Raulerson

Martha Mozelle Raulerson
(GreatGreatGrandmother)
Written By ~ Judy Griffin

Martha was the first wife of William Madison Harvey. She became very ill after the birth of her daughter who was named after her. Her husband William took her by horse and wagon to the home of her parents (David and Martha Dowling Raulerson where she died.
(Obit) Mrs. W. M. Harvey (Martha Mozelle) died at the home of her father, David Raulerson. Her husband and four children survive.

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David May RAULERSON (2nd great-grandfather) was born May 05, 1823 in Wayne County, Georgia, and died May 11, 1908 in Brantley County, Florida. He married (1) Catherine KNOWLES Abt. 1844, daughter of Washington KNOWLES. She was born June 27, 182853 and died February 01, 1856 in Florida He married (2) Mary Martha DOWLING February 26, 1857 in Wayne County, Georgia, daughter of Jabez DOWLING and Honor DAVIS. She was born December 07, 1840 in Georgia.

Conflicting Dates of Death - June 10, 1908
The Raulerson home and farm was on the Little Satilla River in present Brantley County. David was captured: May 11, 1864, in Virginia and transferred to Elmira Prison in New York. He enlisted in the Army: September 22, 1862 at Waynesville, Georgia as a Private in Company G. 7th Regiment, Georgia Calvary, CSA. He was released July 7, 1865. David May Raulerson moved to Lake George near Seville, later moved back to Pierce County, Georgia after the death of his first wife. He donated the land for the Raulerson Cemetery.
Ref: The Knabb, Brown, Raulerson Families of Baker County Florida, page 128.

Jacob Raulerson (3rd great-grandfather) was born in South Carolina on September 26, 1778. He came to Georgia when young. He settled in Appling County, Georgia in 1819. Jacob served in the Georgia State Militia during the War of 1812. He was commissioned on July 20, 1813 as a Lieutenant of the 33rd District Company of the Militia. In 1814 -15 he served as a mounted spy in the Wayne County Militia, serving under Captain Richard Walker at Fort Wayne. Jacob Raulerson married three times. His first wife was Nancy Baggs, whom he married in 1798. They had eleven children. Nancy Raulerson died June 7, 1828. Jacob then married on September 8, 1828 Mrs. Courtney Keightly Stewart. Jacob and Courtney had four children and she died after 1838. He married for the third time, Mrs Mary Ann Purdon in 1848. Jacob Raulerson's will was dated April 22, 1857 and was probated on November 2, 1857. He is buried in the Raulerson Cemetery in Pierce County, Georgia.

Information provided by Kelly Roberson has Jacob Raulerson's death as being October 22, 1857. Jacob Raulerson came to Georgia as a young man. Nothing about his parentage is known at this time. Jacob moved to Appling County in 1819 and settled in the 4th Land District in what is now known as Wayne County. This was on the Little Satilla River. He later sold out and settled on the same river in the 3rd Land District of Wayne County, now Brantly County, near the present town of Hortense. Jacob served in the Militia during the War of 1812, as a Lieutenant in the Wayne County Militia in 1813, and as a mounted spy in the winter of 1814-1815 in Wayne County. He was named by the Legislature in 1822 as one of the commisioners of the courthouse and jail in Appling County. When he died he owned five slaves and operated a country store in addition to his plantation operations. The US Census of Wayne County, Georgia lists a John Parrott age 73 from SC and Edna Parrott age 50 from SC living in the household. Martha Harris, female age 11 from Georgia was living with the Raulerson's as well. The relationship is unknown at the time. The will of Jacob Raulerson was dated April 22, 1857, and was probated November 2, 1857. It named his sons, Russell and James F. Raulerson, son-in-law, Samuel M. Pearson as executors. It directed that his slaves, all his other personal property, and a lot in Cherokee County and land lots 67 and 247 in the 3rd district of Wayne County, be sold and the proceeds equally divided between, Ichabod, James F., Russell, David and Wade H. Raulerson, Samuel M. Pearson, Hillery Cason and Abraham N. Knight. The other children were allowed nominal legacies of $10.00 each. His wife, Mary was provided for in the will. The estate inventory showed a total of $3235.83 in notes and accounts and "perishables", and $8223.74 in slaves, lands, etc. Census References: 1820, Appling; 1830, 1840, 1850, Wayne. Jacob Raulerson was named by the legislature, November 15, 1822, as one of the Commissioners of the court house and jail in Appling County. Ref: Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume 2, page 316.

