Olivia Ann Smith1

b. 22 December 1846, d. 26 August 1933
Birth22 Dec 1846 Olivia Ann Smith was born on 22 Dec 1846 in Cherokee County, Alabama.2 
Marriage24 May 1866 She married Caleb Graham Gardner, son of Jeremiah Caleb Gardner and Margaret Montgomery Edmiston, on 24 May 1866 in Tarrant County, Texas.2 
Residence1867  They first settled in Glen Rose (then Hood, now Somervell County, Texas) but moved to the new community of Granbury (Hood Co.) in 1867. Caleb's brother-in-law, Alexander McCamant was the county clerk and had surveyed 40 acres for the new town in 1866. Caleb and Olivia built a log cabin near present day East Bridge Street, on the Lambert Branch of the Brazos River.2 
  There Olivia gave birth to the couple's first child in Dec. 1868. They named him Ralph. He was the first white child born in Granbury. 
Cens-187028 Sep 1870  The 1870 census noted that Caleb was a farmer and stated that he owned land worth $700. Caleb was recorded as "Gray", a variation on his middle name that he appears to have used throughout his life.3 
  At some point the family moved to farmland closer to the town of Acton.4 
Cens-18803 Jun 1880  That may have been where they were living when the 1880 Hood Co. census was enumerated. Four children were listed that June: Ralph (11), Walter (8), David (5) and Samuel (1).5 
  An additional son died at birth in 1877 and was not named.6 
Cens-19001 Jun 1900  When the 1900 federal census was enumerated for Hood County, Caleb was recorded as "C.G. Gardner", a 62 year old male who had been married 34 years and owned his own farm. Olivia, enumerated as "Ollie", was 53 and had also been married 34 years. She reported that she was the mother of 9 children, but that only 6 were living.7 
  This reflects the loss of the infant in 1877, as well as a son Chauncey who died at age 2 in 1893. The 3rd child has not been identified. 
Cens-191022 Apr 1910  By 1910 Caleb was 72; Olivia was 63. They had been married 41 years. Caleb owned his own farm which he ran with the help of sons Samuel (31) and Conrad G., [Pete] age 22.8 
Milit-Pens31 Dec 1927 Caleb died in 1915. Olivia was granted a Texas Confederate widow's pension on 31 Dec 1927 in Granbury, Hood County, Texas.2 
Death26 Aug 1933 Olivia died on 26 Aug 1933 at age 86.2 
Burial1934 She was buried in 1934 at Acton Cemetery in Hood County, Texas.9 

Related Links and Images:

Monument in Acton cemetery for Caleb (C.G.) and Olivia (Ollie) Gardner
Caleb and Olivia married in Tarrant County in 1866. Find it on the Texas map along with Hood County where they spent most of their married lives.

Family

Caleb Graham Gardner b. 20 Feb 1838, d. 23 Feb 1915
Children
Last Edited13 Dec 2013

Citations

  1. [S124] David Trimble, Buchanan and Gillespie, p. 219. Trimble cites records belonging to Robert M. Gardner as his source for information on the family of Margaret Montgomery Edmondson and Jeremiah Caleb Gardner.
  2. [S1656] Ollie Gardner - Texas Confederate Widow's pension application no. 43538, Texas State Archives, Austin, Texas.
  3. [S1645] Gray Garderner household, 1870 U.S. census, Hood Co., Texas, pop. sched., Granbery Post office, p. 42 (original script, dwelling 334, family 340, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Jan. 2007, image 42 of 65. Enumeration includes: Gray Garderner, 33, farmer, owns real estate of $700, b. VA; Alevia, 28, b. VA; Ralph 1, b. TX.
  4. [S2945] Robert Gardner research, 2881 Pruneridge Ave., Santa Clara, California, 95051, email to: e-mail address ; Mr. Gardner cites an article titled "First White Baby Also First Agent" written by Phyliss DeRoos for the June 2, 1977 issue of the Hood County News. Ms DeRoos interviewed Margaret (Gardner) Donathan [1884-1981], daughter of Caleb Gardner and Oliva (Smith) Gardner, for the article.
  5. [S1555] Graham Gardner household, 1880 U.S. cens., Hood Co., Texas, pop sched., 4th Justice District, ED 144, page 48 (stamped), dwelling 24, family 20, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Sept. 2006, image 3 of 12. Enumeration includes: Graham Gardner, 41, farmer, b. VA, father b. NY, mother b. VA; Olivia, 33, b. Alabama, father b. NC, mother b. Ga; Ralph __, 11, son; Walter __, 8, son; David G., 5, son; Samuel T., 1, son; all children b. TX, all children's father b. NY, mother b. NC [this was actually the birth place of children's father's father and mother's father].
  6. [S1641] Mildred Thorman and Gayle Murphy, Hood County, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions, p. 213. Stone reported to read: infant son of G.C. and Ollie Gardner, Jul 7, 1877.
  7. [S1556] C.G. Gardner household, 1900 U.S. cens., Hood Co., Ohio, pop. sched., ED 95, sheet 1A (p. 282 stamped), dwelling 9, family 9, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Sept. 2006, image 1 of 30. Enumeration includes: C.G. Gardner, 62, b. Feb. 1838, marr 34 yrs, b. VA, farmer, owns own farm; father b. NY, mother b. VA; Ollie, wife, 53, b. Dec. 1846, marr 34 yrs, b. AL, mother 9 children, 6 living; Sam T., son, 21, b. Aug. 1878 TX, farm laborer; Maggie, dau, 16, b. Apr. 1884; cont. next page: Pete, son, 12, b. Aug. 1887; all children b. TX with father b. VA and mother b. AL.
  8. [S1557] Caleb G. Gardener [sic] household, 1910 U.S. cens., Hood Co., Texas, pop. sched., Justice Precinct 4, ED 40, sheet 5A (p. 271 stamped), dwelling 79, family 79, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Sept. 3006, image 1 of 19. Enumeration includes: Caleb G. Gardener, 72, marr #1, marr 41 yrs, farmer, owns farm, b. VA, father b. NY, mother b. VA; Olivia, wife, 63, marr #1, marr 41 yrs, mother 9 children, 6 living, b. AL; Samuel _, 31, sgl, b. TX, farmer; Conrad G., 22, sgl, farm laborer; Eliza Mauck, sis-in-law, 72, wid, b. AL.
  9. [S1641] Mildred Thorman and Gayle Murphy, Hood County, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions, p. 213. Stone reported to read: Ollie Smith Gardner, 1846-1933.
  10. [S2250] "Texas State Death Certificates", database with digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org : accessed Jul 2012). Ralph J. Gardner certificate #32582 (digital image); family information provided by Grady Jones.
  11. [S2945] Robert Gardner research, 2881 Pruneridge Ave., Santa Clara, California, 95051, email to: e-mail address ; Mr. Gardner visited Hood Co. and Acton Cemetery in Oct. 1950. His notes from that trip report an infant daughter born to Caleb Graham Gardner Olivia (Smith) Gardner who was born in 1876 and who died 7 July 1877. She was buried in Crocket Memorial [Acton] Cemetery.
  12. [S1620] "World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards 1917-1918", subscription database with images, Ancestry.com (http://www.Ancestry.com : viewed Jan. 2007), Sam Thomas Gardner data, dated Sept. 1918.
  13. [S2945] Robert Gardner research, 2881 Pruneridge Ave., Santa Clara, California, 95051, email to: e-mail address.