"Foul Murder"

A while ago, I was looking up family surnames in Wayne and Judy Dasher’s Wiregrass Obituaries and Death Notices Volume III (copyright 1998 by the authors), and came across a transcribed article from The Valdosta Times about the murder of Herman D. Parramore. I was shocked! I’d never heard anything about this. Herman is my paternal second great uncle and the brother of my great grandmother, Susan (Susie) Catherine Parramore, wife of Alexander (Andy) Shaw Pendleton. 

Herman was the son of Susan Catherine Dasher and Noah Parramore, my paternal second great grandparents. He was born February 10, 1860, possibly in Thomas County, Georgia, as he is recorded in the 1860 census for that county as being three months old.[1] Sometime between 1866 and 1868, the family moved to Lowndes County, Georgia.[2] 

At the time of his death, Herman was employed as a salesman for The A. S. Pendleton Company in Valdosta, Georgia. According to an article in the December 19, 1891, issue of The Valdosta Times, Herman had been to Jasper, White Springs, Lake Butler, and other towns in Florida, and had finished up in Branford, Florida, on Friday, December 11, 1891, where he spent the day.[3] He’d had dinner at the hotel and had left to board the train to return to Valdosta when he was attacked. 

Valdosta, Georgia, and Live Oak and Branford, Florida, are circled in yellow
(Click on the map for a larger view. Map from Google maps)

The murderer or murderers took Herman's pocket knife, watch, keys, and a few dollars. Herman was found still alive in a pool of blood. His pockets had been turned inside out, and he had a wound under his left eye and his skull had been cracked by a “blunt iron instrument.” The motive for Herman’s murder was speculated to have been robbery and that the robbers had probably assumed he was carrying a lot of money. However, the $77 he’d collected from customers had already been wired back to Valdosta.

Word of the attack was telegraphed to Valdosta, and a party of eight men left for Branford by train. When the men reached Branford, they wired Herman's brother-in-law, Andy Pendleton, that Herman wasn't going to make it. Andy, along with W. T. Varn and S. L. Staten, took the 3 a.m. train to Branford. Herman died at 4 a.m. Saturday morning, December 12, having never regained consciousness. His body was taken back to Valdosta later that morning, and he was buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery the following day, on Sunday.

Head stone for Herman D. Parramore in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia

The marshal of Branford, Florida, and a posse went in search of the murderer or murderers. Two African Americans, Brady Young and Alfred Jones, were accused and arrested for the murder. Alfred was shot during the arrest, though not fatally, by a Mr. Wilkinson, who Alfred and Brady had been harassing earlier. Brady and Alfred were interrogated separately, apparently telling conflicting stories. According to the newspaper article, Alfred ultimately confessed, but then later said his confession wasn't true. Another black man, a Mr. Williams, was arrested on suspicion but was found not guilty and released.[4]

Alfred Jones and Brady Young were held in separate jail houses in Live Oak, Florida. A week after Herman’s murder, a group of armed men came in on the train from Branford. They overpowered the sheriff and deputies and took the two accused men from their separate jails. Brady and Alfred were taken to the woods by the mob, tied to a pine tree, and shot multiple times. A jury was convened, and after examining witnesses, they concluded that a large group of unknown men had killed Alfred and Brady.[5]  

This story is tragic from beginning to end, with the murder of Herman Parramore and the lynching of the accused, Brady Young and Alfred Jones. Why was Herman's life deemed less valuable than money by the attackers? Did he struggle with the attackers over his few possessions, so they hit him? Did they mean to kill him or just stun him or knock him out? Would Brady Young and Alfred Jones have been lynched if they'd been white? Was anyone from Valdosta or from Herman's family involved in the lynching? Questions that will probably never be answered.

Catherine

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[1] 1860 U.S. Census, Thomas, Georgia; Roll M653_138, Page 30, digital image www.ancestry.com

[2] U.S. IRS Tax Assessment Lists, 1862-1918 for Noah Parramore, 1866, digital image, www.ancestry.com; Georgia, Returns of Qualified Voters and Reconstruction Oath Books, 1867-1869, digital image, www.ancestry.com.

[3] "Foul Murder: H. D. Parramore the Victim." The Valdosta Times, 19 December 1891, Page 1, microfilm image; 

[4] See Footnote 3.

