186? – 2009OVER 140 YEARS

CROSS WOODS - JARETT - JONES- HALL-WILSON- HUDSON – WHITEHORN

FAMILY HISTORY

THIS IS OUR PRESENT TO YOU FAMILY

HIS NAME WAS JESSIE CROSS

THIS IS HIS STORY

IT STARTED WITH A CROSS

HIS NAME WAS JESSIE CROSS

JESSIE WAS BORN 186?Jessie was born in the south east part of the

Missouri Territory. Family members say that it was around the St

Louis area. Missouri was admitted as a slave state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise This lead us to believe that Jessie MIGHT have been born a slave or he was a baby

when the slaves were freed in 1863

JESSIE CROSS WAS BORN IN MISSOURI AROUND 1863

The area where Jessie was born had a concentration of African Americans slaves, Creoles of French ancestry

and some Indians.Family members say that Jessie was an Indian, with skin

that was a blazing red complexion.

HISTORICAL EVENTS AROUND THE TIME OF JESSIE BIRTH

1860 Nov 6th - Abraham Lincoln elected 16th president of U.S.

Jan 1st 1863- Emancipation Proclamation (ending slavery) issued by Lincoln

Jessie History

Family members say that Jessie was a Blackhawk, although the Indians of the area were; Osage, Sac, Fox, Shawnee, and Delaware.

Life was rough on the Blacks & Indians during this timeThe freed slave Had nothing. The union army would

come around their plantations and pass out bread and meat.

The Indians were forced off of their land and were forced march to the Oklahoma area.

Jessie grew up in the southern Missouri area. Little is know about his childhood. Sometime around 1880, he met and married Emma Hull, who was a Black woman.

JESSIE CROSS GOT MARRIED

Jessie Cross married Emma Hull around the early 1880’s.

Life must have been rough for Jessie and his new wife in Missouri.

Jessie heard about a way to make a living in Tennessee call sharecropping.

Sometime around 1891, JESSIE, with his wife Emma and their (3) kids left Missouri and moved to Tenn.

They moved to Hardman County. Jessie lived around the Bolivar & Whiteville, Tennessee area.

Jessie and Emma other two kids, Essex & Jennie were born in Tenn.

JESSIE AND HIS FAMILYWORKED AS SHARECROPPERS IN

TENNESSEE

SHARECROPPING

The forty acre and a mule was a lie. Freed slaves didn’t have land of their own. The

freed Black & deprived Indian had to make a living.

Sharecropping was a practice that emerged following the emancipation of the African-American slaves.

Jessie was drawn into a system where he worked a portion of the land owned by whites for a share of the profit from the crops.

It became the new form of slavery.

1865/1920’sJessie had a family to feed

JESSIE would get all the seeds, food, and equipment they needed from the company store, which allowed them to run a tab throughout the year. He had to settle up once the crops, usually cotton, were gathered.

The white landowner was Sam Norman, whom they called boss

When accounting time came, JESSIE was always a few dollars short of what he owed Sam Norman, so he had to began each new year with a deficit.

JESSIE CROSS FIRST MARRAGE WAS TO EMMA HULLTHEY HAD A TOTAL OF 5 CHILDERN

THE KIDS BORN OF EMMA HULL/CROSSJESSIE JR (est. 1883)SALLY CROSS 1885MATTIE CROSS 1888JENNIE CROSS 1891ESSEX CROSS 1893(Jessie wife Emma Cross died around 1893 or

1894 After her death, Jessie married again. He

married a lady called Aunt Mis Cross, from which a son named Mangum Cross was born

JESSIE CROSS 2nd MARRIAGE WAS TO AUNT MIS THEY HAD 2 CHILDERN

Jessie & Aunt Mis kids were Mangle Cross & Neisse Cross

Sally, Mattie & Mangle had Jessie Cross Indian feature

Jessie Jr & Jennie had their mother Emma Cross features.

JESSIE CROSS FIRST SET OF KIDS DID NOT GET ALONG WITH THEIR NEW STEPMOTHER

Emma kid’s hated Aunt Mis because she mistreated them.

JESSIE had to stop the kids from throwing her into the fireplace.

