Digging Up Your Family

Minnie Virginia Richards’ Bourbon Balls

This week I will post Christmas recipes from my family. Enjoy!

My great-grandmother made fantastic Christmas food, from what I hear. Her Christmas spread was quite impressive. My mother writes:

Holidays at my grandmother's house were always wonderful, but any time with my grandparents was wonderful. Of all of Grandmother's recipes for special occasions, this one for bourbon balls is unlike any other. It does not include chocolate. They are best prepared and sealed for a week or so. And, they weren't for the children.

Minnie Virginia Richard’s Bourbon Balls

Ingredients:

40 Nilla wafers

4 1/2 cups chopped pecans

4 1/2 cups raisins

4 1/2 cups whole dates (about 40)

1 1/2 cups bourbon

Powdered sugar

Directions:

Mix all but powdered sugar in food processor. Roll into 1 inch or so balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place in airtight container.

Tips from Digging Up Your Family:

These can be eaten right away, but they are best after a week.

If the mix is too wet add more wafers.

If the mix is too dry add more bourbon.

REMEMBER: These are not for children!

Wordless Wednesday: John Oscar Ellis and Ina Lee Ellis c. 1923

A Newly Found Cousin and More McQueen!

The McQueen family is something that is always on my mind, only because there is so much documented about my McQueen line, but none of it leads me back to the next generation…my 5th great-grandparents in the McQueen family. I may, however, have gotten a new clue. And, I have my brand-spankin’ newly found fifth cousin once removed to thank.

I was contacted the other day by J. Craven, who just happened to be researching his grandmother, and he stumbled across Digging Up Your Family. He sent me an email, and after a bit of confusion on my part it was figured that he is the 3rd great-grandson of Ann McQueen. Just to refresh your memory of my relationship to the McQueen family (including the unknown 5th great-grandfather):

Virginia Marie Stalls (my mom)

James Paul Stalls, Jr (granddaddy)

Minnie Virginia Richards (g-grandmother)

Jerome E Richards, Sr (gg-grandfather)

Caroline McQueen (ggg-grandmother)

Peter McQueen (gggg-grandfather and Ann McQueen’s brother)

Unknown McQueen (ggggg-grandfather and father of Ann and Peter McQueen)

The great thing about his contacting me, besides gaining a new family member, is that he has pictures of his ancestors. I was also able to add new information to my tree. And adding that new information caused me to look into a few other people I have on my tree that I had kind of given up on after trying to contact descendants and getting nowhere. And when I looked into one person in particular, Arthur Lemuel Hardy (who would be Ann McQueen’s great-grandson), I found that a work of fiction, apparently based on fact, had been authored by him. And though the book was free on Google Books, I purchased it anyway (because I enjoy having paper books in hand). I read half of the book online, so when it arrived yesterday I was able to read the rest of it (it’s only 137 pages, so a quick read). The book is The Clutch of Circumstance by, of course, Arthur Lemuel Hardy. Apparently there are other books out there with the same title, but you can find this book to read online here or you can purchase the book from Amazon here.

After reading the book I learned several things:

1. Views on racial equality in parts of the South haven’t changed that much since the close of the Civil War, which is kind of sad.

2. Due to the dedication of the book, I assume that a large part of this “fiction” may hold more truth than would normally be thought had the dedication not been so…pointed. The dedication says: TO MY WIFE, WHOSE PITY FOR A HELPLESS BABE, AND WHOSE INDIGNATION TOWARDS AN UNNATURAL PARENT SUGGESTED AND INSPIRED THE STORY, I DEDICATE THIS VOLUME. Once you read the book you’ll understand.

3. I am pretty sure the “McQuinton” characters in the story are actually representative of “McQueen”. And because of that I am pretty confident that my McQueen line can be traced back to the Charleston, South Carolina area.

I’m excited to learn more of what my new cousin has and to be able to share more of what I have with him. And I am really excited to start researching the history of the McQueen families in Charleston!

McMillan and Worsham Families

My mother told me the other day that I should start looking into our McMillan and Worsham families again. She had a dream, and someone in her dream told her that the research should be done. So, I did. I came up with a few new and interesting bits of information.

