Folks in my family tree with birthdays the week of Dec. 1
Dec. 2
Lawrence Burdell Graham (great uncle in-law of my wife, Debi), b. 1909 in Camden or Lee County, SC; d. 8/23/1970 in Camden, Kershaw County, S.C.
Dec. 4
Daniel Boone Wilson (my sixth cousin, five times removed on my mother's side), b. 1837 in Somerford, Madison, Ohio; d. 4/26/1860 in Somerford, Madison, Ohio.
Edith Marie Jones Brooks, (great-aunt in-law of my half-uncle Ronnie Brooks on my mother's side), b. 1916 in Bourbon County, Ky.; d. 3/23/2011 in Xenia, Green County, Oho. Edith was in the ministry along with her husband, Bruce Brooks, who coincidentally would have turned 101 a week ago. In March, 1950, they began their first Sunday as pastors in Xenia, Ohio, and also started a weekly radio broadcast over WJEL in Springfield, “The Voice of Pentecost," according to her obituary. The couple soon added a daily broadcast, and for a lengthy period, four times daily, and through various years, their broadcasts were released over WPFB, WCHO and stations in Ironton, Wellston and Mansfield, Ohio, as well as Pennington Gap, Va. When an AM station opened in Xenia, they transferred to it, and broadcast daily over both it and its sister FM station for many years, finally giving up the work in February 1993, because of the Rev. Brooks' ill health, completing a span of nearly 43 years.
Lori Beth Dickerson, (my third cousin once removed on my mother's side). Happy birthday!
Dec. 5
Daniel Wilson (my great-great-great-great grand-uncle on my mother's side), b. 1801, in Clark County, Ky.; d. 5/27/1867 in Madison County, Ohio. He settled in Somerford, Madison, Ky., in 1837 and was a botanic physician.
James M. Brain (great-grandfather in-law of Homer Lee Wilson, DDS, my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side) b. 1809; d. 7/18/1886. Sold a lot on Main Street in Farmers to Floyd Tolliver, a key player in the Rowan County War of the 1884 to 1887. That transaction took place in March 1883 -- for $50 in hand, plus $100 due a year later at 6 percent interest. Tolliver and Brain had a falling out shortly thereafter, and Tolliver was indicted that August for shooting Brain, according to "Days of Anger, Days of Tears," a book about the feud. He apparently didn't kill him, however -- according to my research, Brain didn't die until July 18, 1886.
Bernice Kidd (my aunt on my father's side), b. in Rowan County, Ky. Happy birthday, Aunt Bernice! Love you.
My Aunt Bernice and me, during a visit to her home in Springfield, Ohio, in summer 2012.
Dec. 6
Ambrose Jones Williams (my great-great-great grandfather on my mother's side), b. 1826 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. 8/7/1896 in West Liberty, Morgan County, Ky.
Festus Foster Alfrey (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1877 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. BEF 1930 in Indiana.
Lonnie Earl Smith (my second cousin once removed in-law on my father's side), b. 1905 in Wrigley, Morgan County, Ky.; d. 7/24/1975 in West Liberty, Morgan County, Ky.
Dec. 7
Lester Gregory (my second cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1920 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. 9/21/1976 in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Fla.