Genealogy Diaries

John Ajalon Stephenson

2013-06-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

John Ajalon Stephenson was my great grand uncle. He was born 4 Oct 1870 to John Stephenson and Martha Marie Cannady Stephenson. He was the second of six children.

John's siblings:

Selina Valerie
Louis Golden
Zebulon Vance
Willie Horton
Martha Mariah "Mattie"
Rufus Ira

John was a farmer by trade. He married Pennie Harriet Stephenson on 8 Jan 1893 in Johnston County, North Carolina. According to my records, they had 5 children:

Walter
Minnie Maye
Alton Carr
Sebon Charlie
Grace

John passed away on 18 March 1950 in Oxford, North Carolina (Granville County). He is buried at Montlawn Cemetery in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Selina Valerie Stephenson

2013-06-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Selina Valerie Stephenson was born December 1869 to John Stephenson and Martha Marie Cannady Stephenson. She was the oldest of seven children.

Selina's siblings:

John Ajalon
Louis Golden
Zebulon Vance
Willie Horton
Martha Mariah (aka Mattie)
Rufus Ira

Selina married William Parrott Creech 1 April 1894 in Johnston County, North Carolina. According to my records, they had five children (all boys):

Louis Decker
Earl H.
Carson Vasco
Seba Stephenson
Johnnie Paul

I have not located a death record for her, but it appears that she passed away between 1930 and 1940. I located a US Census record for her for 1930, but not 1940.

Ruby Glenn Stephenson

2013-06-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

Ruby Glenn Stephenson was born 7 Oct 1925 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She was the eighth and youngest child of Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson.

Ruby's older siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen

I have some information indicating that she was married to Julius Melvin Barbour (1922-1987), but I have not found a record of their marriage to verify this.

Ruby died 14 May 2004 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Margrette Etheleen Stephenson

2013-06-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

Margrette Etheleen Stephenson was born 15 Jan 1923. She was the daughter of Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. According to my research, Margrette Etheleen went by the name Ethel.

Ethel was the seventh of eight children. Her siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Ruby Glenn

Ethel died 5 April 1996 in Garner, North Carolina.

Margie Adrine Stephenson

2013-06-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

Margie Adrine Stephenson was born 15 Aug 1920 to Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. She was the sixth of eight children. Margie's siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Margie was married to Ira David Johnson.

She died 19 March 2001 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is buried at Angier Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Angier, NC.

Martha Valeria Stephenson

2013-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Martha Valeria Stephenson was born 8 April 1918 to Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. She was the fifth of eight children. Martha's siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Martha was married twice. Her first husband was Wilard Valton Barbour (1915-1945). They had one child together: Linda Gray Barbour (1940-2008).

Her second husband was William Dean. They had one child: Eric Dean.

Martha died 28 Dec 1992 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Virginia Horton Stephenson

2013-06-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Virginia Horton Stephenson was born 14 June 1910 to Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. Born and raised in Johnston County, North Carolina, Virginia was the second of eight children.

She married Elam Perry Johnson on 20 May 1933. According to my records, they had three children:

Stacy
Reta Maie
Billy Dean

She died 19 Jan 2007 in Benson, North Carolina. She is buried at the Johnson-Stephenson Family Cemetery in Johnston County, NC.

Numer Patrick Stephenson

2013-06-07T08:30:00.000-04:00

Numer Patrick Stephenson was born 3 Nov 1915 to Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. He was the fourth of eight children. His siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Numer's name has presented some problems for me in terms of research. The North Carolina Birth Index has it listed as Numer Patrick Stephenson, so I use that as the official version of his name. However, I've also seen it listed as Numa and Munir on various documents.

At this time, I haven't found a marriage record for Numer.

He was a World War II veteran (U.S. Army).

Alice Edith Stephenson

2013-06-06T07:30:00.000-04:00

Alice Edith Stephenson was born 9 June 1913 to Willie Horton Stephenson and Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson. She was the third of eight children.

Alice's siblings:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Alice married Archie Rubin Langdon 19 Dec 1931 in Johnston County, North Carolina. Records indicate that they had two children:

Bettie Jackquelin
Louis Harold

Alice died 31 Jan 2009 in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina. She is buried at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens in Wake County, NC.

