What I Remember About My Time At McClellan Processing

The silly things you keep when you're a sentimental person. I could have used this on the #occupation prompt but I didn't know I still had it. I'm the daughter of a #butcher

McClellan's Processing Co. was the family business. Many of us worked there through the years -- Great grandparents, grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins... some more than others but we all spent some time there. It's an interesting way to spend your youth, that's for sure.

I was really young when they still killed poultry on Fridays. I remember getting up extra early on those days. It was still dark by the time we'd make it over the plant. And I woud climb those tall narrow concrete stairs. I'd be given a broom to start sweeping the porch while Dad starting setting up and we'd wait for our first customers. Later, when everything got under way I helped my Mammy band the bags of finished product (chickens and turkeys). I , with my trusty Australian Shepherd, rounded up strays, I unloaded cages (I hated that - I was a bigger chicken than the chickens - probably why there were so many strays!). The few times I made it to the 'line' Grandma Nall taught me not to bust the gall-bladder lest you turn green. I don't remember the year they quit doing poultry but I think I was still in single digits.

When you're as young as I was, there wasn't a whole lot to do while waiting for age appropriate tasks. It was often cold and I can remember sitting close to the room heater and touching the bottom of my shoes to the glass panels and it melting the bottom of my shoes (yes, on purpose -- boredom is a terrible thing.). The heater looked something like this:



One of my age appropriate tasks was helping Grandma Nall wrap and stamp the meat and I also got to shove the meat down the grinder to make hamburger. When I grew up I had to help on the boning table. Curse that stupid boning table. I HATED that job. HATED it. I didn't mind grinding the hamburger, or tenderizing the steaks or rubbing the hams down with cure. I did hate that stupid white towel I had to wear on my head to keep my hair back but I hated hair nets worse so I wore the kerchief.

My dad lived next door and I loved the days Uncle Mike would fire up the smoker for the cured meat. It smelled so amazing outside.

I remember we were occasionally able to quit cutting meat early, but we still had to wait until 5 o'clock for customers. Those times were often filled sitting in the office and reading The Reader's Digest out loud with my dad.

I remember long time employees, Opal and Belva. And lunch time when it was a pot-luck.

I remember Tyson hogs. They would bring in a HUGE trailer full of hogs and we'd do pork for weeks.

There was one customer who would bring in his beefalo (the offspring of a cow and American Bison). He would often like to come and watch us cut his meat.

Another thing I remember is certain smells. Sometimes cookies or cake will take you back in time to a grandmother. The smell that will take me back to my time spent at the locker plant every time, is the smell of bleach and blue dawn dish soap. That is what we used to clean the tables and equipment and was a signal to the end of the day.

These are a few of my memories of my time spent working at the family business.

I hope the rest of my family will weigh in with some of their memories.

Until next time,
Becky

John Calvin Jones Family Photo Album

Today I had the most wonderful surprise waiting for me in my Facebook messages. A cousin, Diane, sent me snapshots of pictures belonging to her grandfather, "Bill" Jones, the youngest son of my 2nd great grandfather, John Calvin Jones. I love that she has these treasures and that she has shared them with me! Not all the photographs are labeled. If anyone knows who the unmarked photos are of, please speak up! 

Mamie Jones (1883-1943)

Lula Mae "Lou" Jones (1882-1914)

COD: War, Bushwhackers and Disease

I haven't blogged along with Amy Crooks and the 52 Ancestor prompts very consistently this year. This week though, a prompt caught my attention and prompted me to write about my HORNER family. The prompt was cause of death.

For as long as I can remember I've always been intrigued by the Civil War. I think it may have stemmed from growing up in Prairie Grove where there was a Battlefield Park. My maternal grandfather worked there for 15 years and it was where I square danced every August from 1984-1988.

Researching genealogy, I have come across many ancestors who fought in the Civil War. There are many stories, but none have given me such strong sympathetic feelings of anger, sorrow and desperation as those stories coming from my Johnson County, AR, families.

My Johnson County lines easily cross and double back. It was a tight knit community where neighbors married  neighbors, siblings married siblings, and people remained for generations --communities were literally family! You really have to stay on your toes when entering names and families into your family tree or you'll have double entries.

Getting back to my prompt.

My 3rd great grandmother, Oma BOEN, was the daughter of James BOEN and Zilpha HORNER. In the cemetery book my grandmother loaned me this past summer is a little snippet about James Boen's death:

"James M. Boen was in the Confederate army and was killed. One story was that he was working in a field near Fallsville, Arkansas, and the bushwhackers came through. Supposedly, they beat him to death and Zilpha was said to have held his head in her lap as his brains oozed out into her lap."

This is just one horrific story to come from the BOEN/HORNER line. I do want to say though, that James M. Boen's military records state he died in a Hospital at Crystal Hill 12 Aug '62.

CSA Camp Crystal Hill was located on Crystal Hill, northwest of present-day Burns Park (near I-40 and I-430 interchange).

Zilpha's parents were Spencer HORNER and Permelia TURNER.
James's parents were William BOEN and Narissa FARMER

The TURNER and BOEN families had 3 siblings that married.

James BOEN and Zilpha HORNER
Mary Ann "Polly" BOEN and William Riley HORNER
Jesse BOEN and Mary Ann "Polly" HORNER

Two HORNER sisters also married the same man, a John BOWEN name later becomes BOWMAN. Oma HORNER married him first, after her death, her sister Kissiah married him.

