Thanks for your response, but your Martha "Mattie" is not the same person I am seeking. Mattie Chafin was the only grandmother my father knew from the Lawson line. Evidently he was close to her because he was almost the same age as Mattie's & Thomas' daughter. The daughter was named Pearl Lawson, born 1916. She married and lived 'above' Big Stone Gap VA. According to what I heard, Mattie Chafin was young and beautiful and had no other children before or after her marriage to Thomas. I'll see what I can dig up about her. SueBee ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 5:38 PM Subject: [VALEE] Martha Chafin & Henry Lawson > Martha "Mattie" Chafin, born August 1888, was the daughter of Jerusha July > Edens & James Henry "Cap" Chafin, who had 14 children. Jerusha Edens was > the > daughter of Andrew Jackson Edens & Statira Shelor who removed from Patrick > County to Russell County then to Lee County after the Civil War. Andrew's > ancestors were Huguenots. Statira's ancestors were German & Irish, a very > good > family. James Henry Chafin was the son of James Elam Chafin & Margaret > "Peggy" > Evans of Russell County, VA. Martha Chafin married Henry Lawson 15 > November 1913 > at Lee County, VA. > > Martha's siblings were: > Henry Chafin (1870-1943) of Lee County > my great-grandmother, Eliza Barbara "Lyde" Chafin (wife of John Edward > Ward) > of Lee County > Nancy E. Chafin, died 1880-1900 > Sally C. Chafin, died 1880-1900 > James Chafin, died 1880-1900 > John Meredith Chafin (1883-aft 1920) > Mollie Chafin, died before 1900 > Five unknown siblings, all dead 1869-1900 > > I have written the following about my great-great-grandmother: "Jerusha > Chafin wrote her will at Rocky Station, Lee County, Virginia, leaving her > property > to her youngest child, John Meredith Chafin. Her eldest son, Henry Chafin, > witnessed her will. About 1915 Jerusha developed a serious problem with > her > teeth, probably from an absess, which caused her tremendous pain. At that > time > opium and morphine were readily availabe in the mountains of Lee County. > Jerusha became addicted to the drugs and at the same time nothing was done > to remedy > the problem with her teeth. In August 1915 Jerusha Chafin was transported > to > the Southwestern State Mental Hospital located at Marion in Smyth County, > Virginia, where she lived for eight months and twenty five days. She died > in the > hospital from " senile dementia and chronic enteritis" which is a nice way > of > saying that she died from a form of dysentery. The author consulted with > a > physician who attended medical school in the 1960's at the University of > Virginia and discussed Jerusha's condition and cause of death. Dr. Ben > Novak > suggests that in actuality Jerusha Chafin suffered from an infection that > spread > from her teeth into her brain which resulted in her volatile behavior > during the > last year of her life. State hospitals were not noted for their hygiene > during the period in question. In all likelihood, according to Dr. Novak, > Jerusha > developed giardia, a serious intestinal parasitic disease which causes > serious > diarrhea and bowel inflammation. She would have become dehydrated and > suffered a loss of nutrition. The last nine months of her life must have > been > filled with torment and her death must have come to her as a blessing." > > I have more on this family posted on my site at Roots Web World Connect > Project. It took many years to piece together the Chafin/Edens/Shelor > family > history and a concerted effort. > > If you have further information about Martha "Mattie" Chafin Lawson & when > she died, could you please provide that data to me -- also anything on any > children they may have had. > > > ==== VALEE Mailing List ==== > To post messages to the Lee County, VA discussion list, send them to > [email protected] > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: > http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx > >