Audrey, I have Hezikiah. I have him from his birth until his death. I even have both of his wills, his law suite filed against him by the children of his second wife over the ownership of some slaves left to them by their father. I even have the law suit filed by Thomas Holland on behalf of Elizabeth Cockrum Holland and heirs against the 1/2 of his estate org. left to Sarah his third and final wife at his death the other 1/2 being left to Daniel Cockrum his son. This suit filed opon the death of Sarah the third wife. What I do not to this day know is ..........................Who the Heck was my own Grandmother the 1st. wife and mother of all six of the children of Hez. I know her only as Elizabeth The only record we find on her was the bible owned by George Washington Lafayette Cothran Son of William Cockrum and Mary "Polly" Spillers. George W.L. Cothran buried in Carroll Co. GA in the Old Sharpe Cemetery left this bible to his son: Ovid Dunlap Cothran Ovid died in Avon Park FL about 1940's Ovid left this bible to his widow and children. Zona Almeda Entriken Cothran one of the six children this bible was left to was my Father: Orrin Charlie Cothran b. 1911 Carroll Co. GA township of Jake, GA They moved to Avon Park, FL in the early 20 via a stop over in Worth Co. GA where the sixth child was born. Grandpa Ovid ran the cotten gin mill there. This is also where they met my Step-Father the first time and became friends. "The Newtons' (My Step-Father) moved with his widowed Mother and two sisters into Eagle Lake Florida to work at the first Grapefruit sectioning plant in the State of Florida on New Years Day 1922. His Uncle Nathan Davis met them at the train in Winter Haven Florida to drive them over to Eagle Lake in his Model-T Ford. (My Step-Father was 15 years old at this time) At this time the plant was being built.................my step-Father hauled bricks and blocks in a wheelbarrow and helped mix cement and did manual labor for the men to support his widowed Mother and two sisters. After 1 year he was Transfered and promoted..................Consilidated Land Company and Navel Stores Inc. moved him to Avon Park to run and oversee the new Canning Plant that stood near where the railroad tracks are today on the North end of town. My Grandfather Ovid and his son in law John H. Shivers boarded the Coastline Train and travled by train into Avon Park in about 1924. They stepped off the train and went over to the canning plant and looked up their old friend (My Step-Father) who gave them both jobs and took them home with him that night. You see as a very young boy..................my Grandfather had took my Step-Father home with him one night to sleep, the young man was last in line at the cotten gin in Cloverdale, GA Worth Co. and it was dark before his load was taken...........being a Father himself and knowing that it was not safe for the young man to travel with money on him after dark took him home to meet his wife and kids. My Step-Father and Father hit it off big time! My Step-Father was Nathan Wesley Newton Sr. b. 12/7/1905 Worth Co. GA to James Wesley Newton and Mary Elizabeth Davis Now not only were my Step-Father and Father friends but my father's older brother Carleton Edgar Cothran meet and married Minnie Ida Newton my Step-Father's Sister!" Anyway that is how this bible that goes back in time to Hezikiah Cockrum b. 2/19/1762 who married Elizabeth who d. by 1825 came to be in my possession. We have used us censuses and other documents to prove this bible as true. It even contains the death of Bethaney Spillers.................the Mother of Mary Spillers we think or her Sister that part is a little shady still. It could be that she had a sister and mother named Bethaney and that this death date is for her Mother. It would also make sense that her Grandson would take the time to record that information as well in his bible. The bible contains the handwritting of at least three different people over the years. I know that most likley either Harriett F. McColman recorded the death of George W.L. because he could not do that himself if he were the one dead...........or my Grandfather or his wife Zona did the recording of his death. The recording in this bible continued until both Ovid and Zona of Avon park were both dead. Gail [email protected] [email protected] BUT ALWAYS embracer and always searching!