Carl Edwin Jackson

Carl E. Jackson

Carl Edwin Jackson, son of Enos “Perry” Jackson and Anna B. Church, was born on July 23, 1910 in Smithfield, Wetzel County, West Virginia. Carl had an older brother named Otto Virgil Jackson, born in 1906. Carl is a 1st cousin 1x removed of my husband Charles. Their nearest common relatives are Robert Church and Lucinda Murphy who were married on April 2, 1876 in Wetzel County.

The 1910 census was taken at the Jackson home on April 25, three months before Carl’s birth. That census record tells us that the family home in Smithfield was on Hayes Street in the Grant District of Wetzel County. His father was a salesman in a general store (Dragoo Brothers) and they had a boarder named David Ringer (age 53, widowed, born in Pennsylvania) living in the home with them. His mother was 23 years old and his father 31 years. Sometime before 1918, Carl’s parents divorced, an assumption I make based on the fact that his father’s World War I registration card dated September 12, 1918 listed Virgil Jackson as his nearest relative. Sometime between 1918 and 1920, Carl’s mother Anna married Everett Franklin Evans, son of William and Jane Evans.

On January 15, 1920, Carl was living with his father Perry and brother Virgil in Smithfield, Grant District of Wetzel County. His father was still a salesman in a general store. This census record notes that Perry was widowed, however, we know that his ex-wife Anna was still alive and I haven’t found another marriage record for Perry. On June 22, 1924, Carl’s mother gave birth to a premature baby boy they named Everett Franklin Evans Jr. Complications must have occurred and Baby Everett died on June 30, surviving for only nine days. He as buried at the Masonic Cemetery in Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia on July 1.

On April 3, 1930, Carl was still living in Smithfield with his father and brother Virgil. This census record shows that his father Perry was divorced, not widowed. The house they lived in was owned by Perry, had a radio, and was valued at $600. Perry still worked at the general store, Virgil was a laborer with an oil company, and Carl was not working. Wedding bells rang for Carl on February 6, 1938 when he married Pansy Virginia Burdine, daughter of Lewis Fountain Burdine and Lovie Mae Haught, in Wetzel County. Carl and Pansy set up house in Smithfield. Their daughter Sandra Sue Jackson was born in November of that year.

Carl and his wife Pansy

On April 10, 1940, Carl and his family lived in Smithfield. He worked for the South Penn Natural Gas Company as a rouster. A third child was born about 1942, named James Jackson. On April 5, 1945, Carl went to Huntington, West Virginia and enlisted as a private in the World War II draft. His registration noted that he had a grammar school education. Carl was still working at the gas company. His wife Pansy was listed as the person who would always know his address. They were still living in Smithfield at the time. He was 30 years old.

Carl's World War II registration card

Just a month after Carl’s trip to Huntington, his wife Pansy gave birth to their daughter Marilyn Elaine Jackson. Sad times were ahead for Carl and his family before the decade came to an end. Of course, I don’t know the circumstances, but with Carl having lived with his father after the divorce, I imagine they had a close relationship. This had to make it harder when his father Perry died in Smithfield at the age of 72 after a brief illness on September 19, 1948. Perry was buried at the Barker Cemetery in Pine Grove, Wetzel County, West Virginia.

Sometime in the 1950s, Carl and Pansy left Wetzel County and moved to Clarksburg. In the late 1950s, they lived in a duplex located at 647 West Main Street, not far from downtown Clarksburg. They later moved to an apartment building at 808 Locust Court. During this time, Carl worked at the MP Company which I believe was the Monongahela Power Company. One Clarksburg city directory notes that he worked as a groundsman there. Carl’s mother Anna died in Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia on March 29, 1959. She was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Clarksburg. Still in mourning, Carl and Pansy celebrated the marriage of their oldest daughter Sandra to Frederick Riley Knapp, son of Virgil B. Knapp and Iona Clifton, in Harrison, West Virginia on July 18, 1959.

Carl Jackson, his aunt Dessie (Church) Murphy, and her son Earl

On January 11, 1964, Carl’s daughter Marilyn married James Edward Dufour, son of Desire Alfonse Dufour and Rosabell Greathouse, in Harrison County, West Virginia. They apparently divorced and then remarried at the United Methodist Church in Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia on November 17, 1969.

Carl died in Clarksburg on February 6, 1978. He was buried at Greenlawn Cemetery in Clarksburg.

Carl and Pansy's stone is the 2nd on the left with the large floral arrangement

References

• Carl E. Jackson, U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946.
• Carl Edwin Jackson, serial number 1140, Registration Card D.S.S. Form 1.
• Certificate of Death no. 7255, Everett Evans Jr., West Virginia State Department of Health, July 1, 1924.
• Clarksburg, West Virginia, City Directory, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960.
• Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Health – Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics, Marriage Return no. 69 045049, James Edward Dufour and Marilyn Elaine Jackson Dufour.
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com: accessed April 5, 2020), memorial page for Sandra Sue Jackson Knapp (November 26, 1938–April 7, 2015), Find a Grave Memorial no. 144703349, citing Bridgeport Cemetery, Bridgeport, Harrison County, West Virginia, USA ; maintained by Anna (contributor 47477171).
• Smithfield, Enos Perry Jackson obituary, Wetzel Democrat, 1948.
• U.S. Federal Census, Liberty, Marshall County, West Virginia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Smithfield, Grant District, Wetzel County, West Virginia, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007, Fred Riley Knapp.
• West Virginia, Marriages Index, 1785–1971, Carl E. Jackson/Pansy Virginia Burdine; Marilyn Elaine Jackson/James Edward Dufour.
• World War I draft card, Enos Perry Jackson, September 12, 1918.

