Wordless Wednesday Modeling for the Social Club 1940s - Chicago

How does Ina Kellogg connect to my family tree?
Ina and I are not related. Ina was born about 1903 in Georgia.
She is the aunt of Anthony Neal, Sr.
Anthony married cousin Bettie McDaniel.

Photograph courtesy of Anthony Neal, Sr

Wordless Wednesday Anna Butler Coleman 1887-1956

Daughter of George and Mary Ann Butler
Wife of Melvin Coleman, Sr
Mother of Anna, Henry, Melvin, Johnnie, Willie May, J C, Nellie, and Eula Tee

How does Annie connect to my family tree?
Anna's hubsand Melvin Coleman was the son of Tom Coleman and Nellie Markham.
Nellie Markham Coleman and my great grandfather, Monroe Markham, were siblings.

Photograph Courtesy of Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library
100 South Jackson Street
Brookhaven, MS 39601
601-833-3369

Samuel Markham and Family circa 1926

Rosanna Thomas Markham, Samuel Markham and infant Jessie Mae

Samuel was the 13th child of sixteen, last son born to Monroe Markham and Mary Byrd. He was born 04 Oct 1898 in Caseyville, a rural community in Lincoln County, Mississippi. He married Rosanna Thomas, daughter of Alex Thomas and Roxanne Smith, in 1922.

Hallie Buie shared a tidbit about Samuel in a 1936 letter she wrote to her sister Prential. Hallie and Prential were the daughters of Prentiss Buie who would have been the family's last slave owner if the Civil War had been won by the South.

I have found out that is all right for Samuel Markham to come down here, he has a corn field rented from Estelle and comes to get their corn to have ground. I just don’t know what they could do without him. I hope you will not mention this--he has a mail box and if we need him for anything we drop him a card and he comes right over. He lives on the Adams place. His house is located about a mile from this one. He charges ten cents for bringing things from Mr. Smith’s and twenty cents from Lamar’s, charges for the time and not the size of the package, large or small the same price, he certainly is nice about it. He just happened to come along the day the box came. he said, "Dat box aint hebby."

Samuel and Rosanna's families have been in the Caseyville area since the early 1830s. Rosanna's grandfather, George Thomas, served with the 58th Regiment, United States Colored Infantry, during the War.

Two additional children were born to this union, Velma "China" and Samuel, Jr.

Samuel was a farmer who eventually owned his own land, which remains in his family.

Rosanna died in 1966, Samuel in 1981, and Jessie Mae in 2006.

How does Samuel Markham connect to my family tree?
Samuel Markham was a brother to my maternal grandmother, Alice Markham Marshall.

Photograph Courtesy of Rance Brown and Anita Christopher

Friday Furnace Findings Elbert Furnace 1855-1936

Researching a paternal great grandmother, Jane Furnace born about 1860, to discover her parentage and additional information about her life.

Elbert Furnace may be a brother to my great grandmother Jane Furnace. Both were in the same 1870 household but because relationships were not presented, I can only speculate on their relationship. Elbert could not read or write and was 15 years old.

Elbert does not appear in the 1880 census. In 1881, he married Emily Jane Wells in Copiah County, Mississippi. The marriage lasted almost twenty years but ended in divorce in 1899. Elbert claimed Jane deserted him in Jan 1899, taking all her furniture and other property she had in the home to move in the home of Charles Demorrow. Children were not named in the bill for a divorce. Elbert stated he was a good and faithful husband and did not understand why she deserted the marriage.

In 1900, Elbert was 45 years old, living in his household was 18 year old Henry Hall. The relationship was not defined. Elbert was a widower who had been married for 20 years. He was a farm laborer and renter who could not read or write.

Living alone in 1910, Elbert said he was divorced. He was 51 years old working as a servant.

Elbert was still alone in 1920, listed as a widower. He ended his widowhood and married Julia Hooker on Christmas eve in 1921. They were still together in 1930. He was listed as 60 years old and she was listed as 48. He should be about 75 years old and she should be about 62 years of age.

Elbert died 19 Apr 1936, of high blood pressure and heart problems, near Georgetown, Copiah County, MS. His death certificate listed his age as 80. His death record named his father Alex Furnace and did not name his mother.

Additional Sources
Elbert's Death Certificate MS1936-6680
Copiah County Chancery Court Case Number: 3179,
Microfilm Number: 8244
Records found at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Sunday Obituary Luther Brewer

1912-1991

Services for Luther Brewer of Brookhaven are at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 24, at the Della Green M.B. Church with burial in the Carver Heights Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 12 p.m. Saturday and a family hour will be held from 6 to 7 p.m.. Saturday night at Tyler Funeral Home

Brewer, 79, died March 17, 1991, at the V. A. Medical Center in Jackson. He was born in Lincoln County to Luther and Louvenia Brewer, Sr. He was a retired steel mill worker, a member of Galilee A.M.E. Church and a U.S. army veteran.

Survivors include: his wife, Pearline Cheeks Brewer; sons, Alex Brewer, U. S. Army, James Crump of Jackson, C. L. Brewer, Percy Brewer, Denon Brewer, all of Gary, Ind.; daughters, Barbara Brewer of Brookhaven, Mary Gilmore of El Cerrito, Calif., Genevia Davis, Emma Jean Brewer both of Oakland, Calif., Flora Mae Lee of Fayetteville, N. C.; 13 grandchildren; three great grandchildren.

How Does Luther Brewer, Jr, connect to my family tree?
Luther's grandmother, Violet Markham Brewer, and my 2nd great grandfather James Markham were siblings.

Obituary from Daily Leader Newspaper
March 21 1991 - Page 12
Brookhaven, Mississippi
Microfilm Number: 33776
Mississippi Department of Archives
Photograph from Williamson Family Tree

Barbara Funace Friday Furnace Findings

Researching a paternal great grandmother, Jane Furnace born about 1860, to discover her parentage and additional information about her life.

Searching for my Furnace relatives has me scratching my head, where o where art thou. As of this date, I've found very little to document them or to prove relationships.

Barbara Furnace was different. I've been able to find her in most of the census records until she disappeared in 1930. I suspect Barbara was a sister to my great grandmother Jane Furnace. Barbara was born about 1853 in Mississippi. She was first seen in the 1870 census living with several other Furnace relatives including Alexander and Charlotte who may be her parents. She was 17 years old.

By 1880, she was living next door to Martha Furnace, a possible sister. Barbara had two children; nine year old Lawrence, and infant daughter Loeb. I didn't find the children on any educable children lists. Barbara is 25 years old.

Twenty years later, the children from Barbara 1880's household were no longer in her household and they were not found in the 1900 census. In the 1900 household were three additional children: Aria, 12; Kady, 7; Frank, 5. Barbara was listed a widow, 48 years old.

In 1910, Barbara (Bobbie) had three grandchildren living with her: Hattie Ebbs, 15; J B Dodds,5; Dodds, 2. Daughters Mettie Conley and Aria Rea, son-in-law Jack Rea were also living with her. Barbara was 51 years old.

Living in Barbara's 1920 household were her daughter Mettie Conley, 38, and two grandsons, Bob and Cal Conley. Barbara was 62 years old. This was her last census.

Albert Ebbs was named as the father of three of Barbara's children, Doshia, Aria and Mettie. He may be the father of all of Barbara's children. Albert lived near the Furnace families in Copiah County. Albert died 02 January 1929, in Copiah County, at the age of 85 years. Barbara's death record was not found.

Barbara's Daughters Marriages - Copiah County, Mississippi
Docia Ebbs b. 1873, married Henry Jeff Fair 26 Jan 1898
Mittie Ebbs, b 1890, married Willie Conley 29 Nov 1906
Aria Ebbs, b. 1894, married Jack Rea

Wordless Wednesday Old Country Store circa 1840

Destroyed by fire in 2004
Union Church, Jefferson County, Mississippi

Photograph Courtesy of Nathaniel Thomas