Sarah Jane Culpepper

Female, #32471, (17 Jan 1844 - 24 Jul 1925)

Parent*Rev. William Henry Culpepper (17 Oct 1813 - 22 Mar 1909)
Parent*Sarah Leslie (15 Feb 1808 - 22 Jan 1849)
Sarah Jane Culpepper|b. 17 Jan 1844\nd. 24 Jul 1925|p32471.htm|Rev. William Henry Culpepper|b. 17 Oct 1813\nd. 22 Mar 1909|p32073.htm|Sarah Leslie|b. 15 Feb 1808\nd. 22 Jan 1849|p32074.htm|John Culpepper of Randolph Co., AL|b. 1 Oct 1772\nd. 13 May 1855|p31566.htm|Nancy Gillespie|b. circa 1778\nd. 25 Jul 1848|p31584.htm|Joseph? Leslie|b. circa 1778|p13728.htm|Mary? Calhoun ?|b. circa 1781|p13729.htm|

Name Variation  Sarah Jane Culpepper was also known as Sallie. 
Birth*17 Jan 1844 Sarah was born at Meriwether Co., Georgia, on 17 Jan 1844. 
 She was the daughter of Rev. William Henry Culpepper and Sarah Leslie. 
Marriage*20 Sep 1866 She married James Fletcher Haralson at Randolph Co., Alabama, on 20 Sep 1866. 
Married Name20 Sep 1866  As of 20 Sep 1866, her married name was Haralson. 
1870 Census*25 Aug 1870 Sarah listed as a household member living with James Fletcher Haralson on the 1870 Census at Miller Valley PO, Clay Co., Alabama. 26 m-p. 268 hh 164. 
1880 Census*1880 Sarah was listed as James Fletcher Haralson's wife on the 1880 Census at DeKalb Co., Alabama. 31 m-ED59 sht 14 ln 35 twp 7 range 6. 
Death*24 Jul 1925 She died at Randle, Lewis Co., Washington, on 24 Jul 1925. 
Biography* Sallie was the daughter of William Henry and Sarah (Leslie) Culpepper. Based on locations from census and land records for her father and a Bible record for a younger sister, Sallie, was born in Meriwether Co., GA. When she was four years old, her parents moved the family to Alabama. Within days of Sallie's fifth birthday, her mother died. Sallie was noted with her widowed father in the 1850 census of Randolph Co., AL and she was noted with her father and his second wife, Catherine, in the 1860 census of Randolph Co., AL.

After the Civil War, Sallie married James Fletcher Haralson and they settled down to raise their family in Alabama. Nearly twenty years later, James and Sallie decided to move west with their six surviving children.1 Although originally starting out for Oregon, the family ended up in Washington. James F. Haralson claimed land on the Island in the Cowlitz River in Big Bottom in the Cora Post Office District near Vance (present day Randle) in Lewis Co., WA, and he had ten acres cleared and a split cedar house built.1 In the meantime, the family remained in Chehalis, WA where James set up a shingle bolt business. When his lungs were damaged by La Grippe in the winter of 1889, he sold all but one team of oxen and managed to get his family moved to the Island before he died in January of 1891.1

The day after her husband died, Sallie turned 47. She and her six children planted the land.1 Less than a year later, Sallie's oldest daughter, Ella Mondorah Haralson, died. A year and a half later, another daughter, Sarah Leslie Haralson died.2 Sallie was a Methodist and the Rev. William J. Rule, a young Methodist circuit rider, noted the strength that she found in her faith even when he was overwhelmed by the tragedies that the family had suffered.2 When Rev. Rule visited the Haralson's in January of 1894, he described the house as being in a valley in the tall timber surrounded by foothills and close to Mount Ranier.2 Since he did not mention the Island, one wonders if a second house had been built by this time. Within three months of Rev. Rule's visit, Sallie lost her oldest son, William Elias Haralson, to tuberculosis. This loss was followed by the "Great Flood of '96" on the Cowlitz River which wiped out many homes in the valley, devastated crops and killed six people as well as countless livestock.3

Sallie was noted in the 1900 census of the Big Bottom Precinct as a "farmer" and her youngest daughter and son were living with her. She owned the farm free of mortgage. In 1902, Sallie lost her youngest daughter. Sallie remained active in the community, she was a charter member of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Randle, WA which was first organized in her home.4 Sallie died in 1925 at the age of 81. 

Family

James Fletcher Haralson (23 Jul 1848 - 16 Jan 1891)

Charts Descendants of Joseph Culpepper of Edgecombe Co., NC (Six Generations)
Last Edited 1 Oct 2003

Citations

  1. Mrs. J. (Clara Haralson) Moorcroft, "The Pioneering Experiences of James Fletcher Haralson and his wife - Sarah Jane Culpepper," three typed sheets, 27 Feb 1960
  2. Rev. William J. Rule, Riding the Upper Cowlitz Circuit, 1893 -- 1896
  3. Walker Allison Tompkins, "The Big Bottom (Lewis County) 1833-1933," 1933
  4. "In Memorium" a resolution from the minutes of the Women's Christian Temperance Union of Randle, WA upon the death of Mrs. James (Sarah Culpepper) Haralson