Photo Friday

New Year and new resolve to write more often.  My Aunt Carol recently sent me a package with several family pictures and some genealogy information that she had.  Thank you!!!  Some of the pictures I had seen before but many I have not.  We are going to talk about some of my favorites from this package.

The first one is a photograph at Christmas with mom (upper right) and Carol’s (upper left) cousins on their dad’s side.  Nashella (lower right) and Larry are the children of Lacy’s sister Mae.  Patricia (lower left).  One of the two girls had to show off her dolly.

The second photo I wanted to share is one of my favorites.  It depicts three Sublett siblings and their spouses.  From left to right: Odelle and Lacy Sublett, Mae and Carrington Burruss and Claudia and Harry Foster.  Annie is not pictured.  She moved away while the three other Sublett Siblings stayed in the Lynchburg area.  I do not know where the picture was taken.  It was definitely taken in the country, not Lynchburg.  Maybe Mom and Carol can tell.  I like this picture because it looks like they all have on their Sunday best.

Sublett Siblings

This next picture is the earliest picture I think I have seen with my grandmother, Odelle and her mother Carrie Lou Hicks Moss.  My grandmother was born in October of 1916 in Petersburg, Virginia.  This was Carrie’s third pregnancy.  She had two children earlier, both whom died.  So, when I look at this picture of this mother holding onto her child like she is, I see a woman holding on and not wanting to let go.  It has to be the worse thing in the world to lose a child.  I recently had a close friend that had to go through this.  But this picture is one of hope also.  Carrie went on to have three more children after my grandmother was born.

Carrie Lou and Virginia Odelle

 

To conclude my Photo Friday, I am including two pictures of unknown children.  This is a reminder to all of us that we must label the back of our pictures with an archival pen, so future generations will know who they are!   Look at how cute they are.  I wish I knew who they were.

Until later, I will be exploring backwards.

 

Mae Elizabeth Sublette

Mae Elizabeth was born on July 4th 1917 in Naruna, Virginia. She was the fourth of five children born to John Thomas and Georgia Kate. She is my Grand Aunt, or simply my grandfathers, Lacy’s younger sister. Georgie as she was called was 34 years old when Mae was born. Claudia, Mae’s eldest sibling was 15 years old in 1917. It is interesting that Larry Burruss informed me that his mother and Pete used an “e” at the end of their name, Sublette. However, my grandfather, Lacy always said they just wanted to be snobbish. This is particularly interesting because there are still Sublett’s that use that spelling including my newly discovered third cousin, M. Sean Sublette.

To give you some perspective, World War I was currently taking place halfway across the world. Woodrow Wilson the 28th President of The United States was in office.

In the 1920 Census, Mae was 2 years old. Her oldest sister Claudia had already left home. The rest of the family lived in Naruna, Campbell County, Virginia. According to this census, George Bland Sublett, Mae’s grandfather, also lived with them.

By the 1930 Census, Mae is 12 years old, she lived with her parents, her younger sister Clarice “Pete.” Sue Holt, Mae’s maternal grandmother is also living with the family. They also have a border, Ralph Dudley, living with the family.

Somewhere along the way, Mae meets John Carrington Burruss. He goes by the name Carrington. I do not know the story of their courtship. Maybe my second cousins can fill us in. I tried to find out from Larry, but he does not remember hearing how they met. But it is clear they married prior to the 1940 Census.

Mae and Carrington Burruss

Mae and Carrington Burruss

Mae and Carrington Burruss

 

I do know that their first child, Nashella Sue, was born on October 4, 1938.  According to the City Directory, Mae and Carrington were living at 905 Deoring Street in 1939.

In the 1940 Census, Mae is married to John “Carrington” Burruss. They lived at 905 Deoring Street, Lynchburg. Carrington is working at a Dry Cleaner’s and Mae is at home with her new-born, Nashella. Their second child, Larry Clarke Burruss, was born on November 26, 1940.

Larry and Nashella Burruss

According to the City Directory, after 1943, the family lived at 1123 Rhode Island Ave, Lynchburg, Virginia.

In the 1940 City Directory, Carrington is working at Adams and Scott’s Dry Cleaners as a Driver. However, in the 1943 City Directory, Carrington is working at Fitzgerald and Burruss Dry Cleaning. This is the business that he owned.

In the 1943 City Directory, we see that Carrington is listed with Fitzgerald as owners of a Dry Cleaning Business at 1400 Main Street.

According to Larry, his father owned a Dry Cleaning business during World War II. He sold the business in 1948 when he went into the automobile business. He did this until he retired in 1975. Larry stated, “He with several partners ran the Kaiser-Frasier-Willy’s Dealership in Lynchburg and then became the American Motors/Jeep Dealers until the mid-1970s when they all retired.”

