Oral History Is So Much Fun!

Me (Lisa), Grandmom, and Aunt Nancy

Oral history is so much fun to collect. Stories about people and clues to your ancestors can be gleaned that are cannot be found in the "official" records.

In search of more family stories led me on another visit to my paternal grandmother.  While she may not want me to tell you her age, let's just say she's 90 (cough!) +.

I have interviewed my grandmother a number of times.  Each time more memories seem to emerge and new details around old stories come to light.

So, what did I learn?

• Important clues to the possible identities in an "unknown" photograph.
• More about the relationship and close interactions between my Elliott (Barnett) and Talbott ancestors. 
• Information and clues about my GG grandfather's (Will Haley's) brother John  Haley. 
• Young cousins can earn enough money worming tobacco to pay for gas money to go see their first airplane!
• Four generations spending time together is worth all the travel!

As I sort through and evaluate all the new clues I gained, I will keep you updated on my Halifax County, VA ancestors.

Who Did Bossy Court?

Last June I ran a series of posts on the many suitors of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson titled the Courtship of Esther.  Now it is time to give attention to the female interests of Bossy Talbott, the man who eventually won Esther's hand in marriage.

Boss Henry "Bossy" Talbott
Birth Name: Johnnie Hodias Talbott

Bossy's lists of girlfriends is, well, short.  I only know of three. I do not even know the names off all the young women, but I do have their photographs or letters.  These first two young women seemed to want to make sure Bossy had their photographs.

This young woman wrote a note on the back of her photo for someone to "give to BHT".  Unfortunately, her name is missing. The photograph is very small and looks to have been cut from a strip of photographs one gets in a photo booth.


This second young woman seems to have cut herself out of a larger photograph.  On the back she has written "to BHT with my love".   Again, no signature and no identity (and no doubt as to her feelings).

To B.H.T. with my love

These are the only two "girlfriends" of Bossy's that have come to light in the period from before his marriage to Esther in  Nov 1915.

After his wife's death in Jan 1923, Bossy never re-married.  His granddaughter remembers Bossy saying there would never be another woman like Esther.  Bossy did have correspondence with a lady friend around 1930.  Several letters have been found among his letters and papers.  Her name was Virgie D.  In August of 1930, Bossy made plans to meet Virgie at her friend Maude's house on Light St. in South Boston. Virgie expressed her surprise that Bossy has invited her on a date. How long the couple "dated" is not known, but eventually the relationship ran its course. Unfortunately, I have not been able to determine her last name.

Wordless Wednesday - A Long Cold Walk

A long cold walk to milk the cows!
(Talbott farm on Old Cluster Springs Road)

If I Didn't Know Better....

Like many genealogists, I have been searching the 1940 census records for my family.  My first "find" was my paternal grandfather's family.  The Talbotts were exactly where I knew I would find them - Cluster Springs, VA.  That's outside of South Boston, VA in Halifax County.

My first thought was this record will greatly confuse Talbott family researchers in the future!

The head of household is listed as Boss H Talbott.  No problem there.  Boss (Bossy) was my great grandfather.  Crafton is listed next as Boss's son.  (That's my grandfather.) Again, no problem there.  Elma was Boss's daughter.

Would you recognize Boss's 2 year old grandson's name as Graham?  I fear his name will indexed incorrectly in the future.

Maugarite V is listed as Boss's daughter-in-law.  Since Bossy only had one son to live to adulthood, this would be Grandaddy's (Crafton's) wife.  The issue here?  Crafton's wife was Anita Carr, not Maugarite.

Who was Maugarite?  She was the teenage daughter of  Otis M Talbott, Boss's brother.  She is listed in Otis's household (correctly) and incorrectly in Boss's household in the same record.

Obviously the census taker made a mistake.  There were a lot of Talbotts in the area and I can imagine the names started to run together after a while.  Or maybe the census taker had eyes for the young Maugarite?!

Happy Birthday, Granddaddy!

Arthur Crafton Talbott

27 Nov 1916 - 27 Feb 1993

Arthur "Crafton" Talbott

Age 3 years

Crafton Talbott as a Young Man 

Crafton Talbott and his "million dollar smile".

Back To School

Today many students in our North Carolina head back to school.  That got me to thinking about using school records to tell our ancestors' stories. While not a record source I use regularly, school records can provide important information on our ancestors and those around them.

Yearbooks:  I first wrote the Cluster Springs High School yearbook here. The ads in the back provide a glimpse into the economy of the community.  While we may find photographs of our ancestors in a yearbook, you are also likely to find photographs of your collateral lines as well.  In smaller farming communities such as Cluster Springs, Va, families often lived close by each other.  Knowing surnames common to an area can prove useful in research as well.  When attempting to break through the genealogical brick wall, researching those around your ancestor can provide the clues you need.

Report Cards:  Report cards can tell us what type of student our ancestor was.  We can learn their strengths  and weaknesses.  In this example physiology and history were definitely not Aunt Elma's best subjects.

Now look at the bottom of this report card.  Her father B H Talbott [Boss Henry Talbott] has signed the card.  You can find  parent and/or guardian names listed on report cards as well as their signature.  Recognizing an ancestor's signature can be helpful when analyzing other documents relating to them.

Location of an ancestor can also be determined by their report card.  This report card shows that Elma Talbott was in South Boston [VA] in 1930-1931 at Lawson School.  Research on the school can help pinpoint an area close to where Elma lived.

Certificates:  Like report cards, certificates earned at school place your ancestor in a time and a place.

If you are fortunate to school records for your ancestor, I encourage you to pull them out and give them a second look.  Look beyond the grades and see who or what else you can find.

Wordless Wednesday - Ride 'em, Cowgirl!

Apparently I watched a lot of B westerns as a child!

Wordless Wednesday - Another Bathing Beauty

Ooops! It would appear I got my days mixed up!  It's Tuesday not Wednesday.  We'll just pretend it's Wednesday.

Elma Talbott Solomon

It is just too hot outside not to share another photo of an ancestor in a bathing suit.  Meet my great aunt Elma.  I think she looks very stylish.

Ruth's Story

Ruth’s story is short. 

She died at the age of five years.  It was winter.  It was cold.  And it was yet another loss for the young family of Boss Talbott.

Ruth Virginia Talbott was the second child born to Boss Henry Talbott and his wife Esther.  The couple welcomed their first daughter into the family on 21 May 1918.  I like to think that my great grandparents were excited over the addition of a little girl. I wonder what her 18 month old brother Crafton thought of this new little baby.  Was he excited?  Was he jealous?  Did he “help” his mother tend to the baby? 

Unlike many children who died young, Ruth did leave behind a small set of records. She appears in the 1920 census for Black Walnut, Halifax County, VA. She is living with her parents, her brother Crafton and her younger sister Elma. (The Talbott family listed on farm 183 on South Boston Road.)

The second record found for Ruth was a bill for her funeral.  The bill totaled $51.50 and included her casket and burial by the J.O. Owen Co of South Boston.   This is not a record source I have for many of my ancestors.  While I routinely search out death certificates, the funeral bill just seems sadder somehow.  More personal.

The last record used to learn about Ruth’s life came from her mother’s letters.  The letters filled in a few more details about Ruth’s life.  You may remember that Esther was a prolific letter writer as a young girl.  As a young mother, she continued to write letters to family and friends, just less frequently.  She wrote one such letter after Chrismas 1922.  The exact date of the letter is unknown, but clues show it was written between 25 Dec 1922 and 5 Jan 1923.  I see Esther sitting at the kitchen table after the children were in bed writing to her mother (Hattie Richardson).  She’s tired, but wants to tell her mother about their Christmas celebrations. 

 Ruth and her sister Elma were two little girls excited about a new doll and treats in their stockings.  The sisters spent much of the day caring for their doll. (Esther’s letters seemed to indicate one doll was given for the girls to share.) The three older children received and an orange and nuts in their stockings.  Years later, my grandfather Crafton would tell how excited he and his siblings were to get the oranges and nuts.  These were a greatly anticipated once a year treat for the children.

Ruth lost her mother Esther to influenza at the age of four, shortly after Esther wrote the letter referred to above.  Oral history tells that Bossy moved Ruth and her three siblings (Garnett was born in 1922) next door into the home of his parents Joe M. and Rosa (Bowen) Talbott.  Rosa helped raise the children after their mother’s death.  I can only imagine that was a confusing and frightening time this was for the young children.

