Fowler Photos...and Many Others Found

One of my favorite parts of genealogy research is the process of gathering, identifying and archiving family photos of my ancestors. I am fortunate to have hundreds of photos of my grandparents, multiple photos of most of my great-grandparents, a photo of ten of my second great-grandparents and a photo of six of my third great-grandparents.

Ruby Fowler Lovelace and Jim Lovelace

Until now, I had only one photo of my great-grandmother, Ruby Fowler Lovelace. It hung on my maternal grandparents, Guy and Virginia Lovelace's bedroom wall for as long as I can remember.

I've wished many times since I began researching my family tree that I had more photos of her and the Fowler side of the family.

Thanks to a distant cousin who contacted me after reading my blog, I finally do.

Photo/Jenny West

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Fowler Siblings

l to r:  Daisy Fowler Lovelace, Molly Fowler and Ruby Fowler Lovelace

Oliver Fowler in the front

Like me, Jenny West is a third great-granddaughter of Ruby's parents, Lewis and Sarah Patterson Fowler. Our great-grandparents were siblings.

Lewis M. Fowler was born 14 July 1852 around Finger, Tenn. in McNairy County to Oliver and Anna Malone Fowler. Oliver died at the young age of 32 when Louis was just six and his brother James was five. Anna then married Frances Callaway Robison, a widower who also had children and together they are said to have had six more.

In 1868 at the age of 19, Louis Fowler married Sarah E. Patterson who was 16. Together, they had nine children:

Lula M. Fowler
1873 - 1960
Married G.W. Parker
Children were Herbert, Jasper, Lucy, Jerline, Mattie, Blanche, Vary Elmore and John
Died in Lincoln, Tenn. 

Oliver Wilson Fowler (Jenny's great-grandfather)
12 Jan 1875 - 9 Jun 1951
Married Lucy Browder (died in 1917)
Married Lillie Dell Hudson
Children with Lucy were: Vassie Alleen, Rose Lee (Jenny's grandmother), Willie Oliver, and Otis Mason. Children with Lillie were Daulton, Odell and Aurthur.
Died in St. Francis, Ark. 

Mollie F. Fowler
Sep 1876 - 1931
Married S.W. Parker
Married John Henry Fowler
Possible Children were: Early May, William Richard, James H., Jim, Leander Doyle, Burt, Emma Lou, Jessee, Andrew Wayne, Addie Bell and Floyd. 

Thomas Monroe Fowler
26 May 1880 - 19 Nov 1937
Married to Mary
Children were: Mary, Elmer, Vera and Blanche 

Samuel Dalton Fowler
16 Jan. 1882 - 2 Oct 1913
Married Clyde Lorene Mann
Children were Jessie T. and William L.
Buried at Zion Baptist Church 

Ruby Fowler (My great-grandmother)
12 Aug 1887 - 29 Jan 1952
Married James "Jim" Luther Lovelace
Children were Ovid, Jack, Blanch, Homer, Guy (my grandfather), Otha, Hobert and Marie. Buried at Zion Baptist Church 

Daisy Fowler
Jun 1893 - Dec 1976
Married Walter Lee Lovelace (first cousin of Ruby's husband, Jim. Walter's father was Lynn Boyd Lovelace who was a brother of Jim's father, Charles B. Lovelace)
Children were Starley, Amelia, Walter Jr., Mildred Louise and Anna Elizabeth. 

Elender M. Fowler1884 - after 1900

Mary C. Fowler, born 1871 must have died as young child.

Jenny's grandmother, Rose Lee Fowler, kept these photos for many years and when Jenny became interested in genealogy, a cousin shared them with her. I am very grateful Jenny is sharing her family's photos with us. I have a few relatives who aren't online and I plan to mail them a copy to see if they see anyone they may recognize.

In this blog, I'm posting the photos that have been identified first.  The photos of people that need to be identified are posted last. Some of the photos were weathered so I cleaned them up a little.

Photo/Jenny West

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Ruby Fowler Lovelace

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Overlay of Ruby Fowler Lovelace, young and old

Although Jenny let me know this photo has "Ruby" written on the back, just to be certain, I took the photo of Ruby as an older woman and put it on top of the photo thought to be of her as a young woman and the features fit exactly. I have no doubt this is a photo of my second great-grandmother when she was a young woman.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Ruby Fowler Lovelace

This photo seems to really capture the way she must have looked in real life.

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Children of Jim and Ruby Fowler Lovelace at the Lovelace Family
Reunion in the late '70s

Standing: Guy, Marie, Ovid, Hobert and Jack Lovelace
Seated: Blanch Lovelace

Brother Otha died in 1961

This is a photo I took of my grandfather, Guy Lovelace, and his siblings back in the late '70s. You can really see the family resemblance between Ruby and her adult children. 

Ruby was born 12 Aug 1887 in Chester County, Tenn. She married James Luther "Jim" Lovelace on 28 Mar 1905.

Ruby's grandchildren called her "Grandmomma Ruby." Her youngest daughter, Marie, remembers Ruby as being very mild-mannered and never losing her temper or getting mad. She was always very worried and afraid during storms which may be where my grandfather Guy Lovelace, picked up his own anxiety during bad weather. 

Church records show Jim and Ruby joined Zion Baptist Church on August 18, 1918 at a revival "preached by Dr. Woolridge with music led by Brother Thomas." 

Their extended family was a big part of the lives of Ruby and Jim, with Jim’s parents, Charlie and Nancy Jane, living on the farm next door. Marie remembers Ruby preparing homemade moon pies for the frequent gatherings the Lovelace family would have. 

