James Rasmus "Rab" Jolliff
(2g1f) JAMES ERASMUS “Rab” JOLLIFF was born August 8, 1858 in Oregon Co.
Mo. He was named for his father’s two grandfathers Erasmus Nobles and
James Jolliff.
He married July 11, 1878 to Matilda
Marilla “Tilda” Tatum. Matilda was born in1860 in Stoddard Co, Mo,
and was the daughter of William Tatum and his 2nd wife, Mary Ann Eaves. Her
mother died when she was very young and William remarried in 1865 to Caroline
Webb, and they had several more children.
Rab was a Baptist preacher and though
we’re not sure if he ever pastored a church, he did preach around a lot,
filling in for pastors and put much work into Shiloh Baptist Church in Rover,
(Oregon Co.) Mo. Two mentions of his preaching were found in the South
Missourian newspaper in Alton: Mar 15, 1900, community of Grabb (later Rover):
“Bro. Rab Jolliff filled Bro. Hodges’ appointment, and delivered quite an
interesting sermon at Park’s Chapel Sunday eve.” Mar 29, 1900, Grabb: “Bro.
Rab Jolliff delivered quite an interesting sermon at the Baptist Church Sunday.”
His granddaughter, Fay (Jolliff) Kimbrough, thinks that he pastored at Shiloh
church and also pastored Elk Creek, but she is not positive about either.
The Shiloh Baptist church in Rover
burned in the 1920’s. Rab had been paying the insurance on the building
for years, but some of the people didn’t want him to have a say in what was
being done, so he gave the insurance money to the trustees to build a new
church. They spent all the money without buying new insurance, and
had the church almost rebuilt when a tornado hit Rover and blew it away on
Thanksgiving Day, 1926. So Rab and another man in the church mortgaged
their farms and built the church that is now standing. He spent a lot
of time visiting the people in their homes trying to raise money to pay for
it. When the building was finished he said, “God has His hand on this
church, it will stand.” Matilda sometimes got upset about him spending
so much time with the church because some of the people treated him so badly
and talked about him. But Rab’s philosophy was, “If they are talking
about me, they are letting someone else rest.” His daughter, Nora Bell
was often hurt for him and said, “A few of the people wanted him around only
when they could use him.” But he faithfully continued, and when he
was old he walked to the church and cleaned it regularly until he could no
longer walk.
Rab & Tilda lived on a farm on the main highway a few miles north of
Rover, Mo.
Tilda’s obituary said that they had
12 children. Only 9 of them have been accounted for: seven of these
lived to adulthood; two died young—in 1882/83 their first child, Mandy
died (age 3-4), and in 1899 another baby died at 18 months (name unknown,
but the baby's death was mentioned in the newspaper). Only 4 were living
at the time of Tilda's death.
After their children were grown son
Elijah contracted tuberculosis from a man that he carried the mail with.
He died in 1919, and his wife Lillie (VonAllmen) died from T.B. in 1920.
Two of Elijah’s children, Marie and Ed, lived with Rab & Tilda after their
parents died (Ed first lived with Harlin VonAllmen). Rab and Tilda
also kept May and her baby, Vada, until May died of T.B. Lizzie and
her two children came to live with them, and she also died of T.B.
Only 4 of Rab & Tilda’s children outlived them: Nora, Randle, Razie,
and Aaron. Tilda died Feb. 5, 1929, a few days before her 70th birthday.
On Feb. 7, 1929, the front page, near the bottom, of the South Missourian
Democrat had this news article:
“News was received of the death of Mrs.
Rab Jollif (sic) of near Rover on Tuesday morning. Mr. & Mrs. Jollif
have been residents of Highland Township many years and their many friends
will be sorry to hear of her death.”
Tilda was carried to Jolliff Cemetery in the back of Clara (granddaughter)
and Hade Trantham’s Model-T truck. It was snowing the day she was buried.
On Feb. 14, 1929, Matilda’s obituary was printed on the front page, near
the top:
“Matilda M. Jolliff was born February 12,
1859 and died February 5, 1929; age 69 years, 11 months, and 23 days.
