A Time Line for Reida Mae Poole (1905-1979)

 

Our connection:

Liz (that's me!)

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Gilbert Earl Tapley, 1928-2008 (my father)

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Lusion Keman Tapley, 1870-1935 (my grandfather)

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James Tillman 'Fella' Tapley, 1904-1974 (my uncle)

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Reida Mae Poole, 1905-1979 (his wife and my aunt)

Time Line for the life of Reida Mae Poole:  

1905 Age 0	Birth	October 5 Kite, Johnson County, Georgia
1906 Age 0	Historical Event	The Atlanta Race Riot.  The Atlanta Race Riot of 1906 occurred on the evening of September 22-24. A newspaper reported the rapes of four white women by African American men. Fueled by preexisting racial tensions, these reports enraged white men who then arranged gangs to attack African American men. Over the next several days, several thousand white men joined in and in the end, 26 people were killed and many were injured.
1918 Age 12	Death of Parent	Reida Mae’s father, William S. Poole (1873-1918), passes away on July 25.
1923 Age 18	Marriage	Married Wondell Renfroe on December 13 in Johnson County, Georgia.
1930 Age 24	Residence	Kite, Johnson County, Georgia.  Listed on 1930 Census as “Widowed.”
1932 Age 26	Historical Event	Lake Placid, New York hosts the Winter Olympic Games.
1932 Age 26	Marriage	May 19 Married James Tillman Tapley (1904-1974) in Georgia.
1935 Age 29	Historical Event	The FBI is Established.  The Bureau of Investigation’s name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to help citizens know that the government is helping  protect from threats both domestically and abroad.
1935 Age 29	Historical Event	The Social Security Act created a basic right to a pension in old age and insurance against unemployment.
1935 Age 29	Residence	District 55, Johnson County, Georgia
1940 Age 34	Residence	District 55, Johnson County, Georgia
1942 Age 36	Death of Parent	Reida Mae’s mother, Dona Chivers Poole (1872-1942), passes away on February 1 in Johnson County, Georgia
1942 Age 36	Historical Event	Germans Sink Ships Near St. Simons Island.  Lights from homes along the coast of St. Simons Island (Georgia) provided a clear view of the SS Oklahoma for German U-boat Captain Reinhard Hardegen on April 8, 1942.  A German torpedo was fired at the SS Oklahoma shortly after midnight.  An hour later, a second torpedo was fired at the oil tanker Esso Baton Rouge. Both ships sunk and the attacks left 22 seamen dead. After the incident, residents of the Golden Isles panicked over concern of a German invasion of the coast and were stringently observant of a nighttime blackout.
1946 Age 40	Residence	Macon, Bibb County, Georgia
1974 Age 68	Death of Spouse	James Tillman Tapley passed away on July 25 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia
1979 Age 73	Historical Event	The Department of Education.  Department of Education was organized to guide the schools throughout the United States in what to teach and how to teach it. The Department also collects data on the schools to see where government focus needs to go.
1979 Age 73	Death	Reida Mae passed away on February 28 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia.  She is buried at the Gumlog Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Johnson County, alongside her husband.

 Uncle James and Aunt Reida Mae never had children.  Their children were all the nieces, nephews, or any other kids that came into their lives.  They took care of everyone.  I can still remember going to their home in Macon and eating a really good meal!  I also remember the day I got off the school bus after school, and Mom told me Aunt Reida Mae had passed.  Even though I had experienced the death of loved ones before, at age 11, I was more aware of what that meant, and I burst into tears at the news.  

Both Reida Mae and Fella were the definition of good, down-home, country folks.  That's a great compliment in my book.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Pick a Day in the Life of an Ancestor**

 From Randy (a cousin discovery!!) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

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

(1)  Michael John Neill wrote "Pick a Day" on Thursday, February 3, in his Genealogy Tip of the Day blog.  

(2)  Read Michael's post, and then write your own post.  Tell us your day, your person, and then answer the ten questions.

(3)  Tell us all about it in your own blog post, in a comment to this post, in a post on Facebook, or on Twitter.  

Here's mine:

The person I chose for this exercise is my paternal grandfather, Lusion Keman 'L.K.' Tapley (1870-1935).  The date chosen was April 14, 1930.

* Where was my ancestor living?

    Papa was living in Kite (District 55), Johnson County, Georgia.  His farm was located between Highway 57 (going toward Wrightsville) and Fortner Pond Road, which runs into Highway 221 North (heading toward Bartow).  

* Who was in his household?

    In his household were his wife of 16 years, Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970), age 35; their sons, William Lamar (1915-1985), age 14; John Russell "Russ" (1917-1967), age 12; Dorsey Franklin "Dorse" (1919-2007), age 10; Jack Dempsey "Demp" (1921-1994), age 8; Gilbert (1928-2008), age 1; and their daughter, Irene (1925-2004), age 4.  

* What was the ancestor's occupation?

    Papa was always a farmer.  The 1930 census states that he was "working on his own account."  So I take that to mean he was farming his own land.  Lusion's parents gave each of their children some land, but I do not know the acreage of Papa's portion. This date is two years before Papa and Grandma lost their land to foreclosure.

*  What was the ancestor's age?

    On this date, he was actually 60 years old, though the census states he was 57.  

*  What was going on nationally on this date (at this point in time)?

    More than 4 million people are unemployed as a result of the Wall Street Crash of 1929.

    Arizona scientists discover a ninth planet - Pluto. 

    For the first time, the 30th U.S. Census asks whether the respondents owned a radio, reflecting an increased interest in communication technology and consumer goods.

    The Nazi party becomes the second largest political party in Germany.

    Construction on the Hoover Dam started later in the year 1930.  The Hoover Dam was part of a larger public works relief program to create jobs for those struggling during the first years of the Great Depression.

    CBS broadcasts the New York Philharmonic live over the radio for the first time.

*  What was going on locally/regionally?

    The closest newspaper I could find was "The Atlanta Constitution."  Some of the Georgia news article titles on April 14, 1930 include:

    "State Education Convention Will Open in Macon Today"

    "Convicted Forger Escapes at Macon"

    "Wesleyan is Host to University Women" (American Association of University Women)

    "Thermometer Reaches 84.3 Degrees in Macon"

    "South Carolinian Shot to Death" (in Augusta)

    "Driver Dies as Auto Plunges Off Bridge" (Augusta)

    "Byrd Murder Case Will Reopen Today - Dan Tyre to Face Trial for Ax Slaying at Blackshear"

    "Aged Georgian Robbed, Beaten" (Savannah)

  

*  Were my ancestor's parents alive?

    No, his father had passed in 1912, and his mother died in 1924.

*  Were my ancestor's siblings alive?    

    Other than two sisters who died as children, all nine of Papa's other siblings were alive on this date.  These included Franklin Morgan "Frank" (1867-1938), James "Jim" (1868-1941), Elizabeth Virginia "Lizzie" (1873-1959), Tabitha "Bosh" (1875-1956), George Washington Sentell "Tell" (1876-1944), Bennett Olin "Ol" (1878-1955), Solomon (1881-1971), Vianna Bell (1886-1965), and Bascom Biship (1889-1967).  

*  Where would he have gone to church the previous Sunday?

    I'm not sure that Papa attended church.  But I can guarantee that Grandma Nealie was at Powell's Chapel every Sunday!

*  Who were my ancestor's neighbors?

    His immediate neighbors were Frank Rodgers and family on one side and C.L. Stephens and his son, Elmo, on the other side.  A couple of houses up the street was his son, Champ Lusion (1909-1974) and his wife, Pauline Horton Tapley (1912-2003).  Pauline's family lived next to them.  Next to Champ were the Pooles... their daughter, Reida Mae (1905-1979), ended up marrying Lusion's oldest son, James Tillman "Fella" (1904-1974).  

** Please note that this is the Saturday Night Fun prompt from last Saturday, February 5. I missed it last week, and since I am not any kind of sports fan, I chose to go ahead and do last week's prompt.  

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 29): Newsworthy

Amy Johnson Crow from Generations Cafe is hosting a blog writing prompt this year called 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.  Since I need a swift kick in the you-know-what to get me blogging more regularly again, I thought I'd jump in.  I like that she gives us "permission" to interpret the prompt however we wish and share it however we wish.  It doesn't have to be a blog post; it could be a family video, a letter to a child or grandchild, an e-mail, etc.  I'm probably going to be always behind on this exercise so don't go by the date and week I'm writing about and take it as accurate.  

My uncle James Tillman Tapley was always known as "Fella."  I'm the only person I know who called him Uncle "James."  He was born August 16, 1904 in Bartow, Georgia, the eldest son of Lusion "Lush" Tapley and Mattie Schwalls.  He and my father, Gilbert, had the same father.  Uncle James was only 7 years old when his mother passed away.  Two years later, Lush married my grandmother, Nealie Drake, and she became an instant mother to 3 little boys.  

Uncle James always stuck close to his father, even as an adult.  He lived next door in Wadley when Lush passed away in 1935.  It appears either during World War II or immediately afterwards, Uncle James and his wife, Reida Mae Poole, moved to Macon, Georgia.  They lived there the rest of their lives.

Uncle James, by all accounts, was a very good man.  He had a kind soul,  He was truly one who would "give you the shirt off his back."  He and Aunt Reida Mae never had children of their own, but had an open door policy and it seems that almost all of Uncle James' younger siblings stayed with them at one time or another.  

He and Aunt Reida Mae even opened their home to a child who was not their own and raised her.  

I was only 7 years old when Uncle James passed away.  However, I can still remember vividly many visits we made to Macon over those years.  The adults would sit on the porch and talk away the afternoon after eating one of Aunt Reida Mae's delicious, down home dinners.  Whatever kids were there would run around the house, inside and out, playing and getting into mischief.  Good times.

While Uncle James lived his life quietly without a lot of fanfare, there was one instance where he made the Macon newspaper, The Macon Telegraph.  I don't know the date, but it is one of those quintessential human interest pieces about a simple man and his garden.

And here is the scrapbook page I did of the article several years ago:

Tombstone Tuesday: James Tillman Tapley

James Tillman "Fella" Tapley

b 16 Aug 1904

Johnson County, Georgia

d 25 Jul 1974

Macon, Bibb County, Georgia

laid to rest at

Gumlog Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery

Johnson County, Georgia

husband of

Reida Mae Poole Tapley

son of

Lusion Keman Tapley

and

Mattie Schwalls Tapley

James was my uncle; my father's brother.  

 (I don't know how he got the nickname "Fella" and everyone else I know called him that, but I always called him Uncle James for some reason.)

Sunday's Obituary: James O. Townsend

"James O. Townsend

Funeral services for James O. Townsend, former resident of this city, who died yesterday morning in a Lumberton hospital, will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from Jernigan-Warren Funeral Home here. Ceremony will be conducted by the Rev. E. N. Teague assisted by the Rev. W. J. Lynch and the Rev. R. T. Haynes. 

Burial will be in Cross Creek Cemetery.

Pallbearers will include Lonnie Cumbee, Joe Knox, Frank Cook, Duke Thompson, Willie Green, Jim Hatchell, Guy Jarrell, and Floyd Short. 

Additional Comments:

James was born 15 Sep 1906 to Silas James Townsend and Catherine "Cassie" Tyson Townsend. North Carolina death certificate #17649.  Silas is buried in Cross Creek Cemetery in Fayetteville, North Carolina and Catherine is buried in Sardis Church Cemetery in Emanuel County, Georgia."

From:  Emanuel-Johnson County GaArchives Obituaries.....Townsend, James Osbert July 20, 1955, The Fayetteville (NC) Observer  7-21-1955, File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/emanuel/obits/t/townsend1831nob.txt. 

James Townsend was the brother-in-law of my uncle's brother-in-law.  This definitely requires a chart!

Mary Elizabeth Tapley	Me
Gilbert Earl Tapley	My father
James Tillman Tapley	My uncle and Dad’s brother
Reida Mae Poole Tapley	Uncle James’ wife
Edgar Dewey Poole	Reida Mae’s brother and Uncle James’s brother-in-law
Nona Leah Townsend Poole	Dewey’s wife
James O. Townsend	Nona Leah’s brother and Dewey’s brother-in-law

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Valentine's Day!

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

Normally, this is where I would refer you to Randy Seaver's blog, Genea-Musings, and pass along the assignment for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.  However, since I have never had a particularly memorable Valentine's Day (his mission for this week), I have chosen to put my own spin on some Valentine's "fun" for this post.

I decided to go to my FTM database and find out who has been born or got married on February 14th.  (There should be an easier way than what I used to find this information in FTM... if anyone has suggestions, please share!)  As I was thinking about this, I wondered how long has Valentine's Day been around and did my ancestors celebrate it?  Did they plan to have their wedding(s) on the day of love or did it just work out that way?  I didn't find the answer to THAT question, but I did discover that Valentine's Day has been around... if not forever, then at least for a very, very long time.  The first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in 1382.  By 1797, printers had bung producing a cards with verses that were the forerunners of the modern Valentine.  In the 1800's handwritten notes gave way to mass-produced greeting cards.  (Valentine's Day. (2013, February 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:04, February 10, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valentine%27s_Day&oldid=537352548)

I found only nine people in my database of 5,319 people who were born on February 14:

 1) Ralph Hubbard, born 1804, my 3rd cousin, 5x removed

 2) Jennie May Mayo Snider, born 1869, 2nd cousin of my Grand Uncle James L. "Jim" Tapley's wife, Maggie Powell Tapley

 3) Sarah Theodora Price Tapley, born 1880, my grand aunt, married to my Grand Uncle George Washington Sentell Tapley

George Washington Sentell Tapley and Sarah Theodora Price Tapley

  4) Eugene Pool (or Poole), born 1899, brother of my Uncle James Tillman Tapley's wife, Reida Mae Poole Tapley

  5) Jaqueline "Jackie" Tapley Snell, born 19XX, my father's first cousin and my first cousin, 1x removed

Jackie and Bill Snell, September 2010

  6) Theodore "Ted" George Bakan, born 19XX, my Aunt Evelyn Tapley Bakan's husband

Ted and Aunt Evelyn, October 2009

  7) Lynn Arthur Holyoak, born 19XX, my 8th cousin, 1x removed

  8) Jerri Patricia Powell, born 19XX, the grand niece of my Uncle Jack Dempsey Tapley's wife, Blanche Dixon Tapley

  9) Shawn Thomas, born 19XX, my 1st cousin, 1x removed

Amazingly, even though it is obvious from my research that Valentine's Day has been a day for lovers from at least the late 1700's, I found only one couple in my entire family tree that married on February 14:

Oris Irene Tapley, my 1st cousin, 1x removed, and James Leonard Price married on February 14, 1932.

James Leonard Price and Oris Irene Tapley Price, photo courtesy of their daughter, Joyce Price Moore