Harpers and Turners of Alabama, GA, SC, Texas

Aunt Flora's and A Country Summer Night

2011-06-28T23:24:00.000-05:00

Back Row: Joe McCain, James Harper, Flora Harper McCain, Don McCain

Front Row: Barbara Harper, Bob McCain, Terry McCain and Sherrill McCain

I remember sitting out on Aunt Flora’s front porch, listening to Flora, Dad and their siblings talking and laughing. This was her house at the end of a long sandy driveway, a rustic black wood house. It would be dark as we sat there, with an occasional cigarette glow, and then the smell as they blew out the smoke. Sometimes I would follow the path of Flora’s red cigarette tip as she used her hand while talking. I remember Daddy teasing her that if she sat on her hands she wouldn't be able to talk. In the background the sound of the katydids let us know it was summer. After we would go to bed, the windows were left open as we didn't have air conditioning, the sound of the katydids could be heard. It was a safe sound, just knowing they were out there, keeping watch. They would lull us to sleep.

The Time When Dad Hurt His Arm.....

2011-06-12T13:43:00.000-05:00

Cilfford and Erchell Harper picture of Judy Harper's

I think it was Spring or early Summer when Dad (Clifford) hurt his arm. He worked at Peerless in Rossville, Georgia or Chattanooga, Tennessee. Peerless made the old green Army blankets. Dad's job was to pull the long roll of wet wool from the tubs and feed it up the conveyor belt to the huge rollers that squeezed out the water. Dad worked on one side of the aisle while Jay Gilbert worked behind him on the same aisle. One night, the wet wool wrapped around Dad's left arm and he couldn't pull it out before his arm was pulled through the rollers.

I asked Gilbert years later about that night. He said that he turned around just as Dad's head was about to be pulled through the rollers. He ran over and pressed the red emergency button which stopped the conveyor belt and rollers. The noise was so loud that he wasn't for sure if it was Dad yelling or some other instinct that made him turn around in time.

Dad lost most of his fingers on his left hand. He had an injured thumb and index finger that he could squeeze and barely use. The skin looked like it had been peeled back up to his elbow. I remember many a time that he would brace an object between his left side and elbow pressing in to hold, then position the thumb and finger while he used his left hand to maneuver what he was doing. Of course, he didn't have any problem holding a cigarette between the fingers.

It just goes to show how kids live in their own world. During this time, I remember something different going on and that Dad wasn't at home and Mom was gone during the daytime. I don't remember any talk about Dad being in the hospital. I do remember Grandpa Turner staying with us and I remember Dad's car which I think, according to the internet search I did, was a Plymouth or Dodge 1937-1946.

One morning when Mother went to the hospital to be with Dad, without the car, Larry and I decided to play Service Station. It's a game that most people have never heard of, actually, it was a game that we had just invented that day. While our 65+ grandpa sat on the porch whittling, Larry would pretend to drive and pull into the service station, where upon I would take a gallon jug, go into the kitchen, fill it with water, come back out and pour into the car's gas tank. Then it was my turn to drive and Larry would fill a gallon jug with water and pour into the tank. I'm not sure how long this went on, but the next day when Mom tried to crank the car, needless to say, it wouldn't start! When Grandpa said it might be because of the water we had poured into the tank, she asked him "Why did he allow us to do that?" His response, "They seemed to be having fun and it kept them occupied."

The car wasn't usable for several weeks, actually, until Dad came home from the hospital and recouped from his injury. He had to take the fuel pump off, then the gas tank and drain it. This happened between 1953-1956.

Picture of Clifford (on the right) after left arm injury.

Another picture of Dad's arm. I don't know if he ever held

his arm for a full view. Note how the left hand is bent. It was that way
all the time.

Clifford Harper and children (Turners), contd(part 3)

2010-02-14T14:37:00.003-06:00

Great-Grandmother Martha(Tatum) Turner

Frances (Tatum)Turner's mother

Vernell (Turner) (Harper) (King) Pike's grandmother

Picture taken 1940

Uncle Jim & Aunt Agnes (Turner) Fowler

Grandpa Esley Turl and Frances (Tatum) Turner 1944

Poochie, Tabby, Judy, Clifford and Larry

As I stated before, when Grandpa worked, they didn't have social security. So when he had to retire, he and Grandma moved in with my Aunt Agnes and Uncle Jim. Aunt Agnes was twenty-nine years older than my mother. This meant she was born in 1902, somewhere in Georgia. She and Uncle Jim had eleven children. I remember their family as being a happy group. A few of their children was older than my mom, their Aunt.

In 2007 I visited the old house. As I walked around the house snapping pictures, I thought how the house had fallen into such disarray. I felt so sad as I have such fond memories of this house. It didn't take me very long to walk around the house, it didn't look as large as I remember. I glimpsed a bit of the old veranda that wound around the outside. As a child of four or five, I remember playing out on it, walking from one side to the other seemed to take forever..

When the house was built, it came with a wide hallway down the middle with the bedrooms on one side, while the kitchen, dinningroom and livingroom were on the other. The hallway allowed wind to blow through and keep it cool during the summer. In the winter, it was easier to heat the side were the family ate and stayed during the daylight hours. At night, you got ready for bed near the fire, warming the sleeping gown, then made a mad dash to bed so the warm gown would heat it up. You were lucky if you got a feather bed. That way, you would sink down and be warm. Having a bed to oneself was unheard of. In the winter, this was a welcomed thing. I can remember when we visited, usually, all the family came. We would drive in from Georgia and so would others. Sometimes there would be four or five girls in one bed. We'd giggle into the night. Catching up on what had happened in our lives since the last time we saw each other.

I remember my Grandpa sitting around whittling. He never created anything, he'd start in the morning with a stick, he just sat there taking his knife and slowly drawing it along, a shaving would curl than drop. He'd start again, curl and drop. By the end of the day, the stick would be gone and on the ground would be a pile of thin wood shavings, beautifully curled so that it looked like a huge bloom on a flower. I would pick up one of the shavings and stare at it. You remember the old hand cranked pencil sharpeners? As the pencil was sharpened, the wood would come off in a curl. His shavings were similar. Before he retired, he worked at a grist mill and a saw mill. A grist mill is where they ground grain to make flour.

I loved my Grandma. She was a stocky woman, not fat, just the right size for a Grandma. She had strong arms, I guess from working in the fields and washing clothes by hand. We lived with them for a while. She smiled and laughed a lot. I remember many days in the fall of riding on her cotton picking sack. You ever seen a cotton picking sack? They're about six feet long, with one end completely sewn together and the other end open with a strap attached. She would place the strap across her head, down to her shoulders. Once she had picked enough cotton to fill the bag half full, she would let me sit on it pulling me along as she walked down the row, pulling and stuffing. They would empty the cotton into a small wagon, then unload the wagon onto the porch. Once there was enough cotton to fill a larger wagon, it would be taken to the gin and sold. I use to love to lay in the piled cotton, smell it and roll on it. It smelled so clean and raw, yet be soft and fluffy.

