Biography

Willie Estelle "Essie" Thomas was born 6 April 1874 in Georgia, USA.^[1] Her parents were John W. Thomas and Lousiana A "Lou" Tankersley. She did not have a normal family relationship with her parents. In later life, she refused to talk about her parents for some reason. ^[2]

She had two younger brothers, Walter, and Alva Cooper Thomas. At age 6, in 1880, she was living with her grandparents, John T. Thomas, and Francis Elizabeth Howell, in Clayton county, Georgia. ^[3] It is unclear what happened to Estelle's mother. She (Lou Tanksersly Thomas) never appears in a census with her children.

On 28 Dec 1883, a guardianship bond was executed with Estelle's father, John W. and her grandfather, John T. Thomas as guardians of Estelle, Walter & Cooper Thomas. ^[4] This may indicate that their mother had died or abandoned the family.

She was married to John Washington Mayo on 23 Oct 1892 in Clayton County, Georgia.^[5] She had six children with John W. Mayo.^[6] John Mayo died in 1929.

Around 1942, at age 68, she married James Barnett "Mr. Jim" Rainwater. She always called her husband "Mr. Rainwater". Essie and Mr. Rainwater kept goats. Essie was advised to drink goat milk by her doctor, and for that purpose, they kept goats. ^[2]

She died at age 80 on March 4, 1955, two days before her husband. ^[1][7]

She was buried with her first husband, John W. Mayo, at Riverdale First Baptist Church, Clayton County, Georgia, USA.^[8] Her tombstone bears the symbol "D of A", for the Daughters of America, a secret-society patriotic, nativist organization. ^[9]

A Thomas from Thomasville

Essie was known to be fond of saying that she was "a Thomas from Thomasville", although she did not claim to be related to the namesake of Thomasville.^[2] This did not refer to modern Thomasville, located in southwest Georgia. Instead, it is a suburb of Atlanta. In 2018, there is a cluster of things named "Thomasville" in southeast Atlanta near 33.70136, -84.356013, including Thomasville Heights, Thomasville Dr, Thomasville Blvd and Thomasville Park. This is within a few miles of her known residences.

Residence

Residence:

Date: 1900

Place: Atlanta Ward 2, Fulton, Georgia^[10]

Residence:

Date: 1910

Place: Cook, Fulton, Georgia^[11]

Residence:

Date: 1920

Place: Collins, Fulton, Georgia, USA^[12]

Residence:

Date: 1930

Place: Collins, Fulton, Georgia, USA^[13]

Residence:

Date: 1935

Place: Northwest Lakeland, Polk, Florida, USA ^[14]

Residence:

Date: 01 APR 1940

Place: Orlando, Orange, Florida, United States^[15]

Residence:

Name: Estelle T Rainwater

Date: 1950

Place: 843 Washn dr CP, Atlanta, Georgia, USA^[16]

Spouse: James B Rainwater

Residence:

Name: Willie E Rainwater

Date: 1954

Place: 843 Belmont Dr CP, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, Spouse: James B. Rainwater ^[17]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Death Certificate
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Personal recollection of her granddaughter, Joyce Poole
3. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8LV-W8Z : 24 August 2017), Estell Thomas in household of J T Thomas, District 1088, Clayton, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district ED 35, sheet 507B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0140; FHL microfilm 1,254,140.
4. ↑ "Georgia, Probate Records, 1742-1990," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-30448-19407-51?cc=1999178&wc=9SB9-J47:267652501,267652502 : accessed 13 February 2015), Clayton > Administration and guardian bonds 1859-1929 vol A-B > image 168 of 424; county probate courthouses, Georgia.
5. ↑ Clayton County Marriage Book, 1877-1894, pg 522
6. ↑ Family Group Sheet
7. ↑ "Georgia Death Index, 1933-1998," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V49S-9FH : 24 December 2014), Willie E Rainwater, 04 Mar 1955; from "Georgia Deaths, 1919-98," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : 2001); citing Fulton, Georgia, certificate number 05223, Georgia Health Department, Office of Vital Records, Atlanta.
8. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #86696855
9. ↑ Headstone Photo
10. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3NT-93Q : accessed 1 February 2018), Willie E Mays in household of J W Mays, Atlanta city Ward 2, Fulton, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 52, sheet 17B, family 402, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,198.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:ML23-FM9 : accessed 1 February 2018), Willie E Mayo in household of Jno W Mayo, Cook, Fulton, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 120, sheet 16A, family 320, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 193; FHL microfilm 1,374,206.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MJDV-CF4 : accessed 1 February 2018), Estell Mayo in household of John Mayo, Collins, Fulton, Georgia, United States; citing ED 160, sheet 25B, line 92, family 521, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 253; FHL microfilm 1,820,253.
13. ↑ "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:3QCT-6ZM : accessed 1 February 2018), Willie E Mayo, Collins, Fulton, Georgia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 155, sheet 8B, line 56, family 170, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 358; FHL microfilm 2,340,093.
14. ↑ "Florida State Census, 1935," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNKQ-CJG : 9 August 2017), Essie Mayo, , Polk, Florida; citing line 18, State Archives, Tallahassee; FHL microfilm 2,425,170.
15. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTC4-VWH : accessed 1 February 2018), Estelle Mayo in household of James S Poole, Ward 1, Orlando, Election Precinct 11, Orange, Florida, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 48-1, sheet 61B, line 79, family 262, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 603.
16. ↑ Image 579, pg 1142 Source: #S00058
17. ↑ Image 487, pg 897 Source: #S00058

See also:

• Family Search ID: KCS3-R2M

• Terry Thurman, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Terry and others.

• Source: S00058 Author: Ancestry.com Title: U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta) Publication: Name: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Original sources vary according to directory. The title of the specific directory being viewed is listed at the top of the image viewer page. Check the directory titl; Repository: #R00001 NOTEAncestry.com, U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 (Beta) (Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.Original data - Original sources vary according to directory. The title of the specific directory being viewed is listed at the top of the image viewer page. Check the directory titl).