Barham Siblings-Atkins, AR 1919

Descendants of Thomas Franklin Barham and Theodora "Dora" Hazeltine Willis Barham

Description with photo: 1919 Homeplace of Dora & T. F. Barham. Near what was the ball field in 1995, Atkins, AR

1^st Row-left to front -Very front- Boys – Berlin Kinder, s/o of Lillie Barham & Andrew Kinder, Haskell Vest s/o Eliza Barham & Alex O. Vest, Burgess Brashear, s/o Amanda Barham & Tommy Brashear.

2nd Row-Children including babies on laps - Marie Barham(Shadell Fields), d/o of Dora & T.F., Avis, d/o of Willie & Myrtle, Alta, d/o of Willie Myrtle, Johnnie Barham, d/o of Pearl Dunn & John Jackson Barham

3^rd Row – Myrtle Dalrymple Barham, Pearl Dunn Barham, Lillie Barham Kinder, Catharine Vest Young(little girl) d/o  Eliza & Alex Vest, Eliza Barham Vest, Amanda Barham Brashear holding Lucille Brashear Jackson

4^th row – Willie Barham holding Nola Barham, Willis Barham holding his sister, Doris Barham, John Jackson Barham with daughter Oleta behind him(hand on his shoulder), Andrew Kinder, the girl behind John & Andrew is Lila Kinder Gill, Alex Oakland Vest holding son, Coyne Vest, Violet Brashear Williams and Tommy Brashear, sitting on the end behind Amanda. 

Note: Tommy Brashear was Maggie Brashear Dunn's brother and Andrew Kinder was Charlie Dunn's 1/2 brother.

These are the three younger Barham sisters.

My grandma, Marie, Fay, and Ruth. Brother, Donald came along a few years later.

A few years ago a dear cousin from Arkansas emailed several photos to me. Many do not have a description. I will post the photos as often as I can. Hopefully, people can be identified. Since a Barham married a Kinder it could lead us to a photo of Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder.

Love,

Territory Mom aka Jill

The Joseph In My Family Was Named "Sarah"

Scenic route Pope County, AR

ARVtripeaks.com

Everyone knows I'm addicted to genealogy.  I love to discover stories about my family and hopefully discover some old family photos.  I was talking to a friend not long ago and she told me that she didn't want to research her family tree because of what she might discover.

It is not always easy to find out the truth about your family, but with genealogy it is about the good, the bad and the ugly.

For me it is about breaking generational curses.  Do not be afraid to seek the truth.  Believe me once the family secrets come to light you will begin to understand why this relative or that relative acted the way they did or why there were so many whispers during family gatherings.  Hopefully if there is anything bad in your family history you can come to understand it and prevent it from happening to your children and future generations.  We do not have to keep paying for something someone did 50 or 100 years ago just because we share the same name.

Now there are good things that have been carried down generation to generation.

When God decided to come to earth he chose his human parents, Mary and Joseph.  It was Joseph who had to be convinced that everything was going to be all right with being the adopted parent of Jesus.  He had to understand that he was chosen by God to do God's will.

We all have a "Joseph" in our family.  Someone who was chosen by God to claim and raise someone else's child.  It may to you.

In my family it was Sarah Vaughan Brashear.  She was born in 1817 in Tennesse, married in Arkansas in 1837 and died in Pope County, Arkansas in 1891.  In 1845 she gave birth to her 4th and 5th children, twins.  A boy and a girl.  The little girl, Abay, did not survive. 

While Sarah was raising her children her husband was busy doing other things.  Sarah's maid and friend, Polly also gave birth in 1845 to a son whose father was Sarah's husband.  I don't know if Polly gave the child to Sarah or if Polly died.  Sarah raised Polly's son "A" as her own.  Sarah had six more children with her husband.  On census records "A" is listed as Sarah's son.

Sarah did what she could to raise "A" as her own, but it was a small town and people knew the truth.  Unfortunately "A" could not escape his generational curses and he was murdered in 1905.

