Pictured with 2nd Husband

Known as "MAW MULE" by her grandchildren

Marriage (1) James Clyde Sharpless of England; (m) abt 1859 in Kentucky, burial unknown

1 son - Richard William Sharpless

Marriage (2) Andrew Jackson Polley, Sr., (m) 20 Oct 1868 in Frankfort, Franklin, Kentucky; (b) 27 Feb 1830, Kentucky (d) 3 May 1879 in Dallas county, Texas; burial unknown.

5 Sons - Francis (Frank), Urbane (Urv), Andrew Jackson, Jr. (A.J., Jr.), Benjamin (Ben), Forrest (Babe) Polley

Mrs. Polley, (as she preferred to be called) was a strong independent woman of Cherokee descent. She was born in Mississippi, in 1839. Her father was born in France. Her mother was a member of a Cherokee tribe located in northwest Mississippi. Her village was relocated based on the U.S. governments removal policy of all Indian tribes east of the Mississippi river, thus the "Trail of Tears". Consequently, we are left with little written history of her early life. At this writing, there are no written documents reflective of her first 20 plus years. Her life was a constant struggle. However, Mrs. Polley was a survivor. We find her living in Kentucky, married with 1 child, in 1863. She was 24. (Sources for this account are the 1900 & 1910 census records and her Widow's Pension application.)

She survived 2 husbands, the hardships of the American Civil War and everything the harsh Texas prairie threw at her. She traveled by boxcar train from Kentucky in 1878 with 5 sons and her 2nd. husband. She was pregnant with her 6th child, a son. Shortly after arriving in Dallas county, her husband passed away. Mrs. Polley along with her sons worked 26 acres in eastern Dallas county; (now known as Polly Rd. in Sunnyvale). There are three roads in Sunnyvale named for founding pioneer families, Polly Rd. is one of them. 1884 Tax records for Dallas County show Elizabeth Polley paid .54 cents on 26.2 acres. A 1900 Dallas county survey map, identifies the location of the Polley farmstead.

Mrs. Polley died in 1917, at the age of 77. She was still living on her 26 acres with her son Urbane V. Polley and his family. Maw Mule was and continues to be a tribute to all Texas pioneer women. She worked from sun up to sun down providing a home, an income, food, and clothing from the farm for 39 years. I am proud to say, she was my great grandmother.

I would like to say "Thank You" to my cousins: Evelyn, George, and Geraldine; who preserved the family records, so those of us who came later could know and appreciate all this remarkable woman accomplished.

All of Elizabeth's descendants owe a special "Thank You" to Aunt Pauline. She was the original Polley family historian. None of this written account could have been possible had she not kept her notes and insisted on her children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews occasionally walk through Long Creek cemetery. She would stop by each grave, carefully brush away the grass and weeds, then explain who was buried there and say, "bless their heart". Now, the next generations stop by her grave, we brush away the grass and say, "bless her heart".