Birthdays from my family tree for the week of July 6:
July 6
Martha Ann Black Trent (grandmother-in-law of Allie Wilburn Williams, my great uncle on my mother's side), b. 1877 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. April 8, 1949, in Rowan County, Ky. Among the children of Martha Ann and husband Julius Ceasar Trent (cool name, huh?) was Theodore Trent. (Juluis and Martha Ann are pictured at left.) And among the children of Theodore and his wife, Clara Essie Conn Trent, was Geneva Trent Williams, who married my mother's Uncle Bill.
Arthur Hall (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1931 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. July 9, 1993, in Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, Miss. Arthur is the son of Oliver and Vesta Mae Pettit Hall, and the grandson of George Washington Hall and Nancy Abigail Quesenberry Hall, maternal 2G grandparents.
Leroy Caudill (my uncle-in-law on my mother's side), b. 1946. Leroy married my Aunt Vada Louise Wilson in 1973. Happy birthday, Uncle Leroy.
July 7
Samuel B. Caudill and his wife, Amanda Susan Hall.
Samuel B. Caudill (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1853 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Feb. 5, 1936, in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky. Samuel was the nephew of the Rev. Henry C. Caudill and Elizabeth Jane Short Caudill, my 3G grandparents. That made him a first cousin twice removed of my maternal grandmother, Leona Olive Williams Wilson. Samuel also married Amanda Susan Hall, who was the great aunt of my grandfather and Leona's husband, Oliver Wilson. That makes Samuel a double relative.
John Henry Williams (my 2G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1875 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Feb. 13, 1920, in Rowan County, Ky. John Henry was the older brother of my great-grandfather Andrew Jackson Williams.
James Huey Ray (my wife Deborah Ray Kidd's great-grandfather on her father's side), b. 1876 in Kershaw County, S.C.; d. Feb. 13, 1930, in Kershaw County, S.C. James Huey Ray was a slender man, who lost his left hand in a sawmill accident. He had two children by his first wife, who died during childbirth. He had 12 more by his second wife, Jessie Boone Ray, including my wife's grandfather, Clarence Richard Ray. James is seated in the picture at left. Jesse is at his left, and Bessie Ray Brinson, one of his daughters, is at his right. Bessie was the child of James' first wife, Hattie Hayes Ray. I do not have a date of death for Hattie and don't know if the child she bore during the labor that killed her survived or died. I do know Bessie was not that child. James and Hattie had a younger child, Wiley Ray, born in 1903.
Jesse Scott Williams (my 2G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1885 in Elliottville, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Nov. 23, 1971, in Hidalgo County, Texas. Assuming my information is correct, Jesse shared a birthday with his older brother John Henry. Jesse also is a brother of my great-grandfather Andrew Jackson Williams. His wife Minnie died of a stroke in 1943, and he did not remarry.
Recollections by his grandson, Gary Zane Williams, recorded at Ancestry.com, indicate he owned a house on Williams Branch, near the homestead of his father, William Washington Williams. He was said to be an excellent carpenter and cabinet maker.
I'm not sure how he wound up in Texas at the end of his life — that seems odd given that he bought property and lived on Williams Branch relatively late in life. But according to his death certificate, he lived in Texas at the time and was not visiting. His birthday matches other records, his hometown is listed as Kentucky, and his parents are listed William Washington Williams and Rebecca Caudill. In other words, this seems to be the correct Jesse Scott Williams.
Incidentally, the death certificate lists his occupation as a railroad engineer.
Jeff Howard (husband of Delphina Kidd, my second cousin on my father's side), b. 1908 in Tennessee; d. Aug. 2, 1982, in Lytten, Elliott County, Ky. Jeff married Delphina, a first cousin of my grandfather Elmer Kidd and the daughter of John Booth Kidd and Ada Lykins Kidd.
Denzil Ray Jennings (my first cousin once removed on my mother's side), b. 1937 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Oct. 3, 2004, in Conway, Horry County, S.C. Denzil was the youngest of four sons of Jesse Franklin Jennings and Vada Mae Wilson Jennings, my great aunt.
July 8
Rebecca Moore Wilson (grandmother-in-law of Peter Fannin-Kidd, my great uncle on my father's side), b. 1802 in Clay County, Ky.; d. after 1870 in Owsley County, Ky. Rebecca married Davis Wilson Sr. in 1822. Though my mother's maiden name is Wilson, Rebecca comes from my father's side, marrying into a line of Wilsons unrelated to my mom's, as far as I can tell. Davis was the illegitemate son of a man named Beasley and Susannha Mahala Wilson, daughter of Phillip and Rebecca Wilson. The thrice married Mahala was once wed to Isaac "Fiddler" Callahan, who was hung for murder in Knox Co, Ky., according to a family history at Ancestry.com. Davis was given his surname by his adoptive father, Phillip Wilson, and raised as one of his own.
Mary Ellen Blankenship Gregory (wife of John W. Gregory, my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1879 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. Dec. 29, 1961, in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky. Mary Ellen was married to a grandson of the Rev. Henry C. and Elizabeth Jane Short Caudill, my 3G grandparents.
Olcie Marie Mills (my second cousin once removed on my mother's side), b. 1939 in Maben, Wyoming County, WVa.; d. July 8, 1939. Olcie died at birth or was stillborn — I'm not sure which since I do not have a death certificate for her. She was the child of Harrison Mills and Edith Opal Wilson Mills. Edith was the child of Alvin Lee Wilson and Mary Merida Stidham Wilson and a niece of Burl Wilson, my great grandfather.
July 9
Samuel Grindle (father in law of James Madison Wilson, my second cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b.1818 in Greene County, Ohio; d. June 28, 1894, in Mier, Grant County, Ind. Samuel's daughter, Clarissa Rooks Grindle Wilson, married James Madison Wilson, a distant relative. Our common ancestors were Jacob Wilson and Mary Fritz Wilson, my 5G grandparents. Jacob was born in colonial Virginia and Mary in Germany.
Martha Jane Kidd (my 2G aunt on my father's side), b. 1852 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. April 26, 1918, in Rowan County, Ky. Martha Jane was the sister of Edmund Kidd, my great grandfather, and the daughter of my 2G grandfather, who also was named Edmund Kidd.
July 10
James Robert Lewis (my 3G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1885 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. Aug. 3, 1969, in Rowan County, Ky. James was one of at least eight children of Isaac and Rhoda Templeton Lewis. An older sister, Miriam Lewis Kendall, was my 2G grandmother.
Elizabeth Lykins Thornsberry (wife of James Thornsberry, my first cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1890 in Kentucky; d. Dec. 21, 1962. Elizabeth's husband, James, was a nephew of the younger Edmund Kidd, mentioned above in the entry for Martha Jane Kidd, and a grandson of the elder Edmund.
Alan Bruce Carter (my second cousin on my mother's side), b. 1967. Happy birthday!
July 12
Eli Wilson (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1812 in Madison County, Ohio; d. Oct. 9, 1880, in Madison County, Ohio. Eli was the son of a wealthy landowner, Valentine Wilson, a prominent citizen of Madison County, Ohio. His father was twice widowed and thrice married. Eli was the son of his dad's second wife, Elanore Judy Wilson. He had five full siblings and 13 half siblings. A leading farmer of the county, Eli owned 900 acres at the time of his death. The 1880 census lists his age as 68, his wife Nancy as 63.
Wesley Boyden Tolliver (uncle-in-law of Elizabeth Kidd Tolliver, my first cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1843; d. April 23, 1885. Wesley was one of nine children of Hugh Tolliver and Elender Spurlin Tolliver. His brother Craig was a principal in the Rowan County War, a feud between 1884 and 1887 in which 20 people died and 16 were wounded. Among the dead were Craign and another of Wesley's brothers, Floyd. A third brother, Francis Marion Tolliver, became a successful merchant after the hostilities. It is possible that Francis' wife, Emaline Lewis Tolliver, is related to me — I have Lewises on both sides of my family — but I haven't established a connection. However, their son William married Elizabeth Kidd Tolliver, a cousin of my grandfather, Elmer Kidd. That means Wesley is definitely related to me by blood, if not by marriage.
Amelia Ann Elam Sergent (grandmother-in-law of John Booth Kidd my first cousin once removed on my father's side), b. 1854 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. March 30, 1935. Amerlia's granddaughter, Ada Lykins Kidd, married John Booth Kidd, whose checkered past was detailed in last week's birthday entry and who seems to keep popping up in this week's birthdays, too. He was another first cousin of my paternal grandfather, Elmer Kidd.
Ida M. Caudill (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side and my second cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1894 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky.; d. April 1981, in Olin, Jones County, Iowa. I'm not sure how she wound up in Iowa. I do know Ida was a double relative. She was the grand-niece of the Rev. Henry C. Caudill, my 3G grandfather through my mother's maternal line. Ida's father, Samuel B. Caudill, married Amanda Susan Hall, who was related to my mother through her paternal line. Samuel's birthday was July 7, and he is introduced above.
Sada, Vada and Ada Jennings (my third cousins once removed and my second cousins once removed on my mother's side), b. 1922 in Rowan County, Ky. I believe — but am not positive — these three were triplets and sisters of Jessie Jennings, husband of my great aunt Vada Mae Wilson Jennings. I have conflicting information on their birthdays. Sada and Ada are twins, according to their shared headstone, which lists their year of birth and death as 1921. A family tree on Ancestry.com indicates Vada was born in December 1921 and died in January 1922. The same history indicates Ada was born in December 1921 and died the same month. That tree, however, does not list Sada at all. Another tree lists the birthdate for all three as July 12, 1922.