17 June 1880: Enumerating Sam and Mollie

In the 1880 Fed. Census of Williamson Co., TX (Precinct No. 4) are enumerated my maternal grandmother's maternal grandparents, Samuel Parker Jackson and Mary Frances "Mollie" (Chapman) Jackson. Listed with them is their one year-old daughter (my Great-Grandmother) "Lula L. Jackson" as well as a young girl named Virginia B. Green, an 11 year-old native Texan and an "orphan." I wish I knew who this little girl was and how my ggreat-grandparents came into the responsibility of caring for her. Maybe somewhere in a letter I have is the answer, but it isn't known to me now. No birthplace is given for either of her parents.

"Sam'l" and "Mary F." are listed as 24 and 18, respectively. He's a farmer and she "keeps house." They and Lula are native Texans. Both give their mothers' birthplace as Mississippi, but only Sam states Tennessee as his dad's birthplace. Mollie's dad is not given one, although we know that William M. Chapman was, in fact, a native Tennessean.

19 February 1891: Bertie Canon to Lula Louvenia Jackson

Here's another page from my Great-Grandmother Lula Louvenia Jackson's autograph book. The inscription is from her teacher Bertie Canon (or is that Carson?), dated 19 Feb 1891 at Buffalo Gap, Taylor Co., TX.

My Great-Grandmother as a Little Girl

This is a tintype of some kind of my Great-Grandmother Lula Louvenia Jackson. I believe she is probably about three years old here, putting the date at about 1882. It was almost certainly taken in or around Williamson Co., TX.

Lula was a very pretty lady and you can see that in her little girl's face. My Aunt Opal once described her own daddy (and Lula's) as having "china blue" eyes. I think that's what we have here, too.

Aunt Bam's Bunch

I just found someone's online genealogy in which I have learned quite a few new things about some folks I already knew a little of ---but can't figure out whose work it is. Someone associated with Decklerbooks.com. I hope we can communicate sometime.

Anyway, I now know a little more about Aunt Bam's bunch. Mary Alabama Jackson was my Great-Great-Grandfather Samuel Parker Jackson's little sister. My Aunt Opal knew her as "Aunt Bam." I knew that Bam was married to a Mr. Ray Dean, but this new source I just came across says he was James Ray Dean from Missouri. Folks probably knew him as Ray.

Bam had a daughter named Mattie Dean, who apparently lived most of her life with my GGGreat-Grandmother Cornelia Gilbert (Coleman) Jackson. The new source says Mattie's middle name was Cornelia. Never heard of that before.

There was also apparently a brother to Mattie named George Henry Dean. I don't think Opal knew about him, or maybe I just don't recall her mentioning him.