Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sunday's Obituary: Ellie Brooks Drake

Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, October 13, 1995, Copyright 2009, The Augusta Chronicle.


Ellie Brooks Drake
b Sept 15 1922
d Oct 12 1955

Son of 
 Ellie Alonzo and Sarah Atkins Drake

laid to rest at
Poplar Springs Methodist Church Cemetery
Johnson County, Georgia

Ellie Brooks Drake was my 3rd cousin, 1x removed.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Grandma's 1934 Diary, August 1-8

(To read entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 and 1934 diary, please click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go to the topic "California." All posts are listed there.)

Key:

The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley.
Alice is her sister.
Kenneth is her brother.
Her parents.
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Mary Viella Crites Hesser, Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.


Wednesday, August 1:  "I packed peaches for Butler.  Hazel worked at Ranch."

Thursday, August 2:  "I sold fruit at the stand.  Hazel & I stayed all night with Mrs. Trowbridge.  Edwards visited in the eve."

Friday, August 3:  "I graded pears at Kings maleum, worked till 7.  Went over to Folks, Coopers were there."

Saturday, August 4:  "I packed peaches for Mr. Butler.  Got tomatoes in afternoon.  Took Delma & Mary to San Berdo in eve.  Got a pair of shoes."

Sunday, August 5:  "H. & I went to Beach went to Lesters.  Came back by Long Beach & walked on pike, saw Marie & Ralph Baxter.  Got home 12 pm."

Monday, August 6:  "H. worked.  I took Mama & Kenneth to San Berdo.  Saw Alice & H.  Had a flat tire.  Saw Otho a min."

Tuesday, August 7:  "H. worked up at the ranch.  I graded pears at Kings Muleum.  Plumlees left for Oregon on vacation.  Sold some peaches to Dave."

Wednesday, August 8:  "H. hoed weeds at home.  I helped mama wash.  Went to San Berdo.  Had a flat tire.  Had to run on rim."

Image courtesy of fotosearch.com

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Wedding Wednesday: Homer Frank Tapley Jr




Wedding of

Homer Frank Tapley, Jr.
and
Judy Brown

1958

Homer Frank Jr. was my cousin, Keith's, father
and my 2nd cousin.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Tuesday's Tombstone: George Franklin Schwalls


George Franklin Schwalls
b. Dec 27 1907
d. Nov 15 1989

son of 
George W. Jr. and Nettie Hatcher Schwalls

husband of
Eva Dell Kemph Schwalls

laid to rest at
Minton's Chapel Advent Christian Church Cemetery,
Johnson County, Georgia

George was my 1st cousin, 2x removed.



Monday, October 22, 2012

Amanuensis Monday: Hosea Tapley Jr's Will

"North Carolina,
Orange County

  This day came Victory Rankins before me & made oath that she was at Hosea Tapley Jun. some few days before he died in his Sickness and being in his proper senses said that it was his desire that the Part of Land & Plantation the South Side of Flat River where on He then  lived was for his Son John Pryor Tapley and the other part on the North Side of Said River was for his other Son Hosea Tapley which this Exception that if his wife was with child and should be a Son when Born that his desire the land might be divided in Three Eaqul Parts for them & that he dyed on the 21the of March in the Year 1770 Sworn before me this 22th day of March 1770.

                                                                        Victory Rankins
             John Pryor

                                                                 Test  F. Nash"


 Source:  Orange County Clerk of Superior Court Record of Wills, Volume A, 1752-1788, p. 125; Orange County (North Carolina) Record of Wills, 1752-1795, Vols. A, B; North Carolina Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina.

The finding of this will on a trip to the Archives last week has upset the apple cart, so to speak, on the order I have always believed the various Hosea Tapleys were born.  I will need to do more research, but I had the children mentioned in the above will as belonging to Hosea Tapley III, not Hosea Jr.