Spencer and Permelia had the following children:

1. John Turner married Susanna BOEN (daughter of Lewis BOEN and Mary HODGE)
2. Zilpha married James M. BOEN 
3. William Riley married Mary Ann "Polly" BOEN
4. Elizabeth married Francis Marion Acord (his brother William is another ancestor of mine)
5. Oma married John BOWEN
6. Mary Ann "Polly" married Jesse BOEN
7. Andrew 
8. Pleasant
9. Kissiah married John BOWEN/BOWMAN and later a William H. BOEN
10. James married Lucy RAY
11. Sarah married George VAUGHT

John Turner survived the Civil War and became a well known doctor in Missouri. Zilpha's husband, as previously mentioned, did not. He died either from a beating, wounds from war or illness Aug 1862. William Riley died a horrific death at the hands of bushwhackers in Aug 1864, Elizabeth died from pneumonia in March of 1864 and her husband Francis a month later in April. Oma died from causes unknown sometime before 1873 when her sister Kissiah married her widow. Mary "Polly" died in 1868, her husband died in 62 just weeks after his brother James M. BOEN.

Andrew and Pleasant both died in the war in July and Aug of '64, respectively.

Below is a story I found on Ancestry. I'm not certain who the original author is as the website it was attributed to is no longer in operation:

The Civil War was devastating to the Horner family. Spencer Horner was very much opposed to secession which made him and his sons very unpopular with their neighbors. All of Spencer's sons except young James and possibly his eldest, John, served in the Union Army. Several sons-in-law served the Confederacy. Their losses during the war were not limited to the death of their daughter Elizabeth.  In 1862 son-in-law Jesse Boen, husband of Mary Ann Horner, died only four days after enlisting in the Confederate Army. On 31 July 1864 son Andrew Jackson Horner died of measles in camp at Lewisburg Ridge with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. Before 1864 daughter Oma passed away.
In August 1864, Spencer's son William R. Horner, went AWOL from the Union 2nd Arkansas Infantry and returned home. He was at his father's house along with most of the Horner family, including Spencer's recently orphaned grandsons John Samuel Acord and Christopher Columbus Acord, on 2 August 1864. The family was enjoying a fried chicken dinner but were concerned about bushwhackers so they sent some of the children out to watch the road. Several men appeared coming off the mountain and the children ran into the house yelling "Here they come Grandpap!" William bolted out the back door hoping to cross the potato field and disappear into the woods. Spencer recognized the men as neighbors and went into the yard to talk to them as the family watched from the house. They were in no mood to talk, they shot and killed Spencer where he stood then chased down William. They caught him in the potato field, pistol whipped him and, according to Spencer's daughter Sarah, "crushed his privates," then left him for dead. The women were afraid that if they took him back to the house, the bushwhackers would come back to finish the job so they took him into the woods and hid him in a cave or overhang. Each day they would take him food and care for home as best they could. They were afraid that if the bushwhackers saw them going into the woods with supplies, that they would realize William was alive so they wrapped their supplies into bundles to resemble a baby. Unfortunately, William died eight days later on 10 August 1864. The epitaph on William's tombstone reads, "Wm. R. Homer Born Aug. 1, 1834 Killed Aug. 10, 1864 by parties known to his family." It is generally believed that one of the Stewarts from Yale participated in these killings, probably Henry Stewart who is buried in Yale Cemetery.
Just two days after this incident Spencer's son Pleasant Horner died in camp at Lewisburg Ridge with the 2nd Arkansas Infantry. Family lore states that after Spencer and William's death, all the buildings and fences were torn down and Permelia was unable to make repairs so she sold the property for a chunk of a mare and a old wagon. She loaded up the wagon and was seen leaving town, perhaps joining some of her family in Webster County, Missouri. Another account states that son John Turner Horner organized a wagon train of Union sympathizers and moved the remainder of the Horners to Webster County, Missouri. Permelia and some of the other Horners returned after the war. Spencer's estate was settled in 1865. 

Anther story found online:

A family history was told in 1942 by Professor John Turner Horner, to Eva Horner, his daughter, about Dr. John Turner Horner of Cassville, Missouri.
"His dad (Spencer Horner) was a slave owner, but he was a Union man. When war came up all his boys joined the Union Army except Dad (Dr. John Turner Horner). The Confederates conscripted him, so he was on one side, and his three brothers were on the other side. His (Dr. John Turner Horner) younger brother was Will. He (John Turner Horner) managed to get away, slipped out on them and joined the Union Army. His oldest boy, Louis, was 15; he was afraid Louis would be conscripted too, so he took Louis with him. He recruited one whole company in the federal army, Company K. Bill Mullen, Cassville, was one of the men he recruited. His son Louis got a pension. Now then the lines were drawn. Most of Arkansas was rebel. Dad (Dr. John Turner Horner) and his brother got a furlough to go home to visit their folks. He would dodge around through the mountains to go to the house at night, etc. Dad (Dr. John Turner Horner) said his horse needed shoeing and he had to go out on the mountain 5 miles to get it shod. He told his brother, Will, and his father Spencer Horner that whatever they did, never go to the house in the daytime. But the mother (Permelia Turner Horner) was killing a chicken so the father Spencer Horner and Will went to the house. Wasn't long till about 20 rebels came riding up. Grandfather (Spencer Horner) went out into the potato patch and said, 'I surrender!' and they shot him down. Will ran through the lot and up on the mountain side and was shot in the head. He lived several days in a cave.

Dad (Dr. John Turner Horner) had a squad of men, including Wash Middleton and Fate Arnold, desperate men, to go back into the hills and clean out that bunch. They killed 17 out of the 20 bushwhackers.

Dr. John Turner Horner knew that after he was conscripted and deserted the Rebel Army, if he ever became a prisoner, they'd shoot him. That's why he never got on the Union Army record. He was either afraid, or too careless to get an honorable discharge. Dad's (Dr. John Turner Horner) squad was equal in number to the other squads. One day they met in a corn field and each man picked out his man. Dad picked out the leader; couldn't shoot him, threw his pistol at him. They caught one man walking between his wife and his mother. Wash Middleton shot him down. One night they surrounded a house where the bushwhackers were having a dance. Wash Middleton took the man who killed grandfather (Spencer Horner) by the hair and dragged him out, 'Now you'll kill a helpless old man' and killed him. Fate Arnold didn't know what fear was. 'I (Prof. John Turner Horner) heard so much about him that I expected to see a wonderful man. When I got a certificate in Stone County, his son-in-law was a County School Commissioner, and I told him I wanted to see Fate Arnold.' He was a little wizened old man.

