I just had a “Eureka!” moment.

After we moved to Winston-Salem in the early 1960s, we would travel back to Rockbridge County through the Roanoke area. I remember stopping to see Cousin Eva in Roanoke. When I was older, I asked my Dad who was Cousin Eva? He said she was Eva Harris, wife of John Harris, and she had a sister Lula Carson. I worked on this line for a while and found that Eva’s and Lula's maiden name was Lindsay and that their parents were Horatio Thompson Lindsay and Emma Jane McGuffin. Horatio’s parents were Thomas Menzies Lindsay and Mary Jane Adams. I found a few more links but couldn’t really tell what the connection was. However, Lula married Frank Duncan Carson, and I linked him to my tree to discover he was my fifth cousin once removed. So I figured that Lula Carson was the true cousin through her husband and Eva was just called cousin by association.

But in the “Box of Letters” was one dated March 10, 1882, in which Sallie Alexander talks about Aunt Mary Lindsey and says that Emma and Rash had no children yet. Eureka! Rash is Horatio’s nickname and Aunt Mary is the sister of my great-great-grandmother, Nancy Adams Gibson (Sallie Alexander's mother). Now it makes more sense why my Dad would’ve felt close enough to stay in touch with Cousin Eva. They were second cousins once removed…fairly close in the big scheme of things. And this was an Adams family connection that I assumed we had lost. Oh, and Thomas Lindsay is the “Uncle Tom Lindsey” referred to in another letter.

Here is the full letter:

"How is the kid doing"

So ends the short note written from my great-grandfather James W Alexander to his wife Sallie in 1887. The back of the note was sent to Mrs. Sallie Alexander at Mrs. Irvin's.  Mrs. Irvin was Sallie's mother. The note reads:

"Poor House May 22 1887

Dear Sallie
     The Board of Supv put me out yesterday and put Sam Wilson in my place. They put Halbert out as County surveyor & put James in his place. Rash L is coming over this eavning [sic] & I cannot come over. P[?] More is the scoundrel that beat me. How is the kid doing
                                           from your devoted
                                                       James W. A."

James Alexander was an Overseer of the Poor, so he wrote this note from the Poor House.  Evidently, the county supervisors decided to elect different people for the positions noted. I will have to go see if I can find articles in the Lexington paper that might have covered this.  The "kid" referenced was likely their youngest child, Mary Annaliza Alexander (known to us as Aunt Midge) who was born April 12, 1887.  And Sallie was likely staying with her mother to get help with the baby and other children.

The Adams Family

I have discovered who the Dixon cousins were from my previous post.  My great-grandmother's sister, Martha Adams, married Samuel Dixon in December 1839 in Rockbridge County. They had at five children born in Virginia: Sarah, James, Mary, Martha (Mattie), and John.  Martha Adams Dixon was my third-great aunt as follows:

Martha Adams (1813 - 1893) 3rd great-aunt

James Adams (1788 - 1857) Father of Martha Adams

Nancy Lyle Adams (1826 - 1893) Daughter of James Adams

Sarah Isabella Gibson (1854 - 1920) Daughter of Nancy Lyle Adams

John Addison Alexander (1884 - 1923) Son of Sarah Isabella Gibson

John Addison Alexander Jr (1919 - 2002) Son of John Addison Alexander

Nancy Lynn Alexander Daughter of John Addison Alexander Jr

Martha Adams Dixon died October 14, 1893, in Tipton, Iowa.  According to an obituary posted on her FindAGrave Memorial (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/48823890), she was preceded in death by her husband and all but one of her children. (Tipton Advertiser 19 Oct 1893 page 3) The obituary also says she was the oldest of a family of eight, suggesting that Aunt Mag and Aunt Mary referenced in her daughter’s letter were probably her sisters; and Uncle Tom Lindsey could have been her mother’s brother.  I’m still working on that. The obituary goes on to say that Martha’s “early life was spent in her native state, but in 1854 moved with her husband and family to Tipton where she had since resided. She has been an invalid since 1882 and has known what sorrow and trouble mean, yet in the midst of it all she bore herself patiently and maintained a cheerful and hopeful spirit. This she was enabled to do by her faith in God and the trust which she exercised in her Savior and his promise to her. She united early in life with the Presbyterian Church and remained a faithful and consistent member to the close of life. She leaves a daughter and one brother in this place besides other relatives and friends who will miss her presence and sorrow in her absence.”

By the time Mattie wrote her letter in 1866, her father had died. Her sisters Sarah and Mary each married but had no children; her brother James married and had at least two children; but I found no evidence that Mattie or her brother John married.  With so many family members dying before 1900, it is understandable that family connections were lost.

For the record, I also am related to Samuel Dixon; he was my 3rd cousin 4 times removed as follows:

Samuel Dixon (1812 - 1864) 3rd cousin 4x removed

Sarah Paxton (1792 - 1834) Mother of Samuel Dixon

Samuel Paxton (1748 - 1807) Father of Sarah Paxton

Elizabeth McClung (1724 - 1773) Mother of Samuel Paxton

William McClung (1698 - 1784) Father of Elizabeth McClung

John McClung (1731 - 1817) Son of William McClung

Margaret Alexander McClung (1755 - 1839) Daughter of John McClung

Phebe Tate (1789 - 1846) Daughter of Margaret Alexander McClung

Robert Tate Willson (1812 - 1885) Son of Phebe Tate

Ida Virginia Willson (1855 - 1949) Daughter of Robert Tate Willson

Janet Ingles Fultz (1888 - 1954) Daughter of Ida Virginia Willson

John Addison Alexander Jr (1919 - 2002) Son of Janet Ingles Fultz

Nancy Lynn Alexander Daughter of John Addison Alexander Jr

Who ARE these people? 

I have a stack of new-to-me old letters that I am deciphering and I see names of Aunt so-and-so and Cousin so-and-so of people who are not in my tree!  These letters provide tantalizing hints of relations long lost to our family. 

My great-grandmother Sallie Belle Gibson Alexander kept a stationery box containing letters, receipts, cancelled checks, and other items.  The oldest date is 1866, so I will start with that simple letter. I have transcribed it below the images.

I think the Aunt to whom this was addressed may have been my great-great grandmother Nancy Lyle Adams.  Her first husband, David Addison Gibson, died in 1862 leaving her with three young children, including my great-grandmother Sallie and her brothers John and James. In 1866, the children would have been school-age  and Nancy Adams Gibson would have been a widow "living alone" as referenced in the letter. Nancy remarried in 1868 to William Irvin who died in 1871, leaving her once again a widow until her death in Rockbridge County in 1893.

That said, I do not know who Mattie Dixon or her mother or Sallie and Mary who were probably her sisters.  I also don't know Uncle Tom Lindsey, Aunt Mag or Aunt Mary. I suspect they are on the Adams side of the family, about which I know much less than the Gibson side. More to research!

 

"Tipton Cedar Co. Iowa

December 21st 1866

Dear Aunt,

After a lapse of time I set myself to drop you a few lines to see whether you are still in the land of the living it has been about four months since I answered your letter. I have almost given up in despair. I am in hopes when you receive this epistle you will certainly answer. We are all enjoying general health this evening and hoping you and your little family are all enjoying the blessings of life and that is good health. Oh what a blessing. We have had some very cold weather but it has not come to the worst yet. We have had some sleighing but not good.  I had the pleasure of taking a sleighride one evening I went to church. Oh Aunt how I wish you and your little family were here with us this evening. What a pleasant time we would have. I would not mind losing one nights sleep to have a talk with you. Oh what would I give to see you and all my relations but I fear I will never have that pleasure.  Well Aunt we all at home this evening with the exception of Sallie. She is in the town of Tipton.  Mother and Mary are knitting and has been playing the jewsharp. We are having quite an interesting time. John is going to school I expect to start next week if no preventing providence. I hope to have a pleasant time.  I suppose Cousin Sallie & John are going to school. Where did you spend your Christmas.  For my part I spent mine at home. It has been so long since I heard from you I thought I would drop you a few lines. I would like to know how you are getting along have you any one living with you now. I should think it would be very lonesome living alone. I want you to write soon and give all the particulars how all our relations are getting along especially Uncle Tom Lindsey. I am in hopes when I hear from him he will be enjoying better health. Is there any marrying going on in Virginia. There is no end to the marriages in Iowa and still no signs of stopping. There was three couple married last week all acquaintances of mine. I wish  them all the joy and happiness imaginable. Have you seen Aunt Mag lately. How are they prospering. I hope well. Tell Aunt Mag not to think she is slighted because I have sent my photograph to Aunt Mary. Tell Aunt Mag to be patient a while longer and she will have the pleasure of looking at my pretty face until she is tired. I will expect some of the family in return. Now Aunt if you don't answer this letter I will have to send you another pen and paper.  I want you to write soon and give all the particulars for I long to hear from you all once more. You were going to better the next time but instead of doing better I think you are getting worse. All join in much love to you all and accept a portion of my love to you. Answer immediately. 

From your niece, Mattie Dixon

Parted friends again may meet

From the cares of labor free

Crowned with mercy oh how sweet

Will eternal friendship be – Mattie”