MARY JANIE JOHNSON was born Sept 7 1888 to Alsey Johnson and Martha Ann Marilla Watson Johnson. Alsey was 62, Martha’s age is unknown. Martha died in 1890, Alsey died in 1898 at age 72. We think Alsey had remarried and she had also died before Alsey, but we don't that wife's name.The 1900 Federal Census finds Mary J Johnson, 11, living in Zion, Walker County, Alabama, with William H. Norris, 53 and his wife, Nancy J Norris, 53. William is head of the household, Nancy is his wife; Mary J Johnson is listed as “boarder”. William’s occupation is listed as “miller”. She likely would have lived there ever since Alsey died in 1898. Mary’s is listed as a “servant”. (Maeola Smith recalls Mama saying that her father dropped her off there.)
Notes I found in Lettie Moore’s documents included a 5 page transcription of an interview with Mama Clark. Some of the things Mama Clark said now make more sense. “William” in her notes, was probably William Norris. “Aunt Nans” was probably William Norris’s wife, Nancy J. Norris.
In the spring of 1898, William Norris moved across Blackwater (Creek) and was engaged in farming with Alsey Johnson. Alsey became sick that spring, before the crop was in, and died by June of 1898. 10 year old Janie was left with the Norrises, her stepmother also having died.
She said that although she liked Aunt Nans, she says William was not good to her at all. At one point she said William had her go to Jasper to buy him wine. She alludes to worse treatment by William.
She eventually ran away, I surmise because of William. She left the Norrises with her clothes in a box and got a job with Lettie Bowers in Hassell, Tuscaloosa County. She was paid $2 for the first week, then $1.50 week.
Lettie Bowers husband, Edgar, was a Civil Engineer, and also owned a mill. I would guess that he was still an engineering student when his wife, Lettie, hired Janie who was probably between 12 and 15 years old. The Bowers family seemed to flourish as Edgar had an Engineering Consulting Company by 1910, and they had several more children.
I wonder if Lettie Clark Moore was named to honor Lettie Bowers, who must have been a bright spot in young Janie Johnson’s life.
She married Vander Clark, 3 months before her 16th birthday. By the 1910 Census, Janie Clark was 21, mother of Lattise and Audry Clark (spelling per the census!) Her husband, JS Clark, 21, was a coal miner.
Their nearby neighbors were Oli Joe Clark and his family, the next house down was Vander’s father and mother, William Richard Clark, 69 and Elizabeth (Matilda Rice) Clark son Chalmer, 25 was living with them. Both William Richard and Chalmer were coal miners. William Richard Clark had formerly been a farmer.
On the other side of the parents house was papa’s brother, Marion, 42, and his wife Daisy, 38 and their children.
One of the mysteries I don’t understand: In the 1920 census, Lambert Rice 33, is head of a household. His wife is Viola, 29. Their next door neighbor is Marg Rice, 52 and her daughter Bertha (?) and son Henry. Marg is listed as head of the household. There is also a 72 year old female named Margret Clark who is listed as “mother”. Clearly she is mother of Marg Rice, 20. Margret Clark, 72 is William Richard Clark’s sister. She and her 14 year old daughter, Marg, show up in the Henry Clark household in the 1880 census as Margret Clark and her daughter Marg Clark, along with a 5 year old named Annie Roggers. What were the workings of that relationship? Were those Rice’s related to Papa’s mother Elizabeth Matilda Rice? I expect they were. If anyone can add to this, please do!
Mary Janie Johnson Clark died on 10 January, 1976, and is greatly missed.
