Cooper and Wood Families of Lincoln County, New Mexico
By Rob DiPardo
Return to Lincoln County
Return to Local Family Hostories
This is the culmination of a 16 year journey through time. How and why I became involved is subject to discussion. I am really not sure why, I do know for a fact how and by whom I was challenged.
I make no attempt to add family personal stories other than those listed below. It is up to surviving family members to correct or edit as they deem fit. My challenge was simply to bring lost and unknown close family members of Effie Edessa Cooper Wood back from the veil of history and record their existence and resting place so that they would no longer be lost to time. I give thanks to these people who helped me and understood what and why I was doing it:
Kathe Determan, Roswell; Helen Cole, Texas; Mrs. Slater, Ancho; Karen Mills, Carrizozo; Margaret Gleisberg, Colorado; Pat Cooper, White Oaks; Ruth Birdsong, White Oaks; Ruth Cooper, Roswell; Mary Pickett, Austin, TX; Charles Barnum, Nogal; and most of all: Effie Rob DiPardo Lake Wales, Fl;
10/4/2006 From Leslye Eleanor Cooper Van Schoyck
Karen Mills – Historical Records Clerk
Monday thru Friday, 7am to 4pm, Mountain time:
From records of Leslye Eleanor Cooper Van Schoyck
Relayed by Karen Mills – Historical Records Clerk, Carrizozo, NM
(Transcribed by C. W. Barnum; format slightly edited from original.)
“Cooper Family record compiled by George T. Cooper from the James A. H. Cooper’s and wife’s Bible and all other known sources.”
Henry Cooper and Maria Robins were married Dec 4, 1833 in Mariam (Marion County) County, Kentucky.
John Henry Cooper was born Jan. 25, 1812 and died …….. (blank)
Maria Robins was born Feb. 14, 1808 and died Aug. 19, 1856.
Sara Ann Cooper was born Aug. 15, 1834; no other information known.
Frances Maria Cooper was born Jul. 26. 1836, died Sept. 5, 1836; Age 1 month 11 days.
Nancy Elizabeth Cooper was born was born Mar. 9, 1838, death date not known.
Mary Margaret Cooper was born Sept. 7, 1939, died Aug. 7, 1840 age 11 months.
James A. H. Cooper was born Jan. 7, 1841, died in California. Buried in White Oaks, N. Mex.
John Hillary Cooper and Mary Ann Cooper (twins) were born Oct. 9, 1846.
……… John Hillary Cooper died Mar. 31, 1889.
Sara Ann Cooper, (unknown)
Frances Maria Cooper died at age 1 Month 11 days.
Nancy Elizabeth Cooper was married Alford Davis May 5, 1854, no death information known.
…..a. Alexander Davis was born May 6, 1855, no death information known.
…..b. Low Davis was born Sept. 19, 1857, no death information known.
Mary Margaret Cooper died age 11 months.
“James A. H. Cooper married four times. The first two times to twin sisters and the second two times to other twin sisters whose first names were the same as the ones he married the first two times. The 4th marriage was to Mattie Thompson from Louisiana, born Aug 28, 1858.
“The family of James A. H. Cooper and Mattie Thompson married Dec, 8. 1877” .
(End of Bible record transcribing with other sources. The format was slightly edited. Some verbs added such as the word “was”. Some punctuation was added such as periods and commas. C. W. Barnum.)
James Allen Henry Cooper Born 1/7/1841 Marion County Kentucky Died 11/14/1923, Sanger, Fresno County California, buried Cedervale White Oaks NM (Possibly next to Lillian his granddaughter.) It was the Carrizozo News – November 16, 1923
James A. Cooper Dies in California
Submitted By Rob DiParedo from research by Karen Mills
Transcribed by C. W. Barnum
Carrizozo News (Lincoln County News, NM) November 16, 1923
Dies In California
James A. Cooper, Sr., died at the home of a daughter in Fanger, (editor’s note, Sanger is correct, not Fanger.) California, Wednesday, November 14. The body will be brought here for burial and is expected to reach her Sunday afternoon on No. 4. Interment will be made in white Oaks cemetery. The deceased went to California about six months ago, following a lingering illness here, in the hope of deriving a benefit by change, and made his home with an elder daughter. Mrs. Cooper remained here to look after business affairs, while her husband sought to better his physical condition by a stay in California. His age, however, was against him and the relief he sought was not substantial enough to overcome his infirmity.
