Grandfather Adams' Sisters

"Grandfather Adams' Sisters. This was made from a tintype picture."

This photograph was found among the papers of Virginia Shumate MORAN.  Some one had written the following notation on the inside cover: "Grandfather Adams' Sisters.  This was made from a tintype picture."

Virginia SHUMATE's grandfather was Cyrannus W. ADAMS, born Aug. 26, 1826 in Pulaski County Kentucky and died Dec. 7 1893 in Rockcastle County Kentucky.  He married Mary Elizabeth CUMMINS who was born July 15, 1843 and died Aug 6 1881 in Rockcastle County Kentucky.  For more information about Mary Elizabeth CUMMINS and her parents check out my blog post dated January 6 2012.

Cyrannus W. ADAMS

Cyrannus was the son of Absalom Adams and Cyntha A. Evans.  Cyrannus had several siblings including 3 sisters: 

James ADAMS (b. 1829 Kentucky and married Cyrena Sarah WHITAKER, I think he might've moved to Jones County Texas and died abt 1910)

George ADAMS (b. 1832 Kentucky and married Charlotte L., last found in the 1880 Census for Iona, Jewell, Kansas)

Cyntha/Syntha ADAMS (b. 1835 Kentucky and married John STARK, last found in 1880 census for Umatilla Oregon), 

William Gaines ADAMS (b. 1837 Kentucky and married to Rachel S. MCWILLIAMS, his headstone says G.W. but most everything I've seen indicates he was W.G. died 1892 in Kansas at a Confederate Veterans Rest Home.), 

Margaret A. ADAMS (b. about 1839 and married John C. BROOKS died after 1900), 

Rachel J Adams (b. 1844 and married John A. WINSTEAD, died 1921)

Here's the same photo with some adjustments made using paint.net.  We can't know exactly who these women are but because of the notation we can narrow it down to three women: 

Cyntha/Syntha ADAMS, 

Margaret A. ADAMS or 

Rachel J. ADAMS.  

They were the sisters of "grandfather ADAM's".  Based on the dates of birth I'm guessing that the girl on the right is Rachel Adams who was born in 1844.  Rachel was 5-8 years younger than her sisters.  But I could be wrong.  Such is the way of genealogy and time!

Two of three sisters of Cyrannus Adams
Cyntha, Margaret or possibly Rachel

Mary Shumate Maret Garner, 1000th Identified Family Member!

September 12th marked the three month anniversary that I've been researching Billings and Moran family genealogy.  I knew I was close to reaching the 1000 entry into the family tree but yesterday I was so focused on the Scott family I didn't realize that I actually went over and am now at 1003 identified family members.

The 1000th person was Mary Shumate Maret Garner and the find for her obituary goes to findagrave contributor Honor.  I have been researching the Shumates and been pleased and frustrated by what I find.  Mary Shumate fits in quite nicely as she is the sister of Champ Shumate.  Their parents are Mitchell Shumate and Catherine Champ, two more people on my genealogy "to do" list.

Here is the transcription from The Central Record dated 11-20-1919 for Mary Shumate Maret Garner

Obituary-
On Wednesday afternoon, November the fifth, at four thirty o'clock, Mrs. Mary Maret Garner, died at her home near Paint Lick, after a lingering illness of several weeks.

Though tended by loving hands, and every comfort provided, she feel asleep in Jesus.  Bravely she fought live battles, and as bravely she bore her sufferings with uncomplaining fortitude.

Mrs. Garner was one of Garrard's oldest, highly respected and lovable women.  She was the youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell Shumate, of Madison county, (who were among the first settlers of Kentucky, coming here from Virginia).  She was born in Madison county, on November 30, 1836, and had she lived until her birthday she would have been 83 years of age.  On September 29, 1858, she was married to John M. Maret, of Madison county, and to this union were born two children, Fannie S. Maret (Mrs. James A. Scott) and Willis Lee Maret, (all of whom preceded her to the grave).

They moved to Garrard county in 1865, at which time she made her home until the time of her death.

She was again married on December 13, 1898 to Mr. George Garner, of Bath county, who is left to mourn her loss, together with her brother, Mr. Frank Shumate, of San Francisco, California, eleven grand-children and seven great grand-children, numerous nieces and nephews, and other relatives in Missouri, Illinois and California.

Mrs Garner was a devout member of the Christian church, having confessed her faith in Christ, at Fairview Christian church, in early life.  She was loved by both old and young alike, and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

Funeral services were conducted from the home by Rev. Frank N. Tinder, after which the interment took place in the cemetery at Richmond.  The grand-children were all present for the burial except, Mrs. J.C. Warmoth of Wapella Illinois, and Capt. Johm M. Maret, who is stationed at Honolulu, Hawaii.