In later years, grandson Bill Lovelace remembered Ruby as being very sensitive and crying often. He remembers “Grandaddy Jim” getting angry with her and her responding by bursting out in tears. My mother remembers her being very kind but also "nervous." 

On 29 Jan 1952, when Ruby was 64, Jim called Marie to let her know that his wife was having problems with her heart so he had called Dr. Stewart. When Marie arrived at the house, she remembers Ruby was cooking pork tenderloin, fried potatoes and chocolate pies. At 3:00, Kate Smith came on the radio and Ruby told Marie and her sister Blanch, who had also come, that she was going to go lay down. About an hour later, Marie went to let her know she was leaving and Ruby had passed away in her sleep.

My maternal grandparents, Guy and Virginia Lovelace and their family were living in the house across the field from Ruby and Jim. My mother remembers playing next to the road with her brother Bobby when someone at Ruby’s house shouted for them to quickly get their father. 

My mother's brother, Bill Lovelace, remembers that the next day the family was holding Ruby's wake in her house so his father went to see her. Bill waited in the truck in the driveway of the house for Guy to return. When he did, Bill remembers his father leaning his head on the steering wheel and crying. 

It is the only time Bill remembers seeing his father cry. 

After Ruby’s death, Jim lived at home alone for awhile then he stayed with several of his children. 

Finally, he went to live with his son and daughter-in-law, Hobert and Carolyn Lovelace until his death from cancer in 1968, 16 years after Ruby had passed away. 

They are both buried at Zion Baptist Church in Haywood County.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Ruby Fowler's in-laws, Charles "Charlie" Buchanon
Lovelace and Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace

I recognized this photo as soon as I saw it because I got a copy a while back from my Aunt Marie Lovelace. You can read all about them, here. They are the parents of Ruby's husband, Jim. This is my ancestor who was written up in the Zion Baptist Church minutes in 1890 for allowing dancing in his house.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Eva Pearl Lovelace Patterson and Edward Mansfield Patterson

I had already gotten a copy of this photo from Joan of Bells, Tenn. who contacted me a few years ago. This is Eva Pearl Lovelace, (b. Feb 1889 in Haywood County) who was Joan’s grandmother and the sister of my great grandfather, Jim Lovelace. So Eva Pearl and Ruby were sisters-in-law. Eva Pearl married Edward Mansfield Patterson (b. Feb 1889 in Haywood County) on April 2, 1905 in Haywood County. Their children were Irene, Helen, Homer Edward, and Viola. They also had a son named Richard Hess who died at 18 months.

They lived and farmed near the home of Eva’s parents, Charlie and Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace, as did Ruby and Jim Lovelace.

You can read more about the photos Joan shared on this blog entry.

Because a few of these photos are of my ancestors, I have no doubt, many of the unidentified photos are as well.

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First, here are some photos of our mutual ancestors that Jenny had already identified.

Photo/Jenny West

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Ruby's brother, Wilson Fowler

Wilson was born in 1875 in McNairy County, Tenn. He first married Lucy Browder and they had four children: Vassie, Rose Lee, Willie and Otis. After Lucy died, he married Lillie Dell Hudson who had children of her own including Leona and Ira. Together, Wilson and Lilly had Daulton, Odell and Authur. Between 1910 and 1920 Wilson moved to St. Francis, Ark.

Wilson died 9 Jun 1951 and was buried in the Harris Chapel Cemetery in Wynne, Ark.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Rose Lee, Willie and Vassie Fowler

These are three of the children of Wilson Fowler with his first wife, Lucy. I assume the one on the left is Rose Lee Fowler.

Rose Lee was born in 1905. She married John Otto Montgomery in 1919 and they had five children including: John Clifford, James Everett, Paul Montgomery, John Otto, Jr. and Dorothy Lee. Rose Lee died 3 Mar 1977 in Parkin, Arkansas and was buried in the Hughes Cemetery in St. Francis County.

Rose Lee's son, Otto, is Jenny's father and lives in Marion, Ark. They are planning a research trip to Haywood County in the coming weeks and I know just the places to recommend.

Mrs. Rose Lee Montgomery Obituary
Mrs. Rose Lee Montgomery, aged 71, of Parkin died Thursday afternoon at crittenden Memorial Hospital in West Memphis. She had been in poor health for one year and in the hospital for the past two weeks.
She was born December 19, 1905, in Brownsville, Tenn., and was the daughter of Mrs. Lucy Browder Fowler and Wilson Fowler. She made her home in Parkin most of her life. She was a housewife and a member of the Gladen Baptist Church outside of Parkin. She married John Otto Montgomery in 1919 and he preceded her in death in 1942.
She leaves three sons, J. E. Montgomery of Parkin, Paul Montgomery of West Memphis, and Otto Montgomery of Marion; one daughter Dorothy Baldwin of Parkin; two brothers, Willie and Otis Fowler, both of Wynne; three half-brothers, Dalton Fowler of Wynne, Arthur Fowler of West Point, Miss., and Odel Fowler of Pine Bluff; one step-brother, Ira White of LeVesque; one stepsister, Mrs. Leona Crowder of Parkin; 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren
Funeral services will be at Stevens Funeral Home Chapel at 2 p. m. Saturday with Rev. Jack Thorn of Parkin officiating. Burial will follow in Hughes Cemetery. Source

Willie Fowler was born 31 Aug 1907 and married Doris Bostick in 1931. They had four children including Dorothy Willeen and Kathryn Marie. He died 11 Jul 1990.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Vassie Fowler

Vassie Alleen Fowler was another daughter of Wilson Fowler. She was born 18 Aug 1903 and married  Granville Gracy in 1928. She also spent most of her life in Arkansas. Vassie died 15 Oct 1971 and was buried in the Forrest Park Cemetery in Forrest City, Ark.

