James Andrew Woodhurst


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Brief biography

James Andrew Woodhurst was born at Abbeville, SC to parents James Robert Woodhurst and his wife Frances C. Keown. According to Bratcher he was born on September 13th "1885", but the correct year was probably 1886.

The US 1900 Census finds him at age 13 living with his parents in Abbeville township. His birthdate is given in this source as September 1886.

The US 1910 Census finds him at age 23, unmarried and still living with his parents in Abbeville township, occupied as a railway flagman.

IGI ancestral files state that around 1910 he married in Abbeville to Mary Etta G. King - known familiarly as 'Ettie' - who was one of the many children of William Thompson King and Alice Sutherland (who married on November 11th 1880).

The US 1930 Census finds him at age 43 living with his wife and children in Abbeville township. He was employed as a conductor on a steam railway.

He died on February 16th 1950, and his wife on July 18th 1970; both were buried at the Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Abbeville [from Bratcher]. The latter source gives her date of birth as "August 31st 1885", although her 1930 Census record indicates a birthyear of 1886. The American Social Security Death Index gives it as August 31st 1886, and notes that she had been residing in Atlanta, Fulton County in Georgia.

His children by Mary Etta G. King

  1. probably ... Martha Frances Woodhurst - born 1914 in SC
  2. Preston Woodhurst - born 1917 in SC
  3. Kathryn ("Kay") Woodhurst
  4. Harry King Woodhurst - born 1920 in SC
  5. Robert Wilbur Woodhurst
  6. Margene W. Woodhurst
  7. Andrew P. Woodhurst - born about 1926 in SC

Martha Frances was born on February 20th 1914 and died on January 5th 1915; she was buried at the Upper Long Cane Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Abbeville [from Bratcher]. Consideration of dates and parental candidates makes it likely that her father was James Andrew or (less probably) his brother Charles Thomas (2).

Preston was born on March 2nd 1917 and died on January 1st 1925.

Andrew P. was born on March 3rd 1926 and died on May 21st 1947. His second forename was probably Preston.

Harry King was born on August 29th 1920. During WW2 he served as an assistant gunnery officer in the United States Navy Reserve with rank lieutenant but went missing in action, presumed dead, on April 6th 1945 during the sinking of the USS Bush (DD529) on which he was assigned to general service on the deck; he is recorded on a War Memorial at Honolulu in Hawaii [from www.ancestry.com]. A photograph of him appears below.