Baldwin-Mobile County AlArchives Biographies.....Stokes, Samuel Elder November 15 1824 - August 6 1894 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Kellie Crnkovich markkell95@aol.com May 14, 2004, 1:36 am Author: Florence Dolive Scott and Richard Joseph Scott In 1893, Hans Peter Hanson, sailed in his boat, the Mahalia Frances, up to Stokes Wharf, having on board with him a young Baptist preacher, Joseph M. Kailin, a native of North Alabama. Mr. Stokes met and took them to his home where they enjoyed all hospitality. Mr. Stokes' wife, Jane Schoebel Stokes, the daughter of a Baptist Minister who came to Mobile from the New England States, and was one of the ministers serving the First Baptist Church of Mobile, received them with all courtesy. Bro. Kailin then became pastor of the Bay Shore Baptist Church (later named Daphne Baptist Church). He courted and married Louise Stokes. They served in the Mobile Association many years. Later in 1914 when the Baldwin County Baptist Association was established in a meeting at Bay Minette Church, Mrs. Kailin came over from Mobile to assist the Baptist women in establishing their organization. During the year of 1893, Charles Hall (Clerch of the Court to Judge Gasque, Postmaster at Daphne from 1889-1891, Probate Judge for 12 years) was clerk and Superintendent. The report shows 31 members, Church expenses- $ 12.00, Pastor's salary- $ 21.66, Missions- $ 2.40, Total including $ 1.10 for minutes was $ 39.36, which is $ 2.20 over figure listed. House was valued at $ 1,000.00. From Page 13 to 16 THE STOKES AND NEIGHBORS AT THE VILLAGE When Mr. Samuel Stokes returned from the Civil War there was nothing left of his home and family as he had known it; his wife, Sarah, and three of their small children had died and the house denuded of all furniture. After one night spent in desolation he went to Mobile with the intention of settling there; however, one of his friends persuaded him to return and restore the home. In line with that he asked "Mammy" Rose Jerkins to come and keep house for him. At first she refused, but the next day she appeared with her belongings and from then on she was an important factor in the Stokes family. Mr. Stokes' second marriage was to Miss Jane Schroebel, the daughter of a Baptist minister who came to Mobile from the New England States and was on e of the early ministers serving the First Baptist Church of Mobile. To this union were born six daughters: Louise, Kari, Laura, Clara, Elizabeth, and Sallie. The grew up in teh atmosphere of a loarge and happy household; all looked after by Mammy Rose and receiving their schooling in the customary way of that day by private teachers at home. One of their favorite pastimes was riding the big bay horse named "Paul", sometimes singly and sometimes several at a time. He served as a means of transportation for the family carriage as well as hauling groceries for the general store that was jointly owned by Mr. Stokes and Major Starke. After Mr. Stokes bought out Major Starke's share of hte store he relocated in practically on the beach in front of the home. "Paul" was included in the store transaction and when Paul died, after a long and useful life, there was great distress felt be the entire family. When the girls were are a point for higher education, three of them, Louise, Laura, and Clara attended Miss Bagby's School for Young Ladies in Mobile and graduated there. Clara and her younger sister, Sallie, went into the business world in Mobile, each one being with a law firm. Since bay boats were the only means of transportation then and the schedule was not aadapted to office hours, they had to live in Mobile during the week and come home to Daphne on weekends and holidays. Louise taught school for awhile in the Judge hall School and one of the Hll daughets was named Louise after her. Later, she married the Reverend Joseph M. Kailin , a native of north Alabama and they made their home in Mobile. There were no children. Elizabeth Stokes, or "Miss Bessie", as she was usually called, married Mr. William Yuille of Daphne. An account of their wedding was found in an old scrapbook and this is the way it reads: "Mr. William Yuille and Miss Elizabeth Stokes were united in marrage at the residence of the bride's mother, Mrs. S. E. Stokes, in Daphne, Wednesday mornuing (this was June of 1900) the Reverend J.M. Kailin officiating. The wedding was a very quiet affair, only the immediate relatives of the contracting parties being present. Immediately after the ceremony, the happy couple left on the morning boat for Mobile where they took the train to St. Louis." After their return, they made their home in Mobile; no children were born to this union. Clara, Sallie, and Kari Stokes never married. A member of the household when the children were growing up was Mr. Stokes' sister, Miss Mary Stokes, who had taken care of his little daugher, Mary, when her mother died, and she now took and active part in the many things that go with the rearing of a large family. Mr. Stokes passed away in August of 1894 and was laid to rest in the family burial plot on the back of their property. His family continued to live in the big home at Daphne for a number of years but eventually they moved to Mobile so they could all be together. When Mrs. Stoked died in February 1930, she was placed in the Schroebel family plot in Magnolia Cemetery, Mobile. After the death of Mrs. Stokes and her daughter, Sallie, within three weeks of each other, Miss Bessie and her husband moved back to Daphne and for a few years made their home in the old Stokes place. Then they went to live in the cottage next door which, by an amicable division of property, had gone to Miss Bessie. To go back a bit, Miss Laura Stokes married Mr. T.W. Richerson of Stockton, a widower at the time. His oldest daughter, Myrtle, was already married then, but the four other children; Errol, T.W., Jr., LaVelle, and Mazie, all were a part of the new household. It is with Mr. Errol Richerson that Miss Bessie, now a widow and the last of the Stokes girls living, makes her home. Miss Bessie is still the dainty and gracious person I remember her to have been through the years and it is from her that I have gleaned much of the content of this chapter. The Stokes home, located near the old Village, is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. T. Howard Ellis; Mr. Ellis being one of the leading architects of Mobile. They have a son and a daughter each married and livng in other sections of the country. The Stokes family burial plot, about twenty-five feet square, is enclosed by and iron fence; it is situated about fifty feet north of the Daphne Baptist Cemetery and about one hundred feet west of the old country road. The oldes headstone in this plot is a very handsome one with the carving of a weeping willow at the top. Its inscription reads as follows: "In memory of Sarah M., wife of Samuel E. Stokes and daughter of Lewis and Louisa Stark, born April 15, 1832 and died February 21, 1863. Age 30 years 10 months and 6 days." Then there is her husband's grave, Samuel E Stokes Nov. 15, 1824-Aug. 7, 1894, and his sister's; Mary C Stokes Sept. 20, 1815-Sept. 16, 1905. Mr. Stokes daughter and that of his first wife, Sarah, is marked Mary S. Gustin Nov 21, 1852-March 16, 1930 and there, also, are the graves of their three other children who died as infants. Mammy Rose Jerkins, too, was laid to rest in the Stokes lot and her grave has a stone with word "Mammy" on it. The only other interment is that of William Yuille, August 18, 1869-April 21, 1940, husband of Miss Bessie. Additional Comments: The information is from the Book DAPHNE A HISTORY OF ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR PURSUITS AS SOME SAW IT AND OTHERS REMEMBER IT by Florence Dolive Scott and Richard Joseph Scott This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 8.1 Kb