October Ancestry Challenge 2013 – Eula Ouida Keene Pickett

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Lori Crane

The October Ancestry Challenge 2013 is 23 posts in 23 days (Monday through Friday) about 23 ancestors. It’s still not to late to join us. Come on, you can catch up.

Ancestor #4 – Eula Ouida Keene Pickett

One of my favorite people in the whole world was my great grandmother Eula Ouida Keene Pickett. She was my devoted pen pal while I was growing up (as we lived in different states), and I still have many of her cards and letters in my scrapbooks. I spent every summer with her as a child and remember gathering chicken eggs, watching her sew quilts, and staying far away from her nasty little chihuahua who was blind in one eye and would bite you if you got too close.

She was the daughter of Thomas Gilbert Lafayette Keene, an upstanding business man who served as Treasurer of Lauderdale County, MS from 1904-1907, and Sarah Elizabeth “Bettie” Brown, daughter of a Confederate hero who was captured by the Union army and escaped, then allowed himself to be captured again to help others escape, which he/they did.

She was born 18 March 1899 and was the sixth of seven children totaling three girls and four boys. She also had an older half-sister from her mom’s first marriage.

Eula married Benjamin Berry Pickett in Lauderdale County, Mississippi in 1916 at the age of 17. They had 3 children: Howard, Azalea (my grandmother), and Fleta Clarice.

Eula’s older half-sister, who was also named Fleta, was 14 years her senior, and the two had a special relationship. In 1920, Fleta had a daughter and named her Eula, and in Dec 1921, Eula had a daughter and named her Fleta Clarice. While Eula was six-months pregnant with Fleta, her father died in Sep 1921. If that wasn’t hard enough to endure, on 8 May 1923, baby Fleta Clarice died of pneumonia. She was seventeen months old.

The Meridian Star, May 8, 1923

Fleta Marie (Clarice) Pickett Born: December 1, 1921 in Lauderdale County, MS

Died: May 8, 1923 in Lauderdale County, MS

Fleta Marie (Clarice) Pickett Fleta Marie Pickett, 17-month-old daughter of Ben Berry and Eula Keene Pickett, who reside near Zero, MS., passed away this morning at 4 o’clock. Funeral services will be held from the residence Wednesday morning at 10 o’clock. Interment is to follow in Fisher Cemetery.

I find it interesting that they held the funeral in the living room.

A month later on 23 June 1923, Eula’s sister Fleta died at the age of 38.

1923 was NOT a good year for the family. Eula’s husband Ben and his brothers were involved in a bloody shoot-out with local law enforcement over a moonshine still. A revenuer (tax collector) was killed, and Ben was sent to prison for murder. This story is in a book by Hewitt Clarke called Thunder at Meridian. BTW, my grandmother Azalea was outraged by the book and said none of it was true. Then again, she was four at the time, and I’m sure the grown-ups did not tell her the all the gory details. I personally spoke with Mr. Clarke in September 2013 and he said he got that story from interviewing Clyde Pickett (Ben’s little brother) in Zero, MS and pieced the rest together from newspapers and court records.

Keep in mind, all of this occurred before Eula’s 25th birthday.

I don’t know how long Ben was in jail, but I know he served his time and was eventually released.

On September 2, 1936, Eula and Ben receive the phone call all parents dread: their 19-yr-old son, Howard, had been in an auto accident. According to his obituary, following a tire blow-out, the car rolled several times. Howard had internal injuries and did not regain consciousness. He died the following day.

