Tombstones

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 46  (Nov 15-21)
Prompt: Tombstones
#52ancestors

Time takes its toll on tombstones.  About thirty years ago, I was researching Charles M. McCurley and his family in Smith County, Texas. A visit to the local library led me to Dean Baptist Cemetery where Charles and his wife, Ann Matilda Hines were buried.

 This was before GPS, but I was lucky enough to find a librarian who knew where the cemetery was located.  She gave me detailed instructions. Even with the instructions, I felt lost before we finally arrived at the small country church with the cemetery. It was on a Saturday so there was no one at the church. We carefully opened the gate and begin to look for their tombstones.  As we went down each row, occasionally a car would slow down and check to see what we were doing. I’m sure the locals were looking out for vandals.

 In the very last row, near the back fence we found their tombstones. They were made from what looked like sandstone or some other soft rock. The names were hand chiseled and were very sparing of letters. There were no dates.  Just C McCurley on one stone, and A McCurley on the other stone.  They both had footstones that had no legible information if there was any at one time. The next grave over was J M which I assume was James McCarley their son. 

Photo on the right taken by David Cook.

I haven’t been back to the cemetery in a long time, but a more recent picture taken by David Cook has been posted on FindAGrave.  The picture below shows that time has eroded the stone even more. The stone is laying on the ground either due to vandalism or weather.

Lost Bible of Charles M. McCurley

 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 42  (Oct 18-24)
Prompt: Lost
#52ancestors

 The time to do genealogy is now. As time goes by clues, stories, and even artifacts are lost.  Thirty some odd years ago, I was researching Charles M McCurley trying to find definitive proof that he was the son of Ezekiel McCarley. I still haven’t found that definitive proof although I have enough circumstantial evidence to feel comfortable in declaring Ezekiel his father.

 However, those thirty years ago, I was trying to track down a family Bible that showed that direct link.  I researched each of Charles M’s twelve children trying to find a descendent who might have a family Bible with the information I needed. Instead I found a family story of loss.

 Sometime after Charles M. and his wife Ann Matilda Hines McCurley died, the children living near them in Smith County, Texas decided to bulldoze their house. It was not in very good shape and not worth saving at that point in time.  According to the story, everything that no one wanted was left in the house to be destroyed with the house including pictures on the walls.  Supposedly there was one of the old antique dome type pictures of family members and possibly the family Bible.

 I don’t know if the story is true or if the Bible that I would have treasured was in the house or even who were in the picture.  I do know that it still makes me sad to think a Bible with the definitive proof I needed was destroyed.

If anyone has any additional information about this, please let me know. 

A start

George Morgan suggested doing a time line for an ancestor and then writing up a biography for the ancestor.  He suggested doing it in word and showed his format.  I already had a timeline for Charles M. McCarley in an Excel spreadsheet, so I decided to continue with it.  After going through all of the information I have on Charles M. McCarley, I have 29 pieces of information about his life including his birth, death, and marriage information.  I included the birth of his 12 children which in most cases tell me where he probably was at their birth.  I guess he might be somewhere else but he is always on the census with the family so I am assuming that he was close by when his wife had the children.  I also have some tax records and all of the census records during his lifetime.  I'm including his wife's birth and death information. 

There are reasons why I haven't started the book before.
1. I have no proof that Ezekiel McCarley is Charles M.'s father though I am fairly certain of it.
2. I don't know who his wife's parents are.  I would love to prove that the Mrs. Hines who is running a Female Institute (school) in Maury County, TN is Ann Matilda Hines' mother.
3. I would like to check the deed records in Smith Co., TX, Marshall Co., MS, Hardin Co., TN and Maury Co., TN for any land that Charles M might have owned.   I plan on going to Smith County in Sept to check those deed records.

But no more delaying, I'll write his story and if I find more information I'll add it later. Now how to write it without being boring?