HELEN MAR MATTOX and HAMILTON ALEXANDER MATTOX

Helen Mar was born at Blounts Ferry located on the Suwannee River on 11 May 1834 to Lavinia Johnston and Elijah Mattox. When she was young she loved to ride her horse. When she was older she was sent by stagecoach to school in LaGrange, Georgia, along with her sisters. She was a very petite woman. She was most precise in her actions; clean and neat as a person. When she laughed, she always covered her mouth with a fan or whatever was handy. She was musically talented in playing the piano, and she was known as the best cake baker in the county.

Her father died 21 January 1856. When many of the relatives came, Hamilton A. Mattox, her first cousin, was among them. They fell in love and and were married 10 April 1856. They settled in Clinch County, living first with her mother, and later they had a home in Homerville near the railroad tracks. It was also near her brother, Dr. Homer Mattox, founder of Homerville.

Hamilton was born in Tattnall County, Georgia on 2 August 1834 to Michael McKenzie Mattox and Mary Love Standley. After he married Helen Mar, he settled in Clinch County and raised his family there. He fought in the Civil War and supported the Southern cause. Hamilton had a trunk full of Confederate money. Helen Mar begged him to take the money and buy supplies they could use. He said, “When the War is over, we will be sittin’ pretty”. Needless to say, they lost it and had a hard time.

Hamilton was a big man and had a long white beard in his later years. He was always bringing home the hungry and homeless for Helen Mar to feed. He enjoyed being in politics, serving as a Representative from Clinch County and was on the Board of Education. He engaged in several business ventures in Homerville. When the last one ended, he and Helen Mar went to live on their property six miles from Homerville. Their sons built them a wooden house that is still standing on Chester Mattox Road. Hamilton spent his time hunting and kept the family smokehouse well supplied with wild game.

Helen Mar was the first genealogist in our Mattox family. She kept a record that has helped us immensely. She was inspired to do this shortly after she was baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1900.

(The following account was given to Sabina Murray by Cleo Anderson, Helen Mar’s granddaughter.)

“The Elders of the Church visited Dad and Mom, Hamilton (Hamp) Lucius Mattox and Elizabeth (Scrap)Groce in Homerville in 1900. It was pouring down rain. The Elders knocked on the door and asked to spend the night. Mom said she would ask Dad when he came home. She sat the Elders down at the end of the long hall and waited. When Dad came home Mom told him about the Elders and asked permission for them to stay. She said, “I wouldn’t turn a dog out on a night like this.” The Elders didn’t mention the gospel, and after supper Mom played Methodist hymns while everyone sang. Later the Elders showed Mom some Latter Day Saints Hymns which she played.

Dad said, “You Elders have been here all night and haven’t told us a thing about your beliefs.” The Elders began to recount the principles of the gospel, and it was so interesting , they stayed up very late and talked. The Elders stayed a week at their home. They sent the Elders to Hamp’s parents’ house (Helen Mar and Hamilton), so they could hear the message also.

One day while the Elders were filling out a report at the Mattox home, one of them mentioned about “Scrap joining the Church. Scrap said, “I’ll never join the Mormon Church.” Elder Skidmore replied, “Sister Mattox, you will join the Church before your mother-in-law will.” “I will not !” Scrap replied.

The next time the Elders came, Hamp got the Methodist Church to allow the Elders to preach there. Then it was announced that Hamp and his mother (Helen Mar) would be baptized at 4:00 that afternoon, on 8 July 1900. Uncle Plant was supposed to get his mother, Helen Mar, and bring her in to be baptized. However, he visited his girlfriend’s house and stayed too long. Scrap heard her husband was going to be baptized that afternoon, so she decided to be baptized too. Uncle Plant finally got there with his mother after the baptism, but it was too late. Helen Mar said, “Scrap, were you baptized?”

When Scrap said, “Yes”, Helen Mar said, “Do you remember what Elder Skidmore said about you being baptized before me?” Scrap replied in her spunky way, “If I had remembered that, I wouldn’t have done it !”

Helen Mar was baptized the next day on 9 July 1900.

Cleo said after they had joined the Mormon Church, a minister was concerned for their souls and came by the house to try and convince them that they had done the wrong thing. He prayed with the family, and when he began to pray, a hen began to cackle outside the window. The louder the preacher prayed, the louder the hen cackled, until finally the hen flew through the open window and landed on the minister’s bald head. Cleo said it was hard for the children to keep from laughing, and they tried not to. She did remember that the minister never did come back.

Some years ago Sabina Murray was looking through some historical records at the Georgia Historical Library in Savannah, Georgia and found a Methodist Minister’s Journal. The Reverend George MacDonell traveled by train to Homerville, Georgia in 1891. When he arrived for the first time on 21 March 1891, he ate at the Mattox home. Helen Mar and Hamilton lived in town near the railroad tracks.

Later on 6 September 1891 he preached from Rev. 22:17, and said, “The spirit gave me liberty in preaching, but I could not get a single response to the invitation to come forward for prayer. The people are harder than any I have met with.”

On 22 November 1992 he said, “I had a pleasant talk with Sister Mattox. She is the one religious light at this place. May God spare her long.” And, yes, the Lord did spare her for 27 more years until she was 86 years old. In 1900 the Mormon missionaries came to Homerville and preached the gospel. Helen Mar and her son Hamp and his wife joined the Church. Helen Mar continued to be faithful even though they did not have enough members to have a church.

(Remember the Methodist Minister said Homerville had the hardest hearts he had seen.) She taught her son Leon and her daughter-in-law, Mamie, who lived with her, and they were baptized. They in turn had all their children blessed by the Elders and later baptized in Cane Creek. It flowed in front of their house. Even though none of them were able to attend the Mormon Church for the next 30 to 40 years, they remembered the things they had been taught. Each one of them became active in the Church whenever they left Clinch County and had an opportunity to attend Church elsewhere. They have become Temple workers, served as missionaries, and remained faithful in the Church. Many of the grandchildren and later descendants have served as leaders and missionaries to help build up the Church in the South.