The MacFarlanes - from Scotland to Wisconsin

1825 – 1956

Family lineage:  ¹ George MacFarlane; ² Mary MacFarlane;  ³ Bessie Walton; ⁴ Mae Finn; ⁵ Charles Thomas Copeland, Jr.

For many generations, the MacFarlanes had made their living off the waters of Scotland, and undoubtedly expected their descendants to do the same.  But, in 1854, 25 year old George and his pregnant wife, Jean Gillis MacFarlane, had dreams of their own, which meant leaving the only homes they had ever known with their toddler and sailing across the sea, in order to build a new life in America.  The exact reason for this decision has been lost in time, but the long-term impact on the family was great. 
  

After the long arduous trip, first by ship and then on land, the young family finally settled in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, which is nestled on the edge of Lake Michigan 169 miles north of Chicago. This town offered them the opportunity to build their new life on land, while allowing George to do what he knew best - support his family while working on ships.
 

Not surprisingly, America was not quite what they had expected.  Within seven years of their arrival, civil war broke out, and George attempted to enlist in the Union Army.  Jean must have breathed a sigh of relief to learn that her husband had been turned down because of a disability - perhaps one that had led them to make the journey to America in the first place.
   
Soon the family grew to four children.  They were:

• George, Jr. (born in Scotland in 1852 and brought to America as a baby; although there is no description of his career or the people in his life, it is known that he died in Milwaukee on March 13, 1916 while his wife was very ill, and his brother, John, brought his body home to be buried near his parents;  
• John (born in America but probably conceived in Scotland, who also died in 1916, 5 months after his brother, George);
• Wallace (only 39 years old when he too died in Indianapolis in 1894 while working as a newspaper city editor, and whose body was also brought back to Wisconsin for burial);
• Mary "Mattie" (who married an Englishman with whom she had a daughter who had been murdered by her husband (featured in an earlier post), and a son they named Wallace in memory of her older brother.  She died in Chicago at age 85).

George MacFarlane 1825-1880

Although he couldn't fight with the Union Army because of an unknown disability, George Sr. was obviously strong enough to work for 26 years as a steward on large ships plying Lake Michigan.  Ironically, his life, which had been lived mostly on the water, also ended on the water when, in 1880, he was killed in an accident on board a ship at age 55, and his body was returned to his family for burial in the Evergreen Cemetery.

 

Evergreen Cemetery

Jean MacFarlane 1820 - 1913

Thanks to Evergreen being the cemetery of choice for the MacFarlanes, one can find many family members who were close to each other in life - and even after death.

(Mattie was the exception.  She was buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Chicago near her husband and children).  Jean continued to live for another 33 years before joining her husband at age 93. 

 
  

After the senior MacFarlanes had passed into history, their second son, and his son became an integral part of the town through their work on the local newspapers. Both men were highly thought of and greatly respected throughout their lives.  They were:
• John, the first MacFarlane baby to be born in America, who was apprenticed as a journeyman printer in Manitowoc as a young teen.  Leaving school in order to learn a trade was obviously the right choice for him.  In 1870, at age 17, he traveled first to Tennessee to gain more experience and then, a year later, to Chicago where he worked as a reporter for several newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune. After five years in Chicago, he got his big break when he was hired to be the city editor of the Racine Times, and remained in that position for 15 years. 
  
  Finally, after many years away from home, 45 year old John was ready to convert the lessons attained while learning the newspaper trade into his own reality. The first step to achieving his goal was accomplished when he was offered and accepted the position as Editor of Citizens Publishing Company in Manitowoc from a man  publishing one local newspaper, The Weekly Citizen, and  preparing to publish a second, The Daily News.  
  
  After only a year, he bought out the owner of Citizens Publishing for $25,000 and was joined by his son, George "Packy", who had just graduated from high school in Racine.  During the early years not only did both men chase down stories, but John acted as president, manager and editor, while Packy served as secretary, treasurer and city editor.  They also ran a general printing business. 
   
