In Memoriam: Laura Heath Bumpus (1874 - 1921)

 

Laura Heath Bumpus

Born:  July 13, 1874

Died:  March 16, 1921

United with Mt Pleasant Baptist Church in 1902

Married William Alexander Bumpus

After marriage attended Union Ridge Baptist.

Parents William Heath & Mary A Patterson Heath

Predeceased by Father William Heath

Survivors:

Husband--William Alexander Bumpus

Mother Mary A Patterson Heath

Half Brother--Sanford Monroe Crick

I've been unable to find her burial place.  Her death record says burial in family cemetery.

That may be the Heath Cemetery in Rockvale where her brother Charles Benjamin Heath is buried according to his death record.

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, May 19, 1921, p  13, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-obituary-for-laura/206852538/ : accessed September 27, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Laura Heath Bumpus.

"Tennessee, Deaths, 1914–1966," digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-69D9-S7K : accessed 29 September 2026), Mrs. Laura Heath Bumpus death certificate, no. 258 (1921), Bedford County, vol. 1; citing Tennessee State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Nashville.

The Rent of One Pepper Corn on Lady Day Next

While searching for my Harger, Jakes and Richards family in Franklin County Virginia, and surrounding areas using FamilySearch's Full Text Search, I came across a term that I didn't fully understand.  I asked Gemini (Browser extension) and also ChatGPT for assistance.  

I asked each of them to explain the meaning of "rent of one Pepper Corn on Lady Day next."

Gemini In Chrome browser answered:

This phrase comes from an English legal tradition common in historical land deeds, known as a peppercorn rent lease.

Here is what the components of that phrase mean:

• "One Pepper Corn" (Peppercorn Rent): A nominal or token payment. Under English common law, a binding contract or lease required "consideration" (something of value given in exchange). Rather than requiring actual money, a land owner would charge a single peppercorn to satisfy the legal requirement of a payment without imposing a real financial burden on the lessee. It essentially made the lease legally binding for free or for a purely symbolic fee.

• "Lady Day": March 25th, traditional Feast of the Annunciation. In early modern England and colonial America, Lady Day was one of the four traditional "quarter days" of the calendar year when land rents, leases, and financial obligations were due.

• "Next": The upcoming Lady Day (March 25th) following the date the lease was drawn up.

Context in the Deed

In the context of the 18th-century deed on your page (a typical Lease and Release transaction), the grantors (John and Agness Harger) leased the property to the grantee for a nominal term (often 1 year) for "one peppercorn" so the grantee could legally take actual possession of the land. Once in legal possession, a full release/grant of ownership (the second part of the transaction) could take place.

ChatGPT answered:

In an old deed or lease, “the rent of one Pepper Corn on Lady Day next” is essentially a nominal rent clause. It does not mean that someone literally expected a meaningful payment of pepper.

Breaking it down

“one pepper corn”
A peppercorn was commonly used as a token or nominal rent—something of virtually no monetary value. Its purpose was to make the arrangement technically a lease or conveyance for rent, while indicating that no substantial rent was actually expected.

“Lady Day”
Lady Day is 25 March, the Feast of the Annunciation. It was one of the traditional quarter days in Britain and was commonly used as a date for rents, leases, and other payments.

“next”
“Next” means the next occurrence of 25 March after the date of the document.

So, for example, if a deed dated 10 October 1815 said:

“yielding and paying therefore the rent of one Pepper Corn on Lady Day next”

it would mean:

The tenant/recipient is to pay a purely nominal rent of one peppercorn on 25 March 1816.

Why would a deed say this?

This language is particularly interesting in genealogy because it can tell you something about the legal nature of the transaction.

A lease might establish possession of the property for a nominal rent, while a second document—often a release—would complete the transfer of the property. In English and colonial/early American conveyancing, the traditional “lease and release” method frequently used this kind of nominal rent.

So if you've encountered this wording in an old land deed, I would want to see the surrounding paragraph before interpreting the transaction. The exact wording—especially terms such as “lease,” “release,” “indenture,” “consideration,” “yearly rent,” “quit rent,” or “peppercorn”—can help determine whether you're looking at an actual rental arrangement or a conveyance using nominal consideration.

There were two records which mentioned the Peppercorn rent term
One with the Hargers (of Amelia Co VA) and Andrew Brown ( of Augusta Co VA)
One with the Hargers and Christian Godfrey Miliron ( of Augusta Co VA).

I gave ChatGPT a snippet of the image which contained the phrase from the Andrew Brown entry and it added the additional info

ChatGPT's response after I gave it a screenshot of the paragraph containing the term.

This is not simply a landlord charging someone a token annual rent. It appears to be the lease portion of a traditional “lease and release” conveyance, where the one-peppercorn rent was essentially a legal formality used to put the grantee into legal possession before the release transferred the full title.

What your document is saying
The relevant portion reads approximately:

“…yielding and paying therefore the Rent of one Pepper Corn on Lady Day next if the same shall be lawfully demanded…”

Then it continues with language referring to:

“…the Statute for Transferring Uses into Possession…”

and says that Andrew Brown [the surname is somewhat difficult to read] may thereby be considered to be in actual possession of the premises and able to receive the grant and release of the land.

That is the giveaway.
So what does the peppercorn mean here?
It is nominal rent, not a meaningful rental payment.

The parties were creating a lease for a very short/nominal term, commonly one year, as part of the legal machinery for transferring the land.

The basic sequence was:
1. Lease
John Hargar and Agness Hargar → Andrew Brown
Andrew receives a leasehold interest and is legally treated as being in possession of the land.

2. Release
The Hargars then execute a release transferring the inheritance/freehold interest in the property to Andrew Brown and his heirs.

The peppercorn is the nominal rent associated with that first step.

Why “Lady Day”?

Lady Day = 25 March.

So the clause says, in effect:

The rent shall be one peppercorn, payable on the next 25th of March, if it is legally demanded.

The words “if the same shall be lawfully demanded” are also significant. Nobody necessarily expected Andrew to actually hand over a peppercorn. The clause established the formal landlord/tenant relationship required by the conveyancing mechanism.

And the language immediately after it is particularly important

Your document says, in substance:

“…by virtue of the Statute for Transferring Uses into Possession…”

This refers to the Statute of Uses (1535), which became part of the legal foundation for this type of conveyance.

The document then says that Andrew Brown would be considered to be:

“in actual possession of the premises”

so that he could accept the subsequent “Grant and Release” of the land.
That is classic lease-and-release language.
What this means genealogically

If you're using this document to establish who owned land, I would not interpret the one-peppercorn clause as evidence that Andrew Brown was merely renting the property from John and Agness Hargar.

Quite the opposite: the document is apparently part of a transaction intended to transfer ownership/freehold interest from the Hargars to Brown.

The really important document to find is therefore the companion “Release.”

It may be recorded immediately before or after this document, sometimes on the following page or under a separate entry. The release should contain the substantive conveyance of the property and may identify:

the consideration paid;
the precise acreage and boundaries;
the names of the grantors and grantee;
the heirs or legal successors;
and potentially the prior source of the Hargars' title.

One thing I would correct from my first answer

My first answer described the possibility of a conventional rental arrangement too broadly. Now that I can see your actual document, the “lease and release” interpretation is much stronger. The combination of the peppercorn, the “actual possession” language, and especially the reference to the Statute for Transferring Uses into Possession makes the legal purpose much clearer.

ChatGPT then offered to 

"transcribe the entire page line by line and explain what each part means, including identifying the witnesses and the court acknowledgment at the bottom. That could be especially useful for determining exactly what land changed hands and whether this establishes Andrew Brown's ownership."

Using Google Search I found some links about the terms

From the Tarlton Law Library  Peppercorn Rent

Also since I really had no idea what Lady Day I searched for that and found a page at Britannica.

I think I prefer to Google the terms and then visit the sites and evaluate them myself rather than rely on Gemini, ChatGPT etc. to summarize or explain them.  A bit of a rabbit hole but a fun learning experience.

In Memoriam: Lula Cooper Blanton (1861 - 1920)

 

Lula Cooper Blanton

Born:  November 19, 1861

Died:  March 6, 1920

Buried in Simpson Cemetery

Married W. T. Blanton November 4, 1886

She was a member of M. E. Church but united with

Union Ridge Baptist after her marriage.

