Joana Fails

Biography

Joana Fails was born on September 12, 1858. Her parents were Elijah Reynolds and Clarissa Carolyn Reynolds. She was a Married James May Fails in 1874 and they had 10 children.

Joana married James May Fails. Together they had the following children:

1. Elijah Newton Fails;
2. Herbert Clarence Fails;
3. Early Lee Fails;
4. Zollie Joseph Layne Fails;
5. Rosa Fails;
6. Ione Williamson;
7. Clarissa Irene Bates;
8. Mollye Andress;
9. James F. Fails.

She died on October 7, 1932, and was buried in Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery, Butler, Alabama, United States.

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The above photo from Find A Grave.com depicts the family of James May Fail and his wife JoAnna Reynolds Fail. Their 10 children are not identified in the photo except for Herbert Clarence Fails who is in the back row wearing a hat. Some of their other children were Elijah Newton, born in 1877, Early Lee, born in 1882, Zollie Joseph Layne, born in 1884, Ione, born in 1889, Clarissa Irene, born in 1893, and Mollye, born in 1895. Another son, James F., was born in 1907.

A list of James and Joana's children was shown in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Danielville, Crenshaw County, Alabama, as follows: James M., 45 years old, Joana, 41, Hubbard, (probably Herbert) 20, Early, 18, Valler Joe, (probably Zollie Joseph) 15, Rosa, 13, Ione, 10, Clarissa, 8, and Mallie, 5 years old (probably Molly or as she was also referred to as Mary.) Also living in their home was James Fails mother, Barbary Reynolds Fails, 66 years old. She passed away in 1918.

By the 1910 census, only Zollie J.L. Fails, 24, Clarissa, 17, Mary, 15, and James F. Fails, 7, were still living at home with James and Joana, who was listed as Anna in that census record. In 1920 only James F., 18 years old, was still living at home with his father, James M., 65, and mother, JoAnna, 62. And by 1930, Jim and Anna were living alone, and Joana died two years later on October 7, 1932. James died seven years later at the age of 84 years old on June 5, 1939, in Butler County, Alabama. They were both buried int he Bethel Methodist Church Cemetery in Butler County, Alabama.