A story in one of the local papers described what it took to produce a paper at that time when each letter in a word had to be picked out of a printer's job case, and each line laboriously justified. The columns of type were locked into “chases” and then run off on a hand-fed press. A majority of the space on the first page was taken up by advertising, and it was believed that one of the reasons for all the advertisements on the front page was because businessmen of the day steadfastly refused to believe a newspaper would survive very long, so they might as well get their name out to the public while they could. 
 




John married twice, both times to Norwegian women. His first wife died after giving birth to George III; and a daughter, Jean, was born to John and his second wife, Minnie (all three were buried at Evergreen). After his death from cirrhosis of the liver, and shortly after the end of World War I, the Daily News and the Daily Herald merged and became the Herald-News.


• George III, or “Packy”, as he was affectionately known to legions of friends, continued the career he had started at age 13 under the tutelage of his father. He remained a reporter and editorial writer for more than 55 years. 
  
  Although the newspaper profession was his great love, George consented to serve four years as alderman on the City Council and several years as a member of the City Safety Commission after leaving the City Council. He had a combination of traits that made him many friends, while exhibiting deep devotion to and talent for a profession that made him unique in the journalistic field.
  
  Eventually, some members of the family moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin while others found homes further afield.  However, as late as 1946, there was still a George MacFarlane acting as the Managing Editor of what was then the Herald-Times in Manitowoc, and is now the Herald-Times Reporter.  
  
  For more information on members of this family, see the biographical sketch from "History of Manitowoc County Wisconsin" by Dr. L. Falge, 1911-1912, v.2, p.89-90 and/or  Evergreen Cemetery Obituaries
  

Dorothea (aka Dora) Suzanna Wierck - a first generation German/American

Family Lineage: ¹ Dorothea Suzanna, Wierck, ² Harold Victor Hayward, ³ Judith Ann Hayward

 1884 – 1971

Henry Nicholas Wierck

There isn't much background information available about "Dora's" parents before they left Hanover, Germany.  Although they were born and raised in the same area of the country, there was quite a difference in age, and they probably didn't know each other. What is known is that her father, Henry, was born in 1847 and had - perhaps in a fit of youthful rebellion at age 18 - stowed away on a ship to America without his father's knowledge or permission.

Dorothea Margaretta Meyn

Her mother, Dorothea Margarette Meyn, was 17 when she left Germany (perhaps taking what was called "a grand tour" provided to children of wealthy families.  In that case, she would have been expected to return to Germany in a year or two).   According to Dora, Dorothea had come from a wealthy family, and always intended to go home for a visit.  But before she could afford the trip or dare to leave her large family, she had received an announcement edged in black which announced the death of her mother. She never went back.

Upon arriving in New York City, Henry found work in a grocery store and, after mastering at least the basics of his new country's language, he started up and ran a heating fuel business for 10 years.  It was while attending a dance in the city that he met Dorothea, 7 years his junior (perhaps what drew them to each other was being able to comfortably talk in their native language without worrying about whether they were putting the nouns and verbs in the proper place).

Within four years of Dorothea's arrival in America, she and Henry were married, and two years after their first child, Mathilde "Tillie", was born, they were on the move again - this time into the heartland of America.  We can't know what led to their decision to once more trade the known for the unknown.  Perhaps they wanted a rural setting in which to raise their children and, even at that time, New York City fell far short of those expectations.  

We do know that they eventually arrived in Fairbank, Iowa, a small rural town with a large German/American population.  It was there that they finally found a place where they could comfortably settle down, and - after working for a few years on neighboring farms - were able to buy their own farm, where they raised their 4 girls and 3 boys. 
 

Dora shown standing second from right

22 year old Dora and 25 year old Edwin Herbert (aka Herb) Hayward had both grown up in small towns in Buchanan County, Iowa, and their romance probably got its start in school, church or introductions from friends.  But it was one thing to decide to marry and quite another to furnish a home or pay for a large formal wedding.   