There were so many secret places and wonderful objects in the house. On the mantel there was a clear domed clock, about twelve inches tall. Inside the dome a dial with a large and small pointer to show the time. At the bottom of the dial, a gold wheel spun first one way and then the other. On the hour, a chime sounded, like a tiny bell.

Aunt Agnes waxed her floors with melted paraffin, then buffed with a cloth until it glistened like ice. And when there weren't any adults looking, the kids would run and slide across the floor in our socks. Many a summer day we would sit on the swing hung from the ceiling of the veranda, shucking corn or stringing beans and peas.

Vernell (Mom), Clifford, (Dad) Judy and Larry, 1951

I remember the day we moved to Rossville, Georgia. I sat in the front seat with Mom and Dad. We followed one of the pick-up trucks filled with our furniture. One of the sheets that covered the furniture, came loose and began to flap in the wind. I could see my little rocking chair. The whole drive up I worried it would fall off and be broken in pieces. It was a child's red rocking chair. We did finally arrive at the house we were to rent, without one piece of furniture falling off.

After the people who helped us move left, Larry, who was three or four, and I, who was four or five, were sitting out on the cement porch when we spied a lit cigarette. We decided to pick it up and smoke it. The smoke burned our eyes and caused us to cough. We looked up and saw Mom and Dad standing there. They were laughing at us. I never was able to take up smoking. Which I'm grateful for.

Me, Tabby the cat, Poochie, Larry

I remember the bathroom of the house had wallpaper covered with red American Beauty roses. To begin with, there was a small livingroom, which led to a kitchen, which led to the master bedroom. The bathroom was off of the bedroom. I think there was a huge closet at the end of the bedroom. I can't remember where mine and my brother's bedroom was. The master bedroom had a backdoor which opened onto a long cement porch, painted a royal blue. Grandpa Turner and Dad eventually built another room onto the cement porch. I remember we had a potbellied stove in this room, which warmed it so much that it was stifling. I'm not sure how or why, but Larry pulled a pot of hot water off the stove. It scalded his leg really bad.

Mother was pregnant with Susan when we moved to Rossville, Georgia. Grandpa Turner came to live with us a while. This was during the time he built the extra room and when Dad injured his arm.

Larry, Susan, Judy February 24, 1954

Clifford Harper and children (Turners), contd

2010-01-30T14:20:00.001-06:00

Larry with Poochie at Grandpa & Grandma Turner's home place, about 1952-53

Larry with Poochie

Me & Larry, Grandpa & Grandma's old home place, 1952

I don't know why we were living with our grandparents, at Fyffe, Alabama, in 1952. I think it had to do with Dad traveling around digging water wells. The highpoints of of while we were living there are only a few. Aside from having fun on the picked cotton that they placed on the front porch, waiting for a full load to take to the cotton gin, we lived there when someone was ill, probably Grandma, though I do remember her in the kitchen cooking and churning butter. I remember leaning against her as she sat churning. We had great conversations, though I don't remember them, I do remember her talking with me and listening. Watching her dip out the butter from the churn. I'm sure, being a child, some of the conversations were about, "how is butter formed as you churn", and "why is there water left in the jug after you dip out the butter", "how long does it take to make butter?". There were even times I sat there pushed the "churn" up and down. I can still remember the white texture of the butter and it's sweet taste. Churned butter, did you know, is white, not creamy yellow.

My grandparents house didn't have electricity. They used oil lamps and the fireplace, which was located in the livingroom. I remember it being a large one, and I think there was a place even to hang a kettle. A kettle to hold and cook pinto beans and stews. In the evening, Grandpa Turner would shave in the kitchen. He had this piece of a mirror on the wall where we had the wash stand. The mirror had one corner broken off, and it was held on the wall with nails bent at each corner on top and underneath the bottom to form a frame. Hanging beside the mirror was a leather strap. Grandpa shaved with a straight razor. I can see him standing there, holding one end of the leather strap while he slowly slid the blade of the razor back and forth to sharpen it before he shaved. He had a cup with his shaving cream, and a shaving brush sitting in it. He's dampen the brush, stir around the cream until it frothed up, then he would smear it on the bottom section of his face. He'd hold up one side of his face, run the razor across his skin, rinse in the hand washing pan (drawing a blank on what this was called) with warm water, wipe the blade on a towel, then run across another section of his face. About that leather strap, I think we may have received a swipe across our backsides once or twice. It must of not hurt too bad as I can't remember it, just remember being told we had.

I remember Grandpa Turner as a quiet man. He went about his day doing what was needed. Be it picking cotton, repairing the house, feeding the farm animals, or going to the store. Living among a few females probably had a lot to do with that. Also, I have a feeling my Mom and she were a lot alike. They were the strong type. Grandma was like the female matriarch. Her kids gathered around her, even as adults and all had an aggressive personality. It's just in Grandma's era, the woman stayed at home and took care of the house and children. I do remember that Grandpa and Grandma loved each other. I don't ever remember them being harsh with each other or having arguments.

One of the projects I hated doing while we lived with them was hog killing. Every fall after the first frost, they'd bring out the old black pots. Grandpa, my Dad and my Uncle Lloyd would kill the hogs to prepare the meat for winter. Once the hogs were killed, they'd dip them in a pot of hot water to get rid of the hair on the skin so it didn't end up in the meat. I hated that! I don't know if it was the smell or what, but I didn't like that part. Nor did I like stuffing the prepared sausage into the tubes of skin. Now I don't remember if we bought this or if it was actually the hogs intestines. I never have asked about this. But I do remember the sausage grinder. All silver and metal. Stuffing cut whole meat into the top and it coming out as sausage.

Then we moved to Rossville, Georgia. I didn't find out until I became an adult that the reason we moved is because Daddy got a job at Peerless in Rossville and Grandpa had retired. Since there wasn't social security for him, he and Grandma moved in with my Aunt Agnes because they didn't have enough money to continue renting and living alone.

Esley and Frances (Tatum) Turner, 1940

Esley & Frances Turner (you can see the goiter on her neck that she had)

Where the old home place was located, Fyffe, Alabama

corner where old general store stood, Fyffe, Alabama

My Aunt Agnes & Uncle Jim's home where Grandpa & Grandma moved to. There was a veranda wrapped around the house.

The veranda continues around

and around

back shot of the house

The old barn, between the house and barn use to stand an outhouse!

HARPERS OF ALABAMA, GA, SC, NC & TX-Clifford Harper Children

2009-10-14T21:09:00.002-05:00

Me & Dad 1949

I'm not sure where this picture was taken. Maybe Rising Fawn, I do need to ask Mother so I can post the label. I don't remember my brother Larry being born or when he was very young. I do know that my next memory is when we were living with Grandma and Grandpa Turner.

Larry Harper 1950

Judy, Larry, Clifford (Dad), Vernell (Mom) Harper 1951

I bet this was taken at Buck's Pocket, 1952

Larry, Judy, Clifford & Vernell Harper

As I said, the second memory I have is where we're living with Grandma and Grandpa Turner. It's a cool sunny day, fall, because Mother and family are out in a cotton field behind Grandpa's house. Larry and I were playing in the front yard, I remember letting the cool, silky sand flow through my fingers. We had been playing ball, it was white with red and blue designs encircling it. It had rolled away from us, when suddenly this car pulled into the yard and ran over the ball, causing it to burst. A man in a white shirt and gray suit pants got out of the car, "Sorry about your ball, kids", then he headed behind the house to the field. He really didn't sound sorry. I don't know who he was or why he was there.

