William Benson Ellenburg

William Benson Ellenburg my 4th Great Grandfather and son of Martin was born in the Pendleton District of South Carolina in 1778 and died in Anderson County in April of 1845. He was the father of at least 16 children including my 3rd Great Grand father Eli Ellenburg. Eli was born around 1800 in the Pendleton District, He married Sarah Evatt around 1828 and raised 7 children with her. They Farmed in the Pickens County area of SC and lived here until their deaths sometime after 1870.

One of their sons was John “Anthony” Ellenburg my Great Great Granddad. Anthony was born on February 8th 1841 in Pickens County, SC. He was a Farmer and also fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. He enlisted on March 5th, 1861 in Moodys Company, 12th Regiment, South Carolina Infantry, Company G as a private and served until he was discharged at Appomattox, Virginia on the 9th day of April 1865. Anthony married Mary Ann Moseley around 1875 and raised 7 children with her. Mary died around 1890 and Anthony married Bertha Cantrell on September 27th 1891 and had 2 sons with her. Anthony applied for a Confederate Pension in 1919, His Confederate Pension application was approved signed and sealed on the 7th of April, 1919 by probate judge J B Newberry in Pickens County, SC. Anthony continued to live and Farm in Pickens County until his death on August 13th, 1920 at the age of 79. He is buried along with his 2nd wife Bertha at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County, SC.

Anthony and Mary Ellenburgs son Anderson Anthony “AA” Ellenburg (My Great Granddad) was born in 1880 and married Sara Annie Head (Daughter of John Wesley Head and Malinda Ellenburg) around 1904. AA and Annie raised 10 children in Pickens County including my Granddad Anderson Anthony Ellenburg Jr. AA died May 10th 1958 and Annie died November 5th 1971 they are both buried at Greenlawn Memorial Park and Gardens in Easley, SC.

John Wesley Head and Malinda Ellenburg are my 2nd Great Grandparents. John was born in Pickens County, SC on October 17th 1849 to Austin Head from Macon County, NC and Elvira Crow from Pickens County, SC. Malinda was born in Pickens County, SC to John Cannon “Jackie” Ellenburg and Celia “Cely” Butler on October 2nd 1851. John and Malinda married sometime around 1870 and farmed in the Eastatoe Township of Pickens County, SC where they raised 7 children. They remained here the rest of their lives. “Granny” Malinda suffered a Heart Attack and passed away on October 23rd 1932, the closeness of these two was realized when John passed away on December 12th 1932 actually just a little over a month after losing Malinda. His cause of death is listed as Heart Failure, Sounds like a broken heart to me. John and Malinda Head are buried at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Pickens County, SC.