December Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

and December trees are brown

December

Bell family ancestors

15th - Benjamin Franklin Spann died 1901, age 74

29th - John Silas Bell died 1878, age 64

McGrath family ancestors

7th - Josiah Foster Negley born 1846 (son of John & Ruth Negley)

8th  - John Negley died 1884 age 76

27th - Ruth (Foster) Negley died 1895, age 87 

31st - Charles Lee died 1861, age about 41

Menke family ancestors

4th - Henry Menke born 1832 

11th - Mary Crosby Fero born 1836 

17th - Caroline Schukky born 1813 

25th - Heinrich Knapp born 1805

Mann family ancestors

20th - Anna (Rich) Gaisford died 1882, age 64 

22nd - John Potter Smith died 1903, age 78

Mattingly family ancestors

Boone family ancestors

 Tunk Spalding family ancestors

27th - Mary Louisa (Abell) Spalding died 1900, age 68

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

2nd - Cora Lula Spalding born 1889 

3rd - Mary Jane Abell born 1817

18th - Ann Melvina (Simms) Spalding died 1911, age 80

October Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

for October's golden crown...

October

Bell family ancestors

18th - Benjamin Franklin Spann born 1827 

20th - James Stanley Bell died 1970, age 63

29th - Abner Decker & Mary "Polly" Garner married 1816 

McGrath family ancestors

8th - Arthur Levi McGrath & Sadie Ellen Negley married 1908 

11th - Sarah Maria Matilda (Lee) Negley died 1927, age 78

17th - Arthur Levi McGrath born 1876

25th - Ruth Marie (Smith)(Simmons) Webb died 1863, age about 44 

31st - Charles Lee born 1820 (possibly 1813) 

Menke family ancestors

3rd - Lena M (Jorgenson) Roscoe died 1949, age 91 

18th - Charles Albert Menke & Charlotte Isabelle "Lottie" Roscoe married 1906 

Mann family ancestors

3rd - James Gaisford born 1820 

18th - Clarence Lemuel Mann died 1968, age 90

Mattingly family ancestors

14th - Joseph Hamilton "Ham" Mattingly died 1990, age 81 

Boone family ancestors

2nd - Christopher Boone & Ann Rhodes married 1824 

9th - Walter Boone & Mildred Edelin married 1783

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

10th - Joseph Abner Abell II born 1795

18th - William Thomas "Tunk" Spalding born 1818 

21st - Mary (Fenwick) Abell died 1886 or 1888, age 74 or 76

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

Spann photo: Do You See What I See?

I am possibly looking for the first time at the faces of 3 of my direct ancestors!

Photo courtesy of Beth Spann Curtis

Recently, a comment on another post here led to an email exchange with a distant cousin, Beth Spann Curtis, which led to her sharing with me this incredible photo. Her father, Herbert Spann, was the youngest son of Marrion Spann. Marrion was the youngest son of Benjamin Franklin Spann and his first wife Hiley Ann. This photo had come to Beth's father from a woman named Opal, who I believe was Opal Peers Spann, the wife of James Kenneth Spann. James was a son of William Henry Spann, who was a son of Ben and his second wife, Mattie. Opal's daughter, Linda had also contacted me a few years ago and shared some photos her mother had, but not this one. All of those people are gone now, leaving Beth & I wondering who the people are in this photo.

"Benjamin Franklin" is written on the bottom of the copy, if "Spann" was once written there also, it has been cut off. I don't know who wrote that or when it was written there. I don't know the date this was taken or the format of the original photo. I have only a digital copy, and Beth does not have the original. She believes that Opal had it and where it is now is unknown.

My eyes immediately saw all the girls in the photo. I knew that Ben & Hiley Ann Spann had eight daughters, the second youngest is my Great Grandmother Allie (Spann) Bell. The girl that strikes me most as having a possible resemblance to other photos I have of Allie (by the shape of her face) is the girl standing directly behind the bearded man. There are 8 females over the age of say 10 in the picture. The young girl standing next to the bearded old man, looks like about 5 years old, and there are 3 infants. Then the four males, one a young boy I'd guess to be about 10. 

Ben, who died in 1901, was married twice. Hiley Ann, his first wife, died in 1884 at age 47, two years after Marrion was born. Ben & Hiley Ann were married in Wayne County, Kentucky and raised their family there. Their children and their birth year were Abner, born 1854, Amanda, 1855, Telitha, 1858, Juda, 1860, Polly, 1863, Margaret, 1866, Tranquilla "Trannie", 1870, Allie, 1871, Etta, 1878 and Marrion, 1882. Marrion was 11 years younger than Allie. 

Ben's second wife Mattie died in 1893 along with twin sons. At that time, they had other children, Lewis, born 1887, William Henry, born 1889, Stacy, born 1891 and Bertha, born 1892.

