Below are some wonderful photos of Thomas and Mahala's family. Many of them came from Judy and Midge in Missouri or Aunt Mid.  I can't thank them enough for sharing.

This was Thomas Woodford Davis during the Civil War.

Standing are Gus and Charlie.  Thomas and Mahala are sitting with Mag Docia between them.  This was probably taken before 1890.

Thomas Woodford Davis.  We're not sure when this was taken.

Mahala Jane (Cook) Davis.  This was probably taken in the 1920's or so.

Let me see if I can get this right:  James Duckworth, Martha, Alice, Charlie, Nancy, John, Sarah, Gus, Maggie, Robert (Maggie's husband), the little boy is 'Toopy' and sitting in front is Mahala.

This is John and the girls are Sarah, Maggie, Nancy and Martha.  

Sitting is Mahala.  The children are John, Martha, Gus, Nancy and Maggie.

This seems to have been taken at a family get-together, possibly a birthday for Mahala?  We know who most of the children are, but I'll have to look the info up again.

Midge Brayfield Baker submitted the following article to the book HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY (1998) page 86:

DAVIS-- "I don't know very much about my great-grandparents Thomas Woodford and Mahala Davis, but I felt that they should appear in the Christian County book on family history because they were living in Christian County before 1860 and they have many descendants still living in the county. My great grandfather died before I was born, but I remember Mahala because she lived next door with my grandparents, "Ma" and "Daddy Bob" Davis, when I was a child.

Woodford and Mahala were married in Taney County on Dec 23, 1860. Woodford served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was in Co. C 48th Missouri Inf., enlisting on Aug 23, 1864 . The family lived near Highlandville in Gallaway Township.

The children of Woodford and Mahala were: John Henry Davis, born 1861; Nancy Jane Davis Talber born 1865; Sarah Davis Couts born 1867; Martha Davis Duckworth born 1869; Charles Davis born 1872; Lenna Davis born 1875; Wm. August Davis born 1876; and Mag Docia Davis Davis born 18 82. (This was my grandmother.)

Most of the children moved to the Springfield area after they were grown. Nancy, Sarah, Martha and Gus visited my grandmother often. I remember them well. John Henry stayed in Christian County and many of his descendants still live here."

Thomas has a military marker on his gravestone at the Hammond Cemetery in Christian County, MO. He enrolled in the Civil War 23 Aug 1864 at Rollo MO and was mustered out 29 June 1865 at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, MO. He is listed in a special census of Christian Co., MO 1890 Linn and Galloway Twps as having served in Company C, 48th Regiment, MO Volunteer Infantry.

48th REGIMENT MO INFANTRY: Organized at St. Louis, Jefferson City and Rolla, Mo., August 3 - November 22, 1864. Attached to District of Rolla, Dept. of Missouri, to December, 1864. Railroad Guard, Tennessee & Alabama Railroad, Dept. of the Cumberland, to February, 1865. Camp Douglas, Chicago, Ill., to June, 1865.

A HISTORY OF SERVICE: Duty at Rolla. Mo., till December 9,1864. Defence of Rolla against Price. Moved to Nashville, Tenn., December 9-19. Assigned to post duty at Columbia, Tenn., and garrison block houses on Tennessee & Alabama Railroad from Franklin to Tailoka till February, 1 865. Moved to Chicago, Ill., February 18-22. Guard duty at Camp Douglas and escort Confederat e prisoners to City Point, Va., for exchange till June 16 Ordered to Benton Barracks, Mo., June 16. Mustered out June 22, 1865. Regiment lost during service by disease 120. [Source of Data: "A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion, V.III" by Frederick H. Dyer, c1908, p.1338]

Also received with the pension file of Thomas W. was a file for another Thos. Davis. He served in the same regiment as our Thomas and was mustered in and out on the same days. It is dated 11 Mar 1898. He was a widower; wife died in 1880. They were married 1847 by Eugene Davis in Taney Co. He was only married once. Children: J. H. b 1849, H. J. b 1855, Joshua b 185 7, T. J. b 1861, J. F. b 1870, Henry (spelling?) b 1872. He was a farmer in Galena, MO. He claimed that he contracted a sudden cold (10 Jun 1865 in Chicago) resulting in Neuralgia of neck and shoulder.

Obituary of 
Mahala Jane (Cook) DAVIS:

From the Springfield Leader, 24 Apr 1929: 

"Funeral services for Mrs. Mahala Davis of 309 E. Madison street, who would have been 89 years old next Sunday, were held at 1 o'clock this afternoon at the residence, after which the body was taken to Highlandville Cemetery, 20 miles south of Springfield on U.S. Highway 65, for burial. Mrs. Davis died Tuesday after a long illness. She is survived by two sons Gus W. Davis of Springfield and John H. Davis of Chestnut Ridge, Mo. and by four daughters as follows: Mrs. Nance Tolbert, Mrs. Sarah Couts, Mrs. Martha Duckworth and Mrs. Maggie Davis, all of Springfield."