Queries
We get several queries each month, so we decided to create a new page for our website. If you have queries you'd like to send in, please send your emails to Janelle. The new queries will be placed on the page and viewers can reply to the queries if you can help that person. All queries will be archived for future reference.
March 2006
Yokely/ Gass
I am searching for the parents of my father and mother. Dallas Yokely (b. 1874) and Nettie Gertrude Gass. Dallas was born and raised in the Newhope community of Marion County. Nettie was born in Dade Co. GA on Sand Mt. Dallas was raised by Bill Martin, a man who took in orphaned boys and worked them, from the time he was 12 years old when his mother died. Dallas' mother was an Ervin, but I don't know her first name. Some have told me that my grandfather's name was probably Dallas Yokely, just like my father's name, but I can't prove that. Can anyone help with this?
Herman L. Yokley
931 592-4111 or contact Janelle and she will get me the message
Hawk
Do you know anyone who is researching the Hawk family? I'm looking for someone either researching or related to John Hawk who is buried at Bethel Cemetery. John was born in 1841 and died in 1926. His second wife's name was Susan Lusk. I believe that his first wife was Sarah Ann Lusk. I feel sure she is buried in Hubbard's Cove.
Thanks,
Cantrell/Farris/Ferris/Jones/Thomas
I'm researching family history and would like to know if anyone has an obituary or information on the following:
Walter Parker Cantrell and wife Arlie Marie (Thomas) Cantrell. I believe she died July 1942. William Cantrell and wife Fanny (farris, Ferris) Cantrell. Walter and Della (Jones) Thomas.
April 2006
Smith
I'm looking for any information on my Smith family.
Samuel Smith was born 1842 in TN. He married Malvina Steel Crop born 1846 in GA on August 24, 1870 in DeKlab, AL. They had at least two sons. James William Smith born June 23, 1871 in TN and Noah Smith born October 28, 1880, Mullins Cove, TN. Noah died Sept. 1967 in McMinnville, TN. Noah married Martha Box Gilliam and Rachel Anderson. They had several children:
Elvin Franklin Smith (190?) married Beaulah Robertson
Grady Lester Smith married Iva Frizzell
Frederick Jackson Smith married Winnie M. Noah Jr. born 1924. Sallie, Nancy, James Thomas, Frankie, Mary.
I'm hoping someone may have information. I think Grady had a son Albert, born about 1930, possibly in Palmer, TN.
Thank you,
Cox
April 19, 2006 Phone Conversation with Dorthy Buckelew Dye age 70- of Pulaski, TN ~Summarized by Janelle Layne Taylor
Dorthy Buckelew married Albert Dye and lived in Athens, AL, for most of her life. Dorthy's parents were Irving Buckelew and Edna M. Nixon.
Edna M. Nixon's parents were James J. Cox, who went to live with the Nixon family of Pulaski, TN. (Reason for this move to the Nixon home is unknown, perhaps adoption) One day James J. rode his horse to Athens, AL and never came back home to Pulaski. James, now called James J. Nixon, married Sallie J. Gulley. James J. Cox said in many records that he was from Grundy County, TN. (Dorthy says she has seen records that say James was born in Tracy City.) Dorthy reports that James' parents were F.M. and Barbara Cox. (That would be Francis Marion Cox and Barbara Layne Cox of Pelham.)
Barbara Layne Cox was the daughter of John Layne, Jr. and Esther Kilgore Layne. She was the granddaughter of John Layne, Sr. and Barbara DeVault of Marion County TN.
James J. Cox (Nixon) was born in 1870 and died sometime between 1943 and 1946 and is buried in Nebo Cemetery in Athens, AL
James J. dropped his Cox surname for the Nixon surname. His daughter Edna M. and his wife Sallie Gulley also used the Nixon surname.
931 424-5394
Campbell
I am trying to locate information on the following Campbells from the Grundy/Warren County areas. James M and (A)Senatha Campbell from North Carolina. His son, James R.Campbell and wife Malinda Fults Campbell. His son Harrison J. Campbell and with Susan McCraw Campbell. His son Ira Campbell and wife Margaret Stewart Campbell. These last two are my grandparents. James M Campbell died around 1874 but not sure. Any help would be appreciated.
Huntsville, Al.
Crossland
Looking for any information on Louisa Crossland.
New Zealand
May 2006
Clark / Randolph
Looking for John B. Clark b. July 1848 in TN and Amanda Randolph b. Sept. 1854 in TN
I found them in the 1900 Franklin Co. TN Census Records but I can not find them prior to that.
I found some of the desendants of John B. and Amanda in the 1910, 1920, and 1930 Grundy Co. TN Census Records.
Some of John B. and Amanda's desendants continued to live in Grundy Co. TN
through the 1990's.
Any information on the Clark / Randolph families would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so very much!