At first, I was looking at the boy in the picture to be Marrion, and the bearded man as Ben with his wife Mattie and their young children, but I couldn't place the young girl. Ben and Mattie had 2 boys before 2 girls. When Marrion was born, four of his oldest siblings were already married, so I considered Ben's grandchildren could be included. Abner had 4 boys between 1874 & 1879. There were no girls near the age of 5 to explain the young girl.

Beth said that she thought she remembered someone saying that Ben was a baby in the photo. Ben was born in 1827, too early for this photo. But, what if Marrion is a baby? Marrion was born in January of 1882. What if he is the infant on the lap of the man on the left? What if that man is Benjamin Franklin Spann? What if his wife Hiley Ann is sitting next to him? 

Looking at everyone as if it is late 1882, the young girl standing next to the bearded man could be Etta, about 5. The girl behind the bearded man then could really be Allie, age 12.

So, from the left side, the young boy could be explained as one of Abner's boys, likely his oldest, John Franklin, age 8, with Abner standing next to him. The daughters would all range in age from 27 to 12, so it's hard to say who is who for sure. Looking closer at the woman seated next to the bearded man, she looks to me like she might be the oldest of the females. She might actually be Hiley Ann. She may be holding a granddaughter - Juda had married in 1879 to James Brammer and had daughters Rosalia in 1880 and Viola in February of 1882. It could be Juda holding the infant on the far right.

With all of this as a possibility, could the bearded man be Ben's father, Hartwell Spann? My Third Great Grandfather?! Hiley Ann's father, Abner Decker, died in 1860. Hartwell was born in 1801 and would be 81 years old. He is living in the 1880 census there in Wayne County. He is first noted on the 1850 census record as being blind. Looking at the eyes of the bearded man makes me wonder. 

The things I can't explain are: Where are Abner's other boys? They are all too close in age for any of them to be an infant. The missing spouses of those who were married by 1882 could be explained if they chose to include only the blood relatives, no spouses. People do that.

I'm very grateful to Beth for sharing this photo with me and allowing me to share it with the rest of my family. We may never know for sure who is who, but this seems to me to be the family of Ben & Hiley Ann Spann. Have I just put faces to the names of my Second Great and one Third Great Grandparent?! 

July Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

when July suns are glowing...

July

Bell family ancestors

1st - Mary "Hiley" Ann (Decker) Spann died 1884, age 47

McGrath family ancestors

4th - Ruth (Foster) Negley born 1808 

Menke family ancestors

5th - David A Roscoe born 1823

Mann family ancestors

4th - Cora Mabel (Gaisford) Mann died 1971, age 89 

5th - Clarence Lemuel Mann & Cora Mabel Gaisford married 1899 

28th - Mary Abigail (Bliss) Smith born 1829 

Mattingly family ancestors

24th - Gabriel Mattingly & Ann Juliette Molohon married 1810 

Boone family ancestors

 24th - Charlotte "Lottie" (Ballard) Johnson born 1823

? - James Matthew Johnson born 1824 (husband of Charlotte "Lottie" (Ballard) Johnson

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

4th - Anna Louisa (Abell) Thomas born 1837

11th - Mark Theodore Thomas & Anna Louisa Abell married 1854

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

May Anniversaries in the Family Tree

 

When May sets blossoms blowing...

May

Bell family ancestors

3rd  - John Silas Bell & Rutha Simpson married 1838

5th - Benjamin Franklin Spann & Mary "Hiley" Ann Decker married 1852

19th - Allie Lucinda (Spann) Bell born 1871

McGrath family ancestors

Menke family ancestors

4th - William H Roscoe & Lena M Jogenson married 1882 

13th - David A Roscoe died 1884, age 60

14th - Caroline M (Peterson) Jorgenson born 1847 (wife of Ole, step-mother of Lena) 

15th - Elizabeth (Knapp) Menke born 1841 

16th - Ole Jorgenson born 1837 

Mann family ancestors

23rd - Charles Gaisford & Henrietta Smith married 1867

23rd - Henrietta (Smith) Gaisford died, age 83

29th - Mary Jane (Hull) Climie (Jones) died 1854, age 37 

Mattingly family ancestors

? - John Baptist Mattingly died in 1817, age 87

Boone family ancestors

 

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

15th - Aloysius Abell born 1801 

24th - Matilda (Spalding) Thomas died 1838, age 32 (mother of Marcus Thomas) 

30th - Marcus Thomas "Markie Tunk" Spalding died 1950, age 63

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

1st - Ann Melvina (Simms) Spalding born 1831

2nd - Cora Lulu (Spalding) Spalding died 1970, age 80

13th - Elizabeth (Beaven) Luckett born 1785

26th - John Austin Spalding died 1913, age 86

27th - John Austin Spalding born 1826 

27th - John Austin Spalding & Ann Melvina Simms married 1851 

March Anniversaries in the Family Tree

When March blows up her breezes...