Luckily for them the owner of Stewart's Hardware Store in Fairbank was an entrepreneur who was looking for a way to advertise his store through more than ads in the local newspaper (remember, radio and TV weren't even close to a glimmer at that time).  So he came up with an idea for a homegrown commercial.

It wasn't long before the idea and the solution came together in the form of a good looking, desperate young couple who agreed that in return for a "fine Jewell Steel Range" they would have their wedding on a raised platform outside the hardware store.  Of course the idea was strange enough that it brought in spectators from all over the county, and earned a column in the Fairbank Register, thus fulfilling the storekeeper's dream of a perfect advertisement.  

On a cool October day in 1906, with their Lutheran pastor officiating, the bride in a white silk dress and carrying a bouquet of white "brides" roses was accompanied by her sister, Tillie, as she exchanged vows with her groom, who was dressed in a traditional black suit and accompanied by his best man, John Paulus.  All this took place on a beautifully decorated platform in front of Stewarts' Hardware store.

This newspaper article reported on all the festivities and after the service, the reporter interviewed the best man and  maid of honor who said that if two steel ranges had been offered, there would have been a double wedding that day.  They also hinted that if the store was willing to sponsor another wedding the following year, they might be willing to apply (NOTE: family history reveals that they they did marry - other partners).

Dora with tame squirrel

While never owning their own farm, the Haywards were tenant farmers on dairy farms in Iowa and Wisconsin, where one of their jobs was caring for flocks of chickens and turkeys. Turning the chore into fun, one of Herb's turkeys won first place in the county fair, and Dora could truthfully claim that she had tamed a squirrel to sit on her shoulder and eat from her hand. 

After nine years of marriage, Herb and Dora, who desperately wanted to have a child of their own, decided that it was time to change their ineffective wishing into decisive action, and approached a Lutheran social services agency about the possibility of adopting a child.  Within months, the Haywards were informed that a couple of babies had become available for adoption, and they were welcome to come to the children's home to see them.  Herb said later that the first baby they saw was a beautiful, blond baby girl, and both thought she'd be perfect for their family.  That was until they were shown a screaming, scrawny baby boy, who - they decided - needed them more. 

After a few months, the baby had filled out, thanks to lots of love and good food.  Even better, Harold Victor - with his blond hair and blue eyes - fit in well with his German family and friends.  As a matter of fact, his looks and demeanor matched that of the Wiercks so well that Dora decided that he never needed to know the truth of his birth and swore their family and friends to silence.  It was only after he turned 19 that Herb emotionally told him "the secret".  Harold said years later that he had always suspected something because his aunts and uncle often were more patient and understanding with him than they were with his cousins.

Herb, Dora, Edna, Harold 5/23/1936

It wasn't long after he graduated from high school that Harold decided farm life was not for him and hopped a freight train for Chicago. Of course, that changed the tempo of life for the senior Haywards, and after attending Harold and Edna's wedding in 1936, they found work closer to Chicago where the young couple and Dora's sister, Tillie Williams, made their homes.
 

Just as it seemed the Haywards' life had settled into a comfortable routine, everything changed drastically in 1940. After picking and filling several bushel baskets of tomatoes, they stored them in the back seat of their car and headed home. They'd had a full, tiring day and it was dark as they approached a railroad crossing that had no gate or warning lights.  Since they had safely crossed the tracks before, they weren't worried, especially since they had just heard a train pass through just a few minutes before. What they didn't know was that the noise from that train had muffled the sound of a second train coming up fast from the opposite direction, and hit the Hayward car before it could get off the tracks.

It was a serious accident but could have been much worse!  Upon impact, Dora was thrown into the back seat of the car (no seatbelts in those days), and the rescuers believed she was dead since she seemed to be covered in blood (actually it was juice from the tomatoes).  She did crush her knee and, although she underwent extensive surgery, she was never again able to bend it. 

