| Notes |
- The following letters were published on Rootsweb
Family Tree Floyd, fweatherbee@gmail.com....
residence when wrote the letters Yukon Oklahoma
dates: Jan 3, 1963, Mar 11, 1963 and Sep 18, 1965
letters written to Alene, a first cousin.
(assuming by process of elimination that she was dau of Daisy Stone)
In 1963 and 1965, a grandson of Enoch H. Stone, Enoch Garnet Stone(1880-1967), and son of Cicero Constantine Stone, wrote three letters to a relative (cousin) named Alene and provided a fair amount of information on the Stone and Maxwell families. The first letter was written from Yukon, Oklahoma, as were the next two, and it was dated January 3, 1963.
(1963, Jan 3)
Dear Alene & Family:
I was so glad to get your letter yesterday. It seems outrageous that I should have first Cousins whom I never met. However, it seems such is life with some unfortunate mortals. Well, I am glad that I am able to give you definite information on [the] date of our Grandma, Eliza Stone's death. Now, I am going to quote quite a bit from my father's letter to me dated
April 26, 1931 from Dexter, New Mexico,
Quote: "Your letter of 8th, Instant, together with an
old letter I wrote to Aunt Margaret Stone, now over
54 years ago, were received in due course of mail.
The old letter made me think of old times, when
Ridley was a little baby, and Mama and I lived at the
Ann Dowell place near your Uncle Stone's place. The
Ann Dowell place then belonged to your Grand Ma
Draper. I was glad to see the old letter once more.
Glad that the Good Lord had let me live over 54 years
after writing it, and I sure thank Him for my long
life, as I will be 81 years old next June 15th, if I
live to see that day come. As I have butted up
against a number of sad things since February the
28th, 1877. My Poor father, Sister Vick, Aunt
Margaret & Uncle Elihue (Elihu--FWW),Aunt Phama, Aunt
Elizabeth, all my poor Mother's Sisters, and all
her brothers except two, my Grand Pa, Grand Ma
Maxwell, Poor Little Ruby(Authur's daughter), some of
my Cousins, Cate (Moyer's daughter), some of my good
friends and School Mates, have all crossed that "Old
River Jordan" since 1877. My Poor Mother died on
October 2nd, 1871, and is buried on a high hill
overlooking Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri. My
brother G.D. Stone died in 1873 in July, think 10th,
and is buried in Grand Pa Maxwell's old family grave
yard about 3 miles south and a little east of Baxter,
Tenn. My Father, and Sister Vick, poor souls, died
at Quebeck (White County, Tennessee--FWW)."
That was a long quotation and rather sad. Now, as to Grand Ma Eliza Stone, I cannot be sure she had a sister Harriett (she did not--FWW). I knew personally three of Grand Ma Eliza (Maxwell) Stone's brothers Grandfield (Granville--FWW), Byrd(Bird--FWW), and Woodfork (all sons of Amos Maxwell and Mary "Polly" Patton--FWW). Uncle Woodfork and his family lived about three miles from Bloomington where we resided, and, therefore, we visited often. I never knew any of her sisters, nor do I know their names. I have had a faint idea that there was a Harriett. However, Bonnie (Daisy's daughter) wrote me about it, and I answered I thought there was. Later she wrote me that she had investigated and found out that she was not Grand Ma's sister. Should you find out definitely, when you write again please tell me if she is the same. The names of the three brothers mentioned may help you decide.
Now, as to Grand Pa Stone, he was in the Union Army and fought in the Civil War, and my father said he was a captain (2nd Lieutenant--FWW). I have an old picture of him and Grand Ma (Eliza), taken when they were young, and he is dressed in a Captain's Uniform (?--FWW). His brother Uncle Elihu was with Sherman on his march to the sea. Well, like all soldiers, I guess he had to do what he was told.
(Two unimportant paragraphs were omitted--FWW).
I have wondered if GrandPa Stone had a brother named Alfred. Quoting from an old letter to his brother Elihue dated
April 9, 1882 Grand Pa wrote,
Quote: "I haverecently learned that John Stone
(Brother Alfred's son) was dead." Ithought he might
have meant Brother in the Church or something of
the kind. Now, that, you know only as well as I. My
record which is very meager did not have an Alfred
in it. It as I have it is that Grand Pa's father
was "Tom" Stone and that he married a Williams
(ElizabethWilliams--FWW). I just cannot remember the
name of Tom's father andmother, which I think I used
to know. Tradition has it that they descended from
W.M. Stone (William Stone--FWW) 1603-1660
Proprietary Governor of Maryland appointed by Lord
Baltimore. As to its being a fact you will know just
as well as I.
(The remainder of Garnet's letter did not pertain to my direct or collateral line ancestry and was omitted--FWW).
The second letter was dated March 11, 1963.
Dear Alene & Family:
Have neglected writing much longer than I had intended. However, I had an old picture of our grandfather Stone, and his first wife, Eliza Maxwell Stone, our grandmother, and she is the one that died out West and was buried at Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri, while on their way from Kansas back to Tennessee. She certainly did marry a Union sympathizer, as the writing on the back of the enclosed picture will show.