Stephenson-Temple-Campbell-Chaney

2013-06-05T07:00:00.000-04:00

These are the four main branches of my family tree (the paternal part of it, anyway). These families have been the main focus of my research for the past couple of years. I try to conduct research every week, but of course sometimes life just gets in the way. :-)

While I'm also still actively researching the maternal side of my family, I haven't spent as much time on that recently simply because I'm still working on gathering evidence to verify all four family lines. If you've read my previous posts about the Kendalls and Lands, you'll of course know the situation which I'm referring to. Until I feel more confident that I can verify the story that's been given to me (by people who were present at the time in question), I don't really want to spin my wheels by pursuing lines of research that may not pan out.

At this time, I can only be absolutely certain about two of my maternal lines: Hooker and Peel.

By continuing to publish information about my family, it is my hope that I'll in some way be able to help others who may be researching some of my ancestors.

Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson

2013-06-03T07:00:00.000-04:00

Mattie Virginia Temple was born 7 May 1884 to William Bennett Temple and Harriet Eleanor Johnson Temple. Born and raised in North Carolina, she was the sixth of nine children.

Mattie's siblings:

Delma Latham
Mary Emma
Robert A.
William Oscar
James M.
Ira L.
George Milton
Maton Alonzo

She married Willie Horton Stephenson. From this union, eight children were born:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Mattie died 16 Jan 1975 in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is buried at Angier Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Angier, North Carolina.

Willie Horton Stephenson

2013-06-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Willie Horton Stephenson was born 22 Dec 1878 to John W. Stephenson and Martha Marie Cannady Stephenson. Born and raised in North Carolina, he was the fifth of seven children.

The records that I've found for him provide conflicting information regarding Willie's middle name (the two names up for debate are Horton and Harton). At this time, I don't have any definitive proof for either name.

He was married to Mattie Virginia Temple. According to my records, they had eight children:

Cyrus Judson
Virginia Horton
Alice Edith
Numer Patrick
Martha Valeria
Margie Adrine
Margrette Etheleen
Ruby Glenn

Willie died 2 Sept 1961 in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina at the age of 82. He is buried at Angier Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Angier, North Carolina.

Ancestor Profiles - Quinton Stephenson

2012-01-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

Quinton Stephenson was born and raised in Johnston County, NC. He was my 2nd great grand uncle. The son of David Stephenson and Ann Clifton Stephenson, Quinton was the oldest of the couple's 9 children.

Quinton enlisted as a private in the Confederate Army on 25 February 1863 at the age of 36. He enlisted in Company C, 53rd Infantry Regiment. He survived the war.

Quinton was married to Maryann Elizabeth Creech. They married on 3 Dec 1851. My research indicates that they had 6 children:

Nancy
Amanda
John
Ann
Mary
David

The David Stephenson Cemetery

2012-01-04T21:09:00.000-05:00

The David Stephenson Cemetery is named for my 2nd great grand uncle. His brother, John Stephenson, was my 2nd great grandfather.

During a recent trip to Johnston County, NC, I visited the David Stephenson Cemetery. What I found was quite a shock. The cemetery is still there (technically), but the land on which it sits has apparently been sold to a developer.

The land where some of my ancestors are buried is being turned into a housing development called Brook Run. Thankfully, the graves haven't been disturbed as of yet. They are sitting in what looks to be a common area in the center of the development while houses are being built all around.

I had to trek through a rough, briar-infested field to get to the graves. It's obvious that no one is bothering to try to preserve the graves in any way, and I can only wonder how long it's going to be before the developer decides to just dig them up and dispose of them.

Here are some of the photos I took:

It is my hope that these graves will be preserved and cared for. I've already tried to contact one of the state's archaeologists, but so far I haven't received any type of response. I'm also planning to contact the Johnston County Historical Society.

As I mentioned in my last post, the destruction of family cemeteries seems to be an alarming trend in this state. I find it disturbing that there seems to be such a disregard for the remains of the dead. Sorry if I'm harping here, but this is an issue that bothers me.

As I organize my notes, photos, and documents, I'll continue to post about cemeteries in North Carolina.

Aldridge Partin Cemetery

2011-12-31T13:46:00.001-05:00

The Aldridge Partin Cemetery is located in Wake County, NC. It is actually an overgrown family burial ground that now sits smack in the middle of someone's cow pasture. Seriously.

Now, I can completely understand why decades ago, people often requested to be buried on their own land. In some cases, this was likely because of financial constraints; in others, it was probably because of a sincere love of the land that was owned, farmed, and worked on everyday of people's lives.

What strikes me as unbelievably sad is the reality that many family cemeteries have become annihilated by the "development" of our society. At what point did we stop having respect for the dead and decide that demolishing grave sites was the right thing to do?