The Meridian Star, September 5, 1936

Howard Benjamin Pickett

Born: November 19, 1917 in Lauderdale County, MS

Died: September 3, 1936 in Newton, MS

Howard Benjamin Pickett, 19, son of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Berry Pickett of Meridian, who was injured in an automobile crash near Newton on Highway 80, died in a Newton hospital late Thursday. Miss Hazel Brasfield, 15, also of Meridian, remained in a critical condition Friday morning. Pickett, who was said to have been driving the automobile when it crashed at 5 a.m., received internal injuries. He never regained consciousness. Miss Brasfield is suffering from a crushed thigh. Other occupants of the machine were Jim Edwards, Billy White, Neva Ezell, Jack Ward, and Geneva Burt, all of Meridian. All were slightly injured but were able to return to Meridian soon after the accident. Pickett is said to have rented the automobile from a 630 taxi driver at 7 a.m. Wednesday, stating he intended to go to Jackson. The crash occurred when a tire blew out, causing the machine to leave the highway, overturning several times before striking a stump. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Friday from the Eight Avenue Baptist Church. Surviving are his parents: Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Berry Pickett and one sister, Azelea Pickett, all of Meridian. The Rev. Ed Grayson and Rev. Blanding Vaughan will officiate at the funeral. Interment will follow in Fisher Cemetery.

My great grandma Pickett was a very strong and devoutly religious woman. The more I learn of her life, the more I understand why she was that way. Ben’s mom was a Fisher, so Ben and Eula and their three children are all buried in the family plot at Fisher Cemetery in Zero, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, which is still maintained by the Fisher family.

October Ancestry Challenge 2013 – Annie Blanks Culpepper

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Lori Crane

The October Ancestry Challenge 2013 is 23 posts in 23 days (Monday through Friday) about 23 ancestors. Hop on the ancestry train and join us.

Ancestor # 1 – whew, 23 is a long way to go!

I was going to post in chronological order, but I’ve decided to be completely random. With that being said, here is…

…my great grandmother.

Josephine Annie Blanks Culpepper was born 10 Nov 1877 in Kemper Co, MS and died 15 Nov 1961 in Mobile, AL.

Annie was the daughter of William Henry Blanks III and Martha Lettie “Mattie” Carpenter. She was the fourth of seven children. There was only one boy in the bunch and sadly, he died at the age of five, when Annie was only three, so she never knew him. She grew up with five sisters.

I often wonder about the emotional health of Annie’s family of origin. Her mother, Mattie, lost her own father in the Civil War when she was fourteen, and the family not only lost a half dozen men to the war but another dozen family members to typhoid which was running through the county the winter of 1862/63. I imagine Mattie’s mother was probably emotionally shut down for a long period of time following all those deaths, so Mattie probably did not get the emotional support an adolescent girl needs, therefore it is possible she did not pass that maternal nurturing down to Annie and her sisters, because she never got it herself. I could be completely mistaken, though.

Annie married William Samuel “Sam” Culpepper at the age of 21 in 1899. She said about Sam that he was “handsome with rosy cheeks and teeth as white as pearls.” Sam worked as a sawyer and followed the sawmill business, so Annie was left alone on the farm with the children for great lengths of time. They had nine children between 1900 and 1921, with five being boys and four being girls. All but one of their children lived to a ripe old age.

There are a few things that strike me about Annie. First, I never met her as she died the year before I was born. Next, she lived through a fairly good time in history. The Civil War was long finished before she was born, and I imagine living in the back country of Mississippi, she wasn’t too affected by WWI or WWII. She grew up in a time before televisions and cars, and witnessed a technological growth of astounding proportions. I imagine the first television or automobile caused great excitement in the family.

Following Sam’s death in 1939 at the age of 66, Annie moved to Mobile, Alabama, and spent her golden years with two of her sons who had previously moved there. She died in Mobile at the age of 84 and her remains were returned to Mississippi to be buried next to her husband at Mt. Nebo Cemetery in Newton County, Mississippi.

Obituary November 16, 1961

Mrs. Annie Culpepper

Funeral arrangements were being completed today for Mrs. Annie Blanks Culpepper, 84 of Mobile, a former resident of the Martin community who died yesterday at Mobile.

Mrs. Culpepper was a member of the Duffee Baptist Church and had been active in its various organizations until she suffered a broken hip three years ago.

Her two daughters are Mrs. Mae Howington of Meridian and Mrs. Aaron Spears of Enterprise. She is also survived by five sons, Joe Culpepper of Susqualena, Earl and Clinton Culpepper, Meridian; Fred and Frank Culpepper, Mobile; and two sisters, Mrs. Woodie Logan and Miss Velma Blanks of Laurel.

The body was to arrive in Meridian this afternoon and will be at Stephen’s.

The services will be held at 2 o’clock tomorrow at the Mt. Nebo Baptist church with Rev. Herman Pilgrim in charge, assisted by the Rev. Vernon Blackburn.

Interment will be in the Mt. Nebo cemetery.

Saturday Snippet – Sep 14, 2013 – Stuckey’s Bridge

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Lori Crane

I received a sweet and awesome 5-star review for The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge from Trudi LoPreto at Readers’ Favorite.

“Lori Crane has written a nail-biter that will keep you up all night. This is a five star winner and Lori Crane is a must-read author.”

You just can’t get any better than that! I’m tickled. You can read the entire review HERE.

I was so excited to read it, because honestly, I’ve been working so hard on my next book, that I haven’t thought much about Old Man Stuckey and his exploits. Old Man Stuckey was a serial killer. He was a sociopath. He was pure evil. However, he had a confident swagger about him that made most women swoon in his presence. Here’s a snippet about one of his conquests. This is one of my favorite scenes from the book. Enjoy!

Scene: Stuckey’s Inn, 1900, Mississippi, the young lady refers to him as Mr. Mason for he didn’t tell her his real name, as usual.

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He found her on the front porch, sitting in a rocking chair with her laced-up boots propped up on the railing. She was gently pushing the chair back and forth with her foot and staring down into a book on her lap.

He watched her from the doorway for a while. The sun was shining on the railing, and her skirt had risen above the height of her boots. He could see a couple inches of her bare leg and longed to see more. He hadn’t had the pleasure of a woman’s company for quite some time, and he wanted to take her right then and there on the porch in the sunshine. He wanted to see the expression on her face in the light of day as he pushed that dress all the way up to her hips.

“I see you found the books I left out for you.” He grinned as he sauntered across the porch, his boots clicking on the old wood planks.

“Yes, I did. Thank you very much.” She smiled up at him with stunning blue eyes, and when she met his gaze, he thought he would explode with desire.

“Which one did you choose?” He strolled in front of her and leaned his back against the porch post, close enough to touch her bare leg.

She simultaneously pulled her boots down from the railing and flipped the cover closed. She read, “A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle.”

“Ah, Sherlock Holmes.”

“Have you read it, sir?”

“Yes, I have. I love a good mystery. I believe he has another book also.”

“Yes, The Sign of Four.” She smiled. “Do you like to read, Mr. Mason?”

“I love to read, Miss Summers.” He gazed deeply into her eyes, realizing by the fire glowing there that it would not be girlish innocence he was about to find.

She blushed and looked down at the book.

Oh, this is a game she likes to play. “Why do you look away from me?”

“I…um…I just don’t feel comfortable.”

“With the way I look at you?”

She glanced up at him through her long eyelashes and did not answer.

“Don’t you know how beautiful you are?”

She blushed and looked down again.

He was enjoying this game. Time to increase the stakes. Softly he said, “Victoria.”

She looked up at him.

He wanted this girl, and knew exactly what she needed to hear. “You are undoubtedly the loveliest woman I have ever seen, and I’m deeply honored just to be in your presence.”

She was speechless as she gazed into his eyes. This time she did not blush or look away. The game was over.

“May I kiss you?” he whispered.

She did not answer.

He took that as a yes.

He gently took the book from her lap, placed it on the side table, and pulled her to her feet. She did not resist. He wrapped his hand around her, placing his palm on the small of her back, and he gently pulled her toward him. Their lips met and she responded to his kiss, placing her hands on his chest. He kissed her deeper. She didn’t waver. He pulled the pin from her hair, letting it fall down to her waist. He wrapped his fingers in it and firmly pulled her head back so he could kiss her neck. He put his other hand on her upper back and pulled her closer to him, feeling her snug bodice press against his chest. He held her there for a moment, then whispered into her ear, “Thank you.”

He released her.

She stood there, dumbstruck and unmoving, like a mule wearing a frosted blue satin dress.

“Would you like some tea, Victoria?” He grinned and strutted across the porch, back into the house.

It was like taking candy from a baby.

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The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge is available at Amazon.com and all online book retailers.

When worlds collide…you can hear me scream!

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Lori Crane

The funniest thing happened yesterday.

I met (online) a cousin on my dad’s side. We share a great grandfather, who I haven’t written about in my blog yet, but I guess I’ll have to get on that now. She showed me a picture of a plaque located in the Lauderdale County Courthouse in Meridian, Mississippi. Our mutual grandfather, Thomas G Lafayette Keene, was apparently the treasurer of Lauderdale County from 1904-1907.

That was awesome! But that wasn’t the funny part.

The book I released in June is called “The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge.” It takes place in Lauderdale County and you can click on “my books” at the top of the page to read all about it. The man chasing the evil Old Man Stuckey throughout the book was Sheriff J.R. Temple. Go back to the picture and look at the top name.

You probably heard me scream from my office last night when I saw that! My books are historical fiction, based on real people and real events, but it is still strange to see his name etched out in marble and to be reminded that he was indeed a real person and not just a character in my head. And that he knew my great grandfather. 🙂

Born August 15, 1828

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Lori Crane

Rice Benjamin Carpenter was born August 15, 1828 in Greene County, Alabama to Benjamin Carpenter and Nancy Rice Carpenter. He was the eighth of ten children.

In 1834, his family moved to Pine Springs, Lauderdale County, Mississippi for the low-cost land and fertile soil. Rice was six years old.

He married Mary Ann Rodgers in 1846. They were both seventeen.

They had five children – Martha Lettie, Benjamin Hays, William Travis, Charles Clinton, and MF – one girl and four boys.

After living with his friends Ebenezer and Sarah Miles in Pine Springs for a few years, in 1853 they bought 80 acres of land from Mary Ann’s father and began farming, but within a few short years, Rice realized he was a better merchant than a farmer, and by 1860 they had opened a general store in Marion Station, Mississippi.

When the Civil War began, Rice signed up for the 41st Mississippi Infantry, Company C on February 8, 1862. This must have been a frightening time for the family, as Mary Ann was eight months pregnant with their last child who was born March 12th, 1862.

At dawn on December 31, 1862, amid limestone boulders and cedar forest, his infantry attacked the Union soldiers at the Battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Private Rice Benjamin Carpenter died on that day on the battlefield at the age of 34, leaving behind his wife and children.

He is laid to rest at Confederate Circle, Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. RIP 3rd great grandpa. Rest well soldier, your job is done.

A portion of his story is told in my book, “Okatibbee Creek.” Available at Amazon.

Ancestry – or Why I’m So Jacked Up – Great Grandparents continued (dad’s side)

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Lori Crane

The first part of this blog was written on February 20, 2013. You can see it HERE if you wish. However, the most amazing thing happened this week. I just received a photo in the mail from my cousin. It is my paternal great grandparents!!! I have a picture of her, but I have NEVER seen him before. He was quite dapper, no? 🙂 This is Amos and Minnie Crane and three of their six children, from left to right: Horace, Evelyn, and my grandfather Frank. The photo must be around 1912. Evelyn was born Oct 1910.