James A. Cooper was born in Mitchell County, Kentucky, January 7, 1841. At the age of 4 he moved to Fannin County, Texas; there grew to manhood, and was married in 1877 to Miss Mattie Thompson, who survives him. He came to Lincoln County in 1885 and, until going to California last spring, continuously resided here. He devoted his attention to ranching and until overtaken by illness and weighted down by the accumulated years, was ne of the most prosperous stockman of the county.
A widow and three children are left, two daughters, one in California, at whose home he breathed his last, and Mrs. R. E. P. Warden, Ancho; and a son, James Cooper, Jr., Ancho. The deceased was one of the sturdy old characters in the early ranch life of this country, a typical old-time cowman whose ranks are rapidly thinning. Another old citizen cast loose his moorings, an old land mark is gone and entire county feels sorrow at his passing. A bountiful life has led to restful sleep. (end)
(Editor’s note: No. 4 was the Sunset Limited Southern Pacific RR eastbound train that operated out of Las Angeles.)
(Editor’s note: This is Cedarvale Cemetery, now a historic cemetery, where the first Statehood Governor of NM in buried.)
(Editor’s note: Ancho played an important part in rebuilding San Francisco after the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The Ancho RR siding factory produced millions of fired bricks. Endless train cars of bricks departed on express freight trains bound for San Francisco.)
(Editor’s note: It appears to this editor that the older obituary or newspaper death notices were much richer than today’s. They gave detailed leads for future genealogists. Rob and I have common ancestors in this Cooper family. These two breakthroughs have broken through brick walls. We now are concentrating on finding he family of Mattie Edessa Thompson. One can not always trust the census data. The 1900 census lists Mattie being born in Aug. of 1860. We now know she was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, August 28, 1858.
1850 Census Fannin County Texas:
James Henry Cooper age 41 Parents and self born in Kentucky farm owner
Married to Martha(SP) hard to read age 42 all Kentucky as well
Children:
NE Cooper age 11 all Kentucky
James Allen Henry Cooper age 8 All Kentucky
John W Cooper age 5 Born in TX
Mary A age 5 (must be twins) age 5 born in TX
1860 Fannin TX census:
J. H. Cooper age 49 widow farm owner
James A H Cooper age 18
John W and Mary A aged 15
1861 James Sr. enlisted in Company “C” regiment “A” Texas Infantry Per 1890 Veterans schedule. Also indicates a George T. Cooper living as a widowed miner in Water Canon Socorro NM. He served as private Company D 11th Texas infantry. As well as George H Cooper; this writer believes these are relations of Cooper Sr. as Sr.’s first two sons were George H. then George T., this family carried naming children after relatives in almost every case. Aug 23, 1866 Marries Cathrine Coonrad in Fannin County TX
1870 Fannin Co. TX Census:
James A Cooper age 28 farmer
Catherine age 21
Children:
Emma age 2
John D (Johnny) age 1
Mary E age 24 days
Married Mattie Coonrad (sister of Catherine)
One Child Cassie B. born 1873 Fannin County, Texas
Married Mary Thompson, no children
Married Mattie Edessa Thompson ( Mary’s sister) Dec 7, 1877 Fannin Co. TX
1880 Fannin TX census:
Jas. A. COOPER Self M Male W 40 KY Farmer KY KY
Mattie COOPER Wife M Female W 22 LA Keeping House GA GA
Mary E. COOPER Dau S Female W 13 TX KY TX
Janie A. COOPER Dau S Female W 11 TX KY TX
Cassie B. COOPER Dau S Female W 7 TX KY TX
Maud A. COOPER Dau S Female W 4mo. TX KY LA
Husband: James Allen Cooper Born: Jan 1841, Marion County, Kentucky