Hosea Tapley Jr. was my 5th great grand uncle. 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Sunday's Obituary: Joe McArthur "Mac" Sweat



Joe McArthur Mac Sweat: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Florida Times-Union, The (Jacksonville, FL) - September 1, 2005
Deceased Name: Joe McArthur Mac Sweat

FL United States

SWEAT Joe McArthur “Mac” Sweat, 53, who was born on Nov. 30, 1951 and passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 following a brief illness. Mr. Sweat was the owner of Intercom & Sound, Inc. and was preceded in death by his father and mother, Joe L. Sweat and Elizabeth Tapley Sweat. Survivors include his loving wife of 31 years, Donna Hicks Sweat; sons: Jacob McArthur Sweat and Caleb Chulton Sweat; brother, Ronald L. (Vicki) Sweat; sister, Jenny (Dave) Pettigrew; uncle, Rev. J. Marvin Sweat, Jr.; loving-in-laws; Jesse C. and Betty Hicks; sisters-in-law; Terry (Dave) Perrigo and Brenda (Tim) Robertson; many cousins, nieces and nephews. Family will receive friends on Friday, 6:30-8:30 PM at HARDAGE-GIDDENS RIVERMEAD FUNERAL HOME, 950 Park Ave, Orange Park. Memorial services will be held Saturday, 11 AM at Orange Park United Methodist Church, 2051 Park Ave, Orange Park with Pastor Pearl Boles officiating. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in honor of Mac to OrangePark United Methodist Church. Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com 

Copyright (c) 2005 The Florida Times-Union

courtesy of GenealogyBank.com.

Mac Sweat was descended from my 3rd great grand uncle, James L. Tapley.  He was my 5th cousin.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Make Funny Genealogy Posters

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night!  Time for some Genealogy FUN.

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to: 

1)  Go to the www.memegenerator.net website and choose one or more poster pictures.

2)  Channel your inner genealogist and create one or more posters with a genealogy oriented saying on it.  Be creative!!  Be brave!  Make it funny, or happy, or sad. 

3)  Save or clip your creation, then show us your creation(s) in your own blog post, in a Facebook status, or a Google Plus stream post.  

A warning:  some of the sample posters on the site ate somewhat risque.

Here's mine:

In honor of my 2nd great grandfather who is my most frustrating brickwall:



For my cousin, Keith:


And I couldn't resist this:


Friday, October 19, 2012

Grandma's 1934 Diary, July

(To read entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 and 1934 diary, please click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go to the topic "California." All posts are listed there.)

Key:

The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley.
Alice is her sister.
Kenneth is her brother.
Her parents.
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Mary Viella Crites Hesser, Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.


(Grandma made no diary entries during the month of June.)

Friday, July 6:  "Mama had Delma, Hazel & I over for supper.  Mama gave us money & we all went to the show."

July 6th was Grandma's birthday, yet she doesn't even mention it in her entryI suppose that's why her mother gave them money for the show.

Clip art courtesy of http://antiqueimages.blogspot.com/.

This is the only entry made during the month of July.

Thankful Thursday: Good news for the Georgia Archives!

Great news out of my home state of Georgia today:

Deal, Kemp to keep Georgia’s Archives open 


Looks like state leaders have found a way to not only keep the Georgia Archives open through the remainder of this fiscal year, but also long-term.  Those of us who have ancestors and do research in the great state of Georgia have much to be thankful for tonight.

 

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Sunday's Obituary: Nelsie Dixon Tapley

Click on obituary for a larger view.

Nelsie was the daughter of 
Arthur J. and Donnie Scarborough Dixon

I was connected to Nelsie in two ways.
She was married to my 1st cousin, 1x removed
and
her sister, Blanche, was married to my uncle, Jack Dempsey Tapley

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Your Longest Gravestone Line

From Randy over at Genea-Musings:

Dear genealogists everywhere, it's Saturday Night!  Time for some Genealogy FUN.

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to: 

 1)  Determine what is your longest unbroken line of ancestral gravestones - how many generations can you go back in time?  Do you have photographs of them?

