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 Nancy Jane (Deese) Short (1843-1921) was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:
"Nancy Jane Deese Short: A Life of Faith and Quiet Strength"
Early Life and Family
Nancy Jane Deese was born around 1843 in Anson County, North Carolina, to Samuel Deese and Sarah "Sallie" Hill. She grew up in a time when North Carolina was still largely agricultural, and families worked the land together to make their living.
Nancy's father, Samuel Deese (1815-1888), worked as an overseer, a position of responsibility on local farms. Her mother, Sarah "Sallie" Hill (1811-1881), managed the household and raised their children. Nancy grew up with several siblings, including her sister Martha and brothers William B., James, and Zachariah. The 1850 census shows young seven-year-old Nancy living in the Sandy Point area of Anson County with her parents and siblings—a typical farm family of that era.
Marriage and Family Life
Around 1869 or 1870, when Nancy was in her mid-twenties, she married Samuel A. "Sam" Short (1845-1887). Sam was a few years younger than Nancy, having been born around 1845 in North Carolina. The couple settled in the Morven area of Anson County, where they would spend the rest of their lives together.
Nancy and Sam had a large family—she bore ten children in total, though tragically, only one would survive to adulthood. Their children included:
Eller Short (1870-1880) – died in childhood at about age 10
Willie Short (born 1879)
Dora Ann Short (1883-1977) – Nancy's only child to survive her
Annie D. Short (born 1883)
The high childhood mortality rate that Nancy experienced was sadly common in the 19th century, when diseases like scarlet fever, diphtheria, and other illnesses could sweep through families. The pain of burying nine of her ten children must have been almost unbearable for Nancy.
The Civil War Era
Nancy came of age during one of the most turbulent periods in American history. The Civil War began when she was about 18 years old in 1861 and raged until 1865. Her future husband, Samuel Short, served in Company I of the 43rd Regiment during the war. While the specific details of his service aren't fully documented here, the fact that Nancy later applied for a widow's pension tells us that his wartime service had lasting effects on their family.
Widowhood and Perseverance
In 1887, when Nancy was about 44 years old, Samuel died of disease. After more than fifteen years of marriage, Nancy found herself a widow with young children to raise. The 1900 census shows her living in Morven with her daughter Annie, still in her household at age 16.
In 1902, Nancy applied for a widow's pension based on Samuel's military service during the Civil War. This pension would have provided crucial financial support for a woman on her own. The application documents confirm that Samuel had died of disease in 1887, and Nancy was entitled to compensation as his widow.
Life on the Home Place
Nancy continued to live on the family's land in Morven Township for decades after Samuel's death. The property had been conveyed to Sam by various Short family members back in 1884. By 1910, Nancy was 68 years old and living with her daughter Dora, who had married Solomon R. Williams. Also in the household was Nancy's granddaughter, Eller M. Williams, age 2—a blessing in Nancy's later years.
In March 1911, facing the realities of aging and needing funds, Nancy sold part of the family homestead. Along with Dora and Solomon Williams, she sold two tracts of land—8½ acres and 2 acres—to T. V. Hardison for $250. The deed was signed with Nancy's mark (an "X"), as she likely never learned to read and write, which was common for women of her generation, particularly in rural areas.
Interestingly, even after the sale in 1911, county records show that in 1922 (after Nancy's death), her estate was refunded taxes on 10 acres of land in Morven Township that had been erroneously listed since 1911. This suggests some confusion about exactly which parcels had been sold and which remained.
Faith and Character
By 1920, Nancy was about 77 years old and living with her daughter Dora and son-in-law Sol Williams, along with their young son Lee. Nancy remained in their household until her death the following year.
Throughout her life, Nancy was a devoted member of Morven Baptist Church. She attended services faithfully whenever she was physically able, and her faith clearly sustained her through the many losses and hardships she endured. Her pastor later noted that even in her final days, her letters to him focused on spiritual rather than temporal matters—a testament to where her true priorities lay.
Final Days
On Monday evening, May 16, 1921, Nancy Jane Deese Short passed away at her home about one mile from Morven. She was nearly 80 years old (her death certificate listed her age as 71, but census records suggest she was closer to 78). The cause of death was heart disease. She was buried the next day, Tuesday, May 17, 1921, at Morven Cemetery, with Rev. T. B. Justice conducting the burial service.
