Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday
Monroe Overton 1906-1969

Monroe Overton
09 Jan 1906 - 27 Feb 1969
Gone But Not Forgotten

Son of John Evans Overton & Georgia Rockingham
Husband of Mattie Mae Shannon
Father of Dorothy Overton
Buried at Mt Olive MB Church Cemetery
Hazlehurst, Copiah County, MS

Monroe was my paternal grandmother's nephew.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Collas Bledsoe
World War II Veteran

Freedom Isn't Free. Thank You Veterans.


1918-2008
He enlisted 13 May 1941 at Camp Shelby, Mississippi

OBITUARY
Mr. Bledsoe, 90, died Aug. 11, 2008, at G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center in Jackson. He was born in Brookhaven on March 1, 1918, to William Bledsoe and Ethel Smith Bledsoe. He was a former truck driver for Southern Wholesale in Brookhaven. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and served on the trustee board. Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Eudie Bell Smith Bledsoe; his sons, William and Earnest Bledsoe, his brothers, Denon, R.T., Ameal, Osborne and Burnell Bledsoe; his sisters, Wydell Markham and Gertrude Shipp. Survivors are his son, Larry Bledsoe, of Gulfport; his daughters, Collisteen Wells and Ora McKeever, of Brookhaven; his sister, Mazie Coleman, of Los Angeles; his 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Collas' sister Wydell married my mother's cousin Versie Markham.
Photograph courtesy of Willie L Robinson.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Wordless Wednesday
Awaiting Relief Boat on Mississippi River
circa 1897

Awaiting the relief boat on the Miss. River April 2nd, 1897.
April 2, 1897
Greenville, MS

Dedicated to those suffering through devastating weather disasters.

Credit: Courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday
Richard Elijah Flowers


Rev Richard Elijah Flowers, Sr
Jan 4 1906
Nov 28 1961
Buried in Mt Olive MB Church Cemetery
Hazlehurst, Copiah County, MS

Richard was the son of Raymond Flowers and Severe Overton Flowers Carruth.
Severe was my paternal grandmother's sister.

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Friday, May 17, 2013

They could be Kin

Cousin Alesa contacted me awhile ago concerning a post about my Overton family. We discovered her great grandmother Mary Brown Overton Brandon and my paternal grandmother Gertrude Overton Durr were sisters. Alesa noticed my married surname, Rudd, and asked if a Paul Rudd was on my family tree. Paul Rudd was Alesa's grandfather. I told Alesa that I had done very little research on the Rudd family and didn't have any information on Paul. My husband knows so little about his family and I couldn't get the Rudd family back to 1870, the research stopped at the 1920 census.

Cousin Tony saw my post 35th Wedding Anniversary & Family Portrait, showing the family portrait of Paul and Amanda Brandon Rudd and their 12 children. Tony asked if my husband was also related to the Paul Rudd family. I shared my research dilemma and he asked me to share what I knew and he would see what he could find. Two heads are better than one.


Philmore Rudd's WW1 Draft Registration Card


Paul Rudd's WW1 Draft Registration Card

Philmore/Filmore Rudd and Sarah Ross were my husband's great grandparents. Concentrating on Philmore, he was found in the 1940 census living with his cousin Richard Ross. Philmore was married, 50 years old, working as a farm laborer. Philmore's wife and children were not with him. In 1930, Philmore is in his own household with wife Sarah and two of their three children. Philmore was listed in the 1920 household of cousin John Ross. Philmore was 25 years old, single, working as a farm laborer, and according to the census he could read and write.

Cousin Tony found a 1917-18 WWI draft registration card, which I had not searched. When I saw who Philmore had listed as his nearest relative, I realized he might be connected to Paul. Philmore's nearest relative was William Rudd of Jackson, Hinds County, MS.

Paul Rudd was born about 1899, likely in Hinds County. Paul's father was William Rudd born about 1864, his grandfather was William Rudd born about 1835, and Paul named a son William born about 1892. I think there is a possibility that Paul and Philmore are half brothers.

I am not sure of Philmore's birth year. The census records have his birth year from 1879-1895. The WWI draft card has his birth year as 1884, which I believe is close to accurate. I think he was likely born to a couple who was not married since he cannot be found in the 1900 and 1910 census records, and he was probably using his mother's surname or her husband's surname.

Philmore's father may be William Rudd, b. 1864. Additional information is needed to verify that there is a kinship between Philmore and Paul. I now think they could be kin.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday
Catherine McArn 1821-1885

Our Mother
Catherine McArn
Born Jan 12 1821
Died Feb 8 1885
AE 64 Yrs 26 Dys

Buried at Union Church Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Union Church, Jefferson County, MS

Catherine was the daughter of Dougald and Flora Gilchrist Torrey. She married Duncan McArn. Catherine and Duncan were the slave owners of members of my family, the Sartin family.

Monday, May 13, 2013

35th Wedding Anniversary & Family Portrait

Top Row Standing (L to R) Benita, Sherman, Alfred, Myron, Howard, Nancy
Middle Row Seated (L to R) Mary, Yvonne, Paul Rudd Sr., Amanda Bell Brandon Rudd, Emzora, Wilhelmenia
Seated in Front (L to R) Bettye, and Marvin

Paul and Amanda Rudd celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with their 12 children. Two additional children were members of the family; Paul, Jr., who died at 15 years of age in 1941, and an unnamed female child who died shortly after birth in 1943. The family lived in Chicago.

Paul was the son of William and Ella Hamilton Rudd. He was born about 1899 in Hinds County, MS. Amanda was the daughter of Pink Jack Brandon and Mary Brown Overton. She was born about 1905 in Copiah County, MS.

Photograph courtesy of Alesa Benson, granddaughter of Paul and Amanda.
Amanda was the niece of my maternal grandmother, Gertrude Overton Durr.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Ludora Coleman
1946 Alexander High School Graduate


Ludora Coleman
Daughter of Smiley and Joanna Benson Coleman
1946 Graduate of Alexander High School
Brookhaven, Mississippi

Ludora is my mother's 1st cousin once removed.

Photograph Courtesy of Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Cousins and Crushes

Left to right:
Ludora Coleman, b. about 1926, daughter of Smylie Coleman and Joanna Benson
Elijah "Puddin" Smith b. about 1921, son of Asimane Smith and Carrie Jackson
Believed to be a sister of Elijah

The Smith siblings and Ludora were cousins, related through their maternal lines. Elijah had a crush on Ludora's sister Dorcas and he was told he could not marry her because they were cousins. It was said that anyone you had a romantic interest in the Caseyville area was likely a cousin but that didn't stop Elijah from marrying another Caseyville cousin, Velma Scott.

Photograph courtesy of Lincoln County Public Library

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Siblings' Eighth Grade Graduation Photograph
circa 1940

In my neck of the woods, it is graduation season. Siblings Paul Rudd, Jr., and his sister Yvonne graduated from 8th grade the same year, she graduated early. Paul was born about 1926 and Yvonne was born about 1927. The picture was probably taken in 1939 or 1940. They were the children of Paul Rudd, Sr., and Amanda Bell Brandon. Amanda was my paternal grandmother's niece.

Photograph courtesy of Alesa Benson.