Father (Dr. John Turner Horner) helped to take a refugee train of Union people out of Clarksville, Arkansas, to Marshfield, Webster County, Missouri. That was where dad met mother (Mary Gillian Dunlap) and her two girls, in that refugee train. Fate Arnold would volunteer to go through 20 miles of Rebel lines to get ammunition, and he'd always come back. Once he jerked his horse's head up, and the horse got shot in the head. Arnold got wounded. He stayed with my father (Dr. John Turner Horner) in Marshfield, Missouri until he got well. Mother (Mary Gillian Dunlap) said there'd be a pool of blood under his chair. In Marshfield the folks were suspicious of the Union soldiers who came up from Arkansas. Fate Arnold and dad (Dr. John Turner Horner) passed a saloon one day and heard some man say, he didn't believe there ever was a Union soldier who came up from Arkansas. Fate Arnold says, 'Did you hear that?' 'Yes, but there's just two of us. We'd better let it pass.' 'No, I'll not.' They went back, ordered drinks, dared the man to repeat it, and they let it pass. Dad's name was always on the list of GAR at the Cassville Reunion.

Grandfather, Spencer Horner, had a pot of gold and silver and paper money, but they never did find it after he was killed. Louis had a dream about 'a black gum tree in the middle of a field - put my back to the tree, took ten steps toward the house, dug down, and found the pot of gold.' Dad's, (Dr. John Turner Horner) brothers and sisters were Will, and two who died in the Union Army, Sarah and Jim Vaught Eva Horner saw Sarah near Oark. Arkansas one time, Zilphie and Bob Mooney. Bob Mooney, after his wife died, went to live with one of his girls, and said she objected to his spitting in the fire. He say's 'I went and found me a woman and now I've got a place to spit.' Dad (Dr. John Turner Horner) said Jess Wilson was a brave man too. One time they left Jess Wilson to hold their horses when they went to fight. Jess was another little measley, looked like he wouldn't fight a chicken.

Dear Mammy

I have found this world to often be ironic.

You and I spent so many moments together during my younger years when you kept me every other weekend while Dad worked at the Sale Barn. There were chores. So many chores. But there was also rest. You would spread out your old jean quilt on that red carpet in the living room and I'd lay down for a 'nap'.  During that time we would often watch Wild America while you would crochet or mend jeans. But there was also this show that would come on on PBS that stuck a cord with you, Anne of Green Gables. You saw me in a little red headed orphan girl named Anne and you saw yourself and Bampy as the Cuthberts, much too old to raise a young girl.

Bampy called me Becky-two-shoes. You called me your Anne with an E.



Like Anne, I had lots of outbursts and temper fits. And like Marilla you remained calm and always pointed me in the right direction.

There's a famous quote from our PBS special that always makes it's way around this time of year:

"I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. It would be terrible if we just skipped from September to November, wouldn't it? Look at these maple branches. Don't they give you a thrill--several thrills? ~- Anne of Green Gables, L.M. Montgomery

There's the irony. October. The month you left this world. Can't we skip it? It's fitting I suppose. The cold, grey days. This month is always heavy with memories of you -- maybe that's where I can find a thrill? Imagine me having outbursts of sadness in my heart and you calmly saying October is the perfect month for you to remember me.

Let's start with all branches lying around on the ground and crispness in the air. Build a fire, Anne, and remember me.....

I look through my Facebook memories and there you are:

10/25/2011 Making some apple dumplings today. Takes me back to when I was younger and Mammy & Grandma Nall were sitting on the back patio. They had me gather all the apples that had fallen to the ground then we peeled them and made apple dumplings on the fire we had started earlier from picking up sticks out of the yard.
We picked up the apples that had fallen to the ground so that they didn't go to waste... cut and peeled them, cut out the bad spots, added sugar and cinnamon set them to boil and then dropped in dumplings. Uncle Mike came in from working and was the first to sample them.....

11/6/2010 Its been two weeks since I was able to wrap my arms around your neck and feel your gentle touch. I miss you. I have all this hurt inside and just as its about to surface with great force it fades away. Why? I don't want it to fade away. I want to cry and cry and sob until I make a complete fool of myself. I'm not sure how much of my day is actually spent thinking in the present...it seems most of it is spent watching a projector in my head with these quick erratic snippets of my time spent with you. There's the goose Mitch killed and you taught me how to pluck it, there's all the time spent picking up sticks out of the yard and burning them. You hung Mitch's goose over the fire to give it a smoked flavor.....

Picking up rocks in the garden, the crazy mean rooster, the chickens I was afraid of and how you clipped their wings so they couldn't fly away. The rabbits you used to keep. Your little dog, Missy and how she grieved herself to death when you went to be with Grandma Jones. The old blue heeler that went blind -Blue. The tires swing in front of the house that the other grandkids and I played on. Fish fry's and how you and g'ma Nall ate the fins and all. Drama with me being afraid of heights and bugs and how I couldn't start the fire in the trash barrel with only two matches. There's the time you took a picture of me having a fit trying to sweep under the bed. I remember sleeping between you and Bampy. On hot nights rubbing his back down with rubbing alcohol. Tightly holding your gown at bedtime. McClellan cheese. Hee-Haw. Brushing your hair on Friday nights watching Dallas & Falcon Crest. Saturday mornings spent cleaning and how you would tell me to look at the picture you had of Jesus knocking on a door and remind me to clean like He was coming to visit. Rainy day. Sunday mornings..."I can't find my slip" Sunday afternoon dinners. My favorite was your BBQ brisket you made in the electric skillet. I have so many memories and I'm so afraid I'm going to forget some of them. I can't lose my memories of you. I miss you. I love you....