The local newspaper, The Messenger and Intelligencer of Wadesboro, published her obituary on May 19, 1921:
"Monday evening Mrs. Nancy Short died at her home one mile from Morven at near eighty years of age. She leaves a daughter Mrs. Solomon Williams and one grandson. Mrs. Short was a widow, her husband having died about thirty years ago. She was for many years a faithful member of Morven Baptist church always present at the services when she was physically able to go. She was a woman who never meddled with other people's business and never gossiped. She was loyal to her pastor and her conversation and letters written to him in her last days were full of spiritual rather than temporal things. She was buried in Morven cemetery last Tuesday at 5 o'clock, Rev. T. B. Justice conducting the burial service. A goodly number of people were present and the grave was covered with beautiful flowers."
Legacy
Nancy's life spanned a remarkable period of American history—from the pre-Civil War South through Reconstruction and into the early 20th century. She witnessed the end of slavery, the devastation of war, the struggle to rebuild the South, and the beginning of the modern era. She survived the heartbreak of losing nine children and her husband, yet maintained her faith and her dignity.
The obituary's simple words paint a picture of a woman who lived quietly but meaningfully: she didn't gossip, didn't meddle in others' affairs, remained faithful to her church, and in her final days, focused on spiritual matters. She was remembered with "beautiful flowers" and mourned by a "goodly number of people"—a fitting tribute to a life well-lived.
Nancy left behind her daughter Dora Ann Williams, who would live until 1977, and one grandson. Through them, her legacy continued in Anson County, where her family had put down deep roots generations before.
Nancy Jane (Deese) Short is my Great GrandAunt.
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1. 1850 Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Sandy Point, Anson County, North Carolina, Page 188A (stamped); Line 8, Dwelling 428, Family 428, Household of Mary DEAS; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 27 May 2014); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, Roll 619.
2. 1870 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Gulledge, Anson, North Carolina, Page: 337A(stamped); Line 30, Dwelling 92, Family 99, Household of Samuel SHORT; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2015); citing National Archive Microfilm M593, Roll 1122.
3. 1880 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 002, Page 344B (stamped), Line 23, Dwelling 119, Family 132, Household of Sam SHORT; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2015); citing National Archive Microfilm T9-0951.
4. 1900 US Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0008, Page: 4A/152 (stamped); Line 18, Dwelling 49, Family 49, Household of Nancy Short; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll 1181.
5. Anson County, North Carolina, Pension Records (Soldier and Widows) (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-63CZ-F9N2 : onlinw November 2025), Nancy Short Civil War Psnion, Pension from Civl War Service of her decesed husband, 1902.
6. 1910 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0011, Page 5A/156 (stamped), Line 13, Dwelling 43, Family 44, Household of Nancy SHORT; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1096.
7. Land Deed - NANCY J. SHORT et al. To T. V. HARDISON; 28 March 1911; Deed Book #Deed Book#48; Page(s) pages 486 & 487; Register of Deeds; Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina; June 2025.
8. 1920 US Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 13, Page: 14B/194; Line 89, Dwelling 159, Family 159, Household of Sol WILLIAMS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2015); citing National Archives Microfilm T625, Roll 1283.
9. Mrs. Nancy Deese Short, death certificate 238 (16 May 1921), NC State Archives., North Carolina Deaths, 1908-67, Raleigh, Wake, North Carolina.
10. Mrs. Nancy Short obituary, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, United States, 19 May 1921, Page 6, Column 1.
11. City of Wadesboro, ANSON COUNTY COIMMISSIONERS, Vol G, Anson. Public Records 1916–1931 (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C3QL-N9XG-J : online November 2025), Mrs. Nancy Short Tax Refund.
12. Anson County, North Carolina, Volume 22: LDS Film#1689072, Image 629 of 662, Samuel A. Short & Wife To G. A. Martin; 22 February 1888, Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
13. 1880 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, mortality schedule, Morven, Anson, North Carolina, USA, Page 1, Line 10, Ella Short; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : on-line December 2024); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M1805.
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