Vassie Fowler Gracey Obituary, Oct. 1971

Funeral Services for Mrs. Vassie Gracey, 68, Of Hughes were held Saturday at Stevens Funeral Home in Forrest City. Burial followed in the Forrest City Cemetery in Forrest City. Mrs. Gracey was the sister of Willie Fowler and Otis Fowler, both of Wynne and Mrs. Rose Lee Montgomery of Parkin. Other survivors include three half brothers, Dalton Fowler of MS and O'Dell Fowler of Grady; a stepbrother, Ira White of Wynne and a step sister, Mrs. Leona Crowder of Parkin. Mrs. Gracey was born August 18, 1903 near Brownsville Tn. and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Fowler.She was a housewife and a member of Gladden Baptist Church near Parkin. She had been making her home in Parkin with her sister, Mrs. Montgomery,since the death of her husband Granville Gracey, last August.She died in the Crittenden Hospital in West Memphis.
Funeral services for Mrs. Gracey were conducted by Rev. James Miller. Source

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Photo/Jenny West

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Lilly, Odell and Wilson Fowler 

Odell Fowler Obituary, January 26, 2005 

WHITE HALL -- Odell Fowler, 78, of White Hall, died Wednesday at John L. McClellan Veterans Hospital at Little Rock.
He was born Nov. 26, 1926, at Wynne, a son of the late W.O. Fowler and Lilllie Hudson Fowler.
He received his education in the Wynne School District.
He served in the Army during the Korean War.
He had been employed as a heavy equipment operator at the Pine Bluff Arsenal prior to his retirement.
He attended the West 28th Avenue Church of Christ at Pine Bluff.
He was also preceded in death by his wife, Clarice Payne Fowler, who died Feb. 25, 2003; one son, Preston Darnell Fowler; four brothers, Willie Fowler, Otis Fowler, Arthur Fowler and Ira White; one sister, Leona Crowder; and one grandchild.
Survivors include two sons, Sterling Odell Fowler and Lenny Fowler, both of Pine Bluff; two daughters, Reba Carter of White Hall and Sue Carrow of Little Rock; one brother, Dalton Fowler of Wynne; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. today in Walnut Lake Cemetery at Dumas with Dennis Carrow officiating. Burial will be by Cranford Funeral Home at White Hall.

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Here are some photos of ancestors for whom we need to determine identities. These could be Fowlers, Pattersons, Browders or others. The Fowler family tended to have dark hair and eyes so I am posting them first.

Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified boy

This young man looks a lot like he could belong to my second great-grandparents, Charlie B. and Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace. He looks a little like both of them and is dressed similarly.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified baby

This photo was taken at the Clark Photography Studio in Brownsville. It looks very much like other photos I've seen of my ancestors from around the time my grandparents were babies.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified woman and little girl

This woman and little girl are in a setting and in clothing similar to other Haywood County family photos from this period. 

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified girl

She looks like she could fit into the same family as the woman above. This is one of my favorites of all the unidentified photos. 

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified children

These children are dressed a little more uptown than my Fowler/Lovelace ancestors so they may be from one of the other families mentioned. They also look like they live in a less rural setting than my kinfolk.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified children

These girls have store-bought dolls which I've not seen in any photos of my Haywood County ancestors.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified woman

A school teacher perhaps? Although the book could just be a photographer's prop, she does have that school teacher mojo going on.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified woman in Corinth, Miss photo studio

This photo contains a clue. This lady was in a Corinth, Miss. studio having her photo taken. 

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified boy in studio

Here's another studio photo of a young man. This one includes his gun and his dog. 

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified family

This young couple saved their hard-earned money, went to the studio for what was possibly their first family photo and their kids would. not. be. still. I wonder how many times they tried. That one kid looks like an alien. The father appears to be counting the seconds until he can get out of there.

This family is in a similar setting and is wearing the style of clothing I am used to seeing in the photos of my Haywood County ancestors in this time period.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified man

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified man

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified family

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified man

This is the first of the photos of people who have unusually light-colored eyes. I assume they were blue. 

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified man in bow tie

Another of the blue-eyed people, this photo could have been taken at the same time as the one above making these two brothers? ...or not.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified couple

Possibly a sister of the two people above and her husband? That's a huge leap to make but she does have very light blue eyes, and again it's in a similar setting.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified couple

The man in this photo looks very similar to the one above and the setting and lighting is exactly the same. They were brothers, perhaps?

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified man

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified boy

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified children

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Photo/Jenny West

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Unidentified boy in sailor suit on driveway

One of the most unique of the unidentified photos, this boy looks like he would be more at home on a city sidewalk in Chicago than a muddy driveway in front of a wooded clapboard house in the country.

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Photo/Jenny West

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Sawmill

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If you're able to identify any of the people in these photos, please let me know. If we can put any more names to faces, I'll post the information here on this page.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website. You can read more about the Fowler family on their page of my website.

Inside the Forrest Cemetery

In addition to finding the Jacocks Family Cemetery, when I was in Haywood County a few weeks ago, my father, youngest daughter and I stopped by the Forrest Cemetery for a short visit. In researching the Forrest family, I saw numerous references to this cemetery so I was looking forward to seeing it in person.

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Forrest Family Cemetery

This cemetery was not as hard to find as the Jacocks Cemetery since it's marked, cataloged and well-cared for. It even has a sign at the entrance. As you can see from the video, a branch had recently fallen out of a tree -- which was very unfortunate for the bees who had made it their home.  I stayed away but I did think it would be nice to have some Forrest Cemetery honey.

