Zenri Golda Oates Leonard 1864-1901

Zenri Golda Oates was born in Greenwood Township, Moore County North Carolina. She was probably born around 1864 during the Civil War. Her mother Sarah E Oates was around 26 years old. She was raised by her grandfather William Young Oates and his wife Martha Cole Oates on Herds Creek in Moore County North Carolina. Young Oates farmed near his father’s home place on Crains Creek and he received a 55 acre land grant in 1854 and a 50 acre land grant in 1864. He raised his children John Parham, Mary A, Sarah Eliza Temperance, James and Julia there.

The Civil War was a time when many of the men were away from home and the women had to step up and do the farming. This would have been particularly true in the Oates household and the oldest son John Parham Oates went off to fight the war. This article which appeared in the Fayetteville Weekly Observer gives some insight to women’s work during this time period.

Zenri’s uncle John Parham volunteered the North Carolina 3rd Infantry Regiment. He was killed on November 27, 1863 at Payne’s Farm, Virginia in the Battle of Mine Run. Documents obtained from Fold Three show that he had attained the rank of Lieutenant and that a settlement was made by the Confederate government to his father, William Young Oates.

In 1870, Zenri lived with her grandfather and grandmother William Young Oates and Martha P Oats in Greenwood Township where the grandfather is a farmer. Her mother Sarah who is thirty years old also resides in the household along with her four year old brother Ira Raymond. Her two aunts also live there (Temperance Elizabeth, age 28 and Julia age 20). Julia also has a child, Annie Favolia, age three who is living there in 1870.

Zenri’s grandfather, William Young Oates passes away soon after that and in 1880, the family consists of Grandmother Martha, Mother Sarah, Aunts Julia and Temperance Elizabeth. Children are Zenri, Brother Ira and Cousin Annie. Julia has had another son and his name is James Young Oates. He is seven years old.

In 1882, Zenri Golda Oates married William Vance Leonard from Randolph County. In 1883, Zenri and William Vance were living in Moore County where their son Lonnie Lee Leonard was born. In 1888, son Carl was born and in 1891, son William Claude was born.

In 1891, Zenri’s husband Vance appears to begin a career in distilling spirits. He leases one acre of land in Moore County from J A Dickens and wife Margaret subject to the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. In 1892, first daughter, Flossie Alice Leonard is born.

Zenri’s grandmother, Martha P Oates must have died sometime prior to 1892 because on November 1, 1892, Zenri purchases from her mother Sarah who probably inherited the Herd’s Creek land 55 acres. The land joins Tempy Brown (Zenri’s aunt), Duncan McIver, and Ira Oates (Zenri’s brother).

Vance and Zenri appear to be experiencing financial difficulties. Vance mortgages the 55 acres of land to KM Furguson for $50. The loan is discharged in full on October 2, 1893. In 1894, Vance and Zenri have another boy, Albert Carson and a second daughter, Manley Mossie is born in 1895.

In 1896, Vance gets in legal trouble for running an illicit distillery. According to Criminal Case 1627 against Vance Leonard obtained from the National Archives at Atlanta, witnesses reported that he had a illicit still in the woods at his house and that he was selling whiskey from a one-horse wagon in Pinehurst. Another witness reported that he had traded whiskey and brandy for food and provisions.

Vance is arrested and tried in Federal Court and found guilty of working at an illicit still. He had to serve one month in the Carthage jail. This was reported in The Carthage Blade on June 2, 1896

In April of 1896, Vance had to make bond to appear in Court in May. In May, probably to pay fine Vance mortgages the 55 acres of Herd Creek land again to Robert A Pope for $165.

Vance and Zenri had moved to the Seventyfirst Township, Newton’s Precinct in Cumberland County in 1900. Zenri reported that she had given birth to seven children and their were six living. Those children were Lonnie, Carl, William Claude, Flossie Alice, Manley Mossie, and Albert Carson. They were living in a rented house and William Vance reported his occupation as a Day Laborer. He said he had been employed all year. Oldest boys Lonnie and Carl were doffing in the cotton factory. Zenri’s mother Sarah was also living with the family in 1900.

In April 1902, Vance and Zenri’s Herds Creek land was sold at public auction for non-payment of the Pope mortgage.

Around this time, Zenri Golda Oates Leonard passed away. She was around 39 years old. Her granddaughter Opal Allred Hoover said her mother Flossie Alice Leonard Allred told her that her mother was buried in Greensboro. There is evidence that William Vance and some of the older boys were working at Proximity Mills during this time period so there is a possibility that she would be buried there.

Zenri Golda Oates Leonard had one unknown child who died at a young age. Other children were:

1. Lonnie Lee Leonard 1883-1947 married Minnie Jane Brower 1886-1965
2. Carl C Leonard 1888-1919 married Dora Ometa Kimes 1894-1955
3. William Claude Leonard 1890-1918 married Nancy Emeline Graves 1892-1912
4. Flossie Alice Leonard 1892-1960 married John Wesley Allred 1891-1985
5. Albert Carson Leonard 1894-1961 married Ruth Ida Hartman 1899-1972
6. Manley Mossie Leonard 1895-1910

References available at Rogers Family Tree on Ancestry
https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/tree/34712803/family
and at Family Search at https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LYDN-FVQ