Individual Details

There are many conflicts and questionable situations regarding Pollie Ann Mims. Her marriages and the father of her various children is puzzling.

Note in family tree on Ancestry:
Mary Ann "Pollie" Mims was married to a lot of men. She chose men who were older, younger, in the military, in the Blackwell Crowd; you name it and she picked it. Mainly it seems that she didn't want to be alone. When it came to her burial, her children picked her burial place. They also picked her burial name. Unlike today, the children who were left behind made her first tombstone. The name that they enscribed on it was of their choice. So this group of children chose the name: POLLIE ANN EDWARDS. Why they chose this name is uncertain to this writer. Even though my dad was only 3 years old when she died, he always heard that "Grandma Pollie" was buried at Pine Level, Autauga Co. Alabama. While doing my research I found her grave at Liberty Baptist Cemetary at Pine Level.

This website which seems to have been placed by a descendant, lists the following marriages, some of which I have found on FamilySearch - Elijah Easterling probably had no given name of James as that name doesn't appear in any of the actual records.
21 Sep 1854 to James Elijah Easterling (I believe this Mary Mims to have been a very different lady, see later - he married Mahala Mims Taylor after the civil War, 29 Dec 1867, Autauga)
20 Nov 1856 to John C. Headley - married as Mary Mims, not Easterling. FamilySearch.
5 Aug 1862 to John W. Dubose (as Mrs. Mary Heedly) FamilySearch. Divorce, 3 Jan 1867
13 Dec 1874 to Thomas Jefferson Edwards (as Polly Dubose) FamilySearch.
These last two marriages seem even more unlikely than some of the above, except she was buried as an Edwards.
about 1880 to Matthew Wilson (in the 1880 census she is with Jeff Edwards)
and about 1884 to Amos Craig (Polly never appears with any surname but Edwards - there IS a marriage in Perry Co, AL on 5 Apr 1884 for a Polly Edwards to Amos Craig and one for an Amos Craig married in 1899 in Greene Co, AL to Rachel Mitchell - he is with her in Greene Co, 1900 Census. He was age 25 and stated he had been married only once and he was Black. I was unable to find any Amos Craig in Alabama in 1880.)

I believe the above researcher made a serious error in identifying the Mary Mims who was married to Elijah Easterling. I believe it was not Pollie Ann - her first marriage was indeed to John C. Headley. I believe the Mary Mims who married Elijah Easterling was an older sister to his second wife Mahala - both being daughters of Elijah Mims and Mahala Popwell.

Children are listed as the following, but they do not agree with the census information in name or date.
Bennett Easterling, b. 1855 (Redin, Elijah? and where is the other one?)
Adeline Headley, b. 1855 (Susan?)
William Headley b. 1858 - omitted in this list - at least two Headley sons were not listed
John William Headley, 1863 - either a child of Dubose, or his birth on his grave marker as 7 Mar 1860 is correct. He was buried as a Headley.
George Jonathan Headley, b. 1864 - Polly married Dubose in 1862. George b. 16 Jan 1864 - yet he is buried as Headley - John Headley had died 1 Aug 1863.
Bittie Headley, b. 1868 - omitted
Mary Amanda Edwards, b. 1870 - Should be Dubose - she didn't marry Edwards until 1874
Georgia Ann Edwards, b. 1876 - b. 1874 according to 1880 census and marked as stepdaughter - if born in 1874, she was more likely a Dubose. It's curious none of these children are given his name. I cannot find the family in 1870.
James Edwards, b. 1878

FindAGrave story also omits several of the children:
Daughter of George G. Mims and Susan Popwell.
Married to John A Headley on 20 Nov 1856 in Autauga Co, Alabama. She had 3 children with John A Headley: John William, George Jonathan Headley and Sarah J Headley Her husband John, a soldier of Co. "E", 44th Alabama Infantry, died 1 Aug 1863 at Falling Creek, Virginia, of disease. Polly then married, on 4 Aug 1866, to John W. Dubose. On 12 Dec 1874, Polly married for a third time to Jefferson Edwards. They had one child, James
Buried Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery, Autauga, AL. "Pollie Ann Edwards. Died June 1931."
Note: the Sarah J. Headley listed is buried Mt. Pisgah-Zion Ridge Cemetery, b. 1860, d. 1934 - there is no picture and no other surname - I suspect this is a Sarah that was married to a Headley and not a child of Polly Mims at all. James Edwards did appear to be the only child of Thomas Jefferson Edwards.