 March

Bell family ancestors

17th - Cicero Bell & Allie Spann married 1901  (Cicero also married his first wife Mittie Ramsey on March 17, 1891 and his son with Allie, Edward Bell, was born on March 17, 1905) 

McGrath family ancestors

3rd - Sadie Ellen (Negley) McGrath born 1880 

5th - Sarah Maria Matilda (Lee) Negley born 1849

5th - Josiah Foster Negley & Sarah Maria Matilda Lee married 1871 

Menke family ancestors

6th - William Harlow Roscoe born 1859 

8th - Heinrich Knapp & Caroline Schukky married 1839 

15th - Mary Crosby (Fero) Roscoe died 1923 age 86

24th - Charlotte Isabelle (Roscoe) Menke died 1975 age 87

26th - Kenneth Charles Menke died 2003 age 85

Mann family ancestors

18th - Nancy Jane (Climie) Mann born 1938 

28th - James Gaisford & Anna Rich married 1838 

Mattingly family ancestors

27th - William Alfred Bryant Mattingly born 1850 

Boone family ancestors

 

Tunk Spalding family ancestors

2nd - Robert S Thomas died 1886 age 82

6th - William Thomas "Tunk" Spalding died 1881 age 59

14th - Joseph T Spalding born 1858 

Hutt Spalding family ancestors

19th - Lewis Austin Luckett died 1886 age 77

Imagining Christmas 1890

I can only imagine what my ancestors' Christmas was like in 1890. Most of my Great Grandparents were still children living with their parents, all but two of them in Nebraska. Before the end of their lifetimes, a few of them would be a part of my Christmas celebrations. 

Christmas in 1890 was on Thursday. Historic newspapers indicate that while in Nebraska the weather was nice that year, a heavy snow storm was causing a lot of problems nearly everywhere from Chicago to the East Coast. The price of a postage stamp to mail a Christmas card was .02 cents. Believe it or not, that is right in line with today's price of .58 cents. I can't say for sure whether any of my ancestors traveled, or sent Christmas cards or baked cookies, or decorated their homes. But from what I do know, I can come up with some brief scenarios of what their Christmas might have been like in 1890.

Albert Menke, youngest son of Henry & Eliza Menke, was 4 years old living in Clatonia with his siblings Matilde, Katharina, Eliza, Rosa, George and Nettie. Living nearby, his oldest sister Caroline was married with a baby boy. Henry & Eliza were both born in Germany and likely there were some German Christmas traditions carried out in their home. Albert's maternal Grandparents Henry & Caroline Knapp lived in Portsmouth, Ohio along with other extended family he may not have known. He had cousins he could play with in Tobias, where his mothers sister Mary Boggs lived with her family. Another sister of Eliza, Hannah Smith, was out in western Nebraska.

Down the road in DeWitt, Lottie Roscoe was just 3 years old living with her parents, William and Lena, and her siblings Laura, Cleve and baby brother Frank. Her paternal Grandmother, Mary Roscoe, may have also lived with them. Lena's parents, Ole & Caroline Jorgenson, natives of Denmark, were living in Peotone, Illinois. The Roscoe family had been in America for several generations. Lottie had a few cousins close by to play with, but both her parents siblings were spread around the midwest. They may have gotten cards from relatives in Iowa, Illinois and Colorado.

Twelve year old Clarence Mann was living in Jefferson County with parents William and Nancy and siblings William, Horace, Oscar and Effie. Two older sisters were married with children near his age. His Grandparents were all deceased as far as I know. His mother had two brothers and some half-siblings living in Iowa. His cousins there were all older and I doubt he saw them very often. English, Irish and Scottish Christmas traditions may have influenced the celebrations in his family. 

Cora & Clarence Mann, Christmas, 1962

Cora Gaisford was 8 years old, living with her parents Charles and Henrietta in Jefferson County. Also in the household were her siblings Charles, Maime, Anna, Emma, Carrie, Nellie, William, Gertrude and baby sister Gladys. Cora's maternal Grandfather, John Potter Smith, lived in Massachusetts, I'm not sure if she ever met him or any of her mothers siblings. Her Grandfather James Gaisford was living in central Illinois. Cora had Aunts, Uncles and Cousins living in Illinois, Iowa and also nearby in Gage and Jefferson counties. Had they all been able to get together, it would have been a large crowd. Something Cora knew well when in her later years. I was among the crowd of some big celebrations with Clarence & Cora Mann's family.