Since her recovery time was going to be long and painful and Herb was unable to care for her, the decision was made to move her into Harold and pregnant Edna's tiny apartment, which also housed their 2 year old daughter (sleeping in a crib in the closet) and one of Edna's brothers (who slept with Harold on a mat in the attic).  It was several very trying months for everyone before she was able to walk well enough to return to Herb.

At least there was one good thing that came out of that devastating accident.  The settlement offered by the railroad allowed Herb and Dora to buy a two story building on the North side of Chicago. This building became home for three Hayward generations, with Herb and Dora settling into a comfortable apartment in the basement, Harold's family living on the first floor, and the Buggy family renting the second floor.  For Dora, the added blessing was that she now lived near her oldest sister, Tillie, and they spent many happy hours cooking good German food for their loved ones.

Herb loved gardening but hated all yellow flowers and plucked any that dared to show themselves.  He also thought if he built a playhouse for his granddaughters, they would be content to stay in there and play with their dolls. It was his way of trying to keep rowdy boys who might hurt his flowers out of the yard.  It didn't work! (He never knew that as soon as he left for work, Edna allowed the boys to come into the yard  as long as they promised to leave as soon as she spotted Herb coming home).  He did eventually find the job of his dreams - in a cemetery - where he lovingly cared for the grounds until his sudden death caused by a heart attack in 1948. 

By the time Dora died in 1971 at age 87, her immediate family consisted of  Harold and Edna,  3 granddaughters and their husbands, 4 great granddaughters and 3 great grandsons. All of her granddaughters still vividly remember the German children's prayer she said with them each night, although the wording seemed to vary - depending on who was reciting it:   "Ich bin klein; Mein herz ist rein; Darf niemand drin wohnen; als Jesus allein" which, translated, says:  "I am small; My heart is pure; Nobody may dwell in it but Jesus".  What a good memory to carry from childhood into adulthood!

William Allen Philpott - a hero of the Confederacy and a prisoner of the Union

Great-Grandson of Charles Thomas Philpott ("our" Revolutionary soldier)

1836 – 1926

William Allen Philpott

It must have been quite a gift to hear stories about the Civil War  being told by a man who had personally experienced them. William (aka "Uncle Billy") Philpott of Shelbyville, Tennessee was such a storyteller, who lived to tell tales 60 years after the war ended,  which were passed down through the generations.

Fortunately for today's historians, William's memory had remained sharp as he turned 90 on April 2,1926.  It was at his birthday party that he told all present how even early in his life, he had been connected to some of the famous men of his time (who are legends  in ours), such as:

• Davy Crockett who had died at the Alamo only a month before William's birth;  
• Abraham Lincoln who was only 26 years old in 1836, while Andrew Jackson and Jefferson Davis were 27 that year;
• And although he hadn't been legally entitled to vote because he wasn't quite 21,he had been allowed to cast a ballot for Andrew Johnson as Governor of Tennessee (because it was believed he would vote for the "right" person in the tight race). 

Uncle Billy provided even more gifts to us when he not only filed for a pension in which he described his actions during the Civil War, but also completed - at age 86 - the “Tennessee Civil War Veterans Questionnaire" and the "Civil War Veterans Questionnaire", all of which combined to give us a very personal story about a horrible time in our country's history.

A young Confederate soldier

On July 1, 1861, at age 25, William Allen Philpott, who was married and owned a 20 acre farm, enlisted in the newly organized 23^rd Tennessee Volunteer Infantry Regiment, which - before they could go into battle - had to undergo intensive training at Camp Trousdale, the main training camp for Middle Tennessee and Kentucky recruits. 

The Battle of Shiloh Church

After completing their training, the 23^rd got its first taste of battle at Shiloh Church on April 6, 1862, when 40,000 Confederate soldiers under the command of Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston attacked the Union lines, after which they struck a line of Union soldiers occupying ground on the Tennessee River. This overpowering Confederate offensive drove the unprepared Federal forces from their camps and threatened to overwhelm General Ulysses S. Grant’s entire command. 

General Pat Clebourne

Private Philpott was one of 630 soldiers in Clebourne's Brigade at the beginning of that battle.  But after pushing their way through thick undergrowth while climbing a steep hill, they were mauled by desperate Union soldiers during an intense 15 minute battle, and 300 of their men were lost.

Three months later, the 23rd was again heavily involved at "The Battle of Perryville", which was the largest, bloodiest engagement fought in Kentucky. Although it was considered a Confederate tactical victory, Confederate General Braxton Bragg, was forced to order a retreat to Tennessee because of what had been extremely poor communications between the General and his officers, as well as a shortage of men and supplies.    

It was while fighting near a burning barn in Perryville, that - according to William: “240 men fired at me point blank, leaving thirteen holes in my clothes and wounding me!”  Sadly, there was no description of his wounds which - you would think - would have ended his life - or at least put a severe crimp in it.

This man loved to tell stories about what he had lived through!  For instance, he reported that: 

• Shortly after being promoted to the rank of Sergeant, he saw a Union soldier leaning against a tree and took a shot at him. After seeing the soldier fall to the ground, he carefully approached him and discovered that the soldier actually had seven bullet holes in him! So he never was sure whether-or-not it was his bullet that had killed the enemy. 
• Once, while experiencing extreme pain while walking, William asked to be carried for awhile in the supply wagon. His request was denied. He was so angry that he smashed his gun into the wagon with so much force that his hip snapped loudly back into place, and he was able to march on without pain.

General Joshua Sill

By 1863, after the 23^rd had been merged into  General Bushrod Johnson's Brigade in General Pat Clebourne's Division, Sgt. Philpott decided to remain with his fellow soldiers, even though he had earned four days furlough, and it was then,  during a fierce battle, that Union General Joshua Sill was killed.

As a postscript to General Sill's death,"Uncle Billy" reported that he had examined  General Sill's body and noticed that the fatal wound had been made by a much smaller missile than any ammunition the Confederates used in battle at that time, leading to his conclusion that the wound was self-inflicted. This was based on the common belief that General Sill had made a serious tactical blunder the day he died which had caused serious and unnecessary losses to his command.

General Bushrod Johnson

 
The regiment continued under the command of General Johnson, who was now a Division Commander.  But by the time the Battle of Chichamauga took place, the Division was down to 181 active soldiers because 26 of their soldiers had completely worn out their shoes and were sent to the rear before the battle began.

 
Sgt. Philpott's last battle for the Confederacy was officially known as "Stones River" but more commonly called "The Forgotten Conflict Between the Confederate Army of Tennessee and the Union Army of Cumberland". This battle,which began on December 31, 1862, didn't end until a few days later, and both sides experienced their highest percentage of casualties during the entire war. Although the results were inconclusive, the Union Army did  repulse two Confederate attacks. This led to the Confederate Army withdrawing which gave a huge morale boost to the Union Army. 

It was also a life-changing battle for Sgt. William Philpott because - almost four years after he had enlisted - he was finally captured and imprisoned until the war ended in 1865.

There is no record of where he was for the first nine months of his

imprisonment but the record does pick up the tale when he arrived at Camp Douglas in Chicago in October of 1863.  This camp was the Union's answer to Andersonville Prison - and was just as gristly. Finally, in  March 1865, he was moved to Camp Lookout in Maryland. 

It was there that he took the oath of allegiance to the Union and was released from the camp on June 17, 1865.  Thanks to money sent by this father, Charles T. Philpott, he was able to pay for transportation to take him home (he obviously wouldn't have been physically able to return to Tennessee on foot after almost three years in prison).

William Allen Philpott was married twice and had 6 children with his first wife and 8 with his second. He died seven months after his 90^th birthday party and left behind a tremendous heritage of bravery for his large family.

This tale is dedicated to

Loye Roach

Who generously shared her Philpott research with me - a stranger 

and is now meeting these interesting ancestors face to face

Rest in Peace, Loye, and thanks

1930 - 2014

Edna Bethel Franklin - daughter, wife, mom and sister

¹ Edna Franklin, ² Judith Ann Hayward

1913 - 2004

As is the case with us all, Edna's life was bracketed by the dates of her birth and death – with plenty of dash in between. So ". . .we'll start at the beginning - a very good place to start", to quote those great words from "Sound of Music".


BIRTH

Queen, Fred, Evert, Edna

On July 13, 1913, Fred, Queen, and their 15 month old son,William "Evert" Franklin, were living near the small town of Rosehill, Missouri, which had as its only claim to fame the fact that three railroads ran through it. On that day, Queen's tiny figure looked ready to burst at any minute; there was no doubt that their family dynamic was soon to be changed forever. When it  became apparent that labor had started in earnest, Fred made sure that Evert was secure in his bed before  rushing off to find the local doctor (they had neither a car nor a phone so it took some time to round him up). 

Years later Queen reported that she had given birth to her little girl without the benefit of husband or doctor, which gave her an opportunity to do things her way.  Based on her bad memories of birthing Evert only a few months before, Queen decided that instead of lying immobile, the traditionally accepted birthing method, she'd walk and then roll back and forth whenever there was a contraction. It worked!  During one of those rolls, her daughter was born.  By the time the doctor and Fred returned, the only services required were to clean up the baby and cut the umbilical cord.

Until Edna's birth certificate was amended by the State of Missouri in 1967, her name was shown as "Not Named". Years later, she would often comment that she wished her parents had thought of a prettier name, but was grateful that at least she hadn't been named Queen Jr.



THE DASH

WilliamEvert and Edna Bethel Franklin

If you've read earlier posts featuring Fred and Queen Franklin, you know that times were tough during the first decades of their marriage.  As the family teetered on the brink of flat-out poverty, they moved from Missouri to Ohio to Indiana and back again, always looking for viable work.  Fred might have lacked formal education, but he could read and was willing to do almost anything – no matter how physically hard – to support his family, while Queen, a former teacher, encouraged the children to read, kept house, made their clothing and tended a large garden.  

8th grade graduation

By 1923, the family had added two more little boys, Paul and Carthel, and had saved enough money to buy a farm near Versailles, Indiana.  Besides the house, barn, chicken coop and pig sty, the property contained a general store which Fred operated until the economy in the area changed and it was no longer viable. Although the only source of heat in the house was a wood-fed stove which was supposed to radiate heat throughout the house, water was drawn from a well, and the outhouse was the most popular building on the property, this house remained the "official residence" of the Franklin family for more than 30 years.  Fortunately, as time went by, some changes were made to the ambiance (an inside toilet and running water, for instance).

Fred Franklin and Harold Hayward

Although the people at that time didn't have electronics to entertain themselves, they still recognized the need to  have fun during the warm months (with games of croquet and horseshoes) and during the cold Indiana winters (with books, music and, later, card games).  Recently, the Franklin grandchildren discovered that Fred and his Uncle Bill Franklin were accomplished musicians and had  often been sought out to play at dances and weddings.  They were even more surprised when they came upon a 1925 recital program which listed Edna and Evert  performing on the violin and piano.  Huh?  Thanks to Carthel's memoirs, we now know that Edna and Carthel were given piano lessons, while Evert and Paul learned to play the violin.  Until those discoveries, the only known musicians were Queen (who played the piano not very well) and Paul (who sang, wrote and recorded music).

New Marion High School graduate

Harold Hayward High School graduate

Between April 1931 (when she and Evert finished high school) and May 1936 (when she married Harold Victor Hayward), brown eyed, dark haired Edna loaded up her "dash” with life-changing events, some of which were:

• Working as a housekeeper to earn enough money for college;
  
• Combining her financial resources with those of cousin Eva Franklin to rent a room while attending classes at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana;
  
• After earning a teaching certificate, returning to New Marion to teach for a grand salary of $100 a month;
  
• Attending the University of Indiana for advanced studies;
  
• Going out on a blind date with Harold Hayward in Chicago set up by a mutual acquaintance;
  
• Falling in love with that Iowa farm boy who was almost two years younger and just starting his career in Chicago;
  
• Being romanced through the mail or over the party line phone which was monitored by all the neighbors;
  
• Marrying Harold at her parents' home in Indiana, surrounded by friends and family;
  



May 23, 1936 Franklin/Hayward Wedding




• Starting a brand new life with a brand new husband in a tiny apartment not far from Lake Michigan to which they'd retreat with a blanket when the  house got too hot - a completely new way of life for this country girl. 