Died of Tuberculosis

Predeceased by Father John B Cooper (d. 1915)

Survivors:

Husband-- William Thomas Blanton (m. November 4, 1886)

Mother-- Rebecca F Landers Cooper

Siblings

Washington Cicero Cooper

Ella Cooper Fuqua

Maggie Cooper Condra

Algie Bell Cooper Craig

American Lillian Cooper Boyd

Johnnie Anna Cooper Pickle

William Emmett Cooper

Children

Willie Elmer Blanton

Mary Ella Blanton

Sam B Blanton

Nora B Blanton Taylor

Georgia L Blanton Simpson

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, April 29, 1920, p  23, col 2 & 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-lula-cooper-blanto/206819632/ : accessed September 27, 2026), clip page for Lula Cooper Blanton- Obituary.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/66488903/lula-blanton: accessed 27 Sep 2026), memorial page for Lula Cooper Blanton (19 Nov 1861–6 Mar 1920), Memorial ID 66488903, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Eris Kimmons Simpson (1900 - 1923)

 

Eris Kimmons Simpson

Born:  October 17, 1900

Died:  May 3, 1923

Contracted Typhoid while working in Akron Ohio.

Survivors:

Parents:  Benjamin Isaiah Simpson and Edna Angeline Kimmons Simpson

Siblings:

Naomi E. Simpson Davis

Alta Dugan Simpson Clay 

Robert Webb Simpson

Thomas Edgar Simpson

Benjamin Frederic Simpson

Roy Jennings Simpson

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, August 16, 1923, p  13, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-eris-simpson-obit/206720933/ : accessed September 25, 2026), clip page for Eris Simpson--obit.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/131422937/eris_kimmins-simpson: accessed 25 Sep 2026), memorial page for Eris Kimmins Simpson (17 Oct 1900–3 May 1923), Memorial ID 131422937, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA,

In Memoriam: Tennie Elmore Allison (1857 - 1949)

 

Born:  January 27, 1857

Died:  May 26, 1949

Member of Rover Baptist.

Predeceased by Parents James Hugh Elmore & Nancy Tillman Gault Elmore

Husband, David Crockett Allison.

Survivors

Daughters:

Mrs. C. Bradley of Nashville (Willie Allison)

Mrs. Ernest Gobel of Nashville (Jessie K Allison)

Mrs. R. R. Heath of Inglewood, California (Ola Allison)

Mrs. F. M. Rehmund of St Louis MO (Martha Allison)

Son:  

Charles Savage Allison of Jacksonville, Florida

Sister:  Miss Elizabeth Elmore of Nashville

Brother:  Granville Sandusky Elmore of Rover, Tennessee

11 Grandchildren

16  Great Grandchildren

Sources:

Nashville Banner, May 27, 1949, p  10, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/nashville-banner-obituary-for-tennie-elm/206717689/ : accessed September 25, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Tennie Elmore Allison.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167655844/tennie-allison: accessed 25 Sep 2026), memorial page for Tennie Elmore Allison (27 Jan 1857–26 May 1949), Find a Grave Memorial ID 167655844, citing Spring Hill Cemetery, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Mollie Hall Ramsey (1875 - 1923)

 

Mollie Hall Holden Ramsey

Born:  August 30, 1875

Died:  April 27, 1923

Saved at age 12 and joined Union Ridge Baptist at age 15

Transferred membership to Eagleville Baptist but returned with husband in 1911.

She went by her step father's surname of Holden sometimes prior to her marriage.

There is some discrepancy in her birth date.

Parents:  William Hall &  Eliza Ann Roxie Elrod

Predeceased by

Sue M Ramsey(daughter) likely predeceased her parents as she is in the 1910 census as an infant but does not appear in 1920 when she would be abt 10 yrs old.

 

Survivors:

Husband :  Thomas Jefferson Ramsey Jr.

Children:

Mattie Gertrude Ramsey

George Washington Ramsey

John Buford Ramsey

Sedan Duggan Ramsey

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, August 16, 1923, p  13, col. 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-mollie-hall-holden/206703336/ : accessed September 25, 2026), clip page for Mollie Hall Holden Ramsey-Obit.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/212166473/mary_e-ramsey: accessed 25 Sep 2026), memorial page for Mary E “Mollie” Hall Holden Ramsey (15 Jan 1874–27 Apr 1923), Memorial ID 212166473, citing Johns Cemetery, Greenwood, Rutherford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Edna Rushing Wilhoite Davis (1871 - 1911)

 

Edna Rushing Wilhoite Davis

Born:  July 31, 1871

Died:  May 17, 1911

Buried at Willow Mount Cemetery in Bedford Co. TN

Parents:  Richard B. & Tennie Wilhoite

Husband:  John E Davis(married May 15, 1897)

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, October 12, 1911, p  15, col 2 & 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-edna-rushing-davis/206593737/ : accessed September 23, 2026), clip page for Edna Rushing Davis--Obit.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92014542/edna_r-davis: accessed 23 Sep 2026), memorial page for Edna R. Wilhoite Davis (31 Jul 1871–17 May 1911), Memorial ID 92014542, citing Willow Mount Cemetery, Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Lillian Cooper Boyd (1875 - 1927)

 

Lillain Cooper Boyd

Born:  August 31, 1875

Died:  December 4, 1927

Predeceased by 

Parents:   John B Cooper and Rebecca F Landers Cooper

Daughter:  Lula Cooper Blanton

Sisters:  

Lula Cooper Blanton

Ella Cooper Fuqua

Survivors:

Husband, John Boyd

One son, John Henderson Boyd

2 Brothers:  

Washington Cicero Cooper 

William Emmett Cooper

4 sisters:  

Mrs. J. F. Condra (Maggie Matilda May Cooper)

Mrs G W. Pickle

Mrs. L P Craig(Algie Bell Cooper)

Mrs  D Frank Pickle  (Anna “Johnnie” Cooper)

Sources:

The Daily News-Journal, December 6, 1927, p  1, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-obituary-for-lill/206573705/ : accessed September 23, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Lillian Cooper Boyd.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117631648/america_lillian-boyd: accessed 23 Sep 2026), memorial page for America Lillian Cooper Boyd (31 Aug 1875–4 Dec 1927), Memorial ID 117631648, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Mary Bumpus White (1890 - 1927)

 

Mary Bumpus White(Mrs. A.F. White)

Born:  August 10, 1890

Died:  January 10, 1927

Survivors

Husband, A. Fonzie White

Sons:

Alfred F. White

William Claude White

Lonnie Clyde White

Earl Bumpus White

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, January 27, 1927, p  13. col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-obituary-for-a-f/206589962/ : accessed September 23, 2026), clip page for Obituary for A. F. White by user rmbeckman

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117809316/mary_b-white: accessed 23 Sep 2026), memorial page for Mary B Bumpus White (10 Aug 1890–10 Jan 1927),Memorial ID 117809316, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

Community Reconstruction: The Union Ridge Baptist Project

Researching individuals, especially women, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries presents a perfect storm of missing data in Bedford and Rutherford counties, Tennessee, where my ancestors lived.  The lost 1890 US Federal Census causes a 20-year gap.  Any female born after the 1880 census who married before 1900 can virtually disappear from official government records under her maiden name. Official state death registration didn't reliably begin in Tennessee until late 1908, with another complete gap in Tennessee death records for the year 1913 when the vital records law lapsed.

Faced with these hurdles in tracking my own family lines, I turned to a dedicated historical anchor in the Rover community: Union Ridge Baptist Church (known today as Rover Baptist Church). Rooted in Rover, Union Ridge Baptist Church has stood as a spiritual and social center for the community for generations. Right next door lies Simpson Cemetery, where a significant portion of the congregation rests, including my own 2nd great-grandparents.  Because church and family ties were deeply intertwined, local obituaries often served as the primary record when public record-keeping fell short. To reconstruct these lives, I began gathering obituaries from local papers in Bedford and Rutherford counties, but the real breakthrough came from a denominational publication: the Baptist and Reflector.

While secular newspapers often published brief notices, denominational papers like the Baptist and Reflector took care to publish rich, detailed biographical obituaries written by pastors, family members, or fellow church members who knew the deceased personally. Through these obituaries, my Union Ridge Baptist Project has grown to cover over 60 members who died between the 1890s and 1960s. These records do far more than just confirm a date of death;  they act as a bridge across our worst record gaps.  Detailed obituaries routinely name surviving siblings, parents, and places of origin, restoring maiden names to women who otherwise vanished between 1880 and 1900.  For those who passed away prior to 1908 or during missing years like 1913, these notices often provide exact death dates, ages, and circumstances that exist nowhere else.

Mapping Kinship Networks: Surnames like Elmore, Thomason, Lamb, Simpson, Jackson, Smotherman, and Jarrell repeat across generations in the church rolls, showing how interconnected the Rover community truly was. What started as a search for my own ancestors has grown into a community reconstruction project. By piecing together church membership, published obituaries, cemetery burials at Simpson Cemetery, and other local family cemeteries, the project is giving a voice back to a generation that a lack of official historical records nearly erased. 

The TN Baptist and Baptist Reflector Digital Project is an undertaking of the Southern Baptist Historical Library & Archives. You can browse the archives at this link.

To access the Union Ridge Baptist Project profiles and other posts about historical church members on this blog, use the search feature in the upper left corner and search on the term "Union Ridge Baptist".  I am continuing to add profiles as I discover them.  Please check back from time to time.

In Memoriam: Dorah Sanders (1883 - 1905)

 

Dorah Sanders

Born:  January 2, 1883

Died:  August 12, 1905

Joined Union Ridge Baptist in 1901.

Survivors

Parents:  James Henry Sanders and Malissa J Brown Sanders

Siblings:

Johnie Sanders

Lillie Sanders

James O Sanders

Bettie Sanders

Ollie J. Sanders

Nannie C Sanders

Eddie Sanders

William B Sanders

Thomas Benjamin Sanders

Allie B. Sanders

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, November 2, 1905, p  16, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-dora-sanders-obit/206306662/ : accessed September 19, 2026), clip page for Dora Sanders--Obituary.

1900 U.S. census, Bedford County, Tennessee, population schedule, Civil District 10, Enumeration District 12, sheet 8A, dwelling 130, family 141, Henry Sanders household; digital image, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 21 September 2026), image 15 of 26; citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1558.

In Memoriam: Matilda Brooks Owen (1815 - 1901)

 

Matilda Brooks Owen

Born:  December 5, 1815

Died   September  17, 1901

Married: January 2, 1841 to Peter Owen

About 1872 united with Rover Church 

moved membership to Eagleville about 1887

Predeceased by 

Husband--Peter D Owen

Daughter-- Martha Ann Owen

Survivors

Mary Jane Owen Elmore

John Marshall Owen

Drucilla Price Owen Edmonds

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, May 22, 1902, p  15, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-obituary-for-mati/206505950/ : accessed September 22, 2026), clip page for Obituary for -Matilda Brooks OWEN.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/76264534/matilda-owen: accessed 22 Sep 2026), memorial page for Matilda Brooks Owen (5 Dec 1815–17 Sep 1901), Memorial ID 76264534, citing Owen Cemetery, Rutherford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Margaret Caroline Weaver Thomason (1840 - 1904)

 

Margaret Caroline Weaver Thomason

Born:  October 16, 1840

Died:   November 28, 1904

Buried at Thomason Cemetery

Saved in 1854 and united with Union Ridge Baptist

Married January 12, 1859 to J.S. Thomason

Predeceased by 4 children

Avarilla Thomason Faris(d. before 1896)

the other three are likely 

Benjamin T Thomason

William B Thomason

Nancy E Thomason Garrett

Survivors

Husband--James S Thomason

4 children

I believe that her surviving children were the 4 below based on finding death records and census records for them after her death.