John R.S. (4th great-grandfather) was born about 1749 in Richland Sc. He died on 6 Apr 1816 in Glynn Co. Ga. John Raulerson had five brothers who formed a large family connection. He had a known brother, James (born about 1762) and a sister, Patricia, the known wife of Gideon Griffis (RS). John Raulerson (Rawlinson, Rollison, etc.) believed to be the subject, was granted 100 acres of land from the King in March of 1771. This land is in the fork of the Wateree and Congaree Rivers in old Craven County, now Richland County, South Carolina. John moved to Effingham County, Georgia, in the late 1780's. On June 13, 1789, he was granted 200 acres in Effingham County, Georgia. His brother, James, moved with him, but after a two year stay, returned to Richland County, South Carolina. John later had two more grants of land in Effingham County, totaling 300 acres. The last grant to him there was on January 31, 1798. By January 2, 1801, John Raulerson had moved to the western part of the Glynn County, (now Wayne County) when he sold his land in Effingham as a resident of Glynn. He apparently lived the rest of his life in this area. His wife's name is Avis Ann Fisher, but they were apparently still living in 1814 when Captain William Cone made an affidavit to obtain the right to vote for William Rawlinson. This document, recorded in Wayne County states that William Cone had known the mother of William, Noel, and Fanny Rawlinson since she had nursed William and that she was a fair, white skinned woman and that he also knew John Rawlinson and that he was said to be their father.
Obviously, the Raulerson family had some Indian ancestors as they were spies during the Indian War.
John Rollison was a Revolutionary War Soldier, having served in the South Carolina Militia, Richland district. He served as a private under Colonel Benton of General Marion's Brigade. He served with Benjamin, Richard, William and George Rollison. On April 5, 1860 James Rawlinson made a deposition stating he was eighty eight years of age and he was living in the Richland District during the Revolutionary. He further stated he had five brothers who served in the war, one of whom did not survive the war.
The spelling of the name Raulerson was first used on July 20,1813 when David B. Mitchell, Governor of State of Georgia issued a military commission to Jacob Raulerson, son of John Rollison as Lieutenant of the 335th District of Militia in Wayne County, Georgia. This is the first time the surname had been spelled this as Raulerson. It had previously been spelled Rollison/Rawlinson/Rolyson depending on you wrote the name. After 1813 all the bothers eventually adopted the spelling shown on the military commission.
RAULERSON/RAULINSON/ROLINSON - Wayne County, Georgia records show that John Rawlinson (b. abt. 1749 Richland Co., SC - d. abt. 1816 Glynn Co., GA) and his children (William, Noel and Fanny) had Native Amercian Ancestry. John seems to be the progenitor for most Raulersons of South Georgia. Captain William Cone filed an affidavit in 1814 that he known the mother of William, Noel, and Fanny Rawlinson since she had nursed William and that she was a fair, white skinned woman and that he also knew John Rawlinson and that he was said to be their father. Capt. Cone was trying to get voting rights for William. This probably meant that despite William's Indian appearance, he had a "white" mother. Also, Noel's son, William, was listed in the 1860 Wayne Co., GA census as race = M. Some of the Raulersons were enlisted as spies during the Indian Wars. Looking like an Indian would certainly help in that regard.
RAULERSON/RAULINSON/ROLINSON_Wayne County, Georgia records show that John Rawlinson (born about 1749 Richland Co., SC - died about 1816 Glynn Co., GA) and his children (William, Noel and Fanny) seem to have had some degree of non-white ancestry. John is the progenitor for most Raulersons of South Georgia. Records show that Captain William Cone filed an affidavit in 1814 that he had known the mother of William, Noel, and Fanny Rawlinson since she had nursed William and that she was a fair, white skinned woman and that he also knew John Rawlinson and that he was said to be their father. Capt. Cone was trying to get voting rights for William. Obviously, his race was under some debate at the time. Also, Noel's son, William, was listed in the 1860 Wayne Co., GA census as race = 'M' (mulatto). John Raulerson's grandson David (1827-1911) was enlisted in the C.S.A. and was described as 5'6" tall, black eyes, black hair, dark complexion. Huxford Magazine, volume 13, page 348 has a note concerning this David Raulerson. It states, "His grandmother, Eliz. Moore, said he was half Indian from Pitt County, NC".

Benjamin Raulerson (5th great-grandfather) was born on 12 Oct 1727 in Kent Co. Maryland. He died after 1791 in Sc.
Benjamin Rawlinson was born October 12, 1727 in Kent County, Maryland as recorded in Register of St. Paul's Parish, Kent County, Maryland 1650-1818. He is the father of the seven children shown in the statement documented by James Rawlinson. The six brothers and one sister are documented as per document of James Rawlinson of Richland County, South Carolina dated in 1850. Military records of the five brothers during the American Revolution on file in the South Carolina State Archives in Columbia, South Carolina. The name was spelled as it sounded to whomever was writing the document, so various spellings of the different brothers names. All the brothers except James were soldiers of the American Revolution. Benjamin Rawlinson was living when his daughter Patience Rawlinson married Gideon Griffon at the home of her father about 1790-91according to James Rawlinson statement. Benjamin Rawlinson, Sr. is believed to be the son of John and Avis Rawlinson of Kent County, Maryland and the same Benjamin shown on the Parish Register of Kent County, Maryland.

