Reeves, Malissa Caroline

Summary

Father: James Reeves
Mother: Bethenia Williams

Birth: 15 Nov 1827, South Carolina
Birth Source: 1844 Will of James Reeves, Sr. and dates from James A. Blackmon Family Bible

Death: 17 Jul 1895, Lancaster County, South Carolina
Death Source: James A. Blackmon Bible

Spouse1: James A. Blackmon, m. 11 Dec 1844

Narrative

Children of Malissa Caroline Reeves and James A. Blackmon are:

1. Parthena A. Blackmon, b. 10 Dec 1846
2. Henrietta E. Blackmon, b. 6 May 1848

Malissa married James A. Blackmon on December 11, 1844 in Lancaster Co., South Carolina. James was born on October 17, 1820 in Lancaster Co., South Carolina, died on April 18, 1876 in Lancaster Co., South Carolina, at age 55, and was buried in Fork Hill Cemetery, Lancaster Co., South Carolina.

Malissa was given 201 acres by her half-brother James Brady Reeves Jr. When her husband died, she had to fight off the Blackmon family from taking the land. Then she made a big mistake. On Oct. 7, 1878, she married Mr. Silas Ingram. Silas demanded that she put the land in his name. Instead, she put it into her son-in-law, William A. Marshall's, name. Silas tried to make her, make Marshall, give him the land. Malissa refused. It appears the church got involved in their marital struggles. The Fork Hill Church deacons turned it over to the congregation. They, in turn, turned both of them out of the church! Malissa ran Silas off. We have not yet found where Malissa is buried, but it is likely she is buried somewhere on her 201 acres.

The Viola Caston Floyd papers contains this amusing note on her entry in the list of baptisms at Fork Hill from 1839: "She made her own shroud so that she would be sure to have clothes to be buried in, put in a small trunk for safe keeping. Someone stole the trunk, dress and all."

Source

Birth:        James A. Blackmon Family Bible
Death:        James A. Blackmon Family Bible
Marriage1:  James A. Blackmon Family Bible
Marriage2:  James A. Blackmon Family Bible
History:     1844 Will of James Reeves, Sr.
                   Abstracts from the Old Minute Book of the Fork Hill Baptist Church 1881-1916, Viola Caston Floyd Collection, Lancaster Co. Library, SC
                   Viola Caston Floyd Collection, Folder 2-19 BLACKMON-CLARK, Identification of Members Joining Fork Hill Church 1839, Lancaster Co., Library, South Carolina