Wife: Mattie Edessa Thompson Born: August 28, 1858, Shreveport Louisiana; Died: Sat. Oct 20 at 8 AM in home of daughter Maude Warden 1934, Carrizozo, New Mexico
George Hillary Cooper; Born: May 5 1883, Fannin County, Texas; Died: 9 April 1902, White Oaks, Lincoln Co., NM. Married: Annie B. Park (Fuell) 2/2/1902; Buried: Cedarvale (White Oaks)
Child: Hilery Cooper Born 12/26/1902
James Allen Cooper Jr.; Born: 24 December 1885, Bonita, Lincoln Co., NM; Died: 5 Nov 1975, White Oaks, Lincoln Co., NM; Buried: Cedarvale (White Oaks)
Effie Edessa Cooper; Born: 10 July 1889, New Mexico; Died: 14 Nov 1918, White Oaks, Lincoln Co., NM; Buried: Cedarvale; Married: Samuel Richard Wood;
Husband: James Allen Cooper Jr.Born: 24 Dec 1885, Bonita, Lincoln, New Mexico; Died: 5 Nov 1975, White Oaks, Lincoln, New Mexico; Buried: Cedarvale
Wife: Lucy Thomas Henley; Born: 1 Nov 1885, Lincoln Co., NM; Died: 3 April 1943, Ancho, Lincoln, NM; Buried: Cedarvale
Son: James A. Cooper; Born: about 1900, NM; Son: George T Cooper; Born: 1907, Lincoln Co., NM
Son: Lindsey Cooper; Born: 1910, Lincoln Co., NM;
Son: Leslie Cooper; Born 1919, Carrizozo, Lincoln, NM;
Kelly funeral home record: Cooper, Lucy Henley, 4/3/1943 11/1/1885 Bonito, NM Ancho, NM Jim Cooper/relative Thomas W. Henley/MO Nancy Malvina Williams/AR White Oaks, NM Cooper, Mattie 10/20/1934 Carrizozo, NM Mrs. REP Warden daughter White Oaks, NM
Hightower Allen A 2 20 1862 ~ 4 6 1934 Cedervale
FF-2 Coyote, N. M. File contains lease for waste water pipe (R. E. P. Warden, 1922). Includes plat map (1922) and oversized folded station map (1925). Includes Insurance Report (1930) and Inventory of Machinery for Insurance Schedule (1930)
1922-1930 EP & SW
| 2. |
Martha Ann Frye (Isaac L. Frye1) was born 28 MAR 1854 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 22 JUL 1942 in Wardensville, West Virginia. She was buried in Wardensville Cemetery, Wardensville, West Virginia. She married James McCoy Warden 5 JUN 1877 in Earlham, Iowa, son of Benjamin Franklin Warden and Lucinda Van Nort. He was born 27 NOV 1839 in The Homestead, Hardy Co., Virginia (now West Virginia), and died 3 FEB 1928 in Wardensville, West Virginia. He was buried in Wardensville Cemetery, Wardensville, West Virginia. |
| |
Children of Martha Ann Frye and James McCoy Warden are:
| |
3 |
i. |
James Van Nort Warden was born 31 JAN 1878 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 29 MAY 1955. He married Frances Marie Schaffens. |
| |
4 |
ii. |
Guy Livingston Warden was born 29 SEP 1879 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 21 OCT 1927 in New Mexico. |
| |
5 |
iii. |
Stanley Clagett Warden was born 14 JUN 1881 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 7 NOV 1967 in Winchester Memorial Hospital, Winchester, Virginia. He married Kathrine I. Frye ABT. 1904, daughter of ??? Frye and Mary Henriett ???. She was born ABT. 1882 in West Virginia. |
| |
6 |
iv. |
Robert Edward Pickett Warden was born 18 SEP 1882 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 29 OCT 1949. He married Maudie Cooper Hightower BEF. SEP 1918. |
| |
7 |
v. |
Clyde Warden was born 29 JAN 1885 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 4 NOV 1970 in Lexington, Missouri. He married Bertha Frances Miley 29 JUN 1910 in St. Louis, Missouri. |
| + |
8 |
vi. |
William Henry Frye Warden was born 10 DEC 1887 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 29 MAR 1965 in Charlestown General Hospital, Charlestown, West Virginia. |
| |
9 |
vii. |
Mary Lucinda Warden was born 3 JUL 1888 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 23 APR 1924 in Carrizozo, New Mexico. She married Frank Maxwell 11 APR 1912 in St. Reges Hotel, El Paso, Texas. |
