The name Sanford is quite well known in Covington County, but it is more for the Town of Sanford than the family by this name.

This writer does not know the origin of the Sanford name for the small town just west of Andalusia, but the Sanford Post Office came into being as a community service center when it was established on May 19, 1879. Joseph Duckworth was the first postmaster.

The office was closed some years earlier with Mrs. John C. Powell being the retiring postmistress.

A collection of genealogical data on a Sanford family, which resided in Covington, Conecuh and Crenshaw Counties, is the resource for today’s column.

The earliest ancestor located at present for this family was Jesse Sanford who was born circa 1770. Jesse then had a son, Jeremiah Sanford, who was born circa 1820 and who was married to Mary Cleveland.

This couple had a son named William Jesse Sanford who was born in 1820 and who was married to Mary Hughes who was born in 1825.

It was William Jesse Sanford who brought this family to Covington County during the early 1850s.

He and Mary had at least the following four children: William Richard, b. 1850, d. 1924, m. Martha Jane Howell; Jeremiah J., b. 1854, d. 1902, m. Mary Victoria Mitchell; Elizabeth, b. 1857, m. ? Cox; and Benjamin Julius, b. 1859, d. 1934 in Conroe, Tex., m. 1880 Mary Brocoria Poole (1866-1945).

The descendants of the son, Jeremiah J. Sanford, who was born in Covington County in 1854 in the Red Level community, will be featured in this writing. Jeremiah lived and reared his family in the western part of Covington and in Conecuh County.

He homesteaded 160 acres of land in 1886, which is believed to be in the Jamestown District of Conecuh County.

That is where he was living when the 1900 federal census was enumerated and where he died in 1902.

Jeremiah J. Sanford was married to Mary Victoria Mitchell, daughter of John Monroe (1814-1895) and Martha Jane (Pickett) Mitchell (1816-1906).

Her parents were both natives of Georgia and were residing in Conecuh County at their deaths. Jeremiah and Mary were married in 1875 in Conecuh County by Minister Levi Presley at his home.

Following Jeremiah’s death, Mary was remarried to Henry Gorum.

Jeremiah and Mary Sanford reared the following: William Benjamin, b. 1876, d. 1961, m. 1937 Audie Sowell Quates (1889-1966); Mary Ann “Molly,” b. 1878, d. 1980, m. 1894 John K. Brooks (1862-1930); John Jessie, b. 1880, d. 1950, m. 1899 Irene Alfredonia Howell (1880-1956); James Henry, b. 1883, d. 1967, m. 1904 Millie Carolyn Presley (1887-1964); Hillary Monroe, b. 1887, d. 1947, m. 1906 Clyde Emma Gipson (1888-1943); Lula Mae, b. 1888, d. 1969, m. 1916 Alonzo M. “Lonnie” Howell (1885-1947); Pierce Hayden, b. 1892, d. 1966, m. (1) 1912 Rhoda “Dee” Presley (2) Nola Lee Parker; and Horace Wilton, b. 1895, d. 1964, m. Ollie Mae Lee (1894-1978).

The oldest son, William Benjamin and wife, Audie, had one son, Lewis Sanford.

The oldest daughter, Mary Ann Sanford, and her husband, John K. Brooks, reared the following five children: Mertice “Mrytle,” b. 1898, d. 1926, m. 1913 Elbert Miniard; Bertha, b. 1902, d. 1941, m. William Green Beasley; Callen, b. 1904, d. 1905; Lula Mae, b. 1918, d. 1952, m. 1936 Percy Granville Mitchell; and Bill.

No children are known for the next son, John Jessie Sanford, and his wife Irene Alfredonia Howell, but the next son, James Henry Sanford, and his wife, Millie Carolyn Presley, reared a large family of nine children: Lorena, b. 1905, d. 1974, m. 1926 Leon Hartwell McClain (1893-1960); Viola Sarah, b. 1907; Roy Lee, b. 1910, d. 1964, m. 1932 Zelma Mildred Mathews; Jerry James Marvin, b. 1913, d. 1979, m. 1934 Niece Ray Cooper (1914-1995); Willie Carmel, b. 1915, d. 1980, m. 1939 Jewell Ruth Reaves; Henry Lois, b. 1922, m. 1941 Woodrow Windham; Edna, b. 1928; Henry Hubert, b. 1929, m. 1948 Peggy Mellisa Wyrosdick; and Erline, b. 1930, m. Lorenzo Matthews (1927-1974).

