#ChristmasWishes with Santa

I had grand plans for my blog this Christmas season. Alas, it is December 21 and I haven't made the time to add anything to it until now. You know how hectic it gets this month! 

 I hope everyone will enjoy this little bit I can manage right now. 

 These are some of the Hicks or Harris kids with Santa. 

The back of this first picture says "C.W. Harris  c/o Lucille Gro. $1.49 3/3.4"  I'm pretty sure it is not Clarence W. Harris, he was born in 1910.  This kid looks to be between 3 and 5 years old or so, and the picture's quality is too clear and dark to be from 1915. I'm thinking this is one of the Harris kids and that it was taken at a shop. C.W. Harris's name is on the back so that they know who is going to pick it up. 

If you know who this kid is, please comment at the end of the post, so I can correctly identify it.
UPDATE: I got a message from Floyd Harris, that this picture is his youngest brother, Bruce Harris, who was born in 1953. Thanks Floyd!

Just for comparison, here is a photograph from 1915. 

I found this picture from the website http://www.antiquetoychest.com  

I am just using it to show one of the reason's I don't believe that the Santa picture of "Harris" is from 1915. 

This one is labeled Van Hicks 1952

It looks like Van is telling Santa what he wants. I hope his sucker doesn't get caught in Santa's beard. 

This one is labeled "Sandra (Hicks) Dillard" 

Sandra is the daugther of Larkin Hicks. (Son of Robert Henry Hicks Sr.)

This Santa picture is not labeled either. But, on my computer I labeled it as "Sandra Hicks". I don't know if that is correct or not. Someone must have told me that this girl was Sandra.

This one is Brenda & Barbara Hicks. You can see that Barbara is telling Santa what she wants, and Brenda looks like she is trying to figure out if Santa's beard is real or not.  The back of the picture is labeled "Brenda & Barbara Hicks w/ Santa Claus (Bob & Flo's Daughter's)" . I doubt that Bob or Flo would have labeled it this way, so this picture must have belonged to someone else, maybe Vesta? or maybe Willena. These pictures were all found in the same box. 

I believe it was my sister, Kimberly Hicks who told me that when she and a few of the other cousins were visiting Great Grandaddy's house during the holidays they would sit in front of the fireplace and wait to see if Santa would come talk to them. Great Grandaddy's house has what I call a double fireplace. The two bedrooms shared a fireplace in the middle. So, the kids would be on one side, and Santa (I think Uncle Bob) would be on the other side and talk to them to find out if they had been good or bad that year.

Edit: From Brenda Russell: Some of you know the history of Mama Flo's chimney. It was fake. Mama built it herself...laid every brick. On the other side of that chimney was the closet to the front bedroom of our house. That is where somebody, usually Daddy, would go and start with "ho ho ho". All the little ones would run over to "talk" to or "look" for Santa. Great fun...great memories!

Michael Meason looking for Santa in Mama Flo's Chimney.

I sent a lot of Save the Date  for the Family Reunion cards to extended family today. I hope to see you all there on May 17th 2014. Myrl provided me with your addresses. 

You can email me any stories or pictures to add to this blog. My email is at the top of the page. 

Happy Holidays

“The Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories (ACCM) allows you to share your family’s holiday history twenty-four different ways during December! Learn more at http://adventcalendar.geneabloggers.com.”

Friday's Faces from the Past

I have a large group of photographs that are "unknowns". I call them the "Hicks or Hunsucker Collection". Within that collection is a group of photographs all featuring this chair. The pictures all date from between 1920 - 1940. I know this because the back of the photographs look like this: 

 Many photo post cards have manufacturer marks to identify the paper the postcard was printed on. In this case, and in all the cases featuring the chair, the paper says "DEFENDER"  with a diamond where the stamp would go. This manufacturer used this mark between 1920 and 1940. I took the liberty to mark "1920 -1940" on the back of all these photographs because as of right now, that is all I know about them. 

The only book I have on fashion, stops around 1900. So, it will take a while to pinpoint the clothing styles of these children. I don't think that all the photographs were taken at the same time. Likely, this was just a favorite prop for this photographer. 