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Entrance off Rice Road in Haywood/Madison County, Tenn.

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For the Google map directions, click here.

Although my fifth great-grandparents, Samuel William Forrest and Zilpha Sherrod Forrest's graves aren't actually in the cemetery, their headstones are.

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Some concerned individuals including Billy King, an author and historian, relocated Samuel and Zilpha's headstones to this cemetery along with a few others because loggers had destroyed the nearby cemetery in which they are actually buried. By the way, if you have an interest in this area of the country, King has written two books about the Big Black Creek area: Big Black Creek, Volume One and Big Black Creek, Volume Two. I highly recommend adding both to your genealogy library.

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Zilpha, Wife of Samuel Forrest

In 1826, Samuel and Zilpha migrated from Pitt County, N.C. to Haywood County, Tenn. with family members including his brother, Thomas Joiner Forrest, Thomas' wife, Charlotte Brown and Charlotte's mother, Elizabeth who, it's interesting to note, was blind. Can you imagine leaving your home on a journey like that and not being able to see? According to King's book, Charlotte's son, Samuel Brown, led the wagon train. 

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Thomas Joiner Forrest and Charlotte Brown Forrest

A one-mile square tract of land (640 acres) had been given to Elizabeth Brown's husband, Samuel Brown, for service in the Revolutionary War. Samuel died and willed the land to his wife and daughter.

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Elizabeth Brown

According to the Brown Family Bible, they “left North Carolina on Thursday March 16, 1826. Their journey ended ‘in the Forkodeer Hinterland 11 May which was 8 weeks on the road.’ The family traveled with a number of families in covered wagons to their new home in the adjourning Tennessee counties of Madison and Haywood. Included in the group were the Dickinsons, Forrests, and Musgraves.” Source 

Like the rest of his family, Samuel was a slave-owner, farmer and brick-maker and was likely active in his church.

Billy King includes a passage about their local church in volume one of his Big Black Creek books:

"The Samuel Brown family donated the land where Obediah Dodson had established the Browns Creek Baptist Church. The church had slave members and even slaves who were deacons. The church split over missions. Obediah wanted it to send missionaries to the Louisiana Purchase. 

On a Sunday morning, the anti-missionary preacher pushed Obediah out of the pulpit. Obediah told the congregation, 'all of you who want to hear me come out under the trees.'
Most of the church went and they formed the Brown's Creek Missionary Baptist Church. 

The slaves went with this group. 

They built a new church building on Brown's Creek Road, just beside the creek. After the Civil War, this property was given to the black members. 

In 1870, the white congregation changed their name to Woodland Baptist Church and built a new church. Both the Brown's Creek and Woodland Baptist churches are very active today" (59).

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Woodland Baptist Church

The Woodland Baptist Church is located around the corner from the Forrest Cemetery.

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The cemetery, which was established in 1847, is cared for from a Trust Fund. According to King, the headstones that look hand-made are not the original headstones but were placed there several years ago and then replaced again with the newer headstones about five years ago.

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Samuel Forrest

Samuel Forrest died 30 Dec 1860. Zilpha died a decade later at the age of 73 on 24 Jun 1870 and was buried next to her husband.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website. You can read more about the Forrest family on their page of my website.

Finally Finding the Jacocks Family Cemetery

Video of the Jacocks Family Cemetery

Since I transcribed and uploaded this letter (and then this letter) from John Hill Jacocks that I found on my 50th Birthday Genealogy Road Trip, I've been looking for the Haywood County, Tenn. cemetery in which he was buried.

It was supposed to be on Brantley Road but I couldn't find it. Thanks to my cousin Betsy's detective work, I discovered the part of Brantley Road where the cemetery is located was changed to Marbury Road and Betsy knew right where the cemetery was. She even cleared it with the current owner for me to check it out when I was back in Tennessee last weekend for the Lovelace Family Reunion.

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The Jacocks Family Cemetery

Although there are most likely many more individuals buried in the cemetery, below are photos of the headstones that can be found there now. A big shout out to the Hooper Family who have taken care of the cemetery and made sure it wasn't destroyed by loggers like many in the area.

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John Hill Jaocks Headstone

John Hill Jacocks was born 25 Nov 1831 in Haywood County. He married Sarah Catherine Carter on 14 April 1858. He was primarily a farmer and was very proud of his family and heritage. John's father, Jonathan Jacocks, followed his uncle, Colonel Richard Nixon, to Haywood County in 1823 and became one of the original founders. John farmed the same land his father settled.

As you can tell from his letters, John had taken the time to educate himself more than many others in his community and was able to read and write very well. From 1882 - 1894 he was also a Justice of the Peace. He and his wife had five children: William Thomas (1 Feb 1860 - 1938), Richard Alfonso (27 Aug 1861 - 11 Mar 1908), James Alonzo (22 Mar 1864 - 11 Aug 1941), Joseph Theodore (11 Oct 1867 - 23 Mar 1928) and Katie A. (11 Mar 1870 and died 27 Sept 1873).

John died 21 Dec 1902 and was buried there on his property. Two years later, his wife Sarah would be buried there as well.

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Richard Alfonso Jacocks; his wife, Mildred Watridge Jacocks;
their infant; and son, Carey H. Jacocks 

Richard Alfonso Jacocks was one of the sons of John Hill Jacocks. He was born 27 Aug 1861 in Haywood County. He married Mildrid Watridge on 18 Jan 1887 and they had several children together. First, they had an infant who was likely born dead in 1889. Then they had a son, Carey H. Jacocks, on 16 Oct 1891 but he died when he was two on 4 Jul 1893. They then had two daughters, Mildred who was born in 1895 and Lucille who was born in 1897. 

Mildred Watridge Jacocks died 22 Feb 1902 when she was just 34 leaving Richard a widower with two young daughters: a seven-year-old and five-year-old.

Richard himself died six years later on 11 Mar 1908 when he was just 46. He was buried along side his wife and two children in the cemetery.

Mildred was 13 and Lucille was 11. After their father died they went to live with the family of his brother, Joseph Thomas "Joe" Jacocks and Joe's wife, Myra L. Moody Jacocks and their three young sons: Arthur W., Robert T., and Floyd W.

Arthur was the father of my great uncle, J.T. Jacocks.

Joe and Myra are buried at Chestnut Grove Cemetery in Haywood County.

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Katie A. Jacocks

Katie A. Jacocks was an infant daughter of John Hill Jacocks and his wife Sarah. She was born 11 Mar 1870 and died 27 Sept 1873.

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James Clyde Jacocks and Marrie L. Jacocks

James Clyde and Marrie L. were was John Hill Jacocks grandchildren by his son, Joe and daughter-in-law, Myra.  James was born 8 Oct 1901 and died almost a year later on 27 Sept 1901. Marie was born on 1 Apr 1904 and died when she was two in 1906.

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Mattie Olivia Jacocks

Mattie Olivia was a daughter of "J.T. and M.S. Jacocks." Although her father could have been Joseph Theodore, the "M.S." on the headstone is confusing because the name of Joe's wife was Myra L. Moody.

Standing there in that cemetery, I was reminded of words John Hill Jacocks so eloquently wrote in his letter back in 1898:

"Ever and again the full destroyer death claimed as its victims some of our loved ones – a father, mother, brother, sister or some schoolmate or associate. Just then our gladness changed to sorrow, grief and sadness. 'Time files' and with it its light. 

We too pass, as have many of our loved ones, to the grave and but for the hope we have on meeting them on God’s blissful shore where we will live with them forever more, our heart of hearts would join and grieve us, our tears forever flow in sorrow and sadness."

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website.

Billy Tripp's Mindfield in Haywood County

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

My blog posts are usually about genealogy but during last weekend's trip to Haywood County, I had a few extra minutes to grab some photos of a very unusual folk art display right in the middle of Brownsville, Tenn. My wife is into outsider art so she would do a better job of explaining it but I did want to share my photos.

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

Located right next door to the grocery store where my grandmother won $500 at the "Let's go to the Races" promotion, according to Wikipedia, the Minefield is the largest outdoor sculpture in Tennessee and reaches over 125 feet tall.

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

Sculpted by Billy Tripp, who is from Jackson, Tenn., the Mindfield has to be experienced. I've driven by it hundreds of times, but on this morning I was able to take the time to walk around and really look at it. The fact that it sits right in the middle of Brownsville makes it even more interesting.

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

Tripp began his sculpture in 1989 and he says he will continue to work on it until he dies and then it will become the place he is buried. The sculpture is intended to represent various events in his life including the death of his father, Rev. Charles Tripp. 

Ah ha...once you find out he was a preacher's kid, that explains a lot.

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

The Mindfield is made from steel girders, scrap metal, and lots of other materials thrown in for good measure...including a bathtub, Incredible Hulk doll, water tower and...well you get the idea.

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Billy Tripp's Mindfield

You can check out more photos from my personal Mindfield experience here but if you're really wanting a dose of outsider art and Billy Tripp's Mindfield (along with music by Joe Cocker), you could watch the video below. Then, the next time you are driving down I-40, take Exit 56 and visit it for yourself. 

One last tip: when you've worked up an appetite, head over to Helen's Barbecue and have lunch.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website.

Jacocks' Letter Reveals Details About 1800s Haywood County Culture

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To me, the most fun part of genealogy research is not the names, dates and locations of my ancestors, but those moments when you actually find details about the lives they lived. I love it when I uncover a real glimpse into the past.

Jonathan Hill Jacocks' letters offer such a look into the culture of my Haywood County, Tenn. ancestors who were his friends and relatives from the time of his birth on Nov. 24, 1831 until his death on Dec. 21, 1902. He lived among the Lovelaces, Cobbs, Brantleys, Marburys, Castalaws and others that appear in my family line.

I found a file full of Jacocks' letters during a visit to The Southern Historical Collection at the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Back in June I posted an eight-page letter that included his thoughts on such topics as his pride in his heritage, early history of Haywood County and memories of visits during his childhood by distant relatives from Bertie County, N.C.

Tonight, I finished transcribing a 12-page letter, written Oct. 16, 1898, that really offers some interesting insight into several different aspects of his life and that of my ancestors who were his contemporaries.

In case you don't have time to read all 12 pages, below are a few of my favorite passages:

Jacocks on the relatives he had not yet met:

"Well, I have lived quite a lifetime with but little knowledge of them. If they have lived right, done well and others are blessed and made comfortable, contented and happy, I am glad and proud to know we were akin.

Otherwise I am sorry."

Jacocks on hard work in Haywood County as a young man:

"In the day of my youth I labored under many disadvantages, as did many other reared in this section of the country. Circumstances in life by which many were surrounded, compelled the youths, most of them of my day to labor on the farm to help their parents, support the families.

True, all did not work for a living.

There were many slave owners whose children had an easy time, reared in affluence and ease, were educated and refined but the middle class slave owners who taught their children to work with their slaves – cultivate or till the soil with their own hands – many of them up to manhood receiving but little education, many of them are groveling in ignorance today whilst some few have educated themselves and rose to eminence." 