This is why Mattie was raise by her aunt

(JESSIE &Emma oldest son) JESSIE CROSS JR. HAD 6 CHILDERN

ECHART CROSSEMILY CROSS ???WILLIAM CROSSESSEX CROSSLINDALE CROSSLUCILLE CROSS

JESSIE CROSS JR was called(Buddy)

SALLY CROSSMARRIED

DAVE JONES

THE JONES/WILSON/HALL

CONNECTION

Salley & David KIDSSalley & David KIDS SALLY AND MATTIE LOOKED LIKE TWINSSALLY AND MATTIE

LOOKED LIKE TWINS

EFFIE MAE JONES

GEURTRUDE JONES

LUCY JONES(L B WILSON)

JESSIE (Joe) JONES(Marge Buchanan)

DOROTHY JONES

MATTIE JONES(Willie Hall)

Casey, Henry Clay, LC Wilson, are Sally Grandkids

Aunt Sally moved to Jackson Tenn. where she stayed.

IN 1950, Her son, Jessie (Joe) Jones and his cousin, Stone Polk moved to Rockford. They got a job working on the railroads.

(Jessie & Emma oldest girl Sally) SALLY CROSS MARRIED DAVE JONES

JABBO CROSS

LUCY JONES MARRIED L.B. WILSON; THEIR KIDS LUCY JONES MARRIED L.B. WILSON; THEIR KIDS MATTIE JONES MARRIED

WILLIE HALL; THIER KIDSMATTIE JONES MARRIED WILLIE HALL; THIER KIDS

CASEY WILSON OZELLA WILSON LUCILLE WILSON HENRY AUDREY L.C. RAYMOND MAE OLA

WILSON/CRUTCHFIELD GERTIE WILSON/MARTIN CALVIN GREG AVERIL

CLIFTON (BUCK) DAYE

PATRICIA HALLLISA

HALL/WILKINSJAMES HALLTIMOTHY HALLVICTOR HALL

SALLY CROSS/JONES DAUGHTERS GOT MARRIED

Pat Hall and family

Hall & Daye

COUSINS

Joe Jones

JESSIE (JOE) JONES married

Margret Gaston

JESSIE (JOE) JONES married

Margret Gaston

JOE JONES KIDSJOE JONES KIDS

Ivory- Dave- Johnny- Mike - Ralph- Lonnie- Jimmy- Kenney & Frances

SALLY JONES/CROSS GRANDKIDS

HENRY CLAY & LUCILLE WILSON

THE JONES

MATTIE CROSS MARRIED

SIMON WOODS

THE WOODS CONNECTION

(JESSIE &Emma 2ND girl) MATTIE CROSS married SIMON WOODS

• Mattie was born March 18TH, 1888• She died at the age of 91• Mattie mother, Emma died when Mattie was

only (5) years old. • Mattie was raised by her Aunt , (Annie Mae

or Aunt Kelsey)

MOM MATMATTIE CROSS/WOODS

MATTIE HUSBAND SIMON WOODS

• Mattie married Simon Woods in 19??• SIMON FATHER WAS DAVE WOODS, • SIMON MOTHER WAS ADIE WOODS• SIMON WAS BORN MARCH 25TH 1875

around the Whiteville & Bolivar area.• Simon (Papa Suge) Woods die March 1st,

1977. He was 101 years old when he died.• Simon had (4) sisters and (1) brother. They

were Fannie, Martha Ann, Daisy Bell, Altie and Ben Woods

Mattie & Simon History

Mattie and Simon were married around the early 1900. She was around 17 years old when they were married. They had (8) kids. She was 42 when her last son was born Nov 10th, 1930.

They sharecropped for a White man name Sam Norman. It was hard getting Simon to go to the field.

They lived in Whiteville, on a dirt road called ???Their son, Robert and Jennie lived up on the hill

above them.They worked the field all week & went to town on Saturday to shop and socialize.

MATTIE CROSS & SIMON WOODShad (10) CHILDREN & 60 grandkids

JOE DAVIS WOODS (6 Girls-2 Boys)RUBY MAY WOODS (1Girl (Adopted)JESSIE WOODS (6B-6G)WILLIE WOODS (Died from a gun accident.