I do have one clue though. This picture says "Myra Elizabeth Hunsucker" on the back. But, who is Myra? I haven't found her in my family tree. Robert Henry married Vesta Hunsucker, so Myra must be a niece of Vesta's or in some way related. Because this photograph is labeled, I can assume that all the models are Hunsuckers. As, families often lived in the same area, and frequented the same photographer. Too bad there is no photographer's mark. If there was, I could research the photographer's place of business and then figure out who was living in the area of the photographer around 1920 -1940. 

This family photograph features the chair. The low waist and the length of skirt on the mother, looks like the 1920s to me. From a brief search on Google, it looks like the 1930's dresses had higher and tighter waists. I have an earlier picture that I believe features this same baby, but not the chair. The hat looks identical in both photos. 

I have another clue to the chair portraits. It involves a picture of a little girl without the chair. 

The back of this picture says "Dorothy Hunsucker". 

I actually have several pictures of this girl. She has distinct facial characteristics and expression. But this is the only photograph that is labeled. I compared this picture to another chair picture. 

It looks like this is Dorothy to me. Another brief Google search leads me to believe that this was in the 20's also because of the mom's hair. But, she is showing off a lot of leg in this picture. Was that appropriate? 

I have another picture that I labeled "Probably Dorothy and sister". 

And finally, I have an picture of an adult Dorothy, that is labeled. 

Could this be the same girl? It is labeled Dorothy Hunsucker. 

I have one other picture, not involving the chair. But I believe it was taken in the same studio as the chair, because the carpet is the same. It also has the DEFENDER manufacture mark on the back. 

My educated guess, is that all the subjects here are Hunsuckers. They must all be related to Vesta, or they may even be Vesta. Vesta Hunsucker was born in 1893. She would have been in her late 20's early 30's in this time frame. Vesta married Robert Henry Hicks on November 21 1909. 

Sentimental Sunday at findagrave.com

I recently went on a findagrave.com marathon. Sometimes when you get going on findagrave, you get lost. You keep finding ancestors and clues and photographs, and that leads to questions and more questions.
I started with looking for the tombstones of Martha Jane Gourd Hicks (1825 - 1900) and her husband Harold Hicks (1811 -1880). Martha Jane and Harold are the grandparents of Robert Henry Hicks, and the parents of Larkin Hicks, and my great great great grandparents. ....I think that's right.

I found Martha Jane in Grove Level Community Cemetery. With a picture! 

findagrave memorial # 100876106

Her tombstone says that she was born on Nov 5 1826. My research says 1825. I don't know where I got my dates from, so that will have to be something I look up later. You can't always trust the birth dates on really old tombstones. Sometimes the people just didn't know or couldn't remember. 

I have not been able to find her husband on findagrave, nor on billiongraves.com, nor on USGenweb Tombstone project. I'll have to keep on the look out for him. 

Then I went for a search on Larkin and Mary Jane Gassaway Hicks. (Great Granddaddy's parents.) I did find that someone put their information on findagrave.com but no pictures. I have put a request for a picture, but we will have to wait until a volunteer goes out to Pleasant Hope Cemetery in Floyd County Georgia to search for them and take the picture. I went out there once with my husband, Chris, and we could not find Larkin nor Mary Jane.  Their findagrave memorial #'s are Larkin: 11510268 and Mary Jane's is 11510269. 

A person named Karlene, a volunteer for findagrave, entered their information on findagrave.com. But, I think she must have just got the information out of a book or death records or something. Otherwise, why not add the picture, if you are already surveying a cemetery. I have contacted her via email to see if she would transfer ownership of the virtual memorials to me so I can add the correct information about their children. We'll see what happens. 

I also virtually visited Willena and her first baby, Henry. 

findagrave memorial #24304966

findagrave memorial # 24305019

Robert Henry and Vesta's infant Ira has no tombstone picture yet, but his memorial # is 118250434

My Grandaddy, Robert Stanley and Grandmother Marjorie

findagrave memorial # 39606963

Uncle Bob and Aunt Flo

findagrave memorial # 88205669

Uncle Ralph, who recently passed away has a findagrave memorial page as well. I don't think he has a marker yet. But his memorial page on findagrave is 116451811

Why do I give you these memorial numbers? You can go to findagrave.com and go to the "search grave records" link on the right side of their page. Instead of filling out all the research queries, you can simply type in the number of the memorial and go right there. I also have a link to findagrave on this blog. My virtual name on findagrave.com is Stompee.