11/3/2012 Its finally getting pretty chilly out. I'm reminded of all the times we gathered wood. I can remember all of us grandkids going out to load it up after Bampy cut it and then using the tractor and splitter at the house. I can also remember a specific time when Jen and I didn't have warm enough clothes so you had us wear some panty hose under our pants to help keep us warm. The only thing was, they kept falling down and every time we would pick up a piece of wood we'd have to stop and pull up our britches. You also taught me how to start a fire in the fire place. Not very often, very few times, I was actually the first one up on Saturday and I was always so proud of myself to be able to have the fire started before you and Bampy were up. You two & Grandma Nall taught me so much. I miss you all.

Three more days. 28 October 2010. The day you left. I need to empty out the ashes in my fire-pit that Patty-wagon made me. It's cold. There are lots of sticks to be picked up. I guess I need to build a fire....

I miss you,

Anne with an E

Revolutionary Pay Vouchers of My Ancestors

Today while taking it easy (all I seem to do anymore) I came across another record collection on Family Search; North Carolina Revolutionary Pay Vouchers 1779-1782  (Remember these records are free. All you have to do is create an account- for free).

I thought I would do a quick post sharing what I found on my North Carolina Revolutionary War Ancestors -- I have a ton.

*Remeber to click on links for more information where I have blogged about them before.

I'll start with my Irish ancestor General Griffith Rutherford and also his son James Rutherford who died in the Battle of Eutaw Springs. This is a paternal ancestor that I get to from my Mammy's side. Her mother was Lurie Myrtle Rutherford. From there you can trace a straight paternal line back to James and then his father Griffith. (James Walter, Thomas Franklin, Thomas, David, James, Griffith).





Bradbury Teal is another ancestor stemming from my Mammy's side. Her father was John Arthur Jones. His Father was John Calvin Jones. His mother was Mattie Teel and from here you go two more generations to get to her grandfather Bradberry Teel who ended up getting into severe legal troubles over counterfeit money.



Robert Lemond/Lemmond/Lemmon also on my Mammy's side. Thomas Rutherford (from above) married Margaret Adaline Lemmond. She was the daughter of James McCullough Lemond who was the son of Robert Lemmon.

I couldn't find a single record for my maternal line ancestor George Upton in these records but he was a Revolutionary War Veteran from Alabama (not North Carolina). 


George Horner is on my maternal side. My great grandfather Obie Zearl Melson, his mother Julia Bohannon, her mother Oma Boen, her mother Zilpha Horner, her father Spencer and his father George.



James Stepp is a maternal ancestor going four generations back from my great grandfather Newell Stepp. His father was James Jonathan, his father William and his father James and his father was James (this line has several James Stepps going even further back).



Thomas McKie/Mackey/ is another Irish ancestor, on my mother's side. My great great grandmother, Rebeccca Merrill Stepp, her mother Martha Young, her father William Young, his mother Rosanna Hemphill, her mother Mary McKey, her father Thomas Mckie/Mackie/Mackey.



Thomas Hemphill was the above Thomas Mackie's son-in-law, married to his daughter Mary. He was also a Captain in the Revolutionary War.




Robert Patton is my 6th great grandfather on my maternal side. My great great grandmother Rebecca Matilda Merrill's mother, Martha Young, her mother, Rebecca Edmondson, her mother Sarah Patton and her father Robert.



And last but not least, another Irishman, George Cathey, the father-in-law of the above Robert Patton.



** Interesting Tidbitt on my PATTON line** I can trace my maternal and paternal lines back to Robert's grandfather William. And I have copies of records where my paternal ancestor Griffith Rutherford gave testimony on a land survey belonging to my maternal ancestor George Cathey.

Small world.

Until next time,
Becky

Memories of Bampy

Another memory from my Facebook:

My sweet (grumpy), loving (not affectionate) Bampy - whom I loved, admired, and feared (just a bit) has crossed my mind a lot lately thanks to technology. During my childhood at the kitchen table he would often turn to my grandmother and say, "What'd she say Winnie?" to which she would reply "Why don't you ask her to repeat it?" to which he would reply "I can't understand a thing she says! She mumbles!" Then if he wasn't worn completely out from working in the hay fields, garden, or taking care of cattle he would wink at me...

Well here is where technology comes into play... it would seem that Text to Talk would agree with you, Bampy! It never gets what I say right! And I always hear your voice saying its because I mumble! *Sigh*

Just so everyone knows I loved my Bamby with all of my heart. He wasn't always gruff. He had a soft side, it was just a unique soft side. To show his affection to us grand-kids he would always call us to his side where he would bite our arms just enough to barely leave indentations from his teeth all the while saying, "Give me a chomp." and we would squeal like little piglets and know that we were loved. I miss you, Bampy.

Back Row: Me (Becky) and Jennifer
Middle Row: Jeremy, Bampy & Mammy
Front: April, Matthew and Jeff
Missing: Mitch, Amie and Mandi
Taken at the motel in Seymour, TX

** I also want to add that I have been blessed with a mumbler -- my youngest. She talks so fast and quiet I can never understand a word she says. Every time I have to ask her to repeat herself, I think of you!

Until next time,
Becky

The 2000 Nall Family Quilt

I've had a bit of a habit of posting genealogy stories and memories on Facebook instead of my blog. There seems to be more readers over there. Well, today, I came across this post in my memories and figured I should preserve it here on my blog. 

It's funny this was my memory, considering a conversation the hubs and I were having last night as we laid in bed waiting to fall asleep. The Mega Millions jackpot is now at a record $900M and we discussed our daydreams if we were to win the lottery, even though we haven't even bought tickets. I said that I would want a sewing room so I could make quilts. The older I get the more I find things like sewing, and crocheting less of a waste of time and more something productive I can do when I need to sit down and take a break. Something I can pass on to my children and maybe even grandchildren some day. It's funny how perspective can change in two short years.