Shotgun accidently went off) (He was only 12 years old)

LIL SISTER WOODS (Died young)OZIE WOODS (2B)ESSEX WOODS (BOCAT) (9B-3G)ELLEN Christina (TINA) WOODS (4B-4G)ROBERT WOODS (PRE) (8B- 7G)GRACE WOODS (LIT BIT) (1B-1G)

Taken in 1977 at Mom Mat funeral

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods oldest sonJoe Dave Woods married Rena Mae (They had 8 kids & 30 grandkids)

Joe & Rena kids Ruby ray (4G-4B)Roscoe (3B- 4G)Mattie (1B-1G kids)Thelma (1B-1G)Viola (3girls)Virginia (2boys 1 g)Bennie Ruth (1G)Joe Jr (Pete)(2G-2B)

Joe was Born Oct 29th 1910 Died 3-16-1994

Rena Mae was born May 20th 1919 Died 8-30-2004

Ozie & Mattie Woods

Mom Mattie & Lonnie woods

Popp (suge) Simon Woods, Ruby Mae & Meagan

Joe Dave Daughter

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods (2nd) Son Jessie Woods married Louvennie

Crowder(12kids)

Lennie maeJodieSadie maeZenovaShirleyJessie Jr

George TTimothyDorisJerryElizabethForrestine

Uncle Joe & Uncle Jessie stayed in Tennessee

The other brothers and sisters moved North to Rockford

Jody and grandkids ?

Jessie Woods grandson, Tyrone Woods & family

Life goes on. Thank God I was born a;

(Woods/Cross/Jones/Jarrett)(Family Reunion 2007 Rockford Il)

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods 3rd sonEssex Woods married Velvet Rose

(11 kids & 17 grandkids)• Le’aseter (1B-1G) • Desire (1B)• Leon (2G)• Charles Frank (1B)• Chester (2B-2G)• Larry (2G-2B)• Emma (3G)• Mansfield (0)• Terrance (2B)• Teresa (0)• Bruce (3G)

Essex with (5) Generations

FRANK & FAYE WOODS

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods 2nd oldest daughter

Tina Blake married Willie Blake (8 kids/18 grandkids)

Rochelle (0)James Lewis (0)Genève (3B)Steve(1B)Jean(2G)Bridge(1B-1G)Willie (June Bug)(1B-2G)Buranett (Pumpkin)(2G-5B)

TINA BLAKE

Tina oldest daughter; Genève and husband Pete Woods family

JAMES LOUIS , CARIE, & LEON (BO) Wife Maggie and daughter cerrina

TINA daughter , Jean and granddaughter

Tina daughters, Jean and Buranett (Pumpkin)

Peg looks just like Tina

Len dell 3b-2gLen dell 3b-2g

Alvin 1b-2gAlvin 1b-2g

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods daughterOzie Woods Loved Priton Murphy

(2kids/8 grandkids) Born 5-23-1921

Lindale Married BettyThey had (5) kids

Lindale Married BettyThey had (5) kids

Alvin married He has 1 boy & 2 girls

Alvin married He has 1 boy & 2 girls

RonnieJerryTimothy 2 daughters

Ozie had (2) kids

Jerry and familyJerry and family

Ozie grandson and great-grand daughter

Ozie grandson Jerry Woods

Verlee (Polly) married Bobby They has 3 boys & 2 girlsVerlee (Polly) married Bobby They has 3 boys & 2 girls

Lonnie married They has 1 boy & 2 girls

Lonnie married They has 1 boy & 2 girls

Leris MooreShandiaMele

Mattie & Simon youngest daughter Grace

She has 1 girl & 1 boy

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods Grace Sowell 1b-2g

? Verlee (3B-2G) & Chie Chie ?

