Charles Thomas Karnes

Notes:

Charles Thomas Karnes was born on November 16, 1812, in Georgia, to Moses Karnes (Kerns) and Sarah Craig. He married Mary Holmes on February 17, 1835, in Russell County, Kentucky and lived there about 15 years. This is where five of their children were born. They arrived in Coryell County, Texas, in late 1853 and settled, as original grantee, on 319 acres of land near the present town of Oglesby.

Charles died on October 24, 1882, in Oglesby, Texas, at the age of 69, and was buried in Post Oak Cemetery. Survivors included his wife, Martha, and his seven children.

Died:
Post Oak Cemetery

Family/Spouse: Mary Holmes. Mary was born in 1817; died in 1904. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 7330

Notes:

Died:
Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC

Rebecca married Robert M Carter on 24 Oct 1866. Robert (son of James Carter and Salina Roxanna Dean) was born in 1841 in Tippah County, Mississippi; died on 21 Aug 1897 in McLennan County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8272

Notes:

Mary "Mollie" Charlesann Elizabeth Carter was born in Tippah County, Mississippi. Her parents were James Carter and Salina Roxanna Dean. In 1851, the Carters moved to Webberville on the Colorado River in Travis County, Texas. That is where Mollie married William J.G. McIlhaney on Feb. 12, 1867. They were married by Albert Brown, and their marriage is recorded in Travis County Marriage Book 2, page 408. Soon after their marriage, Mollie and husband moved to Coryell County, Texas, where they spent the rest of their lives. All but three of their ten children grew to adulthood: Lula Belle 1870-1929, John Richardson 1873-1949, Anne Etta 1875-1876, William Arthur 1876-1960, Oliver Lee 1878-1956, Selena Jane 1880-1881, Frank B. 1881-1962, Ida Mae 1884-1886, and Ethel Elizabeth 1887-1960. Mollie and her husband were members of the Coryell Baptist Church, where her husband served as a deacon. He was also a Justice of the Peace. They owned 1,000+ acres in Coryell County and also ran a store in the Waldo community. Mollie's husband died in 1904. In 1910, she was living with her daughter Lula Belle in Taylor County, Texas. During her widowhood, she may also have lived with her sons John R. and Ollie in Wilbarger County, Texas. She passed away on October 23, 1911. There is no death record, and there are differing stories regarding where she died. One says she was visiting her sister Sarah Etter Summers in Crawford, Texas. Another says she was traveling on a train between Tolbert and Gatesville when she died. One granddaughter said that Mollie spoke happily of childhood Christmases spent at Bastrop, Texas (near Webberville) in the 1850s and 1860s. She said Mollie was a quiet woman who loved her children and who was well loved.

Died:
Coryll Baptist Church Cemetery, Oglesby, Texas

Family/Spouse: William James Gibson Mcilhaney. William was born on 5 Aug 1839 in Tippah County, Mississippi; died on 30 Jul 1904 in Coryell County, Texas. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8273

Notes:

Lota Bell Carter
BIRTH 1871
Texas, USA
DEATH 8 Jun 1899 (aged 27-28)
District of Columbia, USA
BURIAL
Rock Creek Cemetery
Washington, District of Columbia, District of Columbia, USA
PLOT Sec. F, Lot 13, Site 2
MEMORIAL ID 117049169 · View Source
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 0
FLOWERS 0
In about 1880, Lota's mother Rebecca Karnes Carter joined the Women's Commonwealth, a women's commune in Belton, Texas. The commune was also known as the Sanctified Sisters. Rebecca took her three daughters Lela, Lota and Susie with her to the commune. The commune subsequently moved to Washington D.C. Lota died of typhoid, which she apparently contracted before leaving for D.C.