Amos Bolivar Crane and Mary Elizabeth “Minnie” White married in Mississippi on August 10, 1902. He was twenty and she was seventeen. In 1903, they had their first child, Andrew Frank Crane (my grandfather), followed by Horace, Evelyn, Amos Jr, Thomas Jackson (Tommy), and finally, Minnie Ellen in 1918. They lived in Lauderdale County, Mississippi throughout most of their marriage except for a brief stint in Gulfport, Mississippi in the 1950s. He died in 1959 and she followed in 1964. Since I was born in 1962, I probably met her, but I don’t remember, and there is no one left to ask.

They are buried at McGowan Chapel Cemetery in Harmony, Mississippi. I took these photos in September 2012, and a cousin told me I drove right by their house on the way to the cemetery. There were only a couple houses there, but I don’t know which one was theirs. RIP great grandma and grandpa.

“The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge”

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Lori Crane

My new book “The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge” is due to be released June 21, 2013. It will be available in paperback, Kindle, and Nook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers. Here’s the hot-off-the-presses video trailer which will give you a shiver up your spine.

In 1901, the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company began re-building a fifty-year-old Mississippi bridge. In the middle of the project, they began discovering bodies buried on the banks of the river.

Legend has it, he was so evil, he was even thrown out of the notorious Dalton Gang. Years later, he opened an inn near the river, and on foggy nights, boatmen witnessed him pacing back and forth across the bridge, waving his lantern, offering travelers a hot meal and a soft bed.

Those unfortunate enough to take him up on the hospitality were often never seen again.

To this day, eerie experiences are still reported around the bridge that now bears his name. If you travel down to Stuckey’s Bridge, be careful, for not much else is known about the man locals refer to as Old Man Stuckey…until now.

Saturday Snippet – May 25, 2013

Posted on May 25, 2013 by Lori Crane

The following is a sneak peek from my new, soon-to-be-released book “The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge.” It is a work of Historical Fiction, but as you’ll see in a moment, it could easily be classified as a Thriller.

Set up: 1900, a foggy night in Mississippi. Old Man Stuckey has opened an inn on the river, and when visitors are unfortunate enough to take him up on his offer of a hot meal and a soft bed, they are often never seen again. On this particular evening, there are two boys staying with him. They were passing through on their way home from selling a load of cotton downriver. They have a lot of money on them, and Old Man Stuckey would like to relieve them of it. They have retired for the night, and Old Man Stuckey has set out to find the loot. If they remain in their beds, it will be a simple task, but in Old Man Stuckey’s world, things are never quite so easy.

************************************************

He staggered down to the river to inspect the boat, carrying an ax in one hand and a lantern in the other. He realized as he walked that he may have consumed one too many swigs of whiskey, for he didn’t remember the path being this difficult to navigate, and he giggled to himself as he stumbled toward the bank. The cool mist of the fog felt good on his face, but the lack of visibility made him feel a little disoriented. He wasn’t sure if the feeling was caused by the fog or the whiskey.

He reached the river, placed the lamp on the ground next to the boat, and crawled aboard. He searched around the deck, under the seats, and down in the hole, but he found nothing.

“Damn. Why do they always keep the money on them?” he mumbled.

“Hey! What are you doing there?” called the skinny boy as he unexpectedly appeared and neared the boat.

“I was just making sure your boat was tied up securely.” The words ‘sure’ and ‘securely’ came out in a slur, but he ignored them as he climbed out of the boat, back onto the bank. He still held the rusty ax in his hand.

“Why do you need an ax to check on the boat?”

“Oh,” he looked down at the ax, “Just in case I run into something out in the woods. You can never be too careful out here, you know?”

“Don’t you have a gun?”

“Well, yes,” he said as he neared the boy, “But guns make noise.”

Before the boy had a chance to comprehend the meaning behind the words, he swung the ax high into the air and brought it down squarely on the boy’s head, splitting it like a watermelon. The boy collapsed into a mound at his feet, dragging the blade of the ax down with him. He tugged on the ax, trying to pull it free, but it wouldn’t dislodge. He pulled the handle again, but to no avail. He sighed in aggravation as he placed his muddy boot on the boy’s shoulder for leverage and yanked as hard as he could. It suddenly released with a slurping sound, sending him toppling backwards, nearly into the water.