The heart felt sympathy of the community goes out to the bereaved husband, and other loved ones, who are left to mourn her loss.

I'm My Own Grandpa

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Today is one of those genealogical days that make my head hurt and remind me of the song I'm My Own Grandpa by Ray Stevens.

Some weeks back I had been researching my husbands great grandfather, Nathan M. Shumate.  I had discovered that Nathan had married Margaret J. Adams and one of the offspring from that union became my husbands grandmother, Virginia Shumate Moran.  So far so good.

Nathan married Annie Purcell after the death of his first wife, Margaret.  Family gossip said that Nathan's three daughters didn't get along with his new wife. It happens. To make matters worse Nathan had a child by Annie so now there was a not just a step-mother but a step-sister.

In addition, Annie Purcell was not just the second wife of Nathan.  She was the first wife of Milton Green Dermon and they had four children of their own which came into the Shumate household.

The three original daughters started spending a lot of time with their uncle Quincy Shumate and his wife Lou in Newbern, TN. Quincy and his wife had six children of their own.  You can see it's starting to get a little complicated.

I didn't give anymore thought to Annie Purcell and Milton Green Dermon because they weren't blood relatives and I had way too many other people to track down.

My research continues and from notes I have I was able to confirm that Margaret J. Adams (first wife of Nathan) parents are Cy W. Adams and Mary Elizabeth Cummins.  I use Ancestry.com but I also use original source material so I'm happy with my finds.

Today I was delving into the parentage of Mary Elizabeth Cummins and have confirmed through records that her parents are Stephen (corrected from Samuel) G. Cummins Jr and Amanda Carson.  But...I've also run into a name that I've seen before, Milton Green Dermon.  According to the 1860 Census, Milton age 16, was living in the Cummins household and he's listed as an orphan.  Interesting.  Could it possibly be the same Milton Green Dermon?  The birth year pans out and how many Milton Green Dermons can there be in Rockcastle County Kentucky in 1860?

So I move on to the 1870 Census and there he is again, still living in the household with the Cummins family.  This time he's listed as a farmer.   Up next, the 1880 census which now lists him as a boarder with the Cummins family.  Who the heck is he and how did this orphan come to live with Stephen Cummins?

Time to look into who were the parents of Stephen (corrected from Samuel) Cummins.  His father was Stephen G. Cummins Sr. and his mother, depending on which records you're looking at, list her as Clarissa Dermon/Durmon/Dearmond.  You've got to be kidding me!  I haven't found out yet what relationship there is between Clarissa Dermon and Milton Dermon but it's very very possible that Milton Dermon is a blood relative to Nathan Shumate's first wife, Margaret Adams.  And as I've already reported, Milton Dermon was the first husband of Annie Purcell, who was also Nathan Shumates second wife.  Which means that all of the children from the Shumate, Adams, Dermon, Purcell marriages are blood related and not just step children to each other!

Nathan Shumate married Margaret Adams in 1884, had 3 children. Margaret died in 1896.
Milton G. Dermon married Annie Purcell in 1883, had 4 children.  Milton died in 1894.
Nathan Shumate married Annie Purcell Dermon in 1896, had 1 child.

I believe Margaret J. Adams Shumate and Milton G. Dermon are related by blood through the Stephen (corrected from Samuel) G Cummins and Clarissa Dermon union.  How?  I'm not sure yet but it's almost to the point that someone is their own grandpa!

The search goes on.

Nathan M. Shumate, Uncovered

Nathan M. Shumate has been somewhat of a mystery to us and led to a lot of speculation about his family life and what he might look like.   As with all research projects speculation gives way to truth as more facts come to light.  Ancestry.com provided some Census information but that was about it.  Google searches provided hits to newspapers of the time which proved very useful and provided entertaining and enlightening tidbits of information to know about him. But I was not able to locate anything supporting his daughters handwritten note that gave his date of death as March 3, 1899, 8 a.m.  Till tonight.

And now we know because in the Semi-Weekly Interior Journal of Kentucky, dated March 7, 1899, his death is mentioned twice.  Nathan M. Shumate died of pneumonia, though we suspect it might've been tuberculosis, and he was buried near Brodhead, Kentucky.

Mr. J.C. McClary attended the burial of N.M. Shumate near Brodhead Sunday.  Pneumonia was the cause of his death.








Mrs. Belle Gentry, of Newburn, Tenn., who came to attend the burial of her brother, N.M. Shumate, of Rockcastle, is the guest of Mrs. Eliza Blain.