| |
10 |
viii. |
Lucy Rose Alma Warden was born 30 JUN 1894 in Wardensville, West Virginia, and died 27 JAN 1976 in Winchester Memorial Hospital, Winchester, Virginia. She married Richard Lancaster 25 SEP 1915 in Wardensville, West Virginia. |
| |
11 |
ix. |
Pauline Warden was born 10 NOV 1895 in Wardensville, West Virginia. She married Henry Floyd Wertz 5 JUN 1918 in Wardensville, West Virginia. |
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1910 Ancho NM census:
Guy S. Warden 29y single
R. E. Picket Warden 26y single
William H Warden 23 y single
Mary L. Warden 21y single
Dennie Spaid 33y single
All lived together and were listed as sheep breeders
| Collection Summary |
| Title |
George W. Prichard Family Papers, |
| Dates (Inclusive) |
1894-1940 |
| Creator |
Prichard, George W., 1850-1935 |
| Abstract |
This collection contains materials on New Mexico legal cases, mining ventures and George W. Prichard’s political life, as well as his legal, business, and personal correspondence. The collection also contains the papers of Maude Hancock Prichard, concerning New Mexico women’s involvement in World War I relief activities. |
Items 37-42
1920 R.E.P. Warden and Harry L Lee suit over land Box 15 Folder 3 |
Husband: Warden, Robert Edwin Pick
Father: James M. Warden, WV, 1900 WV Hardy Co census
Mother: Martha Ann Taylor WV, 1900 WV Hardy Co census
Born: Sept 18,1882, West Virginia, 1930 Ancho Census
Died: Oct 29, 1948, Carrizozo, NM, NM ALHN
Buried: Oct 29, 1948, Cedervale, NM, NM ALHN
Married: Approx 1916, 1930 Ancho Census
Wife: Maude Frances Cooper
Father: James Allen Cooper
Mother: Mollie P.
Born: Feb 4, 1880, Ancho, NM, NM ALHN
Died: Dec 15, 1960, NM, NM ALHN
Buried: Dec 15, 1960, Cedarvale, NM, NM ALHN
Comments: Maude was the sister of Effie Edessa Cooper Wood mentioned in Effie’s obituary. Family states she mothered all whom were in need. Originally married to Alan Hightower divorced him as he was alcholic. 1930 census shows Cooper Hightower age 21 and and his wife Hada Hightower age 18 as living with REP Warden in Ancho.
Child 1: Maudie Francis. Warden, Female
Birth:, Ancho, 1930 Ancho, NM Census
Child 2: Mary Pickett Warden, Female
Birth: Approx 1918, Ancho, NM, 1930 Ancho Census
Child 3: Robert Edwin Pick Warden Jr., Male
Birth: Approx 1923, Ancho, NM, 1930 Ancho Census
WARDEN, MARTHA VIRGINIA 27 APRIL 1914-23 NOV 1928 gasoline fire
Starting kitchen sove with kerosene but had gas in can while Cooper was in charge as family was on trip to wva can exploded…maude covered her with blankets.. taken to Carrizozo ..died 11 days later. Brother Guy killed by water motor (pump accident) jacket caught in flywheel…pump stopped, REP went to investigate and found brother intangled in wheel born 9-29-1878 died 10-21-1927 buried in WVA.
ID: I52439
Name: Robert Edward Pickett Warden 1
Sex: M
ALIA: Pickett R. E. /Warden/
Birth: 18 SEP 1882 in Wardensville, West Virginia 2
Death: 29 OCT 1949 of injuries sustained in accident with train 3
Event: Nickname: “Pick” 3
Event: Res./Occ. 1910 Ancho, New Mexico; sheep breeder on a ranch; single; parents b. West Va. 4
Event: Res./Occ. SEP 1918 Carrizezo, New Mexico; self-employed stockman; married 5
Medical Information: Sep. 1918: medium height, medium build, brown eyes, brown hair, not disabled 5
Father: James McCoy Warden b: 27 NOV 1839 in The Homestead, Hardy Co., Virginia (now West Virginia)
Mother: Martha Ann Frye b: 28 MAR 1854 in Wardensville, West Virginia
Marriage 1 Maudie Cooper Hightower Married: BEF. SEP 1918 5
Sources:
- Warden Family History Records, from Jacob Andrew Warden, Dec. 2004; World War I Draft Registration Cards (online).
- Warden Family History Records, from Jacob Andrew Warden, Dec. 2004 (says Sep. 8, 1883); U.S. Census of 1910 – Ancho, Lincoln, New Mexico, ED113, pg. 13A (as Pickett R.E. Warden); World War I Draft Registration Cards (online)(says Sep. 18, 1882).
- Warden Family History Records, from Jacob Andrew Warden, Dec. 2004.
- U.S. Census of 1910 – Ancho, Lincoln, New Mexico, ED113, pg. 13A.
- World War I Draft Registration Cards (online).
Kelly Funeral home records:
Warden Guy L 10/21/1927 9/29/1878 West VA Ancho, NM R.E.P. Warden, brother James Warden/W. VA Martha Fry/W. VA Killed by water motor
Warden Martha Virginia 11/23/1928 4/27/1914 Ancho, NM Ancho, NM single R. E. P. Warden Died by gasoline fire Evergreen Cemetery
1880 Fannin, TX Census:
James A Cooper 40
Mattie age 22
Mary E. age 13 Tx
Janie A age 11 Tx
Cassie B age 7 TX
Maude A four months TX (first child with Mattie)
1885 Sr and wife Mattie show up in the White Mountians New Mexico. Daughter Cassie B Cooper comes with family as only member of prior wife’s family to come. Cassie married Stonewall “Rox” Grumbles in White Oaks Oct 25 1891, Grumbles moved to E Paso in 1900. Cassie B dies in El Paso July 3, 1905 (death certificate # 17951)
Rox moved to Corona in 1910 then Deming in 1912 and finally Riverside Ca. in 1920.
In 1900: Annie Fuell (b6/23/1880 Texas) is living with her sister Ollie as adopted daughters of Elizabeth Fuell whom is living with her cousin CC Davis home six houses down from Stonewall and Cassie (Effie’s sister) Grumbles and their servant Lizzie Rodgers in White Oaks. I make the assumption her name before adoption was Park.. this is the only assumption I make in this story, the rest is supported by the record. She is the only Annie of the correct age in NM possible for marriage to George H Cooper. As you will see this is actually her. In 1900 both Annie and George H. were “away at school” This is where they met, came home, married, he dies in the home of John Keith. Margaret provides a professional picture of George Hillary Cooper. On the back is written “son of Mattie & James Cooper. Died in White Oaks NM in the John Keith Home at 10am Wed Apr-9-1902. Age 18 years, 11 months and r (tying error) days. Buried in White Oaks Cemetery. From White Oaks Eagle. Married just 2 months when he died. The JA Cooper home above White Oaks burned to ground on Tues night Apr-8-1902.
She gave birth to their child, a daughter Hillary Cooper in Dec 1902.
Corona Maverick: 5/11/23
Lowe, Otho
– (1/13/22) of San Jon became cashier of Stockmans State Bank
– (5/11/23) Hillary Cooper of Carrizozo is assisting Irwin and Lowe at the bank
Cooper, James A., Sr.
– (4/28/22) of Ancho, witness to Cornelius M. N. Jennings homestead, With Denny Spaid
Hightower, Bryan A.
– (4/28/22) of Ancho, witness to Cornelius M. N. Jennings homestead
In 1910 Annie married Thomas A Hightower in Capitan. He is two years younger than her , is a mail driver and lives next door to William H. Hightower whom is the census taker. Record shows her second marriage, his first a child is noted but not listed and since they just got married it must be Hillary.
1919: Annie married Robert L Ransom 56 (b 3/21/1863 Hartford City Ind) a house plasterer whom owns a home outright on Nogal Ave Carrizozo.
1920: census shows: Robert L Ransom 57, head; Annie Ransom 39 wife; Hillary Cooper (step daughter) 17; Rebecca four months
1927
Ransom died 1/4/27 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery; Annie packed up and returns to where she was born in San Antonio Texas. She has two more sons with Robert before he died, Robert L born 1923 and Tom P born 1925.
