|
During their first year of marriage, William Eli and Elizabeth lived with William's mother, then opened a store in Magnolia,
MS, with his brother-in-law, Dr. Adolphus Smith. They lived in Magnolia only a short time when they moved back to Simmonsville
and bought what is now (1966) known as the "Dock Alford" place. He sold this place (deed recorded in Magnolia, MS) to Dock
Alford and built a home about one mile away on a part of his father's estate. They lived with his mother again while his home
was being built. After a few months however they moved to the new home where they were to spend the rest of their lives. His
mother's home burned a few years later, and his mother then lived the rest of her life with her children, making her "headquarters"
with William Eli and Lizzie.
William Eli and his nephew, George Oliver "Ollie", son of Dr Fleet Simmons, bought the Dr Fleet Simmons Store and Post Office
and ran this for many years. The mail was delivered to the inhabitants of the surrounding countryside from this Post Office
until the Rural Route Service was initiated by the U.S. Government. William Eli's sons would go each day to Magnolia and bring
the mail by cart and horse to Simmonsville, distance of about 12 miles. When Rural Route Service came in, William Eli sold
his interest in the store to Ollie and the Post Office was closed. Then William Eli and his nephew, Robert "Bob" Simmons,
brother of Ollie, owned and operated a cotton gin, saw mill and grist mill at the same time he was in the store business.
The cotton gin, saw mill and grist mill was located between William Eli's home and the store on what was and is known as "Gin
Creek". These businesses burned one night when William Eli had gone to spend the weekend, as he usually did with his family
in Magnolia, where he had bought a house and moved his family temporarily to allow his younger children to finish high school.
After all the children except the youngest, had finished high school, the home in Magnolia was sold and the family remained
all the time at the Simmonsville home.
William Eli died in the Tylertown Hospital, where he had been taken when he became ill at his home in Simmonsville. He is
buried beside his wife in the Tylertown Cemetery. They had been married fifty-eight years when Elizabeth died. Williams home
and land was sold when his estate was settled after his death.
|
