Person:Manerva Jackson (2)

Contributed by Jody Dillard:

MANERVA JANE JACKSON DILLARD

Manerva Jane was pregnant with John Duckett when they reached the land on the Brazos River that was to become home. When he was born in October of 1868, Manerva was very ill and had no milk for the baby. Her "Nigra Mammy" as she was called then, took the baby and nursed him with her own. Otherwise J.D. probably would not have survived the winter. This Mammy, whose name is not documented, lived with the family until her death, even though she was free.

Manerva was granted a Confederate Widows Pension for T. M.'s service in the Confederate Army. file #5156. The amount of $100 was granted in 1900. She received this amount until her death.

After T. M.'s death in 1876, she tried to maintain the farm with the help of her brothers and father. Having seven children between the ages of 15 and a newborn was no small task for a woman of no means. After her father John Wesley died, she moved to Bell County, living for a time with her son Jerry and his wife Leona. When Jerry moved to Lueders she stayed on in Bell county moving in with her daughter, Minnie Herring.

Obituary as it appeared in the Temple Daily Telegram, Temple Texas August 4th 1932: MANERVA JANE JACKSON DILLARD

Headline: "Pioneer of Texas And Bell County Dies Near Belton"

..Funeral services to be held today for Mrs. Dillard at Tennessee Valley.

BELTON, Aug. 3 (Spl) -- Mrs. Minerva Jane Jackson Dillard, 91, pioneer of Texas and Bell County, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Minnie Herring at Tennessee Valley at 10 a.m. today following an illness of 20 months.

Mrs. Dillard was born June 23, 1841 in Pickneyville, Alabama, later moving to Arkansas where she was married to Thomas Milton Dillard in 1860. To this union seven children were born of whom Mrs. J. A. (Lydia) Stokes, Mrs. John J. (Belle) Johnson, and Mrs. William (Margie) Edwards preceded her in death several years. --John D. Dillard, of Millersview; Jerry and Tom Dillard of Lueders; and Mrs. Minnie Herring of Belton are the surviving children.

In addition to her children, Mrs. Dillard is survived by 49 grandchildren, 76 great grandchildren, and 14 great-great grandchildren. A large family of brothers and sisters all preceded her in death. Mrs. J. W. Pittman of Belton is a granddaughter of the deceased.

Immediately following the Civil War, Mrs. Dillard moved to Texas, settling in Falls county with her husband. There in 1876 her husband died, and Mrs. Dillard, with her family of small children, moved to Bell County where she reared her family.

Her death followed an illness of nearly two years, following a paralytic stroke suffered Dec. 18, 1930.

Funeral services will be held at the Tabernacle at Tennessee Valley with interment at the Tennessee Valley Cemetery Thursday morning at 9:30 o'clock, with Rev. R. B. Sweet, minister of the Church of Christ of Belton, and Rev. J. H. Stewart, pastor of the First Methodist Church of Belton, conducting the services.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Rootsweb chart of Jody Dillard: James C. Dillard Family wc.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi op GET db jody44.
2.   United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432)
   Township 23, Tallapoosa, Alabama.