Back row: Gordon (doesn't Richie look like him), Agnes, Rufus

Middle-Pat

Front Row: Esley, Mamie Joe, Frances and Edna (on her lap) Turner

This was taken while they still lived in Georgia.

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Clifford Harper, contd...

2009-10-04T16:39:00.000-05:00

What is your earliest childhood memory? Mine is full of shadows, but I'm stepping up onto one of those red child's step stool. Sort of pumpkin shaped legs with a flat step, just one step. When I stepped up I hit my bottle against the wall, breaking it. In the background there's a bassinet with a baby in it. Mother's standing over it, pulling a cloth from under a baby (probably my new baby brother), when I think about it now, she was probably changing his diaper. I start crying from something Mother is saying. When I became an adult I asked her about it. She said the only thing she could think of was that I still used a baby bottle up until I was around two. When I broke the last bottle, she said she never replaced it. So maybe that was what she was saying, that she wasn't going to replace my bottle. I probably have this memory because it was one of the first two very traumatic events that happened in my life. A new baby brother and a broken bottle. I mean after all hanging onto that bottle for almost two years, then having it destroyed, certainly meant I lost something I held dearly! I certainly sucked it long enough, that's for sure!

Me at 5 mos 10 days old, Mar 31, 1949

Me at 1 year 8 mos, Jun 1950 (This is

probably the age when I broke my bottle).

Do you ever wonder about your parents? Where they came from and how they met? Be sure to find out before they're gone. If you don't, later in life you'll regret never asking about things they did when they were young or how they met.

It was summer in 1947. Clifford Harper was back home from World War II. After he was discharged, he lived in Jackson County, Alabama, but he traveled around digging wells, mostly in Rome and Rising Fawn, Georgia.

On one of his visits home he met my mom. My mom, who was sixteen at the time, would walk to Johnson's country store, located a few miles from her home. One afternoon when she was walking back home, dad stopped his car to talk with her. He told her he had passed her walking along the road several times and wanted to know if she would go out on a date with him. Dad didn't find out that she was only sixteen until they had been dating for a while, he was thirty-one at the time. They dated all summer and on 7 November 1947 were married. I asked Mom how Grandma and Grandpa felt about Dad being so much older then she was, she said they never brought it up. They were getting older, so maybe they saw this as an opportunity for someone to take care of Mother.

Vernell Turner age 15

Vernell Turner Harper in her wedding dress

Me, Dad & Mom 1949

Don't you just love old pictures! They give you a glimpse of a moment in a person's life. You get to share an event in their lives, what they were doing at a particular time, day and year. As you look at them, were they happy, what were they thinking?

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Clifford Harper

2009-10-03T21:28:00.000-05:00

Clifford William Harper was born Saturday, 23 December 1916, Bucks Pocket, Alabama. Bucks Pocket is located in North Alabama, on the mountain above Fort Payne, Alabama, home of the group Alabama. Bucks Pocket is beautiful, if you ever have a chance, you should drive there, especially in the fall.

Clifford William was actually born, William Clifford. When he joined the military he had it changed to Clifford William. I'm not for sure why, as his grandfather's name was William P. Harper. He was the first born of Arville and Manila (Hilley) Harper. From Clifford's story, they were close to Manila's brother, Archie Hilley. As a matter of fact, at different times Clifford as well as Bernum lived with Archie and Aunt Lou. Clifford before he went into the military and after his mother Manila died, so somewhere between 1934 and 1941. Bernum lived with them after he and Maune were married until they built themselves a house on land located near Archie that he gave them.

In 1932-33, Arville moved Clifford and all the family to Rising Fawn, Georgia to farm land with a cousin. All but Jesse and Nell went to school at Rising Fawn.

Actual Rising Fawn School where Clifford and all attended

Different view of Rising Fawn School where Clifford attended

Per Aunt Maune, this is their house except it has been moved across the road

The actual home place was located at the right of this tree

Another view of location

Another view of home place

Creek located near their house where they would go swimming

In the Spring of 1934, Manila contracted the measles while she was pregnant. She delivered a baby girl, Bertha, who died within the week of her being born. She's buried at Rising Fawn Cemetery. Aunt Maune and Uncle Bernum wasn't sure why they went ahead and buried her rather then bring her back with Manila and burying her at Haigwood with her mother. Though it's probably due to Manila living another week before she died. Clifford was seventeen at the time of her death. From the stories I hear, Clifford and Mavis pretty much raised their siblings from then on.

Mavis Harper 1946

Clifford Harper 1941

Clifford Harper enlisted in the Army on 6 Dec 1940, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He was seventeen days from his twenty-fourth birthday. He ended up in the Military Police.

Clifford Harper 1941

Following are two letters written by Clifford while he was in the military. The first letter was written while he was stationed at San Jose, California, 10 Dec 1942 and the second letter was written while he was stationed in the Fiji Islands, 16 Aug 1944.

Page 1, San Jose, California

Page 2, San Jose, California

Fiji Islands, 1944 page 1

Fiji Islands, page 2 1944

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Arville Harper's Children

2009-09-26T19:27:00.010-05:00

These are the children of Arville Harper:

Back row: Bernum & Clifford, middle row: Hazel, Mavis in chair

holding Erchel (Jessie) & Flora taken 1931-34

Bernum Harper June 1919

Mavis & Nell Harper taken at

Conners place, close to Mt. Zion Church,

Dekalb County, Alabama-1940

Mavis Harper 1946

Clifford & Erschel (Jessie) Harper 1944-46

Flora Frances Harper with

L.D. Payne 1930-40

Flora Harper 23 Oct 1939

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-William P. Harper-Update

2009-09-12T20:01:00.005-05:00

I talked with Aunt Maune, Friday Sept 4th, and learned an interesting fact. I asked her if she new how and why William P.'s first wife died. She said, yes, she died giving birth to a baby, a girl. It seems that, William's sister who married a Beardon, took the baby. Later on, William wanted her back, but the sister wouldn't give her back. The girl died at the age of twelve, Aunt Maune wasn't sure as to why, and is buried at New Harmony Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. I haven't gotten to go by the cemetery and check it out. The sister that married a Beardon is Matilda, who Aunt Maune said, was also buried at New Harmony.

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Arville Harper cont'd

2009-08-21T20:31:00.025-05:00

Manila Hilley was born 01/23/1899, Alabama. She's listed on the 1900 census at Haigwood, Jackson County, Alabama. She was one year old, also living with Willliam, Lizzie (Elizabeth) and Manila was William's mother Sarah. On the census it lists William as being born Sep 1867, Georgia, age 32. His father was born in Georgia, while his mother was born in Alabama. He was a farmer, who could read, write and speak English. While Lizzie was born Oct 1860, Georgia, her father was born in Georgia, so was her mother. Lizzie was Elizabeth Harris. Her age was 39, so she was seven years older than William. She could also read, write and speak English. William's mother Sarah, was born Feb 1837, Georgia, while her father was born in South Caroline and her mother was born in Virginia.

