Second Page of Additional Labels for Surnames Listed in "Finally, Proof!" Post

Because Blogger only allows 20 labels for each post, I have created additional posts/pages for more surnames listed in the blog post entitled "Finally, Proof!"

Here are 16 more surnames included in the aforementioned post which will allow me 16 more labels to enable fellow genealogists to find their surnames: Adkisson, Beddo, Black, Carbough, Ferguson, Fletcher, Flippin, Hewitt, Johnson, Lawson, McDaniel, McGrew, Phillips, Weber, Willcox, Zimmerman

Link to first page of Additional Labels for Surnames Listed in "Finally, Proof!" Post

Return to the Original Post Entitled "Finally, Proof!"

Alonzo Hugh Spence

I would have never dreamed I would start my Spence genealogy blog pages with "Uncle Lon" Spence, but I very recently found that he held a secret clue to the identity of his father's father, someone I have sought for over 10 years now. I still can't say I have absolute proof, but finding a death record for Alonzo Hugh Spence in Juarez, Mexico, gave me his middle name. It appears he was named after his grandfather, Hugh Young Spence, someone I have suspected to be the father of Lon's father, John W. Spence, for some time, but only because of circumstantial evidence. Finding this middle name is the circumstantial straw that has finally met my standard for burden of proof, I am thrilled to say! Anyone interested in the specific circumstantial evidence of this line is welcome to contact me, and I will gladly detail it all for you. The record of death in Juarez, Mexico, was found by my Barkley cousin and big-time researcher of the Barkleys and related lines from Alabama and South Carolina, Ray Barkley. Ray has a blog page on our Barkley line at http://barkleyancestorsearch.blogspot.com/. Here's the death record for Alonzo Hugh Spence:


Alonzo Hugh "Lon" Spence is the brother of my husband's great-grandfather, Willie Jasper Spence, who was orphaned when he was only 4 years old, and his baby brother, Lon, was only 16 months old. They had a sister, Pearl, who was 9 when their parents died, but she died as a young adult. Their parents, John W. Spence and Amanda J. Barkley, died within days of each other in a yellow fever epidemic. The Spence children were raised by their maternal grandparents, Jasper Barkley and Mary Elizabeth Rains, daughter of Larkin Rains.

Will never spoke of his parents, nor his sister, and with so many of the family dying so young and leaving no paper trail, it has been most difficult to trace this family. In addition, add to the mix a brother who moved around a lot and died in Mexico, where up until recently, it seemed impossible to find a record, and this has been a most frustrating search! Even though Will Spence is our direct line, I will begin my posting of Uncle Lon's family tree. What I know is fairly limited, but I'd like to get it online in the hopes there are descendants of his who might be interested. I welcome any correspondence from anyone interested in this line.

The picture of the little boy above is the only photo our family has of Alonzo Hugh Spence, taken from a larger family portrait. The photo was taken about 1895 when Lon was about 6 years old.

Genealogy Report of Alonzo Hugh Spence and Descendants:

Alonzo Hugh Spence was born 18 January 1889, in Cherokee Co., Alabama, and died 17 May 1957, in Juarez, Mexico.  He married Nettie F. Jennings 30 January 1909, in Kaufman Co., Texas, daughter of George Jennings and Lisa.  She was born 04 September 1894, in Tennessee, and died 31 May 1965, in Monrovia, Los Angeles Co., California.

Notes for Alonzo Hugh Spence:

Census: 1900, Hunt Co., Texas
Census: 1910, Scurry, Kaufman Co., Texas
WWI draft registration card dated June 5, 1917:  Alonso Spence signed up in Clinton, Custer Co., OK, indicated he was born Jan. 18, 1889, in Cherokee, Alabama, and he had a wife and two children.  He could not write, but applied his "X" mark.
Census: 1920, Clinton, Custer Co., Oklahoma
Residence: 517 Wild Rose St., Monrovia, California, at the time of his death.

Notes for Nettie F. Jennings:

Burial: 04 June 1965, Live Oak Memorial Park, Monrovia, Los Angeles Co., California

Children of Alonzo Spence and Nettie Jennings are:

1. Thurman L. Spence, born 17 November 1909, in Texas; died 15 October 1974, in Baldwin Park, Los Angeles Co., California.  He married Ernestine N. Anderson Schmid 27 December 1973, in Los Angeles, California; she was born in 1923.

Notes for Thurman L. Spence:

Census: 1910, Scurry, Kaufman Co., Texas
Residence: 1952, Los Angeles Co., California
Burial: Cremated
Cremation: 23 October 1974, Los Angeles Co. Crematory

2. Odessa Athelene Spence was born 05 September 1915, in Texas, and died 04 January 1980, in Sacramento Co., California.  She married Theodore D. Bell, son of Mr. Bell and Miss Waters.  He was born 21 May 1913, in Illinois, and died 29 June 1967, in Sacramento Co., California.

Notes for Odessa Athelene Spence:

The Sacramento Bee
Tuesday January 8, 1980, page D17:

BELL, Odessa A., in Sacramento January 5, 1980. Beloved wife of the late Theodore Bell. Loving mother of Carol Stevens of Wheatland, Ca., Lillie Fay Gordon of Garden Grove, Ca., Jan Marie Shumate of Oklahoma, Barbara Jean Bell of Wheatland, Wyoming and the late Neva Ann Moreland. Also survived by 6 grandchildren. A native of Texas. Aged 64 years. Friends are welcome at the Mission Chapel of Anrews & Greilich, 3939 Fruitridge Rd. and are invited to attend the funeral Wednesday at 1:30 PM. Interment East Lawn.

More notes for Odessa Athelene Spence:

Census: 1920, Clinton, Custer Co., Oklahoma 
Burial: East Lawn, Sacramento, Sacramento Co., California

Children of Odessa Spence and Theodore Bell are:

1. Carol Bell; she married (1) Mr. Ward before 1957.  She later married (2) Mr. Stevens.

2. Jan Marie Bell; she married Mr. Shumate.

3. Lillie Fay Bell; she married Mr. Gordon.

4. Neva Ann Bell, born 26 March 1940, in Oklahoma; died 09 October 1976, in Sacramento Co., California.  She married Mr. Moreland.

5. Barbara Jean Bell, born 15 September 1955, in Los Angeles Co., California.

Obituary for Ellis Temple Null

E. T. Null

COLMESNEIL - Funeral for E. T. Null, 61, of Colmesneil will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Edwards Funeral Home in Woodville with burial in Colmesneil Cemetery in Colmesneil.

He died at 10:30 p.m. Monday at his home after an illness.

A native of North Carolina, he had lived in Colmesneil 12 years and was a retired helicopter mechanic for Petroleum Helicopter Corp.  He was also a U.S. Air Force veteran of World War II.

Survivors include his wife, Irma Cowart Null of Colmesneil; two daughters, Paula Snodgrass of Colmesneil and Jackie Henderson of Festus, Mo.; son, Steve Null of California; three sisters, Mary Murphy and Nancy Bradley, both of Lake Charles, La., and Virginia Warner of Alexandria; five brothers, Rufus Null, Bob Null and Ted Null, all of Arkansas, Ed Null of Oakdale, La., and Dick Null of Tennessee; and eight grandchildren.

Martha Jane Batson Fleming Odom & Family Photo About 1910

This is a photo of my maternal grandfather, N. D. Fleming, in about 1910. He is the young boy, and pictured with him are his sisters, Alma and Nancy. His mother is Martha Jane Batson. The man is her second husband, James T. Odom. They were married in 1909, in Marion Co., Mississippi. Martha's first husband, and her children's father, Benjamin Franklin "Pat" (I have no idea why he was called Pat, but he was) Fleming, died in 1908.

Here's a family group sheet with what I know about this family:

Benjamin Franklin "Pat" Fleming, deceased, not pictured.
Born Dec. 1878, in Calhoun Co., Alabama.
Married Martha Jane Batson on 19 Sep. 1900, in Calhoun Co., Alabama.
Died 1908, in Pinebur, Marion Co., Mississippi.

Martha Jane Batson Fleming Odom:
Born 09 March 1885, in Alabama.
Married second husband, James T. Odom, in 1909, in Marion Co., Mississippi.
Died on 06 Sep. 1966, in Columbia, Marion Co., Mississippi.
Buried at Woodlawn Cem., Columbia, Marion Co., Mississippi.

James T. Odom:
Born about 1887, in Mississippi.
Married Martha Jane Batson Fleming, in 1909, in Marion Co., Mississippi.
Martha's second husband, his first marriage.

The three children pictured are Martha's and Pat Fleming's children:

N. D. Fleming (initials only, named for Martha's parents, Nan and Dan Batson):
Born 10 Aug. 1902, in Gadsden, Calhoun Co., Alabama.
Married Lula Mae Mason on 10 Nov. 1924, in Forrest Co., Mississippi.
Died 11 July 1977, in West Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.
Buried at Hasley Cemetery, Ouachita, Louisiana.
Sometimes shown as Norman Dee Fleming, a name he gave himself when the army insisted he must have more than initials.

Alma R. Fleming:
Born 07 March 1904, in Alabama.
Married James R. Grist in 1925.
They had no children.
After her husband's death, married Alton W. Newburn.
Aunt Alma is deceased, but I don't know the date.

Nancy Lee Fleming:
Born about 1906 in Mississippi.
Married George Mullins.
Deceased, date unknown.

Nellie Fleming, not pictured.
Born 1908 in Mississippi.
Died in 1910.

I welcome any comments and information on this family.

Letter Dated September 23, 1864, from Hugh Young Spence to Martin V. Barkley

Here is a letter dated September 23, 1864, from Hugh Young Spence to Martin V. Barkley:



I transcribed the letter a few years ago. It was difficult to read, so if fresh eyes see something a little differently than I did, please don't hesitate to let me know.

In the trenches Petersburg Va.
Sept. 23, 1864Mr. M. V. Barkley
Dear friend, I seat myself to day to write you a few lines in answer to your kind letter which I received and was glad to hear from you. I am not very well but I hope these lines will reach and find you well. I have had diarrhea for some time and it still pesters me greatly. Day before yesterday morning I got slightly wounded by a small piece of a shell. It struck me on the calf of the leg breaking the skin in a small place. It is very sore but I am up doing duty. Well, Martin, I have no strange news to write you. I would be glad to see you for I could tell you more than I can write.

(Pg. 2) Lieut. King has written you all the news I suppose, about General Hampton's breaking into ??? meathouse and robbing it. It is also reported Early has been defeated in the valley. Things remain near the same here but we are expecting a hard time at ?? Well, Martin, I would be the gladest in the world to be at home. I think I could get well if I was at home. But I fear it will be a long time before I get home if ever. Dear Friend you must excuse my short letter. I hope to hear from you again soon. So no more but remain yours truly, H. Y. Spence to M. V. Barkley

Letter Dated June 13, 1864, from Nancy E. Richardson to Martin V. Barkley

Here is a letter dated June 13, 1864, from Nancy E. Richardson to Martin V. Barkley:




I transcribed the letter a few years back and am posting that transcription here. If fresh eyes see something a little differently than I did, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Rocky Point Miss June the 13 1864
Mr. M. V. Barkley,
Kind friend, I avail myself to answer very kind letter receive a few days ago. I was truely glad to hear from you this time me well hoping those few lins may reach your distant and lovely hand and find you enjoying the rich blessing of helth. You may rest asured that your letter was persued with care. You dont no how much pleasure it give me to read them sweet kind pend by your lovely hands. Oh if I just could se you could tell you more in one day then I could wright in a mounth. I, no news worth communicating to you more than you no. We have whipe the yankey in Va at evry point but great loss on bothe sids. There is a great batle defending at Richmond Va and if we whipe them there I think this war will close. The yankeys says this war wont last longer then July. If so we may all have peace in our Sunny South yet. We may live to se each other yet. I hope for a better day to come & turn over

(Pg. 2) I receive a letter from brother Sam yesterday. He was well after he left home. He was detail to make water buckets. He is not with his company, he is at Columbia Ala. I beleave I have written a bout all the news. You must wright soon. Excuse bad wrighting and spelling. I hope to here from you soon and give me all the news. I am as ever your friend till death, Nancy E. Richardson to Mr. M. V. Barkly.
My feble mind cannot indite nor my feeling tell, while with a trimbling hand I wright, perhaps my last fare well. This to friend, Nancy E. Richardson

(Pg. 3) I was sorrowed to hear of George death. Lest I hope he has gone to rest where there will be no more fighting but peace forever more. I am sorrow for Neal. Poor fellow, I no he has suffered a great deal from the wounds. Give Neal and the girls my respect love. Tell them to wright.
Yours truly,
Nancy Richardson

Letter Dated May 28, 1864, from Daniel Dendy to His Sister

Here is a letter dated May 28, 1864, from Daniel Dendy to his sister:



I transcribed this letter a few years ago and have posted that transcription here. If fresh eyes read something a little differently, please let me know.

Camp near Bottoms Br. Va.
Sunday May 28 1864
Dear Sister,
Your very interesting letter came to hand some four days ago and was glad to hear that you are again well. This leaves me well and all of your acquaintances in this company. I have nothing new to interest you. I suppose you see the dispatches and are better posted concerning this awful war than I can tell you. Gen. Lee has been doing some awful fighting and Beauregard defeated Butlere on the south side. Ewell engaged the enemy on this side of the Chickehomne last p.m. on the Mecawichsville Turnpike and drove him across the river. I could hear the canonading verry distinctly. My impression is we will have a warm time here around Richmond in a few days. It is useless for me to try to tell you anything concerning the two contending armies for I know nothing. Our command is scattered. We

(Pg. 2) Three companies down hear with us. The others are higher up the river. I have never heard from Sam Lowe, only the yankee prisners say that they captured one of our couriers and he is the only one missing. I will have to close as the mail leaves soon. Write soon direct as before.
Your brother, Daniel Dendy