When I was a young girl my Mammy and Grandma Nall tried to instill a love of hand sewing. I was given a little cookie tin to keep my thimble, needle, thread and fabric in and whenever they would get together I would get out my little tin. If my Bampy needed a button sewed on a shirt... out came my little cookie tin. I still keep a little tin packed full of sewing supplies today despite having BOTH of their nice sewing boxes that my Dad bought them one year for Mother's Day. So I decided to add all the contents of my little cookie tin into their sewing boxes and I came across this little treasure. In my great grandmother's handwriting, this is the pattern for our 2000 family quilt. For a few years, all the ladies of the family were instructed to make quilt blocks for the members of their immediate family and embroider names and birth dates on them and then Grandma Nall would make a quilt to be given away at the family reunion. I didn't get a quilt but I am happy to have this. 

P.S. Despite their best efforts - I really dislike sewing. I'll do it. But I don't enjoy it.

Grandma Nall with her son Bo and daughter-in-law Bette and our 2000 Nall Family Quilt

To Them Were Born Ten Children

Its been a while since I've blogged along with Amy Johnson Crow using her 52 Ancestors prompts. I'm  having a few set backs after my hysterectomy and that has given me a little (a lot) of sit down time. This morning, when I opened my email from her, I saw that this week's prompt is Ten.



A few months ago while recouping from surgery, I came across an excellent resource for old Texas Newspapers from Texas Tech University. It is part of their digital repository of the Southwest Collection/Special Collections Library. In the past I had often turned to The Portal To Texas History for newspaper collections, as well as Newspapers.com  but was always disappointed in the lack of information I could find on my Texas family. This new resource though, has provided so many articles about my RUTHERFORD, JONES, NALL and FOSTER ancestors that lived in the Foard and Knox County areas.



Today I want to share with you the obituary of my 2nd great grandfather, John Thomas Nall. It can be found in the July 18, 1946 publication of The Knox County Herald. As you may notice, the heading of the article gives his middle initial as F but as you read the obituary you'll see that's a typo. It has been my experience that there are often small errors in newspaper articles, but they are great to use along with other records. A few other errors in this obituary are Ophelia's maiden name -- it's actually RICH. According to their marriage certificate they were married Aug 1882 not March 1884.



Another error is her death date. According to her Death Certificate, Ophelia died from cancer of the nose and face on 27 January 1935, not 1937. My great grandfather, Benjamin Rufus was the informant.





John's obituary states that he and Ophelia had ten children. I believe this statement is free from errors. Using census records, that is the amount of children I have attributed to them as well.

In 1900 this family was living in Rockwall, Texas. Ophelia is reported as having given birth to 7 children with only 6 surviving. There were only 5 children listed in the home because the eldest, Emey, had recently married a Mr. Preston Zachary. Also living in the home is Ophelia's younger brother Orville. The deceased child is said to be Charlie Nall b 1894. I'm not certain where that information came from, but I think it was from genealogy information my great Aunt Dean gave us one year at a family reunion years ago.






In 1910 the family was back living in Collin County. Ophelia is the mother of 10 only 7 are still living. New additions to the family are Roy, Mollie and my ancestor, Benjamin. Emey is still alive and well living with her family in Rockwall. James can no longer be found. Minerva is now married to Mr. Robert Ross and living in Collin County as well. Else is also living in Collin County and is now married to Mr. John Anderton. James A is now going by Archie and Ethel can no longer be found.

I have searched all the different ways I could come up with for obituaries for Ophelia and these three children and can't find any article mentioning their deaths or any death record at all for the children. John's obituary says that four children preceded him in death. The fourth child is  Roy Nall who died from complications associated with surgery and typhoid fever in Oct 1926. He was only 26 years old and was the father of two young children.



If anyone has any information on these missing children, I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time,
Becky

StoryCorps And The Great Depression

A few years ago, I mentioned a website and App called StoryCorps when I interviewed my maternal grandparents during the Great Listen that takes place every Thanksgiving. Well, today I wanted to share an interview that my husband made of his maternal grandparents for a 10th grade American History assignment in high school, using the StoryCorp program. He went to school in Jay, Oklahoma and the year of this interview is 1991. I hope you enjoy this 2 part series.





My husband has decided to return to school. I am beyond proud of him for this decision. He works a very physical hot job 40-50 hours a week and is going to school full time all for the betterment of himself and our family. One of his writing assignments is to write about a story he has been told. If he chooses this interview to write about and gives me permission, I may add it later as a guest post. Fingers crossed!

Until then,
Becky

When The World Stopped Turning

Yesterday was the Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. For my own personal history I figured I should write a blog post about what I remember about that day. Where I lived, what transpired.

The above picture is one I snagged from Google Maps. When I lived there the house was grey or blue, I just can't remember.

What I do remember is that this house held very few good memories. When we moved into this house I was about 2 months pregnant with Laney and Patrick was almost 2 years old. We were so poor while living in this house. The decision to move was a last minute one that Gaylan had made because he felt he had a brother that needed him closer. We argued a lot about this move, but ultimately I was told he was going and I could either come with him or stay. Having just learned I was pregnant, I chose to go. We didn't have the money to turn on the gas so if I needed hot water it had to be boiled in my crock pot and deep fryer and carried to the tub. We didn't have money for water either, but I'll save that story for another time. This house was also infested with roaches and what little food we could afford that wasn't meant for the refrigerator was locked up in the microwave. It was the tale end of summer when we lived there and it was SO hot. We had no air conditioning so the windows were always open. Every night at bedtime a skunk would come around and that coupled with terrible morning sickness kept me ill. I mentioned not having money, (we moved without him having a job and had saved just had enough money to rent this house and turn on the electricity) there were times all I could afford was a can or two of clam chowder from the Dollar General. I fed Patrick what he could eat and left the rest for Gaylan. As luck would have it, when we moved into this house the cord on our dryer didn't match the outlet in this house and -- no money -- so I would hang our clothes on the line. One day, because of starvation and heat, I'm sure, I was coming in from hanging our clothes and passed clean out on the front steps. Gaylan was never home, because he had finally gotten a job hauling logs from down in Louisiana. He would leave when it was dark and wouldn't get home until late.  Our neighbor right across the street just happened to be outside and watched me fall. He came running just as I was coming to. He desperately wanted to call an ambulance but I knew we couldn't afford it (I hadn't even seen a doctor for my pregnancy yet, and wouldn't until I was 7 months along, for the same reason) so I convinced him I was okay. Throughout the course of the summer he would bring Popsicles over for Patrick to have. He also went and bought us a new cord for the dryer. I sure do wish I could remember his name,  he was such a nice man. Anyway, without money, there was also no entertainment. I had construction paper and crayons and would teach Patrick his shapes and his letters and we had our TV and VCR for him to watch cartoons (Bob the Builder and Barney). We didn't have cable and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get a signal for antenna TV or the radio. But I do remember that day in September, there was a knock on the door, it was my neighbor. He was out of breath from running and he had come to tell me the tragic news. I grabbed Patrick and we went to the bedroom where the alarm clock/radio was and I tried desperately to get a signal. I could get bits and pieces but it was mostly static.  I didn't see the stories on the television of the bodies falling or of the towers collapsing; all of that came later every year on the anniversary of the event. I was in a way shielded from the terror. Which was a blessing because I'm not sure I could have handled much more stress at this point in my life.