They're still living at Haigwood in 1910, this also includes his mother Sarah, plus they have an addition, William Archie Hilley, born 1902.

William Archie Hilley 1914-20

I'm going to digress some;Thomas Hilley, born 26 Apr 1754, one of our greats, fought in the American Revolution. He was a private in the Virginia Militia. On April 21, 2006, Aunt Maune Harper, Ann Hilley (Manila's niece) and I went to the ceremony recognizing this fact. Below are a few pictures of the ceremony. After he fought in the Revolution War, he moved to Carrollton, Georgia, where he died and is buried. He died 22 Mar 1838.

Aunt Maune Harper and Ann Hilley

William Archie Hilley's daughter and

Manila's niece, 21 Apr 2006

Thomas Hilley

Pvt Va Militia

Rev War

26 Apr 1754

22 Mar 1838

All the wreaths placed by the different divisions of

Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters

of the American Revolution

Getting back to Arville and Manila, their first born was my father, Clifford William Harper. Actually he was originally named William Clifford Harper, which is the way it's listed on the early censuses. When he went into the military, he had it changed to Clifford William Harper. He was born 23 Dec 1916, Buck's Pocket, Jackson County, Alabama.

Clifford 1916 ................................... Clifford, age 4 1920

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Arville Harper

2009-08-19T18:53:00.015-05:00

In 1890, Congress establishes the Oklahoma Territory, Wyoming enters the Union, while Sitting Bull is murdered in a confrontation at the Standing Rock Reservation. In 1892 Grover Cleveland is elected again as U. S. President. In 1893, more than 100,000 white settlers rush into Oklahoma's Cherokee Outlet to claim six million acres. Some of them "sooner" than they should have. That's how Oklahoma became known as the "Sooner" state. (Little bit of trivia) In 1895, The National Baptist Convention is formed. In 1896 George Washington Carver is appointed director of agricultural research at Tuskegee Institute. Plus Republican candidate William McKinley is elected U. S. President, and Utah entered the Union. In 1898, Black-owned insurance companies, the North Carolina Mutual and Provident Insurance Company and the National Benefit Life Insurance Company of Washington DC are established, plus the United States annexes Hawaii. In 1899, Robert Parker and his partner, Harry Longbaugh, better known as Butch Cassidy and "The Sundance Kid" lead their "Wild Bunch" in a series of bank and train robberies across the West. When they flee to South America in 1901, the era of the outlaw band comes to an end.

Arville Harper was born on 16 Dec 1894. Aunt Maune said he was born at Grove Oak, Alabama, at home. He was William's second son and the youngest of his and Martha Kate's children. On the 1900 census, they are living in the township of Haigwood, Jackson county, Alabama. His sister Rossie is 13, his brother Oscar is 12 and Celie, his other sister was 8. She was two years older than him.

I don't know much about his youth. I know I've heard my aunts and uncles say he was a rounder! That he wore a holstered gun around his waist. This may not be as big a deal as it seems to me. I mean this was 1890 to 1930's!

I do know that he met a beautiful young girl named Manila Catheryn Hilley, between 1914 and 1916, whom he married. On the 1920 census, they're living at Haigwood, Jackson County, Alabama, near her Mom and Dad, William and Elizabeth Hilley. Manila's brother, William Archie and their grandmother (Elizabeth's mother) were also living there. Arville is listed as a farmer.

Manila must have been a beautiful person. When people talk of her, it's always positive. Her pictures show her as being happy and well dressed. Rather stylish to me,for that time. She had friends in almost all of her pictures. Plus my Dad wanted to be buried next to her when he died, he always talked about her with love and fondness. She was young when she and my granddad married, 15 or 16. So I imagine she enjoyed playing with her children.

Manila (left) & Launa Hilley 1914

Launa Hilley, Octia Harper & Manila Hiley 1912-16

Manila Hilley Harper 1920

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-William P. Harper, cont'd

2009-08-15T21:44:00.016-05:00

Arminda (Childers) & William P. Harper

Arminda C. Childers was born 24 Aug 1870. She and William P. married sometime after 1 Jan 1898, that's when William's first wife died, and 1900 as Arminda (Minda on census) was listed as his wife. J. C. said William was called "Uncle Will". The only children listed on the 1900 census were William's children by Martha, Rossie (Rosy on census), Oscar, Celie (Ceily on census) and Arville. William's sister, Talithia, married William Johnson. His sister, Nettie Ann Johnson, married Arminda's brother. Arminda was almost like a double sister-in-law. They seemed to have lived in Jackson County, Alabama area. Willilam and Arminda had five children. Four of them never married. Cora Lee was the only one to marry, and she was in her fifties at the time. I don't know her married name (if someone knows, would you leave me a comment so I can post the information) or where she's buried (any one have that information?). I do know that Webb and John had a medical handicap, this may have prevented them from marrying. Webb, per my Aunt Nell, whose a nurse and took care of him right before he died in 1996, said he had a large hernia, and John had a cleft palate that was never repaired. This was probably due to not having the money or being close to a hospital that had the medical staff to handle the surgery. William's and Arminda's children were:

Palestine Harper b. 11 October 1903 d. 5 Oct 1986, she's buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. As a child, I remember her as being the friendliest of the women. Palestine was my great aunt, my grand pa Arville's half sister. She had a happy disposition and she could sew! My Aunt Maune gave me one of the quilts that she made. The stitching is beautiful!

Palestine (on the left) & Ora Mae March 1972, Section, Alabama

Zenas Webb Harper, b. 10 Feb 1905 d. 30 Nov 1996, Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. I don't remember him as a friendly great-uncle.

Oma Johnson and Webb 1924-25 Webb Harper July 5, 1982

John Harper b. 2 October 1906 d. 8 Mar 1989 buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. I have fond memories of John, he was my favorite between him and Webb.

John Harper 1975 with his Dr. Pepper

Cora Lee Harper (married name?) b. 1908 d. ?

Celie (half-sister), Palestine, Cora Lee

& Ora Mae( in front) Harper

Ora Mae Harper b. 1 July 1912 d. 4 Jan 1992. Buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama

Ora Mae Harper 1924-25 Palestine & Ora May (on the right)

March 1972, Section, Alabama

Their home 1975

Webb, Ora Mae, John, Kermit Bryant (nephew, son of their half sister Rossie),

Palestine 1980

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-William P. Harper

2009-08-09T18:42:00.010-05:00

Pre-Civil War Americans regarded Southerns as a cavalier individual, land of aristocratic planters, beautiful southern belles, poor white trash, and faithful household slaves. In reality, large parts of the South were unsuitable for plantation life. In the mountainous regions such as eastern Tennessee and western Virginia, few plantations or slaves were to be found. Nor did southern farms and plantations devote their efforts exclusively to growing cotton or other cash crops. The South devoted much of its energy to raising food and livestock. Much of the pre-Civil War clashed repeatedly over such political questions as debt relief, taxes, and internal improvements.

The average slave owner lived in a log cabin rather than a mansion and was a farmer rather than a planter. The average number of slaves varied between four and six.

The white women in the South, despite the image of the hoop-skirted southern belle, suffered under heavier burdens than their northern counterparts. They married earlier, bore more children and were more likely to die young. You will note how many children M.C. and Deida had, as well as the large families of their children.The women lived in greater isolation, had less access to the company of other women; their education was briefer and much less likely to result in independent careers.

In 1857, the Georgia economy dipped, plus people were demanding more land to raise more cotton due to the impact of the invention of the cotton gin, thus there began a Westward expansion into Alabama and Mississippi. I think this is why M. C. left Georgia and moved to Alabama. They had to have moved to Alabama between 1856 and 1857, as their daughter Matilda shows being born in Alabama, 1857.

M. C.'s second son, William P. Harper was born 8 May 1859, Alabama. Right around the time Abraham Lincoln was elected as President.

He married Martha Katherine Lackey(Kate is on her tombstone, though her marriage certificate says MC) 28 Jan 1886, DeKalb County, Alabama. He was 27 and she was 22. They were only married for twelve years. I haven't as yet discovered why she died. Nor why she was buried at Black Oak Cemetery, Grove Oak, Jackson County, Alabama. From the above picture, I think they were happy. They looked a lot happier than the picture of Arminda and William that I will show later.

They had the following children:

Rossie V. Harper b. 22 Feb 1887, Alabama d. 4 Jan 1926 Montgomery, Arkansas. She married James Henry Bryant. They had the following children: Curtis Bryant and Eva Doyle Bryant. The picture below has Rossie and Ruben on the back; I'm trying to contact a recent member of a family tree with Rossie to see if this is her picture or the picture of James' father and mother. James' father was named Ruben, though his wife's name was Lucinda. An attractive couple whether Rossie or Lucinda. I'm not sure as to the reason Rossie and James moved to Arkansas. He may have had family living there. Hopefully I'll know more after communicating with the owner of the family tree connected to Rossie V. Harper.

Oscar E. Harper b. 28 May 1889 d. 13 Sep 1945, buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. He married Annie Mae Wilson. The picture on the left, below, is Oscar and Annie Mae. The one on the right is their tombstone at Macedonia Cemetery.

Celie Harper was born on 18 Aug 1890-91 d. 15 Feb 1968. I believe she's buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County. She married Frank Payne. I know they were living at Haigwood, Jackson County, Alabama in 1930. The picture on the left is Ora Mae, Celie's half sister, Celie and then Verdie Coleman Harper, Celie's sister-in-law. Verdie was Arville's second wife.The picture on the right is Celie and her husband Frank.

Their next son was my grandfather, Arville Harper b. 16 Dec 1894 d. 26 Feb 1970. I'll have more on him later.

Harpers of Alabama, GA, SC, NC & TX-Children, Contd

2009-08-07T20:10:00.005-05:00

Missouri Harper, according to information posted on One World Tree, was born 8 Jul 1865, Alabama d. 16 June 1959, Morris County, Texas. She was married to William J. Watson. I know that in 1900 she was living with her mother Ida Harper, DeKalb County, Alabama. In 1910 she was living in Morris County, Texas with her husband William J. Watson and children Alvin (?), son, RV (?) daughter, William D., John, Emmit, Willie M, and James.

Since Missouri's nephew, Thomas W. Harper, Jr (son of Thomas (Hood), also went to Texas, I wonder if Missouri stayed with her mom while William an Thomas travelled to Texas and found jobs and places to live. William Watson is listed as a farmer. I would like to find out if any of this line came back to Alabama.

Jasper Dykes Harper b. 13 Mar 1869, Alabama d. 2 Aug 1952. He married Sarah Ann Nixion. Both are burried at Piney Grove Baptist Cemetery, DeKalb County, Alabama.

There are Harper Trees on www.rootsweb.com and www.ancestry.com that have a lot of information on Jasper, such as pictures and family history.

John Albert Harper b. 1873, Alabama, d. 28 Feb 1954, Blount County, Alabama. He married Vina E. Rowan on 4 Sep 1890.

Paralee (how it's spelled on her marriage certificate & Parilee on the 1900 census of Marshall County, Alabama) Harper, according to the 1900 census was born in June 1867, d. ?. She was on the 1900 census with Albert, but he didn't list a wife on the 1910 census. She married Albert Drain, 20 Dec 1888, DeKalb County, Alabama. A family tree has Albert listed as Rev. Albert L. Drain. According to his death certificate, he died 11 Jan 1944, Jefferson County, Alabama.

******Update on Matilda Harper..a family tree shows her marrying John H. Beardon. I have no other information.

This is the information that I have on M. C.'s children, except William P. Harper.

Harpers of Alabama, Georgia, SC, NC & Texas-Children

2009-08-05T22:45:00.003-05:00

This is the timeline from 1860-1870 when M. C. moved to Dekalb County, Alabama:

1860-*Abraham Lincoln is elected sixteenth President of the United States. On receiving the
news, the South Carolina legislature calls a special state convention to meet at Columbia
on December 20. On that date by unanimous vote, South Carolina secedes from the
Union.
*The first repeating rifle is produced by Oliver F. Winchester.
*The first relay on the Pony Express Mail Service leaves St. Joseph, Missouri, and arrives
in Sacramento, California.
*Joseph Smith restored the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
*Eighth Census: Population-31,443,321
1861-*Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas join South Carolina in
seceding from the Union. These states form a new southern union, with a provisional
provisional government called the Confederate States of America. Jefferson Davis of
Mississippi is elected President of the Confederacy for a six year term.
*Confederate forces open fire on U. S. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina; the
Fort surrenders on April 14.
*President Lincoln calls for a 75,000 man militia to suppress the "insurrection" which
provokes Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina to secede and join the
Confederacy.
*The first transcontinental telegraph line is completed, bringing to an end the Pony
Express.
1862-*Homestead Act is passed entitling any citizen or per who intends to acquire citizen, who
is twenty-one or older and the head of household to acquire 160 acres of land in the
public domain by settling on them for five years and a small fee.
*Battle of Antietam in Maryland-the bloodiest single day of the Civil War.
1863-*President Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, which states, "All slaves in
areas still in rebellion are freed."
*On July 4, Vicksburg, Mississippi surrenders to General U. S. Grant, thus opening
the Mississippi River to U. S. forces.
1864-*Union General William Tecumseh Sherman leaves Atlanta in flames and begins a march
through Georgia destroying everything that might be of use to the confederacy.
1865-*General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses Grant at Appomattox Court
House, Virginia, signaling the end of the Civil War.
*President Lincoln is shot at Ford's Theater. Lincoln dies on April 15 , the first President
to be assassinated, at the age of 56.
*Andrew Johnson is inaugurated as the seventeenth President.
*Civil War causality totals are released: The Union-359,000 dead, 100,000 wounded;
the Confederacy-280,000 dead, 100,000 wounded.
1867- *U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia.
1869 -*Ulysses S. Grant is inaugurated as the eighteenth President of the United States.

Solomon Newton Harper, b. Dec 1862 d. Oct 1934(per Alabama death citation), buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama. Per census reports, he was living in Haigwood, Jackson County, Alabama during the 1900 and 1910 census, the 1930 shows him living in the Langston precinct 12, Jackson County, Alabama. His son Ranzy and grandson Ranzy, Jr were living with him at the time of this census. The 1900 census shows his birth month as Dec 1862. He's listed as a farmer.

Solomon was married to Cynthia Jane Fricks. They're both buried at Macedonia. They had the following children:

*Ranzy L. (J. C. tells the story that he had a mule named Rat that when Ranzy would get
drunk, Rat wouldn't leave his side. Ranzy also raised huge watermelons)
*Thomas Harper
*Elbert Harper
*Looney Harper
*Oliver Harper
*Minnie Harper (J. C. told me that Minnie had a radio (which was rare at that time) people
would gather at her house on Saturday nights to listen to the Grand Ole Opry.
*Dovie Harper
*W. Milo Harper

HARPERS OF ALABAMA, GEORGIA, SC, NC & TX-M.C. CHILDREN

2009-08-01T12:31:00.001-05:00

In regards to Deida's headstone at Piney Grove, it reads "D. B. Harper, Born Oct 27, 1828, Died Oct 26, 1901. You can get a printout of the headstone names by going to

http://files.usgwarchives.org/al/dekalb/cemeteries/pineygrove.txt

These are the news highlights from 1850 to 1860, the time M. C. was living in Georgia:

1. California enters the Union-1850

2. Levi Strauss begins manufactoring heavyweight trousers for gold miners.

3. The cry "Go West, young man, go West" was being advised-1850.

4. Conflict over slavery-Kansas-Nebraska Act-1854.

Abolitionists in New England form Emigrant Aid Societies to send anti-slavery activists in Kansas. In Georgia and Alabama similar societies send in settlers who will vote in defense of slavery-1855.

Stirred by the impunity of the pro-slavery forces in Kansas, John Brown, a militant abolitionist, leads his sons in a raid on pro-slavery settlers. Five men were dragged from their cabins and massacred-1856.

5. Responding to complaints by federal officials in Utah and national outrage over the Mormon practice of plural marriage, President James Buchanan sends U. S. troops to impose federal law in Utah-1857.

6. The first non-stop stage coach from St. Louis arrives in Los Angeles, completing the 2,600 mile trip across the Southwest in 20 days-1858.

7. Gold is discovered in Boulder Canyon, Colorado, sparking the Pikes Peak gold rush, which brings an estimated 100,000 fortune-hunters to the Rockies-1859.

8. Oregon enters the union as a free state-1859.

9. Silver is discovered at the Comstock Lode in Nevada, turning nearby Virginia City into a boom town-1859.

10. During this decade, a tidal wave of 2.5 million immigrants enter the United States, including 66,000 Chinese

Margaret Jane Harper b. 9 Jan 1854 d. 11 Jun 1920. She's buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama m. James Dykes Allen 20 Mar 180, Dekalb County, Alabama by the Justice of the Peace. She was the 3rd daughter of M. C. and Deida Harper. On the Alabama 1860 census, it says she was born in Georgia, and that within one year of the census, she would attend school.

On the 1860 Alabama census, below Margaret Jane, is Matilda E. Harper b. 1857 in Alabama.I haven't found any additional information on Matilda, unless she went by her middle name or a nickname, I also haven't found a marriage or grave site for her.

Next comes William P. Harper, but I'm going to post information on him last as he's my line and I have a lot of information.

Terah A. Harper b. 1861-62, Alabama d. 11 Dec 1943 at the age of 81-82. As I've stated before, Terah was blind per my Aunt Maune. I don't know whether she was born blind or if from an illness or accident. I know she lived with her mom and dad in 1860. When she was 18, she is on the Dekalb census, under her uncle's name, on her mother's side, Winston Rowin. Then in 1900 she's again living with her mother, who's listed as Ida,the head of the home. In 1930 she's living with her brother Hood (Thomas) Harper, Haigwood, Jackson County, Alabama. She's buried atMacedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Alabama, near Thomas W. Harper and his second wife, Barbara J. (Boozer)Harper.

Harper's of Al, GA, SC, NC, & TX-M.C. Children

2009-07-29T20:39:00.001-05:00

Macedonia Church/Cemetery, Jackson Cty, Alabama M. C.'s Son & my ggrandfather, William P. & Arminda Harper

After 1860, Alabama, I haven't been able to find M. C. on a census. I have found his children and I find Ida, with her daughter Terah, Missouri Harper Watson, granddaughters Ida, Arvila, grandsons Rufus, Daniel, John and Jasper, on the 1900 census, Beat No 17, DeKalb County, Alabama. As M. C. died in 1895, I didn't expect to see him on another census. Ida lists her age as 73 and her occupation as farmer. She must have been a strong woman! Still farming at 73, this is after having 12 living children. She is listed as head of household. I believe I've mentioned that Terah was blind. I haven't found out if she was born blind or if her blindness was due to an illness or accident.

Missouri married William Jasper Watson. I'm not sure when he died. Or if his death is the reason they are living with Ida. At some point she migrated to Omaha, Morris Cty, TX. She may have moved to Texas because her nephew, Thomas Walter Harper, Jr moved there. I do know that she died and is buried at Omaha, Morris Cty, TX. He is listed on the 1910 Morris Cty, TX census. In 1913, Thomas moves to Titus County, TX.

The following information was given to me by Melba Riedel, she contacted me as she is doing research for her grandson. She stated Thomas W. Harper,Jr's first wife, Lena L. (Cook) Harper, is buried at Old Union Cemetery, Mt.Pleasant, Titus Cty, TX. When she died she left Thomas with five children, he remarried, her name was Myrtle Irene Moon, in 1916, they had three children. Thomas died on March 19, 1929, Weatherford, Parker County, TX.

What is odd is that Thomas's mother, Mary Jane(Allen) Harper is buried beside his first wife Lena, at the Old Union Cemetery. Lena's tombstone reads b. 24 Jan 1881 d. 15 Feb 1914 "Gone But Not Forgotten, Our Darling." Mary Jane's reads b. 1 Feb 1835 d. 9 July 1913 "Rest Mother Rest In Quiet Sleep While Friends In Sorrow Oer Thee Weep." Thomas W. (Hood) Harper,is buried at Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson Cty, Alabama, next to his second wife Barbara J. (Boozer) Harper.

HARPERS OF ALABAMA, GA, SC & NC-OLD PICTURES

2009-07-26T20:44:00.001-05:00

M.C."s grave is on the left and Deida's is on the right. M. C. Harper is above the Born May 3, 1827 and Died Aug 19, 1895. I just noticed that the last three letters of Deida spells "Ida", I wonder if that's where she picked up the nickname.

This is M. C. son Jasper D. Harper who's also buried at Piney Grove, DeKalb County, Alabama.

Harpers of Alabama, GA, NC & SC-1860 Contd..

2009-07-22T20:08:00.001-05:00

William P. Harper and second wife
Aminda. C. Childers

Here are possible grandparents, parents and siblings of M. C., using the naming patterns.