2)  Tell us and/or show us in a blog post of your own, or in a comment to this blog, or in a Facebook status or a Google+ stream post.

Here's mine:  

(1)  I really cannot go back very far in gravestones... but here's what I've got.

My father, Gilbert Earl Tapley (1928-2008) in Gumlog Church Cemetery (outside of Kite, Johnson County, Georgia):


 My grandfather, Lusion Keman Tapley (1870-1935) in Powell's Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):


My great-grandfather, James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912) in Oaky Grove Church Cemetery (Johnson County, Georgia):


 After this, they are unmarked graves in unknown locations.  

 Of my Drake ancestors, I have the following:

My father as shown above... then his mother:

My grandmother, Nealie Vermell Drake Tapley (1895-1970) in Powell's Chapel Church Cemetery:

 
 My great-grandfather, Rev. William John Drake (1857-1927) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery (outside of Adrian, Johnson County, Georgia):


Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my 2nd great-grandfather, James William Drake, but I do have...

My 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Ann Brantley Drake (1837-1891) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery: 

My 3rd great-grandfather, Francis Bryant Drake (1806-1875) in Poplar Springs Church Cemetery:


(2)  Done!
 

Friday, October 12, 2012

Grandma's 1934 Diary, May

(To read entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 and 1934 diary, please click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go to the topic "California." All posts are listed there.)

Key:


The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley.
Alice is her sister.
Kenneth is her brother.
Her parents.
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Mary Viella Crites Hesser, Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.


Tuesday, May 1:  "I stayed home all day.  Made some candy for H."


Wednesday, May 2:  "I went over home.  Herman isn't feeling well.  Came home & cleaned myself up & H. & I went back for supper."


Thursday, May 3:  "Cleaned house in the morning.  Took Alice & Mama to Redlands in the afternoon.  H. & I went to look at well in evening."


Friday, May 4:  "I went with H. to work & worked.  Mrs. Plumlee took me to town with her after lunch.  H. & I went to Redlands after ice.  Made ice cream for my folks."

Sunday, May 6:  "Kenneths birthday."

Saturday, May 21:  "I spent the day at home.  Finished a dress for me.  Hazel was there to supper."

Sunday, May 22:  "Hazel & I went down to see Delma.  Went to see Joe but he wasn't home.  We stopped & had supper at home in the evening.  Visited Plumlees & Trowbridges."

Monday, May 23:  "I went to town with mama & Kenneth in the afternoon.  I forgot & left radio on."
Tuesday, May 24:  "Moved the double bed into the front bedroom.  Cathrine visited me a little while.  We went up to Napiers in the evening."


Wednesday, May 25:  "I made 2 lemon pies to take to church.  Cathrine visited me in the afternoon.  We went to a church supper in the evening."

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Wordless Wednesday


Vixie, Hazel, Myra Mae, Ralph, and Inez Tapley
children of Homer Frank Tapley

and

Katie Reese Tapley
wife of Homer Frank Tapley
 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday: Francis Bryant Drake


Francis Bryant Drake

b. Oct 16 1806 in Nash County, North Carolina
d. Dec 27 1875 in Johnson County, Georgia

husband of
Selina King Drake

son of
Richard and Pherabah Bryant Drake

laid to rest at
Poplar Springs Methodist Church cemetery

Francis Bryant Drake was my 3rd great-grandfather.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Church Record Sunday: Johnson County, Georgia Churches

In the book, "A History of Johnson County Churches" compiled for The Johnson County Historical Society by Magnolia Press and copyright 1986, my ancestors are mentioned several times as founders, preachers, deacons, and members of many churches in that area.  I thought I would share these references here.  (I am sure I missed a few - there are a LOT of names in this book!)

Corinth Methodist Church 
  Organized in 1877.  Charter members included... Mr. and Mrs. John Drake, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Harrell, Mr. and Mrs. James Harrell, John Harrell, and Simpson Harrell.
  John S. Drake hewed the framing for the first church building.  The lumber for the siding and floor came from Dr. Odum's sawmill, located near the site of the church.
  The largest baptism in the church consisted of twenty-six people.  Among those baptized were:  Ed Drake and Verta Drake.

