George Washington Lankford Sr.

George Washington Lankford Sr., son of Curtis Caldwell Lankford and Nancy A. Elizabeth McCarty, was born in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia on July 15, 1863. There were 14 children born to this family—William A. Lankford, Mary A. Lankford, Irena Rebeckah H. Lankford, John R. Lankford, George Washington Lankford, Charles Moore Lankford, Wade Hamilton Lankford, Joseph Jackson Lankford, Nancy Crawford Lankford, Florence Lee Lankford, and four that did not survive. George is my 1st cousin 4x removed. Our nearest common relatives are Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore.

On June 15, 1870, George, his parents, and six siblings lived in Penfield. His father worked as a common laborer while his mother stayed home keeping house. His 10-year-old brother John was enumerated as a farm laborer.

On June 9, 1880, an 18-year-old boarder named George Langford lived with the Burwell Brooks family in Simston, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. He worked as a farm hand and was unable to read or write. George (the subject of this sketch) was no longer living with his family in Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County, Georgia so this was most likely him. George’s last name was spelled Langford vs. Lankford in the census record which is a common thing with this surname. I noticed his father’s surname was also spelled Langford in the 1880 census record. On June 13, 1887, George’s father Curtis died at the age of 59 years following a long illness. The family buried Curtis at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Happier times came seven years later when George married Jessie (or Jesse) Burton, daughter of George W. Burton and Mattie Parham and 16 years younger than him, at Greene County, Georgia on May 2, 1894. Six children were born to this union—Owen Lankford (1898), Eva Lankford (1900), George Washington Lankford Jr. (1903), Mattie Bell Lankford (1906), William Mell Lankford (1909), and Mary Lucy Lankford (1913).

George Lankford-Jessie Burton marriage license

On June 2, 1900, George, Jessie, and their son Owen lived in a rental home in Woodville, Greene County, Georgia. The census record shows that George and Jessie had been married for six years and that both could read and write. Jessie was enumerated as having had one child who was living. George worked as a sawyer in a saw mill.

By April 19, 1910, the family had moved to Union Point, Greene County, Georgia and had grown to five children. George still worked as a sawyer in a saw mill. None of the children were attending school at the time. Owen could read but not write. It was the 1910 census record that told us there were 14 children in the Curtis Lankford family. George’s mother Nancy, who was living with daughter Florence was shown as having had 14 children, 10 of which were living. 

1910 Oglethorpe County, Georgia census record showing George's mother,
Nancy Lankford, had 14 children (click to enlarge)

By January 25, 1920, the family had moved to Hudson Avenue in Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, 32 miles from Union Point. Hopefully, they lived in a large home because there were now 11 people under one roof—George, Jessie, son Owen and wife Florrie (Owens), daughter Eva and husband Snow Gurley, sons George and William, daughters Mattie and Mary, and George’s mother-in-law Mattie (Parham Burton Drake). George continued to work in the saw mill, now as a laborer. Owen had joined his father at the saw mill. Even though she still had young children at home, Jessie now worked outside the home as a spooler in the cotton mill. Their son-in-law Snow worked as a weaver at the cotton mill, perhaps the same one as Jessie. The 1920s were hard on the Lankford family beginning on April 12, 1920 when George’s mother died. The family buried her beside George’s father at Bairdstown Cemetery. Then tragedy struck in 1922 when George Jr., only 19 years old, died following surgery for a ruptured appendix on June 16 at the Oglethorpe Infirmary in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia. A funeral service performed by Rev. M. S. Williams was held at their home the next day followed by burial at Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton. Probably still reeling from the death of George Jr., tragedy struck again on July 3, 1923 in what today we would call a case of road rage. George’s son Owen was driving a car when he came upon a man named Tom Carter, who was driving a lumber wagon. Mr. Carter felt crowded on the road and an altercation ensued that ended with Owen being struck in the head with an auto jack. The blow fractured Owen’s skull and he died at the hospital the next day. George Sr. took a warrant out on Mr. Carter who was charged with manslaughter and then released on bond. Owen was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton on July 5, leaving a wife and child behind. Mr. Carter claimed he acted in self-defense but I’ve been unable to find a news article detailing events after his release on bond so don’t know what the outcome was. And finally, George’s sketch ends with his death on May 10, 1927 in Eatonton at the age of 63. I’ve been unable to find a death or burial record for George but this is what his Find-A-Grave memorial shows. It’s believed he too was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton but don’t have proof of that. Years ago, a fellow researcher visited Pine Grove Cemetery to document these Lankford deaths but she didn’t find a headstone for George. She shared the following with me: “In Pine Grove, there is a plot with 5 slabs, 1 marked for Gertrude and Lucy and 1 marked for Dorothy Agnes. The other 3 unmarked have to be Owen, George Jr. and Jessie because the cemetery records have all of them listed as section 2 lot 28. William Mell and Gladys are in section 1 Div C lot 281 1/2. No space that could be George Sr.” 

Lankford family plot at Pine Grove Cemetery in Eatonton, Georgia

Of course, I’d like to have a record to confirm George’s death and burial so if anyone reading this has one, I’d love to hear from you. 

References

• Carter Out on Bond, Eatonton Messenger, Eatonton, Georgia, July 13, 1923.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129243930/george-washington-lankford: accessed 26 December 2021), memorial page for George Washington Lankford Jr. (26 Feb 1903–16 Jun 1922), Find a Grave Memorial ID 129243930, citing Pine Grove Cemetery, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Patty Shreve (contributor 47563794).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/129388747/george-washington-lankford: accessed 27 December 2021), memorial page for George Washington Lankford Sr. (15 Jul 1863–10 May 1927), Find a Grave Memorial ID 129388747, citing Pine Grove Cemetery, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, USA; maintained by Patty Shreve (contributor 47563794).
• George W. Lankford, Eatonton Messenger, Eatonton, Georgia, June 23, 1922.
• Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certification of Death no. 21380, Owen Langford.
• Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certification of Death no. 10570, Mr. Wade H. Lankford.
• Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certification of Death no. 13929, Geo. W. Lankford Jr.
• Langford Dies as Result of Blow on Head from Carter, Eatonton Messenger, Eatonton, Georgia, July 6, 1923.
• Obituary, Mr. Kirk Langford, Oglethorpe Echo, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, June 17, 1887.
• Personal visit to Pine Grove Cemetery, P. Moon.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bowling Green, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 0127, Woodstock, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Eatonton, Putnam County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Simston, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Union Point, Greene County, Georgia, 1910.
• U.S. Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1860, 1900. 

Christmas morning in Monongah, West Virginia

This series of photos celebrates memories of a Christmas past in my husband's family. The children pictured below are my husband Charles and his sister Colleen. The photos were taken at their home in Monongah, West Virginia in the late 1950s. 

Christmas morning that year turned out to be a musical one. Charlie told me the instruments did in fact play music, if you knew how to play them. Charlie didn't know how to play the clarinet at the time, but he did go on to play the trumpet in his high school band. 

Charlie remembers the train set in the next two photos. He loved it and tried, without any luck, to find one for our boys. The train set stayed in the family until at least the 1970s.

 

Santa was good to Charlie that year. Besides the clarinet, you can see he got a Huckleberry Hound bowling game, train set, Block City building blocks, a farm set, gun and holster, what we think are several cars or model car sets, maybe a book, and some clothes.

The next photo is the Bridge Street house they lived in that Christmas. Charlie estimates living there four or five years before moving to Virginia.

I hope Santa to good to you this year. Merry Christmas!

Randall family Christmas dinner

This Christmas dinner photo was most likely taken in the early 1950s in Nutter Fort, West Virginia. It includes the Wilfred J. Randall family, his mother Harriett Randall, sister Charlotte, and cousin Jean. 

The menu that day included sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, lettuce with what looks like red and green congealed salads, pickles, pearl onions, and sliced white bread. I see one dish but I'm not able to tell what's in it. What I don't see is a meat, but I'm sure there was a ham or turkey on the menu that day. They ate off the good china and dressed up for the occasion. And I love the Santa candle holder.

The man behind the camera was Ralph Murphy, my husband's uncle. This photo is part of  the slide collection given to my husband by his Aunt Jean Murphy. To see more from the collection, click here.

Family gathering in Nutter Fort

This series of photos was taken in the basement family room at Ralph and Jean Murphy's home in Nutter Fort, West Virginia, ca. mid-1950s. Families represented include Murphy, Athya, Dudley, Gregory, and Pitchford. 

If you look closely in the first photo, you can see the corner of a fireplace mantel on the left. My husband and brother-in-law remember and loved the tongue and groove wall paneling. The room had a door that led to the garage, one to the utility room that led to the stairway, and a door to the backyard. Dinner was served on china that featured dogwood flowers, which I believe Aunt Jean still had when we visited her about 10 years ago. 

Earl and Mary Murphy were my in-laws.

Left: Earl Murphy, Mary Murphy, Ella (Nellie) Windows,and James Dudley.
Right: Ralph Murphy, Majorie Murphy, Raymond Murphy, and Jean Murphy

Raymond Murphy sitting at the kids table

Mary Murphy (note the angel candle sitting on the small shelf  behind her --
this photo told me it was taken during the Christmas season)

Marjorie Murphy helping the kids

These photos are part of the Ralph Murphy collection given to my husband by his Aunt Jean Murphy. To see more from the collection, click here.

One happy young man

This young man, proudly holding up a piece from the train set Santa must have left him for Christmas that year, looks pretty happy to me. Unfortunately, I have to classify him as a lost relative not knowing who he is. The photo was most likely taken in West Virginia, perhaps Nutter Fort. If you recognize him, I hope you will share his name.

This photo is part of the Ralph Murphy collection given to my husband by his Aunt Jean Murphy. To see more from the collection, click here.

Presley Church family of Littleton, West Virginia

Presley Church, born September 29, 1900 in West Virginia, was the son of Robert Church and Lucinda Murphy. He and his wife, Nellie Cumberledge, had three daughters—Betty Lee Church, June Louise Church, and Doris Jean Church. June married Bill Daniel, the young man in the photo below. My best guess for when these photos were taken would be the mid-1940s and was probably taken at the Church family home in Littleton, Wetzel County, West Virginia. Presley was my husband's grand uncle. 

June Church, Bill Daniel, Presley Church, Doris Church,
Betty Church, and Nell (Cumberledge) Church

Nell and Presley

The Church family and Bill Daniel

 

Presley and Nell

Presley was a descendent of Henry “Old Hundred” Church for whom the town of Hundred was named.

These photos are part of the Ralph Murphy collection given to my husband by his Aunt Jean Murphy. To see more from the collection, click here.

Remembering Dessie Church Murphy

Dessie Church Murphy, my husband’s paternal grandmother, passed away 81 years ago today. Only 51 years old when she died, Dessie left five children behind. The youngest was Earl, my father-in-law. He was just 12 years old when he lost his mother so his memories were limited, but when he spoke of her, it was always with love. 

Earl and Dessie

Dessie was buried at the bottom of the hill at Thomas Chapel United Methodist Church Cemetery in Littleton, Wetzel County, West Virginia. 

The funeral card that was passed out at her funeral is below.

Obsequies for Dessie Murphy

Funeral services were held Monday, November twenty-fifth nineteen hundred and forty at 1:30 o'clock in the home and further services at 2:00 o'clock in the Littleton Methodist Church. 

Officiating clergyman: Rev. R. O. Phillips and Rev. Harry W. Flanagan. 

Singers: The Methodist Choir. 

Pallbearers: Virgil Jackson, Clarence Church, Arlie Church, Carl Jackson, Laverne Church, Fred Church. 

Interment: Thomas Chapel Cemetery.

Dessie Murphy, aged 51 years, died at her home in Littleton, Wednesday, November 20, 1940 at 12:20 o'clock P.M., following an illness of ten weeks. 

She was born near Littleton, February 23, 1889, a daughter of Robert and Lucinda Murphy Church, and resided all her life in the immediate vicinity. She was a member of the Littleton Methodist Church. 

On December 16, 1914, she married Charles Murphy who survives with the following children: Raymond of Yellowstone National Park, Ralph, Evelyn, Glenn and Earl all at home. Five brothers: Charles and Presley Church of Littleton; Henry of Kodol; Donley of Clarksburg; and James of Hundred, and two sisters, Mrs. Anna Evans of Clarksburg; and Mrs. Jennie Davis of Weston, also survive.

Littleton is almost 300 miles from our home so we won't be visiting her grave, but I’m sure Earl is with her in Heaven, giving her a grown-up hug. 

Dessie was a descendent of Henry “Old Hundred” Church for whom the town of Hundred was named.

Cecil Pearl Murphy

Cecil Pearl Murphy, daughter of Martin William Murphy and Sarah Elizabeth Anderson, was born in Littleton, Wetzel County, West Virginia on May 6, 1898. She was the 9th child of 11—Cora Belle Murphy, Edward Francis Murphy, Charles Homer Murphy, Essa (Essie) Lee Murphy, William (Willie) H. Murphy, Ella Mae Murphy, Arliff Barow Murphy, Tabitha M. Murphy, Cecil Pearl Murphy, Addie Opal Murphy, and Olive Ruby Murphy. She was my husband’s grand aunt. Her brother Charles is his grandfather.

L-R: Olive (Murphy) Frye, Cecil (Murphy) Grimm, Glenn Murphy 

Cecil would never know her sister Tabitha, who passed away the same year Cecil was born. Many years ago, we visited Anderson Bethel Cemetery in Littleton and discovered a metal marker for Tabitha recording her birth in 1896 and death in 1898.

On June 23, 1900, Cecil and her family lived in a rented home in Littleton. Cecil, the baby of the family, was two years old. Her parents had been married for 16 years. Cecil’s father had steady employment as a teamster. Both of her parents, brother Charles, and sister Essie were able to read and write. 

On April 27, 1910, Cecil and her family lived in the Clay District of Wetzel County. Her mother was enumerated as having had 11 children, with only 10 living which would account for Tabitha’s death. No longer the baby in the family, Cecil was now the big sister to sisters Addie (Adda) and Olive. Cecil’s father worked as a general farmer, brothers Edward, Charles, and William were teamsters at the oil field, sister Ella worked as a servant for a private family, and brother Arliff was a farm laborer. Everyone except for Edward, Addie, and Olive were able to read and write.

When Cecil was 17, her 27-year-old sister Essie died of septic endometritis on May 25, 1915 in Warwood, Ohio County, West Virginia. About 1919, Cecil married Essie’s widowed husband, Frank Oscar Grimm (16 years older than Cecil), son of Eldine Oscar Grimm and Sarah Armenia Gossett. Frank and Essie were married from 1907 until her death in 1915. During that time, they had three children—Harry Lee Grimm, Elsie Mae Grimm, and Ruth Louise Grimm. Ruth was not yet three years old when her mother died. At age 22, Cecil, their aunt, was now the step-mother to Frank and Essa’s children. 

On February 2, 1920, Cecil, Frank, Harry, Elsie, and Ruth lived on Hazlett Avenue in the Richland District of Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia. Frank was a house carpenter. Cecil was in the early stage of pregnancy with their first child together when the census enumerator visited. On August 15, 1920, she gave birth to a boy they named Lewis Oscar Grimm. Daughter Sarah Armenia Grimm was born on February 15, 1922, son Leroy Frank Grimm on March 20, 1923, and daughter Alice June Grimm on December 9, 1926, all in Wheeling. The year 1927 was a sad one for Cecil though with the death of her mother on April 1 in Littleton, followed by the death of her father from a cerebral hemorrhage on April 6. Both were buried at Anderson Bethel Cemetery in Littleton. Cecil’s stepson, Harry, married Virginia May Phillips in Belmont, Ohio on June 12, 1929 and moved in with his mother-in-law, Wilemma Porter Phillips in Bridgeport, Belmont County, Ohio. 

On April 7, 1930, Cecil, Frank, and their four children lived in Wheeling. Frank was a carpenter, building houses. According to the Wheeling city directory, they lived at 416 Warwood Avenue. They still lived there in 1932. At some point, Frank and Essa’s daughters, Elsie and Ruth, moved in with Frank’s mother (their grandmother), Sarah Armenia [Gossett] Grimm. Elsie worked as a telephone operator for Hazel-Atlas Glass Company and Ruth as a waiter at Stone & Thomas.

On April 8, 1940, Cecil and her family lived in a rented home in Wheeling. Both Cecil and Frank had and 8th grade education. Frank was still building houses and had started his own business. When Cecil was 49 years old, her brother Arliff died in Wolf Summit, Harrison County, West Virginia on July 11, 1947. Two years later, she lost her husband of 29 years on July 19, 1949. Frank died in Wheeling at the age of 66. Before the end of the year, she would also lose her brother Charles who died in Littleton on November 16, 1949. Frank was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling, Arliff at Anderson-Bethel Cemetery in Littleton, and Charles at Thomas Chapel Cemetery in Littleton.

L-R: Sarah Armenia Grimm Griffith; her husband Arthur Clifton Griffith;
Cecil Pearl Murphy Grimm; Lewis Oscar Grimm; Alice June Grimm Carper;
Frank Oscar Grimm (ca. 1946)

Cecil’s brother William died in Littleton on March 28, 1960 when she was 61 years old. William was buried at Anderson Bethel Cemetery in Littleton. Cecil died at Wheeling Hospital at the age of 65 of acute coronary occlusion on September 26, 1963. Her daughter Sarah (Griffith) was the informant on her death certificate. She was buried at Greenwood Cemetery in Wheeling on September 30. Cecil was a member of Warwood Christian Church. She was survived by her four children, three step-children, four sisters (Cora, Ella, Addie, and Olive), one brother (Edward), 13 grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.

Stone photo from Find-A-Grave Memorial ID 143800321, added by Michael Grimm.

References

• Arliff Murphy stone, Anderson Bethel Cemetery, Littleton, West Virginia.
• Arliff Murphy, West Virginia, Deaths Index, 1853-1973.
• Birth and death indexes, West Virginia Archives and History, West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History.
• Cecil Pearl Grimm Certificate of Death, West Virginia State Department of Health—Division of Vital Statistics.
• Cecil Pearl Grimm obituary, The Intelligencer, Wheeling, West Virginia, September 27, 1963.
• Cecil Pearl Grimm, West Virginia, Deaths Index, 1853-1973.
• Charles H. Murphy, West Virginia, Deaths Index, 1853-1973.
• Essie Murphy and Frank Grimm, Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143800321/cecil-pearl-grimm: accessed 13 November 2021), memorial page for Cecil Pearl Murphy Grimm (6 May 1898–26 Sep 1963), Find a Grave Memorial ID 143800321, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, USA; maintained by Michael Grimm (contributor 47972480).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99890706/frank-oscar-grimm: accessed 13 November 2021), memorial page for Frank Oscar Grimm (10 Feb 1883–19 Jul 1949), Find a Grave Memorial ID 99890706, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, USA; maintained by Michael Grimm (contributor 47972480).
• Harry Lee Grimm and Virginia May Phillips, Ohio, County Marriages, 1774-1993.
• Mrs. Cora Belle Murphy Moore obituary, The Weirton Daily Times, Weirton, West Virginia, November 30, 1964.
• Personal visit to Thomas Chapel Cemetery, Littleton, Wetzel County, West Virginia.
• Tabitha M. Murphy marker, Anderson Bethel Cemetery, Littleton, West Virginia.
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007.
• United States Federal Census, Bridgeport, Belmont County, Ohio, 1930.
• United States Federal Census, Clay District, Littleton, Wetzel, West Virginia, 1900.
• United States Federal Census, Clay District, Wetzel, West Virginia, 1910.
• United States Federal Census, Franklin, Marshall County, West Virginia, 1900.
• United States Federal Census, Richland, Ohio County, West Virginia, 1920.
• United States Federal Census, Wheeling, Ohio County, West Virginia, 1930, 1940.
• Wheeling, West Virginia, City Directory, 1924, 1930, 1932.
• Willie Murphy, U.S., Headstone Applications for Military Veterans, 1925-1963. 

J. Iverson Bryant

This blog post is another in a series connecting the dots in my tree to the souls buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia.

J. Iverson Bryant, son of Eugene Herbert Bryant and Nancy Tallulah Bouchelle, was born in Georgia, most likely Bairdstown, on February 1, 1887. He was the 3rd child of 14—Leroy Bryant, Clinton Bouchelle Bryant, J. Iverson Bryant, Nellie Lynne Bryant, Mamie Bryant, Hugh Crawford Bryant, Rebecca M. Bryant, Herbert A. Bryant, Clark Howell Bryant, Clyde Bryant, Emily Elizabeth Bryant, Noel T. Bryant, William M. Bryant, and an unnamed infant son. Iverson and I are 2nd cousins 3x removed. Our nearest common relatives are Charles L. Lankford and Miss Moore. His grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Lankford Bryant, was the sister of my 3rd great grandfather, James Meriweather Lankford.

Iverson didn’t survive infancy, dying on December 12, 1887 at the age of 10 months. He was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown. His tombstone reads:

J. Iverson,
Son of E. H. and N. T. Bryant
Feb. 1, 1887
Dec. 12, 1887
Rest in peace then gentle spirit
Throned above
Souls like thine with God in life and love

Iverson was one of four children in the family that did not survive infancy/childhood. His sister Nellie died at age 3 in 1892, the unnamed infant brother in 1909, and brother Noel at age 7 in 1912 .

On a final note, during my research for this post, I discovered the true name for the oldest child in this family—Leroy. In 1900, he was enumerated as Roye Bryant, which was all I had to go on. I’m glad to make that correction and to then be able to extend this family line.

References

• Personal visit to Bryant family cemetery plot, Bairdstown Cemetery, Bairdstown, Georgia.
• United States Federal Census, Falling Creek, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1900, 1910.

