Name: Mahaley (1850, 1860, 1870 censuses,); Mahaly (1880 census); Mahala (certificate of death and gravestone).

Mahaley Losson (Lawson) is enumerated with John and Sarah Losson in the 1850 Walker County, Alabama Census. Her age is given as 16 years and born in Alabama.

Jas. C. and Mahaley Cooner are enumerated in the 1860 Western Division, Post Office Jasper, Walker County, Alabama Census. Her age is given as 24 years and born in Alabama.

John (James) and Mahaley Cooner are enumerated in the 1870 Post Office Jasper, Township 14, Walker County, Alabama Census. Her age is given 34 years and born in Alabama.

James C. and Mahaly Cooner are enumerated in the 1880 Beat 7, Township 14, Range 9, Walker County, Alabama Census. Her age is given as 47 years and born in Alabama.

James C. and Mahala Cooner are enumerated in the 1900 Beach Grove, Precinct 7, Walker County, Alabama Census. Her birth date is given as April 1833, age 67 years, married 46 years, had 8 children and all were living and she was born in Alabama. Indicated her father was born in North Carolina and her mother was born in South Carolina.

James C. and Mahalia Cooner are enumerated in the 1910 Beat 7, Beach Grove, Walker County, Alabama Census. Her age is given as 76 years, married once for 56 years, 8 children, 5 living and born in Alabama. Also indicated her father was born in North Carolina and mother in South Carolina.

Mahaley Cooner is enumerated with Spencer M. and Mary J. Cooner are enumerated in the 1920 Beach Grove, Precinct 7, Walker County, Alabama. Her age is given as 87 years and born in Alabama.

The minutes of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church records, Walker County, Alabama 1845-1883, indicates Mahala or Mahaley Cooner a member of the Church. She is listed 5 times in the membership list at the end of the minutes.

Both James and Mahala received a pension for his service in the First Alabama Cavalry. His pension started 20 November 1889 and Mahala’s started 24 October 1914.

Full name of Mahala Martha Parthenia was given to Floyd Lawson by Julius 'Peck' and Mildred Tirey. They also had a picture of James C. and Mahala Cooner which was taken in their later years.

The following information was obtained from Mahala Cooner's Certificate of Death;
Place of death; Townley, Walker County, Alabama
Full name; Mahala Cooner
Marriage status; Widowed
Married to; James C. Cooner
Date of birth; 24 April 1833
Age at death; 94 years, 7 months, 29 days
Birthplace; Alabama
Name of father; John Lawson, who was born in South Carolina?
Maiden name of mother; Sarah Baugh, who was born in South Carolina.
Informant of information above; Roe Cooner of Townley, Alabama
Date of death; 23 Dec. 1927
Cause of death; Appaplexey
Place of burial; Files Grave Yard, Townley R&D, 24 Dec. 1927
In the above information I disagree with where John Lawson was born. I believe he was born in North Carolina.

Also, I am not sure the maiden name of Sarah was Baugh. Bruce Myers’ personal notes in his 1850 Walker County, Alabama Census states, “Sarah Wilson Losson had a dau. by the name of Nancy by man named Ball or Sorak? Nancy married William Manley Rutledge (see F/N 286)."

"John (Losson) Lawson died 3 Nov. 1883 (he was 93 years old) 1793. Sarah Wilson Lawson was born 1793, died 14 June 1885, both were buried at Files Cemt. Her father Andrew Wilson, Pvt. Tates N.C. Troops, Rev. Sol., born in York Co. Penn., 1762, died Nov. 1850. Buried 1/2 mile North of Sipsey River Bridge, on Highway 278, East of Double Springs, Ala. in Winston Co. Ala. Wife Martha Wilson30 .”

Notes from Family Number 286, William Manley and Nancy (Wilson) Rutledge, "Nancy, a daughter of Sarah Wilson by a man by the name of Ball-Sorch. Sarah married John Lawson and Nancy went by the name of Nancy Lawson30 ."

I thought I had found the parents of Sarah Lawson. However, when I located the grave above, I found that the name on it was Andrew Nelson? Bruce Myers' notes have been very good and I have not found many, if any, mistakes in them. Therefore, my theory was the name was typed wrong by Wayne E. Wakefield when he interpreted the notes (I understand Bruce's handwriting is very poor and difficult to read.) Maybe Bruce in a hurry wrote Wilson when he intended Nelson? All the other information was correct according to the bronze plaque, except it indicates he was in the Virginia Troops instead of N.C. Troops.

I was willing to accept this theory until I received the Certificate of Death of Mahala Lawson Cooner, which indicated that her mother's maiden name was Sarah Baugh. Since many people spelled by sound in the earlier census, Baugh could easily be misspelled as Ball as Bruce Myers indicated. The informant that supplied the information for the certificate was Spencer Monroe 'Roe' Cooner, Sarah's grandson. He was about 17 years old when his grandmother died and may have heard stories about Sarah's daughter, Nancy Ball (see notes above) and thought her maiden name was Ball (Baugh)? As you can see much of this could fit, but at this time I am not sure how. Until I work the entanglement out, I will assume Sarah's maiden name is Nelson and her mother was Martha Wilson, Andrew Nelson's wife and that she had a daughter by a man named Ball (Baugh), who was Nancy Ball (Baugh) Rutledge's father.

Gravestone inscription:
Mahala, wife of J.C. Cooner
Apr 24, 1833—Dec 23, 1927

• Married: 16 MAR 1854 in Holly Grove, Walker County, Alabama

1. Irene Elizabeth COONER b: 29 SEP 1855 in Walker County, Alabama
2. John Wesley COONER b: 28 NOV 1857 in Walker County, Alabama
3. Mary Catherine COONER b: 26 OCT 1860 in Walker County, Alabama
4. James Patmon 'P' COONER b: 8 FEB 1861 in Walker County, Alabama
5. Samuel Sherman COONER b: DEC 1865 in Walker County, Alabama
6. Spencer Monroe 'Roe' COONER b: 26 NOV 1868 in Walker County, Alabama
7. Daniel Grant COONER b: 27 FEB 1871 in Walker County, Alabama
8. Martha Mahlia COONER b: 25 OCT 1873 in Walker County, Alabama

1. Text: A copy of the records of the Pleasant Grove Church were found in the Jasper Library. It records meeting of the church from its beginning until January 1883. A stamp in the copy states; Bruce Myers, Mid-Oaks Arboretum, Route 9, Box 403, Jasper, Al. 35501-8282.