Unlocking FamilySearch Full-Text: More Records for Burgess Cooper

Now that Full Text Search at FamilySearch is making so many items findable, I've been revisiting some of my earlier research.  It's great to find new items which add even more to the picture of what was happening.  My Dad's paternal 1st cousin Ruth Thompson was married to Burgess Cooper for a brief time.  I've not found their divorce yet.  I knew that Burgess had done time in jail.  Seems he kept stealing different modes of transportation.  In his earlier years, it was a horse which he tried to sell shortly after stealing and later auto theft.  Here are a few of the newspaper articles about him.

Cooper Makes 
Final Attempt 
Jail Delivery

(From Wednesday's Daily Herald)

Burgess Cooper, confessed horse thief, who was yesterday sentenced to serve a term of three years i the Tennessee Industrial School, last night made a final desperate attempt to break jail. These attempts at jail delivery upon the part of Cooper are not new to Sheriff Houser, and last night the man under sentence was placed in a re-inforced cell, but in some manner he succeeded in so badly damaging the new Yale Lock on his cell door it was necessary for Sheriff Houser this morning to break it in order to get him out of the cell.  The sheriff will be delighted when he hears that Cooper is safely confined within the walls of the Industrial School.

"Cooper Makes Final Attempt Jail Delivery", Columbia Herald(Columbia TN), Vol LXXIV, No 12, March 21, 1922, p 2, col 4 ; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3RM-K8MN : accessed 18 October 2026), IGN 8963695, image 388 of 1056.

In Memoriam: George Calvin Brown (1858 - 1932)

 

George Calvin Brown

Born: December 14, 1858

Died: October 3, 1932

Buried:  Sanders Cemetery Bedford Co TN

Joined Union Ridge Baptist as a young man

transferred his membership to Longview.

Predeceased by infant child and by daughter Bessie Bell Brown Rutledge

Survivors

Wife:  Sallie Ann Sanders married in 1880

5 sons

William Edgar Brown

Thomas Henry Brown

George Frank Brown

Alvin Calvin Brown

Roscoe Herbert Brown

2 daughters

Mary Tennessee Brown Smotherman

Beulah Ellen Brown Brown

Host of Grandchildren and several great grandchildren.

Sources:  

"In Memory," The Bedford County Times (Shelbyville,TN) Dec 22, 1932, p 4, col 1 & 2;image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHK-Q3T3-FKCQ : accessed 16 Oct 2026) IGN 8992182, Image 592 of 960.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31045195/george_calvin-brown: accessed 16 Oct 2026), memorial page for George Calvin Brown (14 Dec 1858–3 Oct 1932), Memorial ID 31045195, citing Sanders Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

Check Your Sides: Why Ancestry ThruLines Need Verification

I've mentioned this before to several of my genealogy friends but wanted to blog about it to remind folks that ThruLines are HINTS.  Hints are suggestions which you can verify or prove wrong....or even totally ignore-- that's your choice.

This ThruLines match of mine (shown above in split screen of ThruLines beside Profile page) is a great example. This is not an error by Ancestry. In the pop-out panel of the ThruLines, it shows the match as paternal because if the ThruLines is correct, the match would be through a paternal line. However, the profile page shows that the match is on the side that I (or Ancestry) has determined to be the maternal side. My mom has tested and the match shows she matches them for the same amount. In situations such as these, keep in mind that you could still be kin to a match through that path and share no DNA. Still you would have to verify that connection.

I wish Ancestry would do a comparison of the two sides in their code and kick out any ThruLines where the ThruLines hint couldn't possibly be true. I don't guess that will happen. Of course, this would not help with the ThruLines where the side of connection is correct but the path isn't. Pay attention and verify always, especially if you are going to be basing any further research or theories on the connection.

In Memoriam: Margaret Cooper (abt 1822 - 1912)

 

Margaret Cooper

Born: abt 1822

Died:  December 26, 1912

United with the Union Ridge Baptist Church abt 1852

Predeceased by parents (d. abt 1832)

Her obituary tells of her helping her maiden aunt to raise Margaret's 3 younger siblings as her parents passed when Margaret was 10 yrs old. She also raised an orphan nephew.  

Margaret is buried in the family plot of  Bro. Tom Taylor who conducted her funeral at the Aenon Church.

I have looked for more information but have not found much other than this.  I will add any additional info I find to this post.

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, April 17, 1913, p  16, col 4; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-obituary-for-marga/206824346/ : accessed September 27, 2026), clip page for Obituary for Margaret COOPER.

In Memoriam: Maggie Thomason Sanders (1884 - 1911)

 

Margaret Jane "Maggie" Thomason Sanders

Born: January 11, 1884

Died:  July 26, 1911

Buried in the Thomason Cemetery in Bedford County, Tennessee.

Predeceased by mother--Margaret Carolina Weaver Thomason

Survivors:

Husband--Albert Preston Sanders--married November 20, 1901

Children:

George Burnard Sanders

Alta Mae Sanders Jordan

Annie Weaver Sanders Hamilton

Father--James S Thomason

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, October 5, 1911, p 15, col 1; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-maggie-thomason-sa/207920365/ : accessed October 9, 2026), clip page for Maggie Thomason Sanders obituary.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29092604/margaret_jane-sanders: accessed 9 Oct 2026), memorial page for Margaret Jane “Maggie” Thomason Sanders (11 Jan 1888–26 Jul 1911), .Memorial ID 29092604, citing Thomason Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.

In Memoriam: William Floyd Elmore ( 1859 - 1925 )

 

William Floyd Elmore

Born:  August 22, 1859

Died:  July 5, 1925

Buried in Simpson Cemetery

Joined Union Ridge Baptist in 1875.

Served as 

• Church Clerk(July 21, 1900 - September 1919)
• Deacon
• Sunday School Superintendent
• Teacher of Bible class

Predeceased by:

Parents--James Hugh Elmore & Nancy Tillman Gault Elmore

Son-- Jimmie Elmore (died young)

Brothers:

James A Elmore

Hugh M Elmore

Survivors:

Wife--Salome Duggan Hester Elmore

Children:

Mary Tillman Elmore (died in  Aug 1925)

Ruth Elmore Blanton

Paul Hale Elmore

Josephine Elmore (died in Dec 1925)

Wilfred "Billie" Elmore Harris

Sisters:

Tennie Elmore Allison

Nancy Elizabeth Elmore

Brother-- Granville Sandusky Elmore

Sources:

Baptist and Reflector, October 1, 1925, p 16, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/baptist-and-reflector-w-f-elmore-obit/207897761/ : accessed October 8, 2026), clip page for W. F. Elmore obit d 5th July 1925.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/209326792/william_floyd-elmore: accessed 8 Oct 2026), memorial page for William Floyd Elmore (22 Aug 1859–5 Jul 1925), Memorial ID 209326792, citing Simpson Cemetery, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA.