An Incredible Family

When Sikes and Mattie Underwood got married over 95 years ago they obviously did not practice birth control. They had eleven children.

As in one less than a dozen.

As you will read later, they actually raised thirteen children.

Mattie gave birth to five boys and six girls born during a twenty two year window. You can do the math but that is a child every two years.

I don’t know how they did it. The amazing thing is that each of the eleven children became productive citizens.

The Underwood clan is truly an incredible family.

For the record, those eleven children had a total of thirty six children. Those thirty six children produced another 80 something more. As the old saying goes, the woods are full of Underwoods.

I bring this up this morning because the Underwoods gathered at Henderson Village south of Perry, Georgia yesterday for a reunion.

I was there because about 30 years ago I married one of the 36 grandchildren. That means our 3 boys are numbered in the 80 something mentioned above.


Three of the original eleven children made it to the reunion yesterday. (Pictured L-R Sara Underwood Pennington, Harold Underwood, Nellie Underwood Taunton). There are two others living that could not make it. The other six have already crossed the Jordan.

There is some interesting history associated with this family.

In 1923, as Sikes and Mattie were busy raising their many children, the Underwood family was struck by a tragedy. Sike’s older brother Howard, who was a traveling salesman, was shot to death for less than $100 as he was peddling medicine.

Howard had ten children of his own. Sikes and Mattie ended up raising Howard’s youngest two children along with their eleven.

As a matter of history, Howard was murdered by a couple of youngsters by the name of Gervis Bloodsworth and Willie Jones. Their trial became one of the most celebrated events in Georgia history. A book entitled “Murder at the County Line” was written about the Howard Underwood murder and subsequent trial. A country song was later written and recorded in Nashville about the event.

On January 29, 1926, a little over 2 years after the murder, Bloodsworth and Jones were executed in Columbus Georgia for the murder of Howard Underwood.

It was the last official hanging in the State of Georgia.


The Underwood family has an incredible heritage. Sikes and Mattie Underwood were amazing people. They produced a very large, fun-loving, God fearing and close knit family. (L-R Aunt Nellie, Dawn Smith, Kathy Goddard).

Sikes passed away when I was a senior in high school and while I was dating one of his granddaughters. Mattie died some six years later and I prepared her body for burial. I remember them both well.

I have also had the privilege of knowing all eleven of their children and all their grandchildren.

You just don’t find families like this anymore.


I couldn’t help but wonder yesterday how many of the younger people who are part of this Underwood family really know and appreciate their heritage.

Maybe this will help.

And maybe this will help the rest of you to appreciate your heritage and the people who paved the road for you.