The Gregory sisters

Meet the Gregory sisters—Harriett Elizabeth, Ella (Nellie), Lucy, and Florence C.—4 of the 11 children born to Thomas Gregory and Elizabeth Ann Gutridge of Staffordshire, England. The other children were Sarah Jane Gregory, Emily Gregory, Annie Gregory, Samuel Thomas Gregory, William Gregory, John B. Gregory, and Henry Charles Gregory. The Gregory sisters are not mine nor my husband’s ancestors but they do connect in the family tree through my husband’s Aunt Jean Murphy. 

The photos I share here are part of Uncle Ralph Murphy’s slide collection given to my husband by his Aunt Jean in 2012. The collection consists of 21 boxes of slides (thousands) taken by Uncle Ralph, spanning the years 1947 to 1984. Many are scenic shots from their travels across the United States, some are family members, and others friends and co-workers. I converted the majority of the slides to digital several years ago and have been enjoying them ever since.

Harriett, Ella, Lucy, and Florence Gregory

Harriet was born on November 16, 1874 in Burntwood, Lichfield District, Staffordshire, England. She arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her family in 1882 aboard the British Prince. Harriett married John Joseph Randall on October 16, 1894 in Patton, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Harriet and John had seven children together—Charlotte Mae Randall, Ernest Randall, John Thomas Randall, Ethel Randall, Samuel Randall, Wilfred James Randall, and Robert Clair Randall. Harriet died on December 21, 1957 at the age of 83 in Nutter Fort, Harrison County, West Virginia. 

Harriet (Gregory) Randall

Ella (Nellie) was born in September 19, 1884 in Pennsylvania. She married Frederick M. Windows on October 1, 1904 in Hastings, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. Ella and Fred had one son, Frederick Earl Windows. Nellie died on January 8, 1968 at the age of 83 in Barberton, Summit County, Ohio.

Ella (Gregory) Windows and Harriet (Gregory) Randall

Lucy was born on April 2, 1896 in Patton, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. She married George Parris on November 6, 1920 in Summit County, Ohio. Lucy and George had one son, Harold Clair Parris. Lucy died on October 28, 1968 at the age of 72 in Akron, Summit County, Ohio.

Lucy (Gregory) Parris and Florence (Gregory) Ober

Florence was born on December 20, 1888 in Phillipsburg, Beaver County, Pennsylvania. She married Robert Clyde Ober on March 17, 1913 in Summit County. Florence and Robert had one son, Raymond Cletus Ober. She died on March 20, 1980 at the age of 87 in Akron. 

Florence and her husband Robert

If you’d like to see more photos from Uncle Ralph’s collection, click on the links below.

Hidden West Virginia racetrack photos

A boy and his bicycle

The beauty of nature

Ruth Miller

Share your photos and make a difference

Water sports at Tygart Lake 

Nutter Fort, West Virginia Soap Box Derby

Warner’s Skyline Drive-In Theater

Palace Furniture Company and Pepsi-Cola—a colorful combination

Vintage Christmas photos

52 Ancestors – no. 40: Anna B. Church – (week 24) (Anna (Church) and Everett Evans photos only)

References

• Burntwood, Staffordshire, England Census, 1881.
• Ella Windows, U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/217622202/ella-g-windows: accessed 28 October 2021), memorial page for Ella G “Nellie” Gregory Windows (Sep 1884–8 Jan 1968), Find a Grave Memorial ID 217622202, citing Greenlawn Memorial Park, Akron, Summit County, Ohio, USA; maintained by Paul M. Gregory (contributor 49351006).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/94445649/harriet-elizabeth-randall: accessed 28 October 2021), memorial page for Harriet Elizabeth Gregory Randall (16 Nov 1874–21 Dec 1957), Find a Grave Memorial ID 94445649, citing Prospect Cemetery, Portage, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by Albert Ledoux (contributor 46511171).
• Florence Gregory and Robert C. Ober, Ohio, County Marriages, 1774–1993.
• Fred Windows and Ella Gregory, Application for Marriage License, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1904.
• Harriet Elizabeth Gregory, Staffordshire, England, Birth, Marriage and Death Indexes, 1837–2017.
• Josephine Auten and Frederick Earl Williams marriage announcement, The Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, July 2, 1932.
• Lucy Gregory and George Parris, Summit County, Ohio, U.S., Marriage Records, 1840–1980.
• Obituary for Ella G. Windows, The Akron Beacon Journal, Akron, Ohio, January 9, 1968.
• United States Federal Census, Akron Ward 7, Summit County, Ohio, 1910.
• United States Federal Census, Akron Ward 8, Summit County, Ohio, 1920.
• United States Federal Census, Akron, Summit County, Ohio, 1930.
• United States Federal Census, Carroll, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 1900.
• United States Federal Census, Reade, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, 1910. 

Bertha's school friends and teacher

This is another photo from Bertha Smith Athya’s photo collection. Look closely and you’ll see Bertha wrote a number beside or near each person in the photo. 

On the back of the photo, she wrote the following:

1 Violet Barber Townsend

2 Jane Moor Zimmerman

3 Mary Boden Carnahan

4 J. B. Anderson (you can see “Teacher” very lightly penciled in)

5 Betty Barber Harmon

6 Bertha Edna Smith 

I found other photos of several of the girls in the collection:

Voilet Townsend and her husband

Mary Boden

Betty Harmon

J. B. Anderson would have been James Braden Anderson, their school teacher. James, born December 27, 1870 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, was the son of John Calvin Anderson and Ida Sarepta Sarver. He and his wife Charlotte (Duke) Anderson lived in Vandergrift Heights, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in 1907. James died of cardiac failure at the age of 96 in the White Township of Indiana County, Pennsylvania. James’ obituary, published by the The Indiana Gazette on October 25, 1967 noted … “Upon graduation from Grove City College, he began teaching at Petrolia, Pa., and taught 37 years in Pennsylvania. His last years of service were in the Ernest Elementary School where he was principal for 14 years. …” 

Bertha was born in 1898 and looks to be in her early teens so I’m guessing this photo was taken about 1911 or 1912. Bertha was my husband’s grandmother. No one else in the photo are related.

