Heirs of Thomas Jones(1812-1896): White County, Tennessee Chancery Records

I found a court case at FamilySearch that involved land that Thomas Jones of White Co., Tennessee, owned at the time of his death. The land was being sold, so there was a need to confirm his heirs. This was not taking place a few months after his death, but over 25 years after he had passed. Some of his children were deceased by that time as well, which necessitated naming their children, and—in cases where a grandchild was deceased—their surviving children.

This is a lot of great information for anyone researching this family. Thomas' wife, Rebecca Hitchcock Jones, was a sister to my 3rd-great-grandfather, James P. Hitchcock. The file includes 12 children, 22 grandchildren (representing the 6 deceased children), and 10 great-grandchildren (representing the 2 deceased grandchildren).

I extracted the information on the heirs from the file and have organized it in a spreadsheet, in which I also included the source citation. I plan to save it as a PDF and attach it to Thomas Jones' profile within my family tree at Ancestry.

Oscar Thomas Jones( 27 Nov 1865-14 Dec 1952)--Sparta, Tennessee, USA

Oscar Thomas Jones(my 2nd Cousin 3 times removed) is a Hitchcock & Riddle descendant(through his Mom) and doubly kin to Hitchcocks as his Dad's paternal grandmother was a Hitchcock.

He also descends from Thomas Jones and Rebecca Hitchcock.  Oscar was the son of Francis Jones. Francis was the older brother of Almedia, Omelia, and Catherine Jones—the three deaf Jones sisters I have written about previously on this blog in 2017, and most recently on Substack (see: Reconstructing a Nineteenth-Century Network: The Jones-Bronson-Fuller-Bassett Family and the Special Censuses).

Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning

A car driven by J. T. Gracey, in which Mrs. Gracey and Rev. O. T. Jones were passengers, and a car driven by Mrs. Robert Poore, whose 5-year-old daughter, Betty Ruth Poore, was a passenger, collided at an intersection on the Smithville road Sunday, resulting in the death of Rev. Jones before his arrival at the hospital.

All the others were taken to the White County Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Gracey suffered cuts and bruises and Mrs. Gracey's collarbone was broken.

Mrs. Poore suffered a shoulder fracture, and she and her daughter suffered cuts and bruises. Mrs. Poore is still in the Hospital.

Rev O T Jones

Oscar Thomas Jones was born November 27, 1865 and died December 14, 1952; having been blessed by Our Heavenly Father with a long life of 87 years and 17 days.

When brother Jones was about 50 years of age, he was married to Miss Nola Jones, who survives him. Though he never had children of his own, he raised four children, all of whom survive. They are Mrs. L. H. Lafever, of Honolulu; Odella Anderson of Sparta; J. T. Gracey of Sparta; and Miss Nell Jones who was living in his home at the time of his death. The fact that he was unselfishly concerned to help, and to raise the children; who love him like a father, is indicative the kind of man brother Jones was.

He was concerned to help, not only these children, but all other people about him. This he did: never failing his friends and neighbors in times of sorrow such as has now come to those who loved him; and family, and other neighbors. Brother Jones was a member of the Baptist Church; and a faithful, active christian.

Source:
"Rev. O.T. Jones Killed in Wreck Sunday Morning," The Sparta Expositor (Sparta, Tennessee), 18 December 1952, vol. 77, no. 35, p. 1, col. 8; digital image, FamilySearch (
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13RR-YYQC : accessed 29 June 2026), IGN 008984674, image 375 of 1142.

So Grateful for the Many Resources at our Fingertips

I attended an excellent presentation by Tami Osmer Mize today--one of four free GRIP Virtual Sessions offered this week. Her lecture on

ConferenceKeeper.org was a fantastic reminder of how many high-quality(and sometimes free) opportunities there are out there to learn about history, ancestors, and research methodologies.

You'll find the LegacyFamilyTree Webinars listed on ConferenceKeeper. While they are a subscription service, a massive number of their presentations are actually completely free to view for a full week after the live broadcast. (Though as a subscriber myself, I love having total on-demand access to the whole archive whenever I need it!)

This got me thinking about genealogical societies and their journals—which naturally led me to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), which was recently updated. PERSI now includes direct links to some of the specific journal articles you can find online. While not every journal is indexed yet, I noticed a wealth of linked records from the Bedford County Historical Society. In fact, they recently made their quarterlies that are over three years old available for free via the FamilySearch Library.

With so much of my family rooted in Bedford County and its neighboring areas, I checked around and found excellent free historical publications available online for Rutherford and Williamson counties as well.

Journals, webinars, books, and historical records—there is an incredible wealth of information out there to help us piece together our family trees if we just take the time to look.

Key Resources Mentioned:

• Calendar of Events: ConferenceKeeper.org

• On-Demand & Live Classes: LegacyFamilyTree Webinars

• Periodical Source Index: PERSI

• Bedford County Historical Quarterlies: FamilySearch Library

• Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society: MTSU Digital Collections

• Williamson County Historical Journals: Williamson County History

Bedford Co. TN: Searching for the Graves of Two Revolutionary Patriots

My fourth great-grandparents are William Harrison (abt.1750–1833) and his wife, Elvira Cooper Harrison. Their son, Edward C. Harrison, married Eliza Jane McClain, drawing a fascinating parallel in our tree. Eliza’s father, George McLain, was also a Revolutionary War soldier. Like William, George served out of North Carolina, though they hailed from different areas and served in separate regiments. Decades after the war, their paths converged closely in Middle Tennessee. The 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County shows George and William’s households enumerated just a few lines apart, surrounded by a close-knit cluster of other Harrison and McLain families.

From 1830 Bedford Co TN Dist. 9

The timing of their deaths is remarkably close: William died in 1833, and George followed shortly after in 1834. Both men were actively drawing pensions for their service at the time of their deaths. While I have their complete pension files in my possession, the exact resting place for both George and William remains unknown. It is my strong belief that each man was laid to rest in a family cemetery on their respective properties.

Wm. Harrison & widow Elvira Pension

Initially, I missed William's entry in Helen and Timothy Marsh’s Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. When I finally located it, the brief mention offered little beyond data sourced from an old DAR file. Fortunately, his actual pension file contains a wealth of detailed information that I have explored in several previous posts on this blog. Clues regarding the location of his land do exist. I discovered a local land entry referencing where "old man Harrison" (or "old Wm Harrison") lived and died. Because he was the only elder William Harrison residing in that specific area, this undoubtedly points to him. The record also notes his daughter, Elizabeth Cook(my 3rd Great Grandmother), whom the 1830 census confirms was living in the immediate neighborhood. By 1851, Elvira and several of their children had passed away, and other family members migrated out of the region following the Civil War. This rapid displacement of immediate kin is likely why William's grave was never permanently marked and has eluded researchers for generations. If we are ever able to pinpoint his burial site, it is highly probable that Elizabeth and perhaps her husband are resting nearby. 

Uncovering more details on George McLain required sorting through some digital noise. I found a reference from a descendant mentioning a family history book published by his aunt. When I tried to use an AI tool to help me track down the volume, it completely hallucinated the source. Undeterred, I combed through Ancestry tree sources until I found a valid citation that led me straight to the digital copy on FamilySearch.