A year later on 13 Feb 1924, Ruth lost her younger brother Garnett to illness.  Five days later Ruth lost her own life on 18 Feb 1924.  Family history reports the siblings died of influenza as their mother had a year earlier.  Ruth was buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston, VA beside her mother and younger brother.  With Ruth’s death, this young family of six became a family of three in just 13 months.

Only one photograph of Ruth Talbott is known to exist.  It is a grainy post mortem photo discovered in the wallet of her brother Crafton Talbott upon his death in 1993. The photograph was of himself and his sister Elma as young children.  Elma is holding a single white flower.  When the photograph was removed from his wallet, it was discovered the photo was folded in half.  Unfolding the photograph revealed the image of Ruth in her casket on the porch of her grandparents’ farmhouse.  Out of respect for a young girl and her family, I chose not to post it.  It is enough to know that she was remembered.

Boss and Esther Talbott

After their marriage in November 1915, Boss and Esther made their home in Jeffress, Mecklenburg, Virginia.  Prior to their marriage, Boss lived and worked there on the family farm.  Letters addressed to Boss and Esther after their marriage indicate they lived in Jeffress during the early years of their marriage. 

Their first child Arthur Crafton Talbott was born 27 Nov 1916 in the Bluestone District of Mecklenburg County.  In a newsy letter to Esther dated 12 Dec 1916 from her long time friend Nannie Lee Farson, Nannie referred to Esther as having taken many trips during the past summer (i.e. the summer of 1916).  No indication of Esther’s destinations was given; however, I wonder where an expecting mother traveled to in 1916?  Perhaps to visit family?*

                    

Few letters remain in Esther’s collection from 1916 to the early 1920’s.  During this time Boss and Esther added three more children to their family.  Virginia “Ruth” was born in Jeffress 21 May 1918.  Elma Lee and Garnet Rueben were born in the Black Walnut District of Halifax County (South Boston area) 15 Sep 1920 and 28 Jul 1922 respectively.  Life was busy and I expect left little time for letter writing.

By 1920 Boss and Esther were living near South Boston in the Black Walnut District of Halifax County, VA.  The 1920 census shows that the family lived with Boss’s father Joe Merritt on the South Boston and Black Walnut Road.  The census also indicates that Joe Merritt Talbott owned his farm.  Boss is listed under the same dwelling number, but is renting under a family unit number different than that of his father. (Boss’s brother Otey [Otis Major Talbott] is listed as renting under a different family unit number as well.) It appears that Otey, Boss and their families were living and farming on their parents’ farm.

In 1921 a letter from Rosa Talbott (Boss’s mother) to Esther and Boss, referred to the family’s upcoming move.  In a letter from Esther to her mother Hattie Richardson in Dec 1921, Esther reported that the family had moved and “nothing broke”.  Esther also reported that Aunt Bettie [Bettie Talbott Elliott] and Nannie [It is unclear which Nannie.] helped Esther and Boss with their move.  Later that day they took the children into town to see Santa Claus.  Given that Boss and Esther lived close to his parents as indicated by the 1920 census, I expect Boss and Esther were moving into their own home but still in the South Boston area.  Further research to determine if Boss bought his own farm is warranted.

Esther’s last letter was written Christmas 1922 to her mother.  There is some question whether this letter was ever sent. She described their day, and what the children received for Christmas.  The girls got a doll with hair to brush and Crafton got a cap pistol. Garnett was still a baby and was referenced in regards to “working on a bottle”.  Her letter gave the details of family’s life and interactions with the extended family. There was no indication that Esther was feeling unwell, but less than two weeks after this letter was written, Esther died from influenza.  She left behind Boss and four young children.  She was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery in South Boston, VA.

Boss never re-married after Esther’s death.  The family reports that Boss always stated that Esther was the one and only love of his life.  He raised his children with the help of his parents and extended family.  His mother-in-law helped as well by having the children visit with her at times.

I hope you have enjoyed the story of Esther from her courtship through marriage and motherhood.  Esther is no longer a mystery woman in my research.  She managed to tell her own story quite well.

