Eli was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina to James and Louanna White Crowder.
Eli's had three sisters Polly B., Juley, and Elizabeth. His brothers were Jeptha, Robert, Levi W., Ezra, and Ira.
He married Margaret Durant in about 1812. Born to this union were Harris, Jackson, Phoebe, James, Catherine, David, Louis, Washington, Martin Sims, and Sampson White Crowder. Margaret died in 1831.
In 1832 Eli married Patsy Goins. With her was born 9 sons; Frances, Marion Richard, Robert Van, Eli, Thomas Caprock, William Jeptha, Joshua, George W., and John Crowder.
Eli was a member of the Ala Militia, War of 1812. According to their descendant, Buster Barker, this was his g-g-grandfather, and he and his g-g-grandmother were not buried in this cemetery, but were buried in their front yards across the road and a little east of here, where they lived. Other Crowders had been buried here, and later this veterans marker was erected to Eli W. Crowder because his original burial spot across the road had been lost to time. According to Buster, the Crowders were Choctaw Indians, and it was their custom to bury their dead in their front yards. Buster said this spot was first used as a burial site by one of their sons.
(Aged 102 years)