She was married to J.R. Jolliff, July 11, 1878. To this union twelve
children were born; four of them and the father survive. Mrs.
Jolliff had been a member of the Missionary Baptist Church for 39 years,
and lived a faithful Christian life. She was devoted to her family,
friends and church and will be greatly missed in her accustomed place.
Funeral services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. Perry Bennett, at the
Rover Baptist Church Thursday the 7th, and she was laid to rest in
the Jolliff Cemetery to await the resurrection morn.”
After Tilda died Rab kept Marie and Ed for as long as he could. When
he began to get sick, he gave his property and everything he had to Aaron
and went to live with him.
Both were buried at the Jolliff
Cemetery.
Children:
1. Amanda Jolliff
2g1f1) Mandy was born 1879 and was named for her mother’s sister, died 1882
or ‘83 at the age of 3-4.
2. ELIZABETH M. JOLLIFF
2g1f2) Lizzie was born May 1881, named for her aunt, great aunt, great-great
aunt, & great-great grandmother Jolliff; m Feb 8, 1902 to Amos J. Tull.
They moved to Oklahoma and she was very unhappily married, having to work
hard to support the family. Amos, pretending to be Lizzie, wrote Rab
asking for some money for a ticket home. Rab thought it might be Amos
and not Lizzie who wanted the money, and yet he was afraid not to send it
for fear Lizzie really needed to come home. So he wired her a ticket
instead of money. Lizzie, not knowing anything about all this, was
doing the laundry when the ticket arrived. She packed her bags, took
her two children, and went home.
Lizzie contracted T.B. from her brother, Elijah, after moving home.
One evening as she lay dying at her father’s house she raised up in bed and
said that the Lord was coming at daybreak for her. She laid back down,
and the next morning at daybreak she died. After she died Amos Tull
came back for the children and then he married an Indian woman from Oklahoma
who had inherited a lot of money from oil land. She took good care
of the kids and they had a good life after that. Children:
2g1f2a) CLEO TULL, b 1901
2g1f2b) ARTHUR TULL, b 1905
3. NORA BELL JOLLIFF
2g1f3) Nora was born Sept 13, 1885. Nora's parents were Democrats and when
she got to be a big girl she would say to them, "When I grow up, I'm going
to marry a Republican!" --and she did.
She married Feb. 1, 1903 to Elmer Franklin Von Allmen (son of John &
Mary Elizabeth VonAllmen); they lived on a farm near Rover and later moved
into Rover. Once Elmer and Nora walked to her father’s house to visit him
when he was sick. On the way home, Nora fell on the ice and broke her
wrist. Elmer set it but they walked back to Rab’s house and let him
check it to see if it was alright.
In May 1952 they moved to a new house that Elmer built in Rover. Nora
died Nov 26, 1952. After several years of having heart problems, she had
a heart attack while she was sitting on a stool washing dishes. She was 67.
[pictured above: back:
Lee, John, Wade, Raymon, Marlin; middle: Clara, Dean, Bertha; front: Elmer
& Nora]
children:
2g1f3a) LEE VON ALLMEN, b Sept 19, 1903; m Goldie Redburn;
died Dec 14, 1960 of leukemia; buried Oak Lawn Cem., West Plains, MO.
2g1f3b) CLARA ELLEN VON ALLMEN, b Aug. 30, 1905;
m Hade Trantham; Moved to Washington, IL. Hade died May 10, 1983. Clara
died Dec. 3, 1995. Both buried Oak Lawn Cem., West Plains, Mo.
2g1f3c) JOHN JAMES VON ALLMEN, b 1909; m Mary Ellen Collins;
d Apr 8, 2000
2g1f3d) WADE VON ALLMEN, b Sept 5, 1911; m Sula Bales;
Sula died in 1991; Wade died July 31, 1996.
2g1f3e) RAYMON VON ALLMEN, b Aug. 2, 1915; m Murielene
Dunkin. He was a school bus driver for Rover-Thomasville-Alton school districts
for 29 years. He served on the board of directors fo Jolliff Cememtery for
47 years, and was a member of the Pentecostal Church in Rover. He died Jan.