Ida Raulerson Gainey ~ The good old days?
Written By ~ Unknown by me.

On September 29, in Wells Nursing Home after a brief illness, Sister Ida waded through the "deep waters" she sang about so many times during her lifetime. A native of Moniac, she had lived in Baxter for many years before moving to Macclenny seven years ago.
The mother of one daughter, she was a homemaker, a member of the Baxter Church of God, and for 40 years served the area as a mid-wife. She was well known in the area and loved by all who knew her. Ida Gainey stood at her door expressionless after learning someone wanted to write about her life in Baker County. Regaining a little composure, she managed a big grin and a natural, "I'm so glad ya' came" greeting.
"Let me get my teeth in," she said as she showed me to a seat in her combined living-dining. area. "My, my, who would want to know anything about me?" Who indeed. This humble woman has probably done as much, or more, in her day than anyone to ripen the heritage tree in Baker County. Her devotion to those who have needed her services is unexcelled. Her astounding life is exemplary under the conditions in which she lived, or some might say in which she existed. Ida Gainey vividly remembers the painfully poor days surrounding her youth barely surviving in a family of nine children.

Wiping tears from her intensive brown eyes she talked about her life.
"I watched my mama a lot when I'se a little girl," she reminisced from her Baxter home in northern Baker County. "She prayed a lot.
There was an ole stump she'd go to, or down by the creek, or in her room. I 'member she was a good mama, she endured, she never left us children until God took her."
Mama was Laura Mizell who married Daniel Raulerson, a blacksmith and reared their family "up from Moniac," a rural Georgia Community near the Baker County state boundary line.
"We missed school a lot," said Mis' Ida as she is fondly known throughout the community. "We'd go to school totin' our lunch pails with no shoes on. We poor children starved lots of times. We'd come in from school and might find a cold biscuit and a piece of onion, and go straight to the cotton patch to work.
"Lots of times we'd go to bed so cold and so hungry. Sometimes we'd cover up with the feather mattress, take feed sacks and stuff them with corn shucks or moss to sleep on," she said.
"Part of the time we didn't have clothes to wear. I had one dress I wore to school. I'd come home and change into a rag and wear my dress back to school the next day.
"I only went to the fifth grade, but I'm grateful 'cause I learned to read."

Miss Ida reached for her "little black memory book" as she tried to remember special dates.
"My mama died the year I got saved," she said turning the pages of the worn little black book.
"Here it tis! it was 1933,' she squealed excitedly.
In 1924, at the age of 15, she had met and married Odus Gainey.Odus loved me, but, well I guess I should be 'shamed to say this, but I had another feller likin me too. so Odus bought my sister a pair of shoes so she could dance with him and make me jealous. I didn't lik' that much. The next day he was at church with another girl, so I sat right down and wrote him a letter. In it I said, Odus, you shore did hit my heart yesta'day, and I didn't know I loved you so.
"I got a reply right back and he said he'd never do that no more.
"It weren't long before I'd had a mind to marry up with him. My daddy heard we was plan'in to run away. He told me ifin I ran away, I'd git back faster than I went, so in about a month or two we got married, and moved to Baxter."
Hardships didn't improve with marriage. In fact the $1.25 Odus made a week working as a section laborer with the Southern Railway wasn't enough to cover their expenses. More times than not, all they had to eat for breakfast was greens.
Ida found herself expecting their first child. In her seventh month of pregnancy while fishing down by the creek she slipped and fell backward while pulling on a fish line. The baby never moved again after that. Two weeks later she lost a baby girl.
In 1926, her only child, Mildred, was born.
"Peoples' always asked me why I ain't ever had more children,"she said. "it was after I had grandchildren that I learned the reason myself," explaining that once, when Mildred was a baby she was hospitalized for an infection.
During this time, her husband told the doctor he felt one child was enough, and told the doctor to do somethin'.
"Now I have never felt that was fair, but Odus had raised his Pa's bunch and I guess he figured he'd had enough children to raise. Sides that, times were hard."