The McLains, by George! The Family History and Genealogy of George McLain, Revolutionary War Veteran through Two Sons, John Alexander McLain of Bond County, Illinois, Jediah Alexander McLain of Bedford County, Tennessee compiled by Carrie McLain West (1981) 

This history helped clarify why George’s grave was also lost. Following his death, his widow and children migrated northwest to  Bond Co. Illinois. With few family member left in Bedford County to maintain the homestead or care for the site, George's final resting place was left behind to be reclaimed by time. 

The three most likely factors that contributed to these graves becoming lost to living memory:

• The Era of Death: Both soldiers passed away in the early 1830s, a period where early land markers were often ephemeral.
• Gaps in Local Records: While land records for this era exist, the subsequent deed transfers from the 1850s—though partially reconstructed following Bedford County's courthouse losses—are far from all-encompassing.
• Family Migration: Harrison and McLain descendants moved west leaving few local caretakers to preserve the locations. 

To break through this brick wall and locate these homestead plots, it will take  neighborhood reconstruction using platting, watercourses, and adjacent land deeds to piece back together where these two patriots lived out their final days. Thankfully, I can narrow it down to the 9th District of Bedford Co TN.  That is more info than some folks who are researching lost graves have.  For that I am grateful.

The Danger of Specific Location Searches

Please be aware that if you are narrowing your FamilySearch Full-Text Search by location, you might want to make sure that you haven't gotten too specific. I've often found towns or cities listed incorrectly within the Catalog's description. The most common one I see in my research is Rutherford County, TN, being mistaken for Rutherford (city), TN. Rutherford the city is in Gibson County, TN.

One of my favorite ways to search is by using key community or family surnames. Today, I searched on some common surnames within my paternal grandmother's family and found a listing for Garrison Fork Baptist Church, Beech Grove, TN. So glad I found them! I never would have found this by looking within the correct location because it is listed as Weakley County, TN, instead of under Coffee County. No idea why anyone thought it was in Weakley County. The records from Beech Grove are the only ones on the reel, and there is nothing on the first few pages that would lead me to believe it was located there. This can happen within other sites as well and is not just specific to FamilySearch.  So, now to try and figure out how to ask for a correction so others don't miss out. Anyone interested in the Garrison Fork Baptist Church records on this reel can find it in the catalog here.  You will need to log in to access it.  If you don't have an account, no worries, registration is free.

Records Aren't Always Where They're Supposed to Be

Viola W Cooke Agee & her big sister Magnus Cooke Snoddy
Daughters of Thomas DeWitt Cooke Sr. & Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke

When searching for early 20th-century ancestors, we often lock ourselves into a strict birth year and a specific county. However, historical record-keeping quirks and shifting geographic definitions can easily throw us off the trail. While searching the name of a paternal aunt, I found a birth certificate which was issued for her in January of 1916. It shows her correct birthdate (June 12, 1915) and is not a Delayed Birth Certificate. The six-month delay in registering the birth caused it to fall into the next year's group of birth certificates. Why would a mid-1915 birth seamlessly slide into 1916 without being labeled delayed? Let's look at the timeline of mandatory record-keeping in Tennessee:

1908–1912: Tennessee first began requiring statewide birth registrations in 1908. This requirement lapsed and expired at the end of 1912.

1913: Because the law expired and no agency was actively charged with keeping records, 1913 is known as a "dead year" for Tennessee vital records.

1914: A new, and stricter vital statistics law was enacted, and permanent registration officially resumed.

Because the system was still relatively new and finding its footing in 1915, local doctors, midwives, or district registrars frequently hoarded certificates and submitted them in large batches months late. These batches were part of the standard, active registration system, so the state treated them as a regular filing rather than a Delayed Birth Certificate (a designation that later became common after Social Security was introduced in 1935).Not only was her 1915 birth grouped with the 1916 records, but her place of birth also contains an error. She was born in Chapel Hill, which is listed correctly, but the recording county is listed as Bedford County—even though Chapel Hill is located in Marshall County (just west of Bedford).Even though Chapel Hill is firmly in northeastern Marshall County today, families living near county lines often went to the closest major trading town, medical professional, or courthouse—regardless of lines on a map. If the attending physician or the family identified more closely with Bedford County (or if the doctor's primary practice crossed the county line), the birth was routinely filed in the neighboring county.

If you can't find a birth(or other vital record) expand your search parameters. 

• Look Ahead-Check the subsequent months or even the following year
• Check Bordering Counties-it could have been recorded in a neighboring county.
• Search by Parents' Names

A birth record isn't always where we think it should be. 

Remembering Pvt. J.D. Luna: A Memorial Day Tribute

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum
(soldier pictured is not J.D. Luna)

On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave all in service of their country. My mother's paternal first cousin, J.D. Luna, was one of those brave souls.

J.D. Luna was born on March 15, 1924, in White County, Tennessee, to Samuel Douglas Luna and Tennie England Luna. The family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, before the 1940 census, and that is where they were living when J.D. registered for the draft in June 1942. At the time of his registration, he was working as a sales clerk at McClure & Walker.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 10, 1943, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After completing basic training at Camp McCain, Mississippi, he volunteered for the paratroopers and completed Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Private Luna was assigned to Company D of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, a unit within the 101st Airborne Division. The regiment deployed to England in September 1943, spending nine months in intensive training for the Allied invasion of Europe. He was killed in action during D-Day operations on June 6, 1944 and is noted as the first resident of Madison County, Alabama, to die in the Normandy invasion.

Initially buried in France, J.D.'s remains were returned to Tennessee in 1948 and he was reinterred in Taylors Providence Cemetery, where many of his family members rest. He is also memorialized on the Huntsville-Madison County Veterans Memorial in Alabama.

Sources: 

"J D Luna First Invasion Death," The Huntsville Times, June 26, 1944, Vol 35, No 91, p 1, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-j-d-luna-first-inva/198083660/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J D Luna First Invasion Death by user rmbeckman.

"First Madison County Soldier to died at Normandy," The Huntsville Times, Online News at AL.com,  May 30, 2021, Page  A6; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-jd-luna-1924-1944/198083127/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J.D. Luna 1924-1944 by user rmbeckman.

"U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), draft registration card for J D Luna, serial no. N333, order no. 11247, Local Draft Board, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama; citing WWII Draft Registration Cards for Alabama, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947, Record Group 147, Box 169, National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.

"1940 United States Federal Census," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), J D Luna, West Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, population schedule, ED 45-52, sheet 6B, household 117, 28 Ninth Avenue, line 67; citing US Federal Census, 1940, National Archives microfilm publication T627, roll 57.

Find a Grave, digital images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 May 2026), memorial page for Pvt J D Luna (1924–1944), Memorial ID 8070284, citing Taylors Providence Cemetery, Smithville, DeKalb County, Tennessee; maintained by Rhonda C Poynter & Friends (contributor 46849444), headstone photographs by Rhonda Sue.

Triple Cousin, Lifelong Teacher: The Legacy of Oscar Roy Ashley

Discovering a cousin who connects to your tree thru multiple lines is not that rare on my paternal grandmother's side of the family.  I always like to map out the lines.  This one was a really great find even though he didn't leave any descendants, he left much more.

