Joel Hardee was born June 8,
1814, in Georgia and, as far
as we are able to ascertain,
is the oldest child of John
Ziba Hardee and his first
wife, Peggy Mitchell. He
was brought to Monroe
County, Alabama, as a very
young boy by his parents,
who migrated to Alabama in
the early 1800s. It is
believed that they settled
in the northeastern part
of Monroe County in the
vicinity of Activity,
Alabama, which was near
the present Old Texas-
Midway area.
Joel Hardee and Isabella
Coker married on June 18,
1835. Isabella was the
daughter of Nathaniel
“Nathan” Coker, Sr. and
a sister to George W.,
William Hambilton,
Thompson Hamilton
(Thomas Hamp), Nathan
Jr., and Blanton.
It has not been "proven"
that Nathaniel Coker, Sr.
was the father of this
group. Give us a little
time - We are working
on it.
According to the Muster
Roll of Capt. S. H.
Dailey's Co. 1st Class
Malitia - Home Guard
Composed of Beats No.
5, 11 & 12, Monroe
County, Alabama, Joel
Hardee served as a
Second Lieutenant at
the age of 51, along
with Thomas Hamp Coker
(age 39), a First
Lieutenant. Members
of the Brooks, Middleton,
Wiggins, and Wilkinson
families are also listed
on this Muster Roll.
Joel Hardee died on
December 22, 1897, at
the age of 83. His
obituary appears below:
Mr. Joel Hardee died
at his home near
Simpkinsville on
Dec. 22nd at 13 o’clock.
He had been in his usual
health for some time,
went in to dinner, and
after he had offered
thanks, his daughter,
Mrs. Sirmon, who lived
with him, noticed that
something was wrong, and
upon inquiring, he said
he had a pain in his back,
at the same time began
falling from his chair.
She went to his assistance
until help could be gotten
to him which was but a few
minutes. After being placed
on his bed, he lived but a
few moments. The deceased
was born in Georgia in 1814,
came to this county at an
early age, grew to a man’s
estate, and lived out his
long and useful life here.
He was once tax collector
of Monroe County and for
over fifty years he has
held the office of justice
of the peace in the beat
in which he lived. Mr.
Hardee was a man of great
firmness, was a member of
the Bethlehem Methodist
Church, in which communion
he lived for years and in
which he died. He took a
deep interest in all public
questions, kept fully
posted on current matters
and questions of national
character with an interest
and intelligence that
would have done credit to
any man. He was physically
a wonder, notwithstanding
his extreme age, 84, he
could read and write or
even shoot his gun as well
as a youth, without the aid
of glasses. He was a very
large man, weighing over
300 pounds, still he
attended to his farm and
general business in a manner
that would have done credit
to men much younger. About
his home, he was hospitable,
kind and courteous; in his
dealings, he was firm but
pleasant and kind. He leaves
a large family of children,
grand-children and a wide
circle of friends to mourn
his loss. Peace to his ashes.
W.J.M.
Joel Hardee was married
June 18, 1835, to Isabella
Coker in Monroe County.
They were the parents of
six children, all of whom
lived to maturity. Their
children were: Nathan Ziba,
Cynthia Susan, Amanda,
James Marion, Mary Isabel,
and John Hamp.
There is some question
concerning the county in
which the six children
were born. The reason for
this is the move that the
family made to Coosa County,
Alabama, in the 1830s. In
the 1840 census (p. 298)
for Coosa County, Alabama,
Joel Hardee’s household
appears to list Joel and
Isabella as younger than
30 years of age and having
two boys and two girls, all
four of which are under 5
years of age.
Now, when we think about it,
there’s something not quite
right about that household
in that particular 1840 census
– unless there were some
children we don’t know about.
This is because Nathan Ziba
“Dick” was born in 1836,
Cynthia Susan in 1838,
Amanda in 1840, James Marion
in 1842, Mary Isabel in 1844,
and John Hamp in 1846. So, in
the 1840 census, Joel and
Isabella could have had, at
most, only the first three
of their six children, one
son and two daughters.
Looking further into where
the children were born, we
find that Nathan Ziba “Dick”
Hardee states in his
Confederate Army Records
that he was born in Activity,
Monroe County, Alabama in
1836. It is suspected that
Joel and Isabella moved to
Coosa County in 1837. The
1840 census would suggest
that Cynthia Susan and Amanda
were born in Coosa County.
The family moved back to
Monroe County sometime
before the 1850 census. So,
we really don’t know whether
the last three children
were born in Coosa County
before the move or in Monroe
County after the move.
From what we can gather
from the 1850 Monroe County
census, Isabella must have
died sometime after the
birth of John Hamp in 1846
and prior to the 1850 census.
Joel married Elizabeth A.
Devane and they had three
children: Margaret, William,
and Sarah. Only Margaret
survived childhood. We must
assume that Elizabeth Devane
died between 1859 (when
Sarah was born) and 1870
when Joel’s household, in
Monroe County, consisted only
of himself, daughters Cynthia
Susan Sirmon, Mary, and
Margaret, and granddaughters
Elizabeth and Isabella. By
1880, only daughter Cynthia
Susan Sirmon and granddaughter
Isabella remained with Joel.
Joel, at one time, was Tax
Collector of Monroe County,
Alabama, and served as Justice
of the Peace for many years
there. He and Isabella were
Methodist. Joel, in the beginning,
belonged to Asbury Methodist
Church but, for some reason,
moved his membership to
Bethlehem Methodist Church.
It is said that Joel Hardee
was a big man, between 6’ and
6’6” tall, and weighed nearly
300 pounds. It is known to have
been said by some who knew him
that he was the biggest man
they had ever seen outside of
a circus. Joel Hardee is buried
at Bethlehem Methodist Church
cemetery.
These are the children and
grandchildren of
Joel Hardee and Isabella Coker
1. Nathan Ziba Hardee b. 1836
m. Mary S. Mixon
Children:
Phariba Hardee b. 1859
m. John Allen Garrett
James W. Hardee b. 1860
Aros Columbus Hardee b. 1861
m. Carlie Almira Middleton
Joel Lee Hardee b. 1864
m. Louisa S. Middleton
George Hardee b. 1866
m. Mamie Mims, Mattie Snowden
Mary Virginia Hardee b. 1867
m. Calloway D. Mixon
Isabella Hardee b. 1869
Albert Sidney Hardee b. 1871
m. Mary Middleton, Hattie Colvin
Susan Jane Hardee b. 1873
m. Daniel Malachi “Bud” McNeil
Margaret Hardee b. 1874
m. Andrew Smith
Marvin Fletcher Hardee b. 1876
John Wesley Hardee b. 1878
m1 Madie Virginia Brooks
(daughter of Fannie O'gilivia
Coker Brooks) m2 Cora May
Mooney. Since Isabella
and Thomas Hamp Coker were
brother and sister, then
Nathan Ziba Hardee and
Fannie O’gilivia Coker
Brooks were first cousins,
making John Wesley Hardee
and Madie Virginia Brooks
third cousins.
Ina Virginia Hardee b. 1880
m. Dennis Smith
Jehu Scott “Buster” Hardee b. 1883
m. Mattie Zelene Andrews
2. Cynthia Susan Hardee b. 1836
m. Asbury D. Sirmon
Children:
Elizabeth Virginia “Betty” Sirmon b. 1858
m. Charles Mallard Williams
Isabella Lucretia Sirmon b. 1860
m. Thomas Charles Williamson
Matilda Ann Sirmon b. 1861
m. John Cameron Williamson
3. Amanda Hardee b. 1840
m. William H. Patrick
Child:
Emma Lee Patrick b. 1867
m. John Estal Cobb
4. James Marion “Jim” Hardee b. 1842
m. Mary Elizabeth Sirmon
Children:
John Hennings Hardee b. 1868
m. Annie Elizabeth Smith
Joel Richard Hardee b. 1871
m. Jeanette Uhl
Daniel Asbury “Crockett” Hardee b. 1872
m. Ida Mae Evans
Luther Emery Hardee b. 1875
m. Lillie Adeline Hair
Laura Hardee
Sallie Hardee b. 1880
m. Charles Gulatt Pattison
Mettie Floy Hardee b. 1882
m. Walter Morton Jackson
Sam Jones Hardee b. 1885
m. Maude Taylor
Maude Matilda Hardee b. 1887
m. Richard Thomas “Tom” Sirmon
Henry Grady Hardee b. 1889
m. Ermina “Erma” Curtis
Alice Elizabeth “Bessie” Hardee b. 1892
m. Isaac Edwin “Ed” Baker
5. Mary Isabel Hardee b. 1844
m. James Tillman Sirmon
Children:
Joel William Sirmon b. 1873
m. Anna Josephine Smith
Lucy Virginia Sirmon b. 1874
Unnamed son b. 1877
lived 1 year 16 days
Rufus E. Sirmon b. 1878
George Ellis Sirmon b. 1881
Clara Lee Sirmon b. 1886
6. John Hamp Hardee b. 1846
m. Frances Susan Brown
Children:
Robert “Bobby” Hardee b. 1870
died age 12
James Fielden Hardee b. 1872
died age 10
Thomas Walter Hardee b. 1875
m. Alberta Pullen
Emma Lee Hardee b. 1877
m. William B. Barr
Virginia “Jennie” Hardee b. 1880
m. Fred Horace Walker
Emmett Hanson Hardee b. 1882
m. Ella Morgan
L. Lou Hardee b. 1884
m. James Beard Rembert
Conrad Cooper Hardee b. 1886
m. Eugenia “Jean” Gibbs
Mary Eula Hardee b. 1889
m. W.T. Moore
Blanche Hardee b. 1891
m. John Floyd Knott
Clara Hardee b. 1894
m. Ray Vernon Thomas
Nina Estelle Hardee b. 1896
m. Thomas Lee Dykes, Sr.
(Tom and Nina were my grandparents)
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