[5] "Lynched!" The Valdosta Times, 19 December 1891, Page 1, microfilm image; "The Live Oak Lynching." The Valdosta Times, 26 December 1891, microfilm image.

Two Parramore Boys Drown, August 4, 1900

A while ago, on one of my many visits to Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia, I visited the graves of my paternal 2nd great grandparents, Susan Dasher and Noah Parramore. While there, I photographed all of the headstones on the Parramore lot. 

The Noah and Susan Dasher Parramore family plot in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia

I was intrigued by the headstone for two young Parramore boys—Frank and Herman, sons of John and Martha Parramore. They have one headstone divided into two parts. The dates on the headstones are hard to read, but it appears they died the same day in 1900, and it looks like they are buried in the same grave. 

Double headstone for Frank and Herman Parramore who drowned on August 4, 1900

Later, my Parramore/Roberts cousin Lilla Kate told me Frank and Herman drowned together, and our uncle John Young Roberts, who was just a boy at the time, rushed to town to bring the sad news about his young friends. Lilla Kate said the incident was written up in the Valdosta newspaper, so I headed to the library to look it up on microfilm.

The article in The Valdosta Times is dated Tuesday, August 7, 1900, and titled, “A Double Drowning Saturday, The Sad Death of Little Frank and Herman Parramore.” On Saturday afternoon, August 4, twelve-year-old Frank and ten-year-old Herman were with a group of boys and girls headed to the branch on my paternal great grandfather A. S. Pendleton’s property north of town for a swim. Then several of the boys, including ten-year-old John Young Roberts (son of my maternal great grandparents John T. Roberts and Catherine Young), Frank and Herman Parramore, and ten-year-old Fred and twelve-year-old Albert Pendleton (sons of A. S. Pendleton and Susan Parramore; Albert was my grandfather) and some other boys decided to go to Pine Park. (Pine Park was the fair grounds at the time.) They wanted to swim in the pond there that had been used for diving horses the previous year. 

Location of Pine Park in Valdosta, northeast of the current location of Valdosta State University (Map from Google maps. Boundaries for Pine Park from Streetcars in Valdosta)

A wire had been strung across the pond, and the boys used it to hold themselves up in the water. When Frank, Herman, and Fred were holding onto the wire, it broke. Fred was able to get to shore, but Frank and Herman slipped underwater. Neither one of them could swim.

Some workmen nearby heard the screams of the group of boys and ran over. One of the men dived in to look for Frank and Herman. They had been under water about ten minutes by the time they were brought out. Men from the Edgewood Dairy hurried over and helped with resuscitation, but Frank and Herman could not be revived. They were wrapped in a sheet and loaded on a wagon from the dairy to be taken to town.

In the meantime, John Young Roberts jumped on his pony and rode to town to bring the sad news. He “was so excited that he could hardly talk,” so the family hoped what he told them wasn’t true. Frank and Herman’s father John and Dr. Ben Burton immediately headed for the pond but met the wagon carrying the boys on the way. The newspaper article said, “the grief stricken father stood mute and motionless over them. His frame shook with emotion, but the great grief which had come so unfairly upon him was too deep for tears.” Dr. Burton pronounced Frank and Herman dead, and their bodies were taken to the Parramore home on Central Avenue.

The funeral for Frank and Herman was held on Sunday, August 5, at four o’clock in the afternoon, and their two coffins were put in the same grave. The funeral procession was one of the largest “ever seen here and deep sorrow was felt by all.” The article noted that their mother Martha had had a premonition “of a great bereavement” some time before her sons drowned. She had already lost two children in the month of August (Susie in 1896 and Thompson in 1898). She had told a friend that she dreaded to see that month come. Now, two more of her children had died in August.

I can’t imagine the sorrow and pain in losing a child. John and Martha Parramore lost four children within a four-year time period.

Catherine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #48 Susan Dasher

Susan Catherine Dasher is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. She was born on December 21, 1824, probably in Effingham County Georgia, to Christian Herman Dasher and Elizabeth Waldhauer. These two families are descendants of Salzburgers from modern day Austria who came to the Georgia coast in the 1730s to escape religious persecution.

Susan moved with her parents to Lowndes County, Georgia, sometime in the early 1830s. Her father is noted in History of Lowndes County Georgia 1825-1941* as one of the planters living near the county seat of Troupeville during that time. Susan first married Richard Howell in 1853. They had one son, also named Richard (1854-1875). After her husband died, Susan married my 2nd great grandfather Noah Parramore in 1856. She was his second wife. He already had three children by his first wife Martha Sheffield when he married Susan: Josephine (b. 1848), James Nathaniel (b. 1849), and Redden West (b. 1851).

After Susan married Noah, she gave birth to five more children: John (1857-1918), Bessie (or Elizabeth 1858-1877), Herman D. (1860-1891), Susan Catherine (1861-1938, my great grandmother and wife of Alexander Pendleton), and Frank Remington (1864-1950).

According to the 1860 U.S. census for Thomas County, Noah was a "farmer" with a real estate value of $6,000 and a personal estate value of $45,000! I found him on the 1860 slave schedule with 87 slaves! In 1850, he had 14 slaves.

The Parramores lived in Thomas County through most of the 1860s. They moved to Lowndes County sometime between 1866 and 1868.

1866 tax record for Thomas County showing "N. Parramore" (from ancestry.com)
 

1868 list of voters in Lowndes County showing "Noah Parramore" (from ancestry.com)

Map of Thomas County and Lowndes County in south Gerogia
 in 1860 (from randymajors.com)

According to the 1870 U.S. census for Lowndes County, their farm in Lowndes was worth far less than the one in Thomas County--Real estate valued at $600 and personal estate valued at $2,000. This is after the Civil War which I'm sure left them in reduced circumstances like the rest of the South.

Susan Dasher (Parramore) holding her granddaughter Bessie Pendleton who was born in 1884

Susan's husband Noah died on October 20, 1891, and Susan died about nine years later on May 5, 1901. They're both buried at Sunset Hill cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia.

Headstone for Noah Parramore in Sunset Hill cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia.

Headstone for Susan Dasher, wife of Noah Parramore,
in Sunset Hill cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia.

My descent from Susan Dasher:

Susan Dasher and Noah Parramore
Susan Parramore and Alexander Shaw Pendleton
Albert S. Pendleton Sr. and Helen Brown
Albert S. Pendleton Jr. and Leona Redles
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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* History of Lowndes County Georgia 1825-1941. General James Jackson Chapter NSDAR, Valdosta, Georgia, 1995, 107.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #45 Susan Parramore

Susan Parramore was my paternal great grandmother. She was born on June 23, 1861, in Thomas County, Georgia, just before the start of the Civil War. Her parents were Noah Parramore and Susan Dasher. Her maternal grandparents were Christian Herman Dasher and Elizabeth Waldhauer and her paternal grandparents were John Parramore and Nancy Brinson.

Susan's siblings were John (b. 1857), Bessie (b. 1858), Herman D. (b. 1860), and Frank Remington (b. 1864). Her half siblings were Josephine F. (b. 1848), James Nathaniel (b. 1849), Redden West (b. 1851)--who were children of her father's first marriage to Martha Sheffield--and Richard Howell (b. 1854)--her mother's son by her first marriage to Richard Howell.

By 1870, the Parramores were living in Lowndes County, Georgia, where Susan met her future husband Alexander Shaw Pendleton, son of Philip Coleman Pendleton and Catharine Tebeau. They were married on November 10, 1881. Please see my post Andy and Susie Get Married for more information and a copy of their marriage record and newspaper announcement.

Susan Parramore, my paternal great grandmother and wife of Alexander (Andy) Pendleton

Susan gave birth to seven children in Valdosta, Georgia: Philip Coleman (1884-1949), Elizabeth "Bessie" Parramore (1884-1970), Gertrude Adala (1887-1925), Albert Sidney (1888-1965, my paternal grandfather), William Frederick (1889-1958), Francis Key (1891-1911), and Alexis Runette (1894-1967).

The Pendletons lived on Ashley Street in Valdosta.

The home of Susan Parramore and Alexander Pendleton on Ashley Street, Valdosta, Georgia.
That's my dad on the front steps.

Susan Parramore, my paternal great grandmother and wife of Alexander (Andy) Pendleton

Alexander died on April 13, 1925, almost exactly a month after my dad was born. My dad's parents, Albert and Helen, rushed him over to see his grandfather Alexander shortly after he was born, because they knew Alexander didn't have long to live. Susan lived another 13 years and died on February 26, 1938. Both are buried at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta.

