Grandma's Hands

Women and Hats

The women in my family loved their hats. A hat was needed for a funeral, wedding, church service, or a trip to see relatives even if the trip was just one county over.

Revella Ephraim McDaniel born about 1878 in Union Church, Mississippi.
Revella's daughter Jimmie Lee McDaniel Sanders
Unknown Woman
Estella Lee Williams Coleman born 1905 in Lincoln County, MS.

Photographs of Revella and her daughter Jimmie Lee are from the private collection of Anthony Neal.
Photograph of the unknown woman is from the private collection of Christi Young.
Photograph of Estella is from the private collection of Karen Pierce.

Church Record Sunday Uriah Buie's 1832 Baptismal Record

Although little is known about former slave Uriah Buie, his name is listed on two records prior to the 1870 brick wall for African American genealogy researchers.

Uriah was received and baptized at the Union Church Presbyterian Church of Union Church, Jefferson County, Mississippi. Uriah, a servant of D. Buie...were received as members and baptized on October 21, 1832.

He is listed on the 1862 inventory and appraisement of his slave owner Daniel Buie of Caseyville, MS. old man URIAH valued at $400

On the 1870 census, the last record I found him, he is the only member in this household with the Buie surname living on the land of the slave owner's son, John Messer Buie.

1870 Census - Lincoln County - Caseyville - Page 99
Frank Gillmore, 28, KY
M (Minerva), 25, MS
Jimpson, 13 - Susan, 9 - P (female), 7
Uriah Buie, 60, MS

Frank Gilmore, his wife Minerva, children Victoria and Jimsey are on the same inventory list with Uriah. They may be related to Uriah.

Hoping this information will help someone crack their 1870 brick wall.

Preston Franklin Flowers Educator

Preston "Prett" was born between 1872 and 1875 to George and Martha Allen Flowers in Lincoln County, Mississippi. He received his BA degree from Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He was teacher and principal at Search Light School, a school sponsored by the Galilee AME Church. He, also, taught and was principal of other schools in Lincoln County.

Cousins remember him well. He taught the regular curriculum and he also taught music. He was a gifted singer and pianist. Cousins remember him lodging in the homes of his students. He was a hearty eater and the families would prepare a lunch for him to take the next morning.

He died July 20, 1971, and is buried at the Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Beloved Father
Preston F Flowers
Died
July 20, 1971
Its but the casket lies here. The gem that filled it sparkles yet.
Ebenezer AME Church Cemetery

Wordless Wednesday - Poplar Hill School

The school was established about 1880, classes first held in the Poplar Hill African Methodist Episcopal Church. The two room school was built about 1923.

Read more about the school's history and see additional pictures here.
Photograph courtesy of Toni Stewart.

Sisters Teachers

Sisters Alice Markham Marshall b. 1891, and Mattie Markham Vaughn b. 1892, taught school in rural Lincoln County, Mississippi. Alice's teaching career ended when she married in her late 30s. She wanted to return but a working wife was not the plans of her husband. Mattie continue to teach until the eight babies started arriving in rapid succession.

Photograph courtesy of Linda Rudd.

Mount Pisgah AME Church

Although the above picture is not the original building, Mount Pisgah AME Church was one of many African Methodist Episcopal Churches that educated African American children in Caseyville, a rural community in Lincoln County, Mississippi.

A worker of the Works Progress Administration, WPA, described the building as a small unpainted building with a seating capacity of fifty people, and the church was supported entirely by efforts of the membership. According to this record, the church was established about 1872.

The church school was one of the first schools Cousin Allie Moncrief attended.

Photograph courtesy of Cousin Nathaniel Thomas.

First Day of School - 1916

Allie and John Henry Moncrief
Cousin Allie Markham Moncrief started school when she was four years old at the Mount Carmel African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1916. She remembers her first day of school well. Her mother had taught her to memorize the alphabet which she could not identify. Once the teacher cousin Ollie Hilliard McClain discovered Allie could not identify her alphabets, she requested Allie stay inside during dinner recess. Allie disobeyed, eager to eat her dinner of spare ribs, biscuits, cookies, and sweet potatoes. Once Miss Ollie discovered Allie was missing, she called her back. Crying, snot running, Allie obeyed and learned to identify her alphabets to the satisfaction of her teacher. She did eat her dinner after the other children had returned to the class.

Allie's received her first eight years of schooling in one room churches, Mount Carmel, Mount Pisgah and the Galilee sponsored Search Light one room school. All of the churches were African Methodist Episcopal Churches.

Mount Carmel AME Church no longer exists. The church cemetery is where Allie's first teacher Ollie McClain is buried.

Photograph courtesy of Allie Markham Moncrief

Wordless Wednesday (almost) - Class Picture - 1920s

My grandmother and her sisters were school teachers in rural Copiah and Lincoln Counties, Mississippi. Missouri Markham, sister to my grandmother is the woman to the left in the coat. Missouri born 1899, died 07 June 1925.

8th Grade Test - Can You Pass?

8th Grade Final Exam - 1895

Over the next couple of days, I will introduce ancestors who taught school with an eight grade education. I first saw this test on the Afrigeneas web site, introduced by Art Thomas. Amazed at what someone had to know before they could successfully pass the eight grade. Can you pass it? I couldn't.