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 1894 - 1985 (90 years)
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| Name |
Vernia Elvira "Ma" Swindell |
| Nickname |
Vernie |
| Birth |
1 Jun 1894 |
Green Briar Bend, White County, Tennessee  [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
1 Apr 1985 |
McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee [1, 4] |
| Burial |
Mount View Cemetery, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee [8] |
| Person ID |
I704 |
The Hennessee Family |
| Last Modified |
5 Jul 2014 |
| Father |
James Monroe "Mon" Swindle, b. 10 Feb 1846, White County, Tennessee d. 12 Mar 1904, (Green Briar Bend) White County, Tennessee (Age 58 years) |
| Mother |
Rebecca "Becky" Goodson, b. 22 Mar 1848, White County, Tennessee d. 13 Apr 1931, White County, Tennessee (Age 83 years) |
| Marriage |
15 Jan 1868 |
White County, Tennessee [2, 9, 10, 11] |
| Residence (Family) |
1870 |
White County, Tennessee [12] |
| Residence (Family) |
1880 |
(White County) Tennessee [13] |
 Residence (Family) |
1900 |
White County, Tennessee [2] |
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| Photos |
 | Mother & Daughter
Standing is Vernia Elivira "Ma Byars" Swindell Byars (1894-1985)
and sitting is her mother, Rebecca "Aunt Becky" Goodson Swindle (1848-1930). She was known as, "Aunt Becky, the midwife" as she midwifed a great number of children born in White County. As a matter of fact, she midwifed Robert "Murlis" Wright, husband of her granddaughter, Bessie Lee Byars Wright.
This photo was provided October 30, 2015, by Christine Bess Cornett, which was found at her mother's home, Pearl Byars Bess Fultz, another granddaughter of Aunt Becky... |
 | Swindell's Mill at the Caney Fork River, White County, Tennessee
This is a zoomed-in shot of the remaining foundation of "Mon's Mill", great grandfather of the grandchildren of "Ma" Swindell & "Pop" Byars, taken from the other side of the Caney Fork River.
Photo provided by cousin Christine Bess Cornett, November 19, 2015
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| Family ID |
F773 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Perry Green "Green" Byars, b. 27 Jun 1894, Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee d. 12 Dec 1968, Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee (Age 74 years) |
| Marriage |
4 Jan 1915 |
DeKalb County, Tennessee [4, 14] |
| Type: CIVIL |
- Pop courted Ma only two months before they were married by W. H. Cantrell, JP
When Pop proposed, Ma replied, "Are you sure?" - after all, it was only two months earlier that they met and Ma didn't think she was pretty enough for the most handsome man she'd ever met...
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| Residence (Family) |
Bildad, DeKalb County, Tennessee |
| Residence (Family) |
1920 |
Warren County, Tennessee [15] |
| Residence (Family) |
1930 |
Warren County, Tennessee [16] |
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| Residence (Family) |
1935 |
Warren County, Tennessee [17] |
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| Residence (Family) |
1940 |
McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee [17] |
| Children |
| | 1. John Claybourne "Pete" Byars, b. 4 Jun 1916, Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee d. 1 Dec 1987, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee (Age 71 years) |
| | 2. Robert Lucile "Lucile" Byars, b. 6 Dec 1918, Pa's House, Keltonburg, DeKalb County, Tennessee d. 23 Mar 2008, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee (Age 89 years) |
| | 3. Fred Swindell Byars, b. 7 Dec 1920, Moores College, DeKalb County, Tennssee d. 19 Feb 1950, Sherwood, Franklin County, Tennessee (Age 29 years) |
| | 4. Bessie Lee Byars, b. 8 Feb 1925, Green Hill, Warren County, Tennessee d. 12 Jul 2013, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee (Age 88 years) |
| | 5. Eva Pearl "Pearl" Byars |
| | 6. Margie Sue Byars, b. 21 Mar 1930, Green Hill, Warren County, Tennessee d. 7 Jan 1997, Erie, Pennsylvania (Age 66 years) |
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| Photos
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 | Green Byars
Photo taken circa 1945 in Detroit, where he worked at "Budd Wheel" during WW II |
 | Pop with Uncle Fred
Taken in Detroit just after WWII ended as Uncle Fred is still in uniform... |
 | Ma Byars with her first three children.
Circa 1921 at their home in Green Hill, DeKalb Co.,TN
Left-to-Right:
Lucile Byars Hennessee (1918-2008)
Vernia Swindell Byars (1894-1985)
Fred Swindell Byars (1920-1950)
John Claybourne Byars (1916-1987) |
 | Perry Green "Pop" Byars (1894-1968)
Sunday morning, October 20, 2013:
Spoke to Aunt Pearl this morning about Pop & Uncle Pete in regards to their "troubles with the law"...
Pop thought that if he could run one load of whiskey to Nashville, that would solve all of his financial problems as...
This was in the early 1930's and he was living with his young family in Green Hill (DeKalb County) where he was cropping shares and hauled logs part-time. Can you imagine working the fields all day and then hauling logs to McMinnville, 10 miles away, all on foot and by mule? No wonder he thought this was an easier way to make a few dollars.
Pop got caught. Aunt Pearl tells us that it took everything he had to avoid jail and he never did that again!
Ma told me that Pop worked as a mechanic (probably during the 1930's). At some point, Pop began selling farm implements for the Sullivan Company of McMinnville and apparently did this through the early 1950's as I remember travelling with out in the country to call on his propests and customers...
In 1941 Pop went to Detroit. He worked for Budd Wheel through the summer of 1945. On his return he bought the log house on North Warren and the family moved there from their residence on Towles Avenue.
Then Pop buys a taxi which he ran until late 1949 - early 1950. It is at this juncture that Uncle Pete began a felon. Uncle Pete borrows the taxi from Pop and drives to Manchester and picks-up a lady(ies) for an evening of dancing and driking. Pete is "higher than a Georgia pine", crashes the car and kills a passenger. He is convicted of manslaughter and sent to prison in 1949 when he returns home about three years later...Pop got out of the taxi business.
It is at this point that he works full-time for Sullivan. It was 1950 and I remember Pop bought a brand-new 1950 Plymouth, "Sea Mist Green" 4-door sedan as this was the car we travelled in when he called on his clients.
He retired in the mid-1950's and spent his life fishing, whittling and guarding his realm from an old wood chair propped-up against the garage in the backyard...
Photo taken circa 1960... |
 | Pop & Ma Byars
Photo provided by their grand-daughter, Christine Bess Cornett. Appears to be have taken in the late 1940's... |
 | Pop & Uncle Fred
Taken sometime during World War II while Uncle Fred was in the navy... |
 | Ma Byars' Granddaughters
Janet Wright Robbins
Kathy Bess Tugman
Karen Sue Mitchell
Photo taken Summer of 2006 on Aunt Pearl's porch in Rock Island, Tennessee |
 | Deux Grandes Dames
Two great ladies...
Aunt Bessie & Aunt Pearl
Photo taken the Summer of 2013 |
 | Grandmother & Grandson
Ma Byars (1894-1985)
Fred Hennessee (1950-1985)
Photo taken in 1977 |
 | Sisters...
Aunt Pearl and Aunt Bessie at the table in Rock Island, Tennessee
Photo provided by their niece, Karen Mitchell... |
 | Pop & Sons-in-Law
This photo was probably taken in Detroit after Aunt Margie's wedding to Jack DeCuennick, June 3, 1949. Shown from the left is:
Murlis Wright (1925-2004)
Pop Byars (1894-1968)
Bert Hennessee (1918-1986)
Jack DeCuennick (1928-2010)
Photo contributed by cousin Christine Cornett, July 1, 2014.
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 | Ma & Pop Byars' Family
This photo was taken in June, 1949, on Continental Avenue, Detroit, when Aunt Margie married Uncle Jack.
Top Row, Left-to-Right:
My Mom (1918-2008)
Aunt Bessie (1925-2013)
Aunt Margie (1930-1997)
Uncle Fred (1920-1950)
Aunt Marie (1922-2012)
Aunt Pearl (1928
Pop Byars (1894-1968)
Middle Row:
My Dad (1918-1986)
Uncle Murlis (1925-2004)
Uncle Jack (1928-2010)
Uncle Bob (1917-1990)
Bottom Row:
Me (1942-
Ma Byars (1894-1985)
Cousin Linda Gayle (1945-
Photo provided by cousin Christine, July 1, 2014...
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 | Pop & Ma Byars' Family
Back Row: Aunt Pearl, Aunt Margie, Mother, Uncle Bob, Cousin Linda Gail, Dad, Cousin Kathy, Aunt Bessie, me, Uncle Jack, brother Fred & Uncle Murlis
Middle Row: cousin Robert on Pop's lap, Ma Byars & cousin Janet
Bottom Row: cousin Kenny, cousin Debbie, cousin Christine, cousin Dawn & cousin Karen.