* This letter was written a couple of weeks after the birth of Esther’s first child, my grandfather.  Interestingly, Nannie Lee does not refer to the birth or even pending birth of this child. Likely she had not heard about the baby’s birth as of yet.  Was it even proper in the 1910’s to refer to a pregnancy in a letter?

The Courtship of Esther, Part 6

Boss (Bossy) Henry Talbott



Boss Henry "Bossy" Talbott



Today you will meet Esther's final suitor and my great grandfather, Boss Henry Talbott.  (Bossy to his family and friends.) I find his story the hardest to write, perhaps because I know it the best.  His letters and postcards seem to show a man who was different than the rest.  His words were not flowery or eloquent. He did not proclaim his love on the front of a postcard for all to see.  I suppose he was more quiet in his declarations, less "out there" in today's terminology. His letters and postcards proved to be the most difficult of all to read.  He spelled his words phonetically and his handwriting was not the best.  Bossy also tended to write in pencil (a dull pencil!), and the passage of 90+ years has not been kind to the writing.  Regardless, his feelings came through the grammatical mistakes and poor penmanship.  He wrote more letters than postcards.  Perhaps he had more to share with Esther than could fit on a postcard.  Perhaps it was the privacy of the sealed envelope he preferred.



Dear.......Yours rec just a few days ago and was very glad to heare frome you and to heare that you were enjoying your self just fine.........




Boss Talbott's signature

 Above is the first page of a six page letter Boss sent to Esther in May of 1914.  I believe this may have been one of the earliest letters of this type he sent to her.  It was not unusual in his letters for Boss to address Esther as simply "Dear".  I find that rather, well, endearing. 

Unlike many of her other suitors, Bossy was not a "city boy".  He grew up in Mecklenburg and Halifax Counties,Va.  He was the son of a farmer Joseph M. Talbott and his wife Rosa Bowen. (His real name was Johnnie Hodies Talbott.  No one is quite sure why he changed his name or when. He was using the name Boss as of 1914.) Bossy was their second child born 15 Dec 1886.  He was a farmer and worked on the family farm until he was able to have his own. Even then he lived next door to his parents.

How did Bossy and Esther meet?

I have no direct evidence of their first meeting.  I can only put together the clues taken the letters of Esther, her mother Hattie, her cousins and the federal census records to come up with possibilities.  In Nov 1912, Esther's father Daniel T Richardson died.  In the January of 1913, letters between Esther and her friend Nannie Lee Farson indicate that Esther's mother Harriet moved the family to News Ferry, Halifax, VA.  Census records for 1910 and 1920 show Harriet's brothers (and Esther's uncles) C. R. Elliott and John Elliott were in the same vacinity of Halifax County. (C. R. died in 1915.)  It appears that Harriet moved her children and herself to be closer to her family. 

If one backs up in the census records to 1900, C. R. Elliott and his family including his son William F Elliott was living next door to the family of Joseph M Talbott including his son Bossy (Johnnie).  It can also be noted that C. R.'s wife Bettie was Bossy's sister Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Talbott.   Obviously the Talbotts and Elliotts had close family ties from the time Boss and Esther were very small children. Possibly Esther and Boss met as children or as young teens while visiting relatives or attending a community event.  It is impossible to know for sure.

How they met is perhaps not as important as the fact they did meet and a courtship took place.  A letter to Esther from her sister Katie alluded to the fact that Esther and Boss initially kept their engagement a secret!  No reason was given and the wedding was itself not a suprise.  I do think the Esther and Boss's wedding broke a few young men's hearts!

The story of Esther's courtship is complete, but her story is not.  A new chapter is starting, and I hope you will continue to follow Esther's story in coming posts.

Family Friday: The Locket

This is Esther Lee Richardson Talbott's locket.  The monogram is faint, but has her initials ELR engraved on the front.  I expect the locket was a gift from her parents, though I cannot know for sure.  Based on the faded monogram and the condition of the clasp, Esther treasured her locket and wore it often.

Inside the locket is a picture of Esther as an adult. If you look closely you can see Esther is actually wearing the locket in the photo. I actually have the orginal of this photo hanging in my home.  After Esther's death, I believe the locket eventually was handed down to her daughter Elma Talbott.  Perhaps Elma placed the photo of the mother she lost as a young child inside the locket.