References

• James Braden Anderson Certificate of Death no. 097303-67, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Health, Vital Statistics, 1967.
• James Braden Anderson obituary, The Indiana Gazette, Indiana, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1967.
• Lois Viola Anderson, Certificate of Birth, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1907.
• United States Federal Census, Vandergrift Heights Borough, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 1910.

Mary Pearl Davison

Mary Pearl Davison, age 25

Mary Pearl Davison, daughter of James McCluney Davison Jr. and Estella Martin Tiller, was born in Woodville, Greene County, Georgia on January 4, 1877. She was the third of four children—James Martin Davison, Joseph Robert Davison, Mary Pearl Davison, and Temperance Estelle Davison. She went by Pearl and is my 3rd cousin, 3x removed. Our nearest common relatives are Robert L. Hobbs Sr. and Mary Marion Caldwell.

When Pearl was just nine days old, her one-year-old brother Joseph died on January 13, 1877. Joseph was buried at Greensboro City Cemetery in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia. Three years later, she lost her father when he died in Greene County from heart disease on May 2, 1880. He was buried beside Joseph at Greensboro City Cemetery. James left his estate to Pearl’s mother and their three remaining children, share and share alike. He requested that the children be educated, supported, and maintained out of the proceeds of his estate in common, until they became of age or married. The will was witnessed by my 2nd great grandfather, Thomas P. Janes. At the time of their death, the family was apparently living with Pearl’s maternal grandmother in District 148 of Greene County. 

After spending hours looking for the Davison family in the 1880 census records, I finally found them on a June 3 record. I knew they were “family” number 70 because the 1880 Federal Census Mortality Schedule for Greene County that recorded the death of Pearl’s father showed he lived with family 70. After searching through every district in Greene County, it finally dawned on me they may have moved in with Pearl’s grandmother. After all, the death of her father left her mother alone to raise three young children, ages 6, 3, and 1. She needed help. I found family number 70 with the head of household listed as Tempy Teller (age 54). Tempy shared her home with Tempy David (age 25 and a farmer), James (age 6), Mary (age 3), and Temperance (age 1). Pearl’s grandmother was Temperance (Newsom) Tiller so there they were, finally! 

1880 Greene County, Georgia census (click to enlarge)

On June 18, 1900, Pearl and her family continued to live in Woodville. At age 23, Pearl had been working as a school teacher for five years, as was her sister Estelle. Her brother James, age 26 and a lawyer, was the head of the household. Her widowed mother was enumerated as having had four children, three of which were living. Pearl’s widowed grandmother, Temperance Tiller, lived in the home, as did an aunt named Ann H. Newsome. The household also had two white servants—Shadrack Terrell (age 26) and Simon Daniel (age 23). Pearl married her childhood sweetheart, James “Mercer” Reynolds, son of John Leonard Reynolds and Emerette “Emma” Ellington Moody, in Woodville on February 19, 1903 in a ceremony performed by gospel minister C. A. Owens. Although their marriage certificate recorded their wedding day as February 19, Pearl’s obituary would later list the date as February 4.

Reynolds-Davison marriage license

Mercer Reynolds and Pearl Davison (ca. 1903)

Pearl and Mercer had five children together—Mary Estelle Reynolds, Martin Reynolds, James “Mercer” Reynolds Jr., Jack Davison Reynolds, and William Reynolds.

Shortly after their marriage, Pearl and Mercer moved to Natchez, Adams County, Mississippi where Mercer had been “named manager of the Southern Cotton Oil Company.” Their daughter Estelle was born in Mississippi in 1905. Shortly after her birth, Pearl and Mercer moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where he had taken a job as manager of the Lookout Oil and Refining Company. Pearl was the matron of honor for the June 5, 1906 wedding of her sister Temperance in a ceremony took place in Greene County. This gave Pearl a chance to visit with her mother. By the end of October that year, Pearl’s mother reciprocated and paid a visit to their Chattanooga home. Their son Martin was born there in February 1907; Mercer Jr. (Monk) was born there in November 1909. 

On April 21, 1910, Pearl, Mercer, daughter Estelle, and sons Martin and Mercer Jr. lived on Georgia Avenue in the St. Elmo neighborhood, located at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga. Mercer worked as a manager at a cotton oil mill. Son Mercer Jr. was four months old. Estelle was the only child attending school. Two significant events took place in 1912—the July birth of son Jack (Tincey) in Chattanooga and the September death of Pearl’s sister Temperance and her infant daughter, who only lived a few hours. Temperance, who was listed as Estelle in her obituary, and her daughter were buried at Greensboro City Cemetery. Mercer’s business interests were picking up by July 1913 with the formation of the Planters Gin Company (cotton) in Chattanooga (he held half interest and was the president), but Pearl and Mercer still found time to travel home to Georgia to visit family. Possibly distraught from the death of Pearl’s sister, brother-in-law George Merritt took his own life on January 14, 1916, leaving 8-year-old son George an orphan. George apparently went to live with Pearl and her family in Chattanooga. The house would grow by one more when Pearl’s son William (Bill [Blackie]) was born in November 1916. When Mercer submitted his World War I draft registration card about 1917, he listed his home address as 550 Vine Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee with Pearl, his wife, being his nearest relative. At the time, he worked at the Lookout Oil and Refining Company in Alton Park, Tennessee.