We eventually moved from this house a month or so later to a trailer house in Center Point, AR, where we lived until Gaylan lost his job, about one month before I was due to give birth. His oldest brother who shared the same employer had been in a wreck and there were bad feelings that led to his unemployment. We really struggled during this time. My mom and dad paid my car payment and his sister sent money when she could to help, but we eventually had to leave. Several precious and personal belongings were left at that house. We lived with Gaylan's oldest brother for a time (God was really looking out for us with the timing of moving out of  his brother's house --  again another story for another time) and then we lived with his Uncle Tom for about a week before I went into labor. For rent I would clean, cook, and wash and iron Tom's clothes and Gaylan worked with his cousins hauling chickens.

Most women gain 20-40 lbs during a pregnancy. I lost 9lbs. But God is good, and despite the lean times, Laney was born healthy. She did have to be kept in the nursery to get her body temp up, but not for very long.  After we left the hospital we moved in with his parents where we lived until we managed to get back on our feet. Gaylan eventually went back to the job he had quit before we moved and we were able to rent an apartment on Meghan St. in Siloam Springs. I began baby-sitting and things were really good for a time.

I think I will stop for now.

Until next time,
Becky

P.S. My SIL also blogged about her 9/11 memories. You can see her post here: Stories for the Boys: Where Were You When The World Stop Turning?


KENNERLY, CRIBBS, AND HARBOUR

A few years ago while researching my ancestor, John P KENNERLY, who came from Gibson County, TN and settled into Pulaski County, AR I came across a connection between three surnames: KENNERLY, HARBOUR, and CRIBBS. This blog post will just be me working through these connections.

John P KENNERLY married Lucinda HARBOUR in Gibson County, TN in 1831

John was born in 1811 and had migrated to AR as early as 1837 according to the birth of his daughter, Elizabeth who is found in the 1850 Maumelle, Pulaski, Arkansas, census.

In the 1840 Federal census John and an older Wm Kennerly, who is old enough to be his father, are found living in Searcy, AR yet in the 1840 Arkansas State census the two are listed in Scott, AR

I began searching Newspapers.com trying to see if I could prove parentage but was only able to definitely prove he had a brother, Gilbert Kennerly, from an article found in the Daily Arkansas Gazette dated 29 Nov 1882.

From there, I decided to see what I could find on John's brother, Gilbert. I found his full name to be Gilbert Cribbs Kennerly, from the California Voter Register.



Searching for CRIBBS in the 1840 census I end up with two living in Scott, AR; Doctor CRIBBS (70-79) and Gilbert CRIBBS (40-49) (is this who John's brother is named after? Maybe an Uncle or maternal grandfather?) Gilbert CRIBBS married a Nancy MARTIN in Gibson County, TN in 1824.

Going back to the 1850 census we see that John and Lucinda KENNERLY had the following children:

Thomas G (is this for Gilbert?) b. 1834 TN
Eliz b. 1837 AR
William A (though this later proves to be the wrong initial -- it's actually C (for Cribbs?) b.1840 AR
John M b. 1841 AR
Nancy A b. 1844 AR
Mary (my ancestor) b. 1845 AR
Randy (short for the Margaret in 1860?)(female) b. 1848 AR

It also appears that a John and Jane BAKER are living with them. Jane is 19 born in IN. I suspect she could be an older child of John and Lucinda. In 1860 there are two young BAKER children living with John; a William and Clerinda.

Two names down on the 1850 census is A.D. HARBER and again on the same page as my John KENNERLY in 1860 is A. D. HARBOUR and living in his household is a James K. CRIBBS. I believe A.D. HARBOUR to be Lucinda's brother.  James K. CRIBBS is the son of Doctor CRIBBS (name not profession) and Nancy HARBOUR (another sibling of Lucinda?). They were also married in Gibson County, TN the same year as John P. KENNERLY and Lucinda HARBOUR. This Doctor CRIBBS is most likely the son of the 1840 Doctor CRIBBS as he was born in 1809 according to the 1850 census record.

Another HARBOUR/CRIBBS marriage in Gibson County, TN  was that of William CRIBBS and Jane HARBOUR  in 1826.

I found the given name Doctor to be a unique and distinctive first name. Remember the William KENNERLY that I suspected to be the father of my John P? Well living in his household in the 1850 Maumelle, Pulaski, Arkansas census is a Doctor Kennerly, age 23, born in TN. There is no mother living in the household by 1850. Was William's wife a CRIBBS? Possibly the daughter or sister of the 1840 (70-79) Doctor CRIBBS?

Another CRIBBS listed in the 1850 Maumelle, Pulaski, Arkansas census is 20 year old TN native Cullen G. CRIBBS and his young wife Mary E ROWLAND. Cullen ends up being the Administrator of my John KENNERLY's son, William C KENNERLY's estate. He must be closely connected to this family as I also found him named in the obituary of William's young daughter, Ida KENNERLY.





