William Jasper Medders
Date of Birth:	August 15th, 1868
Place of Birth:	Alma, Bacon County, Georgia
Date of Death:	February 13th, 1929
Place of Death:	Alma, Bacon County, Georgia
Burial:	March 1929 Big Creek Cemetery, Alma, Bacon County, Georgia
Marriage: January 1888	Elizabeth Luvicus Deen 1873-1905*
Children:	1 Lula Medders 1890* 2 Henry C Medders 1892* 3 Victoria Medders 1893* 4 Essie M Medders 1896* 5 Alif Medders 1897* 6 William E Medders* 7 Lydia Medders 1900* 8 Virginia Medders 1901* 9 Herman E Medders 1902* 10 Earley A Medders 1904*
Marriage:	Ava WALKER 1881-1933
Children:	1 Infant Daughter 1913-1913* 2 Pauline Medders 1914* 3 Fannie O Medders 1915* 4 Essie M Medders 1916* 5 Ruby Medders 1918-1986*
Sources:	1 CJCLDS International Genealogy Index (R) 2 Biography by, R.M. Medders 11/1/1999   3 History of Alma Bacon County, Georgia 4 1870 US Census, Holmesville, Appling County, Georgia 6 1880 US Census, Taylorton, Appling County, Georgia 7 1900 US Census, Appling County, Georgia 8 1910 US Census, Louisville, Appling County, Georgia 9 1920 US Census, Rockingham, Bacon County, Georgia 10 Court Records, Medders, Appling County, Georgia 11 Grave Marker pictures provided by Sisco Deen
Direct Line Paternal Ancestors of William Jasper Medders starting with Father;	1 John S Medders 1836 2 Benj. B Medders 1809 3 William W Medders 1785
Direct Line Maternal Ancestors of William Jasper Medders starting with Mother;	1 Mary A Altman 1846 *  2 Jesse C Altman 1815  3 Thomas J Altman, Jr. 1786 4 Thomas J Altman, Sr. 1755
* Direct ascent to Seth, son of Adam and Eve This page was last updated 02/11/2009
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William Jasper "Meadows" Medders* 1868-1929  

William "Jasper" MEDDERS was born 15 Aug 1868 in Alma, Bacon County, Georgia and died ⁵13 Feb 1929 in Alma, Bacon County, Georgia. He was the 1^st of twelve children of John Smith MEDDERS, C.S.A and Mary Ann ALTMAN*. His father John Smith MEDDERS was a Confederate Civil War Soldier, who fought at the Battle of Jonesboro, 31 Aug 1864 to 1 Sep 1864, where he was wounded and lost his right arm above the elbow. His Uncle, James Riley MEDDERS, C.S.A, was a Confederate Civil War Soldier, who fought at the Battle of Nashville/Nashville Station.

William “Jasper” Medders is the Grandson of Jessie M ALTMAN, I.W.S who fought during the Seminole Indian Wars.

Political Family Members
William "Jasper" MEDDERS and George WASHINGTON, the 1st President of The United States of America, are 16th cousins 4 times removed. heir common ancestors are Allan La' ZOUCHE and Eleanor SEGRAVE.

William "Jasper" MEDDERS and Stephen Grover CLEVELAND, 22nd & 24th President of the United States of America are 18th cousins 3 times removed. Their common ancestors are 1st Lord Baron, Nicholas de' SEGRAVE and Maud de' LUCY.

William "Jasper" MEDDERS and William Howard TAFT, 21st President of the United States of America are 20th cousins 4 times removed. Their common ancestors are Alan La ZOUCHE and Eleanor SEGRAVE.

Birthplace-Death Place ⁴History-Future, Cemetery Marker

Early Life
² William "Jasper" Medders if living in Appling County, Georgia, with his father and mother in ³1870 and 1880. It is not known how William Jasper MEDDERS namesake was determined at this time. 

  William Jasper Medders married Elizabeth “Bettie Lou” Louvicus DEEN in January 1888. Bettie Lou Deen was the daughter of Millard Ralphus DEEN and Sara Elizabeth Johnson. According to the 1900 Appling County Census, William and Bettie Lou stated that they have had 7 children but only 6 are living. The child that had died is Alif who died the previous year in 1899. Bettie and William also state they have been married for 12 years. William and Bettie Lou had a total of 10 children before she died in 1905.