Oscar Roy Ashley (1906–2001) is my cousin thru 3 ancestor couples: James Morrow & Margaret Sutton, James Jakes & Nancy Harger, and James Knox & Elizabeth Craig. Born in Bedford County and raised in Murfreesboro, Oscar never married or had any known children. Instead, the record trail shows a life completely dedicated to literature and education. Oscar pursued his love for words at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, graduating in 1927 with a BA in English. The census records map out his decades in the classroom:

1930: Back in Bedford County, working as a local schoolteacher in Shelbyville.

1940: Relocated to Chattanooga, where he joined the faculty of the prestigious Baylor School.

1950: A brief stint in New York City working as an instructor before returning home to Tennessee.

He also served in the US Army Air Forces  during World War II

He spent decades mentoring young minds, eventually retiring in Chattanooga where he lived to be 94.

While Oscar left no known descendants to carry on his name, his final act ensured his passion for education would live on. In his will, he left his estate to his alma mater to establish the Oscar Roy Ashley Graduate School Fellowship at UT Knoxville. Today, this permanent endowment funds a $4,000 annual fellowship for talented, returning graduate students who show exceptional academic performance.

From the UT Knoxville Website  https://gradschool.utk.edu/ 

Also see the Oscar Roy Ashley Papers

The census records simply list him as "never married, but Oscar’s legacy is clearly written in the fellowship that still bears his name.

Sources Consulted:

Oscar Roy Ashley Graveside services for Oscar Roy Ashley, 94, formerly of Murfreesboro, who died Monday, July 16, at his home in Chattanooga, will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Chattanooga National Cemetery. The Rev. E. Lane Alderman Jr. will officiate. He was the son of the late Edgar Leander and Mary Elvira Stephenson Ashley.

The Daily News-Journal, July 18, 2001, Page  11. image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-oscar-roy-ashley/197716870/ : accessed May 17, 2026).

1910 United States Federal Census: Civil District 1, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1920 United States Federal Census: Murfreesboro Ward 1, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1930 United States Federal Census: Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Boarder; Occupation: Teacher.

1940 United States Federal Census: Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Occupation: Secondary School Teacher.

1950 United States Federal Census: New York, New York, New York. Status: Never Married; Occupation: Instructor. 

Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869–1909: Confirming birth on September 26, 1906, in Bedford County.

U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880–2012: Documenting his education, including his 1927 graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014

The Daily News-Journal (Murfreesboro, TN): Obituary published on July 18, 2001, page 11.

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946

U.S., WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947: Showing his employment at the Baylor School in Hamilton County, Tennessee, dated October 16, 1940.

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s–Current: Documenting his burial at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Memorial ID 64920975).

Wm Hale(1849- 11 May 1926)

 

William P Hale, my 2nd Great Grandfather died 100 years ago today.  I finally found an obituary for him a few days ago.  The obituary does very little in the way of helping to identify him other than give his age and the name of the cemetery in which he was buried.

Mr. William Hale

Mr. William Hale, Age about 77
years, died at his home on Route 6
Funeral and interment took place
Wednesday at Mt Vernon. Ser-
vices by Rev L. D. Lawrence. He
is survived by his wife and several
children.

"Mr. William Hale," McMinnville Leader, Vol 5 No. 18, Friday, 14 May 1926, p 1, col 4; image, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-73TC-517 : accessed 9 May 2026), IGN 8992369, Image 837 of 1124.

William P Hale--Find A Grave
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/261835503/william-p-hale

William Hale--Death Certificate--Warren Co TN 1926

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2376/images/33113_257888-00791

(it is indexed as Wm Hall)

William P. Hale’s Find A Grave memorial is missing a key detail: his final resting place. Based on his death certificate (with son "Buck" as informant) and his obituary, William was interred at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Warren County, TN. Hettie is also buried in Mt Vernon Cemetery(according to her death certificate).  I am unsure if William has a marker and Hettie may not have one either.  Unfortunately, the current Find A Grave for William bio also contains several inaccuracies on the number and order of marriages as well as the number of children.

The census records helps to verify that I have found the correct William Hale as they show James Buchanan "Buck" Hale(Wm's son by 1st wife Nancy) is listed in William’s household in the 1900, 1910, and 1920 Censuses, appearing alongside William’s later wives, Hettie and Mary.   It appears Nancy was the mother of all William's children before her death circa 1887. While Mary Martina Hillis (wife #3) brought a son named Claude into the marriage, he was born in 1909 and is not likely William's biological son, despite using the Hale name.  

Wives of William P Hale:

1.  Nancy A Hitchcock (1840- before 1887) Married abt 187o-1871 likely Bledsoe Co TN

2.  Hattie Bryant (1855- 1916) Married  27 Feb 1887 in Van Buren Co. TN (Phoebe Hale McCormick(Wm's niece) referred to her as Hettie Russ in her account of the Hale family.

3.  Mary Martina Hillis 1877-1948 Married 1 Oct 1917 in Warren Co. TN

Wm Hale was the son of William Taylor Hale(1820-1861) and Adeline Elsey/Elzie(1820-1906). (TN Death Cert. #13287 of Wm Hale 1926)

Mothers of my Direct Line--Out to the 2nd Great Level

In celebration of Mother's Day I've gathered the information I have for the Mothers in my direct line out to my 2nd Great Grandmothers.  I did not include my mother as she is still living. This was a very interesting exercise and it let me see where I have opportunities for more research on these mother lines.  My Dad's mother, Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke was the only one of these women that I met.

Decoration Day where my maternal grandparents and maternal great grandparents are buried is on Mother's Day.  I remember when we would go to place flowers on the graves that the women whose mother was still living wore a red rose and those whose mother had passed on wore a white rose.

Grandmothers

Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke

Birth: 21 Mar 1891 in Bell Buckle, Bedford Co., Tennessee

Death: 1 Jul 1993 in Dickson, Dickson Co., Tennessee (Aged 102)

Burial: Jul 1993 at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Davidson County, Tennessee

Parents

Father: James M Jakes (1857–1941) 

Mother: Telitha Ann Frizzell (1858–1920).

Husband

Thomas Dewitt Cooke (1888–1971), married 10 Mar 1912 in Shelbyville, Bedford County, TN solemnized by Brom R. Whittemore, Justice of the Peace.

Children

Magnus Elizabeth Cooke (1913–2000)

Viola White Cooke (1915–2006)

Thomas Dewitt Cooke (1918–1927)

Olive June Cooke (1923–2006)

Morris Bradford Cooke (1927–1994)

Billy Joe Cooke (1930–2011)

Living- Daughter

She survived six of her seven siblings living to the age of 102 and lost her 8 yr old son Tomie D to scarlet fever.

Sources

Census 

1900 Bedford Co TN Dist 4 p 12B

1910 Bedford Co TN Bell Buckle p 6A

1920 Marshall Co TN Dist 1 p 4B

1930 Davidson Co TN Dist 4 p 28A

1940 Davidson Co TN Dist 4 Old Hickory p 10B

1950 Davidson Co TN Old Hickory ED 19-17 Sheet 10

Vital Records

Tennessee Delayed Birth Records (1869-1909)

She was 60 years old when she applied for her delayed TN birth certicate. The sources on that certificate are the births of two of  her children, Jakes Family Bible and her sister's death certificate.