I suspect that Cullen was either the eldest son of Doctor CRIBBS and Nancy HARBOUR  who was living in Yell, AR in 1850 or a son of Gilbert CRIBBS and Nancy MARTIN who had moved onto Polk, MO by 1850 but I can't prove it. Maybe the reason he didn't leave the area was because of his ROWLAND in-laws.

One more connection is that there is a marriage record for a Nancy A KENNERLY and Benjamin S CLARK in Pulaski County, AR for the year 1848. In 1850 Smith Township, Drew County AR, Nancy (20) and husband Spencer CLARK (27) can be found with an infant son, Doctor G CLARK. They are living next door to 26 year old William B. KENNERLY and his wife Frances.

I think I have exhausted all the leads on this for now, so if anyone out there has any more information on these three families, please let me know.

Until  next time,
Becky

Heritage Part 3

This week I wanted to add the next entries in the cemetery book that are my direct line ancestors, my 2nd great grandparents, James William and Clara Inda EVANS ACORD.

On page 22 under Evans Cemetery

ACORD, Clara I.                                                                           18 Aug 1882      02 April 1949

Peggy Harmon Stepp furnished the following: "Clara India "Indie" Evans was born Aug 18, 1882 about 2 miles south of Spoke Plant, AR near the Little Mulberry River. Indie's parents were Josiah and Jane Conner Evans.

Indie first married [John] Ginger Holland who operated a ferry crossing the Arkansas River. They were married only a few months. There were no children born in this marriage. Later Indie married James William "Jim" Acord. They were the parents of 6 children. Jim died when the oldest child was 12 years old. Indie managed to raise the children on her own. Indie and her oldest child, Zula worked for neighbors to earn a little money. They raised most of their food and gathered many wild greens and herbs. They grew cane to make molasses. They put up kraut and molasses in 60 gallon barrels. Indie's nephew, Ode Eldridge would come in the fall with his family to help cut the wood for winter.

Indie was a midwife, taught by her mother who was half Indian. She would travel many miles thru all kinds of weather to deliver a baby.

Later in her life she moved in with her son John and his family. their house was on the same home place property. When Indie got sick she went to her daughters at Fayetteville where she died April 2, 1949"

THE MADISON COUNTY RECORD, Huntsville, Arkansas, Thursday, 7 April 1949

"Mrs. Clara India Acord, 66, of Little Mulberry, died April 2 at 4 p.m. at the home of a nephew in Fayetteville. The widow of the late Jim Acord, she had been ill for about eight years.

Survivors are two sons, John of Spoke Plant and Joe of Pettigrew; two daughteres, Mrs. Zula Stepp of Spoke Plant and Mrs. Equilla Carr of Fatetteville; 19 grandchildren and a brother, Jody Evans of Fayetteville.

Funeral Services were held Monday, April 4 at 2 p.m. at the Evans cemetery conducted by the Rev. Albert Hoskins. Arrangements were under the direction of the Nelson-Savage Funeral Home.

Directly following this entry, on page 23

ACORD, James W.                                                                       18 July 1881     28 Jul 1915

Peggy Harmon Stepp wrote the following: "James William Acord was born July 18, 1881 to John Turner and Sarah Zulema Kosier Acord.

James "Jim" married Clara India "Indie" Evans.

Jim and Indie lived in the Acord Hollow the first few years of their marriage.  Later they moved, about 1906 to the Evans place on Little Mulberry. 

Jim and Indie were the parents of  Zula Jane, Lou Annie, Minie, John Thomas, Joshua "Joe" Charles and Effie Equilla Acord.

Jim was a farmer and timber worker.

Jim was a strong man. One Sunday afternoon there were several young men over visiting. They were lifting. Jim felt something pull in his stomach. A few days later Jim died at the age of 34."

Jim Acord and Clara India Evans were the parents of:

1. Zula Jane married Newell McKinley Stepp, Sr.; both buried in Evans Cemetery.
2. Louanna buried in Evans Cemetery.
3. Minnie Myrtle married Roy Betnar; both buried in the Evans Cemetery. 
4. John Thomas married Elzada Griffith; both buried in the Oark Cemetery. 
5. Joe S. married Wilma Vae Combs; both buried in the Yale Cemetery.
6. Effie Equilla married #1 Hoyt Karr and #2 Omer Clark 

 

 

 Jim & Indie Acord with their girls: Zula (standing), Minnie (in Jim's lap) and baby Lou Annie (in Indie's lap). Lou Annie died not long after this was taken. This picture has been mistakenly labeled and shared many other places as John Turner and Sarah Zulema Acord with children. This picture was hanging in Effie's (Aunt Dood) and was given to Connie Betnar (Minnie Myrtle's son) and now belongs to his daughter Ann.

 

 

 

 

The Sound of Her Voice

Growing up, I had a special relationship with my paternal grandmother, who we called Mammy. My parents divorced before I was a year old and my daddy got me every other weekend and a few long spells during the summer. The only "problem" with that was that he worked every Saturday at the Washington County Sale Barn, so he needed someone to watch me. That job fell into the hands of his parents, my Mammy and Bampy. It's funny how when I think back on my childhood it's the memories associated with that time that seem to stand out. I don't know why exactly, but I always assume it was because those moments were where I got the most attention or one-on-one time. It may have been doing chores or flat out working but I didn't have to share that with any other kids very often.

Anyway, when my Mammy passed, I was asked if there was anything I wanted. I didn't answer truthfully because honestly, I wanted ALL. THE. THINGS. But that wasn't realistic or fair. So I asked for her tapes. Every time the church we attended held a service, they recorded it, beginning to end. And my Mammy purchased every single tape, I bet. There were several boxes full. Through the years I have sifted through them and tucked in with those tapes was the best surprise ever; a few tapes that Mammy had recorded of herself singing (either making up songs or singing along with the radio), a few tapes where she sang specials at church (New Sulphur Free Will Baptist Church) and two other very special tapes...