Thomas Harper (Leroy's grandfather or father??)
Mary Elizabeth (Deida's mom's name was Elizabeth)
Talitha C. (Leroy's grandmother or mother?)
(I know some pages have Tabitha/Talitha, but her in-laws knew her as Talitha, relatives
who were around her knew her as Talitha and her death certificate lists her as Talitha)
Margaret Jane (Deida's grandmother?)
Matilida (Deida's oldest sister is name Lucinda, so Leroy's grandmother?)

The reason I questioned Leroy's middle initial as to whether it's an M or W is that there are no Michael's named in our line, but there are a lot of Williams and Walter's. Thomas W. (Hood) Harper's middle name is Walter and his second son is Thomas Walter, Jr (named after his Dad), while Thomas' first son is William Leroy (Thomas' Dad or William's grandfather?)

If you print out a Carroll County Militia Districts report, it lists the number and the name, which you will see on Census indexes and Tax indexes. Villa Rica is 642 and Temple is 649, two places where Mack lived. On the 1850 Carroll County census, the following Harpers living close to M. C. are (I'm going by the "Dwelling houses numbered in the order of visitation" column" M.C. visitation number was 995)
#1039-Joseph Harper age 25, male b. GA
#1040-Sexton Harper age 22, male b. GA
#1088-Sexton Harper age 48, male b. SC
#1116-Saphronia Harper age 22, Female b. GA
#1348-J.D. Harper age 40, male b. GA.
The first part of the census has the following:
#127-Terrel Harper age 37, male b. SC
Joseph Harper age 50, male b. SC-this Joseph Harper was married to Charity-He died at Villa Rica in 1880. He married Charity in 1824 according to the the Family Tree posted by a Patterson.

I'm still tracking these to see if they show up together in the future. In 1850, Jasper Harper was listed on the Marshall County, Alabama Census. In 1880, he had moved to Jackson County, Alabama.

Harper's of Alabama, Georgia, NC & SC-First Family-1860

2009-07-20T21:54:00.001-05:00

Just a note on the picture of William P. and Martha C. Harper..William and Martha were married on 28 Jan 1886, DeKalb County, Alabama. Martha died 01 Jan 1898, so the picture was taken between 1886 and 1898. She's buried at Black Oak Cemetery, Grove Oak, Jackson County, Alabama. My cousin, Barbara, has the original picture, she graciously allowed me to take the back off the picture, scan it and save for the future. I was awed knowing that I could possibly be the first person to touch the photo since it had been placed in the enclosed frame, which was of the old oval bubble type of frame. Just think, the dust could have been over a 100 years old!

Between 1850 and 1860, Leroy and family moved to Etowah County, Alabama with his father-in-law James Roan/Rowin. Since Thomas W. (Hood) Harper birthday is 11 Feb 1851 and listed as born in Alabama, it had to be between 01 Jan 1850 and 11 Feb 1851, though M. C. Harper is showing up on 1853 tax index for Carrol County, GA.

What I'm trying to find out is how long the Roan family and Harper family knew each other, as James Roan shows up in the 1840 U. S. Census for Carroll County, GA .

Thomas W. (Hood) Harper was M. C.'s first son. If we go by the old naming pattern, his was named for his paternal grandfather. This would mean that M. C.'s grandfather was named Thomas Harper.

To back up a bit, using the naming pattern, M. C.'s first daughter's named Mary Elizabeth for her mother's grandmother. Their second daughter was named Talitha C., after her Dad's grandmother.

So we have Mary and Talitha born in Georgia, 1848 and 1849. Then Thomas (Hood), born 1851, Alabama.

On the 1860 Alabama census, rather than being listed as M. C. , he's listed as Mack Harper and Deida is listed as Ida with the following children:

Mary age 12

Talitha age 10

Hood age 8

Margaret age 5

Matilda age 3

William P age 1

Mack is listed as a farm laborer.

Thomas Hood Harper had two boys, William Leroy and Thomas Walter Harper, Jr. It seems that a girl/woman became pregnant by William Leroy Harper. He left his family, moved to California, dropped the Harper from his name and went by William Leroy. One of his children came to a Harper family reunion at Uncle Bernum's and relayed this information. William never came back to his Alabama family.

If we continue with the naming pattern, Margaret Jane is named after her mother or her mother's grandmother. Since her mother's name id Deida B., this would mean her mother's grandmother. Matilida would be named after her mother's oldest sister or her dad's grandmother. Since Deida's oldest sister's name is Lucinda, this would make it her dad's grandmother.

I think it's time to put this blog to bed. I'm having a hard time following who's named after who!

This picture shows that the Harper men truely pass on their resemblance to following generations. Starting left to right, my dad Clifford, my granddad, Arville, my uncle Bernum and my uncle Jessie Erschel ( we called him uncle Ert-it wasn't until I became an adult in my 30's that I knew his siblings, neices and nephews were the only people to call him this. Everyone else knew him as Jessie).

Harper's of Alabama, Georgia, NC & SC-First Family

2009-07-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

It was the 6th of June, 1846 in Carrol County, Georgia. Leroy M. Harper and Deida B. Rone, both nineteen, decided to get married. I can see it being an afternoon wedding, maybe a sister or brother along to witness the ceremony. Reading the certificate, the ceremony seems to have been performed by a justice of the peace. This was before the civil war, during hard times..I wonder if they were practical or excited about the upcoming marriage? Did Leroy wear a suit or his work clothes? Deida, did she make a new dress or maybe saved up and bought one, though I think she would have made the dress rather than spend money. Did they live close to his parents or hers? For some reason, from my research, I think they lived close to her parents, after all, they came to Alabama with James Roan. Since he's listed as a farmer, did he share his land with the parents or just farm his own land. They were married two years before the first child is born.

Four years later, they're still in Carrol County, Georgia as the 1850 census shows, near Villa Rica with two daughters, Mary Elizabeth Harper b. 1848, Ga and Talitha C. Harper, b. 1849, Ga. Following is the 1850 Census: (They're about 3/4 down the page dwelling house # 995-M.C. Harper- you will note that Deida's name is misspelled, as well as Talitha's)

In 1850, there were eleven Harper families living in Carrol County. The eleven families were comprised of 48 men, women and children. The oldest, one Joseph Harper, age 50 came from South Carolina.

Following is a picture of William P. Harper and Martha Katherine (Lackey) Harper, M. C. 6th child and 2nd son. He's my line.

On the marriage certificate, do you think Leroy's middle initial is M or W?

Harper's of Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina-DNA Project

2009-07-15T20:39:00.001-05:00

I'm going to talk a bit about the Harper DNA project. I don't know if y'all know about this project, but it can save time and frustration, because by eliminating lines, you can focus on the group you're connected with. Believe me, I threw away numerous pages of names once I found out that these were people Leroy wasn't related to. It takes a male from the line to be able to run the DNA. My brother contributed a sample for my line. We have 11 people who match 25 markers out of 25 markers, actually 12 but one's last name is Laird, and one contributor who matches 24 of the 25 markers. If you want a further explanation of the DNA process and how and why it works, go to the Family Tree DNA web site, you can read all the technical information and why it takes a male to do the DNA. There are tests a female can do, but while it will show relationships, you just don't know how close the relationship is-it may have happened in the last 50 years or it could have taken place a 100 years ago.