When he regained his balance, he growled at the boy, “Why can’t you people just stay where you’re supposed to? Now, I’m going to have to walk all the way back to the barn to get the shovel to bury you—oh, and kill your freckled friend.”

He heard something rustle in the trees in front of him and looked up. He caught a glimpse of the freckled boy backing into the woods. The boy turned and ran.

“You aren’t going to make me chase you, are you, Freckles?”

***

The boy couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of him, but he ran as fast as he could, feeling tree branches whipping at his face. He tripped on a fallen log, lunged forward, and nearly hit a tree head-on, but he caught his balance with his hands on the large tree trunk. He swung around behind it, leaning his back into it. He put his hand to his mouth to quiet his panting and felt the stickiness of sap from the tree trunk. He tried to wipe it off his face with his other hand, but that one was full of sap, too. He breathed slowly through his nose and listened for his pursuer. He didn’t hear anything. He was shaking uncontrollably and couldn’t stop himself. He clenched his jaw so his teeth wouldn’t chatter. Maybe he had lost the murderer. Maybe he was dreaming. Maybe this was all a nightmare. Maybe he didn’t just witness an ax splitting his friend’s head wide open. He looked up into the black arms of the tree branches but couldn’t see anything but haunted shadows. He glanced around in every direction, not being able to see more than a few feet in front of him. Where should he go? He didn’t know where he was or how long he would have to run to find safety. The nearest person could be miles and miles away. He didn’t see any place to hide. He would have to keep running. Surely the man wouldn’t follow him all night. He just needed to stay in front of him. He held his breath and listened. He heard nothing. Which way? His breathing had begun to return to normal when suddenly a twig snapped loudly behind him. He gasped.

“You can’t hide forever, Freckles,” came a sing-song voice. “Come out and let’s talk about this.”

Run! He bolted in the direction opposite the voice, straight into the dense fog, running as fast as his feet would carry him. Vines and barbs grabbed at his legs and branches scratched his arms like the claws of an unknown creature trying to rip off small bits of his skin. He ignored them. Run faster!

He instantly stopped dead in his tracks as he felt an immense pain on his forehead, but he knew it couldn’t possibly be the ax of his pursuer. The murderer was way behind him. He reached up to his face and felt something metal—something with a wooden handle. What is this? The thick fog had severely limited his visibility. The sticky, warm wetness dripping into his eyes completely blinded him. He felt his face covered in warmth. Is this blood? He moved his hands over the object stuck in his forehead. A rake? Where did a rake come from? And how did it hit him squarely in the forehead? Confused, frightened, and in pain, he dropped to his knees, and an agonizing scream involuntarily escaped his lips as the long, wooden handle of the rake reached the ground before his knees did. The tines jerked upward, ripping off the top half of his scalp. The last thing he felt was the ax on the back of his head.

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“The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge” by Lori Crane

Available June 2013 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.

Wednesday Writer’s Corner – May 22, 2013

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Lori Crane

Wednesday Writer’s Corner has been cancelled for this week. I apologize for any inconvenience. 😛

It’s actually my editor’s fault, not that she edits my blogs, but my new book was supposed to go to her on June 10, and she had a sudden cancellation, so it’s going to her on May 30. You wouldn’t think eleven days would make that big a difference, but HOLY COW!

I’m also recording the voice-over for the video trailer tonight and taking everyone involved out for Mexican to celebrate.

Oh…here’s the cover, designed by my fabulous designer, who also happens to be my trophy husband. I ♥ it! I added the blurb in case you’d like to see what it’s about. So excited! Okay, enough playing around…BACK TO WORK! Wish me luck.

In 1901, the Virginia Bridge & Iron Company began re-building a fifty-year-old Mississippi bridge. In the middle of the project, they began discovering bodies buried on the banks of the river.