Photo was taken in front of Pop's house on Warren Street, McMinnville, Tennessee circa Summer of 1962...
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 | Ma & Karen
Ma and Karen on their birthday, June 1, 1981.
Ma was 87 and Karen was 27.
Photo provided by her loving granddaughter, Karen... |
 | The Three Younger Byars Daughters...
From the left:
Margie Sue (1930-1997)
Eva Pearl (1928-
Bessie Lee (1925-2013)
Photo provided by Christine Bess Cornett, November 8th, 2016 |
 | The Four Byars Girls
Photos supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016 |
 | Daughters & Grandchildren
Top Row: Margie Sue, Bessie Lee, Eva Pearl & Robert Lucile
Bottom: Janet, Gayle holding Karen, Fred, Ma holding Kenny and Kathy
Photo supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016 |
 | Uncle Fred, Ma & Uncle Pete
This photo was probably taken in the late forties at the homeplace on Warren Street.
Photo supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016 |
 | Family...
Pop, Dad, Uncle Bob, Linda Gayle & me.
Photo supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016
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 | Brothers-in-Law
Uncle Pete & Dad standing in front of Dad's 1947, maroon, Pontiac...
Photo supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016 |
 | "The P. G. (Perry Green) Potter Home"
Built in 1875-1876 in Dibrell, Warren County, Tennessee by Kitt Swingle for Perry Green Potter.
First, he built a large two story house, then a store, barn and a blacksmith shop.
Aunt Pearl provided this image and tells us that Ma & Pop lived in this house between 1935 to 1937. They then moved to the "Hennessee House" on Main Street (no longer there).
Note: Kitt Zwingle was a 2nd cousin to Ma. Pop was a grandnephew of P.G. Potter and both of whom were named after their antecedent, "Perry Green Magness".
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 | Aunt Margie & Ma
Marjorie Lois Griffith Byars (1914-2006) was wife of Pop's first cousin, Perry Green Byars. As a matter of fact, Perry & Margie were so well loved by Ma & Pop, they named their youngest daughter, "Margie Sue Byars".
Photo taken in August, 1973 at Perry & Margie's place in Warren County, Tennesseee and contributed by Joe Byars, February 5, 2017 |
 | The Sisters in Palm Beach
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 | Bessie, Marie, Lucile, Pearl & David
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 | Ma & Pop's House
located on 112 North Warren Street, McMinnville, Tennessee
(Pop bought this house in 1945) |
 | Cousins Kenny, David, Robert & Fred
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| Family ID |
F274 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified |
30 Apr 2023 |
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| Event Map |
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 | Birth - 1 Jun 1894 - Green Briar Bend, White County, Tennessee |
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 | Marriage - Type: CIVIL - 4 Jan 1915 - DeKalb County, Tennessee |
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 | Residence (Family) - 1920 - Warren County, Tennessee |
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| Residence (Family) - 1930 - Warren County, Tennessee |
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| Residence (Family) - 1935 - Warren County, Tennessee |
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 | Residence (Family) - 1940 - McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee |
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| Death - 1 Apr 1985 - McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee |
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 | Burial - - Mount View Cemetery, McMinnville, Warren County, Tennessee |
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| Photos
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 | Vernie & Green Byars' Young Family
Ma's mother, Becky Goodson Swindle with her grandchildren, circa 1928 at the old homeplace, DeKalb Co., TN;
Left-to-right:
Lucile Byars Hennessee (1918-2008)
Fred Swindell Byars (1920-1950)
Bessie Byars Wright (1925- is on her lap
John Claybourne Byars (1916-1987) |
 | Vernia Elvira "Ma" Swindell Byars (1894-1985)
Photo taken in 1914, Ma was 18 years old, probably in White Co., TN |
 | Some of the Family at Aunt Pearl's, summer of '86
Marie Price Byars Millsaps (1922-2012)
Robert Ferman Bess (1917-1990)
Bert Hennessee (1918-1986)
Dawn DeCuennick Cline (1959-
David Hennessee (1942-
Terry Mitchell
Contributed by Dawn DeCuennick Cline who writes;
I really like this photo (and it is in my bedroom where I can see it every day) because Aunt Marie looks so good (see the sweet eyes?:)
...I never knew what Uncle Bob was thinking (but learned there is a different meaning to “switch” than the thing that turns on the lights...kidding!)