1930:
Annie Ransom 311Wwarner Street San Antonio, age 49 widow lives in free and clear home worth $4,000 by far most expensive on this street. With Rebecca, Robert L Tom P and Son in law Monte Gross (plumber) and his wife Hillary (bookkeeper at airport)
11/2/1971 Annie Died In Del Rio Val Verde Texas
1902 Sr. and Mattie’s eldest child George H. died of pneumonia, White Oaks home burns down. Buried at Cedarvale Cemetery.
1906 Sam and Effie Marry 12/21/1906
Husband: Samuel Richard Wood
Father: William Wood
Mother: Nancy Louella Ferguson
Born: July 16, 1881, Jack County Texas, Family tree of surviving relative
Died: March 16, 1969, Stephens County Texas, Family tree of surviving relative
Buried: March 16 1969, Yellow Fork Cemetery, Family tree of surviving relative
Occupation: Ranch Mrg Cooper ranch Ancho, NM
Married: 12/21/06, Ancho or White Oaks NM, 1910 Ancho, NM census
Wife: Effie Edessa Cooper
Father: James Allen Cooper
Mother: Mattie Thompson
Born: July 10, 1889, Ancho, 1900 Ancho census
Died: Nov 14, 1918, Ancho, Obit and grave stone
Buried: Nov 14, 1918, Cedarvale, Family tree of surviving relative
Comments: Daughter of one of the founding Lincoln families, “Had a sunny disposition and enjoyed a wide circle of friends” Source obit, blue eyes, brown hair very fair complexion source picture on grave stone.
Child 1: Mattie Johnnie Wood, Female
Birth: 12/24/1908, Ancho, 1910 Ancho Census
Death: Tuesday Nov 9, 1920 Diphtheria (obit Carizzozo news Nov 20,1920), Buried at Cedarvale cemetery.
Child 2: Nancy Louella Wood, Female
Birth: March 2, 1910, Ancho, 1910 Ancho census death 7/21/1981 Spouse Baker
Child 3: Samuel Richard Jr. , Male
Birth: Aug 18, 1913, White Oaks, 1920 Ancho census Died 3/2/2005
Spouse: Maggie Wright Born 10/13/1916
Child 4: Effie G Wood, Female
Birth: 9/15/1918 White Oaks, Spouse: Campbell, Slovak
Sam and Effie are married 12/21/1906
1910: SR, Jr. and Sam Wood are all together at Cooper Ranch Sam is General Manager for Sr.
1911 Jr.’s oldest child Lillian dies at age 6 of scarlet fever, all Jr.’s children were taken ill and when Lillian died , her mother just wrapped her in a blanket and continued caring for her other kids in a desperate attempt to save then, she succeeded. Buried at Cedarvale.
1918: Effie died of Spanish influenza. Buried at Cedarvale Cemetery.
Carrizozo News November 15, 1918. Mrs. Sam Wood died yesterday at Ancho from and attack of influenza. Mrs. Wood contracted the malady while attending her sick cousin Mrs. Cooper whose death from the same cause occurred two weeks ago. Mrs. Ed C. Cooper, niece of Mr. and Mrs. James A. Cooper, of this place died last Tuesday (Nov 5, 1918) at Ancho. (Albuquerque Morning Journal, November 11, 1918) Mrs. Hightower..Remembers an Ed that was a distant cousin,,,he was at ancho for awhile but she has no record of his wife….Karen Mills She was buried at White Oaks. The funeral will take place at the Methodist church here this afternoon. Internment will be made in the White Oaks cemetery. A husband and four small children of the immediate family survive, and also her parents, Mr. and Mrs. James A. Cooper, a brother, James A., Jr., all of Ancho, and a sister, Mrs. R. E. P. Warden, of Carrizozo. The deceased was a member of the Lincoln County’s oldest families, grew to womanhood and married in the county. She possessed a sunny disposition and enjoyed the friendship of a wide circle. The grief stricken husband, the motherless children, are saddened parents, brother and sister have deepest sympathy of all our people. End of the obituary.