Life with Harold couldn't have been more different than the one she had dreamed about when a girl! She never taught in a classroom again but she used her teaching skills to encourage and mentor her three daughters, Judy, Susan and Linda.  

• Where he was flamboyant, she was shy but always quietly supportive ; 
• Where he loved to tell bawdy jokes, she'd surprise with her very dry humor; 
• Where he was at his best selling and speaking to crowds, she was learning how to type and support him in his first insurance office. 
• While he was instructing the girls in the intricacies of football, she was an avid basketball and Cubs fan who rooted for those perennial losers all her life. 
• Where he rarely caught edible fish, she continuously hooked more than anyone else (including professional guides) but refused to clean, cook or eat them (her daughters believed the fish thought they had a better chance with her since she wouldn't eat them - they were wrong!). 
• Where he had a beautiful voice and loved to sing – especially with his daughters - she would promise those same daughters that if they sang for her, she would do some of their chores. 
•  After he became Governor of the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District of Kiwanis, she found her voice as his first lady, finally using the charm and wonderful sense of humor that only her family and close friends knew she possessed. 

DEATH (May 3, 2004): 
Edna was only two months shy of 91 when she died as a result of bad care in a local rehab facility. In a “normal” family, she might have been considered the “grand old dame” – but not in the Franklin family! After all, her mother bowled until she was 103 and lived to age 107; her older brother, Evert, died 3 months before Edna and 2 months before his 92^nd birthday as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident; her younger brother, Paul, only made it to age 89; and her father, Fred, (also featured in a post) was little more than a baby when he died at age 86. Today, her “baby” brother, Carthel, still enjoys golf and travel at age 94.


The following poem was written in celebration of her life. Despite the fact that it's been more than 10 years since she left us, she is sorely missed - and her stories continue to be told.       

                                            Edna’s Song

You’d think the story’s over, but it’s only just begun.

Her life is woven through us - into each and every one.

The thread has not been broken, but the fabric takes new shape.

A shape that brings its own new joys, from which we can’t escape.

When something special happens, we know what she would say,

And feel her lingering presence as she'd send us on our way.

We’ll sense her joy and laughter, knowing that her pain is gone.

And that she knows she did her best - her loved ones can go on.

We’ll hear ourselves repeating her maxims and her jokes.

We know what she would want for us, her big and little folks.

She’d want us to remember her as wife and mom and friend.

She’d hope we’d build on lessons learned, and pass them on again.

We never thought she’d leave us, our lives would stay the same,

But God knew best the time and place, and took her home again.

Can’t you just imagine the reunions going on?

The joyous joining with all those who’d waited for so long.

Thanks to you, dear Edna, for all you said and did,

For always sharing whom you were with each adult and kid.

We miss you badly, always will, and know that some fine day

We will reunite with you and Dad in a whole new way.

 Judith Ann Hayward Copeland

2004

Francis Eppes - one of Virginia's settlers

1597 - 1674

Until now, I have been able to balance out the family lines when writing up legends which have been passed down through the centuries.  But that balance went askew when I discovered that Lt. Colonel Francis Eppes, an early Virginia Colony settler, was possibly an ancestor of both my husband's line (through the Nance family) and mine (through the Dickersons (Should I call my husband "honey" or "cuz", I wonder).

The first documented story of an Eppes family ancestor was Alan Epes (yes - the spelling changes from person to person and generation to generation).  Alan was the grandfather of Francis Eppes and had raised his family in the town of Lydds in Kent County, England  during the mid-1500s. Through the years, the Eppes family made an indelible mark on the world around them and provided many legends which I am hoping to feature in some of my later blogs.