The graves of Susan Parramore and Alexander Pendleton
 in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #43 Mary Gregory

Mary Gregory was my paternal 7th great grandmother. She was born in Essex, Rappahannock County, Virginia, in 1665 to John Gregory and Elizabeth Bishop. I have her siblings as Ann, Elizabeth, John, and Richard.

Mary married James Taylor in 1682. When I noticed that the date for her husband's birth was 1635 on the marriage index record on ancestry.com (see below), making him 30 years older than she, I thought it possible that he may have been married before or maybe the dates are wrong.

U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 about Mary Gregory

Name: Mary Gregory Gender: Female Birth Place: VA Birth Year: 1665 Spouse Name: James Taylor Spouse Birth Year: 1635 Marriage Year: 1682

According to a findagrave.com memorial for James, he was married twice before. His first wife is noted as Elizabeth Underwood and his second wife as Frances (no maiden name given). He had children by all three wives according to his memorial. The children he had with Mary are noted as Ann, Elizabeth, John, Mary Bishop, Edmund, James, and John Powell.

A findagrave.com memorial for Mary says that she died on April 30, 1698. It gives James' birth as 1615 and his arrival in America as 1635. It notes Frances Walker as his only other wife, and the death date for Frances is given as 1680.

The only children I have listed for Mary are Ann, Mary Bishop (1688-1779, my 6th great grandmother), and John (1696-1780).

A genealogy on James Taylor lists his children by Mary Gregory as follows:

Anne b. 1685
Elizabeth b. 1685 (died in infancy)
Mary b. 1686 (died in infancy)
Mary Bishop b. 1688
Edmund b. 1690
John b. 1692 (died in infancy)
Elizabeth b. 1694
John b. 1696

The above genealogy notes that Mary's second husband was Rowland Thomas of Caroline County, Virginia.

According to the findagrave memorial noted above for James Taylor, he died on September 22, 1698. I have Mary's death date as 1747 in Bowling Green, Caroline County, Virginia. The findagrave memorial for Mary gives her death as April 30, 1698.

I did a little more research on Mary Gregory but didn't find anything definite. Several records were conflicting. One of these days, I'll get back to researching Mary and her family.

My descent from Mary Gregory:

1. Mary Gregory and James Taylor
2. Mary Bishop Taylor and Henry Pendleton
3. Elizabeth Coleman and James Pendleton
4. Martha Aubrey and Philip Pendleton
5. Martha Gilbert and  Coleman Pendleton
6. Catharine Tebeau and Philip Coleman Pendleton
7. Susan Parramore and Alexander Shaw Pendleton
8. Helen Brown and Albert S. Pendleton Sr
9. Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr
10. me

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #30 Nancy Brinson

Nancy Brinson is my paternal 3rd great grandmother. She was born on April 10, 1783, in Onslow County, North Carolina. I have her parents as Isaac Brinson and Elizabeth Ashe (widow of McCullers). The only sibling I have listed for her is her brother Isaac (b. 1785). In Volume 5 of Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Folks Huxford notes on page 567 that Nancy's mother was Ann Murphree. This might be an error as Huxford has on page 47 of the same volume that Mills M. Brinson, born in 1812, is the son of Isaac Brinson Jr. and Ann Murphree (or Murphee) and grandson of Isaac Brinson Sr. and Elizabeth Ashe McCullers. The 1812 birth year for Mills would make him more likely to be Nancy's nephew.

Nancy married John Parramore in 1799 in Screven County, Georgia. I have that she gave birth to 16 children: Redden Wallace (b. 1799 or 1800), Jane Elizabeth (b. 1801), Nancy (b. 1802), Grace (b. 1804), Edward (b. 1805), Adam Brinson (b. 1808), Sarah J. (b. 1810), Susannah (b. 1812), Elizabeth Ann (b. 1814), Lodoiska (b. 1817), Noah (b. 1819, my 2nd great grandfather), John (b. 1821), James (b. 1823), Robert Rutherford (b. 1825), John Clark (b. 1826), and Mary Frances (b. 1828). In Folks Huxford's Volume 5, he lists 11 children. He doesn't have Nancy, Grace, Edward, and James listed as their children.

