Joseph Warren NEELEY was born in Tennessee in [b;1824 pl. TN d; 1881 pl. Houston Co., TX.- Bur; Dailey Cemetery, Grapeland, TX ]. He was the eldest son of Thomas G. NEELEY [b; 12/15/1803 pl. TN] d;6/16/1890 Bur; Antioch Cemetery, Sullivan Co., IN, & Susan Jane USSERY, [b; 10/21/1803 pl. White Co., TN --d; 5/12/1866 pl. Bur; Antioch Cemetery, Sullivan Co., IN] Joseph moved to Carlisle, Sullivan Co., IN, with his parents & baby brother Phillip, in 1826 or 1827. Joseph had 9 other brother & sisters which were born in Carlisle, Sullivan Co., IN,.

They were;

1. Elizabeth Ann NEELEY – 1823 – TN
2. Phillip Ulysses NEELEY – 2/2/1827 – TN d; 8/3/1886 Archer City, TX
3. Nancy Smith NEELEY —1829 –IN
4. Frances Ussrey NEELEY – 1831 – IN
5. Mary Jane NEELEY – 1833 – IN
6. Henrietta N. NEELEY -- 1835 – IN
7. Juda N. NEELEY – 1837 – IN
8. Angelina NEELEY – 1840 – IN
9. Infant NEELEY – 1842 – IN
10. Margaret NEELEY – 1844 – IN
11. Thomas NEELEY –1849 – IN

Joseph’s first wife was Eleanor [Nelly] POWELL. They were married ca. 1846. The 1850 census of Indiana shows that he was a farmer, and lived in Carlisle, Sullivan Co., IN. Their children that were born in Carlisle, were;

1. Jesse P. Neeley – 1845 – IN
2. Joshua P. Neeley – 1847 – IN
3. Sarah Neeley – 1850 – IN
4. Mary J. Neeley – 1854 – IN
5. Thomas G. Neeley II – 1858 – IN

In 1859, Joseph & Nelly moved to the Creek Indian Nation. This was shown on the 1860 census of OK as being in the Northeast corner of OK, near the AR border. They left 2 children behind in IN. He was shown on the 1860 census as a well digger. He left his son Joshua behind with his Aunt Pigg. She had married Joseph Pigg & was living in Carlisle. Sarah was staying with her grandparents, Thomas & Jane Neeley according to the 1860 census of Sullivan Co., IN., both children soon joined their family in OK.

Soon after moving to OK, Joseph & Nelly had another child. William [Billy], born in 1859. They lived in OK until 1874, about which time Nelly died. Records of this time period in OK were sketchy, since they lived in Indian territory, & non-Indians were not well documented.

Joseph & his sons Jesse, Joshua & William & Joseph’s brother Phillip & his family, moved to Wise Co., TX in 1874. This is the 1^st year they show up on the tax roll for Wise Co., TX. Joseph married Cordellia Kelly ca. 1877. They had 2 sons, John W. b; 7/20/1877& Phillip U., born 8/10/1880, they were both born in Wise Co. Joseph shows on the tax rolls of Wise Co., IN from 1874-1881. 1881 must have been the year that Joseph, Cordellia, John & Phillip moved to Houston Co., Joseph must have died that same year, as he doesn’t show up on the Houston Co., tax rolls for either 1881 or 1882, or any year thereafter, or in any year before 1881. Joseph W. Neeley is buried in the Dailey Cemetery, West of Grapeland, TX.

It is here that I feel the name changed to NEALY. Neither John or Phillip were of school age & Cordellia probably didn’t read or write, so they grew up spelling their name the way others told them it should be spelled. Cordellia remarried on August 19, 1887, when she married E. M. Moorhead. He was a widower & had a young son, Sam Moorhead. E. M. Moorhead 1^st wife was Mattie Clive. They married 12/22/1885.

E. M. & Cordellia had one child, a daughter named Margaret. She was the half [˝] sister to John & Phillip Nealy & Sam Moorhead.

Cordellia died in 1891, & is buried in the Milligan Cemetery, which is located Northeast of Letexo, Texas. E. M. Moorhead is buried next to his first wife Mattie, in the McCann Cemetery, which is located near Houston Co., Lake, on the South side just west of the marina.

Since the 1890 census was destroyed by fire in Washington D. C., I had to depend upon the tax rolls of Houston & Wise Co., for information.

The Neeley’s continue to show up on the tax rolls of Wise Co., through 1900, in & near Chico. Some of these Neeley’s. I think, are probably the grandchildren of Joseph Warren Neeley, may still be living in Wise Co., & in Northwest OK, near Cloud Chief, & most certainly in Indiana.

JESSE & JOSHUA P. NEELEY/NEALY

The 1900 census of OK Indian Territory show that both Jesse & Joshua had moved back to OK from Texas. Both Jesse & Joshua lived in Washita Co., in the community of Cloud Chief.

The 1900 census shows that Jesse Neeley was born in Indiana in 1846. His wife was named Loucrettia & was from AR.
Their children were;

1. Nellie Neeley/Nealy – 3/1879 – TX
2. Henry Neeley/Nealy – 7/1881 – TX
3. Edward C. Neeley/Nealy – 10/1883 – TX
4. George Neeley/Nealy – 2/1886 –TX
5. Loucrettia Neeley/Nealy --10/1888 – TX
6. William Neeley/Nealy – 12/1889 – TX

The 1900 census of the OK Indian Territory also shows Joshua Neeley as being born on 7/1850 in Indiana. It shows Joshua’s wife as Pearlee Neeley, born 1870 Indiana.
Their children were;

1. Rosie Neeley – 7/1889 – OK
2. Della Neeley – 1/1900 – OK

JOHN WOOD NEELEY/NEALY

JOHN WOOD NEALY [Neeley] son of Joseph & Cordellia [Kelly] Neeley [Nealy] born on 7/10/1878 in Wise Co., TX near Chico Brumlow.

Cordellia died in 1891, & is buried in the Milligan Cemetery, which is located Northeast of Letexo, Texas. E. M. Moorhead is buried next to his first wife Mattie, in the McCann Cemetery, which is located near Houston Co., Lake, on the South side just west of the marina.

John Neeley/Nealy was 14 yrs at the time. He & his brother Phillip went to live with their Aunt Pearlee. When he was 16 yrs old, he & 2 friends, plus 1 horse, made a trip to Waco to see the new suspension bridge. John Neeley/Nealy [Poppa] told me it took 3 days, taking turns riding & walking to travel from Grapeland to Waco.

That same year, he went to live in Corsicana with a man named Honeycutt, a gambler. Poppa used to tell the story that Honeycutt considered him his good luck charm, as when he took John with him, he usually won, & when he left him home, he lost.

John Neeley/Nealy dated Edna Pearl Turner, but then married Linnie Johnson on Sept. 4, 1898. They had one daughter, Leona, who died of whooping cough & is buried in Milligan Cemetery. This information was given by Wilder Nealy Anderson.

When John married Linnie Johnson, Edna Pearl Turner [who had made her wedding dress in hopes of marrying John] was very upset. Her mother told her to put the dress in her hope chest, & if she was patient, John would be available again someday.

After Linnie died, John Nealy [Neeley] did indeed marry Pearl Turner. Their wedding date was April 16, 1900. The 1900 census shows that John Nealy & his wife, Pearl, were living with her father L. S. or Joe Turner [First name not clear on the census report] in Precinct 1,. Houston County.

They lived for awhile on the Patton Place, near the Cemetery. John & Pearl had 10 children, 5 of which died at birth or shortly after.

Pearl died in 1914 in a Palestine Hospital due to complications following the birth of twins, both of which died.

John Nealy [Neeley] was a farmer. He lived & farmed at several places in Houston County - Patton Place, Hayes Springs, Darsey Place, Shaver’s, Taylor McQueen’s & finally on the Edgar & Dorothy McQueen’s farm.

John Nealy [Neeley] married Martha Lee Lewis on Christmas Day in 1917. John was 40 years old & Martha was 16 years old.

My dad Herman Nealy [Neeley] told me the biggest whipping Poppa ever gave him was on John & Martha’s wedding night. Dad was only 2 years old when his mother died, & from then on, slept with his father every night. He could not understand why just because his father had gotten married that he could not continue to sleep with him.

John & Martha had 11 children – 4 girls & 7 boys. The 1^st son Jacob died at birth.

John & Martha were married 52 years. They lived to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary, at which time a big family party was held.

John [Poppa] Nealy [Neeley] died on September 27, 1969, at the age of 92.

Complied by David Nealy son of  Herman Nealy [Neeley]

  Last updated 10/04/00

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