Pearl is listed as Mother in the US Social Security Application and Claims Index accounts of her children Magnus, Viola, June and Morris.

US City Directories

She is listed in several City Directories in the 1950s in Nashville.

Newspapers.com obituary from The Tennessean (3 Jul 1993)

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-obituary-of-pearl-gray-ja/12003253/

Several personal items are noted, including saved envelopes from her scrapbooks that verify her various Nashville addresses. 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34100383/pearl_gray-cooke : accessed May 8, 2026), memorial page for Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke (21 Mar 1891–1 Jul 1993), Memorial ID 34100383, citing Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA.

You can read more about her in a blog post I did a number of years back on her birthday.

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2017/03/march-21-1891-birthday-of-pearl-gray.html

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Jakes & Frizzell lines and thru siblings of Pearl.

mtDNA haplogroup U3a1c8a.

Minnie Acuff Luna

Birth: October 26, 1899, in Van Buren County, Tennessee.

Death: July 5, 1957, in Lincoln County, Tennessee.

Burial: Charity Baptist Church Cemetery, Hazel Green, Alabama.

Minnie's obituary is transcribed in my blog post at

https://mariegen.blogspot.com/2026/04/obituary-of-minnie-acuff-luna-lincoln.html

Parents

Father: James Polk Acuff (1872–1939)

Mother: Emma Frances Hale (1875–1939)

Husband

William Richard Luna (1892–1994) married July 18, 1915, in Van Buren Co., Tennessee.

Children

Eustace/Huston Haskell Luna (1916–1992)

James Bertrom Luna (1919–2000)

Geneva Hortense Luna (1922–1923)

Mary Elizabeth Luna (1924–1925)

Ressie Mae Luna (1926–2015)

Otis Linel Luna (1929–2006)

Jessie Lee Luna (1932–2024)

Living Daughter

William Ernest "Bill" Luna (1937–2020)

My Mother who is still living

Roy Wayne Luna (1943–2013)

Sources

Censuses

1900 Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p2A

1910 Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p2A

1920 Madison Co AL Dallas p 10B

1930 Lincoln Co TN Dist 2 p 7A

1940 Lincoln Co TN p 4B

1950 Van Buren Co TN ED 88-5 sheet 3

Vital Records

She lost two infant daughters, Geneva & Elizabeth. Elizabeth's birth announcement was listed in the Huntsville Times(AL).

She was in and out of the hospital several times. My Mom remembers that they pulled fluid off of her frequently.  

She was struck by lightning and lived.

She was also hit by a stray bullet from folks hunting while sitting in her front yard in Van Buren Co TN and survived that but died at the age of 57.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/9335871/minnie-luna : accessed May 8, 2026), memorial page for Minnie Acuff Luna (26 Oct 1899–5 Jul 1957),.Memorial ID 9335871, citing Charity Baptist Church Cemetery, Hazel Green, Madison County, Alabama, USA.

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Acuff & Hale lines and thru siblings of Minnie.

mtDNA haplogroup is H3ei2.

Great Grandmothers

Jane Bell King Cook

Birth: March 5, 1853, in Arkansas.

Death: May 7, 1921, in Rockvale, Rutherford Co, Tennessee. 

The cause of death is noted as pulmonary tuberculosis.

Burial: May 1921, at the King Cook Cemetery in Rover, Bedford County, Tennessee.

Parents

Father: William Benton King (1819–1901)

Mother: Eliza Jane Manire (1818–1896)

Husband

William Green Cook (1854–1944); Married 1876.Marriage: February 3, 1876, in Bedford County, Tennessee, to William Green Cook.

Children

John Lemuel Cook (1877–1968)

Rebecca Love Cook (1882–1928)

Eliza Amacy Cook (1885–1973)

Thomas Dewitt Cooke (1888–1971)

William Clarence Cook (1891–1962)

Laura E. Cook (1896–1898)

Sources 

Census

1860 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 Rover P.O. p222

1870 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 p 292A

1880 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 p 275C

1900 Bedford Co TN Dist 9 p 5B

1910 Rutherford Co TN Dist 12  p 14B

1920 Entire Household was missed (She had Tuberculosis)

Vital Records

Jane is listed as mother on the TN Death Certificates of her son Clarence and her daughter Rebecca.

Jane is listed as mother on the Indiana Death Certificate of daughter, Eliza.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15668259/jane_belle-cook : accessed May 7, 2026), memorial page for Jane Belle King Cook (5 Mar 1853–7 May 1921),Memorial ID 15668259, citing King-Cook Cemetery, Unionville, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the King & Manire lines and thru siblings of Jane.

Telitha Ann Frizzell Jakes

Birth: 28 Mar 1858 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

Death: 18 May 1920 in Bedford County, Tennessee 

Burial: 19 May 1920 at Willow Mount Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee.

Parents

David W. Frizzell (1808–1870)

Rebecca Manley (1818–1862)

Husband

James M. Jakes (1857–1941)01 Sep 1880 in Rutherford County, Tennessee.

Children

Ella Ruby Jakes (1881–1934)

Fannie Cora Jakes (1883–1965)

Lula B. Jakes (1885–1977)

Katherine "Kitty" Jakes (1887–1963)

John L. Jakes (1889–1937)

Pearl Gray Jakes (1891–1993)

William Bryan Jakes (1897–1997)

Frank Euless Jakes (1900–1983)

Sources

Census 

1860 Bedford Co TN Dist 4 p 117

1870 Bedford Co TN Dist 4 p 171B

1880 Never Located her in this census

1900 Bedford Co TN Dist 4 p 12B

1910 Bedford Co TN Bell Buckle p 6A

1920 Bedford Co TN Dist 7 excluding Shelbyville p 1B

Vital Records

Annie is listed as Mother on son John's Social Security Applications and Claims Index and also on his TN Death Certificate as well as the TN Death Certificate of daughter Cora.

Property Records: Bedford County Deed Book 21, p 124 (Recording the sale of land to Abe Eaton in 1914).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95394553/thelitha_ann-jakes: accessed May 7, 2026), memorial page for Thelitha Ann “Annie” Frizzell Jakes (28 Mar 1858–18 May 1920), Memorial ID 95394553, citing Willow Mount Cemetery, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA
atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Frizzell & Manley lines and thru siblings of Annie.
mtDNA haplogroup U3a1c8a.

Nancy F Pitman Luna

Birth: 1867 in Tennessee.

Death: April 1899

Burial: Indian Mound Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee.

Parents

Father: David Pitman (1838–1922)

Mother: Mary D. Frances Adcock (1842–1902)

Husband

David Enoch Luna (1865–1948) on July 19, 1885, in White Co, Tennessee. 

Bond and License were issued on July 18, 1885.

Children

Minnie Frances Luna (1887–1976)

Martha Elizabeth Luna (1889–1939)

Haskell Luna (1891–1891)

William Richard Luna (1892–1994)

Mary Lee Nova Luna (1896–1996)

Samuel Douglas "Dougie" Luna (1899–1989)

Sources

Census

1870 Rutherford Co TN, Dist 6 p 298B

1880 Dekalb Co TN, p 97B

Research Note

Nancy’s residence moved between Rutherford and DeKalb counties during her youth. Notably, her final child, Samuel, was born in March 1899, just one month before her recorded death in April 1899.