In the case of the Aldridge Partin Cemetery, the graves haven't been demolished, but they have been shamefully neglected to the point that most of them are now only marked by unreadable small stones. I visited this cemetery a few days ago while looking for the graves of two of my 2nd great grandparents: Harriett Eleanor Johnson Temple and William Bennett Temple.

The land is owned by an elderly gentleman who works his farm by himself. He was kind enough to allow my husband and I to visit the remains of the cemetery. He drove us to the site (it's the only way to access it since his property is fenced in). He told me that he bought the land from someone named Temple (he remembered that name being on his deed), so it's likely that the land was passed down from William Bennett Temple to his children and grandchildren for a couple of generations before it was sold to the man who now owns it.

Because the cemetery sits on someone's private property, I didn't feel comfortable taking a lot of pictures. I only took photos of my 2nd great grandparents' graves.

I was very excited to find their graves, but at the same time I couldn't help feeling sad at the sight of so many other graves that are now only marked by unreadable stones. My best guess is that there are approximately 40-50 graves at that site, but it's quite likely that there are many more graves that are no longer marked at all.

I can't completely fault the man who now owns the land for doing with it what he pleases, but I do wish that people (in general) would have more respect and compassion for the dead. If someone purchases land in which people have been buried, have the decency to preserve the grave site rather than destroying it or allowing it to become overgrown and vandalized by cows. Over the past few months, I've encountered several cemeteries that have been overrun by a thoughtless society.

In my opinion, grave sites are sacred and should not be destroyed because of the whims of people. They should be preserved not only out of respect for those who have passed, but for the historical value they provide to us all.

Back in the Groove (well, hopefully)

2011-12-28T17:44:00.000-05:00

Because of an extremely busy schedule over the past few months, I haven't been able to post to this blog as much as I would have liked. I'm hoping that I'll be able to post regularly throughout 2012. I'm getting a little bit of a jump on that goal this week.

I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season!

Ancestor Profiles - Mattie Virginia Temple Stephenson

2011-10-21T19:41:00.001-04:00

1884-1975

Mattie Virginia Temple was my great grandmother. Sadly, I never had the opportunity to know her, but I have enjoyed getting to know at least a little bit about her through my research.

I haven't found a photo of Mattie yet, though I would love to stumble across one someday! I do know that she was born and raised in North Carolina to parents William Bennett Temple and Harriet Eleanor Johnson Temple (Harriet's name sometimes appears as Ella Harriet or Eleanor Harriet).

I'm still not entirely sure of the exact number of children that Mattie had because of some conflicting records. Based on my research, her children include the following:

Cyrus Judson Stephenson
Virginia H. Stephenson
Alice E. Stephenson
Numer Patrick Stephenson
Martha Valeria Stephenson
Margie Adrine Stephenson
Ruby Glenn Stephenson

Virginia H. and Numer Patrick are the two for which I haven't found much documentation. So far, I've only found their names in a couple of places (one or two early census records and one birth index), so it's possible that they died as children and I just haven't found the evidence that points to that. My genealogy to-do list just keeps growing.

I have Mattie's siblings listed as follows:

Delma L. Temple
Mary Emma Temple
Robert A. Temple
William Oscar Temple
James M. Temple
Ira L. Temple
George Milton Temple
Maton Alonzo Temple

The Battle of Cedar Creek

2011-10-01T14:58:00.000-04:00

The Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation is hosting their 23rd annual battlefield reenactment the 15th and 16th of October. The reenactment takes place on the original battlefield in Middletown, Virginia.

Passes can be purchased for one or two days, and all proceeds go to support the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation's preservation efforts.

Ancestor Profiles - David Stephenson

2011-09-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

1805 - 1863

David Stephenson was my 3rd great grandfather. Born and raised in Johnston County, North Carolina, David was the fifth of seven children born to David Stephenson and Arey Amanda Johnson.

David married Annie Clifton on 24 February 1824. According to my research, they had nine children together:

Enoch M. Stephenson (1825-1861)
Quinton Stephenson (1827-1879)
Kimmons Stephenson (1830-1898)
David Stephenson (1832-1879)
Cornelius W. Stephenson (1833-1900)
John Stephenson (1837-1915)
Doctor Stephenson (1840-1913)
Edith Ann Stephenson (1845-1914)
Israel Stephenson (1847-1927)

All eight of David's sons served in the Civil War. I'll write more about each of them as I continue my research.

