No kin to Margia Thacker but she did marry Dave Purkey an ancestor of mine. She was his 3rd wife.His first was his step grandmother, Mary (Polly) Helton in 1878 on top of Boatman's Ridge.The marriage made the local news and was also in McMinn Co. TN news. She wasn't as old as the paper stated, only about 5 yrs. older according to 1880 census. Yes, David Collins was charter member of Macedonia. My great grandmother, Nancy Helton Purkey Cooper who married Harbard were charter members. About 1/2 those buried Macedonia were my ancestors or married into Purkey and Noe families. Arlene ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gail Roorda" <possum2@softhome.net> To: <TNGRAING-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, January 16, 2006 7:19 PM Subject: Re: [TNGRAING-L] Re: The two Louisas Holt which is the widow of George Long > Dear Arlene, > "Don't know how long they were there before >> coming back to Atchison Co. How are you related?" > > I started to say that I am NOT related to the Holts, I have been for some > years working on a project on the folks from Moristown who came here to > work for David Rankin. (I am not getting along as fast as I had hoped. I > don't have much time to do research and THERE WERE A LOT MORE OF THE > MORRISTOWN IMMIGRANTS than I thought.) > > However, so far this whole project has so far been an exercise in who the > relatives are or who they are not, as oppposed to who I think the > relatives are or what I have been told. My mother was the youngest child > in her family and has informed me that she "was hiding behind the door > when the information was passed out!" <grin> Her oldest sister knew all > this stuff or "had the information" <smile> That would be my mother > smiling, but sometimes I have to smile too. At nearly 80 while not so > great physically she is still "as sharp as a tack." so I guess we are > blessed. > > Latest conversation with my mother who I am lucky to still have although > she is NOT a valuable genealogical resource. (She is one of the smartest > women I have ever known. Reads countless books, knows all kinds of > history. After we had the following conversation we discussed the divided > loyalties of both her and other Hamblen/Grainger County families during > the CIvil War and she was really interested in my "information" <grin) > > The conversation: > > My mother, "Helen Long died". > > I asked her whether she knew that Helen's husband was her first cousin > once remeoved. > > No, I thought he was _________'s relative. (My mother thinks she is very > amusing. Somethimes I think she is just having me on. I am not sure she > actually thinks my genealogy hobby is actually as weird as she makes > out...it provides a great deal of amusement for her!) > ______was the older half brother of someone who is NOT onc of may mother's > relatives although they once thought they were. The older brother was NOT > descended from the Morristown families, but the younger brother is. > Nevertheless the younger brother and my mother are NOT related > > My mother chose him to be a pallbearer at my Daddy's funeral..after > reflecting on it she decided it would be better to have him be an honorary > pallbearer "because of his back" > > "Great choice" <grin> "I think more of him than I do many of our relatives > (not that I dislike any of the real relatives, but I do like some of the > better than I do some of the others!<grin>) But the two of you are NOT > relatives!" > > This would be another great grandson of George Thomas and Martha O'Dell > Spoons Harbin. (not John M.'s grandson. The one whose posting to you I > found online. I was wondering whether G. T.s other great grandson is still > interested. I woulkd be glad to send my information on to him. However, > I have found that sometimes folks just post an idle message and tend to > lose interest soon.) > > Previous jokes on this line. Me to my mother "If you are related to Joe > it can't be through the Coopers..Thomas Judson Cooper was a music teacher. > Since both you and I are totally devoid of any musical ability whatsoever > I am sure we are NO relation to the Coopers!" > > However, upon reflection can I say that NOBODY is interested in my > research? Maybe I should just print out ALL the information I have on the > family of Stanford and Susan ??? (need to find out Susan's maiden name) > Collins, the family of Harbard and Phoroba Brewer Cooper, the family of > George Thomas and Martha O'Dell Spoons Harbin etc. Next time my mother's > "non-relative" <smile> stops by to see her she could pass the > "information" to him. Actually a couple of summers ago when encountering > some of us in the Hy-Vee parking lot he infromed us that he had just > returned from a family reunion..which family I don't know...maybe he WOULD > be interested. > > Continuing with latest converstian with my mother. Did you know that > Minnie Liza Long Thacker was Grandpa's cousin. No, but she remembers > Minnie well. Maybe I should just sit down with a pad of paper and > "collect" her memories of the Morristown folks rather than constantly > questioning her about her relationship to them. > > BY THE WAY > Arlene aren't you descended from Margie Thacker (sorry I have forgottten > whick of the Purkey's Margie married).I checked my obituaries and so far > the only Thacker obituary I have is Katie Belle Inman's. I ran across it > in the library clippings file while looking for something else and quickly > got a photocopy. <grin> I rarely get to the library, but I find a lot of > information while looking for something else. <smile> > > I ran across David Collins obit when I was trying to amswer a cousin's > questions about my Dad's side of the family (all Irish famine immigrants) > > David's is actually a pretty good one..In addition to the survivors > etc..it identifies him as "the last surviuving charter member of the > Macedonia Baptist Curch." > > I have thought of extracting some of the obituaries I have which might be > of general interest..and sending them onto the Hamblen County Genealogical > Society (if I ever get the time).. I also need to renew my membership in > this society. I can't afford to belong to every genealogical society. > Anyway over the last two years I have let my membership in both this > society and my genealogy society in St. Joe lapse (I have belong to NWMGS > for years. I am hoping to get back to doing some research sometime! > > Gail >> > > > > ==== TNGRAING Mailing List ==== > To UNSUBSCRIBE please send your message to tngraing-l-request@rootsweb.com > >

> No kin to Margia Thacker but she did marry Dave Purkey an ancestor of > mine. She was his 3rd wife.His first was his step grandmother, Mary > (Polly) Helton in 1878 on top of Boatman's Ridge.The marriage made the > local news and was also in McMinn Co. TN news. Oh really!! <smile> don't you love these folks??? This reminds of when the last Union widow died in Grainger County. We were all looking up accounts of the last remeining Confederate widow. She married her deceased husband's grandson. It apparently caused a considerable debate in the local Baptist Church. I was going to tell my DH, but I thought I better not lest he start to sing, "I am my own grampa." <smile> He sings this song often!! <grin>Personally I don't think my Tennessee families are anymore is any more interconnected that anyone else's. My husband's great grandparents were first cousins. Okay actually as he says it "half" first cousins. He is always emailing me Tennessee kin jokes. (We use separate computers.) I think some of these jokes are probably Arkansas kin jokes or Georgia kin jokes or something and he just changes the state. Gail > > > ==== TNGRAING Mailing List ==== > To UNSUBSCRIBE please send your message to tngraing-l-request@rootsweb.com >