Today, January 31st, Aunt Kathleen celebrated her 90th birthday with a party given by her children in Lebanon. My mother Lucille (87 shown below with Kathleen) and my brother attended and enjoyed meeting family and friends. Lucille is the daughter of Altha R. Brooks (Davis), half sister of Kathleen. Time seems to have a way of going on forever with this family and many others of this era. My grandmother Altha died in 1980 at the age of 96, and her baby sister is celebrating her 90th in 2009. What a span of time!

January 28, 1919 – Lora Kathleen Brooks (Dye) was the youngest of eight children born to Wm M. “Bill” Brooks and Orpha Narcissus Jessee in Russell County, VA.

1. Lula Brooks
2. Maude Brooks
3. Hobert Ezekiel Brooks
4. Effie Brooks
5. Audra Brooks
6. Clayton Brooks
7. William Vaughn Brooks
8. Lora Kathleen Brooks (my half grandaunt)

William Brooks’ first wife Mary Polly Sutherland, died at 33 – six days after the birth of their sixth child. Kathleen’s half siblings are:

1. Armalda Vernon “Malvie” Brooks
2. Emory Luther Brooks
3. Altha Rudolph Brooks (my grandmother)
4. Emily V. Brooks
5. Rose Belle Brooks
6. Duard Brooks

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126 Years Ago Today
January 31, 1883
Elijah Beauregard Sutherland married Winnie Kiser. He was one of ten children born to Elijah Sutherland and Mary Polly Childers.

1. Elihu Sutherland
2. Martha Jane Taylor Sutherland
3. Elizabeth Sutherland
4. Rebecca Sutherland
5. Cynthia Sutherland
6. Phoebe Sutherland
7. Frances Sutherland
8. Elijah Beauregard Sutherland
9. Mary Sutherland
10. Noah Sutherland

Winnie was the youngest of 12 children born to James S. “Bell Clapper” Kiser and Susan Sutherland.

1. Dicy Kiser
2. Andrew Jackson Kiser
3. Francis Kiser
4. Elizabeth Kiser
5. Sereldia Jane Kiser
6. Margaret Kiser
7. Mary Kiser
8. Fullen Kiser
9. Jessee Sutherland Kiser
10. Phoebe Kiser
11. Allen Kiser
12. Winnie Kiser

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148 Years Ago Today
January 31, 1861
Martha Artrip, my 2nd cousin, three times removed, married Johnson Rasnick. Martha was one of ten children born to Wm. Artrip and Mary Sutherland.

1. Rachel Artrip
2. Harmon Artrip
3. Ellender Artrip
4. Elizabeth Artrip
5. Martha Artrip
6. Nancy Artrip
7. Mary J. Artrip
8. Samuel Artrip
9. Melvina Artrip
10. William Artrip

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84 Years Ago Today
January 31, 1925
Clyde Edison Jessee married Mona Edith Davis in Bristol, TN. Clyde was one of five children born to William Albert Jessee and Bertha S. Buchanan.

1. Claude Bryan Jessee
2. Burleigh Bhurman Jessee
3. Clyde Edison Jessee (grandson of my g-grandmother, Nancy Jessee Davis)
4. Woodrow Jessee
5. Maude L. Jessee

164 Years Ago Today
January 30, 1845 – December 1927
James Laforce, Jr. was born to James Laforce, Sr. and Dicie Kiser in Russell County, VA. James was one of thirteen children.

1. Elijah LaForce
2. Lucinda LaForce
3. Bethany LaForce
4. Joseph LaForce
5. Mary P. LaForce
6. Margaret LaForce
7. Monsuer H. LaForce
8. James LaForce, Jr. (my 2nd cousin, 3 times removed)
9. William Warren LaForce
10. John LaForce
11. Rachel Matilda LaForce
12. Mahalia LaForce
13. Aaron LaForce

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112 Years Ago Today
January 30, 1897 – December 12, 1983
Esther Lobelia Brooks was one of seven children born to Joseph B. Brooks and Alverda “Verta” Kiser in Russell County, VA. Esther married Ben Hill.

1. Etta Cordelia Brooks
2. Esther Lobelia Brooks (my 1st cousin, twice removed)
3. Lottie Azen Brooks
4. Bertha Elizabeth Brooks
5. Thomas Starling Brooks
6. Gay Nell Brooks
7. Ruby Matilda Brooks

131 Years Ago Today
January 30, 1878 – February 10, 1951
Annie Ardelia Hawley (Tabor) was born to James Hawley and Martha Ann Tabor. Annie, my 2nd cousin, twice removed, married James Brittan Tabor and they had at least one child, Mingle Lafayette Tabor. They are both buried at the Tabor Cemetery, Mudfork VA.

73 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1936
James Walter Lawrence, my 1st cousin, was born to James Walter and Bertha Ward (Buckland ) Lawrence. Jimmy here with some cousins, l-r front Eddie, Larry, Jimmy l-r back Charlie, Cecil, Ellis

176 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1833

My 2nd great granduncle, Joseph Brooks married Catherine Christmus. Joseph was one of ten children born to Constantanople Brooks of North Carolina and Rutha Daily.

1. Bryant Brooks
2. John Jeremiah Brooks (my g-g grandfather)
3. Joseph Brooks
4. Nancy Brooks
5. Ransom Brooks
6. Benjamin Brooks
7. Sarah Brooks
8. Cinderella Brooks
9. Elizabeth Brooks
10. Arzilla Brooks

Joseph and Catherine had seven children:

1. George Brooks
2. Elizabeth Brooks
3. Abner Andrew Brooks
4. William Chager Brooks
5. James Brooks
6. Joseph Brooks
7. Thepolus Henry Brooks

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157 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1852 – May 4, 1926

George was one of five children born to Stanford Lea and Sarah “Sallie” (Fuller) Jessee in Russell County, VA.

1. George Cowan Jessee
2. Nancy C. “Nannie” Jessee (my great grandmother)
3. Thomas Jefferson “Big Jeff” Jessee
4. Noah D. Kernan Jessee
5. John Henry Jessee

George Cowan married Virginia Breeding in May of 1880 and they had ten children:

1. Maude E. Jessee
2. Allen J. Jessee
3. Newton R. Jessee
4. George Jessee
5. Charles Coonie Jessee
6. Cass Jessee
7. Sallie Morgan Jessee
8. Martha Jessee
9. Thomas Jessee
10. Elijah B. Pard Jessee

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136 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1873

Thomas Ulysses LaForce, my 2nd cousin, twice removed, was one of twelve children born to John Letcher LaForce and Rebecca Sutherland.

1. Alfarie LaForce
2. Thomas Ulysses LaForce (married Barbara Sutherland)
3. Simeon LaForce
4. Elijah LaForce
5. Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” LaForce
6. William S. LaForce
7. Arthur C. LaForce
8. Bessie LaForce
9. John Letcher LaForce, Jr.
10. Ada LaForce
11. Robert LaForce
12. Manilla LaForce

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143 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1866

Jasper Sutherland married Lousia Dyer. Jasper was one of 14 children born to William Sutherland (brother to my g-g grandfather Daniel Sutherland) and Sylvia Counts.

1. William Floyd Sutherland
2. Jasper Sutherland
3. Newton Sutherland
4. Elijah Thurman Sutherland
5. Joshua P. Sutherland
6. Phoebe Sutherland
7. Martha Taylor Sutherland
8. Daniel Boone R. Sutherland
9. Mary Polly Deel Sutherland
10. Margaret Sutherland
11. Unknown Sutherland
12. George Washington Sutherland
13. Leander Sutherland
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99 Years Ago Today
January 29, 1910 – August 9, 1987

Perry Sherman Wallace, Sr. was one of nine children born in Russell County, VA to Morgan T. Wallace and Manerva Josephine Davis (my grandfather Asa’s sister) .

1. Charlie Wallace
2. Kyle Truman Wallace
3. Howard Wallace
4. Maynard Leonard Wallace
5. Joe Everett Wallace
6. Emphis Wallace
7. Perry Sherman Wallace (1st cousin, once removed)
8. Katy Wallace
9. Major Howard Wallace

102 Years Ago Today
January 27, 1907
Houston J. Kiser married Olpha Wolfe. Houston, my 2nd cousin, twice removed was the sixth of ten children born to Lilburn Hendricks Kiser and Frances Sutherland.

1. Carrie Nella Kiser
2. Elijah Vallid Kiser
3. James Artrip Kiser
4. Mary Jane Kiser
5. Archibald Jackson Kiser
6. Houston J. Kiser
7. Philip W. Kiser
8. Fred Maynard Kiser
9. Elihu Debusk Kiser
10. Delphia Mae Kiser

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87 Years Ago Today
January 27, 1922 – February 14, 1992
Jerry Elmer Brooks, h/o Gladys ??, was born one of 16 children born to Henry Gracen Brooks and Myrtle Rose Minnick.

1. Ellen Hazel Brooks
2. Gurtrude Marie Brooks
3. Philis Kathaline Brooks
4. Francis Gaynell Brooks
5. Barbara Ann Brooks
6. Jerry Elmer Brooks (g-grandson of John Jeremiah Brooks and Elizabeth Betty Hill)
7. William Grady Brooks
8. Charles Eugene Brooks
9. Leonard Carl Brooks
10. Kenneth Ray Brooks
11. Marvin Estel Brooks
12. James Ted Brooks
13. Fred Allen Brooks
14. Richard Ellis Brooks
15. Roger Dale Brooks
16. Robert Curtis Brooks

Benjamin and Haley Victoria (Thacker) Brooks

Benjamin was the s/o of John Jeremiah Brooks and the father of Henry Gracen Brooks. Led by his parents, the family moved from North Carolina to Copper Ridge in Russell County, VA, a very long and rugged travel during those days of the Civil War. Benjamin was born in 1864 and died in Wilder in February 13, 1938.

152 Years Ago Today
January 27, 1857

Julia A. Mitchell married James Moore in McMinn County, TN. Julia was one of four known children born to Clarinda Julia Dougherty and William Mitchell of Tazewell County, VA.

1. Julia A. Mitchell (my 1st cousin, 4 times removed)
2. Sallie H. Mitchell
3. James Harvey Mitchell
4. Amanda Mitchell

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99 Years Ago Today
January 27, 1910
My 3rd cousin, once removed, James Thomas Davidson, was born to William Erastus and Bertie Lee (Ward)Davidson. He was one of 3 known children:

1. James Thomas Davidson
2. Erastus Granger Davidson
3. William Glenn Davidson

The name Erastus Granger was repeated often in the Davidson family. My great grandfather was named Erastus Granger, but was the son of Samuel P. Davidson. Samuel P’s brother was also named Erastus Granger Davidson, the great grandfather of EGD above. Are you confused yet?

This name repetition makes genealogy research somewhat difficult, but remains a wonderful way to honor a beloved family member. According to Wikipedia, namesake was first recorded in 1646 to mean “person named for the sake of someone”, the reference to something being a namesake imports a connection between the two that extends beyond sharing similarly looking names.

89 Years Ago Today
January 26, 1920
Carroll Lee Jessee, my 2nd cousin, once removed, was born in Russell County, VA to Ora Stanford Jessee and Martha Alice Viers. He was one of 7 children:

1. Floyd Jefferson Jessee
2. Ralph Stanford Jessee
3. Irene Madeline Jessee
4. Carroll Lee Jessee
5. Arthur Dance “Jimmy” Jessee
6. Tommy Allen Jessee
7. Donald Trigg “Foozy” Jessee

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74 Years Ago Today
January 26, 1935
Happy Birthday to Jack Garrett, my 3rd cousin.

157 Years Ago

January 25, 1852 – January 13, 1924

My great grandfather, Erastus Granger Davidson, was born to Samuel P. Davidson and Visa Allen. He married Eliza Greever Gregory. See my post of January 20th for a picture of Granger and and my great grandmother and a list of their children.