Gumlog (Mount Pleasant Primitive Baptist Church) 
  Constituted in July 1880.  
  Clerks of Church have included:  Z.W. Claxton.

Kite United Methodist Church
  Organized in 1914.
  There were 25 charter members on record.  These include:  Mrs. Henry G. Wheeler, B. B. Tapley, Gordon Wheeler, Mrs. Gordon Wheeler, and Mrs. Maud (B. B.) Tapley.
  Pianists of the church have included:  Mrs. Emma Townsend.
  Sunday School Teachers of the church have included:  Mrs. Charlie Sconyers.
  Sunday School Superintendents have included:  Gordon Wheeler.
  Stewards and trustees of the church have included:  J. Townsend, Sr., Gordon Wheeler, and Woodrow Wheeler.
  Treasurers of the church have included:  Woodrow Wheeler.

Minton's Chapel Advent Christian Church 
  Organized on the fifth day of September, 1885.  By 1895, there were 238 church members with Charles M. Schwalls of Kite as Secretary.
  The land on which the church was built was donated by George Jeff Minton after whom the church was  named and who built most of the original church.  He served as Church Secretary-Treasurer from 1903 until his death in 1905.
  Outstanding in the field of service for many years were...John T. Minton, John Perdue and John S. Wheeler.  J. J. Perdue was church clerk form 1905-1909.  John S. Wheeler was clerk from 1909-1913, and was secretary of the conference 1909-1917.  John T. Minton became a deacon in 1903.
  Church membership through the years has amounted to approximately 500 members.  Sam T. Schwalls had one of the longest membership records.

Poplar Springs United Methodist Church 
  Because families living on the west side of the Ohoopee River in Johnson County found it difficult to cross the river in row boats and a further hardship to walk two miles after crossing the river to attend church at Key's Church, these families resolved to organize a Church in this community.  Among the pioneer families were such names as ... Drake.
  The Reverend Jim Drake, a local preacher, held the first services on the spot under a brush arbor in 1866.

Powell's Chapel 
  In 1875, under a big oak tree on Powell land, a few of the people around in the community decided to begin having services under this tree, among those were...Jim Tapley.
  (While not in this book, I happen to know that my grandmother, Nealie Drake Tapley, played the piano at Powell's Chapel for many years, even traveling more than 10 miles from Wadley by horse and buggy for a time.)


Sardis Church
  Established May 7th, 1853 by Elder Archiball Odom and Elder Spencer Meeks.
  Many of my family surnames are listed among the early members of the church:  Beasley, Tapley, Wheeler, Kight, Claxton, Odom, Schwalls, Townsend, and Price.

Scott Methodist Church
  Founded in 1910.
  Among the families who have been faithful members of the church:  Schwalls.

Smith Chapel Church
  The charter members included:  J. S. P. Lampp.
  Member list include the names Tapley, Lampp, and Bush.

Friday, October 5, 2012

Grandma's 1934 Diary, April

(To read entries from my maternal grandmother's 1933 and 1934 diary, please click on the tab "Posts by Topic" and then go to the topic "California." All posts are listed there.)

Key:


The writer is Ethel Ranney Tapley.
Alice is her sister.
Kenneth is her brother.
Her parents.
H = her boyfriend, Hazel Avery Plumlee
Delma = Hazel's little sister
Earl = Hazel's brother
Verda = Earl's wife
Dorothy Lee = Hazel's niece (Earl's child)
Otho is Otho Hesser, her father's cousin.
Viella is Mary Viella Crites Hesser, Otho's wife.
Ruth & Kathryn are Otho and Viella's daughters.
Uncle Jont is Jonathan Hesser, Otho's father and her father's uncle.
Aunt Kate is Sarah Katherine Hall Hesser, Jonathan's wife and Otho's mother
Herman (Williams) is Alice's husband.