In 1890 Art McGrath was 14, living in Dawson County with his parents John and Rachel McGrath. He never knew either set of his Grandparents. His two sisters, Becky and Minnie, were older and married with children all younger than him, but not by much. His nieces and nephews included Lizzie, Andrew, and Clara Smith, of Stockham in Clay County and Rebecca, Lenora, John Robert, Hayden, Marguerita and Daniel Patterson of Cozad in Dawson County. Art's mother's sister, Ruth Pettit and husband William were living with their eight children not far away near Callaway, Custer County, Nebraska. Great Grandpa McGrath and I may have celebrated a few Christmases together, but I have no memory of him.

Sadie Negley, 10-year-old daughter of Josiah and Sarah, was living in Eldorado with her 4 siblings, George, Alice, Will and Cal. Sadie's maternal Grandparents were both deceased, but her Uncle George W Lee, his wife Christine and 3 older cousins lived within traveling distance in Clay County at that time. Sadie's paternal Grandfather was also deceased, but Grandmother Ruth Negley was living in Decatur, Iowa. Several Aunts and Uncles and cousins lived in Iowa. I couldn't say if they did or not, but it wouldn't have been impossible for Josiah to take his family over the Missouri River and through southern Iowa to Grandmothers house for a visit.

Cicero Bell was at home in Wayne County, Kentucky, age 21. His Grandmother Rutha Bell was the matriarch of the family, his Grandfather John Silas was deceased. If Rutha had her entire family for Christmas dinner, there could have been Cicero, his mother Martha and his 2 younger siblings John and Laura; Rutha's son Ira Garner & wife Martha with 2 sons; Rutha's daughter Elizabeth Stringer, her husband John and 3 children; and possibly daughter Emily (I don't know her death date). Rutha's son Leish and wife Rebecca may have been in Texas by that time. Daughter Ursula had died in August leaving a husband and 3 children.

At 19, Allie Spann was living with her father Ben and step-mother Mattie in Wayne County, Kentucky. Her mother had died six years earlier. She had two siblings at home, Etta and Marrion, and two young step-brothers. Allie's other siblings were married with at least 15 children among them, most of them living in Kentucky. Her Grandparents were all deceased, but her extended family included Aunts, Uncles and cousins living in the area, too. She was likely acquainted with them, if not a part of their holiday celebrations.

Wishing everyone young and old, near and far, a very Merry Christmas!

"The Secret of Better Health and Happiness is Keeping Busy"

 

Allie Bell in her yard, undated photo from the late 1940's

For Mrs. Cicero Bell It Has Been A Good Year For Vegetables And Fruit

Mrs. Cicero Bell, though 83 years young, is one of Aurora's most enthusiastic gardeners, both in vegetables and fruit. And she always finds time to raise an abundance of pretty flowers.

This season it seems peach trees are synonymous to a peach crop, and here again Mrs. Bell is up with the best of them with a peach crop. She has seven or eight trees, some of which produced early peaches, others of the very large and choice variety were picked late last week and still other trees are standing with their broken limbs loaded with lucious fruit. The boys propped up many of the large limbs to the best of their ability but when those big main branches hang so loaded it is hard to do much about it. As a result one of the big trees has the two main limbs broken high in the tree. The peaches will finish ripening but this is the last crop one or more of the trees will have.

Mrs. Bell has harvested quite a crop, giving her sons several bushels. She sold the rest, after canning all she can use. The super large fruit, she doled out by the pound so that many of her friends might have a few. Your writer can vouch for their quality and size. They averaged about three-fourths pound each.

Peaches are only one of her crops this year. Early there were nice cherries and choice summer apples. She had a better than average crop of strawberries and raspberries.

Long a producer of fine tomatoes, Mrs. Bell put her plants out very early and as a result she picked bushels of choice tomatoes, which had matured well in advance of the extreme heat of late June. They are gone now but numerous Aurora housewives have these tomatoes canned for later use.

Mrs. Bell made numerous entries at the county fair, not only fresh fruit but several cans of fruits, vegetables and jellies. She relates that she received some prizes but she didn't know just how many.

In her pleasant little cottage at 1505-13th St., Mrs. Bell keeps busy and happy the year around. Along with taking care of the garden, she always has a variety of colorful annuals and perennials, as well as climbing vines.

When the winter season arrives, Mrs. Bell turns to other interests - handwork of many kinds. She is especially enthusiastic about braided and crocheted rugs. These occupy her time largely until its time to garden again.

A few years ago she had a severe and lenghtly illness, but she has over come this and finds the secret of better health and happiness in keeping busy. She has several sons and their wives in the community who keep a watchful and affectionate eye on "Mom". 