Those unfortunate enough to take him up on his hospitality were often never seen again.

“The Legend of Stuckey’s Bridge” coming June 2013 to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.

A to Z Challenge – R is for Rice

Posted on April 20, 2013 by Lori Crane

Blogging from A to Z April 2013 Challenge

R is for Rice

As with other blogs on my site, this is about my ancestors–the Rice family.

My 3rd great grandfather was Rice Benjamin Carpenter. He was born in 1828 and died during the Civil War serving the Confederacy at the battle of Stones River in Murfreesboro, TN on 31 Dec 1862. He left behind a wife and four young children. He is buried at the Confederate Circle at Evergreen Cemetery in Murfreesboro.

His first name came from his mother’s family—the Rice family. His mother was Nancy Rice, born born 1791 in NC. At some point around 1834ish, she and her husband, Benjamin Carpenter, packed up their home and five children and moved to Lauderdale Co, MS. After arriving there, they had five more children. Nancy and Ben both died in Lauderdale Co in 1870 and 1865, respectively.

Nancy’s father was John B Rice (I bet the B was for Benjamin). John was born in 1755 in NC and died there 29 Apr 1836. He married Elizabeth Hopkins, who was also born and died in NC. They had at least eight children in the late 1700s, including a son named Hopkins Rice. Is this getting confusing yet? John served in the American Revolution (pension no 59062). That makes at least 3 grandfathers of mine who served.

One of my genealogy buddies found the following in a Rice Family archive. It reads to be from a slave’s descendant.

“My family history dates back to Nash County, North Carolina in 1787. A woman by the name of Chaney was born. Little is known about her background, but it is believed that she was the daughter of an African. I have done extensive research on the slaves of Hopkins Rice. It is believed that Chaney and her sister were given to the Hopkins Family of Nash Carolina. Peter Hopkins was the first Hopkins in his family to move to Edgecombe County, North Carolina. He was born in 1730. He married a woman named Wilmoth Fowler. She was born in 1747 in Wake County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Joseph F. & Anne Fowler. The couple had known children: William Hopkins, John Hopkins, David Hopkins, Elizabeth Hopkins-Rice, and Susannah Hopkins-Russell. The Hopkins oldest daughter, Elizabeth, married a Revolutionary War Hero named John Rice. He was born in 1755 in Bute County, North Carolina. They moved to Nash County, North Carolina and purchased about 800 acres of land on Lee’s Creek. They couple had about eight children.1. John Rice, 2. William Rice, 3. Elizabeth Rice-Richardson, 4. Nancy Rice-Carpenter, 5. Mary Rice-Marriott, 6. James M. Rice, 7. Benjamin Rice, 8. Hopkins Rice. Chaney was brought to this plantation, but it is unsure exactly when. However most of her children were born on the Rice plantation. There is a strong possibility that she had more than five children, but it is uncertain. In the early 1800’s John Rice deeded Chaney and her children to his son Hopkins Rice and his wife Jane. In the early 1820’s Hopkins and his family migrated to Greene County, Alabama by way of Georgia. They purchased land in 1828, where the estate grew in the Clinton and Pleasant Ridge areas. In the later years, some of the Rice’s were sold to various plantations. One of Chaney’s sons, Anderson, was sold to Eldred Pippen. Also three of her great grandsons were sold. Jesse Rice was sold to Gaston Wilder of Pickens County, Alabama. Richard “Dick” Gilmore was sold to William Gilmore of Mantua. The last son was sold to a Harkness, whose name is not known.”

John’s father was Jared or Jerret Rice. He was born around 1730. He married Lettie Potts and they had at least six children. They lived in NC. My second great grandmother (Rice Benjamin Carpenter’s first child) was Martha Lettie Carpenter Blanks. I always wondered where the name Lettie came from. Now we know.

Lori Crane

award-winning author. musician. cute shoes.

Category Archives: Mississippi