...Uncle Bert looks like he's actually listening to me (precious man!)
...I don't know WHAT Terry is looking at (man...I love terry to this day...we used to have some amazing discussions!)
...and my Cuz David (International Man of Mystery, Chess Instructor, Distributor of International Coinage, South Florida's Most Sought After Concierge and a cousin I haven't EVER gotten to hang out with enough) is handsome as ever as he is in rapt concentration. Is he surveying the flora and fauna of the Caney Fork? Is he wondering if his cousin Dawn will EVER shut up? Perhaps he's eyeing the food table wondering how he's going to beat Cousin Kenny to the delectables? heh:)
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 | "Ma" Byars (1894-1985)
Believe this photo was taken circa 1945 when Ma & Pop moved from Towles Avenue to North Warren Street, McMinnville, Tennessee.
Photo provided by granddaughter, Christine Cornett (1956- |
 | "Ma" Byars (1894-1985)
This is a picture of Ma taken in the early 1980's by her loving grandson, Fred Byars Hennessee (1950-1985) and contributed by her loving granddaughter, Dawn Decuennick Cline... |
 | "Ma" Byars?
This photo was printed as a post-card. On the back, in Ma's handwriting is:
"Vernia Swindell, October 5, 1913, 19 years old ... Bessie's pictures".
I can't see that it is "Ma" if one compares it with her other image as a young woman...DAH |
 | Ma's homeplace...
This photo was taken at Green Briar Bend, White County, Tennessee, on the Caney Fork River, in the general area where Ma grew-up. Note the white rock formation over Mike's left shoulder at which we wondered how many times Ma looked at this formation while doing her chores or strolling on the river bank so many years ago...
Mike Cornett with Ma's grandchildren;
Christine Bess Cornett
David Hennessee
Photo taken by cousin Janet Wright Robbins, November 5, 2015 |
 | Ma at Aunt Pearl's
Photo supplied by Robert & Angelia Bratcher Bess, late December, 2016 |
| Recordings |
 | A conversation with "Ma Byars"
I recorded our conversation sometime in 1975. Most of the interview is about her & Pop's courtship - which lasted only two months before they married.
The tape is 12 minutes and 32 seconds long and is very weak in most spots, however you can her Ma's sweet voice, timbre and cadence... David |
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| Notes |
- Personal Testimony of Vernie Elvira Swindell Byars:
" I was born on a farm in White County, Tenn. about a mile from the Caney Fork River in the Green Brier Bend on June 1, 1894. My father was Monroe Swindell, a miller and my mother was Rebecca Goodson, known in that section as "Aunt Becky", she was the local midwife and everyone wanted Aunt Becky when they had their babies. I had 8 sisters and 3 brothers, I was a change of life baby and some my family thought it was awful for their mother to have a baby at 50.
My father died at the age of 56, I was 10 years old, he possibly had cancer of the stomach, there were 5 children at home at this time. My brothers were bad to tease me. Example:Upstairs we had a lot of clothing that belonged to people that died and they told me there were ghosts up there so I was afraid of everything.
I walked 4 miles to school and went as far as the 4th grade. In the fall I would pick peas to buy my winter clothes. Our entertainments was church socials, square dances. Being the youngest child I had nieces as old as I was and it was through one of my nieces that I met my husband, she had brought him to church with her and I thought he was the handsomest man I had ever seen and never dreamed he would look at me but after that he never went with anyone else.
He was from across the river in DeKalb County, drove a hired buggy and dressed to kill. We were married Jan. 4, 1915. We took a boat across the river and was married by a Justice of the Peace. We stayed the first night with an uncle of my husband, Uncle Harrell (Byars) and Aunt Sarah.
They had several children and the oldest liked to play jokes, we slept on a couch that let down from the front to make a bed and they did something with the legs in front so the couch slanted and I slept behind and spent the nite hanging on the the back of the bed to keep from rolling onto Green.
He was working for a Great Uncle at that time, Claybourne Parrish so we moved into a one room cabin to start our married life.
My mother gave me $5.00 and some bedding. I went to the field everyday with Green. Our first child (John Claybourne) was born June 4, 1916, my mother was with me ever time a child came and I only had the Doctor one time as I had difficulty delivering Fred.
Green made $.35 a day and after working all day he would haul logs from Smithville to McMinnville (10 miles) and walked most of the way to keep from freezing.
We had 5 more children, Robert Lucile, Fred Swindell, Bessie Lee, Eva Pearl and Margie Sue.