Aurora News-Register, September 10, 1954 

Three Spann Graves

On the side of a hill behind someone's house is the Spann Cemetery, not to be confused with the Spann HILL Cemetery, both in rural Wayne County, Kentucky. I've heard this cemetery has been cleaned up and fenced. It was terribly overgrown when I was there twenty-three years ago. The tombstones for Benjamin Franklin Spann and his wife Mary "Hiley" Ann Decker are all lying down there. Their daughter Allie Lucinda Spann is my Great Grandma.

Fortunately for me these fell with the inscription side up.  It baffles me why there are two tombstones for Hiley Ann, but they are inscribed exactly the same, just with a different style letters. I have video of these which shows how near they are to each other. I did not try to flip them to see if something else was inscribed on the other side. Ben had a second wife who might also be buried in this cemetery, and I just wonder if somehow one of Hiley's stones was supposed to be for her. 

Ben and Hiley had 10 children. Their daughter Polly Spann is buried in the same cemetery. The others lie in other parts of Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois and Nebraska. One daughter's grave is unknown to me yet. 

BENJAMIN SPANN

BORN

OCT  --  1827

DIED

DEC 15, 1901

HILEY DECKOR

WIFE OF

BENJAMIN SPANN

BORN

SEPT 26, 1838

DIED

JULY 1, 1884

HILEY DECKOR

Wife of

Benjamin Spann

BORN

Sept. 26, 1936

DIED

July 1, 1884

Ben's parents are Hartwell "Jack" and Mary Spann. Hiley Ann's parents are Abner & Nancy Deckor. I don't know the location of their graves. Mary Spann died before 1879, likely in Williamson County, Tennessee. The other three would likely be somewhere in Wayne County, Kentucky.  

Bells in the Giltner Cemetery

Quiety resting in the Giltner Cemetery are several members of the Bell family. In January, I wrote about my maternal Grandparents grave in the Aurora Cemetery and then followed my Grandma's ancestoral line as far as the graves I have visited. Just a few miles southwest of Aurora is the Giltner Cemetery on the east edge of the small town of Giltner. It's a good sized cemetery with all natural grass, once lined with cedar trees on the north side, there are no trees left there. The grave of my Great Grandparents, Cicero and Allie Bell is sinking.

BELL

Father                      Mother

CICERO                      ALLIE L

June 29, 1869              May 19, 1871

Apr 4, 1944                  JAN 19, 1959

Cicero and Allie were both gone before I was born so I have no memories of them. Both orginally from Kentucky, they moved several times before bringing their combined family to Nebraska. There is no mention of it on the grave, but both Cicero and Allie had lost a previous spouse. The blended family of seven boys remained close throughout their lives. 

Allie had one son from her first marriage, Bill Vickrey, who is buried in Fairbury, Nebraska. Her parents are buried in Wayne County, Kentucky. Allie had one brother living in Illinois who died just 3 months after her death. Another brother and seven sisters died before her and are buried in Kentucky, Tennessee and Illinois. Allie also had two half-sisters who were 20 and 21 years younger than her. 


Cicero had four children from his first marriage to Mittie Ramsey. Two infants died and are buried in Flint, Texas along with their mother. The family had only lived in Texas a few years. Cicero and the two oldest boys, Frank and Oren, moved back to Kentucky and the boys grew up with Allie as their step-mom. Frank is also buried in the Giltner Cemetery. Oren is buried in Oklahoma. At the time of Cicero's death he knew seven grandsons and eight granddaughters. Two grandsons and another granddaughter were born in the following few years. 

The four sons Cicero and Allie had together all died in Hamilton County and are buried within 30 miles of each other. Ben, the oldest, is also in Giltner, Virgil, the youngest, lies in Phillips, and Ed and my Grandpa Stan, are in Aurora.

I know I was at this cemetery in the 1980's or even earlier, but I was surprised when I learned from the book "Historical Sketches of Giltner," that Cicero's mother was buried there. Until I saw that I assumed she had never left Kentucky. It was probably 1995 when I first visited Martha's grave and aside from getting chipped up by the lawnmower, it's in good shape and not sinking much. It sits right next to Cicero and Allie's grave.

Martha Bell's daughter, Laura Alcorn, is buried in the Westlawn Cemetery, here in Grand Island. John, the middle son of Martha, is buried in Russellville, Kentucky. I have been to Martha's parents grave in Wayne County, Kentucky, which I'll post next. 

Hartwell Hyde's Will Written 1829

Hartwell Hyde is my Fifth Great Grandfather. His Grandson Hartwell Spann, mentioned in this Will, is my Third. Young Hartwell was set to receive some property IF his Aunts Fereby and/or Elizabeth died without children. I don't know yet if that happened.

Hartwell Hyde had over 700 acres of land and a lot of other property. His Will includes the names of 36 enslaved people. Three names are mentioned twice and I'm assuming it is duplication. I'm posting this to be included in the Slave Name Roll Project to help the descendants of those people find them. In the 1820 census, Hartwell Hyde was listed as having 15 slaves and 1 free man of color. But from the looks of this Will, he may have had more just not living with him. 