Robert Reeves Cheney

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.

Robert Reeves Cheney, son of James Stephen Cheney and Emily A. Young, was born in Georgia on June 2, 1884. I haven’t found a record yet that lists the city or county of his birth but his parents were married in Greene County in 1882 and lived in Lexington, Oglethorpe County in 1886 so he could have been born in either county. He went by Reeves, the middle name of his grandfather, Enoch Reeves Cheney. There were seven children in the Cheney family—Tallulah Cheney, Robert Reeves Cheney, William Lee Cheney, Frank Colly Cheney, Eva M. Cheney, Florence Dell Cheney, and Sarah J. Cheney.

Reeves is my 2nd cousin of husband of 2nd cousin 3x removed. We have no common relative. The Cheney family connects to the English family which connects to my Lankford family, all from Oglethorpe and Greene counties.

On June 6, 1900, Reeves and his family lived on Hancock Avenue in Ward 2 of Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. His parents had been married for 18 years; his mother had seven children, all of which were living. His father was a dealer in stock, probably horses. He and most of his siblings were in school; only little Sarah was still too young at age four to attend school yet. There were four other people living in the home—three were boarders named W. O. Cheney (age 16), Roy Cheney (age 19), and Luther Tolbert (age 26) and a 12 year old black girl named Elsie Hull who was a servant. Six months after this census was taken, Reeves was involved in a serious accident in Athens. The Augusta Chronicle carried the story on January 30, 1901:

(Special to "The Chronicle.") Athens, Ga., Jan. 29.—Yesterday afternoon, Reaves, the 16-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. James Cheney, happened to a painful and serious accident. He was driving in a buggy down Lumpkin street hill when his horse took fright and ran away. Reaves was thrown from the buggy and badly bruised, and was in an unconscious condition when discovered. He lay all night under the influence of opiates and is in a serious condition. The buggy was pretty well demolished. Today young Cheney’s condition is somewhat improved.

By 1906, Reeves had moved to Atlanta where he lived at 126 West Cain Street. He had taken a job as a traveling salesman for A. C. Woolley and Company, an egg food dealer on North Forsyth Street in Atlanta. By 1908, Reeves had moved to 119 East Georgia Avenue. And then something tragic happened, resulting in the death of Reeves in Atlanta on July 8, 1908.

Death extracts (Atlanta), vol. 11, Aug. 1907 to Dec. 1908

Obituary abstracts, May-July 1908

I haven’t been able to figure out what the cause of death was so say “tragic” simply because Reeves was only 24 years old. A funeral service was held at his home the next day, officiated by Rev. John E. Briggs, pastor of the Capitol Avenue Baptist Church there in Atlanta. Local area undertakers Greenberg, Bond & Bloomfield’s took care of the arrangements. Reeves was taken to Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia for burial.

Today, there are at least 22 members of the Cheney family buried at Bairdstown Cemetery.

References

• Atlanta, Georgia, City Directory, 1906.
• Extracts from Vital Statistics of the City of Atlanta, Deaths, vol. 11, August 1907–December 1908.
• Georgia, Fulton County Records from the Atlanta History Center, 1827–1955.
• Obituary of Robert Reeves Cheney, newspaper unknown, July 9, 1908.
• Rackham’s Poultry Directory, vol. 3., 1900.
• Robert Reeves Cheney, The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, Georgia, July 9, 1908.
• Special to The Chronicle, Augusta Chronicle, January 30, 1901.
• U.S. Federal Census, Athens Ward 2, Clarke, Georgia, 1900.

Easter greetings during World War II

Johnnie and Lucile Marston

We are in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic, something none of us ever expected to live through. Doctors, nurses, police, firemen, and even grocery store employees are working the frontlines, risking getting sick to take care of others and make sure people have food and other essentials. Most states are under a stay at home order and people can’t be with their loved ones. We’re told to practice social distancing if we do go out. Businesses are closed, leaving many people out of work. Grocery store shelves are bear due to panic buying. And worst of all, many people are dying. It’s a scary time for all of us.

Easter is this Sunday, a time of hope. Because most churches are closed, people are struggling with how to celebrate this most important Christian holiday. But it’s not the first-time people have been unable to celebrate Easter with their family. As I’ve done with several other holidays, I thought about my brother-in-law’s parents, Johnnie and Lucile Marston, and how they dealt with being apart at Easter during World War II. I’ve transcribed the over 300 letters Johnnie wrote to Lucile during that time so it was easy to search. The letters below are what I found.

