Monday, August 31, 2015

#32 of 52...3rd Great Grandparents

32 weeks into 52 weeks of the year!  I'm of course writing this well after the 32nd week as I got behind during the summer break with the kids.

Did you know that each of us have thirty two 3rd great grandparents?  Thirty two!  Out of my thirty two I have names for all but four.  Also out of thirty two, I have four with the last name Allen!  They are all four on my mama's paternal side.  I wonder if they are related to each other?  I've not found that to be true yet; however Allen is not exactly an unusual name.  Below each one is listed along with their parents names (if known) and their family information.

1). Lucinda Francis Allen (09 May 1841-20 Dec 1925)
     Born in Georgia.
     Parents: David Richmond Allen and Nancy Mayo
     Married: 22 April 1857 in Walton County, Georgia to William Lewis Thomason
     Children: John William Franklin Thomason (1859-1886)
                   James David Thomason (1867-1937) *my 2nd great grandfather
                   Lewis Everit Thomason (1869-  )
                   Benjamin Martin Thomason (1871-1953)
                   Thomas A. Thomason (1873-1911)
                   Nancy E Thomason (1879-1921)

2). Martha Jane Allen (abt 1850-abt 1879)
     Born in Georgia.
     Parents: supposed to be John Allen and possibly Katherine Thomason, though I've not seen enough evidence to declare this to be certain.
     Married: 11 Dec 1867 in Putnam County, Georgia to John Fields Chapman.
     Children: Martha Jane Chapman (1870-1960) **my 2nd great grandmother
                   William M. Chapman (1872-1944)
                    Maggie Chapman (abt 1874-   )
                    John T. Chapman (1875-1963)

3). John Edgar Allen (abt 1833- unknown)
     Born in Georgia.
     Parents: unknown
     Married:   21 April 1857 in Spalding County, Georgia to Mary Elizabeth Wigers.
     Children: John W. Allen (1858-1919)
                   James Christopher Allen (1859-1942)  **my 2nd great grandfather
                   Louisa Allen (abt 1863-     )
                   Singleton William Allen (abt 1865-     )
                   Walter T. Allen (1868-1923)
                   Thomas Jefferson Allen (1869-1926)
                    Minnie B. Allen (abt 1873-   )
                    Effie Estelle Allen (1879-1958)

4). Emily Catherine Allen (1839-1931)
     Born in Crawford County, Georgia.
     Parents: unknown
     Married: 5 January 1866 in Spalding County, Georgia to John Wesley Welch SR
     Children: Walter Welch (1866-1892) *died of accident gunshot wound
                    Claudia Vandora Welch (1869-1971) **my 2nd great grandmother
                    Beresford "Ressie" F. Welch (1872-1939)
                    Sallie Dovie Welch (1878-1929)
                    John Wesley Welch JR (1882-1942)
                 
It's interesting to have so many Allens on one branch.  I also have an Allen or two on another branch of the tree, but it's further back and one comes from England directly.  Do you know all of your thirty two third great grandparent's names?


                 

#31 of 52...Emma Lois Allen

I was fortunate enough to have met two of my great grandmothers.  Emma Lois Allen is one of them.  She was my paternal grandfather, Berney Jack Thomason's mother.  My Mama called her Big Mama.  I recall seeing her a few times when I was a child.  I didn't get to spend as much time with her as I did my other great grandmother; personality differences and such, but I do remember her.

Emma Lois Allen was born 26 March 1906 to James Christopher Allen and Claudia Vandora Welch.  She had the following siblings.

1). Ector Allen (abt 1889-unknown)
2). Trudie Allen (1892-1975)
3). Walter W. Allen (1894-1971)
4). Linnie Mae Allen (1896-1979)
5). William Clarence Allen (1901-1973) *twin
6). Clara Allen (1901-1949) *twin
7). Eunice Allen (1903-1968)
8). Emma Lois Allen (1906-1990) **my great grandmother
9). Sue Allen (1910-before 1920)
10). Margie Allen (unknown)

Emma Lois Allen married  David Luther Thomason.  Together they had three children.

1). Helen Louise Thomason (1924-2013)
2). Dorothy Mae Thomason (1926-1990)
3). Berney Jack Thomason SR (1931-2003) **My grandfather "Afaw"

Even though I met her and kind of knew her, I don't really know much about her.  I don't know if that makes sense or not.  I recall a few times visiting her at her home, she lived on Washington Street in Covington, GA. I remember seeing her at Kroger sometimes when we would be shopping but she never really took up time with me or spoke directly to me.  She always spoke to my Mama.  I think Big Mama had a favorite grandchild and it wasn't my Mama and by extension I wasn't either.  I can say that she had either demensia or Alzheimer's so sometimes her behavior and the things she would say weren't what her normal personality would have been had she not been ill.  I remember when she passed away and we sat with my Afaw and my Great Aunt Louise.  There were a bunch of cousins there too.  1990 was a tough year for that side of the family since we lost Great Aunt Dorothy in a car accident as well.

Emma Lois lost her husband, David Luther Thomason in 1967.  She remarried Howard H. Denham, he was a widower.  Unfortunately he died unexpectedly in a car accident in 1972.  

Funny thing is I don't have any photos of her.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

#30 of 52...Martha Jane Chapman

As I do more research I find myself wondering more and more about the lives of my female ancestors.  I wonder what their lives were really like?  What were their likes and dislikes?  What kind of personality they had?  Were they strict and formal?  Were they lenient and relaxed?  Did they have a sense of humor or were they serious?  I want to relate more to them.  I do the same for my ancestors but especially for my grandmothers.

