Aunts & Uncles~James Hezekiah Brock, 5 May 1884 – 2 April 1931

The “Aunts & Uncles” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database.  The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of James Hezehiah Brock (1884-1931) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:

 James Hezekiah Brock

5 May 1884 – 2 April 1931

Chesterfield, South Carolina  ✦  Norwood, North Carolina

 

Early Life and Family Background

James Hezekiah Brock was born on 5 May 1884 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, the fourth child of Benjamin Franklin Brock Sr. (1851–1924) and Louise Ellen Sellers Brock (1850–1928). He grew up in the small rural community of Court House in Chesterfield County, a region of rolling pine forests and red clay farmland in the northeastern corner of South Carolina.

James's childhood years coincided with a particularly turbulent and transformative period in Southern history. The Reconstruction era had only recently ended when he was born, and the South was slowly rebuilding — economically, politically, and socially. Life in Chesterfield County centered around farming, church, and community. The 1880s saw the rise of the Farmers' Alliance movement across the region, as small farmers banded together to fight railroad monopolies and falling crop prices. It was a world shaped by hard work and tight-knit family bonds.

His Parents

James's father, Benjamin Franklin Brock Sr., was born in January 1851 in South Carolina and lived to the age of 73, passing away in 1924. His mother, Louise (Lou) Ellen Sellers, was born in June 1850 and outlived her husband by four years, dying in 1928. Together they raised a large family — the 1900 census records that they had seven children, five of whom were still living at that time. The family was listed in the Chesterfield County census as a farming household, as were most of their neighbors.

His Siblings

From the 1900 census, James was living at home with at least four siblings: his older brother Charles R. Brock (born April 1879), his older sister Annie Brock (born July 1881), his younger sister Mary C. Brock (born September 1890), and his younger brother Benjamin Franklin Brock Jr. (born January 1894). Their mother's sister-in-law, Mary A. Brock (born March 1848, widowed), also lived in the household. James, listed in the 1900 census simply as "Hezekiah," was 16 years old at that time and surely helping out around the family farm.

Coming of Age: The Turn of the Century

James came of age during one of the most exciting — and uncertain — periods in American history. The 1890s and early 1900s brought sweeping changes: the invention of the automobile, the rise of electricity in towns and cities, and the Spanish-American War of 1898, which saw the United States emerge as a world power. Closer to home, the textile industry was booming across the Carolinas, drawing workers from farms into mill towns, and railroads were stitching the region together in new ways.

By the time James was a young man, he had likely seen more change than his parents' generation could have imagined. He stayed close to his roots, however — still living in Chesterfield County as a young adult, building a life in the community where he was born.

 Marriage and Family Life

Around 1905, at about age 21, James married Pauline Morris (1884–1938). Pauline was born the same year as James, also in South Carolina. Family lore suggests her maiden name may have been "Sellers" — perhaps indicating a family connection — though her death certificate lists her as Pauline Morris Brock. The couple set up their home in Chesterfield County, where they would spend the early years of their marriage.

The 1910 census finds James and Pauline living in the Court House area of Chesterfield County. James was 26 years old, and the census records that they had been married five years and had three children, though only two were living at the time of the census. Their sons Lonnie (age 2) and a one-year-old James were in the household. Tragically, the loss of a child before the 1910 census reminds us how common infant and early childhood mortality was in that era — a heartbreak familiar to many families of the time.

Their Children

James and Pauline went on to have seven children together, six of whom survived to adulthood:

Lonnie Hale Brock (1907–1991) was the eldest, born in South Carolina and still living with the family as late as the 1930 census.

Mary Jasmine "Litt" Brock (1909–1989) was born in South Carolina and lived a long life of 80 years.

Myrtle Brock (1911–1997) was born in South Carolina and, remarkably, lived to the age of 86.

Rosebud Beulah Brock (1915–1996) was born in South Carolina and lived to age 81.

William Harden "Bill" Brock (1917–1995) was born the year James registered for the World War I draft. He lived to age 78.

Lily May Brock (1920–1923) was born in South Carolina but sadly passed away as a toddler at just three years old — another painful loss for the family.

James Lloyd Brock (1923–1972) was the youngest child, born in South Carolina. He was only about seven or eight years old when his father died in 1931.

 World War I and the Draft

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, James was about 33 years old and the father of several young children. Like millions of American men, he was required to register for the Selective Service draft under the Selective Service Act of 1917. His draft registration card, filed in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, records his name (spelled "James Hezikia Brock" by the registrar), his birth date of 5 May 1884, and his race as White.

