circa 1889. Resided: 1968, in Atwood, Carroll Co., TN. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN, married Janie Harrington, daughter of Marshal G. Harrington and Elizer E. Jones, 20 Feb 1912, in Decatur Co., TN. Born, circa 1893. Resided: 1978, in Atwood, Carroll Co., TN. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN. Children:
i. Mary Magdalene[5] Tolley. Born, circa 1914. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN, m. Bertram Lane, circa 1934.
ii. James Marshall Tolley. Born, circa 1916. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co.,TN, m. Pauline Little, circa 1945
iii. William Ruel Tolley. Born, circa 1918. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN, d. Invasion of Normandy, D-Day, 1945
iv. Ada Inez Tolley, Born 22 April, 1921, Decatur Co., TN, d. 22 November, 2000, West Point, Clay Co., TN, m. Otis Duane Barksdale, 26 March, 1946.
v. Ruby Lee Tolley, bn. circa 1923, d. circa 1925, bu. Friendship Cemetery, Milan Arsenal
vi. Ben David Tolley, bn. 1925, d. 199 , m. Dene Williamson
vii. Samuel Thomas Tolley, bn. 19 , Carroll Co, TN, m. Altie Mae White
Jessie Lee[4] Tolley (James Arthur, 7). Born, 1890. Died, 1975. Burial in Campground Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN. Occupation: Storekeeper.
Jess Tolley operated a small store in the Garrett community of Decatur County. He was a fiddler, and with his brother Bud, who played a banjo, was in great demand as a musician for local weddings and get togethers. He married Hattie Bell Rushing, daughter of Leonadus Rushing and Mary Jane Jones, 25 Dec 1910, in Decatur Co., TN. Born, 1893. Died, 9 Feb 1991, in Decatur Co., TN. Burial in Campground Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Census: 1920, in Decatur Co., TN. Children:
i. Opal[5] Tolley. Born, 21 Jun 1912, in Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1991, in Parsons, Decatur Co., TN. She married Wayne Hill Wilkins, son of Obie Clois Wilkins and Bessie Adiline Hill, 25 Dec 1937, in Decatur Co., TN. No children are listed in the obituary for her husband Wayne Wilkins.
ii. Willie Hazel Tolley.
iii. Leo Tolley.
iv. Eva Tolley. Born, 21 Aug 1917, in Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1991, in Decaturville, Decatur Co., TN. She married Alford (Alf) Taylor Myracle, son of Orville M. Myracle and Nancy/Nannie Culp, 10 Aug 1940, in Decatur Co., TN.
v. Ernest Edward Tolley.
vi. Rushing Tolley. Born, 10 Nov 1921, in Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1991, in St. Louis, MO. He married Marie White, daughter of Thomas Almon (Al) White and Bonnie Pratt.
vii. Eugene Tolley. Born, 20 May 1927, in Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1991, in Decaturville, Decatur Co., TN.
viii. Mildred Louise Tolley. Born, 25 Dec 1928, in Decatur Co., TN. Resided: 1991, in Decaturville, Decatur Co., TN.
ix. Mary Nell Tolley. Born, 1 Aug 1932. Died, 28 Apr 1942. Burial in Campground Cem., Decatur Co., TN. Mary Nell Tolley died while having a tonsilectomy.
TOLLEY FAMILY 17 NOV 1997 David Donahue