Mullins, Davidson, Lasater, Simmons, Arnold
John MULLINS, born in VA in 1782, moved (probably from Giles Co., Virginia) with his brother, Mathew MULLINS (1779) to Bedford and Coffee (later Grundy) Counties. John Mullins lived in Grundy County near the town of Pelham and ran a mill on the Elk River. Mathew Mullins lived in Bedford County near the town of Wartrace and ran a mill on the Duck River. Their sister, Mourning Mullins Davidson (1790) married Robert Louis Davidson, and lived in Franklin Co., TN, probably on Rock Creek. Would like to hear from anyone researching this family. Connected with Arnold, Simmons, Lasater, others.
203 Sunnyside Ln.
Columbia, TN 38401
Smith
Samuel Smith born 1842 in Tn; married Malvina Steel, born 1846 in Georgia. Malvina was married to Soloman Cross, March 31 1867 in Dekalb, Alabama, and then married Samuel Smith, Aug. 24, 1870 in Dekalb, Alabama at the home of her parents, Lewis and Catherine Steel.
They lived in Marion, Tennessee for awhile, and had at least two children. James William was born June 23, 1871 in Tn and died Sept. 5, 1937 in Chester, Idaho. He married Sarah Carolina Coulson, born Jan. 1880 in Jasper or Dunlap, Tennessee. They were married in Whitewell in 1892. Sarah is the daughter of James Russell and Martha Cordelia Black Colson.
James William and Sarah had twelve children. Elisha Raymond, Samuel Houston, Walter Anderson, Ralph William, Robert Leroy, James Byrl, John Milton, Virgil Lewis, Russell Henry, Mary Loretta, Anna Malvina, and Luther Edwin Smith. They moved to Idaho in 1907. James William was a coal miner.
Noah Smith was born Oct. 28, 1880 in Mullins Cove, Tn. He married Martha Elizabeth Box who died in 1910. They had three children. Elvin Franklin, Grady Lester, and Frederick Jackson Smith. Frederick was married Winnie M. ?. He was killed in Palmer in 1930 in a coal mining accident. Grady married Iva Frizzell and died about 1962, and Elvin was married to Beulah Belgium Robertson. They are buried in Foster Falls from what I gather.
Noah then married Rachel Jane Anderson, and they had several children. James
Thomas, Noah Jr, born about 1924, Nancy, Sallie, Mary, and Frankie. Rachel died about 1967, and Noah died Sept. 1967 in McMinnville, Tn. The family all liked to play music.
I have no idea who Samuel's family was, or where he was from. From what I've gathered he disappeared. There have been rumors that he was murdered. I have found no burial places for Sam or Malvina, although I do have info on Malvina's family. Malvina's sisters were married to Adkins, Palmers, Tinkers, and Craze, and Blevins. Malvina's grandmother's name is Elizabeth Stockton Smith and her father is George W. Smith.
I have read a newspaper copy from about 1899 that lists Malvina Smith and Samuel Smith as living in Marion/Sequatchie with James William and Noah. Noahs' family mainly moved to Grundy.
I'm very lost with Samuel. I can't find any census records on him or Malvina except them in 1880 in Dekalb, Ala. and I do have census records for Malvina in 1850, and 1860. Other than that I can't find any 1900 census on any of them. (except James William, and Sarah). There are some census records in various counties with a Samuel Smith listed, but I have no idea if it is my Samuel or not. I do not know how to figure it out, and I doubt I can find a death or birth cert for him, since I don't even know where or when he died.
Any help would be great. Thank you
Burrows, King, Box, and Jones
Searching for info on BURROWS, KING, BOX, and JONES in Franklin Co., TN 1807-1836, Coffee Co., TN 1836-1844, and Grundy Co., TN 1844-1855. They were living primarily between Burrows Cove and Pelham, I think. Pioneers to the SW Grundy Co. area were: 1) Anthony BURROWS ca.1775 NC-1822 TN, 2) Thomas KING 1768 ??-1840 TN, 3) Robert BOX <1775 SC-1821 TN. 4) Four kids of James JONES ca.1755VA?-1820 GA: John, Mary (m1.HOLLINGSWORTH, m2.CUNNINGHAM), Salina (m.BOX), Joicey (m.HOLLINGSWORTH). Willing to share info. See http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~jrd/j__jrd.htm.
James R. Davis
6708 Austin Way
Sacramento, CA 95823
Caruthers/Nunley
All I have is based on a letter my aunt Mary Caruthers sent to Jan (the first 1st cousin I found when I started doing this 3 years ago). Aunt Mary (I never knew any of my father's people and have no memory of him (died in 1987). He married 3 times and had 3 sets of families. He had 3 daughters and one son who died at age 19. I finally found my sister by his second wife Marguerite ( who died last year at the age of 90).
My Father James Gordon Mattew Caruthers (DOB 1911, but on my BirthCertificate his age was 21 and I was born in 1934 which would put his DOB 1914). This has provided a lot of info and filled in some blanks.
My great- grand father William Carroll Nunley dob 1829 was lost in a mining disaster 1867-70??. My grandmother Louise Irene Nunley Caruthers (according to my fathers BC, She was 39, which would put her DOB 1872. Her Death Certificate indicates she was born in 1874. To me this indicates that William C. Nunley was most likely NOT her father, so you can see it is critical to find out when and where he died . He could have died in Grundy or Marshall county.
According to the 1860 US Census for Grundy county, he and his wife Delila were living there with their 4 children.
On the US Census for Marshall county, only Delila and 2 older and 3 new children are listed. The last child was born in 1868, This leads me to believe that he died between late 1867 to 1870.
She married Issac Prince in 1879 in Giles county (see 1880 US census for Giles County,TN) there is a Lou listed age 5 as daughter. Strangely, they both had a son William and a daughter Martha J. Hers are listed as step-son and daughter. I can find marriage books for the 1870s to see if she may have married someone else in between Nunley and Prince. I just found out about Prince 3 months ago and am trying to follow that trail, without success. I have been tryinng to contact a Brenda Englett Akverson, but her e-mail address will not go thtough. I think she may be able to fill in some blanks.
Is there any way you can provide me with when and where William C died?
Thank You,
McElroy
I am still at zero on the McElroys. The only thing I am fairly sure about is that Margaret McElroys parents were Samuel and Martha (S?) McElroy. That's it!
Recently I found a lady who is trying to connect Isaac and Margaret McElroy Rust to Adam Calhoun McElroy in Rutherford Co. - - possible since Isaac Rust and Margaret McElroy married in Rutherford Co. Isaac and Margaret McElroy Rust lived in the Pelham area of Grundy Co.
I would still like to find Lear Taylor and James "Jim" Greene's two children: Mary and Jimmy Green. They would probably be in their 40's now.
Also Lear Taylor Green had Robert, Christine, Charles and Charlotte Taylor who range in ages 60 through late 40's now. I would like to locate them as well.
Bennett
My great Aunt Sarah was born 1905. I live in Kentucky. She is from Tennessee. Her name was Sarah A. Bennett. In Monteagle, TN. Does anyone have any information on her?
Law
I wanted to thank all of you for posting your survey of the Law Cemetery on the Grundy County website. Since I have corresponded with you, I have received more information on the Law family and I thought I should share with anyone who is interested. I am attaching a photo of the Laws that was probably taken about 1900. The older couple standing is William Law and Margaret Emaline Parsons Law. To the left, Fannie, James William, and Alice? are standing. I think Margaret Jane "Jennie" Law Griswold is sitting with three small children. I scanned the photo from a color copy, so it is not very clear, but you can see the corn stalks off to the right and a fruit tree in the background loaded with fruit. I believe this photo was taken on the Law's truck farm. My great-great grandmother Maggie Mae Fox wrote about living on this farm after her mother died in her life story:
"After my mother's death close to a year later I was taken to the home of my mother's father to live. My father was a rail road engineer. In a few months he was transferred to Birmingham, Alabama by the Southern Railroad, but I had a very interesting life on a large truck farm, gathering rhubarb for pies which was shipped to Nashville, Tennessee, picking gooseberries and currants also for shipping to different places. While picking these berries the small green snakes ran through the bushes. I was not afraid of them but they ran from me. Garlic, early in the Spring it began to sprout, was a favorite vegetable with me. Sometimes after eating it I would go in the house. Those people my Grandmother and others would say here comes the garlic eater. Bill Law, my mother's half brother, was four months my senior. He and I would go out on the hill side in the fall of the year and gather chestnuts and chinquapins. Then in cold winter days at night, the whole family would gather around a large fireplace and boil chestnuts, parch peanuts or pop popcorn. Grandfather would read the Bible to us, then everyone would scramble to our own bedrooms and go to bed for the night."
She lived 100 years, so that garlic must have done some good.
I have gathered some documents on William Law including the ship passenger list of the Webster, when he and his daughter Sarah came to New York from Liverpool in 1854. I have a marriage certificate for William and his first wife Elizabeth Whiston, Married 25 Dec 1850 at St. Matthew's Church, Aston, Warwickshire, England. It states that William's father name is John Law, a farmer, and Elizabeth's father in John Whiston, a jeweler. Witnesses were James Law and Elizabeth Law. William and Elizabeth are living with James and Elizabeth in the 1851 British census in Aston near Birmingham. William is a nail cutter born in Woodhouse, Leicestershire, age 22. Elizabeth is 25 born in Birmingham, Warwickshire. They are "lodgers" in James' house, so I don't know their relation yet.
Also in 1851 British census is John Law, age 75, agric. laborer, living in Woodhouse with a young wife Ann, age 30, and son John, age 7.
I have Sarah Ann Law's birth certificate, born 4 Sep 1852, Court Francis Street, Aston, Warwickshire. Father William Law, a nailor, Mother Elizabeth Law formerly Whiston. I also have Elizabeth's death certificate. She died 29 Dec 1853 at 1 Court Macdonald Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire. She was 28 and wife of William Law, engineer.
I would be glad to send copies to anyone who is interested.
I am still looking for someone who has information on the other Law children. Any help identifying the people in the photo would be appreciated. The Law Cemetery must have several unmarked graves. From the 1900 census, I gather that Margaret Emaline and William Law had two or three children whole did not live to be listed on a census. I wonder if anyone has a record of those children. Perhaps there is a Law family Bible still in existence, maybe the one William read to his family on cold winter nights.
The broken headstone in the Law cemetery is most likely William Fox son of Francis Marion and Sarah Ann Law Fox.
If you come across anyone interested in this family, I would love to correspond with them.
Thank you so much for your hard work in keeping the history of Grundy County!
August 2006
Trussell
I know this is asking a lot but do you have any dates for the Trussells in your listings? I would be most appreciative...Thanks, Kathryn Trussell Warren
Layman
Looking for information on Allis White Layman her brothers were Doc and Charlie and sister named Josey. Jody Layman
The White Cemetery of Partins' Farm Road
How many times has the reader driven or walked by a small cemetery in your own community and not recognized the names on the headstones? Maybe you wondered who they were and what brought them to this particular area. Well, this is just what happened to me when I first saw the White Cemetery on Partins' Farm Road outside Tracy City. This cemetery was surrounded by a four-foot high, cement block wall, and the headstones were well kept throughout the years. It was obviously a caring heart who had built this wall. This article is a condensed version of my research on this family.
William, Sr. and Katherine White were born in 1817 and 1824 in Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. Their first five children, Armenia, Franklin, Libby, Charles and Ellen were born in Russell County, Virginia between the years 1844 and 1855. The next three children, Allice, William, Jr. and Fannie were born in Hawkins County, Tennessee between 1858 and 1861. Mr. White supported his family doing carpentry work. We see here that they moved from Ohio/Pennsylvania to Virginia then over into Tennessee.
Sometime between 1861, Fannie's birth, and 1867, Mr. White's death, the family moved outside of Tracy City near the Ben Woolen homeplace. In February 1867 the first of the family to die, Mr. White, was buried in what was to become the family plot. Throughout the years, seven more of his family members were interred beside him-his wife Katherine, his son Charles, his daughters Ellen, Allice, Armenia and Fannie. There is a grave for an "Annie" that I am not certain about at this time. Ironically, the son who was responsible for the four-foot wall and the gravestones, was not buried with his family. William, Jr., the last of the children to died, was buried at the Falls Creek Cemetery.
Around 1920 William, Jr. built a hotel on the family acreage, which is owned by the James Bell family now. The hotel boasted a large cistern, an outdoor furnace, and outdoor dance floor, plenty of card games, sulfur baths and plenty of cold spring and well water. The Haynes depot stop delivered patrons by train and then by wagon to the site. Battle Creek Road as it was called in those days, came up from the valley below and brought in guests. The local stories tell that William, Jr. went to Alaska where he acquired a gold mine. This may be supported by the census record in 1920 where his occupation is listed as "owns a mine". It appears that maybe the "Great Depression", the opening of Highway 41 up and over Monteagle Mtn., and a fire brought an end to the hotel business.
Libby White grew up, married William Barlew and had eight children born in Tracy City. Libby was not buried in the family plot near the hotel; instead, she, her husband William and some of their children are buried in the Tracy City Cemetery. Records show that some of the Barlew children were still in Tracy City around the 1940's.
Franklin White married Clara Law and had three daughters and one son. Franklin supported his family working as a boss over the coke oven operations. Their son Alfred James L. White served in the U. S. Navy for several years. He was living in Detroit, Michigan when I last found him on record. Franklin, Clara and at least one of the children are buried in the Tracy City Cemetery. Records lead me to believe that the Law and White families knew each other from the Ohio/Pennsylvania area. Since the Law family first settled in Marion County below the plateau, this may have been the reason the White family came our way.
For more information on this family or to add to/or correct this record, please contact Jackie Layne Partin, P. O. Box 295, Monteagle, TN, 37356.
November 2006
Alvin W. Meeks
Dykes
I have been researching this Dykes line for many years and have not been able to find a death date for Martin and Mary Dykes. Martin b. abt. 1790 and Mary b. abt. 1800. Can anyone out there help me? I know that they died in Grundy County Tn. after 1870. But I do not have cemetery location, and would appreciate any help.
Thank You,