Releasing: Vital, Caroline, Mary, Rinchin, Fanny, Clara, Alley, Henry, Suckey, Nancy, Mariah, Charlotte, Lucy, Essex, Julia, Linda, Cyrus, Lewis, Major, Nelson, Phillis, Ursey, Simon, Milly, Addeline, Harold, Martha, Eda, Eveline, Betty, Mahalia, Woodley, Abram, Delila, Net and Elizabeth 

The Will of Hartwell Hyde, signed March 11, 1829

"Tennessee Probate Court Books, 1795-1927," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-23RT-Z9?cc=1909088&wc=M6Q7-JP6%3A179878101%2C179984001 : 22 May 2014), Williamson > Wills, 1831-1834, Vol. 05 > image 171 of 273; county courthouses, Tennessee.

Hartwell Hyde Deceased Will July Term 1833

In the name of God, Amen I Hartwell Hyde of Williamson County in the State of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory, do make ordain and declair this to be my last will and Testament in manner & form following that is to say,

Item 1. I loan to my daughter Mary Heaton during her natural life, and after her death I give to her children two feather beds & furniture, one seal skin trunk, one saddle and bridle, three cows & calves, two yearlings, three negro girls, Vital, Caroline, & Mary & their increase & two mares to them and their heirs for ever, the above property the Said Mary Heaton has in her possession for the benefit of her children.

Item 2nd  Having previously made provisions for my son Richard W. Hyde, I give him the sum of one dollar.

Item 3 I loan to my daughter Milly J Jourdan during her life and after her death I give to her children, three beds & furniture, three cows & calves, one trunk & chest, one saddle & bridle, which property she has received & has in her possession, my negro boy Rinchin & a negro girl in the possession of my daughter Milly, by the name of Fanny. I have in trust to my executors, to be hired out yearly & the money arising from the hire of Said negros to be applied by my executors to the support of my Said daughter Milly & her children, should my executors think proper to give up the Said boy & girl to my Said daughter Milly & her children they can do so, this is left entirely discretionary with them.

4th I loan to my daughter Sally L. Baker during her life & at her death I give to her children, two beds & furniture one trunk, one mare & colt, one young horse, one saddle & bridle, three cows four sows & pigs, also seven negroes Clara, Alley, Henry, Suckey, Nancy, Mariah & Charlotte & their increase which property she has in possession except one of the girls which has been sold to Hartwell B. Hyde the girl by the name of Lucy

Item 5th I give to my grandson Monro Jordan son of my daughter Milly, one young horse which the family have in possession.

Item 6th I loan to my daughter Sophia R. Jordan during her life & at her death I give to her children two beds & furniture, one trunk, one mare & colt, one saddle & Bridle three cows & calves, two sows & pigs, one negro boy called Essex & a negro girl

pg 292

called Julia & her increase which property she had in her posession.

Item 7th I loan to my daughter, Priscilla H. Fulks, during her life and after her death I give it to her children, one  bed & furniture, one trunk, one mare & colt one saddle and bridle, three cows, one sow & pigs & nine shoats, a negro woman named Linda & her children & a negro boy called Cyrus, being the same negroes that I gave a deed of gift to the said Priscilla's children for, the above property the said Priscilla has in her possession.

Item 8th I loan unto my daughter Jiney Fulks, during her life and after her death I give it to her children the following property two beds & furniture one trunk three head of horses one saddle & bridle, three cows, three sows & pigs, one negro girl Mariah & her increase which property she has in her possession.

Item 9th I give to my son Hartwell B. Hyde & his heirs for ever the following property, the tract of land on which I live and the tracts ajoining the same known by the name of Stuls and Adams tract, containing seven hundred nine and three fourth acres be the same more or less. and the following negroes (viz) Lewis, Major, Nelson, Phillis, Ursey, Simon & Lucy, four beds & furniture three bedsteds, two ood? cherry tables, one desk and book case one bureau, one sugar chest twelve chairs, box of razors & shaving instruments, one saddle & bridle, two swords one rifle gun, and shot bag, one brace? of pistols and holsters, one pair saddle bags all my kitchen furniture ten head of horses, one loom, all of my stock of cattle, all of my stock of hogs, all of my stock of sheep, all of my geese all of my black smith & farming tools, all of my cooper & carpenter tools, one waggon & gear, all of my plow gear, one cart & gear, log & fifth chain four copper stills tubs and apparatus thereunto belongings, all of my distilled spirits, one duch fan, all bonds notes & accounts, execpt the two notes the said Hartwell B. Hyde hath given me dated the 10th of March, one for four hundred dollars payable six years after date & the other for eight hundred payable eight years after date, one trunk, one chest, one pair spoons mouls two pair stulyards two pair andirons, two brass candlesticks, one gray mare one sorrel horse with a blaze face three yoke of oxen and an ox waggon, one cubbord, one candle stand, one teaboard one brass morter, all of my books, one large chest