When she gave birth to my maternal Grandfather Will in April of 1892 she was in Jordan, Fulton County, Kentucky.  I've always been puzzled by that because the family lived in the Dekalb, White, and Van Buren Co of Tennessee any other time I find them.  My theory is that she was visiting some of her kinfolk there and went into premature labor.  Pa was a really small baby and they did not think he was going to make it but he lived to be 101 years old--dying less than a month from what would have been his 102 birthday.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57299038/nancy_florence-luna : accessed May 7, 2026), memorial page for Nancy Florence Pittman Luna (1867–1899),Memorial ID 57299038, citing Indian Mound Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA.

Emma Frances "Fannie" Hale Acuff

Birth: 5 Nov 1875 in Cane Ridge, Van Buren County, Tennessee.

Death: 5 Sep 1939 in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama.

Burial: Sep 1939 at Charity Cemetery in Hazel Green, Madison County, Alabama.

Parents

Father: William P. Hale (1849–1926)

Mother: Nancy Arminda Hitchcock (1840–1887)

Husband

James Polk Acuff: Married 27 Feb 1897 in Van Buren County, Tennessee.

Children

William Elsie Acuff (1898–1981)

Minnie Acuff (1899–1957)

Ovena Acuff (1902–1975)

Ernest Odin Acuff (1904–1935)

Emma Lou Acuff (1908–1994)

Sarah Acuff (1911–1989)

Sources

Census 

1880 Bledsoe Co TN, Dist 1, p 3A HH # 50

1900 Van Buren Co TN, Dist 1, p 2A

1910 Van Buren Co TN, Dist 1, p 2A

1920 Van Buren Co TN, Dist 1, p 10A

1930 Madison Co AL, Dallas, p 10A

Vital Records:

Fannie is listed as the mother on the TN Death Certificate of daughter Minnie as well as in the Social Security Application and Claims Index for daughter, Sarah.

The Huntsville Times, 5 Sep 1939, p 8, col 3

DEATH CLAIMS MRS. ACUFF, 63 

Rites For Local Woman Will Be Held at Home Tomorrow 

Mrs. James Acuff, 63, died this morning at 4 o'clock at the residence, 319 Rison avenue, following a long illness. Funeral services will be held tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock at the home, with Homer P. Reeves, minister of the Central Church of Christ, officiating. Burial will follow in Charity cemetery, with Womack in charge of arrangements. Surviving are the husband; one son, William Acuff; four daughters, Mrs. Minnie Luna, Mrs. Ovena Sharp Sara Acuff, all of Huntsville, and Mrs. Emma Sanders, of Tennessee; and two brothers, Sam and Charles Hale, both of McMinnville, Tenn.

Pallbearers at the funeral will be John McBride, Bob Knowles, H. P. Patton, Lloyd Polk, Raymond Smith and Horace Anderton. 

DNA
atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Hale & Hitchcock lines and thru siblings of Fannie.
mtDNA haplogroup is H3ei2.

2nd Great Grandmothers

Elizabeth Putman Cook

Birth: 1814 Union County, South Carolina, USA

Death: Sept 5, 1880 Bedford County, Tennessee, USA

Burial: Sept 1880 Rover, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA

Parents

Father: Jabel Putman (1772–1835)

Mother: Nancy Tyler (1784–1870)

Husband

William Clifford Cook(1811–1882): Married on September 27, 1831

Children

Minerva Cook (1834–1900)

James Polk Cook (1836–1888)

Angeline Cook (1838–1938)

Joseph Knox "Joe" Cook (1840–1907)

Rebecca Cook (1843–1857)

Jefferson Gideon Cook Sr. (1845–1931)

Elizabeth Cook (1848–1848)

David V. Cook (1849–1857)

Lurainy Jane Cook (1852–1924)

William Green Cook (1854–1944)

Cass Buchanan Cook (1857–1908)

Sources

Census

1840 Dyer Co TN p 104

1850 Likely Enumerated in Bedford Co TN Dist 10(Dist 10 entries are lost)

1860 Bedford Co TN, Dist 10, p 222

1870 Bedford Co TN, Dist 10, p 292B

1880 Bedford Co TN, Dist 9, p 269D

Vital Records: Vital Records: Her maiden name is listed on the TN Death Certificate of Daughter Lurainy(though it is not spelled correctly.  Her full name is listed on the TN Death Certificates of son Wm Green Cook and Jefferson Gideon Cook.  I have not yet located the death certificate of Angeline Cook.

Newspapers: National Banner and Nashville Whig (December 7, 1831)announces W C & Elizabeth's Sept marriage along with others.  Note on Marriage Date: While some transcriptions list the marriage as September 29, the original license confirms the ceremony was solemnized by Lemuel Manire on September 27, 1831.

FamilySearch Records: Including a deed for 42 acres in Williamson County

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4T-Q99F-3

Jabel’s Estate Division of Land. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939L-6WVD-J

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66488146/elizabeth-cook : accessed May 6, 2026), memorial page for Elizabeth Putman Cook (1814–5 Sep 1880), Memorial ID 66488146, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Putman line thru siblings of Elizabeth.

Eliza Jane Manire King

Birth: 1818 in Williamson Co., Tennessee.

Death: April 1896 in Gainesville, Cooke Co., Texas.

Burial: Gainesville, Cooke Co., Texas.

Parents

Father: David Lemuel Manire (1792–1837)

Mother: Susanna Elizabeth Jackson (1798–1862)

Husband

William Benton King (1819–1901), married in 30 Sep 1841 in Williamson Co., Tennessee. The ceremony was solemnized by William Davis.

Children

Susanna Rebecca King (1842–1932)

Minerva Mary King (1845–1925)

W. J. King (1848–1860)

Stephen Robert King (1850–1913)

Jane Bell King (1853–1921)

Margaret Jordon King (1855–1926)

Richard Nance King (1857–1910)

Sources

Census 

1830 Williamson Co TN p 178 line 16 She is Female 10-14 in fathers Household

1840  Not yet found likely Williamson Co TN in Widowed Mother's Household

1850 Rutherford Co TN Versailles, p 245A

1860 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 p 222

1870 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 p 292A

1880 Bedford Co TN Dist 10 Rover p 275C

Vital Records

Eliza's maiden name of Manier/Manire is listed on Mary Manerva's TX Death Certificate.  Her full name is listed on the TN Death Certificate of her daughter Jane B King Cook.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89397706/eliza_jane-king : accessed May 6, 2026), memorial page for Eliza Jane Manire King (1818–Apr 1896), memorial ID 89397706, citing Fairview Cemetery, Gainesville, Cooke County, Texas, USA.

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Manire line thru siblings of Eliza.

Catherine Morrow Jakes

Born: About 1830

Died: After 26 Dec 1881 evidenced by her role in a deed transfer at that time.

Parents

Father:   James Morrow(1785–1839)

Mother:  Margaret Sutton(1792–1844)

Dates of parents death(year) are given in records concerning land which fell to her and her siblings after parents death.

Husband

George Jakes married about 1845

Children

Ann Jakes (1846–1890)

Parthenia Jakes (1847–1895)

Margaret Elizabeth "Bettie" Jakes (13 Jun 1850 – 1933)

Jane Jakes (1855–1898)

James M Jakes (02 May 1857 – 1941)

William Jakes (Born ~1859)

Sources

Census:

1830 Bedford County  p 110 line 1(She is female under 5 in James Morrow's Household)

1840 Not Found likely in Bedford as she marries there abt 1845 look at guardian records

1850 Bedford Co TN Dist 1 p 80(stamped)

1860 Bedford Co TN Dist 1 Fairfield PO p 6(written)

1870 Bedford Co TN Dist 1 Shelbyville PO p 119(stamped)

1880 Rutherford Co TN Dist 24 p 372B

Court & Legal:

To determine a date of death range, the following court case was used.

George Jakes Deed to W A Kelton Rutherford Co TN Dist 24

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTZ-H3ML-L

Tennessee Death Records (1908-1958) listed on daughter Bettie's TN Death Certificate but spelled as Marr likely from how some pronounced Morrow.

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Morrow line thru siblings of Catherine.

Rebecca Manley Frizzell

Birth: 1818 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

Death: 1862 in Bedford County, Tennessee.

Parents

Father: Reuben Manley (1782–1854)

Mother: Margaret Elizabeth Frizzell (1783–1827)

Husband

David W. Frizzell (1808–1870)(source: Frizzell Bible)  15 Nov 1834

Children

Lee Andrew Frizzell (1835–1901)

Margaret Catherine Frizzell (1837–1845)

James Reuben Frizzell (1839–1912)

Mary Elizabeth Frizzell (1840–1910)

David Crockett Frizzell (1842–)

Henry Hugh Clay Frizzell (1845–1917)

Permelia Jane Frizzell (1846–1882)

John B. Frizzell (1851–1929)

Absalom Manley Frizzell (1852–1931)

Theoderick Rushing Frizzell (1854–1926)

Telitha Ann Frizzell (1858–1920)

Sources

Census

1830: Bedford Co Tennessee p  131  Line 16(Female 10-14 in Reuban Manley's Household)

1840: Bedford Co Tennessee p 20 line 1(Female 20-29 in David's Household)

1850: Bedford Co Tennessee Dist 4 p 113B 

1860: Bedford Co Tennessee Dist 4 p 116B 

Tennessee Death Records (1908-1958) She is listed as mother on her children John B, Ab Manley and Telitha Annie's Death Certificates

Frizzell Bible(published 1846) Transcribed in Bible Records of Calloway County and Adjoining Counties(1971)

DNA

atDNA matches in the expected range with cousins that descend from the Manley line thru siblings of Rebecca.

mtDNA haplogroup U3a1c8a

Keziah Rigsby Luna

Birth: May 1832 in Tennessee.

Death: 1909 in DeKalb County, Tennessee.

Burial: 1909 at Indian Mound Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee.

Parent

Father: Canada Rigsby (1788–1848)

Mother: Mary Lewis (1790–1850)

Husband

Elisha Luna (1825–1889)December 11, 1851, in DeKalb County, Tennessee

Children

Samuel Turney Luna (1853–1903)

Elisha Luna (1855– )

James Dykes Luna (1858–1930)

Nancy Frances Luna (1863–1937)

David Enoch Luna (1865–1948)

Perry Green Luna (1869–1920)

Sources

Census

1850 DeKalb Co. TN Dist. 6 p 86 

1860 DeKalb Co. TN Dist. 7 Smithville PO p 129

1870 DeKalb Co. TN Dist. 7 p 177b

1880 DeKalb Co. TN Dist. 7 p 171c

1900 Dekalb Co. TN Dist. 7 p 181

US Federal Census records. These place her consistently in Civil Districts 6 and 7 of DeKalb County, Tennessee.

Vital Records

Tennessee Death Records (1908-1958) Listed as mother on the TN Death Certificate of her sons, James D, and David E.  Also listed as mother on son, Perry G. and daughter, Mary F's AL Death Records.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/71693814/keziah_ziggy-luna : accessed May 5, 2026), memorial page for Keziah “Kizzie” Rigsby Luna (May 1832–1909), Memorial ID 71693814, citing Indian Mound Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA 

atDNA matches with cousins thru Rigsby and Lewis lines.

Mary Adcock Pitman

Birth: 20 May 1842 DeKalb County, Tennessee
Death: 30 Dec 1902 DeKalb County, Tennessee
Burial: Young Bend Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee

Parents
Father: Thomas Adcock (1817–1905)
Mother: Frances Bowles (1819–1906)

Husband
David Pitman (1838–1922)
Marriage Date: 22 Dec 1859 DeKalb County, Tennessee

Children
Thomas Lucian Pittman (1861–1912)
Marshall Pitman (1865–1939)
Green Pitman (1867– )
Nancy Florence Pittman (1867–1899)
David Harlin Pitman (1869–1949)
Francis P. Pittman (1872–1947)
Mary Evelyn Pittman (1873– )
Sarah L. Pittman (1878–1961)
James M. Pittman (1880–1910)
William Horace Pittman (1883–1953)
John Tatum Pitman (1886–1970)
Robert Cecil Pittman (1886–1959)

Sources
Census 
1850 DeKalb Co. TN Dist 6 p 84A
1860 Dekalb Co. TN 7th Civil Dist p 132
1870 Rutherford Co. TN 6th Civil Dist PO Florence p 298B
1880 Dekalb Co. TN Dist 11 p 97B
1900 Dekalb Co. TN Civil Dist 7 p 175A

Tennessee State Marriages (1780-2002): Documentation for her 1859 wedding.
Her maiden name of Adcock is listed on her son David's California Death Certificate
Her full name is listed on TN Death Cert. of daughters Sarah and Pearl as well as the Social Security Application of her son Wm Horace Pittman.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/54762406/mary_frances-pitmon : accessed May 5, 2026), memorial page for Mary Frances Adcock Pitmon (20 May 1842–30 Dec 1903), Memorial ID 54762406, citing Young Bend Cemetery, DeKalb County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA 

atDNA matches with cousins thru Adcock and Bowles lines.

Sarah McElroy Acuff
Birth: November 28, 1847, in Van Buren County, Tennessee.
Death: July 2, 1925, in Dallas, Madison County, Alabama.
Burial: July 4, 1925, at McElroy Cemetery, Van Buren County, Tennessee.

Parents
Father: Andrew Jackson McElroy (1820–1900)
Mother: Jane Webb (1825–1867)

Husband 

William Leon Acuff: Married January 5, 1871, in Van Buren County, Tennessee.
They met while he was preaching at the Antioch Christian Church.
He preceded her in death in 1898.

Children
James Polk Acuff (1872–1939)
Andrew Jackson Acuff (1873–1942)
Mattie Ella Acuff (1877–1950)
William Howard Acuff (1880–1914)

Sources
Census Records
1850: Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p 367B HH# 14
1860: Van Buren Co TN Spencer P.O. p 21 HH# 273
1870: Van Buren Co TN Bone Cave 1st Civil Dist p. 304a HH# 15
1880: Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p 245A
1900: Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p 3A
1910: Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p 2B
1920: Van Buren Co TN Dist 1 p 1B

Vital & Legal Records
Marriage Record: Van Buren County Marriage Book (January 5, 1871).
Death Records: * Alabama Death Index (1908-1959)
Alabama Death Certificate for Mrs. Sarah Acuff.
Listed as Mother on AL Death Cert of son James
Tennessee Death Records (1908-1958)
Listed as Mother on TN Death Cert of sons, Andrew and Wm Howard & daughter Mattie

Obituary: Published in The Huntsville Times(AL) on July 3, 1925 p 1 col 2
Mrs. Sarah Acuff, age 77 years, died Thursday evening at 3 o'clock at residence No 405 Rison Ave., after a long illness.
She survived by one daughter, Mrs. M. E. Slattons, two sons, A. J. and J. P. Acuff, all of Huntsville.
The body will be shipped to Quebeck, Tenn., Saturday morning for interment with Laughlin in charge.

Burial: McElroy Cemetery Van Buren Co. TN, USA
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/52395889/sarah-acuff : accessed May 5, 2026), memorial page for Sarah McElroy Acuff (28 Nov 1847–2 Jul 1925), Memorial ID 52395889, citing McElroy Cemetery, Van Buren County, Tennessee, USA.

DNA
atDNA matches with cousins thru McElroy and Webb lines.

Nancy Arminda Hitchcock Hale
Birth: September 6, 1840, in Warren County, Tennessee.
Death: Between April 1883 and 1887 (based on birth of last child and husband's date of remarriage)

Parents
James P. Hitchcock (1810–1897)
Charlotta Fleming (1819–1909)

Husband
William P. Hale (1849–1926) Married around 1870.

Children
Charles Forest Hale(1872–1956)
America Hale Hillis(1874–1963)
Emma Frances Hale Acuff(1875–1939)
Vesta C. Hale Hillis(1876–)
Alice Hale(1878–)
James Buchanan Hale(1880–1947)
Sam Hale(1883–1947)

Sources
Census
1840: Warren County, TN (p 366b) She was born after census date Family enumerated
1850: Bledsoe County, TN (P 411a)
1860: Bledsoe County, TN (P 381, HH# 23/23) PO: Pikeville
1870: Bledsoe County, TN (P 1b, HH# 13/13) Dist 1
1880: Bledsoe County, TN (P 3A, HH# 50) Dist 1

Vital Records
Tennessee Death Records (1908–1965). Listed as Mother on
Buck and Sam's Death Certificates
U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index (1936–2007) Listed as Charles' mother on his US Soc. Sec Application and Claims Index.

DNA
atDNA matches with cousins thru Hale & Fleming lines.
mtDNA haplogroup is H3ei2.

Obituary of Minnie Acuff Luna--Lincoln Co TN(1957)

Funeral Services Held At Taft Church Sunday For Mrs. Minnie Acuff Luna

Funeral services for Mrs. Minnie Acuff Luna, 57, were held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, at the Taft Church of Christ by Lewis Ellenburg of Huntsville, Ala.

Mrs. Luna died at the local hospital last Friday at 7:30 p.m., following a very long illness. Interment was at Charity.

Survivors include her husband, Will Luna; four daughters, Mrs. Lester Moore of Nashville, Mrs. Rufus Luna of Sparta, Mrs. William Brown of Peoria, Ill., and Miss Beatrice Luna of Taft; five sons, Bert and Wayne Luna of Taft, Haskel Luna of Huntsville, Ala., Otis Luna of Nashville, and Ernest Luna of the Smyrna Air Base; three sisters, Mrs. Ovenia Sharp and Mrs. Sarah Adair of Chattanooga, and Mrs. Emma Sanders of Huntsville; one brother, Elsie Acuff of Chattanooga, and 12 grandchildren.

[Note:  The name Rufus should be Reefus]

While searching through the Lincoln County News and the Fayetteville Observer, I found several mentions of my grandmother, Minnie Acuff Luna, in the local hospital listings. When I called my mother to verify my grandmother’s hospitalization dates, she recalled that she, too, had been hospitalized with lockjaw shortly after her mother’s passing. I checked those same newspaper columns again and was able to confirm her account.

Sources:

"Funeral Service Held at Taft Church Sunday for Mrs. Minnie Acuff Luna," July 11, 1957 , Vol 53, No 28, p 1, col 3: digital images, FamilySearch(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93T3-XD3G : accessed 27 April 2026), IGN 8992133, Image 430 of 1297.

"Patients In Hospital," Fayetteville Observer(TN), July 14 1955, Vol CV, No 27, p 4, col 3; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3RT-S3QF : accessed 27 April 2026), IGN 8984986, Image 899 of 1277.[Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Rt.]

"Patients At Hospital," Fayetteville Observer(TN), Nov 17 1955, Vol CV , No 45, p 12, col 5; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13RT-SS2M : accessed 27 April 2026), IGN 8984986, Image 1175 of 1,277.[Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Rt.]

"List of Patients at Local Hospital," Lincoln County News, Nov 17 1955, Vol 51, No 46, p 1, col 1,; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93T3-HK96 : accessed 27 April 2026) IGN 8992132, Image 494 of 1072. [Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Route.]

"List of Patients at Local Hospital," Lincoln County News, Dec 29 1955, Vol 51, No 52, p 1, col 1; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-13T3-HKVW : accessed 27 April 2026) IGN 8992132, Image 580 of 1072. [Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Route.]

"Patients At Hospital," Fayetteville Observer(TN), Dec 29 1955, Vol CV, No 51, p 1, col 3; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHV-B3RT-SSF6 : accessed 27 April 2026), IGN 8984986, Image 1264 of 1277.[Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Rt.]

"Patients At Hospital," Fayetteville Observer(TN), Apr 25 1957, Vol CVII, No 17, p 7, col 5; digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-93RT-QV12 : accessed 27 April 2026), IGN 8984988, Image 207 of 732.[Mrs W. R. Luna Taft Rt.]

Obituary of David Harlin Pitman(1869-1949) Chula Vista CA

Last Rites Held For D. H. Pitman

Funeral services for David Harlin Pitman, 80, who died Sunday in Paradise Valley sanitarium, were conducted at Hubbard mortuary Monday afternoon. The Reverend Clive Williams officiated and burial in Glen Abbey followed. Mr. Pitman, a retired farmer, was born February 25, 1869 in Smithville, Tennessee and resided Tennessee for 29 years later moving to Texas where he lived until moving to Chula Vista in 1942, Survivors include his Mrs. Minnie May Pitman, Chula Vista and the following sons and daughters: Mrs. M. C. Walters, Chula Vista, Mrs. M. P. Smith and Virty L. Pitman, both of El Cajon, Mrs. Mary Cheatwood, Carpenteria, Mrs. Lydia Kendall, Mrs. Rosa Rudolph, Mrs. Billie Gowan, Ollie Ellis, Altie Hendrix, I. L. Pitman, R.V. Pitman, 0. S. Pitman, all of Texas and Mattie, Matthews of Leavenworth, Kansas. Of Mr. Pitman's 48 grandchildren the following reside in this area: David and Patsy Pitman, and Carolyn, Terry and Charles Smith. He is also survived by 20 great grandchildren.

Source:

"Last Rites Held For D. H. Pitman," The Chula Vista Star, August 19, 1949, p 14, col 6; digital image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-chula-vista-star-last-rites-held-for/38098237/ : accessed April 24, 2026), clip page for Last Rites Held for D. H Pitman by user rmbeckman

Celebrating 22 years of Blogging!!