Today I'm focusing on a 2nd great grandmother on my mother's paternal side; Martha Jane Chapman.  Martha Jane "Mattie" Chapman was born 2 November 1870 in Putnam County, Georgia to John Fields Chapman and Martha Jane Allen, a daughter of John Allen.

John Fields Chapman and Martha Jane Allen had four children before her death. He remarried and had more children with his second wife.

1). Martha Jane "Mattie" Chapman (1870-1960) **my great great grandmother
2). William M. Chapman (1872-1944)
3). Maggie Chapman (abt 1874-     )
4). John T. Chapman (1876-      )

Mattie Chapman married James David Thomason 4 April 1886 in Newton County, Georgia.  Together they had ten children that survived childhood.  They had two known children to have passed young.

1). Willie Thomason (1888-1962)
2). Charlie Woodson Thomason (1890-1956)
3). Mary Lou Thomason (1892-     )
4). Henry Grady Thomason (1894-1980)
5). David Luther Thomason (1896-1967)  **my great grandfather
6). Susie Thomason (1899-1983)
7). Ludie Bea Thomason (1903-1988)
8). Howard Thomason (1908-1952)
9). Sallie Cleo Thomason (1911-2003)
10) Claude L Thomason (1915-1990)

Mattie gave birth to at least 12 children with 10 surviving to adulthood.  Mattie lived to be nearly 90 years old. She passed away 16 Aug 1960. She was widowed at the age of 67 when her husband died from a freak accident.  I wonder what she was like?  I've seen a couple of photos of her.  I can see the resemblance in her face of some of my aunts and even my Mama a little.  I did not get the opportunity to know that side of my family very well.  

Below is a photo I found on Ancestry.com.

Mattie Jane Chapman Thomason and her brother William (Buddy) Chapman
phyllishillking originally shared this on 5/18/2011 on Ancestry.com



Saturday, August 29, 2015

#29 of 52...David Luther Thomason

One of my maternal great grandparents is David Luther Thomason.  David Luther was born 24 December 1896 to James David Thomason and Martha Jane Chapman.  He had the following siblings.

1). Baby Boy Thomason (1886-unknown)
2). Willie Thomason (1888-1962)
3). Charlie Woodson Thomason (1890-1956)
4). Mary Lou Thomason (1892-  )
5). Henry Grady Thomason (1894-1980)
6). David Luther Thomason (1896-1967) **my great grandfather
7). Susie Thomason (1899-1983)
8). Ludie Bea Thomason (1903-1988)
9). Howard Thomason (1908-1952)
10). Sallie Cleo Thomason (1911-2003)
11). Baby Girl Thomason (1913-   )
12). Claude L Thomason (1915-1990)


David Luther (I'm told he went by Luther) married Emma Lois Allen.  I just realized that I do not have their marriage date or any documentation about it.  I will add that to my research goals for the next year.
Luther and Lois had the following children.

1). Helen Louise Thomason (1924-2013) *We called her Aunt Ease, because saying Louise was hard sometimes for us kids.
2). Dorothy Mae Thomason (1926-1990)  *She was killed in a car accident.  I remember when this happened and it was awful.
3). Berney Jack Thomason SR (1931-2003) **This is my Grandfather, I called him "Afaw" which is my baby way of trying to say Grandpa and it stuck.

I did not get to meet David Luther because he passed 10 years before I was born.  I don't know much about him at all other than the facts I've gathered.  I remember my Mama spoke of him as being "Big Daddy" but I don't recall many stories about him.  I'd like to find out more about him as a person.


#28 of 52...Lewis Wade Curran

My great grandfather's name was Lewis Wade Curran, SR.  I did not have the chance to meet him but I've seen many photos of him.

Lewis Wade Curran was born 12 November 1903, Walker, Wood County, West Virginia to John and Elizabeth (Martin) Curran.  His other siblings were:

1). John W. Curran (1886-1962)
2). Clara Ellen Curran (1888-1954)
3). Margaret Curran (1889-     )
4). Charles Terence Curran (1891-1918)
5). Laura Esther Curran (1893-1975)
6). Thomas James Curran (1896-1934)
7). Nora Victoria Curran (1898-1976)
8). Cora May Curran (1900-1969)
9). Miner O Curran (1901-1992)
10). Lewis Wade Curran SR (1903-1972) **my great grandfather
11). Alice Florence Curran (1906-1999)
12). Letha I. Curran (1908-1983)
13). Ralph E. Curran (1911-1930)

Lewis Wade married Letha Hazel Marlow, daughter of George Monroe and Bertha May (Day) Marlow 12 August 1922 in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia.  Lewis and Letha had the following children.

1). Leonard Leroy Curran (1922-1922)
2). Paul Edward Curran (1924-2002)
3). Homer Carl Curran (1925-2001)
4). Lewis Wade Curran JR "June" (living)
5). Russell C Curran (1930-2005)
6). Donald Vearl Curran (living) **my Papaw
7). Hazel Marie Curran (1936-2013)

Lewis and Letha were married for just short of 50 years.  He was a farmer and also worked as a Flagman for the State Road Commission.
Lewis and Letha Curran
Copy of snapshot in possession of Donald V. Curran