Item 10th I loan to my daughter Fereby Johnson during her natural life and after her death to her children, should she have any, should she have no children I then give it to my daughter Polly Eaton, Milly Jourdan, Sally Baker Priscilla Fulks, Jiney Fulks, Elizabeth Bowman and my grandson Hartwell Spann, share & share alike, the following property - two feather beds, one chest, one saddle & bridle, and the following negroes Milly, Addeline, Harold & Martha & a negro child the name not recollected, one bureau, one folding table, four cows & calves, eight head of horses, the said property the said Fereby has in her possession. 

11 Item I loan to my daughter Elizabeth Bowman during her life & at her death to her children should she have any, the following property, two beds & furniture, one chest, one saddle & bridle, one bureau, one folding table and the following negroes (viz) Eda, Eveline, Betty, Cyrus & Mahalia, three cows & calves, & a steer two sows & pigs, three head of horses, which property she has now in her possession, but should my said daughter Elizabeth die without issue the property loaned her it is my will shall be divided in the following manner to be equally divided between the children of my daughter Polly Heaton, Milly Jourdan, Sally Baker, Priscilla Fulks, Jiney Fulks, Fereby Johnson and my grandson Hartwell Spann each to have a share & share alike

12 Item It is my will and desire that the two notes that I have on my son Hartwell B Hyde, one for four hundred dollars payable six years after

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date in cash notes, and the other payable in eight years after date for eight hundred dollars, in cash notes, three notes was given for the following negroes Woodley, Abram, Delila & her two children, Nat & Elizabeth. It is therefore my will that the money on notes arising from the four hundred dollar note be appropriated in the following manner when it falls due, to Hartwell Span my grandson or his heirs two hundred dollars, to Willis Span, one dollar & to Polly Oliver formally Polly Span, the sum of one dollar, & the balance say one hundred & ninety eight dollars. I wish to be given to Jinsey Fulks, when the said note of four hundred dollars falls due and the eight hundred dollar note I wish to be divided in the following manner when it falls due two hundred dollars of it I leave in trust of my executors for the use of my daughter Milly Jourdan & her children to be appropriated by them as they may think proper for the benefit of her & her family - one hundred dollars to Polly Heaton, one hundred dollars to Sally Baker ^one hundred dollars^ to Priscilla Fulks, one hundred dollars, Jiney Fulks, one hundred dollars to Fereby Johnson, and one hundred dollars to Elizabeth Bowman and their heirs forever. 

Item 13th It is my will that all property not mentioned in this will or the deed of gifts to my son Hartwell B. Hyde, of any description be given to the said Hartwell at my death to him & his heirs forever.

14th I have made no provision for the payment of my debts, as I do not recollect of owing any, but request my executors to pay all just debts against me

15th Having full confidence in my executors It is my wish that they should not be put to the trouble of giving security for the faithful discharge of their dutys as executed.

17th I nominate and appoint my son Hartwell B. Hyde & my friends John S. Russworm & William Martin executors to this my last will & testament signed this my last will & sealed it with my seal this 11th day of March 1829 
Hartwell Hyde
Witnesses: Wm C Clark, Jno M. Watson

The State of Tennessee
Williamson County July Term 1833
The last will and testament of Hartwell Hyde deceased is produced for probate the execution duly proven thus John M Watson & William Clark subscribing witnesses hereto being sworn say they became such in the presence and at the request of the testator & in the presence of each other that they believe the testator was of sound & disposing mind & memory at the making and publication of said will and under no un due influence ordered that said will be recorded, and thereupon John S Russworm, one of the executors nominated in said will appears in court and renounces the further? of the execution thereof and Hartwell B. Hyde one of the other executors nominated in said will appears in court and is duly sworn. Ordered that letters testamentory issue to him accordingly.

Sibling Saturday - Spann Siblings

My Great Grandmother Allie had two brothers and seven sisters.  She was born Allie Lucinda Spann, the eighth child of Benjamin Franklin Spann and Hiley Ann Deckor.  You can read what I've written about them before by clicking on their names.  As a quick reminder, they had ten children before Hiley died in 1884 at age 47,  Her youngest child was just a toddler.  Here is the basic info on their children as I have it.  Thanks to a few of their descendants for a portion of what I have learned.

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 Abner Hartwell Spann - born March 18, 1854 in Wayne County.  He married Abigail May Hughes.  I know of 4 sons that they had.  Abner died on February 10, 1932 in Wayne County, he was 77.  He lies in the Elk Spring Cemetery in Monticello.

