Tom Donnelly and Sharlotte Neely wrote: > > Hi, Paul and everyone, > I hope you're in the mood for a real mystery! So imagine you're Sherlock Holmes and > its a spooky, foggy night for all genealogists. This may be a shot in the dark, but > you and others on the list may be able to help me solve a mystery about my Neel(e)ys > and even the Bow(d)ens and Kings. I suspect my late paternal grandparents, the > Neelys, may have intentionally tried to disguise to future generations who they were > and exactly where they were from. After all sorts of research, including a trip to > the archives in Salt Lake City, Utah and state archives in Georgia and the Carolinas > and interviews with my father and uncle, here's what I am sure of. My grandparents, > Joseph Bowden Neely, Sr. and Nettie King Neely Riley, changed their ages and birth > places and spelling of Neely when they moved to Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia > before 1920. They changed the spelling from "Neeley" to "Neely." He added years to > his age, and she subtracted years. They said they were from Wilmington, North > Carolina, but they were from South Carolina. For years Joseph was the successful > owner of an Indian motorcycle company. Even when Joseph died (in 1928) and the > depression hit (in 1929), Nettie and her sons went hungry rather than contact any > family. As her children grew up and asked about their family and ancestors, Nettie > refused to tell them anything, except that they were French (probably French > Huguenots). The children also assumed they had some Irish ancestry as well. The one > exception to contact with family was a one-time trip, about 1930, to visit Nettie's > brother, Lonnie King, and his family in Saint Paul's, Robeson County, North Carolina. > (I have photos of all of them, and they all seem to have olive skin and straight > black hair.) In my research I found Joseph Bowden Neely, Sr. (1888-1928) was from > Bayboro, Horry County, South Carolina and that Nettie King (1896-1958) was almost > certainly from somewhere in South Carolina, too. Census and other records indicate > that Nettie and Lonnie King were the children of Eddie King and Marguerite (maiden > name unknown), both from somewhere in the Carolinas. Joseph had two sisters, Ada and > Ruth, and they were the children of Joe Neely from North Carolina and Charlotte > (Sharlotte) (maiden name unknown, but may be Lee) from South Carolina. Joe's mother > was from North Carolina, and his father was from Virginia. Sharlotte's parents were > from South Carolina. On the Neely side "Bowden" (maybe "Bowen") was the middle name > of my father and grandfather, and I suspect it was a family name from back in > Virginia. My grandparents are buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, and all > their children and grandchildren were born in Savannah. Years after Joseph's death, > Nettie remarried, to Harry Riley of Savannah. I know in genealogy research one can > hit deadends, but the Neelys seem more like a case of intentionally concealing > information. If so, why? Were they trying to hide something? Were they Lumbee > Indians passing for white? Is there something awful they were hiding? Whatever it > is, I want to find out. I hope some of you can help me solve a real mystery. I > would appreciate any help or ideas. We do have a family genealogy page (listed > below), and the Neely/King/Bowden data I do have can be found under the report on > "Ancestors of Joseph Bowden Neely, Jr. Thanks. > Sharlotte Neely Donnelly > donnelly@one.net > http://www.familytreemaker.com/users/d/o/n/Sharlotte--N-Donnelly > > "Paul K. Bowen" wrote: > > > I am new to this list and am requesting information on David Marion NEELY > > b.March 6, 1820 VA, d.April 3, 1898 Scott County, VA. Married Barbara Allen > > SHEPHERD b.November 16, 1820, d.February 21, 1896 in Scott County, VA. Both > > are buried in the Shepherd/Bowen cemetery in Scott county, VA. Does anyone > > know where they were married? I have some info that says Scott county, VA > > but I've been unable to locate anything in the courthouse to confirm this. > > David and Barbara were my great, great, grandparents. My great grandfather > > Reece Bowen married their daughter Emily Horton Neely. > > Best regards to all, > > Paul K. Bowen > > 314 Barrington Ct. > > Kingsport, TN 37663 > > (423)239-5473 > > > > ==== NEELEY Mailing List ==== > > Pauline Phelps paulinep@igalaxy.net > > Official Neeley website; > > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~lpproots/Neeley/index.html > > mailing list be archived on the web at: > > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/NEELEY-L > > Search more than 274 MILLION NAMES and find your ancestors at Ancestry.com! > > Get started today at http://www.ancestry.com/rootswebtext.asp > > > > ============================== > > Personalized Mailing Lists: never miss a connection again. > > http://pml.rootsweb.com/ > > Brought to you by RootsWeb.com. > > ==== SCHORRY Mailing List ==== > More Horry County Listmember sites.. > 6. Jerri Lynne Smith stowes@FMTC.Net > http//www.geocities.com/Heartland/Acres/2350. > 7. Vicky Hammond vlhammond@email.msn.com > http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~vhammond/index.htm > 8. Tawny Green tawnyg@earthlink.net > http://home.earthlink.net/~tawnyg > 9. Carol Norton cnorton@centex.net > http\\www.geocities.com/heartland/ridge/3703 > 10. Mary Ellen Wexler <mewexler@buffnet.net> > >http://www.buffnet.net/~mewexler/ I saw this shortly after reading you story, hope it can be of help to you and hope that she is not a close family member. It was in on the Post and Courier website obituaries for Jan 9, 2000. Patti Claudia Mae "Bootsie" Neely, 67, a former employee with Georgetown Dress Manufacturing Co., died Friday at her residence. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. today in Messiah Baptist Church. Burial, directed by Graham Funeral Home, will be in Elmwood Cemetery. Mrs. Neely was born in Charleston County, a daughter of William S. White and Cubie Dingess White Ellard. She formerly worked with Corey Enterprises and was a member of Messiah Baptist Church. Surviving are her husband, Roy Neely; her mother of Murrells Inlet; a son, William Neely of Murrells Inlet; two daughters, Claudia Wilder of Georgetown and Angela Davis of Florence; a sister, Janie Turbeville of Murrells Inlet; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.