LONNIE 1B-2G

Grace and her 2 daughters (Verlee husband Bobby)

Lonnie Woods (three generations)

Simon & Mattie Cross/Woods Robert Woods Married Jennie Perry

(15kids(29+18 =47 grandkids)

• 8 Children/ Jennie Perry

• Carrie (2B-1G )• Margaret (3B)• Alex (1B-4G)• Donald (Donnie) (3B-

5G)• Lillian (Peg) 1G-2B)• James(2G)• Juanita (2b)• Delores 2G-1B)

• 7 Children/ Tessie Holliman

• Joe (0)• Louise( Sweet Pea)

(2B-1G)• Wanda (2G-1B)• Robert (2B-3G)• Marvin (Molly) (1B2G)• Alberta (1B)• Brian (2B-1G)

Robert Woods

Donnie & Ellen with 3 generations

Jennie Woods as a Teenager

OLD SCHOOL (1970’S) G’S

Alex, Wife Mary (Eve) & Pastor Lee Crowder

MAHOGANY AND ALEX WOODS 7-18-2009

ALEXANDER LAMONT WOODS BORN9-21-70 DIED 11-30-93

TIAUNA & ALEXANDER LaMONT THE THIRD

Alexander Lamont Jr daughter Tiauna Woods

CARIE AND DONNA WOODS

Carie & lit Cora

JENNIE CROSSMARRIED

MOSES JARRETT

THE JARRETT CONNECTION

Jennie & Moses had 4 Kids

Jennie & Moses had 4 Kids History noteHistory note

THOMAS JARRETT (3G)

EMMA LEE JARRETT (1B) Her son Robert, Died in Viet Nam)

PAUL JARRETT (Lives in Kankakee)

ROBERT JARRETT (Vezalla 1B-1G)(Jannie (2B)

PAUL JARRETT WAS FIRST FAMILY MEMBER BORN IN ROCKFORD

(JESSIE & Emma (3rd) girl) Jennie Cross married Moses Jarrett

The first to move to RockfordThe first to move to Rockford Jennie Cross/JarrettJennie Cross/Jarrett

Uncle Moses Jarrett & Aunt Jennie Jarrett

They had three GirlsThey had three Girls Thomas become SheriffThomas become Sheriff

DebraJenniferToni

Aunt Jennie was the first family member to die in Rockford. She is buried in Cedar Bluff cemetery.

Uncle Moses died 1978, he is buried in Sunset Memorial Cemetery.

Tommy became one of Rockford first Black Sheriffs in 1956 at the age of 30.

Had many gun battles, arrested Whites and delivered babies.

Cousin Thomas is a bad mother, SHUT my mouth.

THOMAS JARETT Married Pearl

LC WILSON, DEBRA JARRETT & DESIRELC WILSON, DEBRA JARRETT & DESIRE

ROBERT HAD (?) KIDSROBERT HAD (?) KIDS THOMAS JARRETT, ROBERT JARRETT & JIMMY CTHOMAS JARRETT, ROBERT JARRETT & JIMMY C

ROBERT JARRETT

MANGLAE CROSSMARRIED

SAVANNAH TAYLOR

THE CROSS CONNECTION

ESSEX CROSS (Jessie second son)

NO KIDS

MANGLAE CROSS had 6 kidsMANGLAE CROSS had 6 kids ( Savannah Taylor) daughter( Savannah Taylor) daughter

JENNY LOU CROSSROBERT

CROSS(Bubba) MAUDE BEA CROSSPERCY LEE CROSSESSIE BEA CROSSDELORES CROSS

ROSIE BELL CROSS (Neely)

(JESSIE & Aunt Mis youngest son) MANGLAE CROSS MARRIED Savannah

Taylor

BROTHER AND SISTER

Mangle Cross Son ROBERT (BUBBA) CROSS

Bubba married Cynthia GurilyThey had (7) kids

TOMMY (1g) (1B)BRENDA JEAN (2b)RONNIE (4B) (2G)DERRICK (2G)GREG (2B) (2G)SHARON (2B)MICHELL (3G)

Robert (Bubba) Cross son; Tommy (stone) Cross & Alex Woods

Tommy, Lee and Viola

BUBBA DAUGHTER MICHELL & HER DAUGHTER ?

