Jackson W. Doler and Elizabeth Hardin Doler

Beriece Doler Main’s grandfather (on her father's side) was Jackson W. Doler; her grandmother was Elizabeth Hardin Doler. Jackson W. Doler was born on September 5, 1848 in Alabama. The census information and the grave marker for Jackson Doler lists “W” as being his middle initial. To my knowledge no documentation has been found that would verify the name for which the “W” stood. Some family members say that the initial stood for William. Since Jackson had both a brother and a nephew named William, it is obvious that the name was used frequently among the Dolers. It is also interesting to note that President Andrew Jackson, hero of the Battle of New Orleans and outstanding statesman, had been dead only three years when Jackson W. Doler was born. Jackson Doler may have been named after “Old Hickory.”

Jackson Doler is listed in the 1870 census as a laborer in the household of Johnathan and Jane Hardin of the Hopewell community in Calhoun County. At the time Jackson’s personal assets were valued at $150. Jackson married Elizabeth Hardin of Calhoun County. She was the fourth of seven children of Dr. Johnathan Hardin and Jane Suggs Hardin.

Jackson Doler and his wife Elizabeth made their home in the Crossroads community in the southern part of Calhoun County. They lived in a log cabin situated on 320 acres which Jackson Doler bought for $920. One tract of this land was in the hills while the other tract of land was in the Topishaw canal bottom away from the house.

Jackson and Elizabeth had seven children. One child died when she was 14 months old while another died at 13 months. The remaining children lived to be adults, married and had families. Three of Jackson Doler’s children married three of the children of Henry Clay West and Margaret Celia Vance West. Scott Doler married Pearl West; Pearl Dole married Albert Estes West; and Jonathon Patrick Doler married Henrietta West. Wincy Doler married John Allen Wade and Calhoun Doler married Ethel Hicks.

Jackson and Elizabeth lived together for twenty years before Jackson’s death. He died in 1893 possibly as a result of pneumonia. Jackson had become ill and spent some time recuperating. Feeling that he was well, he went out into the cold, rainy weather to take care of some hogs, which were kept in the “bottom” away from the house. He became ill again and soon died leaving a widow and five young children as well as some unfinished rooms in the addition which he was building for their log cabin. His death came fourteen days after the death of his youngest child, Lorena. He was 44 (the age of his father when he died).

Elizabeth Doler was 77 years old when she died at Slate Springs at the home of her daughter, Mrs. A.E. West. She was born on May 13, 1855 in Mississippi and died on May 1, 1933. She and Jackson W. Doler got married in 1872 or 1873. She was buried at Spring Hill Cemetary. Mrs. Doler was the sister of two former Sheriffs of Calhoun County—Messrs, Scott and Mike Hardin. She was the last living member of the older set of Hardins. She was a splendid woman—a woman with a fine mind and a cultured, genteel character. Widely known in Southern Calhoun, she probably had as many friends as any woman who ever lived in that section. She was survived by three sons: Scott Doler, of Winona; J.P. Doler of Slate Springs; and Dr. Calhoun Doler, of Oklahoma City; and by one daughter, Mrs. A.E. West of Slate Springs.

*Much of this text was compiled by Jonathon Cecil Doler, 1986.

Alfred Burton Hicks and Mattie Anne Carroll

Beriece Doler Main’s grandmother was Mattie Anne Carroll; her grandfather was Alfred Burton Hicks. They lived in Bellefontaine, Mississippi. Alfred was 19 years older than Mattie. Mattie’s mother died when she was an infant and a black mammy raised her. Alfred was a Baptist Minister. One day he was sent out to preach. Mattie was about nine and was playing in her front yard when he passed by. He stopped and they passed a few words. He fell in love and said he’d wait for her—he waited for 9 years. When she turned 18 they got married. They had seven or eight children. When Alfred was about fifty or so, he went to a Revival. It was a hot summer. He became overheated, got the chills. He had contracted pneumonia and died. Mattie was left with a house full of children to raise on her own. Mary Ethel Hicks was born on April 3, 1888.

Mary Ethel Hicks married Calhoun Doler on October 20^th, 1911. A few days later Mattie Anne Carroll wrote her newly married daughter a letter. Mag was the black woman who lived in the cottage behind the house. Mag cleaned, cooked, and did laundry for Mattie Anne. Mag had six kids or so; Mattie Anne made sure they were fed & clothed, etc.

Thursday night

November 9, 1911

Dear Children,

How are you tonight? Wish I could see you. I don’t see how I can wait until X-mas. We are all well and getting along very well, I recon [reckon]. The Boys have the cotton most all out, have gathered some corn and dug the potatoes, made a whole lot of potatoes, and the corn is good. Have killed our pig so we have pork and potatoes don’t you think I will get fat. Had a letter from Ida yesterday they are well. Ethel Ora wrote me last week to send her the new Afran pattern and the day I got her letter I finished two new Afrans for her and had them ready to send the next day. Don’t you know she laughed when she got them instead of the pattern. Ethel, I went to see Mrs. Norwood last Friday eve and when I got there every one was in the field but Willie now what did I do. I don’t believe I will tell you. Yes I went in and looked at the young Miss Word while Willie went after her mother. What have you been doing in your new home. Busy busy I suppose. I have been busy every day get up at 4:30 every morning and do all day. I have washed and ironed made me a new white waist this week am going to cook tomorrow for Sunday.

Mag will help me will help me wash if she ever gets through picking cotton. I think I will learn how to keep house by myself after awhile if I hold out faithful.

Was glad to hear you were going to SS (Sunday School) every Sunday. I hope you will make good workers for the Lord in your new field.

I went to church last Sunday. Bra Northington preached a very good serman his text was what manner of persons aught we to be. 11 Peter 3 chapter another part of 11 verse. Ethel, Mr. Shaw like to have died last week with a throat trouble. John Albert and Clout E came home with the Boys Tuesday night and they were all going to Calhoun City to the Fair yesterday but it was raining when they got up so they did not go. Fred did get married. Fox had a card from Casper yesterday first time we had heard from them. Oh you aught to have gone down to Pryars wedding I had an invitation for me and Family but I forgot to tell you in time.

Well I recon [reckon] I had better say good night now be good and write often. Ethel, have you wrote to your new mother. Don’t forget to be thoughtful about her and make her know that you love her because you love her boy.

Bye Bye

Mamma (Mattie Anne Carroll)

Oh Ethel I forgot to tell you we have a little new calf.

James Fox Hicks: (Beriece’s mother’s brother) Unlce Fox had acres 14-1600 acres of cotton in the Delta of Mississippi. He was a “prominent Delta planter and landowner and former chairman of the board of commissioners for the state penitentiary at Parchman. He had a cotton gin and company store. Lots of black families lived in shacks around his plantation -- the blacks on his farm picked cotton. They would weigh the cotton they picked and were given credit in the company store. He made sure they had medical attention when they needed it. Eventually, Fox got Parkinsons disease. He sold off his land in small pieces and kept only a couple of acres and the house. He died at the age of 67 in 1952. He had three brothers and three sisters.

Rev. J.W. Hicks

Rev. Roscoe Hicks

Dewitt Hicks

Mrs. Calhoun Doler (OK)

Mrs. W. J. Gregg (CA)

Mrs. Ora Pierce (TX)

One of the things that Beriece remembered about her grandmother (her mother’s mother), Mattie Anne Carroll, in Mississippi was sitting up at the top of a hill that looked over a brush sunshade. The sunshade constructed from saplings driven into the ground. A lattice was created and brush was placed on the top to create a shady place to gather. Beriece would sit at the top of the hill and listen to the blacks who had gathered down at the bottom of the hill; t they’d sing negro spirituals and had beautiful voices.

One day when Mattie Anne Carroll and her son, Roscoe and his wife Myrtis, went into town. This was in the late 1920s. When they returned they saw that the house was on fire. They rushed to the house to see what they could save. Mattie Anne had pump organ, which divided into two parts. [Beriece doesn’t know who actually placed the organ, though. She never heard a sound out of it!] They were only able to save the top of organ. All the old family photos and everything was destroyed in the fire.

Myrtis died in the early 1930s and after Myrtis died of a blood clot suddenly. She was leaning down to tie her shoe, then leaned back on the bed and that was it. Mattie Anne moved out to Oklahoma to live with her daughter, Mary Ethel Hicks (Beriece’s mom), but she was very unhappy out here. None of her friends were here & they took their meals at the Sanatorium. That was when Calhoun worked at the Sanatorium and they often ate at the cafeteria there rather than cooking meals at home. Because she was so unhappy, one of her sons, Dewitt, came out to take her back to Mississippi to live with him. Mattie Anne died of uremic poisoning – a kidney infection.

Mattie Anne Carroll and Alfred Burton Hicks

Alfred Burton Hicks & Family

Back row from left: John William, John's wife Blanch, James Fox, Roscoe Barrett

Front row from left: Mary Ethel, father-Alfred B. Hicks, Jr, Dewite Talmadge, mother-Mattie Ann Carroll Hicks holding Alvin Burdette, Ida Mattie, Ara Belle

Mattie Ann Carroll Hicks