Judith Beckworth Neale Female Click to view the family tree

Born: 1798

Comments: .  JONATHAN JACKSON (Stonewall Jackson's father) was born 25 September 1790 in Randolph County, WV, and died 26 March 1826 in Clarksburg, Harrison Co., WV. He married JULIA BECKWITH NEALE (Stonewall Jackson's mother) 28 September 1817. She was born 28 February 1798 near Aldie, Loudoun Co., VA, and died 03 December 1831 in Fayette Co., West Virginia.
More About JULIA BECKWITH NEALE:
Julia Beckwith Neale was the daughter of Thomas Neale and Margaret Winn. Four years after the death Jonathan Jackson, she married Blake Baker Woodson (b. 1783 d. 1833 m. 1830). Julia and Blake had one child, William Wirt Woodson (known as Wirt; b. 1831 d. 1875), who was Stonewall Jackson's half-brother.) Julia died less than 2 months after giving birth to Wirt.
May 06, 2004 
Historic cemetery to be cleaned


By Susan Williams
Staff Writer 

ANSTED — Julia Beckwith Neale Jackson Woodson was only 33 when she died.

She had four small children and struggled with poverty after her young husband died in debt.

She married a second husband and hoped for a better life and way to raise her children when she moved to a small community then called New Haven. But perhaps malnutrition contributed to the fatal lung ailment that would soon carry her away.

In October 1831, she died, and a historian wrote later that neighbors wrapped her wasted body in a homemade coffin.

Her youngest son would go on to become famous: Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson. But his mother was buried without a marker in what has become one of the oldest cemeteries west of the Allegheny Mountains.

A soldier who admired Jackson, Thomas R. Ranson of Staunton, Va., later placed a marble marker over the grave to make sure that the site was not lost forever. He also wanted to make a tribute to Jackson.

Some residents of the town now called Ansted are hard at work to make sure the whole cemetery gets the kind of care it deserves. They are inviting people to join them for a cleanup May 15.

The cemetery, now called Westlake Cemetery, is the final resting place for several historic figures. William Tyree, who owned Tyree Tavern and was a sheriff in Fayette County from 1877 to 1881, donated land for the cemetery.

Col. George Imboden was Ansted’s first mayor. His home, Contentment, has been maintained as a museum located on U.S. 60, not far from Hawks Nest State Park. Imboden married Mary Tyree, William’s daughter, and she is buried there, too. Imboden was also a member of the state Legislature.

Vandals, as well as age and neglect, have hurt the cemetery. Members of Ansted Improvement Motivators, or AIM, have already started

cleaning up the cemetery and trying to repair some of the damage to the stones. The oldest known grave in the cemetery is dated 1815. But people who are studying the history of the cemetery, like John Hoffman, believe there are even older unmarked graves. Hoffman is treasurer for AIM.

The cemetery is a treasure trove for genealogists. Family names like Zimmerman, Skaggs and Ferguson can be found there. The markers also include a variety of artistic styles. Several grave markers represent heartbreak, like the graves of children. But several also offer unique tributes. One states: “Here lies a big man with a big heart.”

George Seacrist, one of the volunteers with AIM, said, “We’re trying to create an awareness of what is here.”

Katheryne Hoffman, also with AIM, said, “Everyone in town has people here.”

Ansted Mayor Pete Hobbs said they want to get the cemetery in good shape in time for the town’s Hometown Mountain Heritage Festival May 22. People who would like to help are invited to bring tools that could help with both cleanup and repair. The cleanup will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 15. For information, call town hall at 658-5901.

To contact staff writer Susan Williams, use e-mail or call 348-5112.


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Judith's Family

Spouse: Jonathan (Married)
Children: Thomas J.  Stonewall Jackson
 

Judith's Heritage

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