1860 Census. Chestnut Creek, Autauga, AL, Hh 221
John Hadley, 30. Mary 29
Susan 8. Redin 7. Elija 5. William 2

John W. Dubose married 5 Aug 1862, Autauga Co, AL to Mary "Heedly" or "Hudley".
Probably John in 1850 - Chestnut, Autauga Co, AL, Hh 812
Benjamin Dubose, 24, Farmer, b. SC
Eliza A., 24, b. SC
John W., 4, b. SC
Easther, 3, b. AL
Emily C., 1 b. AL
Mary Headly, 19, b. SC
and in 1860 - Prec 11, Haw Ridge, Coffee Co, AL, Hh 1220
Benjamin C. Dubose, 32, b. SC
Eliza, 33, b. SC
John W., 15, b. SC
Easter A., 13. b. AL as were the rest of the children
Ellender, 11
Mary J (Idiotic) & Louisa both 8
James, age 2
and in 1900. Blocton, Bibb Co, AL, Hh 234-235
Jushua Campbell, b. spr 1877, 23, b. AL
Emma L., wife, b. Mar 1885, 15, 1 child
Earnest, son, b. Mar 1900, 2 months old
John W. DuBose, Uncle, b. Feb 1845, 55, married 6 years, b. SC
Dovy, Aunt, b. May 1898, 22, no children, b. AL

Polly Dubose married Jefferson Edwards, 13 Dec 1874, Chilton Co, AL

1880 Census. Clanton, Chilton, AL, Hh 435
Jeff Edwards, 25. Polly, 35, wife
John, stepson, 17. Jonathan, 15, stepson. Bittie, 12, stepdau. Amanda, 10, stepdau. Georgia, 6, stepdau.
James 2, son.

1900 Census. Kincheon, Chilton, Hh 178
James J. Edwards, b. Apr 1878, married 1 year
Dovie A., wife, b. Sep 1880, 19, 1 child
Alpheus B. D., son, b. Feb 1900, three months old
Mary A. (Edwards), mother, b. Mar 1850, age 50, Widowed, 7 children - 2 living (makes no sense!)

1910 Census. Prec 10, Autauga, AL, Hh 180
James J. Edwards, 33, married 12 years
Dovie A., wife, 29, 4 children - 3 are living
Alfins D., son, 11. Birdie L., dau, 7. William M., son, 3.
Mary A. (Edwards), Mother, 66 widow. Had 10 children - 9 are living [Note: I counted eleven from the earlier censues]

There is a social security Application/Claim on Ancestry.com for James Jefferson Edwards that names his mother as Mary A. Mims, his father as Jefferson Edwards.

1920 Census. Clanton, Chilton, AL, Hh 437 (possibly Polly.... about the right age)
Alex Frazier, 27. Ara Bell, wife, 25
Elliot, son, 8. Marie, dau, 4 years, 6 months
Lulu M., mother, 62, widow
Mary Edwards, grandmother, 80, widow

1930 Census. Clanton, Chilton, AL, Hh 348
G. J. Headly, 65
Adeline, wife, 69
Pollie Edwards, mother, 92, widow
Myrtle Headly, dau, age 18.

The researcher who posted the children is a descendant of Bennett and gave little information about the others. I found no information that explained the name change.
Bennett Easterling:
Bennett Easterling and Vina Johnson were married on 3 Jan 1878. The license was issued on 2 Jan 1878 by H. J. Callen. The marriage was performed at the home of J.W. Headley by William A. Wills (Minister). SOURCE: Chilton County Marriage Book 2 (1876-1879) Page 125.
From the book, GENEALOGICAL ABSTRACTS FROM CHILTON COUNTY NEWSPAPER, Clanton, Alabama 1898 Through 1945 by Cecil Little.
THE UNION BANNER, issue of April 19, 1924
"Bennett Easterling died Tue. Night of last week in the Refuse Community, at age 69. He was the Father of 16 Children. He was a member of Walnut Creek Methodist Church and his burial was in the Walnut Creek Cemetery."
Bennett had a second marriage to Mary Elizabeth Johnson about 1909.
I do find Bennett, age 15, living with Elijah Easterling & Mahala in Chestnut Creek, Baker, AL in 1880 - and Elijah had not married her until 1867. Two Taylor stepchildren were listed, as well as several children born to Elijah and Mahala.
Mahala Mims Taylor Easterling was the daughter of Elijah Mims and Mahala Popwell, first married to Aaron Taylor, 10 Jan 1858, Autauga.

Birth	1839	Autauga County, Alabama
Death	Jun 1931	Autauga County, Alabama

Father	George G. Mims (1817 - 1887)
Mother	Susan Popwell (1819 - 1883)
Sibling	Martha Mims (1836 - 1933)
Sibling	Thursey Mims (1837 - 1902)
Sibling	William Yancey Mims (1843 - 1915)
Sibling	Sally Mims (1846 - )
Sibling	George Dock Mims (1849 - 1925)
Sibling	Vina Mims (1850 - 1900)
Sibling	Ellis Mims (1854 - )
Sibling	Elizabeth Mims (1855 - )
Sibling	Amanda Mims (1859 - )
Sibling	John Mims (1866 - )