Johnnie and Lucile were married in a simple ceremony in Jonesboro, Georgia on December 27, 1940. Six months later, he registered for the World War II draft, however it was almost two years before induction. Johnnie entered into the U.S. Army as a private at Fort McPherson in Atlanta on November 30, 1942. He entered into active service as a rifleman on December 7, 1942, assigned to Company L of the 334th Infantry Regiment, 84th Division. Johnnie was immediately sent to Camp Howze, Texas, “an infantry replacement training center located adjacent to the town of Gainesville in Cooke County, Texas” according to Wikipedia. He settled into life at Camp Howze, training for war.

By the time Easter came around, he was worried about his mother, dying from cancer back in Miami, Florida. All Johnnie wanted to do was to make her happy, and for Easter 1943, that was a photo of her son. He wrote Lucile about it on April 17, 1943:

My Dearest Darling, 

Well here is a lonely letter, from a lonely soldier. I hope this finds you well and not as lonely as I am. I have just come back from mail call and was really disappointed when I didn’t receive any letters from you. Maybe I will get one from you this evening. I hope so anyway. I received a letter from Louise yesterday. They are all getting along well, all except Mother, as you know about her anyway. Honey, Mother wants a picture of me and I thought I would send her a large one for Easter Sunday as a present. But as I am in debt with the Red Cross and owe some around here, I don’t know when I can send it to her for Easter Sunday or not. Being that I don’t want to borrow any more money around here in camp, but it looks like I am going to have to anyway because if it is in my power to get it, I am, as you know that anyway. I told you I was going to send you something on your birthday and I did, so I am going to have a picture made some way and send to Mother. I am going to try to do everything I can for her because the way things look, she won’t be here much longer. You don’t blame me do you? I try not to think about her going away, but it’s no use, it stays on my mind all the time. All you hear around camp now is that we are leaving. That is all they are talking about. Darn I wish they would quit talking about it, that’s another thing that’s getting me. Not that I am scared of going but I am afraid they might send me off without seeing you one more time. It if wasn’t for that, I am ready just any old time. I am not forgetting what them dam Japs have done to us. How is Earl and Geral’s farm coming along? Tell them to write me all about it. How is Robert and Nell? Your Mother? I will answer her letter as soon as I get some more time. 

So, lots lots Love, Johnnie

Like people today, Johnnie was worried about not seeing Lucile. Four days later, while he and his company were camping under the stars during training exercises on April 21, 1943, Johnnie was able to steal a little time to write Lucile. In his letter, he told her about an Easter card he received from her mother and asked Lucile to thank her for sending it.

Camp out 25 miles from camp. I would give a dollar for a pack of cigarettes if I had the dollars 

My Dearest Wife, 

I received your letter today and was glad to hear from you after not hearing from you in a week. We are camping out this week and will be out till Friday nite. How far we are from camp, tell you above. You are lucky to get an answer from me way out here and I was lucky enough to get some paper to write you. I am sorry you are not getting any more letters, but that is something I am not getting much time to do and that is writing. The only time I have time for writing letters is on Sunday. Please tell your Mother thanks a lot for the Easter Card and that it was really nice. Tell Grandma I can’t write her till this weekend and that I would write her as soon as I get back to camp. Tell little Bob Stack’s the same. Honey, I owe all of my money out this month and I could really use some if you can do me any good send it air mail. Tell Doc Hello.  

Love Lots Love, Johnnie

Johnnie was able to get a pass in March long enough to travel to Miami to see his mother one last time. On his train ride back to Camp Howze, he was befriended by a mother and daughter who shared their food with him and then sent him an Easter card after they all made it back home. He wrote Lucile on April 30, 1943 and shared the story with her.

My Dearest Wife, 

I received a letter from you yesterday and I couldn’t get the register you sent me with the money in it till today. We have been out on the field all week and that is the reason I didn’t get it till today. Thanks a lot for the money you sent me. But it was just a little late for I received some cigarettes from some friends I met on the train, coming back from Miami. The people I am talking about that sent me the cigarettes is a young girl and her Mother. This girl is about eighteen years old and not bad to look at either, Ha Ha. The way I met them was they had a lunch box full of cakes, sandwiches, apples, and a lot of other good things to eat. I was sitting across from them on the train and this girl’s Mother came over and invited me to eat with them. Being that I just had sixty cents, of course I went over and eat with them. Do you blame me? They asked me where I live and was I married. I told them yes, to the most wonderful girl in the world and I am not just talking either. As you know you are the only one for me. They asked me would I write them if they give me their address and I told them I would and of course they asked me my Army address. And I give it to them. They sent me an Easter card and the cigarettes at the same time. I think they are pretty nice people, don’t you? They live in Illinois. Honey, I wish you would have come on up because from what I gather, we are leaving sometime this month or the part of next month. Gosh, I wish I knew just when we were leaving. We are wearing our summer uniform now and mine doesn’t look bad at all. You shall see, Ha Ha. O’ yeah my hair is getting to look like something new, Ha Ha. Well Babe, since this is all the news for this time, I will close. Tell all hello for me, and to be good. 