These circumstances were contributing factors to a very important part of her life.
"I developed a genuine love and concern for people and their children," the kindly woman said relating how she'd go stay with expectant friends and neighbors until the doctor arrived to deliver their baby.
"The doctors use 'ta tell me to pay attention so I could learn to do it by myself." One such family had 18 children so Mis'Ida got lots of practice.
"Sometimes the doctor never got there and I'd have to deliver the baby myself," she said.
"Back in them days there weren't no telephones to fetch a doctor with, so somebody would have to crank up the railroad motor car and go into St. George, 12 miles away, for the doctor.
"Sometimes he got there in time, sometimes he didn't" she said.
"Why them women didn't have nothing for pain and most times I'd have to wrap their babies up in an old rag, anything, sometimes it'd be an old skirt or worn out coat.
"Why sometimes there weren't even a sheet on the bed and I'd pull out one of my clean white towels to lay a head on and the cinches would jump on it like flies.
"We used homemade octagon soap back then and any old twine we had to tie a cord."
"The county nurse finally suggested that she become a registered county midwife.
"It was in April 1944 when she first applied for a license. Soon she was equipped with a black bag that contained all her midwifery supplies and an official-looking white uniform.
"I made a pretty nurse, I really did, and people started calling me that," she chuckled with obvious pride.
"Mis' Ida, the times Come!!" was a familiar voice any time of the night or day as her services were needed more and more.
"I got paid $20 a baby, regardless how long I stayed in the home," she explained.
"The price was never 'upped.' It was the same when I retired 40 years later," she said with a very pleased look.
Noting the mighty poor conditions for berthing babies back then she noted with pride that she had never lost a baby during birth.
There are countless experiences she holds almost sacred. She has them recorded in her "little black book." She slowly got up from her rocker to get the original little black bag that accompanied her each time she was "fetched" to go on a house call.
Reaching inside the dilapidated and fatigued bag she pulled out her record book of births.
"A lady came by not so long ago and wanted to know when she was born. Seems they couldn't find a record of it at the State Board of Health. I had it right in my book. Guess the state lost their copy," she said thoughtfully.
Soon after becoming a midwife, husband Odus died.
"He had to retire cause of diabetics, " she recalled. "He only drew $56 a month retirement from the railroad. It weren't enough money to buy sugar pills and he died..just up and went out yonder the shade tree," she said pointing toward the front yard. "He sat down in a chair, went into a coma, and was gone. He wouldn't take no shots, he refused any help from the county nurse, so he died."
"Changing the subject abruptly she said with a chuckle, "I delivered a baby girl one Easter day and they named her Ida Easter."
"Thing about some of these people they'd wait too late to git a doctor, or git to the hospital," she said shaking her head in dismay.
"I 'member once, after I retired, I was sittin' here a quilt'in (pointing to a quilting frame attached to her ceiling) and a man came driving up in a rickety old cross tie truck screaming 'Mis Ida you gotta come, she's done had the baby.' I told him I wasn't licensed no more and I'd git in trouble, but he kept pleadin' and pleadin'.
Finally I said, OK, lets go and when we got there to his house I found his wife on her back in the yard with the baby on her belly fightin' off hogs from eatin' her baby. That's where he'd left her to git me 'cause the baby came before he could git her to the hospital. He was full of liquor, plumb drunk, and his wife in that condition. Poor woman.
"Later, I went to the doctors office to talk to 'um 'bout it and they said not to worry 'cause I saved her life." Midwives were forbidden to prescribe any kind of treatment she explained.
"I waited all day once in freezin' cold weather on a delivery," she said, "but nothing happened. Someone said,
'Mis' Ida you care if en we gives her some liquor?' I told 'em I couldn't tell 'em nothing.
Then they said, 'Well how 'bout if we fix her some low bush merkel tea? I said I can't tell you nothing to do. It got supper time and they fixed some cornbread and peas. Finally I told 'em I was going home and I got up to leave. it scared that poor girl 'cause I was leav'in I heard her screaming, 'Run here nurse, run here, it's a comin', it's a comin'. And sure 'nuf it was."

Times were hard back then she said and remembered one time she was invited to eat a meal after delivering a baby and being there all day. All that was on the table was a smoke house bone and cornbread.
Ida Gainey's not the least bit bitter. She is not even disillusioned. In fact, she is grateful "for what the Lord has done for me" beginning with her daughter Mildred, her six grandchildren and six (presently) great grandchildren.
Life centers around her family and the Baxter Church of God.
"I'm the mother of that church," she said proudly. "I stood at the door and fought the devil for that church.
"Before you leave, let me show you what the Lord's give me," she said rising from her rocker and seating herself at the upright piano.
As her fingers scaled the keys in perfect gospel tones, her voice rising above the worldly cares outside her door, eyes closed, as if in vision ... the words were sung with feeling and conviction, "I have Jesus, now I have everything."