Jacocks on "charming charmers:"

"I am also proud of the girls – schoolmates of my boyhood days.

I have nothing to say derogatory to their department in life – Some of them were pretty and lovely and in after years when their cheeks were all aglow with radiance and sweet womanhood – they possessed charms of admiration; and with these and other adorning, fascinating, alluring and other assent also in her noble refined, dignified - yes their morals and virtues all right – they became charming charmers and charmed some of the boys and actually married them.
Most of them made kind and affectionate wives – and loving mothers. Some of them are great-grandmothers."

Jacocks on a preacher he knew:

I well remember our pioneer preacher circuit rider whose name was Arthur Davis. Speaking of him, I am reminded of what was told me when a small boy – and the same was told to me not long ago by an old citizen who seems to be ignorant of the fact as occurred.

This man Davis, when a boy, was very wicked and daring. He feared, so said, neither God, the boys with whom he associated nor the devil. Was full of mischief - a digression but will return to the intended narrative after a while after giving you some idea of the character of Davis – something connected with his mischief led to his conviction and conversion that occurred as I have been told in this way –
He was in the road and a boy came along in a cart and Davis said to him he wanted to ride a piece – and the boy in the cart told him to get in – and after a little, Davis asked the boy if he was a possessor of religion – where upon he answered no – then said Davis – without religion you are lost and damned forever, told him he was a preacher – he would preach to him and pray for him – so saying he began his sermon pleaded with the boy to bow and pray to God, have faith in Christ and grace was with him he sins would be forgiven. The boy was converted and Davis too.

They shouted together on the road."

Jacocks on that same preacher:

"...now I return to him as the Pioneer Preacher of West Tennessee. He sent out appointments by travelers with him he chanced to meet at different places – sent one to a place in Madison County adjourning Haywood on the East to a place called Denmark.

He went to his appointment. A few good people were present – some not so good - Davis was invited by one Major Merriweather to leave another appointment – he did so - and some of the reckless characters got up a horse race - gambling crew and swore if that man came to preach they would whip him.  

Davis was warned of the threat, he was small of stature but was a man of courage – fearless. On the day of his appointment, he went, found the posse of scoundrels, blacklegs and gamblers – some playing cards, etc. – he associates in a lively way with the crowd, good humor really cracked jokes – told anecdotes and in the meantime, some of them spoke of this preacher and spoke of what they intended doing with him.
The time of preaching arrived – He arose and said to the crowd that if they had no objections he would preach to them. 

Believing him to be one of their kind, they agreed he should do so. He told them that he was the Methodist circuit rider that had proposed to whip – now says he, ‘I profess to be a man of God -- if you are determined to whip me – give me a fair showing. Come at me one at a time. I am ready for you. I came here to preach. Please be quiet and preach I will.’

He did so and the leader of the flock was convicted under his sermon asked him to his house and leave another appointment. The result was the conversion of the posse and organization of a church.  

Guess things often happen mysteriously you know." 

Jacocks on parties from his youth:

"All these were friends of my youth. With them, I had no quarrels; with us all was peace and harmony; and after awhile we had our social gatherings – invited guests and by the way it not infrequently happened that we had storm parties and let me tell you the girls and boys were passing into young man and lovely womenhood at most all our gatherings. We were warmly greeted and courteously treated. It mattered not whether invitations were written or verbal or whether if  given of liberty was taken by any to go whether invited or not. All were or most of them were kindly treated by proprietors of the house and sumptuously fed on the best."

Jacocks on dancing:

"We often had music violin, flute and guitar. Seldom any dancing. We had plays of various kinds – among them one called Justification. Some of the older people after seeing the movements in this game denominated it dancing.

Quite a number of church members were betrayed into it whose rules and religion forbade dancing – and the funny part about that game was they could not play it without music.  

I had no taste for the plays but was delighted with the music and much more so with the charming charmers – the fascinating young ladies of course – and now that I think about it, will say one of our violinists is a prominent minister in the Methodist Church. A very zealous worker in his charge in sermon, song and prayers – has done much good – won many souls to Christ and I warmly hope may live to win many more."

Jacocks on death:

"Ever and again the full destroyer death claimed as its victims some of our loved ones – a father, mother, brother, sister or some schoolmate or associate. Just then our fog and gladness changed to sorrow, grief and sadness. 'Time files' and with it is light.
 We too pass, as have many of our loved ones, to the grave and but for the hope we have on meeting them on God’s blissful shore where we will live with them forever more, our heart of hearts would join and grieve us, our tears forever flow in sorrow and sadness. 

We shed for our friends the sympathetic tear, especially those whom we in youth loved so dear. That is but natural with us you know. But when we take into consideration the immortality of the soul, in the resurrection morn when the graves shall be opened, our loved ones consigned these so long will come fourth and in judgment together we shall meet loved ones and abide the sentence of God – as to merit – just or unjust; if the former the full fountain awaits us and all our blessed dead who die in the Lord."

Jacocks on being fussy:

"I would be pleased to hear from any and all of them like to correspond with them – write to that effect for me – as ever, your old fussy cousin, Jonathon H. Jacocks.

P.S. You may be curious to know why it is that I apply the word old fussy – because so called by my step mother-in-law – a woman that I love and one too who thinks much of me and my wife, her step daughter, She simply chides me for my drollery.

That’s all."

I've been planning on finding Jonathan Hill Jacocks' grave during my upcoming trip back home and reading his letter tonight made me want to do so even more. If I find it, I'll post photos here.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website.