Screven County, Georgia, about 1800 (maop from randymajors.com)

Huxford notes in Volume 4 of Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia that the Parramores were living in Laurens County at least in 1810. John was issued a deed that year for land on Hunger and Hardship Creeks. They moved to Telfair County, Georgia, sometime after 1809 and lived there for several years. John is listed as a trustee of the Telfair County Academy in an 1823 legislative resolution. In the early 1820s, they moved to the part of Irwin County that later became Thomas County.

Thomas County, Georgia, about 1825 (map from randymajors.com)

Nancy died on January 16, 1844, and John died on May 6, 1846. Both are buried in the Parramore cemetery in Thomas County.

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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Folks Huxford. Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volumes 3, 4, and 5.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #3 Susan C. Dasher's Farm

Genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small has challenged us to blog about one ancestor a week for 52 weeks. This is a great idea! I realized a few weeks ago that I tend to write about certain branches of my family more than others. I'd like to get to know more of my ancestors, even if it's just a brief write-up. I will also take a look at some of the challenges that I'm having in my research.

Susan C. Dasher's Farm

Susan Catherine Dasher is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. She was born on December 21, 1824, probably in Effingham County Georgia, to Christian Herman Dasher and Elizabeth Waldhauer. These two families are descendants of Salzburgers from modern day Austria who came to the Georgia coast in the 1730s to escape religious persecution.

By the 1840s, the Dashers were living in Lowndes County Georgia.[1] Susan first married Richard Howell in 1853. They had one son, also named Richard. After her husband died, Susan married my 2nd great grandfather Noah Parramore in 1856. Their daughter Susan Parramore is my great grandmother and the wife of Alexander Shaw Pendleton.

While researching Susan Dasher, I came across a Susan C. Dasher listed in the 1850 Lowndes County agricultural schedule.[2]

A portion of the 1850 Lowndes County Georgia agriculture schedule. Susan C. Dasher is highlighted in red.

According to the schedule (some of which is illegible), she had:

Area of land improved: 100
Area of land unimproved: 880
Cash value of farm: 800
Value of farming implements & machinery: 50
Horses: 7
Milch cows: 10
Other cattle: 40
Sheep: 40
Swine: 40
Value of livestock: 800
Indian corn: 300 bushels
Oats: 70 bushels
Rice: 800 lbs
Peas & beans: 20 bushels
Sweet potatoes: 200 bushels
Butter: 50 lbs
Cane sugar [? illegible] of 1,000 lbs: 6/10

I wondered if this was "my" Susan. If so, I thought how great it was that she owned a farm at the age of 26 and before she was even married. Then I wondered how she came into possession of a farm in the first place. Did she inherit it from someone? However, according to the 1850 Lowndes County Georgia census, she's living with her parents Christian and Elizabeth Dasher and sister Georgia Ann.[3] I decided I'd better look into this.

The 1850 U.S. census for Lowndes County Georgia. The Christian H. Dasher household is outlined in red.

The Susan C. Dasher in the 1850 agriculture schedule could be Susan C. Wisenbaker, wife of Edwin A. Dasher. Susan and Edwin bought a farm when they moved to Lowndes County around 1841. After Edwin died in 1844, his brother James A. Dasher managed the estate for the next three years. Then Mrs. Dasher's brothers John and James A. Wisenbaker took over management.[4]

In both the 1850 agricultural schedule and the 1850 Lowndes County Georgia U.S. census, there is a James A. Dasher next door to Susan C. Dasher. This Susan was living on the farm. In the 1850 census, her age is given as 37.[5]  This leads me to believe that the Susan C. Dasher in the 1850 agricultural schedule is Susan C. Wisenbaker Dasher and not my Susan C. Dasher.

I'm just a little disappointed that the farm didn't belong to "my" Susan, but I'm glad I looked into this a little further instead of just assuming. This is yet another example of thinking you have information about your ancestor only to find out that it's about someone else with the same name!

Catherine

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[1] History of Lowndes County Georgia 1825-1941. General James Jackson Chapter NSDAR, Valdosta, Georgia, 1995, 107.

[2] 1850 U. S. census, Lowndes County, Georgia, nonpopulation schedule, p. 243, line 15, Susan C. Dasher, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 January 2014), citing NARA microfilm publication T1137.

[3] 1850 U. S. census, Lowndes County, Georgia, population schedule, p. 491 stamped, dwelling 550, family 550, Christian H. Dasher, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 January 2014), citing NARA microfilm publication M432.

