Sympathy Sunday

  Sympathy Days will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently.  When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day.  As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died.  You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me." 

  For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death.  I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.

  So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email.  Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree.    Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none.  

         "Mr. Lonnie Hilton Barwick, age 74, of Adrian, passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning, March 18, 2025, at his home. Funeral services were conducted Sunday, March 23, at 2 p.m. from the graveside in Watson – Odomville Cemetery with Karen Breedlove officiating. Family received friends Sunday, March 23, at the gravesite. Mr. Barwick was laid to rest beside his wife.

        Born in Dublin, Lonnie was the youngest of two sons and one of three children born to the late John T. Barwick and Tasia Petrova Barwick. He grew up in Adrian, and in 1968, moved to Atlanta and launched a forty-year career as a Master Carpenter and Independent Contractor in the North Atlanta area. Lonnie retired in 2008 and returned to Adrian. In 2011, he married Cynthia Louise Cronic of Madison who passed away in 2023. Mr. Barwick is preceded in death by his parents; wife; infant brother, Maurice; sister, Gloria Hun; and grandson, Donnie Davis.

        Mr. Lonnie leaves behind his daughter, Tracy Barwick MacDonald, Griffin; granddaughter, Lauren Davis; and great-grandson, Zane Costello.

        Sammons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements."

            - Obituary courtesy of Emanuel County Live (online news source), Swainsboro, Emanuel, Georgia, USA, posted Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

  Lonnie was my 3rd cousin.  Our common ancestors are William Robert Harrell and Catherine M. Odom Harrell.

  Please join me in offering condolences to Lonnie's family and friends and holding them in the light.

Friday Faces from the Past - Grable Hutcheson

 

Grable Hutcheson

b. 18 Feb 1913 in Meeks, Johnson, Georgia, USA

d. 27 Dec 1997 in Laurens County, Georgia, USA

Picture is his University of Georgia yearbook photo, 1935

North Georgia College, (Dahlonega) Yearbook Bio and Photo, 1934

  Grable and I were 2nd cousins, 2x removed:

Jack Dempsey Namesake

 

Jack Dempsey Tapley
12 Dec 1921 - 04 Nov 1994

 

  Dempsey was my uncle.  He was my father's brother.  It was well known in the family that he was named for the famous boxer, Jack Dempsey.  

  Though I've wondered before how and why my grandmother and grandfather picked the names of their children, I didn't dwell on it.  Certainly had not given it much thought recently.  Then out of the blue today, I read an email from Wiki Tree, and because of the recent death of George Foreman, they were showing their members to what degree they had a connection to famous boxers.  Turns out I am 18 degrees from Jack Dempsey, which means my Uncle Dempsey was only 17 degrees from his namesake!  (In my book, any number under 20 is close.)

• This is from https://www.wikitree.com (@WikiTreeOfficial). What do you think?

  So I turned to my friend, ChatGPT, to learn some information about the boxer, Jack Dempsey, that might explain why my grandparents gave his name to their son.  AI provided this response:

"Jack Dempsey was an American professional boxer who became one of the most popular and dominant fighters of the early 20th century.

Career Highlights:

• Active Years: 1914 to 1927

• Weight Class: Heavyweight

• Fighting Style: Aggressive, relentless pressure with powerful punches

Achievements:

• World Heavyweight Champion: 1919–1926

• Famous Fights:

  • Defeated Jess Willard in 1919 to win the title, in a brutal match that left Willard severely battered.

  • Fought the famous “Long Count Fight” against Gene Tunney in 1927, a controversial loss.

  • Known for his epic battles with Georges Carpentier, Luis Firpo, and Tom Gibbons.

Legacy:

Dempsey was known for his ferocious fighting style and charismatic presence, making him one of the first true superstars of boxing. After retiring, he remained a prominent figure, running a successful restaurant in New York City and making various public appearances. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990."

I then asked, "Was he very popular and well known in 1921?" as this is the year my Uncle Dempsey was born.

ChatGPT replied, "Yes, Jack Dempsey was incredibly popular and well-known in 1921. By that time, he had already cemented his reputation as the heavyweight champion of the world, having won the title in a sensational fight against Jess Willard in 1919.

Why Was He So Popular in 1921?

1. High-Profile Title Defense: In 1921, Dempsey fought Georges Carpentier in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” It was the first boxing match to generate a million-dollar gate and was widely covered by the media. Dempsey won by knockout in the fourth round.

2. Celebrity Status: Dempsey wasn’t just a boxer; he was a cultural icon. His rugged, working-class image and aggressive fighting style made him hugely popular among American fans.

3. Media Coverage: The advent of radio broadcasts and newsreels helped spread his fame, and newspapers often featured his bouts and personal life.

4. Symbol of the Roaring Twenties: Dempsey's fame coincided with the vibrant, rebellious spirit of the 1920s, making him an ideal figure for the era.

By 1921, Jack Dempsey was not just a sports figure but a bona fide celebrity, known throughout the United States and internationally."

  I asked ChatGPT if Jack Dempsey was his real name:

"No, Jack Dempsey's real name was William Harrison Dempsey. He was born on June 24, 1895, in Manassa, Colorado.

He adopted the name "Jack Dempsey" early in his boxing career as a tribute to a popular 19th-century boxer named Jack "Nonpareil" Dempsey. The name helped create a tough, memorable persona that matched his aggressive fighting style."

Jack Dempsey
Boxer
June 24, 1895-May 31, 1983

  I personally think this child's naming came mostly from my grandfather.  ;)  

Wedding Wednesday - Houck & Blackwell

 

I tried to use Transkribus for this transcription, but it did a terrible job.  I then switched to Claude, and it transcribed the Certificate of Marriage almost perfectly:

"CERTIFICATE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY That I, Roy L. Crewes did this day perform the marriage ceremony for the within named persons at {Savannah A.C. Church in Lee County of} South Carolina, this twenty-sixth day of June, A.D. 1937

Roy S. Owens, Pastor 

Savannah A.C. Church

Signatures of Contracting Parties: 

Frances Blackwell 

Calvin K. Hook

When used return to Judge of Probate, Bishopville, S. C., promptly."

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

Calvin Kenneth Houck
b. 16 Apr 1916 in Lee County, South Carolina, USA
d. 18 Oct 1883 in Hartsville, Darlington, South Carolina, USA

and

Frances Marion Blackwell
b. 20 Jun 1920 in McBee, Chesterfield, South Carolina, USA
d. 12 Jul 1990

Calvin and Frances were married 46 years and had one son.

Calvin is my 3rd cousin, 2x removed. Our common ancestors are John Beasley and Mary Anna Pipkin.