Lots Lots Lots Love, Johnnie

Johnnie spent Easter 1944 in Italy where he received multiple Easter cards from Lucile’s family. He told her about them in a V-mail letter he wrote to her on March 18, 1944.

My Dearest Darling, 

Just a few lines to let you know I am thinking of you and hope this finds you well. Darling, please, if you have those pains every month like you say, go see a doctor. It really makes me feel bad to hear that you are sick like that. Honey, I received all the Easter greeting cards that your family sent. They were all very nice. Will close for this time.  

May God Bless you and Lots Lots Love, Johnnie

Bad things were happening in Italy and Johnnie was apparently in the thick of it. But thankfully he was still able to receive mail and enjoyed the Easter card Lucile sent him. He thanked her for the card in a March 28, 1944 V-mail.

My Dear Darling, 

Well, I finally got around to being able to write you a few lines once more. There isn’t anything wrong with me. I am as well as can be expected. But as you know I have told you in my other letters that there would be times when you won’t hear from me so regular and I know you understand that part. I hope this finds you in the best of health and I am also glad to hear that Mom Stacks is lots better. Give her my regards. I received the Easter card from you today. Also, three letters. The card was very nice. I know what you mean when you said you were looking over those letters I wrote you before we were married. I didn’t keep my promise to any of them, did I? I will do my best to make up a lot of things when we are back together again. I owe a lot to you. Will close. I miss you a lot and I Love you a Million. 

Johnnie

He mentioned the Easter cards Lucile’s family sent again in his April 6, 1944 letter. I’m sure it meant a lot to him that they took the time to send the cards.

My Dearest Darling 

Well here it is April the first and I hope this finds you in the best of health and also hope that you had a wonderful day being that you have had a birthday. I just hope and pray that I am with you on your next one, and the way things are going now, I will be. I haven’t heard from you in a good while now. I guess it is because I have moved on over here in Italy and my mail hasn’t caught up with me yet. How is the little old house, have you made much changes since I was there last time? I guess you have. Honey, I received a V-mail letter from Louise today. She seems to be getting along OK. Say Darling, have you heard from sister Kate lately? I haven’t heard from her since I’ve been overseas. It seems she would drop me a line by now. How is Doc and Ma getting along? Well, I hope. Darling I wish you would thank all of your family for me and let them know I received all the Easter cards they sent. Well Darling, I will have to close for this time. So, write me all you can and I will do the same. I Love you a Million.  

Always, Johnnie

It appears that Lucile had written Johnnie and told him about their Easter celebration back home. He mentioned it in his April 12, 1944 V-mail from Italy.

My Dear Darling, 

I received two letters from you today and I hope by the time you get this, that your measles have left you, because I know that kind of sickness isn’t fun, right? As for myself, I am as well as can be expected. Yes Honey, I am hoping to be with you on your next birthday, or sooner. Anyway, that will be one great day for me, and I know for millions of other guys. I am glad to hear that the kids had a good Easter and that Mom Stacks was able to be up and enjoyed it with them. Yes, I bet Melvin does look good in his new suit. Well Darling, I will close for now. I miss you a lot and I Love you a Million. 

Always, Johnnie

It wasn’t just Lucile’s family that sent Easter cards to Johnnie. He mentioned one he received from his father in his April 19, 1944 V-mail to Lucile.

My Dearest Wife, 

Just a few lines to let you know I am well and hope that this finds you the same. I received an Easter card from Dad the other day. I am going to try and drop him a line as soon as I finish this to you. How is all the family? Well, I hope. I guess Doc has already started going to the ball games, hasn’t he? Have you heard from Nell lately? How are Robert and her getting along? I wrote Hoppy the other day. Carl also. I am expecting a letter from Louise any day now. I wonder how Evelyn and Roy ever came out. Has she ever written you anything about it? Will close. Answer soon. I miss you Darling. I Love you a Million. 

Always, Johnnie

Johnnie took advantage of the Army’s Easter template in his March 19, 1945 V-mail to Lucile. Who doesn’t love jeeps and bunnies?

 Easter Greetings from 85th Division

“To My Dear Darling Wife”

I Miss You a lot. I Love You a Million.

Johnnie

The final Easter mention in Johnnie’s letters was a special one. Not only was it Easter, it was Lucile’s birthday too! Johnnie remembered both in his April 3, 1945 letter to Lucile written from Italy.

My Dear Darling, 

Just a few lines to let you know I am well, and hope with all my heart that this finds you in the best of health and everything is OK back there at home. Your birthday just past and on that day was also Easter Sunday. I hope on that day you enjoyed yourself as I know it wasn’t so good being that the way things are. But just remember I was thinking of you as I am always doing as you shall know you are my favorite dream. Honey I am glad to hear that Mom Stack’s is able to get up for a little while. Give her my regards. Also, glad to hear that the rest of the family are well and alright. I am sorry to hear the way Charles Stacks and the rest of your kinfolks are going about over the lumber company. I didn’t think they would be that way. But usually when you think some people are your friends you find out about how they are when things like that come up. I hope Mom makes up with them. You are more than right; they should be ashamed. Tell Nell, I can hardly wait to see the pictures of the baby. Thanks a lot. Well Darling, I will have to close for now. I miss you a lot. And I love you a Million.  