[4] Folks Huxford, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume 6. Jesup Sentinel, Jesup, Georgia, 1971, 69-70.

[5] 1850 U. S. census, Lowndes County, Georgia, population schedule, p. 399 stamped, dwelling 531, family 531, Susan C. Dasher, digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 January 2014), citing NARA microfilm publication M432.

Tombstone Tuesday - The Parramores

I think I've made it my quest to photograph the graves of as many of my ancestors as I can find within a fairly short driving distance (for now).  Since I moved back to my home town last October, it's been nice to be able to visit the graves of the ones buried in Sunset Hill whenever I want to.  A few weeks ago, I searched out the Parramores. (Click on the images for a larger view.)

The Parramore plot, Section C-311, Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia

Noah Parramore and Susan Catherine Dasher are my paternal second great grandparents.  Their daughter Susan Parramore and Alexander Shaw Pendleton were my great grandparents.  

Noah Parramore, the husband of Susan Dasher.  He died on October 20, 1891.

Susan Catherine Dasher, the wife of Noah Parramore.  She died May 5, 1901.

Immediately to the left of Susan's grave is their son Herman D. Parramore who was murdered in Bradford, Florida, while being robbed on December 18, 1891 (see the December 19, 1891, issue of The Valdosta Daily Times).  He died just two months after his father.  He was working for my great grandfather Alexander Pendleton and was in Florida at the time to see some customers.

Herman D. Parramore, son of Noah and Susan Dasher Parramore

To the left of Herman's grave are two of Susan's sisters, Gertrude Dasher Paine and Georgia Dasher Smith:

Georgia Dasher Smith, the sister of Susan Dasher Parramore

Gertrude Dasher Paine, the sister of Susan Dasher Parramore.  My great grandmother Susan Parramore, daughter of Susan and Noah, named one of her daughters Gertrude. I wonder if it was for her Aunt Gertrude.

Immediately to the right of Noah Parramore is Susan's son Richard H. Howell from her first marriage to Richard H. Howell.  Son Richard was just 21 years old when he died.

Richard H. Howell, the son of Susan Dasher Parramore from her first marriage to Richard H. Howell. Their son died on November 4, 1875.

Next to Richard, on the right, is Susan and Noah's daughter Bessie.  She was only 19 years old when she died. My great grandmother Susan Parramore, Bessie's sister, called one of her daughters Bessie (short for Elizabeth).

The headstone of Bessie Parramore. It reads "Bessie Parramore, daughter of N. and S.C. Parramore, died Aug. 19, 1877, aged 19 years".  Unfortunately, this headstone has fallen off of its base.

In the forefront in the photograph of the Parramore plot (see above) are members of the John Parramore family.  John was another son of Noah and Susan Dasher Parramore and a brother of my great grandmother Susan Parramore.  The three slabs are Annie Parramore Blackburn (John's daughter), John Parramore, and Martha K. Parramore (John's wife).

Annie Parramore Blackburn, daughter of John and Martha K. Parramore.  She was born June 16, 1887, and died December 5, 1919.

John Parramore, son of Noah and Susan Dasher Parramore and brother of my great grandmother Susan Parramore.  He was born on January 9, 1856, and died October 2, 1918.

Martha K. Parramore, wife of John Parramore.  She was born September 6, 1856, and died on August 2, 1914.

The three standing headstones in front of Annie, John, and Martha Parramore are more of John and Martha's children.  The one furthest to the left is a double headstone for their young sons Frank and Herman.  The inscription is nearly illegible.  According to the Sunset Hill Cemetery interactive map, both of these boys died in 1900. I can just make out the number "4" in both of their inscriptions.  Did they die the same day?  Was it from an accident? I need to find out what happened.

Frank and Herman Parramore, sons of John and Martha K. Parramore.  Frank was born in 1888 and Herman in 1890.  It seems they died on the same day in 1900.

Next to young Frank and Herman, is their baby sister Susie who was only a few months old when she died.

Susie Parramore, baby daughter of John and Martha K. Parramore.  She was born on March 28, 1896, and died just a few months later in August.

On the other side of Susie is another young child of John and Martha's, Thompson Parramore. He must have been Susie's twin as he has the same birth date.  He died two years later in 1898.