Green learned to work on cars, T models and A model along with farming. We moved from one place to another farming on the shares.
My mother died in April 1930 at the age of 82, fell and broke her leg. August 1931 our house burned, we lived at Green Hill and gone to White County to see my family, when we returned all was gone, food for the winter and during hard times. Our friends and neighbors gave us enough to start back housekeeping, Mr. Payton Griffith sent a wagon around the county. We moved to Dibrell then Green started working for Ralston Sullivan selling gas refrigerators and radio's, later farm machinery and tombstones. He worked off and on for him for 30 years.
In 1938 we sold all our farming stuff and moved to McMinnville, on Spring St. In 1941 we were at war with Germany and our oldest daughter lived in Detroit so Green went up there and got a job at Budd Wheels as a riveter with only a 4th grade education, he worked 1942 & 43 then came back and drove a taxi for the duration of the war. We had always rented but he saved enough to buy our house 112 N. Warren St.
I was always raised to go to church and Sunday School and was saved August 1923 at a Methodist revival meeting at Keltonberg. If it had not been for the Lord's help during the depression we would not have made it, Green had ulcers and could not work part of the time, but the Lord always provided when I did not see how I was going to get by. He blessed us in allowing us to raise 6 children, none bad sick but we lost Fred at the age of 29 in a freak accident after going thru the war he came home and got killed at sawmill when a can of gasoline exploded.
Green had a lung removed because of cancer in the spring of 1968, he died Dec. 13, 1968 and the age of 74."
"Ma Byars" died April 1, 1985.
end
- http://www.tngenweb.org/white/district5/10-TN-05.htm#Dwelling%20112%20Family%20115
1910 Census - White County, Tennessee - 5th Civil District
April 23, 1910
Supervisor's District 3
Enumeration District 192
Sheet 6B
Dwelling 112 Family 115
Marital Children Birthplace
Name Relat. Sex Race Age Status Yrs B. Alive Person Father Mother Occupation
Swindell, Rebecca Head F W 61 Wd 13 11 TN TN TN Own Income
Swindell, Tabitha Dau F W 30 S TN TN TN None
Swindell, Andy Son M W 18 S TN TN TN Farmer
Swindell, Vernie Dau F W 16 S TN TN TN None
end [18]
- Aunt Pearl tells us that Ma was scared by everything as a girl and he brothers took advantage of that fact.
Ma picked peas at Green Bend to buy clothes for her children
Pop, Uncle Pete & I always called her "Bill"...DAH. [19, 20]
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| Sources |
- [S7] "Warren County,Tennessee Cemetery Book 3 - Macedonia Cemetery to Mullican, p. 109.
- [S52978] "United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSZV-JBL : accessed.
- [S8472] "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MGNJ-YW1 : acc.
- [S8770] "Hogg DNA Project - A List of Hogg Lines", line VA1657: descendants of John Hogg of New Kent Co. VA, http://hdhdata.org/.
- [S8772] "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNGR-Y8P : acc.
- [S8773] "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP7L-15Q : acc.
- [S8774] "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4HF-9VX : acc.
- [S827] Vernia Byars, obituary, "The Southern Standard", April 3, 1985, abstracted (Reliability: 3).
- [S3987] "White County Marriage Records, Part of Book I: January 11, 1859 to June 11,, p. 18 (Reliability: 3).
- [S52981] "Tennessee, State Marriage Index, 1780-2002," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VN4V-H6X : acce.
- [S58] "The Families of White County,Tennessee in 1860", enumerated & notated by, p. 118 (Reliability: 3).
- [S52979] "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MD88-BVF : accessed.
- [S52980] "United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDWK-B8B : accessed.
- [S7902] DeKalb Co.,TN Marriage Book:1901-1950, compiled by Jorene Washer Parsley, p. 78 (Reliability: 3).
- [S12220] "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MNGR-Y8P : acc.
- [S12219] "United States Census, 1930", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SP7L-15Q : acc.
- [S12221] "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K4HF-9VX : acc.
- [S6229] http://www.tngenweb.org/white/district5/10-TN-05.htm#Dwelling%20112%20Family%20115.
- [S30] David A. Hennessee, HENNESSEE Researcher & Compiler, 626 Biscayne Drive,West Palm Beach,FL 33401, 561.832.6612, info@c.
- [S10790] Pearl Byars Bess Fultz provided the information for this person or place during a telephone conversation July 30, 2015 a.
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