Always, Johnnie

Times were scary for Johnnie and Lucile too. But if you read all of his letters, you’ll see that they had hope that the war would end and Johnnie would come home to his darling Lucile, which he did. So, hang in there, we’ll get through this as well. Peace be with you.

Johnnie and Lucile Marston

You can read more about Johnnie and Lucile at the following links:

Sending love via a Valentine V-mail 

What was Johnnie doing on D-Day, June 6, 1944? 

Keeping up a tradition via V-mail during World War II 

Christmas in Italy, 1944 

References

• Camp Howze, Texas; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Howze,_Texas.
• Personal collection of letters written by Johnnie Marston to Lucile Stacks Marston dating 1939 to 1945.

Annie Armstrong

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.

Annie Armstrong, daughter of James Armstrong and Mary Caroline (Carrie) Edmondson, was born on July 19, 1860 in Georgia, most likely Penfield, Greene County. She had an older sister named Harriett Eliza Armstrong who was born in 1857. Annie’s connection to me is distant, but it’s there—she’s the wife of husband (Thomas B. Wilson) of sister-in-law (Evie Lena Stephens) of 1st cousin (Warren Andrews Mullins) of husband (Robert Dawson Callaway) of great grandmother (Alice Beman Lankford). Whew, I think I got that right! Annie and I have no common relative.

Annie’s mother was a little over a month from giving birth when the census was taken in 1860 so she wasn’t counted when the census taker came through Penfield on June 4. But according to that census record, her father James was a merchant with real estate valued at $1800 and a personal estate valued at $2000. A search of historical newspapers shows that James and Joseph P. Wilson owned a dry good business together in Penfield, an important business in the community. Dr. Frank Durham and his wife Sarah lived with the Armstrong family in their home located on Main Street.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Annie’s father joined other men from Penfield, including my 3rd great-grandfather James Meriweather Lankford, and mustered in with Company C (Dawson Grays) of the Third Regiment, Georgia Infantry. James wouldn’t come home to his family though—he was killed on May 3, 1863 during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. His body was brought home to Greene County at some point and buried at Woodville Cemetery in Woodville, not far from Penfield. James left an estate valued at approximately $9000. After his death, the house and lot were sold to pay his debts. Annie’s mother was given an allowance of support and maintenance for 12 months for herself, Hattie, and Annie, who were both minors. Two years after James’ death, Annie’s mother married her husband’s brother, John Armstrong, in Greene County on November 16, 1865. Carrie and John had two children together, Sarah (Sallie) Armstrong and James H. Armstrong. Within two years (May 7, 1867), John filed a petition for letters of guardianship in Greene County for Hattie and Annie.

Carrie Edmondson Armstrong

(photo shared on ancestry.com by

Missy McPherson, July 31, 2015)

On June 15, 1870, the Armstrong family continued to live in Penfield. Annie’s step-father John worked as a farmer with real estate valued at $2500 and a personal estate worth $500. Her mother, enumerated as Mary C. Armstrong, was keeping house; Annie was enumerated as “Anna” and her sister Sarah as “Sallie.” In mid-February 1875, Annie’s father John was diagnosed with paralysis. The Greensboro Herald reported his illness on February 18, 1875:

Sad Affliction. We are pained to learn that Maj. John Armstrong, residing near Bairdstown, Ga., was stricken with Paralysis, last week, and is still in a precarious condition. We trust he may be spared to his friends and his county.

Annie, her mother, and sister were dealing with John’s illness when the family suffered a terrible loss–the death of Annie’s mother at home near Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia on April 22, 1875. Carrie’s death was reported in The Greensboro Herald on April 29, 1875:

Died. We are pained to announce the death of Mrs. Carrie Armstrong, wife of John Armstrong, Esq., which occurred on last Thursday evening at the residence of her husband, near Bairdstown. Mrs. Armstrong was a most estimable woman, and her death creates a vacuum in the family circle and the community which can not be filled.

Less than two months after Carrie’s death, Annie’s step-father John lost his battle with paralysis, which was reported in The Greensboro Herald on June 17, 1875:

Death. It becomes our painful duty to chronicle the death of John Armstrong, Esq., which occurred at his residence, near Bairdstown on last Saturday, after a protracted illness of Paralysis. Mr. Armstrong was an intelligent, hightoned gentleman, and in his death the county sustains a serious loss.

A second article appeared on the same page that day:

The county and the Bairdstown community sustain a serious loss in the death of John Armstrong, Esq., which occurred last Saturday evening. Only a few weeks ago, a large cortege of mourners followed the remains of his wife to her last resting place. It is truly a bereaved family.

