Wordless Wednesday: Oh to Have a Waist that Tiny!

Vianna Bell Tapley

and

Lola Mae Tapley Powell Dawson

Sunday's Obituary: Walter "Bo" Tapley

"Walter A. Tapley

   Walter Anthony Tapley, 46, of 1489 Broad street, died yesterday morning at a local hospital of a heart attack.  Funeral services will be held at Minton Advent chapel, Kite, Ga. tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock.  The Rev. E. A. Hart will officiate.  Interment will be in the church cemetery.
  The funeral procession will leave the residence at 12 noon for the church.
  Pallbearers will be Willard Powell, Rufus Wheeler, Billy Claxton, Franklin Claxton, Albert Hurt and George Heubel.
  Mr. Tapley, a native of Johnson county, had resided in Augusta 13 years.  He was the son of the late Frank M. and ?annie [sic] Minton Tapley of Johnson county.  He was a member of Powers Methodist church.
  Survivors are his wife, Nelsie Dixie [sic] Tapley; son, Philip Anthony Tapley, brother, Leroy Tapley of Kite; four sisters, Mrs. Sallie T. Geter of Martinez, Mrs. H. L. Howard and Mrs. Jack Dawson of Augusta and Mrs. Zack Claxton of Bartow, Ga."

Walter Anthony "Bo" Tapley was the youngest child of Franklin Morgan Tapley and Laney Minton Tapley.

Tombstone Tuesday: Lola Mae Tapley Powell Dawson

Lola Mae Tapley (Powell) Dawson

born 1891*

died May 9, 1964

laid to rest at Hillcrest Memorial Park, Augusta, Georgia

Daughter of Franklin Morgan Tapley and Laney Minton Tapley

Widow of Virgil Powell

Mother of Virgil Williard Powell

Wife of Jack Dawson

 * For an unknown reason, Frank and Laney Tapley are listed on the 1900 census as having been married 10 years and that Laney is the mother of 4 children, but none of their children are listed with them!  I have been unable to locate any of the children on the 1900 census.  On the 1910 census, Lola is listed as being 19 years old.  She married Virgil Powell in 1912, so if she had been born in 1905 as her headstone indicates, she would have only been 7 years old at the time of this marriage and 11 years old when her child was born.  In the 1920 census, she is listed as being 28 years old.  Therefore, I believe my records are correct and she was born closer to 1891 than 1905. 

I wrote a Sunday's Obituary post about Lola here.  You can read there about the troubles she endured during her lifetime.  I have a soft spot for Lola, probably because of all she went through in her life.  That is why it bothers me that troubles appear to have followed her into death, such as an incorrect birth date on her tombstone.  And the fact that she is buried by herself at Hillcrest.  Her first husband and son are buried in Johnson County.  Her second husband is not buried alongside her.  Also, my mother and I first visited her grave about three months ago, and her headstone was covered in dirt and grass.  I did not have any tools with me at the time to clean it.  As it had rained recently, I surmised that was the reason for the condition and the perpetual care cemetery where she is buried would take care of it.  When my mother and I went back last Saturday, the grave was still in the same condition as three months ago.  The difference is this time, I had tools with me, and Mom and I cleaned Lola's headstone well enough to take photographs.

At least she is in a nice location within view of the fountain:

Sunday's Obituary: Lola Tapley Dawson

Lola Tapley Dawson was the daughter of Franklin Morgan Tapley and Laney Minton Tapley.  Her father and my grandfather were brothers; thus we were first cousins, 1x removed.

Lola passed away May 9, 1964.

This obituary is an example of how much joining GenealogyBank.com has helped me in my research.  I could not find where Lola was buried.  I did not know that after her first husband had died, she had remarried.  Even if I had known, I did not know her new last name.  However when searching on GenealogyBank, I am able to include key words in a search; thus, by including "Tapley" as a key word, I was able to find Lola's obituary... which told me her new last name was Dawson.  Of course, finding her obituary told me where she was buried.  And knowing her last name pointed me to another article about Lola.

It seems that Lola had some difficult times in her life.  After being married to her first husband, Virgil Powell, for 38 years, he passed away in 1950.  Only eight years later, in 1958, her only child, Virgil Willard Powell, died from a heart attack at the VERY young age of 42.

Lola and her first husband, Virgil Powell.  

In 1959, she was involved in what had to have been a terrifying auto accident:


I hope the remainder of her years were less trying for her.











Can anyone give me an idea of when this photo was taken??