Before the age of computers and cell phones people wrote letters and because my Mammy had left her home of Texas, where her mother and all of her siblings lived in the early 1960's the only other way to keep in touch was with a phone call. Back then, before cell phones, there were long distance charges to call outside of your local area and they were pricey. Towards the later part of my Mammy's mother's life, Grandma Jones couldn't read or write very well so my Mammy and her would exchange  recorded cassette tapes of conversations with one another. Hence the two other very special tapes. One of Grandma Jones that is labeled 'Mother's Last Tape' and one that my Mammy recorded to send Grandma Jones. I don't know if she never sent it, or if she somehow got it back after Grandma Jones passed away. But either way these two tapes were tucked inside with all those other tapes. They are some of my most treasured items.

I have shared these on Facebook, before, but I think I would like to share them here in my genealogy post.

I hope you enjoy hearing her voice again. Honestly, I tear up every time I listen. But sometimes the soul needs a good purge.

Until next time,
Becky

Mammy Original:

Grandma Jones' last tape from the nursing home in Knox City, TX:

And last but not least My Mammy singing Far Side Banks of Jordan with Brother Glen Faulkner April 2001:

Heritage Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about a cemetery book my grandmother gave me. In that post I also transcribed the entry for my great grandmother, Zula Jane ACORD STEPP. Today I will transcribe the next entry in the book, her husband, my great grandfather, Newell McKinley STEPP:

        STEPP, Newell M., Sr.                24 April 1896   03 Oct 1987

Roma Lynn Jackson Stepp, Newell's daughter-in-law, wrote the following:

"Newell was born April 24, 1896 to James Jonathan & Rebecca (Merle) Stepp near Fallsville, AR.

He was the neighborhood blacksmith until he was elderly. He also was a farmer. He never bought any tools or machinery parts if e could make what he needed & most of the time he could. He knew how to graft trees, slip ginseng. He lived in the most inventive of all times. He lived through the horse & buggy days, men walking on the moon to the computer age. He was in WWI. The war ended while he was on a ship going to France. 

Newell's brother Bill, married him to Zula Acord on April 1, 1923 at Spoke Plant, AR. They had 7 kids. 6 lived to be grown & 1 died at 2 weeks old.

Newell was usually a quiet, nice man. He liked to farm, putter around with his blacksmithing & to read. He was a good neighbor.

He died in Oct 1987 from a blood-clot resulting from falling backward off his porch."

Peggy Harmon Stepp, Newell's daughter-in-law submitted the following information:

"Newell McKinley Stepp was born April 24, 1896 in the Clifty Hollow area in Madison County, AR. He was second born of 15 children to James Johnathan and Rebecca Matilda Merrill Stepp.

Newell grew up helping his dad and brothers working in the timber. They hauled cross ties and stave bolts to the railroad yards at Pettigrew. 

Newell started school at Mullins Chapel, later finishing his education at Spoke Plant school. 

Newell was in the Army during WWI in France.

After returning from the Army, Newell married Zula Jane Acord. He bought a farm at Spoke Plant. Newell and Zula raised all their children at Spoke Plant.

Newell was a farmer, still continuing over the years to work in the timber and was known as a good blacksmith. People came from miles around to have him work on their wagon wheels or whatever could be fixed in a blacksmith shop. Newell was an honest hard working man. He always told his children "Take care of your pennies and your dollars will take care of themselves." They had a happy family life, working hard on the farm. They enjoyed social gatherings, visiting with neighbors. Good neighbors were very important to this generation and the Newell Stepp family were good neighbors. As Newell got older he took great pride in his gardening. He enjoyed growing a big field of corn and garden to share with family and friends. He continued to grow a garden until he was in his late 80's.

Newell and Zula were married 64 years. They continued to live at Spoke Plant until Newell died at age 91."

THE GRAPHIC, Clarksville, Arkansas, Wednesday 7 October 1987

"Newell Mckinley Stepp, aged 91, of Pettigrew died Oct. 3, 1987 at the Johnson County Regional Hospital.

He was a retired farmer, World War I Army Veteran and a member of the Pentecostal Church.

Survivors include his widow, Mrs. Zula Jane Stepp; three sons, Artist Stepp and Newell Stepp, Jr., both of Pettigrew and Dwight Stepp of Oark; three daughters Merle Denzer of Gentry, Argie Jayne Benson of Prairie Grove; one brother, Jubal Stepp of Pettigrew; four sisters, Cora Clark of Wheeler, Stella Barber of Charter Oak, Mo., Alda Mullins of Pettigrew and Odessa Stepp of Fort Worth, Texas; 19 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.

Graveside funeral services and burial were at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Evans Cemetery near Yale with Rev. Bill Gregory officiating. Arrangements were under the direction of Roller-Cox Funeral Home.

Active pallbearers were Tony Benson; Tim Denzer, Greg Stepp, James Stepp, Danny Stepp and Steve Moore.

Honorary pallbearers were Connie Betnar, Clyde Betnar, Dr. Don Pennington, Steve Trosper, Michael Konnard, Clifton Hill, Keith Stepp, David Stepp, Ron Denzer, Clyde Benson and Kenneth Stepp." 

 *This left out my grandmother Reba Melson of Prairie Grove.

I wanted to share a picture (again) of a hammer, Newell made and the story that goes with it.

My Great Aunt Peggy shared an heirloom she and my Uncle Dwight have. Dwight's dad, my great grandfather, Newell Stepp Sr. was a machinist in the Army in WW1. He made 5 ball-peen hammers while he was in the Army. He gave one to his commanding officer and brought the others home. A few years ago Dwight was visiting his cousin, Edna McDonald and she had one of the hammers that Newell made and gave to her Mother. She said she wanted Dwight to have the hammer, which he is very proud of. We don't know where the other 3 hammers are. They have Newell's serial number stamped on them, unfortunately its too faded to make out.

Grandpa Newell, hunting ginseng.

Newell and Zula in their garden.

Until next time,
Becky