Things that make you go Hmmm.....

Old Newspaper articles make for wonderful research clues. After discovery the Estate sale of the property of my Great-Great Grandfather, H. H. Davis by my Great-Great Grandmother Julina Aldridge Davis, I just happened to glance a little bit down the page. And I found this little gem:



See, I new immediately all the actors in this play. George T Farmer was a neighbor of my Rocky River Davis ancestors. His daughter Eliza June, had married George W. "Gus" Davis,  the brother of my Great-Grandpa, Will Davis. In fact, all of George Farmer's children had married into the Davis/Aldridge family tree somehow.
He and wife Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Watkins had one son and 4 daughters. Marina (1871-1940), Adam (1875-1953), Nannie (1879-1911), Lilla (1881-1957), and Eliza June (1886-1914).

Marina had married Thomas Deberry Greene in 1887. He died in 1895, and then in 1897 she married William Crowell Aldridge, a first cousin of Gus Davis and a nephew of my Great-Great Grandmother, Julina Aldridge Davis.

Adam Huston Farmer married Julia Adeline Boone, younger sister of John F Boone, who married Gus Davis's sister, oldest daughter of Julina Aldridge Davis, Mollie Aldridge Boone.

Lila W. Farmer married George Henry Boone, another brother of Julia and J. F. Boone. The Boones were the children of William Boone, the one son that Andrew Boone had left behind when he took off to Alleghany County. Another connection to the Boones was through the Murrays. Andrew had married Martha "Patsy" Murray when his wife Jane Hobbs Boone died, in Stanly County in 1850. The mother of Julina Aldridge Davis was Priscilla Murray Aldridge.

And then Nannie (sometimes seen as Nancy) Farmer married John Teeter Davis, youngest son of Edward Winfield Davis and Rebecca Hathcock Davis, who later married John T. Crump. John T. Davis was a first cousin of Horton Hampton Davis, husband of Julina Aldridge Davis.

And then comes this pesky newspaper article.
Now, Rilla and G. H. Boone, that would be a typo of Lilla and George Henry Boone. A. H. Farmer, is of course, only son, Adam Huston Farmer.

But Nanny Crump and J. T. Crump? Nanny Farmer, daughter of George T. Farmer of Tyson married J. T. Davis, not J. T. Crump. J. T. Crump was the stepfather of J. T. Davis.

Now, if it had not been for another document I have seen, I would have been really confused.

Name:	Nannie Crump [Davis]
Age in 1910:	30
Birth Year:	abt 1880
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1910:	Tyson, Stanly, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Wife
Marital Status:	Married
Spouse's Name:	J T Crump
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age J T Crump 29 Nannie Davis 30 Dewey Davis 5

When I first began researching the children of E. W. Davis, I could not find his family in the 1910 census, the year before Nannie died. Then, while looking at the actual document, I came across J. T. Crump Jr. living right next to J. T. Crump, his daughter Vinia, and Ouisa Stewart, daughter of Sarah Hortense Davis Stewart.

This J. T. Crump Jr. was the same age as J. T. Davis. His wife was Nannie Davis, the same age as Nannie Farmer Davis, and they had a five year old son, Dewey, who was George Dewey Davis, born Oct 1, 1904.

This was clearly John Teeter Davis and family, but why had he given his name as Crump? I just brushed it off as an enumerator error, but secretly began wondering, and actively seeking, what did the "T" in John T. Crump stand for?
Edward Winfield Davis was born on December 3, 1811. He was the second sheriff of Stanly County, North Carolina, and a most eligible bachelor for most of his life.

He must have decided one day, later in life, that he wanted an heir, or a young wife to take care of him. He had hired servants until then, and probably had not felt the need. So at the tender age of 56, E. W. Davis took his first and only bride, Rebecca, daughter of Solomon Hathcock and wife Lavinia Rummage Hathcock.


Rebecca was only 18 years old. It was not unusual in those days,  post-war, and reconstruction of 1868, for young girls to marry old men, as there were a shortage of men. What war had not taken, many had lunged West, looking for peace, fate and betterment. And E. W. Davis, a land owner, businessman, politician and merchant, was a good catch for a lady. She would be well-suited and would live comfortably. Before his death on October 30, 1882, Ned Davis, as he was known, watched his wife bring three heirs into the world. Sarah Hortense Davis was born on January 26, 1869, a year after the marriage.

Son Edward Thomas Ashley Davis, or Thomas A. Davis, was born on August 16, 1871.

But youngest son John Teeter Davis came along 6 years later, on May 30, 1877, five years before Col. Ned Davis's death.


Now John T. Davis would marry 3 times.

He and Nannie only had the one son, Dewey.

He and his second wife, Jennie Lenora McSwain would be married the longest and have 7 children: Ray, Christine, Maxine, William Wooten, Esau and Jewel.

When Nora died, Dewey and Ray were old enough to be on their own and take care of themselves. Baby Jewel would grow up with her uncle, Travis Crump's family and the 4 middle siblings, Christine, Maxine, Woot and Esau were sent to the Barium Springs orphanage.

