This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------BC4F1D79552869E39B95CA03 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Some time ago I received a query concerning a Mary Ann Breedlove that I finally got around to answerring this past week. I had tentatively identified her as a daughter of James R. Breedlove and Nancy Simmons of Rutherford Co., North Carolina, and as a grand-daughter of Charles Breedlove and Sally Fletcher. Messages back and forth have confirmed that identity. The latest message which I have edited and attached is part of a letter written by a grandchild who knew her. Some background information that I knew beforehand is that a Mary Breedlove had married a Daniel Wester on 8 Feb 1851 in Roane County, Tennessee. He was 38 yrs older than old, yet they had three children before he died in 1857. She remarried again in 1860 to a Hiram Gibson who again was much older than she and they had one daughter Mary who died in infancy. All of the other known children of James & Nancy Simmons Breedlove are shown on the 1850 census in Greene Co., MO, where her brother John is shown with four children from a previous marriage to his 1st cousin Sarah Ann Breedlove, dau of William & Amy Hair Breedlove, with a new wife, widow Rebecca Wilkinson Ramey who he married in January 1850. This is most likely the family that Mary Ann was living with in the attached story. I had wondered how this Mary Ann Breedlove could have ended up in Roane County, Tennessee when all of the other Breedlove's had already moved from there to Greene County before 1850. The attached story explains that quite easily. The only error I can find is that it states she was born in Missouri which is understandable since she came from there before she was married, but all census reports give her birth as NC, and most likely Rutherford County, NC where James and Nancy lived. I thought everyone would enjoy reading a firsthand account of the life of an early Breedlove. It helps once in a while to put some meat on the bones of all these skeletons we are trying to hang some dates and places on, to see what their lives really were like. Enjoy! Tom PS Dates from her tombstone in Polk Co., OR - 8 Jun 1824 - 11 Oct 1892. --------------BC4F1D79552869E39B95CA03 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; name="Mary.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline; filename="Mary.txt" This is from a letter written about the L. C. Wann family in the 1960s. It is handwritten on lined paper 5 x 8". ........... Grandmother Wester's maiden name was Mary Breedlove. She was born in Missouri. A nurse by profession she was keeping house for her widowed brother and four children when grandfather came over from Tenn to buy some saddle and carriage horses. Granmother was also an accomplished horsewoman and had helped break these horses. Young Dr. Wester took the horses home alright but returned for more for other folks & the lovely petite little lady for himself. Her brother was remarrying anyway. He was a handsome man of 65 and wealthy plantation owner. It was a truly love match and they were very happy. It was his 2nd marriage and he had children older than grandmother at 25. They had three children. Margaret Louise William Asbury and Charles (he was the only uncle I ever knew) ............ Grandmother Wester married there father just at the beginning of the Civil War. Uncle Charles was between one & two years of age when grandfather Wester died. All of grandmother's nursing skill couldn't save him when he had lobar pneumonia. She was left with three small children a huge plantation a great many slaves to manage. She & Grandfather Gibson were well acquainted and he being a fine gentleman there were married a year later. He somehow took care of the three children's money from their father's estate all thru the war and gave it to them when they were grown $2000.00 each. When he died grandmother came to live with her only daughter & came out to Oregon with them in 1876. She did all the sewing, washing, ironing. Mother was having babies pretty fast so it was a great boon to her. Grandmother also raised the geese, picked their feathers twice yearly, carded the wool & wove the coverlets & rugs on the spinning wheel & loom. Knitted socks & sweaters, etc, etc. Gold Old Days life. She was also a tailoress. All this & she was only half pint in size. Her children got their loge bones & frames & height from their father. ......... --------------BC4F1D79552869E39B95CA03--