On January 16, 1920, Pearl and her family lived on Vine Street in Ward 7 of Chattanooga. Mercer worked at refining cotton seed. Her 12-year-old nephew, George Merritt, continued to live in the home. Pearl’s brother James died from pneumonia on February 15, 1920 and was buried at Greensboro City Cemetery. 

On April 14, 1930, Pearl and her family still lived on Vine Street in Chattanooga. Their home was valued at $20,000 and had a radio. George no longer lived in the home. Mercer was a proprietor in a cotton mill, Estelle a teacher in a public school, and Martin a clerk at an electric supply store. A joyous event took place at the home on June 20, 1931—the marriage of her only daughter Estelle to Kay Tipton. The home was large and able to host 100 people in the living room to witness the marriage ceremony. 

The Reynolds home on Vine Street in Chattanooga

Pearl and Mercer traveled to Southampton, England in April 1933. They arrived back at Ellis Island, New York on April 13 aboard the S.S. Manhattan. The Reynolds family were apparently big fans of Studebakers. On November 5, 1933, the Chattanooga Daily Times reported that Mercer Jr. accepted “delivery of a 1934 President Regal Studebaker sedan for his father.” The article goes on to say it was the 15th Studebaker they had purchased, the first one being in 1910. You'll see one of them in the photo above, parked in front of their Vine Street home. April 1935 was a happy time for the Reynolds family when Mercer Jr. took a bride, Charlotte Virginia Crabtree, one of “last season’s debutantes.” Pearl and Mercer hosted a dinner at the Hotel Patten for the couple on April 22 to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. The wedding took place at the First Baptist Church in Chattanooga on April 27. In January 1937, they traveled to Havana, Cuba aboard the S.S. Cuba, returning to the Port of Tampa, Florida on January 23, 1937. A month later, Pearl was taking care of her daughter-in-law Charlotte who was recuperating at the Reynolds home after an appendectomy at Erlanger Hospital. Pearl’s daughter Estelle and young daughter Kay traveled from Kansas City, Missouri for a visit with Pearl and Mercer in June 1937. Son Bill, a sophomore at Vanderbilt University in Nashville came for a visit that month as well. Pearl and Mercer hosted all five of their children and their families, along with nephew George Merritt, for Christmas dinner in 1937. A parent’s worst nightmare took place the evening of April 1, 1939. Pearl’s son Martin, a salesman with the Tennessee Electric Power Company, had dinner with his parents at their Chattanooga home. After the meal, Martin went to his room and took his own life. Mercer called a neighbor, Dr. J. Hamilton Taylor, who came to the home and stayed with Martin until he passed away. Martin had attended Georgia School of Technology and had been working with the power company for about nine years. He was active in several local clubs—the Mountain City club, the Engineers’ club, and the Chattanooga Golf and Country club. He had not felt well earlier in the week but Pearl and Mercer had no idea he would take his own life nor what brought him to take this action. Martin was buried on April 2 in section K, lot 124, grave number 2SE at Forest Hills Cemetery in Chattanooga following a service at the First Baptist Church. He was only 32 years old and single.

Like her father before her, education must have been important to Pearl and Mercer, sending their children to schools such as the University of Chattanooga, Shorter College, Vanderbilt University, Georgia Tech, and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to name a few.

On April 10, 1940, Pearl, Mercer, and son Jack lived in the same house on Vine Street in Chattanooga. Nephew George Merritt, his wife Velma, and 8-year-old daughter Maryllyn lived next door. Mercer was the president of a cotton chemical company. Son Jack was a chemist in the cotton chemical industry, probably working for his father. George was a proprietor at a drug store. Three of Pearl’s sons served in the U.S. Army during World War II—Mercer Jr., Jack, and Bill. Bill, a private at Camp Cross, South Carolina, was able to come home for a visit in October 1941. In February 1942, Pearl and Mercer visited Bill at Camp Claiborne in Louisiana. They made stops in New Orleans and Florida before going home to their Vine Street home.

Pearl and Mercer celebrated 50 years of marriage on February 19, 1953 with a dinner at their Vine Street home. This would be the last anniversary together for the couple.

Pearl and Mercer on their 50th anniversary. The portrait in the background
is Pearl's father, James M. Davison Jr.

Mercer had been ill for just over two years. Bedridden the last three months of his life, he lapsed into a coma mid-December 1953 and died of congestive heart failure at the age of 79 on January 13, 1954. Mercer was buried on January 14 in section K, lot 124, grave number NT001 at Forest Hills Cemetery. Upon his death, he was remembered by the Kingsport News in Kingsport, Tennessee on January 14, 1954 as an “industrialist who pioneered in the development of the chemical cotton industry.” Mercer’s estate was left to Pearl and their children. Pearl was specifically left their Chattanooga home and “all interest in property jointly owned by the two, free of estate or death taxes.” He also left her stock in the Southern Chemical Cotton Company. The 5,000-acres of land in Greene County, Georgia was to be managed by his three sons and son-in-law for the benefit of the four children. 

Pearl died at home at the age of 82 from malnutrition due to senility and cerebral arteriosclerosis (hardening of the walls of the arteries in the brain) on July 22, 1959. She was buried on July 24 in section K, lot 124, grave number NT002 at Forest Hills Cemetery in Chattanooga. Son Mercer Jr. was the informant on her death certificate. Pearl was survived by daughter Estelle, sons Mercer, Jack, and Bill, and six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Children’s Home.