The 11 perfect matches means that we are really closely related, probably siblings or Uncles.
(1) James Harper b. 1784 in SC is the oldest being researched,
(2) Henry Harper b. 1790 d. 1868 NC, probably Burke County, NC;
(3)Benjamin Harper b. 1805 d.1884 (origin unknown);
(4) Henry Harper b. 1809, Kentucky d. 1877 Kentucky;
(5)Stephen Harper b. 1825, Edgecombe County, NC d. 1885, Edgecombe County, NC;
(6)"Leroy M. Harper" (my line)
b. 3 May 1827, GA d. 19 Aug 1895, DeKalb County, Alabama, buried at Piney Grove Church;
(7)James H. Harper b. ? d. 1871, Leon County, TX;
(8) James Harper b. 1825 d. 1871, SC---James is the 24 out of 25 match. He is probably a cousin of one of the siblings or uncles.

There are 5 other matches that I haven't had responses from as to who they're researching. The task we're dealing with now is finding a paper trail as to how we connect. But you can see, even though some of us ended up in Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky and Texas, we at one time lived in or around North Carolina and South Carolina.

Note the number of times James and Henry is used.

I'm going to list the children of Leroy (M.C.) and Deida:

(1)Mary Elizabeth Harper b. 1848, Ga d. 1899 Macedonia Cemetery- Jackson County, Al-married Cato A. Allen
(2)Talitha C. Harper b. 1849, Ga. d. ? married
Walter Johnson
(3)Thomas Walter(Hood)Harper b. 11 Feb 1851, Al d. 27 May 1935
buried Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Al
(4)Matilda Harper b. 1857
(5)Margaret Jane Harper b. 9 Jan 1858, Al d. 11 Jun 1920
buried Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson, Al-married Candice
L. Allen
(6)William P. Harper(my line)b. 8 May 1859, Al d. 13 Aug 1940,
buried Macedonia Cemetery, Jackson County, Al- married
Martha K. Lackey,she was my Dad's grandmother, who died.
William then married Arminda Childers.
(7)Terah Harper b. 1861, Al d.1943-buried Macedonia
Cemetery, Jackson County, Al-Terah was born blind. She lived
with her Mom and Dad, and then with Thomas (Hood) Harper.
(8)Solomon N. Harper b. 1862, Al d. 1934-buried at Macedonia
Cemetery, Jackson County, Al
(9)Missouri Harper b. 8 Jul 1865, Al d. 16 Jun 1959
Omaha, Morris County, TX-married a Watson
(10)Jasper Dykes Harper b. 13 Mar 1869, Al d. 2 Aug 1952-Buried
Piney Grove Baptist Cemetery, DeKalb County, Al
(11)Paralee Harper b. 1870-72, Al d. ? married Albert
Drain
(12)John Albert Harper b. 1873 (?) d. 16 Nov 1947 married Viny
Roan niece of Deida.

Next, I'll trace the locations of M.C., along with stories I've collected, exhibit census records and marriage licenses.

Now it's time to put me and this blog to bed.

Harper's of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina-Beginning

2009-07-15T12:39:00.001-05:00

Leroy M. Harper is the earliest ancestor I have discovered so far. I found a marriage license where he and Dieda B. Rone (Roan/Rowan), were married on 11 June 1846, Carroll County, Georgia. Dieda's family used Roan when they first arrived from Ireland. According to the hand written journals(written during the 1930's)of James Franklin Roan, his gggrandfather, one Hugh Roan came from Ireland as a rich man, but in ways unknown, squandered his money and died a very poor man in Georgia. From accounts it would seem our branch of Roans are what's called SCOTS-IRISH or ULSTER-SCOTS. We seem to have come from Ireland but as Protestants, it's not likely we were original Irish. The family name was spelled Roan until about 1900 when James Franklin Roan changed his name to Rowan. You can find the Roan-Rowan history at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~clanroan/story1.htm

The only time I have found that Leroy M. used this version of his name is on his marriage license, of which I have a copy. The names he used at all other times was M.C., Mac or Mack. M. C. Harper is what is on his tombstone, Piney Grove Cemetery, DeKalb County, Alabama. The first census I found him on is 1850 Villa Rica post office, Carrol County, Georgia. He is using M. C. Harper, age 23, a farmer, showing his birth place as Georgia. Deida is with him along with Mary (Mary Elizabeth), age 3 and Tabitha, age 1.

Going by the traditional naming patterns, the first daughter is named for maternal grandmother, while the second daughter is named for her paternal grandmother.

The naming pattern goes like this:

First son named for his paternal grandfather.
Second son named for his maternal grandfather.
Third son named after father of father's paternal grandfather.
Fourth son named after father's oldest brother or mother's paternal
grandfather.
Fifth son named after mother's eldest brother or father's maternal
grandfather.
Sixth son named after father's second oldest brother or for
mother's maternal grandfather.

First daughter named for maternal grandmother.
Second daughter named for her paternal grandmother.
Third daughter named after mother or for mother's maternal
grandmother.
Fourth daughter named after mother's oldest sister of for father's
paternal grandmother.
Fifth daughter named after father's eldest sister or for mother's
paternal grandmother.
Sixth daughter named after mother's second oldest sister or for
father's paternal grandmother.

I've decided that since I want to write a history of the early Harper's, I'm going to do it as a blog. So each day I will add additional information.

My lunch hour is over, so I'll add more later.

HOW THE PAST AFFECTS THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

2009-07-14T11:45:00.001-05:00

Kennedy 2007

Manilla 1920

I have always been interested in the past. In 2002, I started doing genealogy research on my family. I will spend hours on doing the research! I become so caught up on finding an ancestor, discovering where he lived in 1830, what work he was doing, which family members were born and living in that year. This can all be discovered from a census report. It's also interesting to see a picture of someone, say my paternal grandmother, and find out that my sister's granddaughter is the spitting image of her!

From all I've heard of my Grandmother Manilla, she was a great person. I know from my conversations with my Dad, he loved her a lot! I look at her and then at my Grandpa Arville and I wonder how they got together. He was a regular rounder. Wore a gun, was into trouble quite frequently. But he really loved Manilla.

Arville (center) with brother and cousin

They were farmers and poor people. Grandma Manilla died at an early age, in her 30's. She was pregnant with a little girl, Bertha, when she became ill. Bertha only lived a couple of days. She was buried at a cemetery located at Rising Fawn, Georgia. Grandma Manilla died a few days later. The only transportation they were able to find to bring Grandma Manilla home for burial, was a school bus. They placed her on the back seat and brought her home.

Arville 1940's

I read a letter she had written and sent home the winter before she died. She sounded so lonely and homesick. She talked about how her youngest daughter , my Aunt Nell, how she had grown, she was about two at the time.

I have managed to track my Grandpa Arville's grandfather, (my great-great grandfather) to Villa Rica, Georgia. This is the first census where he shows up. The reason he moved to Alabama was due to his father-in-law.

My great-great grandpa was called "Mack", according to my Dad's cousin, because of he brogue. But he's not sure if it was Irish or Scottish.

It's getting late, so I'll put the history to bed.