James Montgomery Thomason(d. 1940)

Mary Thomason Yarbrough(d. 1947)

George W Thomason(d. 1912)

Maggie Thomason Sanders(d. 1911)

20 Grandchildren

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, March 16, 1905, p  14; col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-margaret-caroline/206307383/ : accessed September 19, 2026), clip page for Margaret Caroline Weaver Thomason.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29092598/margaret_carolina-thomason: accessed 19 Sep 2026), memorial page for Mrs Margaret Carolina Weaver Thomason (16 Oct 1840–28 Nov 1904), Memorial ID 29092598, citing Thomason Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Margaret Ann Phillips Marshall (1883 - 1904)

 

Margaret Ann Phillips Marshall

Born:  March 21, 1883

Died:  March 31, 1904

Married John Marshall

Parents:  William and Amanda Philips

Mother of 3 children

1 Son predeceased her

Adkin Marshall (2 Apr 1899--23 Apr 1900 (aged 1)

Survivors

Husband John T Marshall

two children (one of which was John William Marshall who was b. 1901)

She was the granddaughter of Ivie Phillips who was a neighbor to my 2nd great grandparents Wm Clifford Cook & Elizabeth Putman Cook. Her death year was incorrect on her FindAGrave page.  The death notice in the Baptist and Reflector gives her year of death as 1904. This cleared up an issue with the birth of one of her children being months after her death.  It also lists the names of her parents. I did not have her name on the listing of Wm & Amanda Phillips children because she was born after the 1880 census and never listed in her parents household (she is married before the 1900 census.) I submitted the corrections to her FindAGrave memorial page.

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, June 2, 1904, p  15., col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-margaret-ann-phill/206446010/ : accessed September 21, 2026), clip page for Margaret Ann Phillips Marshall--Obit.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42016467/margaret-marshall: accessed 21 Sep 2026), memorial page for Margaret “Maggie” Phillips Marshall (21 Mar 1883–31 Mar 1904), Memorial ID 42016467, citing Russell Cemetery, Eagleville, Rutherford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Lavenia Brown Bumpus (1843 - 1895)

 

Lavenia Brown Bumpus

Born:  March 11, 1843

Died:  December 20, 1895

Buried at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery

Predeceased by husband Henry Martin Bumpus(m. 1879 in Rutherford Co TN.

Survived by 

2 daughters and several step children

Her FindAGrave entry and many Ancestry trees have her parents listed incorrectly.  She is not a daughter of the John Brown(b. in VA) of Browns Mill, Rutherford Co TN.  She is the daughter of William Brown(b. NC) and wife Catherine who lived in the Rover, Dist 10 Bedford Co TN area and who are buried at Mt Pleasant Baptist Church along with Lavenia.  While I can't do anything about the tree errors I have submitted corrections to FindAGrave.  See the table below for the explanation.

Sources:  

Baptist and Reflector, March 19, 1896, p  14, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-lavenia-bumpus/206308452/ : accessed September 19, 2026), clip page for Lavenia Bumpus -- Obituary.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24935359/lavenia-bumpus: accessed 20 Sep 2026), memorial page for Lavenia Brown Bumpus (11 Mar 1843–20 Dec 1895),  Memorial ID 24935359, citing Mount Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Eagleville, Rutherford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Adam Turner Thomason (1832-1902)

 

Adam Turner Thomason

Born:  February 22, 1832

Died:  February 22, 1902

Married Winnie Jane Weaver 

Confederate Widows Pension Winnie J Thomason 

(Log in to FamilySearch to view. Registration is free)

His death notice printed in the Baptist and Reflector contains an error in his name showing it as A. F. Thomason instead of A. T. Thomason. 

Predeceased by son Richard S. Thomason (d. 1897)

Survivors
Wife--Winnie J Weaver Thomason

Daughter:
Lucy Elnora Thomason Smith
Emma Adora Thomason Osteen
Maggie May Thomason Floyd Henley
Agnes Avarilla Thomason Philpott
Anna Catherine Thomason Cox
Eula Olivia Thomason Cox

Son:
Montgomery Weaver Thomason

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, April 24, 1902, p 15, col 2 & 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-a-f-thomason-ob/206206053/ : accessed September 18, 2026), clip page for A. F. Thomason--obit.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29092607/adam_turner-thomason: accessed 18 Sep 2026), memorial page for Adam Turner Thomason (22 Feb 1832–22 Feb 1902),Memorial ID 29092607, citing Thomason Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Martha Drumwright Sims (1837 - 1913)

 

Martha Drumwright Sims

Born:  October 28, 1837

Died:  November 7, 1913

Married to William Sims in 1854

Joined Union Ridge Baptist in 1854

Predeceased by Husband and one son Richard Sims (d, 1909)

Buried at Simpson Cemetery

Survivors 

Son--Andrew J Sims

Two Daughters--one of them is Susie Sims Lamb.  I've not yet found the name of the other daughter.

