This George Washington Purvis was born about 1810 and died in 1897. An exhaustive search for birth and death dates other than the year was futile to date. The birth and Death year that we have are from his tombstone in the Antioch Cemetery, Rufus, Rankin County, Mississippi.
George Washington Purvis was twice married. His first wife was Mary Ann Patrick (1817-1859), daughter of Luke Patrick and Gracy Heaton. George and Mary Ann were married 19 October 1838 in Rankin County, Mississippi. This twenty-one-year union produced 8 children; but Mary Ann did not survive the birth of her last child, a daughter, given the name Lucy Purvis.
The Death of Mary Ann in 1859 left George a Widow with 8 children ranging in age from infant to 20 years. The oldest child, Martha, age 19-20, was able to care for the children.
After 8 years of widowhood, George decided to marry again in 1867.
But, who did George take as his second wife?
This is a major controversy in this lineage. Did he marry:
Sarah E. Williams (18 Jun 1830 - 9 Jun 1906)
or
Sarah A. Williams (1 June 1830 - 3 June 1888)
Clearly, there is only one answer.
The correct Answer is that George Washington Purvis married Sarah the Widow Huff born 1830 died 1888. She is listed in the Census with both the middle initial “A” and Middle initial “E”.
On 31 August 1867, G. W. Purvis married the Widower Sarah Huff in Rankin County.
The Rankin County 1870 Census shows this blended Family. It also shows Sarah as Sarah E., age 37, b. 1833.
Sarah Huff was the widow of Washington G. Huff who died in the Civil War.
It was obvious that I needed to see the Tombstones in place in the Cemetery. So on 30 Dec 2014 while en-route home after spending time with my daughter in Texas my wife and I stopped and visited the Antioch Cemetery.
The Tombstone for the female (wife) buried beside George W. Purvis reads:
Sarah A. Purvis
Geo. Purvis
Born
June 1, 1830
Died
June 9, 1888
This is the Family Plot for George Washington Purvis and Sarah A. (Huff) Purvis (Maiden name unknown). Some researchers say her maiden name is Williams.
The other Sarah wife of another’s George Purvis has a Flat stone similar to the stone of George in the above picture.
SARAH E. WIFE OF
GEORGE PURVIS
JUNE 18, 1830
JUNE 9, 1906
This stone can be viewed by looking at FindAGrave memorial # 2937292. I did not find the stone when I visited on 30 Dec 2014.
But, it doesn't say George Washington Purvis or George W. Purvis.
Sarah A. Huff, second wife of George W. Purvis (1810-1897) died 9 June 1888 in Rankin County, Mississippi.
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