24, 2000, West Plains, Mo; buried Jolliff Cemetery, Rover.
2g1f3f) MARLIN VON ALLMEN, b July 17, 1917; m Vesta Gayle
Huddleston; lived in Peoria, Illinois for several years, then moved back
to Rover, Oregon Co, Mo
2g1f3g) BERTHA DANA VON ALLMEN, b Nov 14, 1922; m J.I.
Willard
2g1f3h) DEAN VON ALLMEN, b June 9, 1925; m Eula Dunkin
(div); lives in West Plains, Mo
4. ELIJAH SUMMERS
JOLLIFF
2g1f4) Lige was born Mar. 28, 1886, named for his uncle & great-grandfather
Elijah Summers Jolliff; m Nov 16, 1908, Lillie VonAllmen (daughter of John).
Lige contracted T.B. from a man he carried the mail with and he died Nov.
1919. Lillie also died of T.B. Aug. 17, 1920. Elijah's sister, Nora
said that Lillie would not be careful with Lige and she continued to sleep
with him after he got TB. She said that she didn't want to hurt his
feelings, and so she ended up getting TB also. Their children were
raised by relatives.
picture: Fay about age 10 when
she went to live with her uncle Elmer and aunt Nora VonAllmen
Children: (see also VonAllmen family)
2g1f4a) MELVIN RAY JOLLIFF, b Oct 24, 1909; lived with
his uncle Razie Jolliff after his parents died; m Feb 21, 1931, Virginia
Redburn; d 1962
2g1f4b) FAY MATILDA JOLLIFF, b Nov 10, 1911. Lived
at first with another relative, but she was unhappy. So she asked her
aunt Nora, "Do you think Uncle Elmer would mind if I came to live with you?"
From then on she lived with Elmer & Nora (Jolliff) VonAllmen; m June
17, 1929, William “Bill” Kimbrough
2g1f4c) EDWARD A. JOLLIFF, b Jan 4, 1914. First lived
with his uncle Harlan VonAllmen, but once when Ed ran away to his grandparents
house, Rab felt that he wasn't being treated well, so he got custody of him.
Then Ed lived with grandparents Rab & Tilda Jolliff until they
died (1929-30), then lived with Betsy’s George, John & Mary Ellen VonAllmen,
and several others. He went to Arkansas to pick cotton, met Elsa there,
got married and came back to Oregon Co.; m Elsie Moore
2g1f4d) WAYNE JOLLIFF, died at 9 months (probably b/d
about 1916)
2g1f4e) ANNA MARIE JOLLIFF, b June 14, 1918; lived with
grandparents Rab & Tilda Jolliff until they died (1929-30) then lived
with sister Fay; m John Kimbrough, Feb 9, 1935
5. WILLIAM RANDOLPH JOLLIFF
2g1f5) Randle was born March 1890, named for his uncle by that name &/or
for his two grandfathers Randolph Jolliff & William Tatum; m Nov. 26,
1909 to Ida M Nichols (daug of Levi & Amanda); moved to Pascagoula, Mississippi
in 1942; children:
2g1f5a) BERTIE JOLLIFF, m Roy Frazier, moved to Crossville,
Ill.
2g1f5b) BERTHA JOLLIFF, (Bertie’s twin), m Robert Walker,
moved to Lafayette, Ind.
2g1f5c) CLYDA JOLLIFF, m Joe Henbest, moved to Columbus,
Ks.
2g1f5d) LLOYD JOLLIFF, lives in Pascagoula, Miss.
2g1f5e) WAYNE JOLLIFF, moved to Wentzville, MO
2g1f5f) MARYLAN JOLLIFF, m Quinn Hood; moved to Champaign,
Ill.
2g1f5g) BARBARA JOLLIFF, b 1933, m Bennie E. Barham; moved
to Champaign, Ill.