Averasboro Civil War Battlefield & Museum

2011-08-30T21:04:00.000-04:00

The Battle of Averasboro took place in March 1865, and it was the first significant resistance the Union forces experienced as they barreled through the Carolinas and Georgia. The Battle of Bentonfield (located in Johnston County, NC) took place approximately three days later.

The Averasboro Battlefield Commission is responsible for preserving the historic site, and they are hosting a Civil War Re-Enactment on 17-18 September 2011.

The site is located in Dunn, North Carolina, which is in Harnett County. Directions and additional information can be found here for those of you who are interested.

Ancestor Profiles - Charles Fletcher Campbell, Sr.

2011-08-22T08:30:00.000-04:00

15 December 1887 - 9 July 1963

Charles Fletcher Campbell was my great grand uncle. Born 15 December 1887 in Randolph County, NC to John Milton Campbell and Malinda Lula Jennings Campbell (my paternal 2nd great grandparents), Charles was the oldest of five children.

He married Troy Louetta Bell of Iredell County, NC in 1908 and they had nine children together. According to my research, their children (only those who are known to be deceased) were:

Addie M. Campbell (1910-1996)
Agnes Frances Campbell (1912-2000)
John Webster Campbell (1915-2004)
Charles Fletcher Campbell, Jr. (1918-1996)
Helen Elizabeth Campbell (1922-1973)
Clarence Jennings Campbell (1924-2001)
Donnie Campbell (1932-1934)

World War I Draft Registration Card "C"

2011-08-21T08:06:00.002-04:00

The third registration for the World War I draft occurred on 12 September 1918. This was for men between the ages of 18-21 and 31-45 (men born between 11 Sept 1872 and 12 Sept 1900).

This registration card contained 20 questions on the front and required the following information:

Name
Address
Age
Date of birth
Race
Occupation
Citizenship status
Nearest living relative (name and address)
Name and address of employer
Physical appearance (height, build, hair and eye color, physical disabilities)

A blank card can be found below.

Sources: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

World War I Draft Registration Card "B"

2011-08-20T07:48:00.000-04:00

World War I Draft Registration Card "B" may also sometimes be referred to as the Ten Question Card. This draft began on 5 June 1918 and was for all males who had celebrated their 21st birthday since the previous registration period (Card "A").

Also, men who hadn't previously registered and who were not already in the military were required to complete one of these cards. A supplemental registration, which occurred on 24 August 1918, had to be completed by all males who had celebrated their 21st birthday since 5 June 1918.

Information that can be found on these cards includes the following:

Name
Age
Address
Date and place of birth
Father's place of birth
Occupation
Citizenship status
Employer's name and address
Dependent information (if any)
Nearest living relative (name and address)
Physical appearance (height, build, hair and eye color, physical disabilities)

A blank form can be found below.

Sources: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

World War I Draft Registration Card "A"

2011-08-19T15:21:00.001-04:00

World War I Draft Registration Card A (also referred to as the Twelve-Question Card) was the card used for the first round of registrations (5 June 1917). It includes the following information:

Name
Age
Address
Date and place of birth
Citizenship status
Employer's name and address
Dependent information
Marital status
Prior military service/rank
Physical appearance (height, build, hair and eye color, obvious disabilities)
Signature

A blank registration card can be found below.

Sources: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

Looking Ahead to April 2012 - 1940 Census Records

2011-08-18T13:34:00.000-04:00

When the 1940 census is released in April 2012, ancestry.com is planning to make the records available for free to everyone for a certain period of time. They are planning to make all of the data available through 2013, though they won't be loading all of it at one time next April.

The National Archives will have digital images available online for free. They have already provided lots of information regarding what to expect from these documents, including a list of questions that were asked on the 1940 census.

Questions include:

Location (street name, house number)
Number of people per household

Home owned or rented?
Value of home (if owned) or monthly rent payment
Does this household live on a farm?

Name of each person (whose usual place of residence was in a particular household)
Relationship of each listed person to the head of the household
Personal descriptions (sex, race, age, marital status)
Education (highest grade or level completed)
Place of birth
Citizenship
Residence as of 1 April 1935
Employment status (for everyone age 14 and over)
Occupation, industry, and class of worker
Income in 1939

Supplementary Questions:

Place of birth of mother and father
Native language
Veteran status (United States military)
Social security information (does each person have a social security card, for example)
For all women who are or have been married:

Has this woman been married more than once?
Age at first marriage
Number of children ever born (but don't include stillbirths)