My Fourth Great-grandfather's Stuff on Ebay

I've spent the last few months trying to uncover as much as I could about my Forrest family line and finally get the "Forrest" page of my website uploaded.

One ancestor from that line who really captured my imagination is Samuel W. Forrest. I originally thought he was my fourth great-grandfather but he may actually be the uncle of my third great-grandfather.

No matter the exact connection, there are enough echoes left from Sam's life that exploring him has been especially rewarding. Also, his Last Will and Testament really offers some great insight into the lifestyle of those ancestors who were among the earliest settlers of Haywood County.

Sam Forrest was born Nov. 25, 1794 in Wayne County, N.C. to George Forrest and Winifred Joiner Forrest. The year Sam was born, George Washington was the president of the United States.

In 1826, Samuel migrated from Pitt County, N.C. to Haywood County, Tenn. with his brother, Thomas Joiner Forrest, and the family of Thomas' wife, Charlotte Brown. A one-mile square tract of land (640 acres) had been given to Charlotte's father, Samuel Brown, for service in the Revolutionary War but he died before he was able to actually migrate west.

According to the Brown family Bible, they “left North Carolina on Thursday March 16, 1826. Their journey ended ‘in the Forkodeer Hinterland 11 May which was 8 weeks on the road.’ The family traveled with a number of other families in covered wagons to their new home in the Tennessee counties of Madison and Haywood. Included in the group were the Dickinsons, Forrests, and Musgraves.” Source

Samuel Forrest's 1859 Will 

By the time Sam wrote his will on Aug. 19, 1859, he was successful enough that he had acquired a great deal of household items, supplies and farming equipment.

Like most of the farmers of large amounts of land in that area, he was also a slave owner. According to the slave schedule of 1860, he had two slaves who were ages 12 to 50 but we know from his will that he actually owned six slaves, so five of them must have been 11 or younger.  In his will, he lists his slaves as, "one woman by the name of Wineford, two boys: Reuben and Moses and three girls: Melisa, M? and Violet."

When the census of 1860 was taken, the value of Sam's real estate was $2,640 and the value of his personal estate was $10,660, which in 1860 had roughly the same buying power as $295,000 today. Source 

Sam died Dec. 30, 1860. After his death, his widow Zilpha moved in with Ann and Samuel where she lived for another 10 years.

Sam left most of his property and belongings to his widow Zilpha and his nephew Samuel.

By looking at the items he left in his will, you can get a good idea as to what he considered most valuable.

Since all Sam's stuff is long gone, I decided to do a quick Ebay search to see what a few of these items could have looked like.

His will included:

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Bed stands & furniture...

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One folding leaf table and all of "my" sitting chairs...

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She is to keep all "her" table wear, knives,
forks, spoons, earthenware, and crockery...

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Two chests...

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One clock...

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Three pair of fire irons...

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All my books...

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One shot gun...

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One loom...

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Two spinning wheels...

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One sythe and cradle...

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As much of my stock as she may need,
consisting of horses, mules, cattle, hogs,
one yoke of oxen, one cart and wheels,
and oxen of all kinds...

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A sufficient quantity of corn, fodder,
wheat, oats, and plenty of coffee... 

Where Samuel Forrest's plantation used to sit is now a cotton field and even his and his wife's graves were forgotten and plowed over. Fortunately, Bill King, a friend, and Denmark, Tenn. historian was able to rescue Samuel and Zilpha's headstones and move them to a Forrest Family Cemetery in the same area.

The next chance I get, I plan to visit and photograph the cemetery.

For lots more about the Forrest family, you can visit their page or you can check out Samuel Forrest's entire will.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website.

The Sherrod Family Mystery

I've been working on the Forrest line of my ancestry (the Forrest page of Haywood County Line will be up soon) and it's brought to light a very difficult question to answer. Who were the parents of three different Sherrod women: Zilpha Sherrod, Ann W. Sherrod and Susan Sherrod? Each is connected in one way or another to the Forrest and Yelverton families and they also have small connections to each other.

It really shouldn't be this hard to figure them out...but it seems to be nearly impossible.

Zilpha Sherrod 

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Charles and Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace, Jim Lovelace
and Shirley Lovelace Williams

Zilpha Sherrod, (1797 - 1870) my fourth great grandmother, married Samuel William Forrest (1794 - 1860). They were the foster or adopted parents of Ann M. Sherrod (1834 - 1880) who was the mother of Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace (1861 - 1936), who was the mother of Jim Lovelace (1885 - 1968), who was the father of Guy Lovelace (1916 - 1997), who was the father of my mother, Shirley Lovelace Williams.

(Shout out to researcher Doug Radar, Ph.D. for lots of really helpful info about all the families mentioned below.)

Sam was born 25 November 1794 in Wayne Co., N.C. to George Forrest (1760 - 1827) and Winifred Joyner Forrest (1760 -1835). The Forrest family was large and they had a lot of land and slaves.

In 1813, Sam was 19 and he moved with his parents from Wayne County to Pitt County, N.C.

Because there were no Sherrods in the 1810 U.S. census in Pitt County but three in Wayne County, I am going to assume for now Zilpha was from Wayne County.

Samuel was either already married to Zilpha Sherrod when he moved or married her after arriving with his family in Pitt County.

It was in trying to determine the identity of Zilpha Sherrod's parents that I ended up spending many research hours on several different generations of the Sherrod family and ultimately figured out a mistake I had made in the identity of my third great-grandmother, Ann.

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Sherrods in the 1810 Wayne County, N.C. Census

The three Sherrods in the 1810 census in Wayne County were Benjamin, James and William.