What else did I collect or find on my findagrave marathon? 

I found Abraham Russell Hicks Jr. That is great granddaddy's granddaddy's brother! 

1831 - 1872  findagrave memorial # 26755454

Abraham's wife, Susanna 

findagrave memorial # 26755507

Robert Henry's brother Harold Clifford. I think the family called him Cliff. 

Oh my gosh, and so many more. I can't post them all here today. I feel more searching in my future. 

Wordless Wednesday

Cliff and Sally Hicks (Sallie)

Harold Clifford Hicks (1895-1967) is brother to Robert Henry Hicks Sr.

Looks like a baseball player?

Cliff's findagrave memorial # is 50051572
Sallie's findagrave memorial # is 50051601

             

Sentimental Sunday: Three Cartersville People Die in Collision 1950

My grandfather, Robert Stanley's older brother Woodrow was married to Bernice Willis. Bernice had been married previously to a John Scott. Bernice and John had one daughter, Inez.

Woodrow and Bernice

There are a lot of people in this picture. Back to Front Left to Right: Willena, Henry, Vesta, Bernice, Glen, Ralph, Larkin, Robert, Ed Harris, Jr., Woodrow, Clarence, Inez. 

When I first saw this picture, and saw that Inez was labeled here. I didn't know who she was. The only Inez I knew of was the little girl who burned from fire. I just came across an email from someone who found me on ancestry.com. This lady, Joyce, sent me an email telling me that Bernice's first husband was John Scott, and that she had a daughter Inez. That is when I remembered I had a picture of an Inez, and here it is. 

Joyce also sent me part of a copy of an article from the Weekly Tribune-News Cartersville, GA from January 12 1950. The article is titled Three Cartersville People Die in Collision. 

According to the article, on January 8th 1950 at 12:45 in the morning, Woodrow, Bernice, Bernice's mother and brother were riding in a 1936 Oldsmobile and were hit head on with a dump truck driven by a young 20 year old guy named Jack D. Rhoden.  Bernice's mother, Mrs. Lee Alton Willis Sr. (Etta) and Jack D Rhoden died at the scene of the accident on Canton Road. Bernice's brother, Bradley died about 4 hours later at the Howell-Quillian Clinic. Woodrow suffered a bad laceration on his head, mouth and lip and had bruises and abrasions. Both of Bernice's legs were broken in the accident. One in several places, and she also suffered severe lacerations, bruises and abrasions. 

Picture of the Car Wreck

Part of the article is missing. But it looks like Jack D Rhoden had a bad driving record. Mr. Rhoden's passenger, Fred Tolbert of Dahlonega said that Rhoden was driving the dump truck as fast as it would run and with no lights. Then the article is cut off. But another part on the side says that someone reported the dump truck as almost wrecking them on Christmas Eve. The article ends with "Mrs. Cantrell was returning to her home....when suddenly appeared from the south, and crashed into the rear of the Cantrell machine. Rhoden pleaded with Mrs. Can-  that is the end of the article.

It seems, Mr. Rhoden may have pleaded for Mrs. Cantrel to not call the police. But, if she had done so, and Rhoden had been sited, or had his license revoked, that maybe Bernice's mother and brother wouldn't have been killed.  I have emailed the newspaper, to see if they had a way to find the article for me, so I can get the missing information. I will update the article if they respond. 

Please leave a comment or email me if you have more information for this story. I also would like to know if Woodrow and Bernice ever had children. I would like to know where they are buried too. I have a date of death for Woodrow as January 28 1989, but I'm not sure where I got that information from.

FINDAGRAVE.COM

Etta Willis memorial page is #36297967 

Jasper Bradley Willis's memorial page is #36297973 

I believe that Inez's memorial page is #36291216 

I haven't found Woodrow or Bernice's memorial page yet, if they have one that is. 

