James and Nancy's graves are inside the enclosure or "grave house" in the top picture. Grave houses were once very common, especially here in the South, but you rarely see them standing any more. The majority of them, like this one, are simple structures made of wood or brick with open sides and a roof but some are more elaborate with windows and hinged doors. Their main purpose is to protect the graves and headstones from the elements.

The roof of this grave house is very low to the ground. I had to lie down on the ground and stick the camera through the wrought iron fence to get the photo of the headstones. The headstones are quite large. The house has metal shingles on the roof, which could be white tin with zinc plating or galvanized steel and carved wood support columns and the sides are enclosed with wrought iron fencing. Although the house is large enough to encompass several graves, James and Nancy's headstones are the only stones visible in the shelter.

Husband of Nancy Jane Wood, m. Feb. 16, 1851, Montgomery County, Alabama.

During the 1870 U.S. census, the family was living in Pike County, Alabama. This census tells us that the date of birth listed on the headstone for daughter, Lenora Augusta (Tipps) is wrong. She is listed on the census as being 1 year old.

During the 1880 U.S. census, the family was living in Union Springs, Bullock County, Alabama. We know some, if not all, of the family traveled to Hunt County, Texas by 1884 because their daughter, Sarah Jane, married Isaac N. Porter in Hunt County in Sept. of 1884. Their son John, however, was in Alabama in Jan. 1884 because his marriage to Carrie V. Hodge is recorded there.

James and Nancy Jane were living in Hunt County, Texas and owned a farm during the 1900 U.S. census.

James and Nancy were the parents of 10 children: Thomas, John D., Lenora Augusta (Tipps), Elizabeth (Barnhart), Sarah Jane (Porter), Addie (Herndon), James, Willie Rube, Jesse M. and Josephine.