In Benjamen Sherrod's household were two males of ten years and under 16; two males of 16 and under 20; one male of 45 and upwards; two females of ten years and under 16; and one female of 45 and upwards. If interested, check out Ben's 1826 will. It include's mentions of Polly, wife; Patience Reville, daughter; Henry Sherrod, son; Nancy Ward, daughter; William Sherrod, son; Smitha Best, daughter; Benjamin Sherrod, grandson; and William Sherrod, brother.

In James Sherrod's household were two males ten years and under; one male of 26 and under 45; one female under 10; and one female of 26 and under 40.

In William Sherrod's household (Benjamen's brother?) was one male of 45 and upwards; four females under 10 years of age; three females of 10 years and under 16; and one female of 26 and under 40.

If Zilpha was indeed born in born in 1797, in 1810 she would be 13 years old.

Zilpha is said to have possibly been the daughter of William Sherrod (died before 13 Nov 1841) and a mother whose last name was Smithy and William did have three females in his household who were ages 10 - 16. Although Benjamin also had daughters in that age range, he makes no mention of Zilpha as one of the five children in his will.

Zilpha and Sam left North Carolina on Thursday 16 Mar 1826 and arrived in Haywood County, Tenn. 11 May. They traveled with a number of families in covered wagons including Browns, Dickinsons, Forrests, and Musgraves.”

Annie W. Sherrod

In the U.S. Census of 1850, Sam and Zilpha Sherrod Forrest had a “daughter” named Ann W. who had been born in 1834 in Tennessee. I had assumed her name was Ann W. Forrest.

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Death certificate of Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace

However, when you look at the death certificates of Ann W. Forrest’s son and two of her daughters (Etheldred Yelverton, Nancy Jane Yelverton Lovelace and Polly Whitney Yelverton Curlin), the name of their mother is not listed as Ann W. Forrest.

It’s listed as Annie Sherrod.

So it's logical to conclude that Zilpha had a family member living in Tennessee who died or who could not raise a child and, at some point before that child was 14, she went to live with Sam and Zilpha Sherrod Forrest. They seem to have had no other children.

So Ann W. Sherrod and Zilpha Sherrod are likely connected somehow and it's possible the connection was in Haywood Co. since Ann was listed as being born in Tennessee. However, looking through the census records for Haywood and Madison Counties for 1830, I could find no Sherrods listed.

How did the Yelverton family get mixed into this family line? 

Sam Forrest had a sister named Mary A. Forrest (1791 - 1862) who used the nickname, "Polly." She married Etheldred Yelverton (1784 - 1851) around 1808 during the decade when her parents had moved the family to Wayne Co., N.C.

When the Forrests moved on, Polly stayed behind with Etheldred.

Etheldred and Polly had many children so it's no surprise, at some point, they allowed their son Samuel to migrate to Haywood County, Tenn. to live with Polly's brother, Sam Forrest where there was plenty of new land available for him to settle.

Sam and Zilpha had lots of room since they had no children other than Zilpha's relative they were raising, Annie Sherrod.

I guess love was in the air at the Forrest house and at some point Samuel Yelverton and Annie Sherrod married. Their first child, Polly Whitney Yelverton was born in 1851. Samuel and Annie would go on to have 11 children together.

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Hardy Joyner Marbury, Lena Booth Marbury,
Allie Ern Marbury Brantley, Virginia Brantley Lovelace and
Shirley Lovelace Williams

Their second daughter, Maggie Yelverton was born in 1853 and married Ben F. Marbury in 1868 and they are my 3rd great-grandparents. Their son, Hardy Joyner Marbury, married Sarah Evelena "Lena" Booth and they were the parents of Allie Ern Marbury Brantley who was the mother of Virginia Brantley Lovelace  who was the mother of my mother, Shirley Lovelace Williams.

This is why my grandparents used to joke they were cousins "somewhere down the line."

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1877 Map of Haywood County, Tenn.
Compiled and Published by D.G. Beers & Co., Philadelphia

Sam and Ann Sherrod Yelverton's farm is notated on a map of Haywood County from 1877 around the middle of District Four. They were south of the "Forrest Home" and the farm of J.T. Forrest.

Susan Sherrod

Another Sherrod/Forrest connection occurs in the U.S. census of 1860. Then, living in the household with Samuel and Zilpha Forrest when they were in their mid-60s, was 14-year-old Susan Sherrod.

Susan was born in 1846 in Tennessee.

According to family researcher, Soni LaPee, this Susan Sherrod had several brothers and sisters also living with other families in Haywood Co. in 1860:

Mary Sherrod was married to Pleasant Bowmen and living in Madison County which is next to Haywood County.

William Sherrod was the oldest son at 18 and was living with Baker and Becky Harrell and their five children. Later, he married a girl named Tennessee Powell. He served in the 6th Tennessee Division during the Civil War and lost a finger in the battle of Shiloh.

Roxana Sherrod was 12 and living with Travis and Margaret Thune.

Ben Sherrod was 10 and living with Wesley and Mary Willis.

Allen B. Sherrod was four and living with Isaac and Sarah Gregory and their five children.

By 1880, all these Sherrod children had moved to Faulkner County, Ark.

So, how was Zilpha connected to Ann M. Sherrod other than being her foster mother? How were they connected to Susan Sherrod? Who were Zilpha, Ann and Susan Sherrod's parents?

For now, I do not know. This appears to be a brick wall that is going to be difficult to bust through but I will continue to try.

For more blog entries, visit my Blog Home Page or to check out the genealogy research about my specific family lines, go to my Haywood County Line Genealogy Website.