Bubba grandson Barnet Cross

Bubba wife Cynthia Mae and Derrick

Marilyn Herring and family

(JESSIE & Aunt Mis youngest daughter)

NESSIE CROSS ()

No kids

WILLIAM (JABBO) CROSS DAUGHTERMARRIED A HUDSON

ROSALYN CROSS (TAGES MOTHER) MARRIED A HUDSON

THE HUDSON CONNECTION

Jessie Cross was Jabbo Cross Uncle

Sally, Mattie, Jennie and Mangum was William (Jabbo) Cross First Cousin

Do not know if Jabbo was Jessie Cross sister or brother son.

I believe that Jessie Cross looked something like Jabbo Cross. Jabbo has strong Indian features

Jabbo married a Hudson

William (Jabbo) Cross Jabbo Cross Kids

Hudson Blood lineRosalyn Cross (Tages Mother) married a

HudsonCandy CrossEssie CrossMethuen CrossWilliam Cross Jr.Rosie Gibes

TAGES HUDSON (looking like Jabbo)

PICTURE OF Ms HUDSON

THE WHITEHORN CONNECTION

JESSIE CROSS HAD A NEICE NAMED MARTHA ANN CROSS.MARTHA ANN DAUGHTER (CECILIA) MARRIED

A WHITEHORN

Mattie Cross cousin, Martha Ann cross.Had a daughter named Cecilia Jones.Cecilia married Oscar Whitehorn; They had a

Daughter named Ray Whitehorn/WoodsCecilia Jones father was Red Jones

Ray Whitehorn

THE POLK’S, STONE POLK & ROBERT POLK

ARE MATTIE WOODS FIRST COUSINS

THE POKE CONNECTIONThe Poke’s were Mattie’s Cross/Woods

first cousin

OUR FAMILY STARTED THE GREAT MIGRATION NORTH IN THE EARLY 1920’S.

JESSIE KIDS WERE TRIED OF THE BACK BREAKING LABOR OF PICKING COTTON WITH NOTHING TO

SHOW FOR IT.THERE WAS TALK OF GOOD PAYING JOBS IN THE

NORTH

THE GREAT MIGRATION NORTH

WHY OUR FAMILY MOVED NORTH

When accounting time came, Jessie was always a few dollars short of what he owed the landowner.

As that deficit grew, Jessie found it impossible to escape from his situation. The hard, backbreaking work was physically destroying their lives.

Jessie also had to deal with the unbeatable figures at the company store. The new whip was the pencil.

Those with the courage to match their imaginations escaped to the North, the land of opportunity.

That person in our family was Jessie & Emma youngest daughter, Jennie.

.

THE LORD WILL MAKE A WAY

Jessie & Emma (baby girl); Aunt Jennie had a dream.

Jennie, born in 1891, was the youngest & saw how the life of a sharecropper led nowhere.

She saw how it has beaten her Mother & father down. She was an eyewitness to what it was doing to her

familyJennie and Moses prayed for the courage and with only

their faith in the Lord, they left the south.

SHE WOULD LEAD HER FAMILY TO THE PROMISED LAND UP NORTH.

The first to move to RockfordThe first to move to Rockford Jennie Cross/JarrettJennie Cross/Jarrett

Uncle Moses Jarrett & Aunt Jennie Jarrett

JENNIE & MOSES JARRETT

Moses and Jennie was married in 19??. When Jennie was around 29 years old, They moved

back to the Missouri area where Jessie Cross was born.

They moved to E. St Louis, Illinois in 1920’s. We don’t know if Jennie had family members still living there. There is a good chance that she did.

Moses got a job as a cook on a steamboat. He traveled up & down the Mississippi river.

Their kids, Tomas Jarrett was born 1-19-1926 and Emma was born in (1-15-1928) in E. St Louis Il.

Moses & Jennie, later on, moved their family to Rockford Il in the spring of 1929.

They rode in the back of a Greyhound Bus to Rockford.

The great depression hit the U.S. in Oct of 1929

Moses and Jennie arrived in Rockford (7) months before the Great Depression hit.

When they arrived in Rockford, the City was not yet feeling the effects of it.

During the Depression, life was very difficult for farmers, but it wasn’t much better in the cities.

In (1929 ) Moses & Jennie Jarrett were THE FIRST TO MIGRATED NORTH TO ROCKFORD

The "Great Migration," as it came to be called. Thousands of African-Americans left the

South to escape sharecropping, the great depression, and the lynch mob.