The Great War, as it was called at the time, cast a long shadow over the nation. Across the country, more than 24 million men registered for the draft. Whether James was called up for service or remained home to tend his farm and family is not documented in the available records. What is certain is that the war years were a defining moment for his generation — a time of sacrifice, patriotism, and profound loss across the country and across the world. The influenza pandemic of 1918 followed hard on the heels of the war, killing more Americans than the conflict itself and touching virtually every family in the nation.

 A New Chapter: Moving to North Carolina

Sometime between 1917 and 1930, James and Pauline made the significant decision to uproot their family from Chesterfield County, South Carolina — the only home James had ever known — and move to Stanly County, North Carolina. This was a journey of roughly 100 miles to the north and west, crossing the state line into the Piedmont region of North Carolina.

The 1920s were an era of great movement across America. The "Great Migration" saw hundreds of thousands of Black Southerners heading north to cities like Chicago and Detroit, while many white Southerners were also on the move, drawn by opportunities in the growing mill towns of the Piedmont Carolinas. Stanly County, with its textile mills and agricultural economy, was a destination for many families seeking a fresh start. The county seat of Albemarle was growing, and communities like Norwood — where James would eventually settle — were active little towns along the Pee Dee River.

By the time of the 1930 census, James H. Brock, age 45, was living in the Center township of Stanly County, North Carolina, with his wife Pauline (age 46) and five of their children still at home: Lonnie (listed, though his age appears inconsistent in the record), Myrtle (18), Rosebud (15), Willie (13), and James Jr. (5). The family had clearly put down new roots in Carolina.

His Final Years and Death

Sadly, James Hezekiah Brock did not have long to enjoy his new life in North Carolina. He died on 2 April 1931, at the age of just 46, in Norwood, Stanly County, North Carolina. His death came right in the depths of the Great Depression — that devastating economic crisis that had gripped the nation since the Stock Market Crash of October 1929. Banks were failing, farms were being foreclosed, and unemployment was soaring. It was an extraordinarily hard time to leave a family behind.

James's North Carolina death certificate (death no. 243) lists his spouse as Pauline Morris Brock, his father as Ben Brock, and his mother as Ellen Sellers. The cause of his death is not noted in the available summary, but whatever the circumstances, he left behind a wife and six surviving children ranging in age from young adult Lonnie to little James Jr., who was only about seven or eight years old.

He was buried on 3 April 1931 — just one day after his death — at Mesby Cemetery (sometimes spelled "Maeby") in Richmond County, North Carolina. The choice of Richmond County for his burial, rather than Stanly County where he had been living, may suggest family connections in that area, though the details remain unclear. Researchers have noted difficulty in locating this cemetery, and as of late 2020 its exact location had not been confirmed. His Find a Grave memorial (ID #220019898), created by Jane Whitley on 21 December 2020, notes that burial details remain unknown pending further research.

 Legacy and Family

James Hezekiah Brock lived a life shaped by the upheavals of his era — the post-Reconstruction South, the dawn of the twentieth century, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, and the onset of the Great Depression. He was a farmer and a family man, a South Carolinian by birth who died as a North Carolinian, leaving behind a wife and six children to carry on the Brock name.

His wife Pauline continued to live until 1938, surviving her husband by seven years and presumably watching her children grow into adults during some of the hardest years the country had ever seen. Of their children, Myrtle lived the longest, passing away in 1997 at the age of 86. Their youngest son, James Lloyd Brock, died in 1972 at age 49.

James Hezekiah Brock may not have left a record of great public achievements, but his life — quietly lived across the Carolinas — was woven into the fabric of a region and a people. His children and grandchildren carry that story forward.

James Hezekiah Brock is my GrandUncle.

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Sources

1. "World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," on-line digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 19 May 2013), James Hezekiah Brock; citing Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls, Roll: 1852503; Birth Date: 5 May 1884.

2. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 21, Page 95B; Line 89, Dwelling 204, Family 209, Household of Benjamin F. BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 16 June 2013 ); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.

3. 1910 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0037, Page: 16A/142(stamped); Line 7, Dwelling 272, Family 272, Household of [John Hezekiah] Kirer BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 26 May 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm T624_1455.

4. 1930 U. S. Census, Stanly County, North Carolina, population schedule, Center, Stanly County, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 5, Page 11B/264 (stamped); Line 82, Dwelling 214, Family 226, Household of James H. BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : viewed 26 May 2013); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1721.

5. State of North Carolina, death no. 243 (2 April 1931), J. H. Brock; https://www.ancestry.com, Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.

6. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  February 2022); Memorial page for James Hezekiah Brock; (5 May 1884–2 April 1931); Find a Grave memorial # 220019898, Citing Mesby Cemetery,; Richmond County, North Carolina.

7. State of North Carolina, death certificate no. 57, (30 January 1938), Mrs. Pauline Brock.

8. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Cheraw, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0017, Page: 7A/26(stamped), Line 28, Dwelling 113, Family 113, Household of  Sarah BROCK; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 26 May 2013); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_Roll: 1523.

9. Mrs. J. H. Brock obituary, The Stanly News and Press, Albemarle, Stanly County, North Carolina, 1 February 1938, Page 1, Col 1.

10. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Pauline Morris Brock (21 March 1884–30 January 1938), Memorial # 220019939.

11. State of North Carolina, death no. 396, (5 January 1923), Lillie Mae Brock.

12. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  4 August 2013); Memorial page for Lily May Brock; (7 May 1920); Find a Grave memorial # 62702072- Jan. 6, 1923, Citing Mizpah Cemetery; Rockingham, Richmond County, North Carolina, USA.

 

This biography was compiled from genealogical records including U.S. Census records (1900, 1910, 1930), U.S. World War I Draft Registration Cards (1917–1918), North Carolina Death Certificate No. 243 (2 April 1931), and the Find a Grave memorial #220019898 created by Jane Whitley.

52 Cousins~Daniel Earnhart, Roots in Carolina Clay, Legacy in Tennessee Soil

The “52 Cousins” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database.  The selected AI will used documents and data from my RootsMagic Genealogical Software. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46+ years of research. Today's Biography of Daniel Earnhart (1809-1883) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:

"Roots in Carolina Clay, Legacy in Tennessee Soil" 

 Daniel Earnhart

1809 – 1883

Rowan County, North Carolina  ·  Bedford County, Tennessee

A Life on the Tennessee Frontier

Daniel Earnhart was born on February 13, 1809, in Rowan County, North Carolina — a region that had been home to generations of German-descended settlers, including the Earnhart family. He came into the world at a fascinating moment in American history: just six years after the Louisiana Purchase had doubled the size of the young nation, and as the frontier was rapidly pushing westward into Tennessee and beyond.

Daniel spent the first two decades of his life in North Carolina before making the move that would define the rest of his days. By 1835, he had settled in Bedford County, Tennessee, in Civil District 18 — a rural, agricultural stretch of Middle Tennessee that he would call home for the rest of his life. He farmed, raised a large family, accumulated land, and lived to see the Civil War tear apart the very county where he'd planted his roots. By the time he passed away in early 1883, Daniel Earnhart had witnessed nearly three-quarters of a century of American history, from frontier settlement to Reconstruction.

 

Family Roots — His Parents

George Earnhart (1759–1850) and Margaret Keppel (1759–1840)

Daniel was the son of George Earnhart (1759–1850) and Margaret Keppel (1759–1840), both born in 1759. His parents were part of the broader wave of German and Scots-Irish settlers who populated the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the late 18th century. Rowan County, where Daniel was born, was a well-established community by that point, with strong German Lutheran and Reformed Church roots. George lived to a remarkable 91 years of age, and Margaret to 81 — remarkable longevity for the era, suggesting the family was hardy stock. The names of Daniel's siblings are not recorded here, but as one of likely several children in a large farm household, Daniel would have grown up surrounded by extended family and the rhythms of agricultural life.

 

Moving West — The Tennessee Years

By the mid-1830s, Tennessee was booming. The state had been a magnet for migrants since the early 1800s, and Bedford County — established in 1807 and named for Revolutionary War general Thomas Bedford — was a productive farming county in the heart of Middle Tennessee. Shelbyville was its county seat, and Civil District 18, where Daniel settled, was a rural farming community.

On September 18, 1835, Daniel acquired his first recorded property in Bedford County (Deed Book FF, p. 49), signaling that he was putting down permanent roots. He appeared on the 1836 tax list for Bedford County — a sign that he was a property-owning adult citizen in good standing. Then on July 4, 1846 — fittingly, Independence Day — he purchased 47 acres of land from James A. Walker in Civil District 18 (Deed Book 1845–1846, p. 377), which became the heart of his farm operation.

In 1882, a year before his death, Daniel and his wife Ann sold a smaller parcel of about 12 acres and 89 poles to C.A.D. Davis of Rutherford County for $100.51½ — a transaction that was carefully witnessed and certified by the Clerk of the County Court, Robert L. Singleton.

