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Note: Mildred was the fourth of eleven children born to Betsy Manning and John Clark who never married. This is another of the many perplexing stories in the family chronicles. The reason John didn't marry Betsy isn't known, but since he married at least two other women, it wasn't an aversion to marriage that kept him from giving his name to his children with Betsy. Mildred was born in December 1860 so she doesn't appear in the census records until 1870 when she was living in Claiborne Co., TN, with her mother and seven siblings ranging in age from 15 to 3 months. Mildred was 9 but listed as 10; she attended school that year. The family's surname was recorded as Mannon. Their neighbor on one side was Mildred's grandmother, Sarah Mannon, while the neighbor on the other side was none other than John Clark. Living with him was his future wife, Sarah Elrod. I can't even begin to fathom that arrangement!
Although Mildred was only four years old at the end of the Civil War, she later remembered the soldiers who stopped by her mother's farm on their way home to Virginia. Traveling by foot, they were tired and hungry and asked Betsy if she might give them a little food. Out of her own meager supplies, she fed them before they went on their way.
In 1880, Mildred had been married five years to James, but they had only one child at the time of the census. Her age was listed as 21, but she was really 19. They were still living in Claiborne County, surrounded by relatives on all sides. Next door to them on either side were Mildred's siblings; her half-sister Elizabeth lived on one side with her husband John Odell, and her brother William Mannon lived on the other side with his wife Mary Cook. Two houses up from the Odells was Mildred's father who had by that time married Sarah Elrod. Six houses down from William and Mary was Mildred's mother who still had eight children at home ranging in age from 22 to 3. Living next door to her was Jackson Reed, James's uncle. Mildred stated that she and both of her parents were born in Tennessee while her father said he was born in Virginia. Although they probably lived within walking distance of each other, I suspect there was no closeness between Mildred and her father for obvious reasons.
In 1900, Mildred, age 39, and James had been married 25 years. Six of their nine children were still living. Based on the known dates of their births, there may have been two children who were born and died between 1875 and 1880. Five children were still living at home; Mary had gotten married the year before. In 1910, James and Mildred, age 49, had been married 35 years and were still living in Claiborne County. Astonishingly, the census taker recorded that only 1 out of 11 children was still living even though he listed three daughters residing in their household! Three other children were known to be living as well so clearly the census taker made a mistake.
By 1920, Mrs. Mildred Reed, age 59, was a widow who owned and operated a general store in District 4 of Claiborne County. Living with her were a niece, a daughter and son-in-law, and four grandchildren, all perhaps dependent on her since she is listed as both head of household and merchant. Her son Elisha and his family lived next door. In 1930, Mildred, age 69, was in the Quarter Precinct of District 4 of Claiborne County where she may have been all along. (In 1910 and 1920, she was living in District 4.) She gave her age at the time of her marriage as 16 (she was actually 14). She was living with her daughter, Bertha, and son-in-law, Noah Ward, who was listed as head of household even though Mildred was still shown to be a merchant of dry goods. Noah's industry or occupation was given as "rented farm." He may have been renting it from Mildred, but that has not been confirmed. Mildred's store was very successful. She sent truckloads of produce to the train where it would then be shipped to New York City. Black walnuts was her major cash crop.
Mildred continued to run her store until sickness and old age forced her to give it up. In her last years, suffering with cancer and various ailments, she may have lived with her children, each one taking turns in keeping her for an extended period of time. Mildred owned several acres of land which she divided amongst her children, giving each one of them enough on which to build a home and possibly farm.
Toward the end of her life, she went to live with her granddaughter, Icie Reed Burke, and Icie's husband, Ira Burke, who lived in Goin, Claiborne Co., TN. Icie ran her own general store; she cared for her grandmother until Mildred's death at the age of 94. Icie's son Carl remembered his great-grandmother as an astute businesswoman who ran a lucrative country store that carried a variety of general merchandise. She owned the first truck in Caney Valley; her son Elisha would drive the truck to the depot in Tazewell or Lone Mountain to pick up her goods that were shipped by rail. One researcher has stated that Mildred was a Navy operator during WWII, but Carl asserts that there is no truth in that.
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