Cosmos Philotus Gardner

Other Events:

• Occupation: Music Teacher

Notes:

Later changed his name to Charles.

Cosmos married Willie Shufford in 1895. Willie (daughter of Abel Shuford and Sophia Pryor) was born on 4 Jan 1878 in Lincoln County, NC; died on 1 Sep 1940 in Fairfield, Conn.. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Viviene Venona Gardner was born on 16 May 1897 in Cleveland County, North Carolina; died on 20 Jun 1984; was buried in Benton, Arkansas 72015.
2. Dewey Sylvanus Gardner was born on 6 Jan 1899 in Shelby, Cleveland County, North Carolina; died on 10 Sep 1981 in New Smyrna Beach, Volusia, FL.; was buried on 14 Sep 1981 in Edgewater, Volusia, FL..

Cosmos married Gertrude Street in 1935. Gertrude and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Military Service: CSA Company F 56th NC Regiment

Notes:

From Marilynn Masten's notes: Rufus Webb Gardner was a remarkable man. His mother died while he was yet a young boy leaving him and a number of other small children to be reared by their father. His father was a poor man, but by the shear force of will, courage and determination, Rufus became one of Cleveland County's foremost citizens. He taught public school. He organized Pleasant Grove Baptist Church and was Clerk and Deacon from the date of orgination until a few year before his death. As Justice of the Peace, he was called upon to draft many wills, deeds, mortages, and other legal instruments. Being a leader in his church and community he took an active interest in all matters effecting the betterment and welfare of the community and county where he lived.

Rufus married Sarah Dobbins Elam on 17 Mar 1861. Sarah (daughter of Dr. Anderson Samuel Elam and Latisha "Letty" Weatherford) was born on 7 Apr 1839; died on 30 Oct 1920; was buried in Cleveland County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Military Service: Civil War.

Notes:

From Clevelamd Gardner's notes: James Gardner and his wife Elvira Cornwell settled on the west side of First Broad River in Cleveland County, N.C. Their farm was about one mile south of Zion Baptist Church and on the farm later owned by Frank Cornwell and Charlie Cornwell. They lived here until the death of his young wife. She was buried on the crest of a hill a few hundred yards north of where they had lived. On a stone slab marking her grave is the inscription: ELVIRA GARDNER Who died July 2nd, 1854 Aged 32 years, 6 Months, 21 days Colonel Grigg and wife Carrie (James' sister) took in the two year old daughter Katherine upon her mother's death. Captain Ed Dixon of Fallston, N.C. at the age of 96 years spoke with P. Cleveland Gardner about James Gardner: He said that the age limit of military service in the Civil War was 45 years, and James Gardner was called into service in 1862 with the Senior Reserves. After the death of his wife he moved with his family to the old mill place of Andrew Beam situated on Buffalof Creek about two miles southeast of Fallston, later known as the Mike Baker old mill place. In speaking of James Gardner, Captain Ed Dixon says: " James Gardner ran Andrew Beam's mill about the year of 1857; I was teaching school at Carpenter's School House at that time, which stood near where the Julius Hoyle old home was situated. I taught school for a salary of $18 a school term of three months and boarded amoung the 'Scoolars' free of charge. I spent several nights at the home of James Gardner. His children, Rufus, McDuffie, and Kendall, and probably others, attended my school. It was a custom then to hold public debates at school houses at night. We held weekly debates at the Carpenter school house, and James Gardner attended our debates. He was a deep thinker, and one of our best debaters. James Gardner later moved down near Kings Mountain to the Hill Farm, on January 15, 1858."

James married Elvira Cornwell about 1835. Elvira (daughter of Micajah Cornwell and Lydia McEntire) was born on 23 Dec 1814 in Rutherford County, North Carolina; died on 2 Jul 1854 in Cleveland County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Cemetery:
on the crest of a hill on her homeplace one mile south of Zion Baptist Church and on the farm later owned by Frank Cornwell and Charlie Cornwell.

Other Events:

• Cemetery: New Bethel Church Cemetery, Lawndale, Cleveland, North Carolina, USA
• Military Service: Military Service
• Occupation: Physician

Notes:

Anderson and his wife Latisha came to Cleveland County from Virginia and settled on Maple Creek above Cleveland Mills.

Anderson married Latisha "Letty" Weatherford on 7 Feb 1814 in Charlotte, VA.. Latisha was born on 17 Sep 1795 in Virginia; died on 17 Dec 1881 in Cleveland County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Cemetery: New Bethel Church Cemetery, Lawndale, Cleveland, North Carolina, USA

Other Events:

• Occupation: Farmer

Notes:

From Clevelamd Gardner's notes: Thomas and Olive Gardner married and settled on the east side of the First Broad River and Magness Creek about 300 yards northeast of the John Harrelson home place and the Ham Williams homestead. This was in the part of Rutherford County that became Cleveland Co. in 1841. The old Lincolnton - Rutherford Stagecoach route ran through his land and crossed First Broad River on his land at a place called Gardner's Ford just below Lawndale. Thomas' youngest son, six grandsons and six great grandsons served in the Civil War. His son, four grandsons and two great grandsons were killed or died from war causes. One great grandson was MIA. There is a family tradition that Thomas may have been a preacher as he was called Elder Gardner. Thomas Gardner and his wife are buried in the Family cemetery on their plantation situated a quarter mile east of the home of the late Ralph Hord.

Land Entries in Rutherford County, N.C. 18 Nov 1794 100 acres on North side of Magness Creek bordered by his father's land and near Capt. Willison.

Thomas purchased at aucton a Negro woman who was brought from Virginia about the year of 1800. This woman had a child named Flora. Albert Hord of Shelby, a teacher and minister, is a half brother as they had the same father. Flora was left to Thomas' wife and thence to her daughters. Flora had four children: Jay Gardner Emma Gardner who married Bill Schenck son of Dick Schenck - a slave of Major Schenck's father. Alice Gardner was married Joe Goode Charlie Gardner who lived in Chicago, Ill

Thomas married Mary Olivine "Ollie" Martin on 25 Nov 1792 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Mary (daughter of Christopher Martin) was born in 1780; died on 29 Jul 1856 in Cleveland County, North Carolina; was buried in Cleveland County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events:

• Occupation: Farmer And Midwife

Notes:

From Clevelamd Gardner's notes: Olivine lived on the Catawba River before her marriage to Thomas. Upon the death of her husband, Olivine bought a farm lying between New Bethel Baptist Church and the Philidelphia Negro Church which joined the plantation of Colonel Grigg on the east. Here she and her two daughters resided until their deaths. Ollie was a midwife and it is said that this was the means she used to procure the money to purchase her new home and farm. ___________________________________________________________________ An original bill of sale has been located amoung papers of John Poston. This document is dated 31 May 1821. The bill of sale is for: one still ten hogsheads one singlein tub one doublin Cagg one singlein Cagg one Can flakstone It does not mention the price. The document is signed by Martin Gardner and Olive Gardner made her mark. This would indicate that Thomas Gardner has already died by this date. See notes under her daughter Elizabeth Gardner.

Micajah married Lydia McEntire on 16 Mar 1789 in Rutherford County, North Carolina. Lydia (daughter of John McEntire and Rachel Beason) was born about 1770; died in 1854. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]