Photo by SteveL, Find A Grave ID 47040641

During his lifetime, Mercer’s career soared in the chemical cotton industry. He bought and ran several businesses through the years and held several patents in the chemical cotton field. According to the book “History of Greene County” by Thaddeus Brockett Rice, Mercer was a native of Woodville. He would go on to discover “the process of solidifying cotton seed oil thereby making it possible to ship the oil in blocks instead of barrels or tank cars.” According to an article published in the Chattanooga Daily Times on January 14, 1954, Mercer was a pioneer in “many important developments in the production of vegetable oil compounds.” He was also interested in developing power resources of the Tennessee River and according to the same article, “became one of the South’s experts in the field of hydroelectric power development.” He was recognized for his work by President Herbert Hoover who “named him as a member of a commission to investigate and make recommendations concerning the development of water-power resources along the Tennessee River.” Mercer became active in highway development, joining the Dixie Highway Association and the Chattanooga Automobile Club. He served on the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, including holding the office of president. In addition to his business activities, Mercer was a member of several country clubs. He purchased thousands of acres of land in Greene County and built a family retreat that he named “Linger Longer.” The family used the retreat for many years as a getaway to hunt and fish. The land on which Linger Longer stood was eventually merged with land purchased by Mercer’s cousin James Madison Reynolds Sr. and used to develop Reynolds Plantation (now called Reynolds Lake Oconee), a luxury resort in Greensboro. Years later, the land would leave the family but because of Mercer’s ambitions and achievements, Pearl, Mercer, and their family were able to live a very comfortable life that was enriched by the many social activities they were involved in. 

Photos of Pearl Davison and Mercer Reynolds shared and used with permission of Ian Mackenzie. 

References

• Chattanooga City Directory, 1942.
• Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, February 13, 1937.
• Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, February 13, 1937, December 26, 1937, October 28, 1941.
• Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 5, 1933, February 25, 1942.
• Chattanooga, Tennessee, City Directory, 1942, 1944, 1952.
• Federal Census Mortality Schedule Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143490704/mary-pearl-reynolds: accessed 26 September 2021), memorial page for Mary Pearl Davison Reynolds (4 Jan 1877–22 Jul 1959), Find a Grave Memorial ID 143490704, citing Forest Hills Cemetery, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, USA; maintained by woowoo (contributor 49949980). Tombstone photo by Steve L., Find A Grave ID 47040641.
• Forest Hills Cemetery website; http://foresthillscemetery.net/.
• Jack D. Reynolds, U.S., World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946.
• Jack Davison Reynolds and Bill Reynolds, U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929.
• James Davison Certificate of Death no. 4992, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, 1920.
• James Davison will, Greene County, Georgia; Georgia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1742–1992.
• List of United States Citizens, Florida, U.S., Arriving and Departing Passenger and Crew Lists, 1898-1963.
• Lt. and Mrs. Mercer Reynolds Jr., Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 1, 1943.
• Martin Reynolds, Certificate of Death no. 7745, State of Tennessee, Dept. of Public Health, Division of Vital Statistics.
• Mercer Reynolds Jr., U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929.
• Mercer Reynolds Sr. Dies; Pioneer in Chemical Cotton, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 14, 1954
• Mercer Reynolds Sr. to Mark Anniversary, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, February 19, 1953
• Mercer Reynolds Sr., The Jackson Sun, Jackson, Tennessee, January 14, 1954.
• Mercer Reynolds, Certificate of Death no. 54-00716, State of Tennessee, Dept. of Public Health, Division of Vital Statistics.
• Mercer Reynolds, U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.
• Mercer Reynolds, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.
• Miss Crabtree and Mr. Reynolds Married in Saturday Ceremony, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 28, 1935.
• Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds Have Dinner for Bridal Couple, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 22, 1935.
• Mr. Mercer Reynolds and Miss Pearl Davison, marriage license, State of Georgia, County of Greene; Georgia, Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828–1978.
• Mrs. Pearl Davison Reynolds, Certificate of Death no. 59-16932, State of Tennessee, Dept. of Public Health, Division of Vital Statistics.
• Mrs. Reynolds, 82, Dies at Home, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, July 23, 1959.
• Personal memories of Ian Mackenzie.
• Reynolds Ends Life at Home: Son of Manufacturer Goes From Dinner Table to His Room, Shoots Self, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, April 2, 1930.
• Reynolds’ Estate is Left to Family, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, January 23, 1954.
• Rice, Thaddeus Brockett, History of Greene County, Georgia, 1786-1886, Carolyn White Williams (Editor), 1961. 
• Services held for Mrs. Kay Tipton, Madisonian, Madison, Georgia, July 17, 1975.
• Six Stand Ginnery and Large Warehouse, Walker County Messenger, LaFayette, Georgia, April 3, 1914.
• St. Elmo website; http://www.st-elmo.org/.
• Tennessee, Birth Records (ER Series), 1908-1912, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS9W-S4CC-D?cc=2515873&wc=Q64L-WMM%3A1590122617: accessed 3 October 2021), 007794323 > image 1086 of 2712; citing The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.
• The Atlanta Georgian, Atlanta, Georgia, June 2, 1906, June 7, 1906. and October 31, 1906.
• The Augusta Daily Herald, Augusta, Georgia, September 25, 1912.
• Tipton-Reynolds Rites Solemnized, Miss Estelle Reynolds Weds Macon Attorney, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 21, 1931.
• United States Federal Census, Chattanooga, District 19, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1930.
• United States Federal Census, Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1940.
• United States Federal Census, Chattanooga, Ward 7, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1920.
• United States Federal Census, District 148, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• United States Federal Census, St. Elmo, District 0086, Hamilton County, Tennessee, 1910.
• United States Federal Census, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, 1900.
• Walker County Messenger, LaFayette, Georgia, July 25, 1913 and July 26, 1914.