Larkin, JR, Woodrow's head, Robert, Vester (Vesta) 

plus another little boy. Does anyone know who it is?

4 Hicks babies

Great Grandaddy and Great Grandmother (Robert Henry and Vesta) had four babies that died during infancy.

In a previous post, I spoke about Inez Hicks. She died from burns when she caught fire in 1928. I always assumed she died immediately, but unfortunately her death certificate states that she lived a for a few hours.
There were three other babies that were born and then died before Inez was born.

There was Aron A Hicks. According to the Family Bible, he was born in Whitfield County Georgia on March 22 1911. Vesta would have been 5 days shy of her 18th birthday. (Robert was 18 and Vesta 16 when they married).

Then there was Annie Lee who was born on December 31 1912 also in Whitfield County Georgia. I have her as "Carrie Lee" in my Family Tree Maker program. I'm not sure where I got that from. I am going to have to do some digging through the files to see where that came from. But, the family bible, has hand written "Annie Lee" so I think that is probably correct.

Aron and Annie both died in the same year, just months apart from each other. According to the family bible, Annie passed first on February 3 1913, she wasn't even 2 months old. Then Aron passed on June 3 1913, he would have been 2 years old.

Then there was Ira E Hicks, named after Vesta's brother Ira. The family bible shows that he was born on January 12 1919 and that he died on February 27th 1919, only 1 month old. I have found his death certificate through the Virtual Vault from the Georgia Archives website. It says that he passed from "Bronchial Pneumonia" The copy I have is of a low quality, but I think it also says that a contributing factor was Measles.

I am still looking for death certificates for Annie and Aron. I am also looking for burials on findagrave.com and billiongraves.com for all four of the children. I haven't been able to find them on any site. 

As far as I know, there are no photographs of Aron, Annie, or Ira. But, last year we discovered a treasure box of photographs in the house where Robert Henry and Vesta lived, and later Uncle Bob. There are a lot of unidentified baby photographs. One of them is this postmortem photograph.

If this is a Hicks baby, it looks like it might be a boy because it looks like he is wearing a jacket instead of a dress. This baby looks about 2 years old, doesn't he? If so, this could be Aron. This picture has a post card on the back. In the corner where the stamp would go is a manufacturer's mark "CYKO" in fancy text. That mark was used between 1904 - 1920s. Therefore, it does correspond to the time of little Aron's death.

Mystery Photo

This is a mystery photo that was found in Robert Henry Hicks Sr. 's home after Uncle Bob (Robert Henry Hicks Jr) had passed away. Uncle Bob had been living at the old homestead, in Stockbridge Georgia for many many years. 

On the back of this photograph is written "Mrs. Willena Harris" . 

At first glance, one might assume that Willena is in this picture. I beg to differ. 

First, this picture dates to about 1908 - 1912. I base this information on the first girl standing on the left. Her hair is done in the "Gibson Girl" fashion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibson_Girl. Both the first girl and the second have sort of puffed sleeves that are more fitted toward the bottom. This type of dress, with the high collar and puffed sleeves were "in fashion" around 1910. 

So, how do I know Willena isn't in this picture? The first and most important reason is that Willena wasn't born until 1914. Secondly it says Willena Harris on the back. Which means she came into possession of this photograph after she was married. 

I would still like to find out who is in this picture. One clue I can use is the empty chair. The empty place tells me that someone is missing, or away, or deceased. I am going to assume that the mother/wife is deceased. So, my next step will be to try and figure out if anyone had a missing wife in the 1910 census. But, I don't know where to start. Perhaps the Georgia census? Or maybe some other state? I don't know yet. 

If you have a suggestion let me know. 

I thought maybe it could be Larkin Hicks (Great Grandaddy's father) but then I remembered they had a lot of boys and this picture has more girls.  This could be a Hunsucker family photo as it was found with other Hunsucker photographs. Aaron Hunsucker (Great Grandmother's father) was a widower, so that could account for the empty chair. But, as far as I know, when his wife Mary died, they only had two children; Vesta and Ira. Therefore, there are too many children in the photograph to be them. Though the dates would match if one of the younger girls is Vesta and one of the boys is Ira. 

