Effa Jane West was born Mary Ann West in 1848.[1] According to a family story passed down to her children and grandchildren, she was never happy with the name Mary Ann.[2] At the 1860 Census, she was using the name "Martha" instead of Mary.[3] By the 1870 Census, she had settled upon the name Effie Jane, the name she would use for the rest of her life.[4] She was the daughter of Michael West and Nancy Beaver.
Effa Jane West was married to George Cotton.[5] According to another family story, the couple were married in the home of the bride's mother, Nancy Beaver West. The officiant of the ceremony was L B Furgeson of the Mount Zion Methodist Church, of which the family were members. According to family bible records, their wedding was held on July 22, 1876. No county recording of the marriage has been found.
↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QF-F6G : 23 December 2020), Mary A West in household of Michael West, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
↑ Murff, Vaughn West, Some Descendants of Henry West, Born in 1785 in North Carolina, published 1961, page 102. Link to Book
↑ "Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDPQ-K7Y : 15 February 2018), George Cotton in entry for Effie Jane West Cotton, 22 Dec 1932; citing reference cn 24916, Department of Health, Montgomery; FHL microfilm 1,908,504.
↑ "Alabama Deaths, 1908-1974," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:JDPQ-K7Y : 15 February 2018), George Cotton in entry for Effie Jane West Cotton, 22 Dec 1932; citing reference cn 24916, Department of Health, Montgomery; FHL microfilm 1,908,504.
↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47104106/effa-jane-cotton : accessed 25 June 2022), memorial page for Effa Jane “Effie” West Cotton (1848–22 Dec 1932), Find a Grave Memorial ID 47104106, citing Zion Methodist Church Cemetery, Bankston, Fayette County, Alabama, USA ; Maintained by Frances Bowen Frost (contributor 46920930) .
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Effa Jane by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA.
However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line.
It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Effa Jane: