Mamie Jakes Ashley & daughter Harriette Ashley Churchwell

I've written previously about brothers James Jakes and George Jakes, who married sisters Margaret C Morrow and Catherine Morrow, as well as their descendants. You can find one of those posts about Robert Jakes and his wife in this post about Mr. & Mrs. Robert Jakes. I guess I tend to write more about these Jakes Morrow cousins because of the double connection.  I descend thru George Jakes and Catherine Morrow.

Today, I am sharing more information about Robert and Clementine (Pearson) Jakes' daughter, Mary Margaret "Mamie" Jakes Ashley.

Mary Margaret "Mamie" Jakes Ashley (1900–1986) My 2C2R(2x)

Mary Margaret "Mamie" Jakes was a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She graduated from George Peabody College for Teachers (now part of Vanderbilt University) in Nashville. After receiving her B.S. from Peabody, she traveled abroad for a year and completed graduate work at Columbia University upon her return.

On Saturday, July 24, 1926, she married Thomas Converse Ashley at the Nashville home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Jakes Sr., on Gillespie Avenue. At the time of her marriage, she was serving as the director of physical education at the Georgia State Woman's College (later Valdosta State College) in Valdosta, Georgia.

Mamie lived in Valdosta for over 55 years before moving to Savannah, Tennessee, in her later years. She was a member of Valdosta's First Christian Church.

Following a long illness, she passed away at the age of 85 on Thursday, April 24, 1986, at the Hardin County Nursing Home. She is buried alongside her husband at Sunset Hill Cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia.

Harriette Dasher Ashley Churchwell (1928–2016) My 3C1R(2x)

Tom and Mamie's only child, Harriette Dasher Ashley, was born on May 25, 1928, in Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia. Harriette earned a teaching degree from the University of Georgia. She went on to teach at Agnes Scott College, where she coached tennis, basketball, synchronized swimming, and cheerleading. An avid sports fan, she particularly loved playing sports, singing, and cheering on the Atlanta Braves.

Throughout her life, Harriette lived in Valdosta and Atlanta, Georgia, as well as Savannah and Memphis, Tennessee. She was active in her communities, serving as a worship leader at First Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Tennessee, and participating in the Junior Auxiliary and the Savannah Bridge Club. Later in life, she attended Farmington Presbyterian Church in Germantown, Tennessee.

Harriette passed away at the age of 88 on October 3, 2016, in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, and was laid to rest in Savannah Cemetery in Savannah, Hardin County, Tennessee. She was survived by four daughters and seven grandchildren.

Sources:
"Miss Mary Margaret Jakes Becomes Bride of Thomas Converse Ashley", Nashville Banner, July 25, 1926, p. 13; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-jakesashley-marriage-a/170883371/ : accessed August 8, 2026), clip page for Jakes/Ashley Marriage Announcement by user aandainia

"Mary Jakes Ashley(obituary)" The Jackson Sun, April 25, 1986, p. 16; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-jackson-sun-obituary-for-mary-jakes/203391758/ : accessed August 8, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Mary Jakes Ashley by user rmbeckman.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44370281/mary_margaret-ashley: accessed August 8, 2026), memorial page for Mary Margaret “Mamie” Jakes Ashley (26 Oct 1900–24 Apr 1986), Memorial ID 44370281, citing Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, USA.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44370441/thomas_converse-ashley: accessed August 8, 2026), memorial page for Thomas Converse Ashley (16 Jun 1898–25 Oct 1971), Memorial ID 44370441, citing Sunset Hill Cemetery, Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, USA.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/170918472/harriete_dasher-churchwell: accessed August 8, 2026), memorial page for Harriete Dasher Ashley Churchwell (25 May 1928–3 Oct 2016), Memorial ID 170918472, citing Savannah Cemetery, Savannah, Hardin County, Tennessee, USA.

Occupations in 1810 Census of Mason Co., KY

While researching a family unrelated to my own, I stumbled across what is a goldmine for anyone researching ancestors in Mason Co KY. In the 1810 US Federal Census for Mason Co Kentucky the enumerator(John McKee--assistant to the marshall of Kentucky) also recorded occupations for some of the heads of household in addition to the regular information he was required to log.

An example of some of the occupations listed in the Maysville District of Mason County Kentucky:

• Blacksmith
• Butcher
• Cabinetmaker
• Candle Chandler
• Cooper
• Ferryman
• Hatter
• House Carpenter
• Innkeeper
• MD & Innkeeper
• Merchant
• Merchant & Mill
• Minister of the Gospel
• Nailer
• Potter
• Printer
• Raker
• Saddle Treemaker
• Saddler
• School Master
• Shoemaker
• Stone Mason
• Tailor
• Tobacconist
• Waggonmaker

Finding extra notes like these in early census records is always such a fun surprise. Beyond occupations, enumerators occasionally jotted down notes. It’s a great reminder to always check the original handwritten images rather than relying solely on indexed transcripts.

Have you ever stumbled across unexpected marginal notes or hidden details while searching through census records? If so I'd love to hear about it in the comment section below!

Ancestry’s "Describe This Event" Tool

Have you noticed the new BETA "Describe This Event" option popping up on facts in your Ancestry family trees? If you have the feature it would show up in facts or timeline of a profile as seen in the above image. It's been active in my account for several weeks so I’ve been testing it out, and while it has a lot of potential for streamlining how we document our ancestors' lives, it definitely comes with a few caveats. Because it generates information strictly from linked records, it is heavily susceptible to transcription errors and misinterpretations. If an indexed record has an error or misreads a handwriting detail, that error is included in the generated summary even if there are corrections that have been made for it.  As with any AI generated text, there can be misinterpretations. Thankfully, the edit function allows us to clean up those transcription mistakes and add missing details manually

One of my biggest frustrations with adding detailed citations or notes directly to source records in Ancestry has been running into strict character limits. So far, the Description field doesn't seem to have that issue. Having an open space to write comprehensive event details, or lay out proof arguments without hitting a character limit wall is a huge win for thorough researchers and hopefully will inspire others to be more detailed in their research.

I’m still waiting to get access to the updated version of ThruLines. I’m eager to test out the new layout and navigation once it rolls out to my account.