Thompson Parramore, son of John and Martha K. Parramore and probably Susie's twin.

The Parramores certainly had their share of tragedy.  As I was writing this post and rereading the gravestones, I thought that I need to do some newspaper research to see if I can find out anything about some of these deaths! What happened to little Frank and Herman? Did John and daughter Annie die during the flu epidemic? I'd already run across an article about the murder of Herman D. Parramore in 1891 while I was researching the Pendletons in the Valdosta Times.

Over the years, my dad explained to me more than once that we were related to my Great Uncle Redden Parramore not just by marriage.  I could never remember how.  Uncle Redden was married to Dinah Roberts, one of my maternal grandmother Leona Roberts' sisters.  It wasn't until I started doing my own research that I finally got it! Noah and Susan were his grandparents!

Catherine

Andy and Susie Get Married

Alexander (Andy) Shaw Pendleton was 26 years old in 1881 when he married Susan (Susie) Parramore in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia.  She was 20. These are my paternal great grandparents. I've never heard any stories of how they met, but I imagine that the two families had known each other for a number of years by the time the young couple married. Valdosta was a very small town back then with a population of just over 1,500 people in 1880.[1]  

Susan Parramore, wife of Alexander Shaw Pendleton

Andy's parents, Philip Coleman Pendleton and Catharine Sarah Melissa Tebeau, moved their family to Lowndes County during the Civil War when Andy was about 8 or 9 years old. By 1870, Susie's parents, Noah Parramore and Susan Catherine Dasher, had moved their family to Lowndes County from Thomas County, Georgia.[2]  Andy, his brother Charles Pendleton, and Susie's brother John Parramore were charter members of  the Patterson Volunteer Fire Department in Valdosta when it was formed in 1872.[3]  Andy was about 17 at the time, and John was 15. Were he and John friends? Did he meet Susie when he visited the Parramores? At church? Susie would have been too young in 1872--about 11 years old, so Andy probably didn't notice her for several years!

Andy was a young entrepreneur by the time he and Susie were married. His father died in 1869 when Andy was just 14 years old. His older brothers were left with the task of supporting their mother and younger siblings.[4] A few years later, Andy began a small fruit stand business in the 1870s (I've seen dates of 1873, 1875, and 1877 in various secondary sources), eventually growing it into The A. S. Pendleton Company wholesale grocery business.

The A. S. Pendleton Company letterhead from the early 1900s. This building still stands on South Ashley Street in downtown Valdosta, now the former Southern Salvage building. 

 The November 12, 1881, issue of The Valdosta Times announced their marriage:

Announcement in the November 12, 1881, Valdosta Times of the marriage of Alexander (Andy) Shaw Pendleton and Susan (Susie) Parramore.

It says:

Mr. A.S. Pendleton, one of our young merchants, was married on last Thursday evening, to Miss Susie Parramore, daughter of Mr. Noah Parramore, all of this city.  Elder W.H. Goodloe of the Christian church performed the ceremony.  No cards.  The bridal presents were handsome, useful and varied.[5]

Below is Andy and Susie's marriage record.[6] It shows her middle initial as "S" and it has different spellings of her last name. I don't know what the "S" could stand for. Her gravestone has "C" as her middle initial which probably stood for Catherine. (She was named for her mother Susan Catherine Dasher.)

Marriage record for Alexander (Andy) Shaw Pendleton and Susan (Susie) Parramore

Here's a transcription of the marriage record:

Georgia Lowndes County

To any Judge Justice of the Peace or Minister of the Gospel:

You are hereby authorized to join

Alexander S. Pendleton and Susan S. Paramore [sic]In the Holy State of Matrimony according to the constitution
and Laws of this State: and for so doing this Shall be YourSufficient License: and you are hereby required to return
the License to me with your certificate of the fact and
date of the marriage.Given under my hand and official Signature Nov 10th 1881B L StephensOrdinary I Hereby certify that Alexander S. Pendleton and Susan S.
Parrimore [sic] were this day joined in matrimony by me.Nov 10th 1881

W H Goodlow [sic]

Minister Gospel

Andy and Susie went on to have seven children and spend over 40 years together before Andy died on April 13, 1925, at the age of 70. Susie died nearly 13 years later on February 26, 1938, at the age of 76. Both are buried in Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia.