Amanda Susan Spann - born in 1855.  She married Ephraim Noah Hicks on November 22, 1871.  Little sister Allie was just a few months old.  Ephraim and Amanda didn't have any children that I know of.  At age 87 she died August 29, 1942 in Jefferson, Kentucky and is buried in the Spann Hill Cemetery in Wayne County.  The Spann Hill Cemetery is not the same as the Spann Cemetery where her parents and sister Polly lie.

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Telitha Ann Spann - born May 5, 1858.  She married Jim Stinson and they may have moved to Oklahoma, but I haven't determined that for sure.  

Juda or Julia Angeline Spann - born November 22, 1860.  She first married James Brammer, who died in 1908.  They had 11 children.  In 1910, she married again to Jesse Washington Davis.  Julia died March 27, 1949 and is buried in the Spann Hill Cemetery.  She lived to be 88 years old.

Polly Ann Spann - Her tombstone is inscribed "Polly Ann Spann  Died Sept. 1885  age about 26 yrs".  That's in the Spann Cemetery.  She apparently never married. 

Margaret Jane Spann - born September 23, 1866.  She married Henry Granville Bryant on January 28, 1885.  In 1910, Margaret & her family were living near Wellston, Oklahoma.  Allie and her family moved from Kentucky and stayed with the Bryant's for a while.  Henry & Margaret were the parents of 11 children.  Margaret died February 26, 1928 in Tracy City, Tennessee and is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery.  She was 61.

Tranquilla J "Trannie" Spann - February 23, 1870.  She married Lewis Beck, they had one daughter Mary Effie.  At 22, less than three years after the birth of her daughter, Trannie died on March 15, 1892.  She is buried in the Beck-Rector Cemetery in Murl, Kentucky.

Allie Lucinda Spann - born May 19, 1871.  Click on her name if you would like to read more about her.  I haven't found a birth record for her, several years are missing in the online database at Ancestry.

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Hilda Etta Spann - born May 19, 1878.  Her Find A Grave memorial has the date April 21, 1877 so I wonder if this birth record was created later and her birth date confused with that of her sister Allie.  She and Shelby Bryant (brother of Henry who married Margaret) were married in 1896.  I know of at least three children they had.  They moved to Springfield, Illinois where Etta died on January 7, 1958.  She was 80 years old and now lies in the Old West Cemetery in Athens, Illinois. 

Marrion Washington Spann - born on January 12.  Click on his name to see a photo I posted yesterday.  His delayed birth certificate states his birth year as 1877, but his draft registration has the year 1882.  In the 1880 census Etta is the youngest child at 2 years old and Marrion is not listed.  As I mentioned above, his mother died in 1884.  He married Cora Wither in Monticello on March 15, 1905 and they moved to Illinois.  On April 7, 1959 Marrion died in Springfield, Illinois, survived by five sons and five daughters.  His obituary stated he was 81, putting his birth year at 1878.

Great Grandma Allie grew up in a houseful of girls, and raised a houseful of boys.  She lived a good long life well into her 80's (87) like a few of her siblings.  

Friday's Faces from the Past - Marrion Spann & Allie Bell

This is Marrion Washington Spann and his sister Allie (Spann) Bell, who was my Great Grandma.  I'm not sure when this photo was taken.  Judging by some others I received, it could have been about 1957.  Allie would be around 86.  Marrion was a few years younger, but I have some differences in records showing the year of his birth.   

Marrion, along with his son Joe, made the trip to Nebraska from Illinois to visit his sister and her family.  I got this photo and more from a granddaughter of William Henry Spann, who was a half-brother of both Marrion and Allie.  I am very grateful to her for these, I don't have many pictures of Allie.  

Great Grandma Bell's Birthday

May 19, 2015 would be the 144th birthday of my Great Grandma, Allie Lucinda Spann.
This photo was taken (according to what's written on the back) May 17, 1952, when she was 81 years old. 

Allie was born in Wayne County, Kentucky to Benjamin Franklin Spann and Mary "Hiley" Ann Decker.  She first married William Vickery about 1895 and had a son with him they named John William.  William died in 1899.  Then she married Cicero C. Bell on March 17, 1901.  Together they had four sons, Ben, Edd, Stan and Virgil.  Cicero had two sons from his previous marriage, Frank and Oren.  They moved around for several years living in  Kentucky, Oklahoma, Illinois, Kansas and finally settled in Giltner, Nebraska in 1925. 

My Mom said that she doesn't remember her grandmother having a southern drawl, but she always had very big gardens, both vegetable and flower.

Allie died at age 87 on January 19, 1959 in the Aurora Hospital, Aurora, Nebraska.  She was survived by her 5 sons, 1 step-son, 18 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren.