Friday's Faces from the Past - Who is this little girl?

 These photos were in some items I "inherited" from my Grandmother Nealie Drake Tapley (1895-1970). I have had these photos for years, have shared them here before, and asked some family members, but no one seems to be able to identify this cute little girl.  (The first photo might be a different person; I'm not sure.) I would guess it would be one of Grandma Nealie's grandchildren, but there are so many to choose from.  Could it be Mary Ann Tapley (1941-) or Betty Jean Weaver (1946-2015)?? Or someone else entirely???

If locations could help, Mary Ann was born in Sandersville, Georgia and has lived in Florida most of her life.  Betty Jean was born and raised in Macon.  Grandma lived in Kite and Augusta, Georgia, and Jacksonville, Florida, but she also stayed in Macon, Georgia at her daughter's, Irene Tapley Weaver Thomas (1925-2004) often.  Irene was Betty Jean's mother.  

I will keep sharing in the hope that this time will be the time someone will say, "Hey, wait a minute.  That's ___________  ________________!"  This genealogist lives on hope!

Thriller Thursday - The untimely death of Wayne Thaddeus Finch (1937-1975)

 While working on the family tree this week, I came across the sad and horrible story of the death of Wayne Thaddeus Finch (1937-1975). 

This was found on his Find a Grave memorial:

  "Man Dies in Sawmill Mishap" - Mt. Vernon (Georgia) - A 38 year old man was killed early Saturday when his head was crushed by logging machinery at the H.V. & T.G. Thompson Lumber Co. in Ailey (Georgia).

Wayne Thaddeus Finch, a Saturday maintenance man at the saw mill, was killed about 9:15am Saturday, Ailey Mayor Jack Leroy said."

This was followed by his obituary:

"Wayne T. Finch Rites on Monday.

Wayne Thaddeus Finch, 28, of Mt. Vernon, died Saturday morning from injuries received in a sawmill accident in Ailey. He was a native of Montgomery County and was employed by Thompson Lumber Company of Ailey. He was a member of the McGregor Presbyterian Church.

Funeral services were held Monday afternoon from the McGregor Presbyterian Church. Interment was in the Mt. Vernon cemetery with Ronnie L. Stewart Funeral Home in charge of arrangements."

Wayne left two small children.

Appreciation to Wayne's daughter, Cheryl, who posted these 

photos on his memorial.

This story really made me think that we never know what could happen in a day.  Wayne went to work that Saturday morning just like any other Saturday.  He had no idea he would never return home.  Hold your loved ones a little closer and say what needs to be said before it is too late.

Wayne was my 4th Cousin on my Claxton line.  Our common ancestors were Zachariah William Claxton (1806-1895) and his wife, Lincelia 'Lincely' Bush (1806-1872).

Wedding Wednesday - 1948 Marriage Announcement of Charles Reid "Charlie" Beacham (1922-1988) & LaMerle Janney (1922-2013)

 

Published in The Macon Telegraph, Macon, Georgia, January 4, 1948, page 16.

Charlie Beacham was my 3rd cousin, 1x removed on my Page line.  

His 2x great-grandfather, Allen A Page, and my great-grandmother, 

Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page,  were siblings.

This little article offers lots of information for the family tree.  It provides the bride's maiden name; the names of the parents of the couple and where they are from; the address of the bride's parents which turns out to be where the couple lived after their honeymoon; and it offers an explanation of why it was a small wedding held in a private home.  Because of the great information they provide, I save all engagement, wedding, and marriage announcements I find.  

Tombstone Tuesday - Russ Tapley (1970-1993)

 

Photos taken September 9, 2022

William Russell "Russ" Tapley

b 31 Jul 1970

d 12 Jul 1993

laid to rest at

Kite City Cemetery

Kite, Johnson County, Georgia

husband and father

son of

William Hubert Tapley (1933-1997)

and

(Living) Tapley

Russ was my 1st cousin, 1x removed.

His grandfather, Champ Lusion Tapley (1909-1974) and

my father, Gilbert Earl Tapley (1928-2008) were brothers.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Did Your Grandparents Know Their Grandparents?

 From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

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

        1)  Did your grandparents know their grandparents? 

       2)  Tell us about your grandparents and their grandparents in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook status post. Please leave a link on this post if you write your own blog post. 

Here's mine:

- My paternal grandparents were were Lusion Keman "Loosh" Tapley (1870-1935) and Nealie Vermell Drake (1895-1970).  

    *  Lusion Tapley's paternal grandparents were George Washington Tapley (1814-1880) and Elizabeth Hicks (1824-1880). Since Lusion would have been about 10 years old when they died, I like to think he knew them.  I know they lived nearby.  

    *  Lusion's maternal grandparents were Solomon Page Jr (1800-1860) and Elizabeth Caroline Scoggins (1802-1880).  Solomon died before Lusion was born.  He would have been about 10 years old when this grandmother passed away, so I hope he knew her.  The land he grew up on originally belonged to these grandparents, and they lived right up the road.  

    *  Nealie Drake's paternal grandparents were James William Drake (1829-1908) and Mary Ann Brantley (1837-1891). Her grandmother passed away before Nealie was born, but she would have been about 13 when her grandfather passed.  Hopefully, she knew him.  He lived in the same county.  Grandma Nealie came from a long line of preachers, and this grandfather and her father were both preachers.  I am sure they saw each other at church at Poplar Springs Methodist Church in Adrian, Georgia on Sundays, if no other time.

    *  Nealie's maternal grandparents were William Robert Harrell (1838-1908) and Catherine M Odom (1841-1875).  Her grandmother died young and left three small children, one of which was Nealie's mother, who was about 8 years old at the time.  This grandfather also died in 1908, about the time she was 13 years old.  Again, I don't know if she knew him.  He lived in the area.  He remarried three years after Katie passed and had two more children with Winford 'Mimie' Barwick (1853-1939).  

So perhaps Lusion Tapley "Papa" knew 3 out of 4 of his grandparents.  Nealie Drake "Grandma Nealie" possibly knew her grandfathers, but not her grandmothers.

- My maternal grandparents were Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973) and Ethel Irene Ranney (1913-1973).  

    *  Charles Tapley's paternal grandparents were James Madison "Jim" Tapley (1847-1912) and Elizabeth Rebecca "Becky" Page (1844-1924).  I know he lived very close to them.  Unfortunately Charles lost his mother in April 1912 and then his grandfather, Jim, passed in November of that same year.  Charles would have only been 4 and 5 when they passed, but I know he had memories of his mother.  Perhaps he remembered his grandfather also.  He would have been about 17 when his grandmother, Becky, passed so I am sure he spent time with her.  

    * Charles's maternal grandparents were George W Schwalls Sr (1837-1908) and Lincelia E 'Celia' Claxton (1839-1882).  Celia passed away fairly young so he never knew her.  He would have been only a year old when his grandfather Schwalls passed, so he didn't get  a chance to know him either.  

    * Ethel Ranney's paternal grandparents were Comfort Ranney (1838-1920) and Mary Margaret Hesser (1842-1920).  Grandma was born in Michigan, but moved to California about 1916-1917.  I don't believe they ever saw the family they left behind again.  So if Ethel did have any memories of her grandparents, it would only have been fragments at best.

    * Ethel's maternal grandparents were Charles Kelso Carter (1843-1916) and Sarah Schoonover (1840-1918).  Again, Grandma was probably too young when the family left for California to remember her maternal grandparents.  They also passed almost immediately after her family went west.  These grandparents lived in the same area in Michigan, so Grandma's older brother and sister might have remembered them, but I doubt she did.

Charles "Pop Pop" probably knew his paternal grandparents, but not his maternal ones.  Ethel "Grandma" probably didn't know any of her grandparents much at all.  

It seems to be a pattern in our family.  By the age of six, I had no grandparents left.  I never got to sit down with them and have discussions about their childhoods and who they remember.  This exercise made me realize how little I do know.  Ask lots of questions!