William Jasper Medders is living in Appling County, Georgia on ⁷1st June 1900 as a farmer with his 1st wife Bettie Lou and family. The children living with them at this time are; Lula age 9 - Henry C age 8 - Victoria age 6 - Essie age 4 - Wm Ernest age 1 and Lydia age 4 months. Also living in the household are a couple of boarders one appears to be a Randall Medders age 17 son of William Washington Medders and a Elbert W Everett age 30. William is recorded on (page #88, line #65, household #12).

Elizabeth “Bettie Lou” DEEN died 5 years later on 23^rd February 1905 in Baxley, Appling County, Georgia at the age of 32 (Cemetery Marker). William was a Widower for a few years and raised his children alone.

William Jasper’s dad died in 1900 and William appears to have been in charge of his father’s estate. The annual return covering fiscal year 1904-1905 for John’s estate by Jasper shows a receipt from B.R. Medders for $244.30 for land. Paid out entries show $93.75 to Mary Medders for three minors, and $31.25 inheritance to each of the remaining children; Lillier Thomas (hers retained on note), J.M. Medders, B.R. Viney, Unity Deen, Harriet E Thomas, (check out) J.P. Barber, Tax Collector, December 1st 1901; $8.40. Total paid out was $289.65).

William “Jasper” Medders in living in Louisville, Appling County, Georgia on ⁸22nd April 1910. His wife Bettie Lou had died about 5 years prior and he is living as a widower with his family. William is shown as being a salesman in a department store. The children living with him at this time are; Henry C age 19 - Essie age 14 - William E age 11 - Lydia age 10 - Virginia age 8 - Herman E age 7 and Early A age 5. William states that he has had 10 children but only 8 are living. The second child that has died sense the last census was Lula who died in 1908 age 17. William is recorded on (page #106 & 107, line 50, household # 50).

Medders, Appling County Georgia
¹⁰The county “Pistol Toters Register and Bond” show that running Medders, Georgia required weaponry. B.N. Medders was named (or renamed) as notary public and ex-officio Justice of the Peace in and for the 1383rd District G.M. in March of 1907, records of the Appling County Superior Court show, W. Jasper was issued identical credentials in Minutes H for March 1908.

William “Jasper” Medders remarried to Ava whose last name is unknown at this time. William Jasper Medders in living in Rockingham, Bacon County, Georgia on ⁹6th January 1920 as a farmer with his 2nd wife Ava and family. The children living with them at this time are; Edward age 17 - Albert age 15 - and 3 children by his 2nd marriage, Pauline age - 5 Essie Mae age 4 and Ruby age 2. William is recorded on (page #41. line 55, household #64). We have a very unique situation that has now happened twice and within this very line. It appears that William Jasper, like his son William Ernest, gave 2 of his his children by different marriages the same name. Essie Mae born 1896 was the 4th child born to William Jasper and Bettie Lou. After Bettie Lou died William remarried to Ava and named his second child by her ,Essie Mae born 1916. This event also happened with William Ernest who married Sara Williams and named his first son Ernest Medders and then remarried and named his first son again Ernest. "Very unusual". Essie Mae (1) was very good friends with her brothers wife and always lived next door to her (Sara Williams Medders) until her death in 1963. Essie Mae (2) according to the obituary for Earley Albert, last child of William Jasper and Bettie Lou was still alive in September 1994. William Jaspers other daughter Fannie O. Medders is living with her half sister Virginia Medders Broughton and her husband James O Broughton in Keysville, Hillsborough County, Florida on 4th April 1930.

William “Jasper” Medders prior to his 2^nd marriage had lost his 3^rd child, at the young age of 20, Henry Clifton Medders (left), his 2^nd child died on 22^nd November 1912. It is not know how he died at this time.

William Jasper Medders 2nd wife Ava Walker MEDDERS died 23rd June 1933 and is buried at Big Creek Cemetery, Alma, Bacon County, Georgia. (Cemetery Marker).

 

 

Notes: the Medders-Meadows line is a mysterious line. It has not been determined when, where or why the name went from Meadows to Medders. All we know at this time is up through the 1880 census they were all referred to as Meadows in the census, this lasting for at least 70 years from 1810 through 1880. We do know that John Smith “Meadows” Medders. Is recorded in the Georgia State Archives as John Smith Medders when he applied for and received a civil war pension. It could be that they were always Medders and that they were illiterate, and the census takers spelled the name the way they though it should be spelled. Maybe one day we will be able to figure this out.