 

His Two Marriages

First Marriage: Martha Ann "Lucy" Lentz (c. 1811 – after 1870)

Around 1830, when he was about 21 years old, Daniel married Martha Ann Lentz, known by her middle name or nickname "Lucy." Martha was born around 1811 in North Carolina, and the couple likely met and wed there before making the move to Tennessee together. She was the mother of all seven of Daniel's children, and the two were partners through the hardest decades of American life — building a farm from scratch, raising children through the Civil War years, and working the land together for over four decades.

Martha last appears in the 1870 census, listed at age 59 alongside Daniel in District 18, Bedford County. She is not present in the 1880 census, suggesting she passed away sometime between 1870 and 1880. Also living with them in 1870 was a Susannah Earnhart, age 54, born in North Carolina — possibly a sister or sister-in-law — and their son George, age 25, with a young Margaret, age 10, likely a grandchild.

Second Marriage: Ann Kimmons (1854–1925)

Before the 1880 census, Daniel married his second wife, Ann Kimmons, who was born in 1854 in Tennessee — making her 52 years his junior. In the 1880 census, Daniel is listed as 79 and Ann as 27. Their marriage is noted in Daniel's own will, in which he left her generous provisions: use of his farm for her natural lifetime, a wagon, two bay mares, livestock, furniture, a clock, a cooking stove, and more. Ann outlived Daniel by over four decades, dying in 1925.

 

His Children

Daniel and Martha raised seven children, all born in Tennessee:

1. William Earnhart (1831–1901) — The eldest, William lived to age 70.

2. Malinda J. Earnhart (1833–1925) — She had a remarkably long life, dying at about age 92.

3. Harriett Earnhart (1835–1864) — Harriett died young, at about age 29, likely during the Civil War years. She married into the Paschal family. Daniel's will specifically called out "the children of my deceased daughter Harriett Paschal," ensuring her children would receive one-seventh of his estate — a touching provision for grandchildren who had lost their mother.

4. Mary C. Earnhart (1837–1923) — Mary later became Mary Crowell (per Daniel's will), and lived to approximately 86 years of age.

5. John Henry Earnhart (1841–1896) — Known as J.H. in census records.

6. James A. Earnhart (1843–1925) — James lived to about age 82.

7. George Earnhart (1845–1904) — The youngest son, still living at home at age 25 in the 1870 census.

 

The Census Records — A Picture of Family Life

The federal census records paint a vivid picture of Daniel's growing household across five decades:

1840: Daniel, age 30–39; Martha, age 30–39; and young children including a boy 5–9, a girl 5–9 (likely Malinda), and a girl under 5 (likely Harriett). The family was young and growing.

1850: The household shows eight members: Daniel (41), Martha (39), and six children — Melinda (17), Harriett (15), Mary (13), John (9), James (7), and George (5). William, the eldest at 19, may have already been on his own.

1860: The older children had started leaving home. Daniel (51) and Martha (49) are listed with Mary (23), J.H. (19), J.A. (17), and George (15).

1870: After the war, the household had thinned to Daniel (61), Martha (59), Susannah Earnhart (54, likely a relative), son George (25), and young Margaret (10).

1880: By now Martha had passed. Daniel (79) and his new young wife Ann (27) are living together in a simple two-person household in District 18.

 

The Civil War Years — Living Through Conflict

Daniel and his family lived through one of the most turbulent periods in American history. Bedford County, Tennessee was deeply affected by the Civil War (1861–1865). Tennessee was the last state to leave the Union and the first Confederate state to be restored, and Middle Tennessee was bitterly contested throughout the war.

Shelbyville and Bedford County changed hands multiple times. In 1863, the area was swept up in the Tullahoma Campaign, when Union General William Rosecrans maneuvered Confederate General Braxton Bragg out of Middle Tennessee. The county experienced raids, requisitions of food and livestock, and the constant upheaval of armies passing through.

For the Earnharts — a family with sons of fighting age — these were harrowing years. Daniel's daughter Harriett died in 1864, right in the thick of the war's final brutal chapter. His sons John (born 1841) and James (born 1843) would have been prime military age. Whether they served in the Confederate or Union army (or avoided service) is not known from these records.

The War Claims recorded in 1888 — five years after Daniel's death — are especially intriguing. A Daniel Earnhart of Shelby/Fayette County was awarded $534 by the U.S. Court of Claims, likely for property (livestock, crops, or supplies) taken or destroyed by Union forces during the war. This was a common postwar process for Unionists or those who could demonstrate loyalty to the United States. The county listed (Shelby or Fayette) differs from Bedford, so this may or may not refer to our Daniel — but it is included in his record.

 

His Last Years — The Will of Daniel Earnhart

By March 1883, Daniel was 74 years old and evidently feeling the weight of age. On March 2, 1883, he put pen to paper and signed his Last Will and Testament — a remarkably personal document that reveals much about the man and his values.

He opened by requesting that his body be "decently interred in the graveyard near my house, known as the Earnhart Graveyard" — a family burying ground on the home property, which speaks to how rooted the Earnharts were in that particular patch of Bedford County soil.

His provisions were thoughtful and fair. To his young wife Ann, he left the farm for her lifetime, along with a substantial list of personal property: a wagon, two bay mares, three sheep, two milk cows and their calves, a sow, three hogs, two bedsteads, beds and bedding, all the chairs, a bureau, a clock, a dining table, a cooking stove and utensils, a cupboard, farming tools, looms, and a large wash pot. He also gave her full control over any stock she raised and anything she produced.

Upon Ann's death, Daniel directed that the farm be sold and the proceeds divided equally among his seven children (or their descendants if any had predeceased the division). He specifically named: William, Malinda, Harriett Paschal's children, Mary Crowell, John, James, and George. His executor was named as Hiram Harris, described warmly as "my esteemed neighbor and friend."

Daniel Earnhart died before April 2, 1883 — likely just days or weeks after signing his will. The will was probated at the April Term 1883 of the Bedford County Court, with Hiram Harris qualifying as executor and posting bond of $400 with three securities.

 

His Legacy

Daniel Earnhart lived a full and characteristically American life of the 19th century: born on the Carolina frontier, he moved west with the tide of settlement, carved a farm out of Middle Tennessee, raised seven children, weathered war and loss, and died in the county where he had spent nearly half a century. His descendants — the Earnharts, Crowells, Paschals, and others — carried his story forward.

His will, his deeds, his census appearances, and his family Bible entry all paint the portrait of a man who was diligent, fair-minded, and deeply attached to family and place. The Earnhart Graveyard near his house — where he asked to be buried — stands as perhaps the most lasting symbol of that attachment: a man who wanted to rest in the same ground he had worked and called home.

 

At a Glance — Key Dates

Born: February 13, 1809 — Rowan County, North Carolina

Died: Before April 2, 1883 — Bedford County, Tennessee (age 73–74)

Father: George Earnhart (1759–1850)

Mother: Margaret Keppel (1759–1840)

First wife: Martha Ann "Lucy" Lentz (c. 1811 – after 1870), married c. 1830

Second wife: Ann Kimmons (1854–1925), married before 1880

Children: William (1831–1901), Malinda (1833–1925), Harriett (1835–1864), Mary (1837–1923), John Henry (1841–1896), James A. (1843–1925), George (1845–1904)

Settled in Tennessee: By 1835, Civil District 18, Bedford County

Land purchased: 47 acres on July 4, 1846

Will signed: March 2, 1883

Buried: Earnhart Graveyard, near his home, Bedford County, Tennessee

Daniel Earnhart is my 1st Cousin 5X Removed.

 

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1. Bedford County, Tennessee, FF: 49 & 50, ; Register of Deeds, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. 

2. Tennessee, United States, "Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895, 1836, Daniel EARNHART; Tennessee Archives, Nashville, Tennessee. 

3. 1840 U. S. Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, Bedford, Tennessee, Page 60B, Line 21;, Household of Daniel EARNHART; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 May 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M19. 

4. 1850 U. S. Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 18, Bedford, Tennessee, Page: 185A (Stamped); Line 7, Dwelling 2, Family 2, Household of Daniel EARNHEART; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M432. 

5. 1860 U. S. Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, Western Division District 18, Bedford, Tennessee, Page 248 (Stamped); Line 8, Dwelling 1241, Family 1195, Household of Daniel EARNHEART; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 May 2022); citing National Archives Microfilm M653. 

6. 1870 U. S. Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, District 18, Bedford, Tennessee, Page: 327B(Stamped); Line 33, Dwelling 135; Family 139, Household of Daniel EARNHART; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 6 June 2021); citing National Archives Microfilm M593. 

7. 1880 U. S. Census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ); citing National Archives Microfilm T9_. 

8. Last Will of Daniel Earnhart (1883), WILL BOOK: Wkll Book #1; page 460 & 461; Probate Office, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. 

9. Bedford County, Tennessee, Wills and Probate Records, Sale of Inventoried personal property items; digital images, FamilySearch.org, FamilySearch.org (http://www.FamilySearch.org: online mar 2024 ); Daniel Earnhart Estate. 

10. Bedford County, Tennessee, Administrator and Executor Bond, Daniel Earnhart Estate. 

— compiled from primary sources, March 2026 —