Lota is buried with her mother and two sisters. The graves are stacked two deep. Lota is in the top grave and her mother beneath. Her other two sisters are in Site 6, with Susie in the top grave and Lela beneath. There may be no markers.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8274

Notes:

Lela was a member of the Woman's Commonwealth, along with her mother and two sisters. She eventually became the organization's leader. She died on the communal farm, having had a stroke several years earlier. Her sister, Susie, also at one time a member, was the informant on Lela's death certificate.

Died:
Rock Creek Cemetery

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8275

Notes:

Obituary in a Waco newspaper: "James Thomas Carter, age 7 mos., died Apr. 20, 1877, in Waco. Son of R. M. and R. S. Carter. Funeral Apr. 21, Sat." He was the son of Robert M. Carter and Rebecca S. Karnes. He may be buried in Waco without a marker.

Other Events:

• Reference Number: 8276

Notes:

Washington Post article, March 7, 1907:
GOES INTO THE WORLD
Member Woman's Community [known as Sanctified Sisters] Now Federal Clerk.
Ambitious To Do Something.
Miss Susie Carter Accepts Position with the Agricultural Department, but Retains Membership in the Community Which Stands for Celibacy and Communism -- Never Thinks of Marriage. Miss Susie Carter, a member of the Woman's Commonwealth, a community that makes celibacy and communism its religion, whose founders came to Washington a little more than two years ago from Texas, has been appointed to a position in the Department of Agriculture. This is a new departure, for in all the history of the community no member has broken away and gone so far into the world as to seek an outside occupation. Of course many sew or paint or write and they keep boarders, but for one of the young women to mingle with the world is most unheard of, and a matter which, at the Commonwealth, as their residence, 1437 Ewing street, is called, is not to be discussed. Miss Carter became a member of the community at the age of two, her mother, Mrs. R.S. Carter, joining at that time and taking with her three little daughters, one of whom died a short time ago. The other sister of Miss Carter is still a member. Unlike her companions, Miss Carter gave way to her ambitions to do something for herself, and the education usually given to the young girls of the community not satisfying her, she entered several schools, making a particular study of stenography and typewriting.
Got Clerkship in February.
In this she became expert, successfully passed the civil service examination, and last month was appointed a clerk in the Department of Agriculture in the division of publications. March 1 she was transferred to the forestry division. Miss Carter is a charming young woman, level headed, and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She rather resents the attitude taken toward her by the public in general, or those she meets in her work. "They look at me as though I were a curiosity," she says. "They point me out and speak of me as being one of the man haters, I don't know why, but everybody seems to know about me. Nobody seems to understand. It is my life and the members of the community are my people, and I love them all." When asked about men and whether she was afraid of them, or if she ever thought of marriage, she said: "Why, no; we don't believe in it, and besides, we never meet men in a social way. We never have anything to do with them except strictly on business."
Community is Wealthy.
The community is a wealthy one. In addition to the house on Irving street, it owns a fine country place in Montgomery County, Md., where the members can go when they feel so inclined. There are now about fifteen or sixteen members, all of whom are women past middle age, with the exception of Miss Carter, her sister and two other young women. Miss Fanny Holtzclaw is president of the organization.
Great notoriety was given the community two years ago by the elopement of one of the young woman members, and for months after the other young women, whose names were made public in connection with the affair were deluged with communications from all over the country, proposing marriage, offering money and homes, and wishing exchange of letters and pictures. All this annoyed the president so much that no newspaper representative is allowed now to cross the threshold of the home."
[Note: Within four years of this article's publication, Susie had left the commune and was giving Valentine dances in her home.]

Washington Post, 6-7-1958:
CARTER, SUSIE E. On Monday, January 6, 1958, at her home, 1841 Columbia rd., nw., SUSIE E. CARTER, aunt of Mrs. Walter E. Binley and Mrs. Josephine Binley Reavis, Miss Carter rests at the Warner E. Pumphrey Funeral Home, 8434 Georgia ave., Silver Spring, Md. (parking facilities). Graveside service on Wednesday, January 8 at 2 p.m. in Rock Creek Cemetery.

Died:
Rock Creek Cemetery, Washington, DC