Amanuensis Monday Letter to Esther

I really like this blogging theme. As I look for letters to transcribe, my ancestors' own words tell their stories. Many of the letters and postcards that I share came to me all at once. While I read many of them during the early days of my research, I am now better able to put the people and places mentioned in context.

Today I am sharing another letter to Esther Richardson Talbott. She received it from her friend Nannie Lee Farson in December of 1916. Esther and Bossy Talbott had been married a little over a year and were living in Jeffress, VA.

Ringgold, VA
Dec. 12. 1916

My dear Esther:

This very night I am going to write to you. Guess you wondered what has become of me. I am still living. Hope you are well.

It has been the busiest Fall I ever saw. I believe the worse is over now.

Are you ready for Xmas? It is not very long off is it. There will be lot of marrying I recon around and about but "poor me" will be left out. I haven't even a beau don't I have bad luck or good luck one. I certainly would be glad to see you, also your husband. You all come up Xmas. Be glad to have you I would be the gladess to come to see you but it cost right smart I guess. You spoke of taking so many trips this summer, wish I could been with you. But dear me, we had so much company it didn't give us much chance to go looks like people we never have seen came. Didn't any of them stay long most of them were automobile folks I believe most every body nearly has a Ford we have not.

Mrs Yeaman, Bryan and Ora spent one night this summer with us, came on buggy. I never was so suprise. They asked lots about you it was a little while after I got your last letter. Ora wanted to read it but I never did get it for her. The next week after that Edna and Myrtle came on the train. They spent on night. We promised them we was coming to see them soon but haven't yet.

I went over to Chatham this Fall and stayed several days. Lucie went and stayed about 10 days.

Lucie and her beau will soon get off I think.

George got so many girls I don't know which he likes the best.

Listen- Big Nannie Wilson was aiming to marry today. It was announced in the paper to Mr Mose Abbott. I don't believe I will give up, yet any way.

Esther you ought to see us now, we have some good lights. Have two Aladdin mantle lamps. They give white lights. You know Mamma and Papa and the others are great readers.

Mamma has sold 14 1/2 doz of the eggs in the last two weeks 40 cents a doz. I think that did right well for her. George carried them to Danville for her. Carried 7 doz today. Papa made a good crop of corn.

They are most through selling tobacco, the last curring ready to carry off. We have ahd pretty weather all the fall to do such work.

How is Mrs. Richardson and the children getting on. Looks like we never will see any of you all any more. Tell Katie she must send us a card and let us hear from them all.

Mamma says tell you she would be glad to see you and your mother and the others also.

Janie's family have moved up to Mr. Will Lewis. Miss Fannie and Mable Lewis come down realy often.

Say, it will be a Xmas tree at Church Xmas Day at 12 o'clock. We have preaching over there now on the third Sat and Sun. It don't look right not to be on the second Sun.

T Ryland Sandford from Chatham is our preacher. He also preachers at Kentuck Sec and Fourth Sundays. So we hear him at both places.

Mrs John McCormick was buried on the 4th of this month. Mr Will Blankership's family have moved in the neighborhood up where Andrew B lived.

Say, every body thinks Howard Roberts will marry. He is going with a Grass widow and Bryant going with her daughter ha, ha. They live where Will B moved from. I am giving all the news. But think I will have to stop for to night.

You be sure to answer soon and five me all the news from down there. Excuse bad writing, answer real soon. For I would love to heard from you. With much love, I remain as ever

A true friend
Nannie Lee F.

Eshter, I do lots of chrocheting. Lucie says she certainly do want to see you. Write soon

This is a great letter from an historian's point of view. Nannie mentions many events, people and places in her letter. If any readers are researching in the Ringgold area of Pittsylvania County, VA, you may find clues to your ancestry here as well. Some of the people Nannie mentions I know the identity, but others I do not. For those I know, I'll list them below:

*Esther's husband was Boss Henry (Bossy) Talbott. (He was born Johnnie Hodias Talbott.)
*The Yeaman family mentioned were neighbors of Nannie Lee Farson's family.
*Mrs Yeaman is Eliza Ann Richardson, sister of Daniel T. Richardson and aunt to Esther.
*Bryan and Ora are two of Eliza Richardson Yeaman's children and cousins to Esther.
*Edna and Mrytle are two more children of Eliza Yeaman's and cousins to Esther.
*Lucie and George likely were Nannie's siblings.
*Mrs. Richardson was Esther's mother Harriet Elliott Richardson.
*Katie was Esther's younger sister.