I'm celebrating 22 years of blogging here at MarieB's Genealogy Blog this week!!  In honor of that, I'm highlighting #22 on my Ahnentafel chart which is my 2nd Great Grandfather, David W. Frizzell.

David W. Frizzell (1808–1870) was a long-time resident of Bedford County, Tennessee living the majority of his life in the Bell Buckle Tennessee area according to census and tax records. He was the son of James M Frizzell and his wife Mary Kennedy. David married Rebecca Manley on November 15th of 1834. Evidence supporting Rebecca's maiden name as Manley can be found in the Frizzell Bible Records and by examining the mother's name on the death certificates of 4 of  David and Rebecca's children(John, Henry, Abbie and Annie.) When their son John B Frizzell's widow passed in 1938, the court records listed all of John B's siblings(Children of David and Rebecca) who had surviving heirs.  You can read more about that at my blog post HERE.    

Child	Birth Year
Lee Andrew Frizzell	1835
Margaret Catherine Frizzell	1837
James Reuben Frizzell	1839
Mary Elizabeth Frizzell	1840
David Crockett Frizzell	1842
Henry Hugh Clay Frizzell	1845
Permelia Jane Frizzell	1846
John B. Frizzell	1851
Absalom Manley Frizzell	1852
Theoderick Rushing Frizzell	1854
Telitha Ann Frizzell	1858

At least 3 of David's sons fought in the Civil War.  Lee Andrew Perkins Frizzell, James Reuben Frizzell, and David Crockett Frizzell--all in 44th Tennessee Infantry Regiment(Confederate).  Lee Andrew lost one of his legs below his knee because of an injury and David Crockett Frizzell died April 6 1862 at Shiloh. Following the death of wife Rebecca, in 1862, David remarried on January 22, 1863, to Sallie McKee. 

He was enumerated in the 1870 US Federal Census of Bedford Co TN but died on the 27th of December 1870 according to the Frizzell Bible Records.

He has many descendants who live in Tennessee and beyond, some of which are among the matches on my DNA match lists at AncestryDNA, MyHeritage, FTDNA and 23&me. I need to do more research into his early land records.  I've found some land records between his father and his father in law but need to do further research on both the Frizzell and Manley lines.

Thank You!

A heartfelt thank-you to all my readers and everyone who has supported and encouraged me over the years. I look forward to continuing to share my research and the stories of my ancestors for many more years to come.

Sources:

 "United States, Census, 1840", Bedford County, Tennessee, p 20, line 1, Entry for David Frizell; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYTB-9PJY : accessed 18 Apr 2026), IGN 5154898, Image 47 of 808.

"United States, Census, 1850", Bedford County, Tennessee, Civil District 4, p 113B, Dwelling 69, Family 69, David W Frizzell Household; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DC6Q-L5Z : accessed 18 Apr 2026), IGN 4191095, Image 233 of 555.

"United States, Census, 1860", Bedford County, Tennessee, District 4, p 116B, Dwelling 664, Family 664, David Frizzell Household; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GBSF-9SGC : accessed 18 Apr 2026), IGN 5171418, Image of 237 of 565.

"United States, Census, 1870", Bedford County, Tennessee, District 4, p 172B, Dwelling 73, Family 73, David W Frizzell Household; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-68LS-FPQ : accessed 18 Apr 2026), IGN 4275996, Image 123 of 924.

State of Tennessee Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no. 27671 (1929), Rutherford County, Jno B Frizzell, died 17 October 1929; "Tennessee, Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6LK4-L7F : accessed 18 April 2026), IGN 4183624, image 178 of 2526; citing Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

State of Tennessee Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no. 296 (1917), Jackson County, Henry Clay Frizzell, died 2 June 1917; "Tennessee, Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DBYT-TF : accessed 18 April 2026), IGN 4183258(item 5), image 585 of 2148; citing Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

State of Tennessee Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no. 28807 (1931), Bedford County, A Manley Frizelle, died 25 December 1931; "Tennessee, Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRQT-6D : accessed 18 April 2026), IGN 4184127, image 1325 of 1523; citing Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

State of Tennessee Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death no. 384 (1920), Bedford County, Annie Jakes, died 18 May 1920; "Tennessee, Deaths, 1914-1966," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6SGQ-C5M : accessed 18 April 2026), IGN 4183998, image 396 of 2274; citing Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville.

Calloway County Genealogical Society, Bible Records of Calloway County and Adjoining Counties (1971), p. 112, Frizzell Bible(Published 1846); digital image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/library/books/viewer/457462 : accessed 19 April 2026), image 111 of 431, Identifier 125297.

Heirs of John Frizzell listed in Rutherford Co TN Minutes(1939)

Date: December 11, 1939
Case: A. D. Frizzell et al. vs. No. 668 Allene Ferrell et al.

This case centers on a 90-acre tract of land originally owned by John (J. B.) Frizzell (recorded in Deed Book 74, page 428). John was the son of David Frizzell and Rebecca Manley Frizzell.  Following John’s death in October 1929, his widow, Susan Frizzell, occupied the property until her own passing in 1939. Because the couple had no children, the estate was distributed to the heirs of John’s siblings. All of his siblings were deceased by the time of this case, so it was necessary to trace the lineage down an addition generation or two.  It is important to remember that the Order of Reference only lists those siblings who produced heirs.  It does not mention Margaret Catherine Frizzell who died young nor  James Reuben Frizzell who is deceased and had no issue. Given the amount of heirs(60), it was determined that it would be best to sell the 90 acre tract.

1. Lee Andrew Frizzell 5 living children (1/42 share each) and 2 grandchildren (1/84 share each).
2. Thea Frizzell 8 living children (1/63 share each) and 5 grandchildren via Mary Frizzell Reynolds (1/315 share each).
3. Sissie Taylor 1 living son, Zack (1/21 share), 1 grandson via Beckie (1/21 share), and 2 grandchildren via Norah (1/42 share each).
4. Abbie Frizzell 1 living son, A. D. Frizzell, who receives a full 1/7 interest.
5. Annie Jakes 6 living children and 1 grandchild (Hazel Jakes), each receiving a 1/49 share.
6. Mealie Fults 3 living children, each receiving a 1/21 share.
7. Henry Frizzell 11 living children (1/98 share each) and various grandchildren via deceased children Susan, Dona, and Dave (shares ranging down to 1/490).

I didn't mention the names of all the heirs in this article but a complete list can be seen by visiting the URL listed in the source below.

Notes:  

Thea is Theoderick Rushing Frizzell.
Sissie Taylor is Mary Elizabeth Frizzell Taylor.
Abbie Frizzell is Absalom Manley Frizzell.
Annie Jakes(my Great Grandmother) is Telitha Ann Frizzell Jakes.
Mealie Fults is Permelia Jane Frizzell Fulks.

Comparing these minutes against my own research proved highly productive, though it did reveal a discrepancy: one of the grandchildren’s surnames is recorded incorrectly. Based on the context, I suspect this error occurred when the case was being transcribed into the official minutes book.

Source:

Rutherford County(TN) Chancery Court Minutes, Vol OO, p 272-5, A D Frizzell et al vs. No.  668 Allene Ferrell et al; images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L989-Q4QY : accessed 11 April 2026), IGN 7516347, Image 169-170 of 665.