2g1f5h) VESTA JOLLIFF, m Charles Thompson; lives in West
Plains, Mo.; ch: Ron (m Joyce Wright: ch: Travis & a girl)
2g1f5i) one stillborn baby
6. JAMES ERASMUS JOLLIFF
2g1f6) “Razie” was born Jan 8, 1892, named for his father; was a private
in World War I, 164 Depot Brigade; m (eloped) June 13, 1917, Oregon Co, Mo
to Audra Miller;
d 1949; buried Jolliff Cemetery. [Razie pictured at right]
children (they had 8 daughters, and only one son that lived):
2g1f6a) IRENE JOLLIFF, b May 4, 1918; m 1st 1937, John
Collins (no children); m 2nd 1942, Ogden Mills
2g1f6b) RALPH JOLLIFF, b Apr 20, 1920; m Nanlee Fore;
d 1997
2g1f6c) RACHEL L. JOLLIFF, b Nov 5, 1921; m Lonzo Herring
2g1f6d) JAMES AMOS JOLLIFF, b/d Feb. 9, 1924
2g1f6e) AMANDA “Mandy” JOLLIFF, b May 15, 1925; m 1943,
Merle Marshall; m 2nd 1981, Harold Hartzman
2g1f6f) RUTH JOLLIFF, b Apr 27, 1927; m James Jeff Huddleston
2g1f6g) BLANCHE F. JOLLIFF, b Apr. 9, 1930; m Virgil Hardin;
d 1952
2g1f6h) LOTTIE JOLLIFF, b Dec 19, 1933; m Dwayne Hicks,
1952; m 2nd Ken Reynolds
2g1f6i) LOYDA JOLLIFF, b Dec 17, 1935; m John Walter Stapleton
2g1f6j) VERA JOLLIFF, b Sept 15, 1941; m Robert Fite,
1960
pictured:
Front: Irene,
Audra (Miller) Jolliff, Vera
Back: Ruth, Rachel,
Mandy, Ralph, Loyda, Lottie
7. AARON GEORGE JOLLIFF
2g1f7) Aaron was born March 22, 1895. He married 1st Ruby A. Ellis (1903-1924),
who died in childbirth. He married 2nd Lula Elnora Hamilton, 1924; children:
2g1f7a) Golman D. Jolliff, b 1920; d 1922
2g1f7b) ARETHA JOLLIFF, b Jan 27, 1924; m Walter W. Newnam
2g1f7c) Rena Lucille Jolliff, b 1925; d 1928 a few days
after falling in a tub of hot lye water that her mother was using to do the
laundry.
2g1f7d) AARON GEORGE JOLLIFF, Jr., b Mar 27, 1928; d Dec
28, 1991, bur Jolliff Cem; m 1st ? Dewayne?; m 2nd Mary Louise ?
2g1f7e) KENNETH OTTO JOLLIFF, b Sept 27, 1932; m Delores
Talburt; ch: Mark, Melinda. Used to own Jolliff Trucking Company in Missouri.
2g1f7f) CARLOS PERRY JOLLIFF, b Feb 12, 1935; d 2002;
m Margret ?
2g1f7g) CARL WILLIAM JOLLIFF, b Aug 14, 1938; m Ruby Johnston
8. baby
2g1f8) baby, born July 1897; died January 1899 (18 months old) (article from
South Missourian Democrat, Alton, MO)
9. AVA MAY JOLLIFF
2g1f9) May was born Jan 1900. In 1915 she had a child by Bill
Huddleston. She was married for a short while to Hobert Miller, May 2,
1917, but she left him and moved back home. May died about 1919 as
a young woman after having contracted T.B. from her brother, Elijah.
As she was dying at her parents’ home she saw the angels hovering over her
and she said, “Pa, do you hear the angels?”
[pictured at left
is May with her mother, Tilda]
1 Child:
2g1f8a) VADA JOLLIFF, b Oct 4, 1915, daughter of Bill
Huddleston; m Nov 25, 1931 to Laundy Beach; d 1981
If you
would like to check my database to see if the information on your family
is correct, go to my ancestor
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