To allay all doubt as to Enoch Herschel Stone being your grandfather, I will quote from an old letter I have here from him written to Elihue Stone, his brother, while he Elihue lived in Kansas,
(dated Apr 9, 1882 from White Co, Tenn)
Quote: "Cicero still lives at Bloomington and Vick
lives with him. Newton is there going to school.
Herschel is still living at his Uncle Geo.
Anderson's. Aut is now at home. Moyers lives close
to me and farming. Cleopatrae & Omega, Euclid & Mary
are all at home growing finely. Minerva has only had
two children. Mary is the youngest will be 7 years
old the last day of July."
This old letter was headed White Co. Tenn. and dated
April 9, 1882.
Now quoting a little further from the same old letter,
Quote: "I suppose Phama, wrote you about the death
of Nelly Moyers, she died last Januaryat her Uncle
Geo. Anderson's with consumption. John her brother
came to see her while she was sick, and I think she
died the next day after he left."
I quote the above to show you that Uncle Moyers was named for Nelly's father, who I am quite sure married Elizabeth, who was grandfather's sister, i.e., I know he had a sister, Elizabeth, and am quite sure she married Mr. Moyers. He is the one who lived in Nashville,and Ridley Stone was my brother who lived there for many years until he moved to California.
(Five unimportant sentences were omitted--FWW).
(One unimportant sentence was omitted--FWW).
Grandfather's sisters were Phama, Elizabeth, and Elvira. I believe it is Elvira instead of Elvina. Any way it was so handed down to me.
(There was a bit more and then Garnet signed off--FWW).
The third letter was dated September 18, 1965.
Dear Alene & Folk:
(One unimportant paragraph was omitted--FWW).
Have tried to read your letter and the enclosure carefully, and to put together some facts pertaining thereto in answer. Though, I must confess my knowledge on Stone family genealogy is very brief or limited.
Quoting from a letter from my father to me dated April 26, 1931.
Quote: "I will be 81 years old next June 15th, if I
live that long."
So, you will see he was born June 15, 1850. My father was the oldest child of the family, and as you know, or I think I had told you, Grandmother Eliza(Maxwell) Stone died on October 2, 1871, at Steelville, Crawford County, Mo. while on the way back to Tennessee. She should have been born close to or about the time that Mary E. (Mary Elizabeth Maxwell* (see footnote) of Nashville--FWW) to whom you refer to was. However, I just cannot believe that they were one and the same person.
Of Grandma's three brothers that I knew, I think Granville, (we called him Uncle Gran), I believe that was his name, however, it could have been Granfield, or Grandfield. I feel quite sure he was the oldest, then Uncle Byrd, and the youngest Uncle Woodfork, whom I think was youngest of the three. Now, Pa who was born in 1850 must have been 20 to 30 years younger then Uncle Woodfork, who lived for years about 3 1/2 miles from us, and he and his family visited us often, and we them. I did not know Uncle Woodfork's age, but from his and Pa's looks I would guess there were no less, perhaps, than 30 years. However, it might not have been more then 20. Uncle Woodfork, perhaps was not well educated, but, he was a very, very brilliant and witty man, and was the center of attraction in any crowd. He must have been born between 1820 and 1830. And if there were any half brothers and second wife (?--FWW).
(Garnet, at this point, quotes again from one of Enoch's old letters,which was omitted--FWW).
Now, there were several Maxwell families living in and around Baxter, all related. And I have no doubt that they were related in various degrees to Harriette V. Maxwell of Maxwell House fame. Although my father, no doubt, has been at the Maxwell House many and various times, I have never heard him claim any relationship whatever to them.
(One unimportant paragraph and the remainder of the letter was omitted but Garnet did go on to write one more important sentence--FWW).
Again, I never heard my father mention a Jesse as brother or half brother.
* (footnote) There was, in fact, some confusion over the relationship of Eliza Maxwell Stone. It was believed, based upon what must have been nothing more than wishful thinking, that she was the sister of Harriet Virginia Maxwell, of the Maxwell House Hotel fame in Nashville. But she was not. I(FWW) discovered several years ago that Harriet's sister, or Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, not only lived to a ripe old age but also died an old maid, and that both women were, in fact, the daughters of one Jesse Maxwell, Jr., and Martha Claiborne.
(source: Rootsweb Family Tree Floyd, fweatherbee@gmail.com)
_____________
Marriage Sources:
Title: Upper Cumberland Researcher
Author: Upper Cumberland Genealogical Association, Inc.
Publication: Cookeville, Tennessee
Note: good
Repository:
Media: Magazine
Page: p.24
Text: Vol. XVII, No. 4, Ridley Draper Stone, Sr. Reminiscences, by Carolyn Stone
(by Deborah Watson Stubbes debstubbs@hotmail.com - rootsweb)
________
Census 1880 District 6, Putnam Co, TN (Bloomington Springs)
Census 1930 Frisco, Canadian Co, OK, farmer,
|
1880 - 1967 (87 years)