However, the good in Sarah continued to her daughter-in-law, Nancy Brewer Brashear who raised some of her grandchildren.  Sarah's granddaugther, Maggie did not live long enough to raise her own children, but Maggie's daughters continued the tradition of raising their grandchildren, nieces and nephews. 

Sarah had to be fearless to walk through town hearing the whispers of the town folks.  I can see her holding "A" hand, his skin a different color than hers, holding her head high and calling him, son.

Joseph did the same thing.  He held his head high and took care of Mary and Jesus.  God gave Joseph the strength to be fearless.

Who is the Joseph in your family?

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”   

Matthew 18:20-21 (NIV)

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Territory Mom

The Abduction of Maggie Brashear

Susan Margaret "Maggie" Brashear was bethrothed to Charles Henry "Charlie" Dunn.  The wedding was to take place on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Sept. 26, 1886.  Maggie's father, W.W. Brashear, Esq. was not going to let anything keep this wedding from taking place.  Afterall, Charlie Dunn was Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder's son.  Emily's brother, John Abel Singleton was married to W.W.'s sister, Mary and Emily's other brother, William Meredith Singleton was married to W.W.'s other sister, Missouri Margaret.  This was the family plan.  A few days before the wedding Maggie went missing.  Her father had an idea so he didn't wait for the law, actual he was the law.  W.W. had been the Justice of the Peace for 18 years.  He knew his farmhand had something to do with Maggie's disappearance.  This former POW and Assemblyman was not going to let anyone take his daughter.  He hitched up his team of horses and took off after the kidnappers.  He followed them to Marion County and brought Maggie home and her kidnappers to jail.  It is unclear if Maggie actually ran away with them, if it was prank or an abduction.  Based on Maggie's testimony during the trial the kidnappers were released Sept. 22, 1886 and she was married to Charlie Dunn four days later on September 26, 1886.

From the Russelleville Democrat:

 Sept. 22, 1886: The sensation in Moreland township over the abduction of Maggie Brashear by James K. Biffle and Ed Bowden continues to excite wonderment in that usually quiet community.  The runaways were followed to Marion County by the father of the young lady and returned home.  Today, the young men will be tried before Esq. Peck on the serious charge of abduction.

 Oct., 1886:  The trial of J.K. Biffle for the abduction of Maggie Brashear came off last week and we understand that Biffle was discharged from custody on the testimony of the youny lady.  Mr. Ed Bowden whose name has been connected with the case, was only a witness, and not an accomplice as stated last week.

Maggie only lived 19 more years after her marriage to Charlie Dunn.  She died at the age of 35 of pnenomia two weeks after her ninth child was born.  Her oldest child and daugther, Maudie married five months later and left Arkansas, each child soon followed.  Charlie died in 1923 in Ryan, OK.

No one returned to Arkansas.

The family living in a logging camp, cir. 1902

Maggie died in 1905

I am the 5th generation from the union of Maggie and Charlie.  It is going into it's 7th generation.

So this is the story of the abduction of Maggie Brashear at least the part we know.  The real story lives in the mountains of Arkansas.

Love,

Territory Mom

P.S.  I'm taking a break from blogging for awhile.  You can go here for my explanation.  I'll be back soon. 

125 Years Ago Today

125 years ago today, September 26, 1886, Charles "Charlie" Henry Dunn and Susan Margaret "Maggie" Brashear were married on Crow Mountain near the town of Atkins, Arkansas.  Charlie was 19 years old and Maggie was 16.  They were my great great grandparents.  Both of their families lived on Crow Mountain, which is absolutely beautiful.

  You can go here to view the flickr photostream of zormsk.  You can search "Crow Mountain" on his photostream to fall in love with the area.

This union almost didn't happen.

Maggie had spent the summer of 1886 in love and planning her wedding, but three days prior to her wedding Maggie was kidnapped and taken far into the Arkansas mountains.

To be continued on Wednesday.

Love,

Territory Mom

Oklahoma To Me - 31st Verse

John Jackson Barham and Nancy Pearl Emily Dunn Barham

Oklahoma to me . . .

is listening to your grandma tell stories

about her family pickin' cotton.

It always started the same way;

 "my dad never wanted to be a farmer, but my mother wanted a farm.  My dad was from the city.  My mom was from Pope Mountain.  When she married him she wanted to go to Oklahoma to farm, he never wanted to farm".

Soon after their first child was born in Arkansas they made their way to Oklahoma.  When they had to pick cotton my great grandma, Pearl would finish her row then she go to other end of John's row and continue pickin until they met, then onto the next row.

John eventually obtained his auto mechanic license, but on his death certificate his occupation is listed as "farmer".

Love,

Territory Mom

History of Cotton in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Cotton Council

The Rest of the Story - Part 2

Okay, back to the rest of the story.  For the girls at RHOK's McLinky Monday.

2. One of my grandmothers was traded by her father for a horse.

Charlie and Maggie Dunn & family, cir 1902

Yes, this is true.  It was my great grandmother, Nancy "Pearl" Emily Dunn Barham.  The Dunn family was living in a logging camp in Arkansas where Pearl's father, Charlie Dunn, was a logger.  Pearl's mother, Maggie Brashear Dunn died while living in the camp two weeks after the birth of her ninth child.  She died from pnemonia at the age of 35 on February 27, 1905.  Pearl was only 13 years old at the time.  Two months later, Pearl's older sister, Maudie got married.

The story my grandma tells me is that Charlie went crazy, drinking and everything.  I wish you could hear my grandma say, "drinking".  He traded Pearl to a man in the logging camp for a horse.  Pearl and this man got married, but it was never consumated.  My grandma always made it clear that it was never consumated.  When I was a girl I had to look up "consumated".

Pearl escaped from this man and went to Russellville.  She worked as a typesetter for the newspaper and the owner of the paper let her lived in a back room at the newspaper office.  After Pearl married my great grandfather, John Jackson Barham they left Arkansas and moved to Oklahoma.  Eventually all of the Dunn children left Arkansas and moved to Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.  None of them returned to Arkansas, too sad I guess.

Pearl left a memoir of her life, sadly it was lost years ago.  I bet it was good.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

 

P.S. If you are a family member who wants a copy of the above photo without the names, just email me.

I Found Some New Relatives - The Russells

On the RHOK's McLinky Monday Mrs.McGillicutty posed the question "What do you write about?"  Well, she had just  returned form the Blogher conference and this questioned is asked alot at the conference. 

I had started this blog (I have 3) to write about my family history and my love of Oklahoma.  Its nicer to have my family research updates read that way I don't see anyone leave the room.  I also don't have to see that look of boredom.  You know who you are.

I was going to answer the question yesterday since it was Monday, but I had been on Ancestry.com and had just found some new relatives, no time to blog.  This is who I found:

Margaret Russell Barham

She is my 3rd great grandma, Margaret Russell.  She was born on October 1, 1845 in Alabama.  Sing it with me, "Sweet Home Alabama, where the skies are so blue . . ."

Her parents were James Brownlow Russell and Nancy Caroline Hill.  Margaret was one of 17 children.  Her family moved to Izard County, Arkansas in 1850.  She married Andrew Jackson Barham in 1866 and they had 9 children, including my 2nd great grandfather, Thomas Franklin Barham.

Margaret died November 27, 1911 in Appleton, Pope County, Arkansas.  She is buried next to her husband, A.J. "Jack" Barham in the Crossroad Cemetery.

I also found a photo of Margaret's father:

James Brownlow Russell

1810-1875

I found out that he was in the Civil War and it appears from the photo that he was on the Union side.  It looks like he is wearing a Union uniform.  Check out the gun he is holding.  If you were from Arkansas you could join either side.  Margaret's husband was on the Confederate side.

I need to do some more research on this family.  I think I will try and find the military records first.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

My Favorite Sonic Menu Item

You guess it!!  Pickle-O's, deep fried pickles baby!!!  Sadly they are no longer on the Sonic menu.  Last I heard they were still on the menu in Jackson, MS and Texoma, OK.

However, there are two Facebook pages begging for the return of the Pickle-O.  You can also find a lot of request to bring back the Pickle-O on several blogs, so funny.  I was flipping through the channels recently and came across a special on the Food Network about fried foods.  The owner of SmashBurger was interviewed about having fried pickles on the menu.  He said it came from Oklahomans wanting it on the menu, go figure.

A few years ago I decided that since I could not get Pickle-O's anymore I would make my own so I found a recipe on the internet for fried pickles.  According to Wikipedia fried pickles were made famous by Fatman Austin at his Duchess Drive-In in Atkins, Arkansas and served every year at the Atkins Picklefest which was started by the Atkins Pickle Company.  I don't recommend making your own fried pickles because well their fried and well, its a very messy job.

Oddly, enough Atkins, Arkansas is one of the places where my people came from.  So, if you are related to me through the Brashear, Dunn, Barham or Willis lines you could easily be addicted to Pickle-O's like me, so beware of the fried pickle.

Have a great day and

Love,

Territory Mom

Old School Photo?

My great grandma Nancy Pearl Emily Dunn Barham on the left

My grandma gave this picture to my mom a few years ago.  At the time she told us who the other people in the photo were, but we can not remember.  I thought at first it might be one of my grandma's sister and her beau, but I'm not sure.  The woman on the right could be the school teacher with another student.  She is wearing a wedding ring and it looks like they are looking at school books.

It was definitely taken in Arkansas because my great grandma was already married with one child when she moved to Oklahoma.

Old photos are kind of creepy.  Look at the boy or man under the building to the left.  Creepy. 

Let me know what you think.

Love,

Territory Mom

P.S.   This was my first post about my great grandma.

Happy Birthday, Maggie!!!

Susan Margaret "Maggie" Brashear was born on this day, November 17th in 1869 to Walter W. Brashear and Nancy W. Brewer, in Pope County, Arkansas. She had two half sisters from her father's first marriage to Mary Rackley. They were, Sarah M. Brashear who married Wiley Duvall and Amanda Melvina Brashear who married Henderson Pigg. She had six other sisters; Mary Elizabeth "Bettie" Brashear, married A.C. Bowden, Victoria, married Sinclair Perry, Martha Lou, married R. Hannibal Vaughn, Ursula Evelyn, married William J. Chronister, Lillian, who never married, she died at the age of 18, and Mamie H., married Elton Lewellen(he died tragically, not far from where I live now) then she married Ralph Vassaur. Maggie also had seven brothers, Mortimer M., died at age 3, Lincoln, died at age 2, Adam C., married Joanna Burris, Howell, died at birth, Burgess Ford Brashear, (a mystery, left home and moved to Canada before 1900), Rev. David Warren , married 1st Ruth Beesley and 2nd Sarah Johnson, Rev. Thomas L. "Tommy", married 1st Della Ennis and 2nd, Amanda "Mandy" Barham Maggie married Charles Henry "Charlie" Dunn on September 26, 1886. They had nine children; Maudie Velma, married Weldon Wright, Chester, died at birth, Nancy Pearl Emily, married John Jackson Barham, Ruth, married Herman Paddock, Mamie F., married Charles H. Barnett, Homer, married Ruth Jackson, Roscoe Blaine, married 1st, Esther Jackson and 2nd, Theola ________ Burgess, (I can't remember his wife's name, sorry), and Charles, Jr., died at 5 months of age

Kinder Cemetery

Maggie died from pneumonia on Feb. 27, 1905, two weeks after Charles, Jr. was born. She was only 34 years old. She is buried in Kinder Cemetery, located on Pope Mountain, Pope County, AR.

This is her grave, She is buried with her sons, Chester and Charles, Jr. The grave behind hers is her parents.

Happy Birthday, Maggie

Love,

Territory Mom

He Made His Peace With God

Charlie Dunn Family

L to R front row: Maggie Brashear Dunn (holding Roscoe), Mamie, Ruth,

Charlie(holding Homer)

L to R back row: Nancy Pearl Emily (my gg grandma) and Maudie Velma

son, Burgess was born later. Sons, C.H. and Chester died in infancy

Charles Henry Dunn was my great great grandfather. His parents were Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder and James Dunn. He has been a mystery and so has his father. Charlie was born in 1867 and he was only 3 years old when his mother married Adam Kinder. The whereabouts of his father remain unknown. I ordered Charlie's death certificate and found that his father was born in Texas. It is our only clue about Charlie's father.

Charlie Dunn's death certificate

Charlie Dunn has always had a bad reputation in my family. According to my grandma, her aunt Mamie (the 1st aunt Mamie, who was my grandma's great aunt but also the same age as her mother) always referred to him as "that no good Charlie Dunn". It could have been that he was blamed for Maggie's early death at age 34. (she died of pnemonia 2 weeks after the birth of her last child ). They were living in a logging camp in Arkansas and after Maggie's death he traded my great grandma to a man for a horse. That doesn't sit too well with your in-laws.

Anyway, I tried to find out more about Charlie's father so I sent a request for information to the Oklahoma Historical Society (excellent source of information). This is what I received:

Page 5 of The Waurika Oklahoma News-Democrat, Friday, April 6, 1923

Death of Charley Dunn

Charley Dunn died at his home near Bethel school house, southeast of Waurika, March 29, 1923, after a long and painful illness of tuberculosis. Mr. Dunn was a man of peace, a good neighbor and a loving husband and father. Before his death, he assured his children that he had made his peace with his God and that Jesus had saved his soul. He requested that all meet him in Heaven where he was going to meet his wife. He leaves seven children, three sons and four daughters, to mourn his loss. He was 56 years, 4 months and 13 days old at the time of his death.

He was laid to rest in the Ryan Cemetery Saturday afternoon, March 31, where funeral services were conducted by Rev. H.H. Bowles of Waurika. The children wish to thank their many friends and neighbors for their kindness to them during the sickness and at the time of the death of their father. Friends extend sympathy to the surviving relatives.

BY A FRIEND.

So, it appears that he didn't leave this world with a bad reputation, even if he had, he made his peace with God and that is all that matters.

Love,

Territory Mom

Getting Closer to Finding Emily

William Meridith "Marady" Singleton and Missouri Margania Brashear

I received a response to a post I did almost a year ago about my gggrandmother, Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder. It was from a dear woman from Arkansas and this is how it went:

Emily T. Singleton was a sister to my ggrandfather William Meridith Singleton. She was born in 1848 in Tennessee (according to the 1850 Greene County, MO US Census). Her parents were: Howell J. Singleton b. 1820 Virginia and Sarah Ann Holton b. abt. 1824 TN. They were married May 31, 1843 in Rutherford County, TN.

Howell and Sarah Singleton children:

John Abel Singleton, b. March 25, 1844 TN

Elvira Singleton, b. 1846 TN

Emily T. Singleton, b. 1848 TN

No name Singleton, b. 1850 MO

William Meridith Singleton b. 1852 MO

Joseph Pinkney Singleton, b. 1854 AR

This family is in the 1860 Scott Cnty AR Census, however Sarah is not listed so is presumed dead. H.J. dies shortly after census taken and children are left alone. By 1867 some or all children are in Pope County, AR where oldest brother John marries Mary Brashear, daughter of Mortimer M. Brashear and Sarah "Sallie" Vaughan. In 1872 William Meridith marries Missouri Margania Brashear (a sister of Mary).

Did Emily refer to her father "Joseph"? All records that I have located are either Howell J. or H.J. Singleton. I have been unable to find any records before his marriage to Sarah. If he used Joseph that might be a clue as to who his parents were.

I have more, if interested please contact me.

Well, of course I contacted her for more information. She did not have any photos of Emily but she did send me the above photo of Emily's brother and his wife, who is my Maggie Brashear Dunn's aunt (married Emily's son Charles Dunn).

Emily oldest brother John was a doctor who also married a Brashear (another one of Maggie's aunts).

Emily's mother was Sarah Ann Holton, daughter of Abel B. Holton and Martha Elizabeth Fortnor.

There is no information about Emily's first husband, James Dunn. I'll find him. Right now I'm happy to have this new found information.

Happy Grandma's Day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Looking for Emily: http://oklahome.blogspot.com/2008/08/looking-for-emily.html

Do You Know The Kinders?

Are they Kinders?A few years ago I sat down with my grandma and we went through her picture box. We tried to identify the people in the photos. When we came across these two photos all she said was, "oh those are Kinders."

The Kinders (Ken-ders) are large family from Atkins, Arkansas. My grandma's people all came from this area. Some of her family names are, Barham, Willis, Brashear and Dunn. My great great grandma, Susan Margaret "Maggie" Brashear Dunn is buried in the Kinder Cemetery on Pope Mountain near Atkins. Maggie's mother-in-law Emily married a Kinder and is also buried in the same cemetery.

Is this Andrew Kinder?

Now, my grandma did think that the man pictured above was Andrew Kinder. He was the son of Emily Singleton Dunn Kinder and Adam Green Kinder. (I descend from Emily and her first husband James Dunn) For more info check out "Looking for Emily" http://oklahome.blogspot.com/2008/08/looking-for-emily.html

Andrew Kinder was married to my great great aunt, Lillie Barham. If you remember, Lillie's father was Tom Barham who was the photographer in Atkins, Arkansas. Which is why my grandma has a pretty good collection of photos.

Andrew Kinder is also the uncle of Ellis Kinder (the son of Andrew's younger brother, Ulysses). So Ellis Kinder's grandma is my great great grandma.

Ellis Kinder was a MLB pitcher for St. Louis Browns, Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox. His nickname was "Old Folks" because he was a 31 year old rookie. He had a very distinguished and interesting career. Check out the websites below for more information about him or just Google him.

Ellis Kinder - Photo from ebay

I'm going to send the pictures to my new Kinder relative, Robert. I hope he recognizes the faces. I'll let you know.

Love,

Territory Mom

P.S. If you believe everything written in blogs and not is what is in the newspaper check this one out: http://mcns.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_archive.html

Other sources:

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/wiki/index.php/Ellis_Kinder

http://www.jmcl.tn.org/ellis_kinder.htm

http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/kindeel01.php

http://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=kindeel01 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellis_Kinder

Amanda Barham Brashear

Since hearing from Dan Barham I have been busy digging up Barham family information. I went through the photos and found these photos. First, let me tell you a little bit about Ma's aunt Mandy. Her full name was Amanda S. Barham Brashear. She was a younger sister to John Jackson Barham. Her husband was Thomas L. "Tommy" Brashear (who is Ma's great uncle). I know what you're thinking.

Amanda is Ma's father, John's sister and Tommy Brashear is Ma's mother, Pearl Dunn's uncle. Remember Ma's mother's mother is Maggie Brashear. Note: I need some help from any English majors (by that I mean my sister) do I used past tense when talking about ancestors?

Anyway, Ma always said that her aunt Mandy had two sets of twins and one child from each set died. In all of the Brashear family history books and sites there is no record of her having twins. Probably because if one died then they would not have on any census records.

This is a list of Tommy & Amanda's children:

Burgess Earl Brashear b. 1914, d 1981

Lucille Brashear b. 1917, m. Jackson then Kell

Rev. Thomas Brashear Jr. b. 1919, d. 1985

Warren Brashear, b. 1921, d. 1987

Rev. Terrel Brashear, Sr. b. 1925, d. 1995

Geraldine Brashear, b. abt. 1928, still alive in 1992, m. Rhodes

Maxine Brashear, b. abt 1929, no other records, possibly died as an infant

Kermit Brashear, b. is unknown. He was alive in 1981 because he is listed in Burgess' obit.

Also, Tommy had a daughter, Violet, from his first marriage to Della Ennis, who had died when Violet was a toddler.

Here's Amanda with one set of her twins

This another photos that I think are the same twins just at a different angle. It appears that are laying in shag carpet which didn't exist then so it must be a hand hooked rug.

These photos are all postcards and what is great about the one above is that it has Amanda's handwriting on it. She writes: from: Burl & Tyrell. To. Aunt Pearl and Uncle John

Note: Tyrell must be Terrell b. 1925 and there is no record of Burl. Also, Amanda's father, Tom Barham was a photographer in Atkins, AR. That is probably why the one looks like he's spotted his grandpa.

Love,

Territory Mom

Hey Barham Family

I got an email from a "cousin" Dan Barham. He and his family have been researching the Barhams for decades. He informs me that we are connected through Captain Charles Barham, with my line coming from his son, Robert, and his line coming from son, Charles ll.

I have a link to his blog and to his website. But here it is: blog: "Water Under the Bridge" at http://arkiedan.blogspot.com/ Dan's website: http://www.barham-history.net (a complete Barham history)

Now not only is Dan a great historian but also an outstanding photographer. His photos will amazed you.

If you're looking for me today I'll be at Dan's website.

Have a great day.

Love,

Territory Mom

Happy Birthday John - You Look Good for 119!!

This is John Jackson Barham. He is my great grandfather and Ma's father. He was born on this day in 1890 in Russellville, Arkansas to Thomas Franklin Barham and Theodora Hazeltine Willis. His grandparents were Andrew Jackson Barham and Margaret Russell and John Watson Willis and Susanna Couch.

He was engaged to be married a girl when Pearl Dunn spotted him walking across the street in Russellville. Pearl was working as a typesetter for the Russellville Democrat at the time. She saw this tall, dark and handsome man. She set her eyes on him and they were married a short time later. After the birth of their first child in 1912, John and Pearl moved to Comanche, Oklahoma because Pearl wanted to farm. John and Pearl had 5 daughters and 2 sons. One son, Z.T. died at birth.

In 1920, John graduated from the Oklahoma City Automobile School to be a mechanic. Ma still has her father's diploma from the school.

Pearl died in 1955 and John in 1964. They are buried at the Fairlawn Cemetery in Comanche, OK.

Ma loved her dad. She said he was a quiet man. He gave all his children nicknames. Ma's nickname was "slants".

Happy Birthday John and Happy Grandma's Day,

Love,

Territory Mom

Happy Birthday Dora!!!

Theodora Hazeltine Willis Barham is my great great grandmother and today she would have been 142 years old. She was born on this day in 1867 in Johnson County, Arkansas to John Watson Willis and Susanna Couch.

She married Thomas Franklin Barham on October 17, 1886 in Johnson County, Arkansas. They made their home in Atkins, Pope County, Arkansas and that is where they are buried. Their children were:

John Jackson Barham m. Nancy Pearl Emily Dunn

Willie L. Barham m. Mertle ?

Willis C. Barham m. Mary/Maxie Garrigus

Amanda Barham m. Tommy Brashear

Lilly Mae Barham m. Andrew Kinder

Marie Barham m. Shadel and Fields

Margaret Eliza Catherine Barham m. Alex Oakland Vest

Doris Barham, m. Meredith and Barnes

Dora loved her maiden name, Willis, that is why she named one son Willie and another Willis.

She was a member of the hardshell Baptist church. I was trying to find this church in Atkins when my sister told me that it is a Baptist denomination not the name of the church. Hardshell Baptist groups were mainly in the Appalachia's in the 19th century and still exist. Abraham Lincoln's religious training as a child occurred in the Hardshell Baptist churches. Hardshell is similar to Primitive Baptist.

Now when my Ma was a child and her family would visit her grandparents, Dora always wanted to watch her granddaughters dance. She would turn on the Victrola and the girls would dance around. Then when Dora would see Tom coming home for lunch she would turn off the music real fast and make the girls sit still. They would behave like little ladies until Tom went back to work then Dora would turn up the music again. A hardshell Baptist who loved to watch her granddaughters dance. Another complicated woman in my family.

Happy birthday Dora!!!

Love,

Territory Mom

Some of the Barhams

The Barhams go all the way back to Kent, England. They immigrated to Virginia in the 1700's. My line went to North Carolina, then Tennessee then to Arkansas.

This is Ma's great great grandfather, George Washington Barham. He was born in Maury Co. Tenn. in 1820 and died in 1893 in Boone County, AR. He was the oldest of 11 children. His parents were Josiah Barham and Rachel Holbrock.

He married Eliza Jane Roy and they had 11 children. I descend from their 9th child, Andrew Jackson "Jack" Barham.

Eliza was born in July 1820 in Dickson County, Tenn. and died in 1901 in Boone County, AR. I don't know anything else about Eliza other than if you put some dark sunglasses on her she would look just like my grandma, aka Ma.

Happy Grandma's Day,

Territory Mom

Who was Rosa Bell? - Part Two

Why would Rosa Bell name her daughter such an unusual name, Minnie Ozine?

I searched the Internet for "Ozine". I thought it might be a surname, nothing. Then I tried McChristian. No one in the family knew if McChristian was Rosa Bell's mother's name or her father's name. Oh, the magic of the Internet. On the message board on Genealogy.com I searched "McChristian". I submitted my question to a lady with the most queries. I told her I was looking for Rosa Bell Withers or McChristian who named her daughter Minnie Ozine. With less than twenty messages it didn't take long to get an answer. After generations of this family wondering who Rosa Bell was the answer came less than 24 hours later.

This is the response I received:

Rosa Bell is a McChristian. She is the daughter of Eliza Jane Isabell McChristian, who never married. Rosa Bell's daughter Minnie Ozine is named after Rosa Bell's aunt Polly Ozine McChristian Massey. The family was from Madison County Arkansas. Eliza's parents and Rosa Bell's grandparents were Robert Monroe McChristian and Rachel Parker (unsure as of this date if she is related to Judge Isaac Parker).

The sadness begins for this family:

Robert "Monroe" McChristian enrolled on February 22, 1863 at Fayetteville Arkansas, as a private, in company B, Regular Volunteers of the First Arkansas Infantry of the Union Army, to serve for three years. He was mustered in on February 23, 1863. On the same day he got leave for a few days for the purpose of seeing to the necessities of his family. It was a 10 to 12 day leave. On February 27, 1863, while Monroe was at home a group of rebels surrounded his house. He was able to grab his rifle but a rebel came up to the window and shot him. The next day his wife was so distraught she went into premature labor and died giving birth to, Polly Ozine.

Rosa Bell's mother, Eliza was left to care for the children. Eventually, the children were divided up and taken in by various family members. When Rosa Bell was 7 she and her mother were living with Eliza's uncle, Green Parker.

Now the mystery of Rosa Bell is solved. I don't think we will ever find out about her father, but you never know.

The name McChristian is definitely Irish. So now my kids can wear buttons that say "Kiss Me I'm Irish on Both Sides". (My Irishness comes from my Friels' side.)

Happy St. Pat's Day and Grandma's Day,

Love,

Territory Mom

Who was Rosa Bell? - Part One

Okay when I said I would be back "tomorrow" that means about a week later. I'm on Oklahoma time. Sorry.

When I first saw the photo of the family that lived in a tent (see previous post) I had to know about the mama. She looked lost to me. She is Rosa Bell Wethers Teem. She told everyone her last name was Wethers (some family historians have it as Withers or Weathers). This is all anyone knew about her. Many believe that she was adopted. Others believe that she was raised on a Cherokee Indian Reservation.

This is what I knew about her. She was born in Arkansas about 1873. She married John Henry Teem and they moved to Oklahoma. She is buried with him in the Wilburton Cemetery, Wilburton, OK. Sometime after her death in the 1950's it was revealed that her real name was Rosa Bell McChristian and so the mystery begins.

I found some family notes that stated her father's name was Wethers and he was a seaman. This is where the secret begins to unfold. The note states that Rosa Bell's mother became pregnant with her. The father, "Wethers" was planning to marry her, (Rosa Bell's mother), but he died at sea and so Rosa Bell was born out of wedlock.

No one knew anything else about her and she didn't share her family history. Rosa Bell did leave one clue. She named her oldest daughter, Minnie Ozine Teem.

To be continued . . .

Love,

Territory Mom