It's likely that Francis' incentive for leaving England was the crowning of Charles I, the terrible son of a terrible king, James.  It soon became apparent that Charles had a penchant for making decisions which simultaneously alienated both his subjects and Parliament, thus prompting a series of events which ultimately led to civil war, his own beheading in 1649 and the abolition of the English monarchy.

 Sometime before I625 Francis recognized that life in England wasn't going to improve any time soon under the leadership of the king and saw the opportunity to make his fortune in America where there was more land than people to work it. 

He proved to be adept at recruiting desperate folks who were anxious to try their luck in a new country. There is no record of how he was able to pay the 6 pounds per person cost for his and their passage on the Hopewell, but he obviously figured it out. 

Upon landing in America, the immigrants would be sold to the landowners and required to work for a defined period of time - usually 3 to 7 years in order to pay off their debt.  

Besides re-cooping his costs by selling the contracts for the indentured servants usually to plantation owners, his profit came through being granted one “headright”, or parcel of land, per laborer.  At that time, parcels of 50 acres were granted to a person new to the area, while 100 acres were granted to those already living there.  Once the headright was granted, it was treated like a commodity and could be bought, sold, or traded.  It also could be saved indefinitely and used at a later date.

Now that he had his first venture under his belt, Francis headed back to England for a short visit with his family and an opportunity to recruit and arrange for another shipload of laborers.  He didn't learn until he returned to America that the first group of people he had transported had been killed by Indians shortly after landing. 

After successfully completing his second round trip and receiving  more headrights,  Francis now owned enough land to build a spacious home for his family.  So while his household prepared to make this giant move, he arranged for a ship and  recruited more people desperate to start fresh in a new land. 

After safely completing this trip, he claimed himself, his wife, three young men (either his sons or brothers) and 30 servants as headrights (not a bad deal since his costs for their passage could be recovered by using or selling those headrights).  It is believed that he made the round trip between his former and new  countries six times, and that his wife, Marie, traveled with him at least once and gave birth to their son, Thomas, in London.

In 1625, he was elected to sit in the Assembly at James City (often referred to as the “Convention”) and was more than happy to add his signature to a petition being sent to England. As a signer, he was finally able to safely express his “extreme discouragement” over the change in the British government, and specifically King Charles I, whose decisions and method of ruling England would sow the seeds for the American Revolution.

An early version of the house including the original kitchen

Finally, on August 26, 1635,  Captain Francis Epes was granted 1,700 acres on  Appomattox Manor (located at the confluence of the Appomattox and James rivers).  It was a perfect place for his new home which he originally named Hopewell after the ship on which he'd sailed so often and then City Point.   Eventually it was named Appomattox and completed in 1679. During those years he was a respected leader in the community and served as Commander of forces which fought  the Weyanoke and Appomattox Indians.  

This energetic, courageous Kentish man,  died sometime between 1668 and 1774.  He held many offices during his lifetime, including serving as a member of the House of Burgess (a model  of representative government).  He was also one of four men named "Resident in Virginia and Fit to be Called to the Council There."  

Appomattox as it looks today

The house, which underwent several modifications over the years  has many stories of its own to tell, and remained in the Eppes family for 344 years until, in 1979, it was purchased by the Petersburg National Battlefield and is open for visitors. 

Even though Francis and his wife, Marie, had what would be considered a small family at that time (4 sons and perhaps some daughters who were not documented), his legend has lived on through the tales and deeds of his family. 

Martha Wales Jefferson

Two of Francis' older sons filled places in their communities similar to the positions Francis had hewed out for himself in early Virginia. Another  Eppes  descendent was Martha Wayles Skelton, a widow who was married to the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, from 1772 until her death in 1782. 






For further information you are welcome to check out:
Find A Grave   http://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=eppes&GSfn=francis&GSby=1597&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=123126648&df=all&