Here is some info on the epidemic that caused Effie’s death: In 1917 New Mexico was the only state without a State Health Department, and thus without a vital records/health statistics component. The Spanish influenza epidemic which hit New Mexico in 1918, and World War I combined to make the need for such apparent. For example, without a centralized, public health related compilation of death information, it was impossible to evaluate the influenza emergency. Thus in 1919* a State board of Health was created, and the first unit created was that of Vital Records and Health Statistics, which would govern the reporting of births and deaths and the disposal, disinterment and transportation of the dead. The unit has been in continuous operation since that time.
1920: Sam’s daughter Mattie Johnnie dies WOOD, MATTIE JOHNNIE 12 NOVEMBER 1920 BORN 24 DECEMBER 1908 in Nov of diphteria buried at Cedarvale. He takes his son Sam Jr in a wagon back to Texas, The two girls Nancy Louelle and Effie G stay with Maude Warden for about a year and then join their father in Tx.
Nov 12, 1920 Carrizozo News:
A daughter dies
Mattie, the 13 year old daughter of Sam Wood of Ancho, died from an attack of diphtheria. The remains were interred in the White Oaks cemetery the following afternoon. Rev. CC Hughes pastor of the Carrizozo ME church conducted the ceremonies. The News joins the friends of the family in extending sympathy.
1920 Jr. moves his family to Carrizozo Master’s family becomes ranch manager when Sam leaves. Severe drought sets in. Sr, Jr,Hightower, Ward and Leslie families (all the founding families of the area) drive all their cattle to Mexico to sell. All herds are infected with hoof and mouth disease and die enrout.
Between May 1922 and Nov 1923 Sr cuts his arm on barbed wire gets infected, will not quit working Daughter Emma Cooper (Baird) comes to Ancho and takes him with her to her home with husband Earl in Fresno CA. to get well. Sr. dies of blood poisoning there. Buried in Cedarvale.
1930: Warden family is only original family left in Ancho, Mattie lives alone in rented house on Carrizozo for $8 a month which is lowest rent on census page. Jr . moved his family to Claunch NM Socorro County with was not counted in the 1930 census.
Warden family moves back to Carrizozo for kids to attend school, Mattie moveds in with then and She dies in 1934.
The Lincoln County News
Friday, Oct. 26, 1934
Mrs. Mattie Cooper
Saturday morning, October 20, at 8 o’clock, Mrs. Mattie Cooper, one of Lincoln County’s best known and most highly respected pioneer women, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Pick Warden, here. Mrs. Cooper had been in ill health for two years, but, due to her energetic disposition, and her desire to be useful, she had never given up to invalidism.
Mrs. Cooper was the widow of the late James Cooper, who at one time was one of the leading stock men of the county. She was affectionately called “Granny” by many people, and will be greatly missed by everyone.
Mattie Thompson was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, August 28, 1858. She moved to Texas with her parents when quite young. On December 8, 1877 she was married to James A. Cooper, and they continued to make Texas their home until 1885 when they came to New Mexico. They settled in the White Mountains and lived there two years; then moved to White Oaks and went into the ranching business on a large scale. Over a period of forty years the Coopers were well known figures in the business and social affairs of the county. Four children were born to this union, two girls, Mrs. Maude Warden and Mrs. Effie Wood, and two sons, George and Jimmie Cooper. Survivors are one daughter, Mrs. Warden; one son, Jimmie Cooper, fourteen grand-children and seven great-grand-children, to whom sympathy is extended. Funeral services were conducted at the Methodist church. Monday afternoon by Rev. Edgar Johnson, followed by interment in White Oaks Cemetery.
Beth Hightower stated her grandfather Bryan Hightower told her the rock with MC marked on it in Cedarvale is resting place for Mattie.
Headstone to be examined by expert in coming weeks. Initial inspection shows traditional Spanish markings on stone which brings questions in to play. Buried in Cedarvale.
Well, that is about it. In retrospect I guess the time Effie lived 1899 to 1918 was the absolute best of times. If Sam had stayed who knows what problems may have affected him and his kids.
Cooper and Wood Families of Lincoln County, New Mexico Read More
