Queries 2009
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.
2009-001
Erik Stevenson, grandson of Blant and Dorothy Mayes, is searching for a picture of his grandparents' store that was located at Crossroads in Pelham Valley at the intersection of Bell's Mill Road and Chapman's Chapel Rd. with U.S. Hwy 41. Blant Mayes operated this store in the 1950's and '60's. The building is still standing, but has been made into a residence. If anyone has a picture or vivid memories of this old service station/grocery combination store, please let us know at 931 467-3603 or at jantay641@gmail.com
2009-002On Behalf Of betinhou@comcast.net
To: TNGrundy@rootsweb.com
Subject: [TNGRUNDY] Census question
I'm trying to identify a Mary Ann Burrows born about 1837 with a daughter,Victory who are listed at the bottom [line 357] of page 48 of the 1860 Grundy County, Tennessee Census. This is District No 8, Post office Pelham. The only Victory I have on my Database is a Cunnyngham and she is a VictoryB. The middle initial for Victory does not look like a B. Her mother was Ann Elizabeth Burrows (adopted) and her father James M. Cunnyngham. This doesn't look like the one on my database. The Mary Ann Burrows here is apparently head of her household, but she is listed next to the Dickerson family. I can identify many of the other Burrows in the area. I found a 2 year old male on the next page named Jas J R G P Burrows. He would have been born about 1858 in Tennessee. The Jas is the abbreviationfor James.
Betty
2009-003My maternal great grandmother was Mary Irene Smith, born on 16 October 1875 in Marion County, TN. According to one family member's oral history, Mary was 1/2 Cherokee. If so that would have been on the Smith side. In the 1880 census, Mary (age 4) and William Smith (age 8) were living with their aunt and uncle, Elizabeth (Hopkins) Shetter and Elijah C. Shetter, so the parents must have been dead by that date. I do not know either of the parents first names, nor the cause of their deaths. Mary's aunt was listed in the 1880 census as being from Kentucky, In the 1900 census, Mary (Smith) Brown stated her mother was from Kentucky. Reportedly, Mary had three older brothers: Charlie, John, and Monroe. Mary and her brothers were said to have lived in or around Whitwell, Marion County. My great aunt, Treva (Sweeton) Brown, now in her 90s, stated to me recently that Grandma Brown never spoke of her family; perhaps she did not know that much since she would have been so young at th e time of her parents deaths. Aunt Treva did not recall hearing either of the names-Shetter or Hopkins. Monroe Smith was reportedly a bachelor and somewhat of a hobo. I know nothing of Charlie, John and William. Mary married Harrison Lafayette Brown, son of George Washington and Martha D. (Griffith) Brown of Marion County. Of course I have all the information on Harrison and Mary's children, one of whom was my grandmother, Maude Belle Brown who married Thomas Edward Smith (another Smith family) of Grundy County, but what I have stated in this e-mail is all I know of Mary prior to marriage.
Any information you might have that would shed some light on the family of my great grandmother would be appreciated.
Louis H. Anderson; 149 Blackpool Road, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971-3509
dedeanderson@comcast.net
2009-004 Miles Ervin Meeks - my husband's grandfather - born about 1899 in MS but lived mostly in Hardin County, TN and died there in 1986. Married Ella Ross Boggs.
James Matthew Meeks - born about 1874 in MS but also died in Hardin County, TN in 1956. First married Sarah E. ? (mother of Miles) then Cordia Scott.
John J. Meeks born about 1848 in TN, possibly Marshall County. Married Margaret Curtis in Marshall County in 1870. Died before 1920 probably in Hardin County. I think the father of John J. Meeks may have been James F. Meeks born about 1823 in TN. Married Sophia Jane Luna in 1846 in Marshall County. He was in the 1880 census for Marshall County. I don't have this confirmed but looks like it may be correct. There was a 21 year old John living in the household in the 1870 census which would be just before he married Margaret Curtis. The Curtises lived nearby.
That's as far as I've been able to get. I see so many Grundy County Meekses and with the movement toward the East with James F. Meeks, I thought that maybe his family may have come from the Grundy County area and then back toward NC although that's yet to be seen.
I have a Meeks tree on ancestry.com beginning with Jerry Neal Meeks, my husband. I believe that it is all correct at least as far as I know.
Any help will be greatly appreciated as this Meeks line has been very hard for me to trace.
Sue Meek
suemeeks@charter.net
2009-005 I am looking for a picture of my grandfather, Alton Smith, who was born Sept 13, 1894, in Tracy City. He was the son of Robert B. Smith and wife, Suisie Tittle. If you or anyone you know is working on these Smiths, please contact me. My grandfather, Alton, lived in Flint, Michigan in later years.
Lisa Moore
LisaMoore@jis.nashville.org
