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From: spiral813 <>
Subject: Mahala Booth
Date: Thu, 09 Mar 2000 13:33:04 -0500


I have posted messages in the past with little luck on finding info on Mahala and her family.

Mahala Booth was born abt. May 1855 somewhere in GA and died April 06, 1925 in Plant City, Hillsborough County, FL.
She married Benjamin Harley "Tippy" Smith abt. 1868. They had 6 children:
Hiram J. Smith b. March 21, 1869 Coffee County, GA d. January 1925 Polk County, FL. He married Lucinda Lott.
Mary Smith b. Jun 17, 1873 Coffee County, GA d. Nov 03, 1927 Coffee County, GA. She married Elam Lott - brother of Lucinda.
Rev. Daniel L. Smith b. March 04, 1878 Coffee County, GA d. August 03, 1941 Coffee County, GA. He married Nelia Mae Wooten.
Robert Duncan "Dunk" Smith b. Nov 28, 1880 Douglas, Coffee County, GA d. Dec 26, 1954 Plant City, Hillsborough County, FL.
He married (1) Mariah Metts Jan 17, 1904; (2) Lillie Bell Harris June 09, 1925.
James Smith b. bet. 1882 - 1883 in Coffee County, GA. He died in his teens.
Jessie Smith b. September 22, 1886 Coffee County, GA d. July 14, 1902. He died Elizabeth Mills March 23, 1902.

According to Mahala's death certificate her father was Hiram Booth. Another family researcher, has in his info that her mother was Mary Cato. I haven't been able to prove this. I did find where Hiram Booth married a Mary Cato in Telfair County, GA in 1840.

I recently received info about a family story that has been told over the years in our family about Mahala's parents. Some Cherokee Indians came through Georgia and the children became very ill with t. b. or yellow fever or something like that. The Indians left the children with the Georgia family (no name) and went on their way. The boy died but the girl, Mahala survived and grew up to marry
Benjamin Harley Smith.

I have not been able to find Mahala on the census living with Hiram Booth. She should have been on the 1860 census but she isn't there. By 1870 she was married, then she starts showing up on the census with her husband, Benjamin H. Smith.

I welcome any info, help or suggestions on how to find out about Mahala and her family.

How would I begin to search for her parents if they were truly Cherokee Indians?

Thanks in advance,
Brenda Smith Inlow

Plant City, Florida

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