At some point after the death of Carrie and John, William R. Wilson was appointed a guardian to 14-year-old Annie. William was either her grandfather or uncle, I’m not sure which. On December 22, 1875, Annie’s sister Hattie married Robert E. Davison, son of James McCluney Davison Sr. and Margaret Moore. The Davison’s were a prominent family in Greene County. Robert, known as Bob to family and friends, would eventually become prison commissioner for the state of Georgia. Prior to that, he was named guardian for Sallie and James.

At the age of 16 years, Annie married Thomas B. Wilson, son of William Ralph Wilson and Mary Frances Edmondson, in Greene County, Georgia on January 18, 1877. Thomas was 19 years old.

Marriage certificate for Thomas B. Wilson and Annie Armstrong

By the time Annie reached the age of 19 years, she had given birth to two children, a daughter named Annie Lee Wilson in September 1877 and a son named James Lamar Wilson in August 1879.

On June 9, 1880, Annie and her family lived in the 138th district of Greene County, Georgia (I believe Woodville). She was keeping house while Thomas farmed to support the family. Little Annie was two and James nine months. A 14-year-old mulatto girl named Harriet Langsten, a cook, and a 14-year-old black boy named Harry McCommon, a laborer, were living in the home at the time. In 1882 when Annie was 22, paperwork was filed to dismiss her guardianship. She gave birth to her third child, a son they named Thomas Walter (or Walker) Wilson, in November 1883.

The next decade began joyfully with Annie giving birth in May 1890 to a fourth child they named Eva J. Wilson. The decade ended in sorrow with Annie’s death of unknown causes at the age of 38 years in Georgia on June 3, 1899. Annie was buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown.

Her will was filed on July 5, 1899 in Greene County by James H. McWhorter, Ordinary. She asked that Thomas C. Davison act as her executor, and that he do so without bond. Thomas was the brother of Hattie’s husband Robert. In her will, Annie asked that her estate be kept together and managed by her executor until her daughter Eva became of age or married. She further asked that Eva have a “good English education” and that Walter “go to school less years beginning in 1900” and that the cost be paid out of her estate. She asked that her sister Hattie control and raise Eva. After Eva married, Annie requested that the remainder of her estate be equally divided between her husband and children, share and share alike. Annie must have known she was dying when her will was written—she signed it on May 25, 1899. She died on June 3.

References

• Certificate of Death no. 31483, Mrs. Hattie Armstrong Davison, Georgia State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• Death, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, June 17, 1875.
• Died, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, April 29, 1875.
• Georgia, Civil War Muster Rolls, 1860–1864.
• James Armstrong, Greene County, Georgia, Wills and Probate Records, 1742–1992.
• Last Will and Testament of Mrs. Annie Wilson, 1899.
• Muster Roll of Company C, Third Regiment, Georgia Volunteer Infantry Army, Dawson Grays, Northern Virginia, Greene County, Georgia.
• “Sad Affliction,” The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, February 18, 1875. 
• Sale of Half Interest legal notice, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, December 11, 1879.
• U.S. Federal Census, District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1880.
• U.S. Federal Census, Militia District 138, Greene County, Georgia, 1870.
• U.S. Federal Census, Penfield, Greene County, Georgia, 1860.
• William R. Wilson, guardian of Annie Wilson, The Greensboro Herald, Greensboro, Georgia, April 20, 1882.

Barney, a family pet

You won’t find family pets in your ancestral tree but they are definitely part of the family. Once upon a time, we had a dog named Barney, the sweetest Cocker Spaniel you could ever have. Barney originally belonged to my sister Jennifer and it was her family who named him. I don’t remember why, but Jennifer gave Barney to Daddy while he was still a puppy. Daddy loved dogs and already had Spot, Barney’s brother, so he happily took him when offered. Like all dogs, Barney and Spot loved to run and play, and Daddy had a nice big fenced in yard to keep them safe and happy. Unfortunately, they tore up Daddy’s flowers, and Daddy loved his flowers, so he wasn’t happy about that. Around that time, our dog Murph, a Shepherd/Collie mix, died. Our oldest son Chris was around four years old then. Chris and Murph had been best buddies and Chris really missed him after he died. One day, Chris asked me, “Mommy, can I die for just a little while so I can go see Murph?” It broke my heart. The next time I talked to Daddy I told him what Chris said and his immediate response was I’m bringing him a dog—and he did. Before you knew it, we were picking the two of them up at Dulles Airport.

Barney turned out to be a good dog too. He was only a year old when he moved to Virginia and he had a lot of energy. Our yard was fenced in so he could run all he wanted to and he had a little boy to play with, soon to be two little boys. Like most dogs, Barney would run up and down the fence barking at people as they walked past our house. It didn’t take much to keep him happy.

He slept in the bed with the boys. Chris remembers he slept with him all the time.

Chris and Barney

When I look back at Christmas pictures, Barney was always right there with Chris and Kevin. Santa brought him treats too. Pig ears were his favorite. Barney was good about leaving the Christmas tree and gifts alone, but one Christmas I remember bringing a gift home from work that I hadn’t opened. I put the gift under the tree and we left for dinner, not worried about it since that hadn’t been a problem before. It turns out the box contained candles and Barney must have smelled something so of course, did what any dog would have done, he figured out which box it was and he opened it. When we returned home, the box and wrapping paper had been torn to shreds and were all over the living room floor, along with the candles. And there sat Barney in the middle of it all, looking guilty.

Chris, Kevin, and Barney

We used to take two week-long vacations every summer. The first one was to Florida. When it was time to pack the van, my husband would pull it up in the yard to make it easier to pack (we took everything but the kitchen sink). It’s like Barney knew we were going somewhere and he’d crawl into the front seat and just sit there, like he was waiting for us to get in and head down the road. We’d literally have to drag him out of the van when we finished packing. We couldn’t take him on that trip but he always went with us when we headed to Atlanta to visit my family. He never forgot Daddy and he’d go crazy when we got to his house. Kevin remembers how excited Daddy got as well when he saw Barney.

Daddy and Barney

Kevin, Barney, and Spot

     

Barney was pretty much a one trick dog. He’d shake your hand and that was about it. My husband remembers he wouldn’t let you get close to his bowl at dinner time. He’d growl at you if you tried to. Barney liked to look out the window and would sit on the back of the couch, which was the perfect height for him to see outside. As he got older, we had to keep an eye on him because he couldn’t keep his balance and fell off the back of the couch a time or two.

We lost Barney in May 2003. At nearly 17 years, he just got old. His health had been declining for a while and we knew his time on Earth was coming to an end. He got to a point where he couldn’t see and probably didn’t know what he was doing. He’d walk in a circle and hit his head on the furniture as he turned. If you didn’t stop him, he’d just keep going in circles. Other than old age, he didn’t have health problems so we decided to just keep him comfortable. But we knew we’d have to make a decision if it came to a point where he was in pain because we didn’t want him to suffer. I remember arriving home from work the Friday night before he we had him put down, finding him crying in pain. We knew it was time and called the veterinarians office right then and scheduled an appointment for the following morning. It was the longest night. We took turns sitting and hugging him, all saying our goodbyes. The next day, Charlie, Kevin, and I took him to the veterinarian’s office while Chris and his friend stayed home to dig a grave for him. When we returned, we put the box in the grave and then all stood there, lost in our own thoughts for a few minutes. Out of nowhere, Kevin says, “has anyone seen my baseball shirt?” We all looked at each other, none of us wanting to open the box. Finally, Chris’ friend said he’d do it and sure enough, there was the shirt. Turns out it had gotten caught up with the towel Barney was wrapped in when we arrived at the veterinarian’s office. The nurse must have thought we meant it for him and she wrapped him in both the towel and shirt.

It’s been a while since we had a dog and I miss having one. I’m hoping to get one after we retire.

Embroidered table scarf and pillowcases

Sam Lankford (ca. 1974)

It’s been a while since I shared a family treasure and because I’m behind on my research, I thought why not this week. Short and sweet.

My Daddy, Sam Lankford, used to do embroidery to relax at night. This was more than likely a winter activity because his evenings were spent in his gardens during the spring, summer, and fall months. If you follow my blog, you’ve seen his embroidered picture that won Best of Show at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, Virginia or the crewel owl that I had made into a pillow for my son Chris. You would have also seen some of his quilts. What I’m sharing today are pillowcases and a table scarf he embroidered. I don’t know when they were completed but he gave them to me during the 1980s.

The first image is from a table scarf, you know, the kind you used to see at your grandma’s house. Can’t you just see Cinderella climbing into her pumpkin coach, on her way to the ball? I used this scarf to protect my hutch for several years but it’s been years since I put it away. Actually, I’m not sure where I put it. I know it’s in the house somewhere. I need to look for it!

The next three images are from pillowcases, so there are two of each. I’ve never used these pillowcases and at one point thought about framing them instead. You can see on the image with the pear that he used a pattern but I’m sure he added his own personal touch. His stitches were clean and tight.

I really don’t ever recall seeing Daddy doing any embroidery work so still can’t wrap my head around the fact that he created these beautiful pieces of art. I hope you enjoy them.

Mendie Octavia Hayes

Mendie Hayes and her sister.
I was told her sister was named Lucie
but after researching the family, don't see
a sister with that name.

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.

Mendie Octavia Hayes, daughter of Waddy Thompson Hayes and Nancy Rice, was born in Carnesville, Franklin County, Georgia on July 9, 1892. Her parents had their hands full with 15 children—Francis C. Hayes, Mary E. Hayes, Sarah Hayes, Alice Hayes, Margaret Hayes, Dora Hayes, Charles B. Hayes, Cornealyos J. Hayes, James Rice Hayes, Parkes T. Hayes, Nancy E. Hayes, Harrison (Henry) L. Hayes, Mendie Octavia Hayes, Bessie (or Dessie) M. Hayes, and Alex E. Hayes. Mendie would be the wife of my 2nd cousin 3x removed. We have no common relative.

On June 20, 1900, Mendie and her large family lived in Canon, Franklin County, Georgia. Her mother was enumerated as having had 15 children, 13 of which were living. Her father was a farmer, most likely assisted by his six oldest children who were all enumerated as farm laborers. Nancy, Harrison, and Mendie were attending school. In what had to be devastating to the family, Mendie’s father died at the age of 61 on Valentine’s Day 1907. He was buried at Carroll’s United Methodist Church Cemetery in Carnesville, Franklin County, Georgia. Mendie was just 14 years old when she lost her father.

On May 5, 1910, Mendie lived with her brother James on Jim Hayes Road in Canon, along with her widowed mother Nancy, sisters Dora and Dessie, brother Harrison, and niece Sara Casey. At 25 years of age, James was head of the household. He was enumerated was a farmer on a general farm with everyone in the home except for Mendie helping on the farm.

Mendie married Robert Chester Lankford, son of William Mell Lankford and Nancy Ella Young, on December 2, 1917 in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. Together they had seven children—Robert Chester Lankford Jr., Nancy Lowe Lankford, Mell Thomas Lankford, William Norris Lankford, Vesta Mendie Lankford, Otis Young Lankford, and an infant son that did not survive. I believe her husband went by Chester.

Marriage certificate

On January 6, 1920, Mendie, Chester, and their son Robert lived on Lexington Road in Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, next door to Chester’s parents. Chester was farming on the family farm. Both Mendie and Chester could read and write. Mendie was a new mother with Robert just eight months old. Daughter Nancy was born in Oglethorpe County in June 1920, son Mell was born in Canton, Georgia in February 1922. Sometime after Mell was born and by the time Norris was born in April 1924, the family had moved to Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which is where Norris was born. They lived in a house on Tremont Avenue during that time. Chester worked as a brick layer to support the family. Instead of being a joyous time for the family, Christmas 1926 turned into a very sad holiday. On December 22, Mendie gave birth to a baby boy. The baby was most likely born prematurely and hadn’t fully developed yet so they probably immediately knew he was in trouble. Dr. H. N. Abernathy attended to the baby, but his little body couldn’t sustain life and he died four days later on December 26. His death certificate recorded him as “Infant of R. C. Langford” so it’s possible he was never given a name, but I can’t confirm that. They buried the baby the following day at Trinity Cemetery in Charlotte.

On April 22, 1930, the Lankford family lived in a house valued at $1500 on Glenwood Drive in Charlotte. Chester worked as a brick mason in the public works sector. Mendie was kept busy keeping track of her five children ranging in age from 11 to a year and a half. They were still living in Charlotte when Vesta was born in October 1928 and Otis in October 1930. Sometime after Otis was born, the family moved to Missouri, settling in St. Louis. Their lives would be turned upside down when Chester died of heart disease at the age of 46 in Brentwood, Missouri on October 22, 1938. Now Mendie was left to raise their six children alone. Chester’s body was returned home to Georgia and buried at Bairdstown Cemetery in Bairdstown.

On April 13, 1940, a widowed Mendie and her children lived at 8913 Pendleton Street in Brentwood, Jefferson Township, St Louis County, Missouri. They had been living in this same home since at least April 1935. The census enumerator noted that she had an 8th grade education and wasn’t working. Her 21-year-old son Robert was an assistant timekeeper for a fire brick manufacturer with an income of $1100. Her 19-year-old daughter Nancy was a beauty operator in a commercial beauty shop. Mendie’s son Norris enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 1943, serving as an infantryman during World War II. He was reported missing in action in Germany on December 16. Three months later, on March 2, 1945, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Norris was actually a prisoner of the German Government. At the time, Mendie lived at 459A Laurel Street. I believe Norris was released from captivity on May 1, 1945 and released from the Army on November 29, 1945.

In October 1950, Mendie probably received a phone call that all parents fear after her son Otis was involved in a car accident. He and his three passengers all suffered non-life-threatening injuries after crashing the car into a tree. In November 1951, Otis enlisted in the U.S. Marines, serving during the Korean War.

Mendie died in St. Louis, Missouri on December 30, 1979. She was buried beside her husband Chester at Bairdstown Cemetery in Georgia.

References

• “Among War Casualties from St. Louis Area,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Missouri, March 2, 1945.
• Charlotte, North Carolina, City Directory, 1925.
• Find A Grave Memorial 32145777, Mendie Octavia Hayes Lankford.
• Find A Grave Memorial 23490318, W. T. Hays.
• “Five in County Injured When Auto Overturns,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, Missouri, October 5, 1950.
• Infant of R. C. Langford, certificate number 313, North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909–1976.
• Otis Young Lankford, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007.
• Robert Lankford Certificate of Death no. 36755, Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics.
• “Scout Unit Notes,” St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, Missouri, November 12, 1939.
• U. S. Federal Census, Canon, Franklin County, Georgia, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Bairdstown, Oglethorpe County, Georgia, 1920.
• U.S. Federal Census, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1930.
• U.S. Federal Census, St. Louis, Brentwood County, Missouri, 1940.
• U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1898-1929, Robert Chester Lankford Jr., October 16, 1940.
• U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007, Mendie Octavia Lankford.