Or it could be a Harris family photograph, since the back has Willena Harris....

This mystery might take a while to solve.

Short Story from one of Dad's texts he sent the other night when we were texting about money problems

Dad (middle) said that "Grandpa" wouldn't let him, Byron and Van have some coke bottles to turn in to get 25 cents so they could go buy a BB pack. Grandpa said they might need that 25cents one day. 

Robert Henry Hicks "Grandpa"

Inez Hicks

Inez Hicks was my grandfather's sister. (1925 - 1928) At some point, my grandfather got this picture of Inez from Great Granddaddy's House. Then, Aunt Linda had it for awhile til' she handed it down to me. It is the only picture of her that I know about. She died when she was only 2, so probably not long after this picture was taken.

We were always told that she died because she was playing with matches and caught herself on fire. I recently found a copy of her death certificate from the Virtual Vault on the Georgia Archives website. 

The death certificate says "accidental death" and it says she lived for a "few hours" afterwards. It also states that she is buried at the "West Hill Cemetery" but no one has her listed on Findagrave.com . I will have to contact someone who has actual records from the cemetery to see what they have. It is a giant cemetery in Dalton Georgia.

The second page is from Vital Statistics. It says that her "clothing caught on fire from an *** grate" . I can't tell what the word is. It looks like "son" "or "jon" or "fon" . I don't know what it is. But, it doesn't look like she was playing with matches.  UPDATE: a friend suggested it might say "open grate". Makes sense to me!

I don't know if it is true or not, but we were always told that Uncle Bob saw what happened and tried to help her, but was unable to. 

At the last family reunion, I got a copy of this picture of Willena Hicks, the only sister who survived to adulthood. It is similar to Inez's picture. The are both in oval frames that are in sort of a bubble glass. Willena was born in 1914 though, so she was already about 10 or 11 years old before Inez was born.  The quality of Willena's piture is better and she is wearing more expensive clothing than Inez. She also has shoes on, and Inez does not. It makes me wonder if Great Grandaddy and Great Grandmother had more money early on, or if they were just more strapped for cash in 1925 because they had more children. (4 surviving at that time) 

Who remembers Tiny? I do!

According to Uncle Bob (Robert Henry Hicks Jr), Great Granddaddy actually had two Tiny's. The first one sadly ran into the road and was hit by a car. As you know, the old house sits right on Hwy 138. Great Granddaddy (Robert Henry Hicks - pictured above) was very sad, so Uncle Bob went and got Tiny (II). Who is the dog I remember. Tiny was, as the Polaroid above states, his companion. 

When Great Grandaddy died, Tiny went to live with my Grandfather and Grandmother Hicks. (Robert Stanley Hicks and Marjorie Roberts Hicks). Tiny became my Grandmother's protector. He sat on the arm of her chair and barked when you tried to hug and kiss her. 

He was a sweet dog though. We had fun petting and pampering him. Grandmother always got disturbed because we would let Tiny lick our bare legs. We don't know why he liked to lick so much. Grandmother thought it was because he liked the taste of salt (sweat) on our legs.

Barbara Hicks Jones (Uncle Bob's daughter) remembers:

"Everybody who was close to our grandfather (or great-grandfather) remembers Tiny. Grandpa was always secretly pleased when Tiny growled at anyone who tried to get close to him (or our grandfather). Tiny was very protective!!!"

Earl Hicks

Earl Hicks

Wow! I have been horribly bad at keeping up with the Hicks family blog! I plan to get better and write some more informative stuff. But until then here is a picture of my dad at probably 16yrs or so. It looks like he is very proud of this car or something. 

Earl Stanley Hicks (my dad) is the son of Robert Stanley Hicks, and the grandson of Robert Henry Hicks.  

I plan on getting dad to fill out some answers on a oral history interview. Then I will post them here. 

Really, I plan to be better at this, so make another visit here in about a month and see whats been updated. Or better yet, send me a Hicks story of your own.