The other names mentioned were neighbors living in the Ringgold area. Unfortunately, I have no further information on them.

Enjoy!

Her First Airplane

On my recent visit with my paternal grandmother, she told me the story of seeing her first airplane. Her grandfather Haley (William H Haley) grew tobacco as so many Virginian farmers did. Grandmom and her cousins would earn money by de-worming the tobacco in the fields. I have never worked in a tobacco field, but I cannot imagine that de-worming tobacco is easy work! On this occasion Grandmom earned 50 cents. She used her earnings to pay for the gas in the car to travel to Green's Folly to see her first airplane. Every time she tells this story, she still shakes her head in amazement at what she saw that day.

Note: Green's Folly is a historic house/estate located in Halifax County, VA. Over the years it has been an estate, a courthouse, and a racetrack. Currently it is a golf course.

One Last Look at the Cluster Springs Yearbook

I confess as I was looking through the Cluster Springs High School yearbook of 1951, I was mostly looking at the people and names. Then I came across the ads in the back of the book. I realized what a treasure trove of information these pages held all by themselves. The ads gave me a glimpse into the business community of this little community of Halifax County, VA. I even found an O L Talbot who owned a general merchandise store. I'm not sure who O L Talbot was, but I'm sure he's related somehow. So, I encourage you to look at more than just the photos in yearbooks. You never know what you might find.

The Highest Scoring Team

1951 Boys' Basketball Team

The highest scoring Cluster Springs team in the history of the school swept to an easy victory over all the foes in both regular season and tournament play. The team compiled a 18-1 record against county foes and made one of the strongest bids against Meadows of Dan who went on to capture the State title. The team was composed of four seniors and a junior and the first five played most of the time.

The Reflector 1951

FOREWORD

The students of Cluster Springs High School are proud of the achievements of their basketball teams, the "Bluebirds". The Seniors are taking you now into the nest of the "Bluebirds", Cluster Springs High School. They hope this edition of the REFLECTOR will hold many pleasant and happy memories of the year 1950-'51 for all of you.

The bluebird deserves to be popular, for it is useful as well as beautiful. Like the bluebird which builds its nest in farmyards, loves the green fields and dales of the countryside, and seeks the companionship of man, the students of Cluster Springs are country folks who love country things and get as much enjoyment from them as the bluebird, which is the symbol of happiness.

The above is the foreword written in the Cluster Springs High School 1951 yearbook The Reflector.

1951 Cluster Springs Yearbook

One source I have not used much is a relative's yearbook. Last spring I came into possession of this yearbook from Cluster Springs High School in Cluster Springs, VA. (Cluster Springs is located in the southern part of Halifax County, VA where my Talbott ancestors lived.) I was actually able to drive by the school's old location, however a fire station now sits on the property. The empty lot next to the school that served as the playground/ball field is still there and looks to be waiting for the next game of kick ball.

Over the next several posts, I will be sharing pages from the yearbook. I was surprised by how many surnames I recognized as I read through the pages. I really should not have been. Cluster Springs was (and still is) a small community. I found faces to go with names and names to go with faces. Best of all, the yearbook stirs the memories of my relatives. More stories are remembered and told to the younger generations. And isn't that what it's all about?

Buffalo Lithia Springs, VA

Buffalo Lithia Springs, VA today is known as Buffalo Springs or Buffalo Junction and located in Mecklenburg County, VA just east of the Halifax County line. This postcard depicts one of the natural springs in the area. The postcard is addressed to Miss Esther Lee Richardson, living in Kentuck,Pittsylvania County, VA . The postmark is difficult to read but is 190_. The sender of the card was her friend "Edna". Interestingly, after her marriage to Boss Henry Talbott, Esther lived in this area of Mecklenburg County.

I do wonder if a child got hold of a pencil and used the postcard to scribble. Some things do not change over the years!

More Hats

These are two more of my grandmother's hats found when cleaning out her house. I've had fun looking back at the old styles when women still wore hats. I wonder if the women who wore this type of hat were glad they went out of style or wish they would come back into fashion.