John T. Davis would meet a boarder at the home of his younger brother, Travis Crump, Valedia Kinney of Davidson County, and enjoy a brief marriage with her before his death. She would bear a set of twins, James T and Jennie Lee Davis, born 4 months posthumously past their father's death.

Backing up to Rebecca Hathcock however, she was widowed on October 30, 1882. She married neighbor, John T. Crump on September 3, 1883, nearly a year later, at the age of 33.

Afterwards, she would have 2 more children: Travis Millard Crump on September 24, 1884, a year after her marriage and a daughter she named for her mother, Lavina, in 1889.



In no other census, but the 1910 one, does John Teeter go by the surname "Crump". His marriage licenses and death certificates all designate him at "Davis".


So, why did John Teeter Davis, at times, go by John Teeter Crump?

Was it because he was only 4 when E. W. Davis died and J. T. Crump raise him? Or was it because he was really a Crump, and not a Davis at all? Was he named for J. T. Crump? What does the "T" in John T. Crump stand for?

E. W. Davis was 66 when John Teeter Davis was born. His wife was 27. She had not had a child in 6 years. Was this last one a result of a young wife married to an old man, who falls in love with someone more her age? Or just a stepchild being raised by a stepfather and taking that surname at times?

The other two children of E. W and Rebecca, Thomas and Hortense, are never seen as anything but "Davis".

Then there is the fact that John T. is also seen as John T. Crump Jr. One article I had seen had him and his brother as "Tom Davis and J. T. Crump of Rocky River Springs".

Behind every answer is more questions.

Wordless Wednesday: The Estate Sale Notice of H. H. Davis

This notice of the sale of the property of my Great-Great Grandfather, Horton Hampton Davis, appeared in the Stanly Enterprise, April 18, 1907 edition. Haut or Hawk, as he was called, was born on October 6, 1846, in Stanly County, North Carolina to Henry Davis, eldest son of Job and Sarah Winfield Davis and Henry's second wife, Martha Palmer Davis. He married Francis Julina Aldridge September 10, 1889. This ad refers to her as "Julia F. Davis". I love how first and middle names were interchangeable in those days. It makes research..interesting, to say the least. Two years later, Julina is having to sell off the property, for money to live on, as her "Year's allowance" would have ran out. 

Here's a question for those who might know. At what point in history did counties stop with alloting widows a year's allowance as a right of inheritance? 

This shows that H. H. Davis's property did reach to the Rocky River. It adjoined to the most part, relatives. C. H. Aldridge stood for Caleb Hampton "Hamp" Aldridge, his brother-in-law. J T Crump was John T. Crump, the man who married widow Rebecca Hathcock Davis, the widow of Edward Winfield Davis, Hawk's uncle and guardian after the death of Henry in 1862. J. P. Aldridge was Pink Aldridge, another Great Great-Grandfather of mine down another line, and a first cousin of Julina and Hamp's. 

The "Carron" mentioned as in "Carron's Corner", that one is an unknown. 

The ad even explains that Hawk owned two tracts of land, the 25 acres on the Rocky River, which was probably his share of the property after Henry died, as his Uncle, E. W. Davis had sold most of Henry's property for debts and his own expenses and other claims. Neddy was a good man, but some of his business dealings were questionable, at best. 

The other tract of land was originally a 37 acres tract that H. H. bought from E. W. (or Hawk from Ned, as they were called). Then, at a later date, Hawk had sold 17 acres of that tract to his wife's brother Hamp. 

Hawk and Julina raised 11 children together. Not all of them were Hawk's. At least two of them were Whitley's. 

Worms for The Bird

One year, we had worked particularly hard to have nice flower beds, and to keep the weeds from burrowing through and drowning out the flowers.

 To achieve this, we had placed mulch all around, a deep red color of bark and so forth, and the flower bulbs had pushed their way through the soil and bark successfully. But every morning there for a spell, we found hard work had been for naught, as something or someone would come in the night and toss all of the bark outside of the flower beds. Replace it, and the next morning arise to the same discovery. It was frustrating to say the least.
The first victim of blame was a neighbors cats. They had to be coming in earnest to use the freshly turned earth as an outdoor litter box. There was no other sensible explanation.
Then one morning, the true villain was discovered. The guilty party was a brown thrush, very intensely and methodically tossing the bark out of the bed in search of a breakfast of worms and grubs, which may have been sheltering beneath. With each piece of bark flung, new and exciting discoveries were made, and the thrush became so enthused with his flingings, and the pieces flew so far, the Yankees could have sent a scout to interview him as a prospective pitcher.

Well, that is the way I get when I make a new genealogical discovery. At present, I have tons of stuff, records, information, etc. just waiting and begging to be blogged. Some of them, promised to be blogged, but this new stuff is so exciting, I just have not had the time to get around to it.
I'll admit, I'm an addict.

So the secret to keeping up this blog is self-discipline. For the next few, whenevers, I will be attempting to post various information that I have found already, but in my off-moments, I will digging in this new and exciting direction I have found.

Without revealing what it is, I had decided to take on this challenge, because I had wondered. And I'm not the only one who has wondered. Times are different now and things we take for granted or do not really think much about, people could not take for granted back in the day. So there were inaccuracies in records, put there on purpose. Things were  not always what they seemed. But there are hints, and signs, and court cases, etc. that do and will reveal the truth.

I knew it was there. You can look and see the obvious in some places and some faces. Just finding it was the challenge.

The biggest surprise was the distance. How far back our roads can take us into who we are.

I started at the right place, but didn't know it at the time. I decided to start at the bottom and go up. For awhile, it was the same old boring, same ol, same ol. Over and over. Nothing new, no discoveries. Where did this come from? It seemed to come from nothing. So I put it down.

After awhile, and it usually is the second time up, I was successful. I decided to use a little common sense. It needed to be down this road as this other road don't appear to be the place to look.

And then things started to come together. And the rumors must have been true. Think about the era. Times were different. What would it have gained them? If nothing, then the stories would not be there.

It's going to take a lot of work and a lot of time. But I've found enough information to be exhilarated. Like that brown thrush, I've been tossing the bark left and right and far and wide, and I'm waiting on that Yankees Scout.

Church Record Sunday: Concord Church is not in Concord

"Church Record Sunday" is a blogging prompt used by Geneabloggers.com, of which I am a member.

Concord Methodist Church is not located in Concord. You'll find it listed as being in "Ansonville", but it's not in Ansonville, either. In fact, the name "Concord" has nothing to do with the city of Concord in Cabbarus County, North Carolina, and everything to do with traditional church naming of the 19th century. Within a 40 mile radius of Concord Church, you'll find a Philadelphia Presbyterian Church, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, a long way from Philadelphia, PA and Miami Church, in Cabarrus County, NC, that in no way ties in to Miami, Florida.

The name "Concord", as in a word once used in the naming of churches, Means: Concord means "harmony." The word is derived from two Latin words and is translated literally as "with one heart."

There is a "Book of Concord" that is associated with Lutheran Churches, but this one is a Methodist Church. It's location is in the fertile area near the fork of the Rocky River and Yadkin/PeeDee river, and just happens to be on the Anson side of the county line. 

Concord Methodist Church is located on part of what used to be the Winfield plantation, prior to 1805, and is one of those churches where several folks in my family tree were laid to rest. 

This Map shows the "Boot" of the Rocky River, which I usually refer to as the "Davis Boot". At the top slightly left of center of the map you see "Boone-Caudle Road". This area is the location of the Benjamin Franklin Davis cemetery and was part of his section of the lands. He was the son of Henry Davis by first wife Sarah Kendall and was the grandson of Reuben Kendall and Job Davis. Bottom center of the map, you see a section of the "Old Winfield Road" which dead-ends now at the Rocky River. There is a section of the Winfield road still in use in Stanly County. It was once a very long and major thoroughfare, and crossed at the point where it now dead ends. There was a "Davis Ford" that was previously "Winfield Ford" around the 1790's -early 1800's. Winfield road formerly followed the northern route similar to Plank Road. Follow Plank Road across the river and you will see first Howell road, and then Kendall Road. Keep going and you will see on the left of the screen, Concord Church Road and Springer Road. Near this intersection is the current location of Concord Methodist Church. The cemetery is actually located around the corner from the church on Springer Road. Howell Road is the vicinity of the  location of the land of Peter Howell, who inherited and repurchased portions of the property that had passed on from his grandfather Peter Winfield, to his father Richard Howell, through daughter Sarah Elizabeth Winfield Howell. The area furthest right, that the church occupies was also part of the Winfield plantation, as it had passed on to Griffin Nash, husband of Winfield daughter Jemima. On the Stanly side of the river, Sarah Winfield, once widowed, had retained that portion of her inheritance that she and her second husband, Job Davis, would farm and reside upon and the "boot" would become the Davis plantation. At one time, the area on both sides of the river, had belonged to Peter Winfield, and upon his death in 1802, had been divided among his four children, Edward Winfield, Sarah (Richard Howell and later Job Davis), Jemima (Griffin Nash) and Ancena (James Morrison and later Thomas Avett).

The Family of James Edward Howell and wife Sarah Frances "Fannie" Andrews Howell

Upon the death of Peter Howell, his portion of the land would be further divided, and as some of his descendants would migrate west, his youngest son Jim Howell, would purchase his siblings portions of the land, including that of his unmarried sisters. So Jim Howell became the steward of the Howell lands. A portion would remain in the hands of Florence Howell McSwain, grand-daughter of Peter Howell though his desceased son Richard II, as she and her brother Robert, who passed away young, would become wards of her grandparents, Peter Howell and Elizabeth Floyd Howell.

Concord Church is the final resting place for most members of the Howell family who remained in Anson and Stanly Counties.

Concord United Methodist Church as is appeared in 1906

This is a rendition of how the church looked in 1906. It is a photograph of a painting hanging in the entrance hall of the church taken by Jerry T. Kendall on April 16, 1994.

The Kendall family was a large part of the Concord Congregation as well as the Howells and there was intermarriage among the families.

Mr. Jerry T. Kendall has done extensive research on the origins of the church and the cemetery, which was a community cemetery in use prior to the building of the first church.

Concord is said to be one of the oldest churches in Anson County. As many churches did in those days, the church started at a site where old-timey "Camp Meetings" were held.

Concord Church was established in 1805, but it was not until 1810 that the first building was built, a log structure located conveniently near a spring. The congregation had the building moved in 1823, however, due to what was seen as 'the devil's work', as some local entrepreneurs had decided to use the spring as a source for a still in which to make alchohol. Although the building moved, the congregation still grew thirsty for more than the Word, and they retained the right to use the spring to quench their thirst for water.

On the same day, November 27, 1830, two deeds were recorded for the Church.

Deed Book X, Page 439, Anson County, North Carolina     10 and 1/4 acres

Avert Verhine to The Trustees of Concord Church

This Indenture.......between Avert Verkine of the State of North Carolina & County of Anson on one part & Richard Randles, Thomas Avitts, Freeman Winfield, Peter W. Nash & John Beard, trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Concord Meeting House of the other part Witness the Said Avert Verhine....3 black oak pointers in Nashes line.. Avert Verhine doth further grant unto the said Church privlege to & use of the spring near where the old meeting house now stands &  Avert Verhine doth warrant and forever defend the right and title of said land & premises unto the said trustees or their successors against the lawful claim, right or title or any person or persons whatsoever. 

Deed Book X, Page 507, Anson County, North Carolina    1 3/4 acres

Griffin Nash to the Trustees of Concord Meetinghouse


This Indenture made this 27th day of November in the year of our Lord 1830, between Griffin Nash of the State of North Carolina and the County of Anson of the one part & Richard Randle, Thos. Avett, Freeman Winfield, Peter W. Nash, and John Beard Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Concord Meeting house on the other part.....runs with Verhines line....signed sealed and delivered in the presence of Griffin Nash (Seal) Witnesses Thomas Carpenter, William Dean. 

The above documents list mostly persons in my family tree. I am a direct descendant of Thomas Carpenter.

Griffin Nash and Thomas Avett were both sons-in-law of ancestor Peter Winfield. Freeman Winfield was Arthur Freeman Winfield, who served in the War of 1812 and would migrate to Alabama. He was the son of Edward Winfield and grandson of Peter Winfield. Richard Randle was the brother of Martha Randall Howell, who had married Jordan Howell, the brother of Richard Howell. Peter Winfield. Nash was the son of Griffin Nash and was named for his grandfather, Peter Winfield. John Beard, son of Michael Beard, was a grandson-in-law of Peter Winfield. He married Anabelle Morrison, daughter of Ancena Winfield Morrison and her first husband, James Morrison. John Beards sister Eliza, was married to John Milton Winfield, grandson of Peter Winfield and brother of Freeman Winfield.

So you can see, the properties were adjacent. The spring was on the land of Verhine, no known relation, but the trustees, and Griffin Nash, were all Winfield relatives. This Church was attended and founded by my family.

In 1860, a new church was built, just before the advent of war in Anson County. The building committee consisted of David Carpenter, John A Tyson, B. I. Dunlap, and Jerry Ingram. The community had changed a little in 30 years.

Rocky River Baptist Church was 5 miles away from Concord. Several of Griffin Nash's family attended this church, including his daughter, Sarah Avett.

It is said that the Church was built on the land belonging to Verhine, and the cemetery was on the land belonging to Griffin Nash. The cemetery is divided into two parts, the old part and the new part. The old part is bound by a rock wall, similar to the stones used to build the above monument. The oldest readable marker is that of John Beard, trustee and grandson-in-law of Peter Winfield, with a date of 1837. There are older, unmarked stones or  fieldstone or slate markers that are no longer legible. It may have been in use as early as 1805 to 1810. That is uncertain. It is also very likely that Peter Howell and his wife Elizabeth Floyd Howell are buried here, and also possible that Peter and Charlotte Winfield and even Richard Howell the first are buried here.

The entire cemetery is now on 5 and a quarter acres. The old section has a spooky, intense look and feel to it. The wall is made of  stone with an  intermix of colors of rock, known as iron rock, glacial stones that give this section its unique look.
In an interview with a reporter in 1936, a lady named Charlotte Frances Kendall Knight stated that her father, Dr. John S. Kendall, built the stone fence around the cemetery. Mrs. Knight was 99 years young at the time of the interview.

Charles A. Kendall, on the other hand, in a 1964 church bulletin, stated that the wall was built in cooperation between community citizens from miles around. The stones, of various weights, colors and sizes, show that they originated in multiple places, and were probably brought in by wagon. Slaves may have also taken part in the construction.

The view of the cemetery area from the driveway of the church. 

The new section of the cemetery began in 1899 when Mr. and Mrs. W.E. and Charlotte Hendley donated 2 acres to the church. The predominance in this area of the name "Charlotte" only shows how the grand-daughters and great-grand-daughters of Charlotte Freeman Winfield, carried her name down the line.

The chronology of the church follows:

1785 Great Pee Dee Circuit formed. It extended from 10 miles south of Salisbury, North Carolina to Georgetown, South Carolina. It was also around this time that Peter Winfield and family, along with many of his inlaws, the Freemans and their spouses, including Richard Meanly and Keziah Freeman Meanley, Drury Robertson, Sr. and sons James Roberson who married Martha Winfield, daughter of Peter's brother Joshua Winfield who married Charlotte Freeman Winfield's sister Jemima Freeman , Drury Robertson, Jr, who married Mary, the sister of Martha and also a double-niece of Peter and Charlotte Freeman Winfield, Henry Freeman, and Booth Robertson, and Robertson (or Robinson) Carloss, stepson of Joshua Winfield who married widow Rebecca Thrower Carloss, daughter of Hezekiah Thrower, when Jemima passed away.

1788  Anson Circuit formed

James Edward Howell and wfie Sarah Francis "Fannie" Howell, the son who stayed. 

1805 Rocky River Circuit formed

1810 First actual building built near the spring, which is in the back of the location of the new part of the cemetery.

1813 Concord congregation first mentioned in the Circuit records as having a membership of 61 members of European descent  and 17 members of African descent.

1823 The Church moved from the area of the spring to its current site, away from the still.

1830 The land finally deeded to the trustees of the Church, all members of or inlaws to the Peter Winfield family.

1834 The Circuit now referred to as the Wadesboro Circuit.

1859 Concord considered one of the nine churches in the Wadesboro circuit.

1860 A new building constructed.

1864 The last camp meeting held at Concord "meeting place".

1871 Area transferred from the South Carolina to the North Carolina Conference.

1891 Western North Carolina Conference formed.

1906 Another new Building constructed for the Church

1955  Present building dedicated

1960  Albemarle District formed.

Feb. 21, 1871

J. E. Howell, s. of Peter & E. Howell, and S. F. Andrews, d. of Seth & E. Andrews.

Flossie Richardson Did Not Die

As another sun sets over the Yadkin, and its waters travel down to marry the Rocky and become the PeeDee, the lives of the many persons who traveled up and down her banks and traverses, became entangled, like the droplets of water themselves, all becoming one. 

Rockingham is known in modern times for its raceway, "The Rock", made famous more by the movie "Days of Thunder", portraying her glory days of Nascar.



But in the latter half of the 19th Century, Rockingham and Richmond County proved more of draw from their mills and factories, pulling population in from up and down the Pee Dee River.



The search for Flossie Jane began with one document and the river.

Name:	Patterson Hudson
Birth Date:	1890
Birthplace:
Age:	23
Spouse's Name:	Flossie Richardson
Spouse's Birth Date:	1898
Spouse's Birthplace:
Spouse's Age:	15
Event Date:	03 Dec 1913
Event Place:	, Richmond, North Carolina
Father's Name:	... Hudson
Mother's Name:	Nealie Dawkins
Spouse's Father's Name:	Frank Richardson
Spouse's Mother's Name:	Lou Richardson

What happened next, after that fateful day on December 3, 1913 is what makes this record such an interesting mystery.

On December 22, 1913, just 19 days later, Flossie Jane Richardson, daughter of Frank and Louella Richardson, married Walter Stancill Cole. Then, just weeks  later, on January 30, 1914, Marion Patterson Hudson marries Louella Harrington, his wife for the remainder of his life. 

My first thought when finding his two marriages, was that Flossie Richardson must have died. But she did not, she quickly married another man, lived a long life, moved to Albemarle and actually connects to my family tree.

Flossie was born during the season of ugly names, when folks were apt at taking the beautiful, classic names of the 18th and 19th centuries and turned them into shortened, demur versions or "nicknames" turned names. Flossie was originally the dimunitive of the name "Florence". It became very popular after the advent of the "Bobsy Twins". Flossie reminds me of the old children's tale, "Peter Cottontail", with his siblings, "Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter." 

Flossie Jane Richardson was the daughter of Edward Franklin Richardson and Louella Mauldin. Edward Franklin Richardson was the son of John Zebedee Richardson and Lavinia Simmons Richardson. He was born in Montgomery County and died in Stanly County. Louella Mauldin was the daughter of Frank Mauldin and Martha Russell, and the granddaughter of Thomas Alexander Mauldin and Mary Polly Blalock. A sister of Louella Mauldin was Wincie Ann Mauldin, my great-grandmother. 

Wincy Ann Mauldin, The Woman who Loved Mauldins.

This would make Flossie Jane Richardson and my maternal grandmother, Annie Maude Mauldin Davis, first cousins. 

Jonah Mauldin and Wincie Ann Mauldin and their family. 

Flossie Jane was born dead center in the middle of E. F. Richardson and Louella Mauldin Richardson. 

1881 - Emma

1884- Jeter Baxter 

1893- Platt

1898- Flossie Jane

1899- May

1911- Earl

1912- Anna

*Note: Due to the age difference, I believe Emma and Jeter were probably by E. F.'s first wife, Mary Ussery. 

Flossie and Patterson probably knew each other from several different sources: Patterson's mother Nealie was married to Louella Mauldin Richardson's relative, Joseph I Mauldin. Nealie and her second husband, Louis Patterson's property bordered a family of Richardson's. Mentioned in land records are J. B. Richardson; Richardson Park, a housing development bordering Lewis Dawkins development, and Jeter Richardson, Flossie's older brother. 

This Land is My Land: Nealie Shepherd Mauldin Dawkins.

The Ussery's were also intermarried into both families, and both families seemed to travel back and forth between Stanly and Richmond counties quite freely. The Richardsons and Dawkins had both stumbled upon a fortune by owning farms just outside the early 20th century borders of the town of Rockingham, in Richmond County during the advent and growth of the Cotton Mill industry. People needed to live close to these factories, in order to make it to work for their shifts. No one owned cars. This was foot traffic. Like the Dawkins, the Richardson had also surveyed a portion of their farm into lots in which factory workers could live in small cottages on small lots of land, with a tiny garden patch and walk to work 5 or 6 days to work. Patterson and Flossie were probably not only neighbors, but "step-relatives" in a way, as Patterson went by the surname of Mauldin growing up. 

I do not know what happened between Patterson and Flossie. I do know there was no time for a divorce. Their marriage had to have been immediately annulled or either just simply ignored like it had never happened, but that would have made them both bigamists. I tend to think that something may have happened at the wedding, the marriage was never sanctified or consummated, and that the two youngsters had simply went to the courthouse with their parents, possibly, and had it dissolved. 

The speed at which they both remarried tends to suggest that they both had other marriage partners lined up, other people that they were interested in. Perhaps because of the closeness of the land and families, that the union of Patterson and Flossie had not been one of love, but one of familial pressure. Maybe the families had forced the marriage, and both young people were so unhappy about it, they consented after the fact to then allow them both to marry for love. But this is just speculation. 

The first child of Flossie and her first husband, Walter Stancill Cole, Sr. was Ella, born the day after Christmas in 1914, a full year after their marriage. 

The first child of Patterson and Luella Harrington was Lewis Thomas Hudson, also born on December 26, 1914. What a coincidence for these two to have had their firstborn children on the same day. But it proves that neither party was expecting when the second marriages occurred, so that was not a factor. I simply believe that Patterson and Flossie were so close, perhaps like siblings in relationship, that they simply could not function as a married couple, or either that they married only under pressure from their families, and both were secretly, or obviously, in love with someone else. Patterson with Louella Harrington and Flossie with Walter Stancell "Joe" Cole. 

So who was it that Flossie was in love with?

Walter Stancill Cole was born on June 5, 1896 to Eli Marshall Cole and Mary Lee Thomas Cole. At the age of 4, he lived in Montgomery County, North Carolina.

They would marry on December 22, 1913 in Richmond County, North Carolina. As before mentioned, their first child, Ella Lee Richardson Cole, was born a year later, on December 26, 1914. I am not sure why the surnames of both parents were included with her name. Perhaps some legal transaction concerning the two marriages in one month were still in limbo.

Name:	Ella Lee Richardson Cole
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Event Type:	Birth
Birth Date:	26 Dec 1914
Birth County:	Scotland
Parent1 Name:	Walter S Cole
Parent2 Name:	Flossie Jane Richardson Cole
Roll Number:	NCVR_B_C088_66001

According to Ella's birth record, the young family was living in neighboring Scotland County in 1914. The poor little girl did not live long. She passed away of a digestive disorder in Laurenburg, Scotland County. Oddly, her grandfather, E. F. Richardson was the informant and the undertaker was "Walter Cole". Was her father also the undertaker?

Name:	Ella Lee Cole
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Age:	2
Birth Date:	25 Jan 1913
Birth Place:	North Carolina, United States
Death Date:	6 May 1915
Death Location:	Laurin Burg, Scotland
Father's Name:	Walter Cole
Mother's name:	Flossie Richardson

The family was also living in Scotland County when the second child, James Edgar Cole, was born.

Name:	Cole
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Event Type:	Birth
Birth Date:	24 Feb 1916
Birth County:	Scotland
Parent1 Name:	Walter Cole
Parent2 Name:	Flossie Richardson Cole
Roll Number:	NCVR_B_C088_66001

He was quickly followed by brothers Platt Dewitt Cole in 1918, Walter Stancill Cole, Jr. in 1919 and finally, sister Ruby Louise Cole in 1923.

The 1920 census finds Flossie back in Richmond County, living with her parents, and her two little boys. It was probable that her husband, who was a WWI vet, was on active duty at this time, and Ruby was born upon his return.

Name:	Flossie Cole [Flossie Richardson]
Age:	23
Birth Year:	abt 1897
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Home in 1920:	Rockingham, Richmond, North Carolina
Race:	White
Gender:	Female
Relation to Head of House:	Daughter
Marital Status:	Married
Father's Name:	Frank Richardson
Father's Birthplace:	United States [United States of America]
Mother's name:	Luellen Richardson
Mother's Birthplace:	United States [United States of America]
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Frank Richardson 66 Luellen Richardson 38 Earl Richardson 9 Anna Richardson 8 Flossie Cole 23 Eden Cole 3 [3 10/12]  Plat Cole 1 [1 4/12]

Walter Stancill Cole maintained a career in the military before settling back down in North Carolina with a second family. His divorce from Flossie may have been in effect before Ruby was born, and he remarried his second wife, Bertha, in 1931, while stationed in Virginia. But things were not that simple for Flossie Jane. Oh, No, not simple at all.

Walter Stancell Cole and his second wife, Bertha. 

Ruby Louise Cole, the youngest child of Flossie and Walter S. Cole, was born on November 3, 1923.
The youngest child of Millard Fillmore Hathcock and his first wife Helen Sanders Hathcock was Nellie Arlene Hathcock on August 19, 1922.

Helen Sanders Hathcock died December 30, 1926.

The first child of Millard Fillmore Hathcock and Flossie Richardson, Blanceh Ella Hathcock, was born in 1924. A second child is recorded as arriving in 1926, and must have died as an infant.
The third child of Millard Fillmore Hathcock and Flossie Richardson Hathcock was Millard Frank Hathcock on  September 12, 1929.

Name:	Lassie I Hathcock [Lossie J Hathcock]
Gender:	Female
Birth Year:	abt 1901
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Race:	White
Home in 1930:	Harris, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home:	View Map
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Wife
Spouse's Name:	Milerd F Hathcock
Father's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace:	North Carolina
Occupation: Education: Military service: Rent/home value: Age at first marriage: Parents' birthplace:	View image
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Milerd F Hathcock 38 Lassie I Hathcock 29 Walter S Hathcock 10 Platte S Hathcock 12 Lonnie Hathcock 12 Robert L Hathcock 11 Raeford H Hathcock 9 Ruby G Hathcock 6 Nellie A Hathcock 7 Blanche E Hathcock 5 [5 6/12]  Millard F Hathcock 0 [7/12]  Daisy M Hathcock 17

The 1930 census finds Flossie living in Stanly County. The family is located in the Harris District, which is in Northeast Stanly County.  Walter, Jr., Platt and Ruby, are mistakenly listed as Hathcock in this his, hers and theirs family. Lonnie, Robert, Raeford and Nellie are Millard's children by his first marriage. Then Blanche and  Millard Frank are Millard Fillmore and Flossie's children together. Daisy M. Hathcock, listed at the bottom, is also Millard's by his first wife, Helen.

The 1940 census finds the family still in Harris. It was difficult to find due to the nearly illegible handwriting of the census taker. And it presents a bit of a mystery.

Name:	Clossie Huthbeer
Age:	37
Estimated birth year:	abt 1903
Gender:	Female
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Married
Relation to Head of House:	Wife
Home in 1940:	Harris, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940:	View Map
Inferred Residence in 1935:	Harris, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935:	Same Place
Sheet Number:	4B
Attended School or College:	No
Highest Grade Completed:	Elementary school, 4th grade
Income Other Sources:	No
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Millard T Huthbeer 50 Clossie Huthbeer 37 Daisy Huthbeer 27 Rasford Huthbeer 18 Nells Huthbeer 17 Ruby Huthbeer 14 Brant Huthbeer 10 Frank Huthbeer 14 Bain Huthbeer 8 Carl Huthbeer 6 Iney Huthbeer 2 Robert Huthbeer 21 Baisy Huthbeer 20

The "Huthbeers" are really the Hathcocks. Millard T. is Millard F. and Clossie is obviously Flossie. Daisy is Millard's oldest daughter Daisy, Rasford is Raeford and Nells is Nellie. Ruby is Ruby Cole, but then there is Brant, who is listed as a male. Then Frank (Millard Frank), Bain (Donald Bain) has joined the family along with Carl (Carl Phillmore Hathcock), and Iney is actually the Rev. Ivey Richard Hathcock. Robert is Robert Lee Hathcock, Millard's  son and "Baisy" is Robert's wife Daisy.

There are no records of any kind concerning Millard and Flossie having a son "Brant" or "Brantley". There is that birth record of a child being born in 1926, but no further record of that child. While it says "10" on the transcription, the ages for "Brant" and Ruby on the actual form look more like 15 and 17. The piece of the puzzle missing is Blanche. Her future husband Adam Claude Hinson, is securely recorded as living with his parents, age 18.

ame:	Adam Hinson
Age:	18
Estimated birth year:	abt 1922
Gender:	Male
Race:	White
Birthplace:	North Carolina
Marital Status:	Single
Relation to Head of House:	Son
Home in 1940:	East and Southeast Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Map of Home in 1940:	View Map
Street:	County Road Left State Highway 740
Inferred Residence in 1935:	East and Southeast Albemarle, Stanly, North Carolina
Residence in 1935:	Same Place
Sheet Number:	16B
Occupation:	Laborer
Attended School or College:	No
Highest Grade Completed:	Elementary school, 6th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census:	40
Class of Worker:	Wage or salary worker in private work
Weeks Worked in 1939:	12
Income:	156
Income Other Sources:	No
Neighbors:	View others on page
Household Members:	Name Age Philus H Hinson 49 Lois Hinson 47 Adam Hinson 18 Billie Hinson 17 Robert Hinson 13

Taking my best guess, I would say the census taker got more than her name wrong in the 1940 census, and also wrong on her gender. Brant is probably Blanche, as Blanche is missing and there was no child called Brant. If so, he should have also showed up in the 1930 census, being older than Frank, and he did not. 

Both Flossie and Millard had been the parents of 5 children each coming into the relationship, but of course, Flossie's first daughter had died. 

The children of Millard Fillmore Hathcock and his first wife Helen Sanders were:

Daisy Mae Hathcock   17 Dec 1912 - 3 Nov 1999  married William Clay Ingram

Lonnie Green Hathcock 4 Aug 1916 - 25 Jul 1975 married Ruby Lee Smith

Robert Lee Hathcock  3 Sept 1918 - 17 Oct 2006 married Daisy AddieMae Faircloth

Raeford James Hathcock 8 May 1920 - 24 Feb 1991 married Velvet Faircloth, sister of Daisy. 

Nellie Arlene Hathcock 19 Aug 1922 - 9 Feb 1994 married Marlon Lee Furr

The children of Flossie Jane Richardson and Waler Stancell Cole, Sr. were:

Ella Lee Richardson Cole  26 Dec 1914 - 6 May 1915

James Edgar Cole  24 Feb 1916 - 7 Oct 1945 married Margie Lunsford. Died in an Airplane Crash. 

Platt DeWitt Cole 30 Aug 1918 - 24 Nov 1990 Florida married 1st Linnie Louise Coleman 2nd Clarissa Mae Huneycutt. 

Walter Stancil Cole, Jr. 2 Aug 1920 - 29 April 1993 

Ruby Louise Cole   3 Nov 1923 - 7 Aug 2011 married Rayvon Barbee

Ruby Barbee: Newspaper Obituary and Death Notice

Stanly News and Press, The (NC) - Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Deceased Name: Ruby Barbee

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 — Mrs. Ruby Cole Barbee, age 87, of 315 Park Ridge Road, Albemarle, died at 7:22 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011 in Spring Arbor of Albemarle.

Her graveside service will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10 in Stanly Gardens of Memory, Albemarle.

Born November 3, 1923 in Stanly County, she was the daughter of the late Millard Filmore and Flossie Richardson Hathcock.

Mrs. Barbee was a retired employee of American and Efird Mills and was a member of East Albemarle Church of God. In her later years, she was a caregiver working with many of the elderly in the community.

She was married to the late Rayvon Barbee, who preceded her in death December 30, 1991. One son, Thomas Ray Barbee, also preceded her in death.

Survivors include one son, Paul E. Barbee and wife Deanna of Albemarle; two daughters, Deloris B. Cody and husband Dewayne of Richfield and Doris B. Herlocker of Albemarle; one sister, Blanch Hinson of New London; seven grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.

Friends may pay their respects at Stanly Funeral Home anytime between the hours of noon-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9.

The family requests in lieu of flowers that memorials may be made to Hospice of Stanly County, 960 N. First St., Albemarle, NC 28001.

Stanly Funeral Home is serving the family.

Children of Flossie Richardson and Millard Fillmore Hathcock were:

Blanche Ella Hathcock b 1924 married Adam Claude Hinson

Millard Frank Hathcock b 12 Sept 1929 - 14 Apr 1990 married Patsy Delphia Cranford.

Donald Bain Hathcock b 31 July 1931 - 8 Nov 2007 married Pauline Burleson, Betty Sue Drye

Carl Phillmore Hathcock b 6 Aug 1933 - 13 Dec 2010 married Edith Coble

Ivey Richard Hathcock b 14 Aug 1937 - 31 Mar 1994 married Virginia Lilly Miller. 

Of course, Flossie Jane Richardson Cole Hathcock eventually did die. Preceded in death a few years by husband Millard, Flossie was laid to rest on November 8, 1971. 

Link to the Obituary of Millard Fillmore Hathcock

She is buried at the Palestine Cemetery near Albemarle, North Carolina.

Link to the Obituary of youngest son, Rev. Ivey Richardson Hathcock


Flossie Richardson did die, but not in 1913. She lived a long and full life. This first cousin of my Grandmother, has many descendants today. What happened between her and first husband Patterson Hudson and second husband Walter S. Cole can only be guessed upon, but Flossie was not afraid to move on with her life and that she did.