Catherine

---

[1]  Jane Twitty Shelton.  Pines and Pioneers: A History of Lowndes County, Georgia 1825-1900.  (Atlanta: Cherokee Publishing Company, 1976), 205.

[2]  "1870 United States Federal Census," database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 15 May 2013), entry for Noah Parramore (age 50), Lowndes County, Georgia.

[3] General James Jackson Chapter, NSDAR, History of Lowndes County, Georgia 1825-1941 (1942; Reprint, General James Jackson Chapter, NSDAR, 1995), 202.

[4] Constance Pendleton, ed., Confederate Memoirs: Early Life and Family History, William Frederic Pendleton and Mary Lawson Young Pendleton. (Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania, 1958), 103, 105.

[5] "Married," The Valdosta Times (Valdosta, Georgia), 12 November 1881.

[6] Lowndes County, Georgia, Marriage License Book 1870-1882, p. 411, Alexander S. Pendleton-Susie S. Parramore,  10 November 1881; digital images, Georgia's Virtual Vault, Marriage Records from Microfilm (http://cdm.sos.state.ga.us:8888/cdm4/countyfilm.php : accessed 3 March 2013).

The J. T. Roberts Family—A Group Photo ca. 1936

This is one of my favorite photographs of the Roberts clan, my maternal grandmother’s (Leona Roberts Redles) family. It’s one of many that I scanned this past March when I was visiting my family in Valdosta, Georgia. This was taken at the J. T. (John Taylor) Roberts house on Wells Street. We called it the Big House. This was taken on the side porch on the south elevation. I’m guessing it was taken around 1936 or so. My Aunt Catherine (Redles) looks to be about four or five years old and my mom looks about ten or so. Click on the photo to enlarge it. I resorted to numbering everyone since the folks on the steps aren’t sitting in straight rows.

Most of the folks in the photograph are descendants of John Taylor (J. T.) and Catherine (Young) Roberts, my great grandparents. Some are spouses of the descendants. I’ve included the nicknames that my mom wrote on the back, but I’ve added their “real” names. One of my dad’s friends once said that if you want to talk about someone in this family but don’t want anyone to know to whom you are referring, just use their real names, because no one (outside of the family) knew what their real names were! I had to look up some of them myself when I was labeling the photo! Get ready. It’s a long caption. (Nicknames and maiden names are in parentheses.)



Left to Right—Front Row: 1-John Roberts (John Bobs) Covington, 2-John Winn 3-Minnie Roberts, 4-Anita (Doodle) Roberts, 5-Edwina (Bootsie) Roberts, 6-Edith Roberts, 7-Redden (Bo) Parramore, Jr., 8-Mary Remer Parramore, 9-Lilla Kate Parramore. Second Row: 10-John T. (Johnnie) Roberts, 11-Kathleen (Sister) (Auntie) (Roberts) Winn, 12-Abial Winn, 13-John Young Roberts (by banister), 14-Catherine Young (Snookie) Graham, 15-Margaret (Roberts) Graham, 16-Warren (Brother) Graham, 17-Catherine Redles (my mom’s sister, nearly hidden holding the doll), 18-Kathleen (Koota) (Winn) Knight, 19-baby Jimmy Knight, 20-James (Jimmy) Knight. Third row: 21-Mary (Converse) Roberts (wearing glasses), 22-Leona (Roberts) Redles (my grandmother), 23-Gertrude (Jones) Roberts, 24-Leona (Lonie) Redles (my mom, holding doll). Fourth Row: 25-Stella (Roberts) Pendleton, 26-William Leland (Big Bubba) Roberts, 27-Mary Remer (Dinah) (Roberts) Parramore, 28-Redden Parramore, Sr. Top Row: 29-Edmund Pendleton, 30-Maie Dell (Roberts) Covington, 31-Edwina (Midge) Roberts, 32-Henry Covington. The handsome young men standing on the right side of the photo are (back to front) 33-Henry Covington, 34-Roberts (Hunkie) Pendleton, and 35-Edmund Pendleton (Yes, a Roberts married a Pendleton. I have double cousins. And this isn’t the only instance of someone in my mom’s family marrying someone in my dad’s!)

What a handsome family! A lot of them are very familiar to me as I knew them when I was a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s. Some of the youngsters in this photo now have grandchildren and great grandchildren. I wonder what a Roberts family photo would look like now!

Catherine