According to the 1949 City Directory, Carrington worked as a Salesman for Tibbs Motor Company.

 

My hope is to write a synopsis of all these ancestors. If you have additional information, I would appreciate you contacting me.

 

 

 

Cousins

I am looking at this old picture of my mom and her sister, Carol, and her cousins.  It is a sweet picture.  It makes me sentimental for younger days when you played with your cousins.  I am not sure why the little doll needed to be in the picture, but it makes it more authentic.  It is these same family members that have been helping me to construct the Sublett side of my family tree.

My cousins (Nordmarks) lived several hours west from us in Illinois while we were growing up.  My cousins (Johnsons) lived several hours south from us in Virginia.  My parents did a terrific job of instilling the value of family in us as we were growing up.  I remember spending Easter’s with the Nordmark family, and summer vacations with the Johnson’s.  I wonder what it would have been like to grow up closer to each other.

Last year I took a genealogy trip to Virginia, and was so fortunate to meet up with my mother’s cousins Larry Burruss and Nashella Buckley, and Carol, mom’s sister.  It was then did I realize how special it would have been to actually grow up with your cousins in close proximity.  They all shared stories about going down to John Thomas Sublett’s homestead on Sunday’s after church and playing together.

As luck would have it, Kathy (my sister) and I were able to see the family homestead.  We were all able to go inside as well.  We knocked on the door because I wanted to get closer to take some photos.  A little old lady answered the door.  She actually had bought the house from some family members.  She invited us in, and started talking and really never stopped.  It was great to have Larry and the others give us a tour and tell us what was where.  More importantly, it was great to see my mom’s cousins all get together and share stories.

When I was going to graduate school in Chicago during the early 1990’s.  I was very fortunate to be able to hang out with my cousins Susan Nordmark and Steve Nordmark as adults in downtown Chicago.   I have tons of memories of these times.   I was also so lucky to have my Aunt Lee and Uncle Don a short trip away.  It made being so far away from home more palatable.

We, the cousins, are so spread out across the country now, it is not plausible to have the same connections as my mother did with her cousins.  My sister and older brother did a fantastic job instilling that family value of cousins into their children.  Last year, we had a family reunion of sorts at Cape Cod, Massachusetts.  It was amazing to see the cousins interact with each other.  How inspiring it is to have a family that really likes each other.

Until later, I will be exploring backwards!

Cousins

Cousins-2012

 

John Thomas Sublett

John Thomas Sublett was my great-grandfather.  He was born 20 August 1877 in Campbell County, Virginia.  John Thomas was the sixth child of seven born to George Bland Sublett and Timotheus Jane Bailey.

According to the 1880 US Census, they were living in Falling River, Campbell County.  His father George was listed as a farmer.  By 1900 however, John Thomas (age 22) and his parents George and Timotheus are living with his sister Ida Sublett Dyer and her family.  Ida’s husband Tom Dyer, is listed as owning a farm.

By the 1910 Census, John Thomas “JT” is now listed as married and living with his family in Falling River, Campbell County, Virginia.  His wife, Georgia Kate Holt are listed as have been married for 9 years.  This would estimate their marriage about 1901.  Claudia, Anne, and Lacy all show up on this census.  JT is listed as a farmer renting his land.

The 1920 Census, JT and his wife are still living in Falling River Campbell County.  Claudia, Anne, Lacy and Mae are listed as well.  JT’s father George Bland is listed as a widow and is living with them.

According to the 1930’s census, JT is listed as a Foreman for the State Highway.  Georgia is there raising the last two girls, Mae and Clarice.  Georgia’s mother now resides with them (Sue Holt).  They also list Ralph Dudley (Boarder).  This census asks the participants the age at first marriage.  JT (25) and Georgia (17).

The 1940 census was just released this year.  According to it, JT is a maintenance patrolman for the Highway Department.  JT and his wife, list his nephew Fred Sublett and Georgia’s mother Sue Holt as residing within the home.  We also know for certain that they live and own the Naruna home (13 County Road 605, Naruna).  Fred Sublett is listed as the Farm laborer.  It is probably safe to assume that he was running the farm.

One of the interesting things I learned about JT came from the inscription on his cemetery marker.  It indicated and Larry Burruss (first cousin 1x removed) confirmed that he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  It is an interesting organization built upon three links-Friendship-Love-Truth.  The basic premise is to work together as a community of variety of trades for the common good.  You can read more about them here.  http://www.ioof.org/aboutus.html

I will post more about JT at a later post.  I just wanted to get his timeline down.

John Thomas Sublett and Georgia Kate Holt Sublett

JT and Georgia in front of Family Home