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, May 28, 1914, p  13, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-martha-drumwright/206078216/ : accessed September 16, 2026), clip page for Martha Drumwright Sims.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209345090/martha_f-sims: accessed 16 Sep 2026), memorial page for Martha F Drumwright Sims (28 Oct 1837–6 Nov 1913), Memorial ID 209345090, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee.

In Memoriam: Harvey Clayton Yarbrough (1863 - 1928)

 

Harvey Clayton "Tom" Yarbrough

Born:  February 2, 1863

Died:  July 16, 1928

Funeral was July 18, 1928

Married to Mary Thomason Yarbrough

Buried at Simpson Cemetery as are all of Tom and Mary's children with the exception of Edna who is buried next to her husband, Robert G Hamilton at Spring Hill Cemetery in Nashville.

Survivors:

Wife--Mary Thomason Yarbrough

Daughters:  

Callie Yarbrough

Edna Yarbrough

Elizabeth Yarbrough

Sons:

William P. Yarbrough of Nashville, Tenn.

Cecil Yarbrough of Nashville, Tenn.

Benjamin T. Yarbrough of Chapel Hill, Tenn.

Services conducted by Rev. C. M. Pickler & Rev P. E. Ackley.

Pallbearers:  W. A. Thomason, J.W. Tatum, T. B. Farris, W. G. Garrett, J. L. Ghee and C. C. Patterson

Sources: 

The Tennessean, July 17, 1928, p 5, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tennessean-obituary-for-harvey-clayt/206128063/ : accessed September 16, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Harvey Clayton (Tom) YARBROUTH-Monday.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/60352622/harvey_clayton-yarbrough: accessed 16 Sep 2026), memorial page for Harvey Clayton “Tom” Yarbrough (2 Feb 1863–16 Jul 1928), Memorial ID 60352622, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: Minerva May Cook Lamb (1870-1913)

 

Minerva May Cook Lamb

Born: December 12, 1870
Died:  February 18, 1913

Cause of Death:  Tuberculosis

Buried at Simpson Cemetery

Married Thomas Lamb on October 3, 1894 in Bedford Co. Tennessee.

No Children

Christian for 17 yrs(saved in 1896) and member of Union Ridge Baptist since 1907

Predeceased by 

Parents--James Polk Cook and Susan Carson Ferguson Cook

Paternal Grandparents--William Clifford Cook & Elizabeth Putman Cook

Maternal Grandparents--Jesse H Carson & Nancy Gillespie Carson

Survivors

Sisters:

Tennessee "Tennie" Ferguson Hill(Maternal half sister)

Harriet Sophie Cook Boyce(Wife of Humphrey Hastings Boyce)

Brother--William Clifford "Billy Kid" Cook

This is a cropped photo of May from an original picture of

May and Tom Lamb that was posted on Ancestry by BobbieLonas94 

that I had Gemini adjust for clarity.

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, August 21, 1913, p  14, col 2; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-obituary-for-miner/206177405/ : accessed September 17, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Minerva May  Cook Lamb.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/113719628/minerva_may-lamb: accessed 17 Sep 2026), memorial page for Minerva May Cook Lamb (12 Dec 1870–18 Feb 1913), Memorial ID 113719628, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: James William Hampton (1859 - 1915)

 

James William Hampton

Born:  May 28, 1859

Died:  November 12, 1915

Survivors:

Wife--Martha Jane Neece

Daughters:

Annie May Hampton Lentz

Mary Frances Hampton Nellums

Bessie Hampton Russell

Minnie Hampton Woodson

Ollie Hampton Overcast

Lonza Hampton Rowland

Lille May Hampton Harmon

Sources:  

Baptist and Reflector, March 16, 1916, p  15, col 4; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-j-w-hampton/206024194/ : accessed September 15, 2026), clip page for J. W. Hampton.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/151568224/james_william-hampton: accessed 15 Sep 2026), memorial page for James William Hampton (28 May 1859–13 Nov 1915), Memorial ID 151568224, citing Fisher Cemetery, Marshall County, Tennessee, USA.