The next son, Hillary Monroe, was married to Clyde Emma Gipson, and they reared the following three children: Minnie Ruth, b. 1908, d. 1974; Elna Mae, b. 1909, d. 1975, m. James Ottis Mitchell (1909-2001); and Earl Wayne, b. 1912, d. 1960, m. 1933 Jewel Tomas (1917-1995).

The next daughter, Lula Mae Sanford, and her husband, Alonzo M. “Lonnie” Howell, had five children, but their names were not available.

The next son, Pierce Hayden Sanford, and his first wife, Rhoda “Dee” Presley, had two children, Pierce Hayden Jr., b. 1912, d. 1984, m. Robie W. ? (1912-1989); and another child whose name is unknown.

Later, Pierce and his second wife, Nola Lee Parker, had one son, William M. “Bill,” b. 1921, d. 1988.

The youngest son, Horace Wilton Sanford, and his wife, Ollie Mae Lee, reared six children, two sons and four daughters, but their names were not made available.

Several of the children in the next generation will be identified. Mary Ann “Molly” (Sanford) Brooks’s grandchildren included Ralph Miniard and Linda Mae Miniard, children of Mertice and Elbert Miniard.

They also included Julia Mae, Edward and Lottie Belle Mitchell, children of Lula Mae (Sanford) Mitchell.

James Henry Sanford’s grandchildren included the following children of Lorena (Sanford) McClain: Henry Hartwell, b. 1928, m. Mabel Ganius; Willis Carmel, b. 1932; and Melvin Leon, b. 1934.

The children of Roy Lee Sanford were Robert Roy, b. 1934, m. Shirley Elaine Sawyer; and Mildred Lee.

The son of Jerry James Marvin Sanford was Harris Wayne, b. 1936, d. 1986, m. Margret Sanford.

James’s grandchildren also included the following children of Willie Carmel Sanford: Judy Horton, b. 1942, m. James Brant Hazelwood; Unnamed infant, b.&d. 1947; Cynthia Jane, b. 1948, d. 1951; Michael Carmel, b. 1954, m. Loretta Beach Green; Unnamed male, b.&d. 1956; and Jennie Ruth, b.&d. 1957.

More grandchildren of James were the children of Henry Lois Windham: Jerry Woodrow, b. 1943; Brenda Louise, b. 1946; and Larry Nelson, b. 1949. More are the children of Henry Hubert Sanford: Walter David, b. 1949, m. Janice Katrine Crum; Melinda Vivian, b. 1954, m. Cecil Lamar Williams; Shelia Angela, b. 1958, m. Paul Hartness Horton; and Gary Jonathon, b. 1959, d. 1979, m. Lilly Denise Chesser.

Additional grandchildren of James include the children of the youngest daughter, Erline (Sanford) Matthews: Billy Keith, b. 1951; Randall Lorenzo, b. 1956; Samuel Gregory, b. 1959, m. Martha Sue Raines; Richard Allen, b. 1973, m. Tammy Lynn Bullock; and Terry Ray, b. 1965, d. 1981.

The grandchildren of Hillary Monroe include the children of his daughter, Elna Mae (Sanford) and her husband, James Ottis Mitchell, son of James Madison Jr. and Martha Jane (Gomillion) Mitchell: Raymond Elvin, b. 1927, d. 2001, m. Jewel Lee Terry; James Edward Sr., b. 1929, d. 2006, m. Martha Eliza Plaisance; Gerald Edwin Monroe, b. 1933, d. 2004, m. Alice Faye Benbow; Mary Ellen, b. 1935, d. 1964, m. Walter Cecil Lewis; Robert O’Neal, b. 1943, d. 2002, m. Jeanette Walden; Elizabeth, b. 1931, m. Ralph Talmadge Perdue; Hubert Donald “Don,” b. 1938, m. Sally Kay Davey; Roland Lamar, b. 1941, m. Janice Faye Walden; Emma Jane, b. 1946, m. Earl Ray Walden; Hazel Jeanette, b. 1947, m. John Henry Hanford; Betty Mae, b. 1950, m. Larry Allen Blackmon; and Lamon DeWayne, b. 1952, m. Laura Harvey.

There are other descendants, but these were identified in the research available to this writer.

The source was the records of Richard Ayers and Ancestry.com.

Anyone who might have a correction to the above or additional information on the Sanford family is requested to contact Curtis Thomasson at 20357 Blake Pruitt Road, Andalusia, AL 36420; 334-222-6467; or Email: cthomasson@centurytel.net.