They sought higher wages, better homes, and political rights.

Between 1930 and 1970, the Great migration transformed the country's African-American population from a predominately southern, rural group to a northern, urban one.

ROCKFORD 1929

The Great Depression affected Black AmericansNo group in America were more adversely

affected by the Depression than Blacks. Blacks who had difficulty getting jobs in prosperous times had ever more problems as competition for a dwindling number of jobs intensified.

This was the life that Moses & Jennie faces in Rockford.

Many of night when the bills were due and the funds were low, they prayed to the lord to make a way.

ROCKFORD (1930); THE ROCK RIVER VALLEY

ROCKFORD 1930’S Black could not walk on the same side of the street as the

Whites. They had to step aside and let the Whites pass.

Moses and Jennie lived at many different places in Rockford; Mostly Southside

Their first home was on Ferguson St, in the middle of block on the west side of street.

From Ferguson they moved to Hulin.They left Hulin Ave. and moved to corner of Court St and

Cedar St. (across from the Black owned Bridge Hotel). Next they moved to Winnebago St, next to the Montague

library.Later on they brought their first home on Stanley Ave.

Many family members came afterward and stayed with them.

Uncle Moses drove a truck, picking up scrap metal during the depression.

Trusting in the Lord, Moses became a deacon at Bethel Baptist Church on Harrison Ave.

America enters world war 2

December 8, 1941 was the date of the U.S. declaration of war, but in fact the U.S. was at war December 7, 1941 at about 7:55 AM when the Japanese attacked. This war, while not unexpected, was not the war the U.S. wanted to be in because it was felt that Germany was the greater threat. Hitler didn't declare war against the U.S. until December 11,1941.

The U.S. was in the war long before it was declared.The U.S. was supplying the British army in their war

with Germany

Uncle Jessie Woods & Thomas Jarrett both served in WWII

Jessie Cross grandson, Jessie Woods and great-grandson Thomas Jarrett, were our first family members to serve in WWII

Jessie was a foot soldier station in Italy.Thomas Jarrett was only (18) in 1943 when he join.

He was in the Tank division stationed in Germany. He was in the battle of Africa. His ship was nearly hit by torpedo.His tank was hit by German rocket.His Mom (Jennie ) died while he was fighting in the

war. It took the Army (4) months to find him to tell him of her death which was (4-6-1945) when Aunt Jennie died.

PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT NEW DEAL HELPED END THE GREAT DEPRESSION

World War two lasted from 1939 to 1945.President Roosevelt wife, Mrs. Roosevelt, was

concerned about the special difficulties Blacks encountered by racism.

She worked to make sure that Black were included in and benefitted from the New Deal programs.

For the first time since Reconstruction, Black Americans began to feel they had friends in the White House.

As a result, Blacks in the North began voting strongly Democratic for the first time.

A new age of prosperity was returning.

There was now JOBS and more JOBS in the cities

DURING & AFTER THE WAR, JOBS WERE AVAILABLE. JENNIE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS CAME TO ROCKFORD

Jennie niece, Aunt Ruby Mae and Sylvester Powell took a bus to Rockford in 1942. They moved in with Moses & Jennie.

Next came Jennie niece, Ozie Woods, she rode the bus in 1945.

Her niece, Tina Woods came in 1950. Then nephews, Robert and Essex Woods came in

Dec 1956. Her nephews, Robert (Bubba) Cross, Jessie (Joe)

Jones & niece, Grace Sowell came later in the 1950’s.

TINA, RUBY AND OZIEBEAUTIFUL BLACK COUNTRY GIRLS

Life goes on. Thank God I was born a;

(Woods/Cross/Jones/Jarrett)(Family Reunion 2007 Rockford Il)

THE FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER (2007)

TO BE CONTINUE EVERY OTHER YEAR

Bring me pictures and more information about our family. It will be added to 2011 Family Reunion presentation.

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE ON NEXT YEAR’S FAMILY REUNION COMMITTEE ?????????

2011 in Rockford IlContact Alex Woods at 815-222-2567

Or by e-mailawoods@whiteheadweb.com