A refresher of how I am related to the McMillan and Worsham families:

Virginia Marie Stalls (my mom)

James Paul Stalls, Jr (my granddaddy)

Minnie Virginia Richards (my g-grandmother)

Minnie DeMumbrie (my gg-grandmother)

Cornelia Ann McMillan (my ggg-grandmother)

Malcolm G McMillan and Minerva Worsham (my gggg-grandparents)

Little side note or refresher: on the 1860 census in Tunica County, Mississippi, Minnie DeMumbrie is listed as C A M Demumbrie. I think, as my aunt had mentioned on a forum a while back, that the initials stood for Cornelia Ann Minerva…which I guess is where the name Minnie came from. Of course, that makes me wonder if by some chance Minnie Virginia’s full name was Cornelia Ann Minerva Virginia Richards. Just a side thought.

Ok, so a few things I discovered:

1. Minerva Worsham lived with the Richards family in Memphis. I know that she appears on the census in 1870 living with Spencer DeMumbrie, her son-in-law, after her daughter (Spencer’s second wife) had apparently died. Remember, though, that Effee Jane Gilchrist was also living with the family, and Spencer ended up marrying her in 1871. After Spencer and Effee disappeared Minnie married Jerome E Richards. In 1880 Minerva is living with Jerome and Minnie in Tunica County, Mississippi. After 1880, until 1900, the only way I could track the Richards family was through the Memphis City Directory after they moved there. Amazingly, I found Minerva in the directory, too, and her address in every instance was the same as Jerome and Minnie.

1885 Dow: McMillan Minerva H., wid M.G., r ss Lucy av, 3d e of Rayburn av

1886 Dow: McMillan Minerva H, wid M, r Lucy av, se cor LaRose

1887 Dow: McMillan Minerva, wid M.G., r ss Lucy Ave, 1st e of La Rose

Finding this helped confirm that my research concerning Cornelia Ann’s parents was correct. I actually was kind of worried that I may have tracked the wrong family, but since I was unable to find another Cornelia McMillan anywhere matching the information I had for mine I was keeping my fingers crossed. To read what I had originally written about them you can refer to the post on them by clicking here.

I had also been unsure as to the correct spelling of McMillan, but I think I will stick with the “-an” as is found in the city directories.

So, Minerva Worsham McMillan lived in Memphis with her granddaughter Minnie DeMumbrie Richards. This means that Minnie’s oldest sons, Jerome Jr, Claude and Bluford, actually knew and lived with their great-grandmother. Which I find pretty awesome, especially considering that by the time Bluford was born Minerva would have been about 74 years of age, which was incredibly old back then.

Minerva would have died sometime between 1887 and 1889. I can’t say for certain when, but she doesn’t appear in the 1888 city directory. That isn’t surprising, though, because Jerome doesn’t appear in that directory either. I went through the Elmwood Cemetery (Memphis, Tennessee) daily burial records searching for her name, but I couldn’t find it. She either isn’t/wasn’t buried there, her name is faded or my eyes were tired. I keep thinking that the possibility that she is in Elmwood is pretty high since in 1890 Jerome’s father was buried there.

2. I might have found Malcolm G McMillan’s father. I say I *might* have. Malcolm and Minerva married in Maury County, Tennessee in 1831. Based on the McMillan families living in the county at that time there is one in 1830 that was transcribed as “McMillon”. The head of household is transcribed as “Archs”, but the “s” is actually a “d” making it a shorted form of Archibald. So the head of household is Archibald McMillan. But he would be Malcolm's brother, not father. Listed in the household are:

Free White Persons – Males – 20 thru 29: 2

Free White Persons – Males – 50 thru 59: 1

Free White Persons – Females – 15 thru 19: 1

Free White Persons – Females – 50 thru 59: 1

Slaves – Males – Under 10: 2

Slaves – Males – 24 thru 35: 1

Slaves – Females – 24 thru 35: 1

Both of the Free White Persons – Males – 20 thru 29 are the correct age for Malcolm and Archibald.

When you look for Archibald in 1850 you find that even though he was listed as the head of household twenty years before, he actually was one of the Free White Persons – Males – 20 thru 29:

Alex. McMillan-78-M-Farmer-NC

Sarah McMillan-75-F-NC

Archibald McMillan-45-M-Farmer-NC

Lovely Jane Agnes McMillan-36-F-Tenn

I’m not sure if Lovely Jane Agnes is the wife of Archibald or not, but I am thinking yes. I also can’t help but wonder if “Lovely” was actually her name or commentary by the enumerator.

I believe that Alexander and Sarah may be the parents of Malcolm G McMillan, I just need to find some sort of documentation for it.

3. I might have found Minerva Worsham’s father. Again, I say *might* because I’m not really positive. But it makes sense! Just a few lines above Arch’d McMillon on the 1830 Maury County, Tennessee census is Daniel Worsham, transcribed as “Wortham” even though the “t” is actually a “long S”. In the household are:

Free White Persons – Males – 20 thru 29: 1

Free White Persons – Males – 50 thru 59: 1

Free White Persons – Females – 15 thru 19: 1

Free White Persons – Females – 50 thru 59: 1

I am unable to find Daniel Worsham anywhere else. In 1820 there were four: one in Rockingham County, North Carolina; one in Amelia County, Virginia; one in St. Andrews Parish, Brunswick County, Virginia; and one in Baldwin County, Georgia.

I really believe this is Minerva’s family, though. I think because of the proximity of the families, plus this Daniel Worsham has a female the correct age to be Minerva.

I need to find more information on both of them before I can conclude this to be absolutely correct. So, as usual, if anyone out there has anything that can help me please feel free to contact me!

Oh, and I am still on the lookout for Effee Jane Gilchrist’s family. I think I may have narrowed it down to a 3-year-old Effa Gilchrist living in the Duncan and Effa Gilchrist household (they would have been her grandparents, I think) in 1850 in District 1, Decatur County, Tennessee. The birth year is off by 5 years compared to the 1870 census, but the state of birth is the same and it’s the closest I have been able to find. I would love some insight into this from someone who has researched the Duncan Gilchrist family.

The Georgia Anna Project

I love old photographs of my family. Really, I love old photographs of any kind. This is why I collect them, buy them up and marvel at them. However, I know that those photographs of people I don’t know, that I am not related to, aren’t really my photographs to own, even if I did purchase them.

I had mentioned the joy of finding the family that belongs to photographs I purchased of the Lebo/Galloway/Mowerr family in an earlier post (which you can read about by clicking here). I had mentioned that I found the family after starting an Ancestry tree based on the family and starting a new blog in hope that maybe someone would stumble upon it searching for their ancestor’s names. Well, the blog has changed a bit.

The Georgia Anna Project (at www.thegeorgiaannaproject.com) is not only the Lebo/Galloway/Mowerr family photos but now includes photos from all over that I have purchased that I am trying to find their homes. Named for Georgia Anna Mowerr, one of the driving forces in helping to find the family that her photos belonged to, The Georgia Anna Project was created in order to reunite lost photographs of ancestors with their descendants.

A link for the website can be found on the navigation bar at the top of this blog, on the right-hand sidebar, or by clicking the picture below.

Not-So-Wordless-Wednesday: Ina Lee Ellis 1919

The back of the photos says:

Ina & cousin Barney Ellis

in South St. Louis

Age about 12

Her age puts the photograph around 1919.

Del Monte 1931

This Del Monte advertisement is from a 1931 issue of Ladies’ Home Journal, though I can’t tell you which issue. The page was separated from it’s magazine.

Just remember: in 1931 ALL shoppers were women and ALL grocers were men.Could any brand come first

in American Favor….if it didn’t

deliver something you want in foods?

Not much chance, is there?-when you think of all the women who are shopping every day-judging values in every can of food they buy.

But DEL MONTE unquestionably stands first-in the number of women who prefer it and the number of grocers who sell it.

It stands first because DEL MONTE set out to produce the quality you wanted-and has steadily kept on bringing that one high quality to your table, in every food it packs.

Today the DEL MONTE label offers to solve your shopping problems in almost every canned food you serve. Canned fruits, vegetables, coffee and many other tempting products. With this label to guide you-why take the time and trouble to experiment with unknown brands?

If your grocer hasn’t the DEL MONTE varieties you’d like, there’s sure to be some grocer close at hand who has! A grocer who puts your interest first, and is anxious to serve you. Tell him you want DEL MONTE-and you’re always sure of your money’s worth in foods.

Fruits

APRICOTS

BERRIES

CHERRIES

FIGS

FRESH PRUNES

FRUIT SALAD

GRAPEFRUIT

PEACHES

PEARS

PINEAPPLE

PLUMS

ETC.

Vegetables

ASPARAGUS

BEETS

CORN

PEAS

PIMENTOS

PUMPKIN

SPINACH

STRING BEANS

TOMATOES

TOMATO JUICE

ETC.

Coffee

AS FAMOUS

FOR FLAVOR AS

EVERY OTHER

DEL MONTE

PRODUCT

Del Monte

FRUITS

VEGETABLES

COFFEE

AND OTHER FOOD PRODUCTS

Not-So-Wordless-Wednesday: Letters from Cofie Lee Craft

Cofie Lee Craft is the sister of Henry Corbit Craft, my great-grandfather. Cofie was born in 1888. She married Joel Rivers in 1906. Cofie died in 1980. The following letters document the death of her mother, Eppy, though we still are not sure on her exact name.

To her brother, Henry Corbit Craft, postmarked 1949.

Letter to her great-niece Polly, postmarked and dated 1973.

Finally A Photograph Of Annie Bondurant!

After hoping and hoping and hoping, I am thrilled to say that today my mom and I got to see a picture of Mary J “Annie” Bondurant, my second great-grandmother, for the first time. A distant cousin, Joanne Stephens, through marriage (through the Curtius family, Annie’s second husband’s family) found a photo and emailed it to my mother.

Written on the back is:

left to right-

Frank, Myself, Minnie

Mrs Richards Minnie’s Mother

lady who was a visitor from

Brownsville Tenn,

My dear son Paul.

front-

Baby Paul, 6 years old.

Household

Kitten

Made June 3rd 1923-

For Nellie & Joe, Ed. as Nellie knows these people-

So the people in the photo are:

Frank Curtius-Annie’s second husband

Mary J “Annie” Bondurant-my 2nd great-grandmother

Minnie Virginia Richards-my great-grandmother and Annie’s daughter-in-law

Minnie DeMumbrie-my 2nd great-grandmother and Minnie Virginia Richards’ mother

I’m not sure who the woman from Brownsville, Tennessee is, but she is a relative of some sort, I’m sure

James Paul Stalls, Sr-my great-grandfather, Annie’s son and Minnie Virginia Richards’ husband (first husband)

James Paul Stalls, Jr-my Granddaddy, Annie’s grandson, J. Paul and Minnie Virginia’s son, my mom’s daddy!

New Information For Eppy Willhite Craft

My mom was talking to a Craft cousin, Polly, and we finally have the death date for Eppy Willhite Craft!

One of the more amusing aspects of trying to find a death date for Eppy has to do with the spelling of her first name. We still aren’t sure exactly how it is spelled, or exactly what she went by. Here are examples, though:

1870 Census: Eppenetus

1880 Census: Epsie/Effie/Effers (the last is what it looks like to me)

No census for 1890.

1900 Census: Epanetes

1910 Census: Epsy/Epsey/Ephy

I haven’t found her in 1920 yet.

1930 Census: Effie P/Eppy P

Her Marriage Record: Eppy

Her Son’s Death Certificate: Ep

Her Husband’s Death Certificate: Elphnetus

Her Youngest Son’s Delayed Birth Record: Eppy Nedica

Her Oldest Daughter’s Delayed Birth Record: Ellie

First Letter Written By Her Daughter Cofie: Epie Neties (that’s what Polly said it looked like, but the handwriting is kind of hard to read)

Second Letter Written By Her Daughter Cofie: Eppie

So, from the letter written by Cofie we now know that Eppy died on January 29, 1938 at the age of 77 years, which puts her birth later in the year of 1860 or early in the year of 1861. According to the census records she was born:

1870 Census: about 1861

1880 Census: about 1861

1900 Census: August 1869 (she shaved a few years off)

1910 Census: about 1864 (she added a few years back on)

1930 Census: about 1862 (added a couple of more years)

My guess is August 1860.

The letter also confirmed that Eppy is buried at Double Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Gibson County, Tennessee. So, it looks as though I will be able to make two more headstones to lay out there for Eppy (after I find her birth date and the spelling of her name) and her husband John C Craft.

Something else I just noticed: on the 1900 census she says she had 9 children and 8 were still living. The children I have for her are:

Sarah Ellen Craft 1883-1962

Ivy A Craft 1884-1973

James Lankford Craft 1886-1916

Cofie Lee Craft 1888-1980

Alley I Craft 1891-haven’t found a death date yet, but sometime after the 1920 census was enumerated

Kitty Pearl Craft 1893-1934

Henry Corbit Craft 1895-1971

William Craft 1897-1987

Robert Milton Craft 1900-1992

All of them are accounted for on the 1900 census record. Sarah Ellen had already married Andrew Armstrong, Alley I is listed and Robert Milton hadn’t been born yet (even though he was born in April of 1900, the enumerator most likely started enumerating the district prior to the June date noted at the top). If we go by this notation it means that Eppy had a total of 10 children. I wonder who the other child is?

So, I need to find the missing death date of Alley I Craft and where Eppy was in 1920.

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