Sunday, April 1:  "We didn't do much in the morn.  In afternoon, Hazel, Ben, & I went to see Delma, she was kind of blue.  Went on to L.A.  Saw a show in Colton."

Thursday, April 5:  "Hazel worked.  I stayed home & worked all day.  Hazel & I went over to Dietrichs in the eve.  Marie wasn't feeling well."

Friday, April 6:  "I baked in the morning & went home in the afternoon.  did a little cleaning.  Clara, Barney, Marie, Arnold, Lucile & Clint were there in the eve."

Saturday, April 7:  "I tried to clean our house but didn't succeed very far.  We went to town in the eve.  Also to the show."

Sunday, April 8:  "Hazel washed the car.  Had dad & Kenneth over to dinner.  Hazel & I went for a ride in the afternoon, saw Clara & Barney."

Monday, April 9:  "Hazel worked at home today.  I went over to dads & made 4 pies, 2 for both houses."


Tuesday, April 10:  "Hazel worked at home today.  I mowed part of the lawn.  We visited Plumlees & dad & Kenneth in the eve."

Wednesday, April 11:  "I washed at Trowbridges.  We sure had a big washing.  I stayed home at night.  Ben was there a few min.  H. & I have been married 2 mo."
Thursday, April 12:  "Dad & I went to town, tried to get rent but they didn't have it.  It is still quite warm.  I don't feel very good."

Wednesday, April 25:  "Cathrine visited me in the afternoon.  We went to a church supper in the evening."

Thursday, April 26:  "I went over home for the day."

Friday, April 27:  "I washed at Plumlees.  She took me to town with her in afternoon.  Stayed all afternoon & came home with H.  Mama & Kenneth were over a few minutes."

Saturday, April 28:  "Kathryn Hesser visited me in the morning.  Mama & Kenneth went to town & took us with them.  Had to get car fixed so we went to the show.  Herman & Alice were home when we got there."

Sunday, April 29:  "H. & I went over home for dinner.  Went to San Berdo in afternoon & got Ben's girl Flossie.  Brought them to our house.  H. & I went to Ep. Leauge."

Monday, April 30:  "I went over home, stayed till noon.  Alice & Mama came over in the afternoon & I took them to town.  Went to see Aunt Kate & Norah a few min."

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Workday Wednesday: Alice Ranney Thornburg

My grand aunt, Alice Ranney Thornburg, worked at Patton State Hospital in San Bernandino, California for many years.  According to this certificate found among her belongings, she was a Psychiatric Technician:


We know that Alice worked there until the early-mid 1960's.  According to my mother, she worked in the TB (tuberculosis) ward, and she worked with male patients. 

I searched online for the history of this hospital and only found the same information over and over.

"Patton State Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in San Bernardino, California, United States.

Opened in 1893 as the Southern California State Asylum for the Insane and Inebriates, it was renamed Patton State Hospital after Harry Patton, a member of the first Board of Managers, in 1927.

Patton is a state run, public sector forensic hospital. It is licensed by the Department of Health Services and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Individuals are judicially committed adults to Patton State Hospital to recover from mental illness."
  - Source:   www.mashpedia.com/patton_state_hospital

Based on other information I found online, Patton did not become a forensic hospital until sometime after Alice left.

I was unable to locate any photos of the hospital, dated later than 1920. 

As a matter of fact, it was very surprising how little information and photos I could find.  Is that by design?

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday: Elizabeth Jane Wheeler Schwalls



Elizabeth Jane Wheeler Schwalls

b. March 6, 1872
d. June 28, 1912

laid to rest at 
Wheeler Cemetery
Johnson County, Georgia

Wife of
Charlie Milton Schwalls

Daughter of
Benjamin Young Wheeler
and
Louisa Elizabeth Jane Carr Wheeler

Eliza was my great grand aunt by virtue of being married
to my great grand uncle.