Joseph Taylor Ollis

Uncle Joe was the great grandson, on his mother's side, of William Wiseman who came over from England in Colonial days and who is buried near Spruce Pine. His grandfather Ollis lived at Altamont and Crossnore. His father was Boss Ollis who left this country when Uncle Joe was a small boy and moved to Missouri, where he died. His mother was Elizabeth Wiseman, who was born near Ingalls in 1809 and died in 1889 in Missouri.

     At the time of Uncle Joe's death in 1936, twenty-one of his twenty-three children were still living. Some of these were by his first wife Katie Buchanan Ollis of Yancey County. They belonged to Double Island church there at first and then transferred their membership to the Brushy Creek Baptist church, later they belonged to Green Valley Baptist Church. 

     Uncle Joe's and Aunt Delzie's story begins on Brushy Creek, where they lived till about 1915. It was there that they gave the land for the first Green Valley Church built near their home, a church which they continued to attend after it was moved to its present location and after they moved to Altamont. The children were happy to leave Brushy Creek for their new home (near the Biggerstaff place) at Altamont. From Altamont the Ollis family went by wagon to Green Valley to all church services. The children knew it would do no good to try to lag behind. In the wagon was straw for soft riding for the children. Sadie and Walter usually rode their horses Paul and Siles. Sadie made quite a picture all decked out in her riding skirt and boots driving up to the hitching post (really a stump) where the ladies mounted and dismounted. The old stump should have been marked as a landmark, for it has long since disappeared and cars wind up the hill from which ladies can easily alight. 

     The Ollis home at Altamont was the scene of an important event not long after they settled there. When Crossnore and Altamont schools were consolidated, the formal ceremony was held in their yard. Joe owned land on Doe Hill also. There used to be an old log house called the "Billy Mace House" on Don Hill. Joe continued to pasture Don Hill and Brushy Creek, which he later sold to Harris Mining Company. The "Joe Ollis" mine of red mica was found on the site of the old Joe Ollis house on Brushy Creek. He raised cattle, hogs, and sheep. He had a commissary at Altapass, where he would sell mutton, eggs, butter, etc. Granny Ollis also sold butter at the Penland s' store at Linville Falls and would take it as far as Pineola for selling. Her reputation for butter making followed her to Altamont. In her later years, the Weld House visitors kept her busy churning the old-time way and often reserved a supply in advance to last them the winter in Florida. The demand was so great that she kelp a supply in the freezer. 

     The Ollis children can remember seeing sheep shearing, carding and spinning. Granny Ollis also knit their work gloves and socks. The children sometimes complained about having to wear the heavy socks, but they did come in handy on those cold days when they walked to school at Crossnore in the snow. Granny would arrange her thread in banks and dye it using walnut bark or a dye flower and many other plants no longer known to us; she later used Diamond dye. One who remembers clearly Granny's way of life is her granddaughter Annie Pyatte, who was reared in the Ollis home. Annie is married to Earnest Franklin and lives at Three Mile. 

     Aunt Delzie was loved by all who knew her. She was always busy working in her flower garden or cultivating a vegetable garden in summer. She knew how to can, preserve and dry a goodly supply for the long winters. As the danger of frost approached, she took great care to protect her flowers and to gather anything that would be damaged. Those who drove by her home on Stamey Branch have pleasant memories of Aunt Delzie wearing her sunbonnet working in her garden. She was strong enough to do her own garden work till about age 95.            

     There was another unusual feature about Granny. She was loved especially by her step-children. There was never a word of criticism on either side, and she loved them and treated them like her own. She divided Uncle Joe's property among them, just as he asked her to, giving them also his personal pieces of furniture. 

     Another group that remembers Granny fondly are the workers who helped her on the farm. As you might guess from her activities, she also set a good table. If you were cutting hay on her place, you made a big effort to get started before dinner and to work into the afternoon. If you were one of her favorites, you might go home with a pound of butter or a jar of honey. Milk from that cold crock in her spring house always tasted much better than modern refrigerated milk. 

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Some census records show his name as Josiah. This was also confirmed in conservations with son Baxter.

1st Marriage; Mitchell CO NC Vital records pg 3 listed as Kathrin was conducted by Peter Grinstaff J.P. Feb 23 1865

2nd Marriage; Mitchell Co Vital records pg 57 Listed Joseph as age 42 and D.M. Mace age 16 service conducted by W.H. Ollis MG at Green Valley Church

More About JOSEPH TAYLOR OLLIS:

Military: Served in the Civil War

More About JOSEPH OLLIS and DELZIE MACE:

Marriage: January 19, 1890

GEDCOM Source

@R-2146016482@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0 1,60525::10810263

GEDCOM Source

@R-2146016482@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0 1,60525::10810263

GEDCOM Source

@R-2146016482@ U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Ancestry.com Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. 1,60525::0 1,60525::10810263