Digging Up Your Family

William Glenn Cathey’s Obituary

I have been staring at this obituary for a bit now, and finally decided to pull up some information that my Cathey cousin, Tracey, had sent to me. I finally figured some stuff out, but it definitely left me with an important question.

The first problem I came across a few years ago is what I found in Reflections From Our Past: a Pictorial History of Houston County, Tennessee (2001), page 257:

William Glenn Cathey was born 1857 in Stewart County, died July 6, 1906, in Houston County, Tennessee, and is buried in the Nolan Cemetery, Hurricane Creek Mills, Tennessee.  He married Mary Elizabeth Summers in 1888 in Houston County.  William Glenn and Lizzie had five children:

Riley Leonard, Acra Archie, George Arlee, Katie, Ludie Mae, and Willie Richard. (that is obviously six children)

Written down in Lizzie’s book (that was hand-copied by her daughter Maggie) is that William Glenn was born June 12, 1851.  We know it wasn’t that early, so I’m wondering if she made a mistake. Or it may have been misread (I sure wish we could find the original!).  She also writes that William Glenn died on June 6, 1906 in Humphreys County. Which makes total sense due to the date of the obituary.

Now, before I go any further, I also want to point out that Lizzie’s records and the 1900 census state that she and William Glenn were married in August 1888 in Houston County.  As I have posted before, they were married August 26, 1889 in Houston County.  And what is more interesting is that her oldest son Riley Leonard was born October 19, 1889 – nearly two months after their wedding.  So keeping that in mind, from the June 8, 1906 edition of The Tennessean (Nashville), page 6:

WAVERLY, Tenn., June 7.-(Special.)- William Cathey, of Big Hurricane Creek, died last evening, aged 45 years. His wife and five children survive him.

So, this tells us that he did actually die on June 6, not July 6, and that he was 45 years old, placing him born in or around 1861.  This also helps to confirm that the overgrown and hidden Nolan Cemetery on Hurricane Creek is the burial place of William Glenn (click here).

The most oft posted picture of the family shows Acra, Arlee, Lizzie, William Glenn, Katie, Ludie, and baby Willie.  Willie was born in August of 1905. And Acra had said that his father died of pneumonia.  The fact that William Glenn is standing apart, and looking quite gaunt, from the family leads me to believe he was quite ill when it was taken, so very shortly before his death.  The photograph does not show Riley, however.  Which leads to this question now:

Did Riley Cathey die?  There are family stories that Riley a) ran away from home, never to be heard of again, and b) died during WWI. 

A Riley Cathey (Cathers?) is found living and working for a family in Gibson County in 1910.  He is the same age as Riley, but disappears after that census. And looking through (what is left of) WWI draft registration cards and records show no Riley and/or Leonard Cathey. 

Maybe Riley wasn’t really a Cathey?  Could he have been the child of another man?  Lizzie, a few years after William Glenn’s death had a daughter Maggie out of wedlock, but she did marry William Green Smith (Maggie’s father… I guess? Maggie was born February 28, 1910 and Bill Green married Lizzie on August 6, 1911).  Perhaps there is a possibility that Riley found out and ran away, disowning his family?

Or, and this is based on the obituary, is it possible that Riley died in Arkansas, on the way back to Tennessee from Arkansas, or when they return to Tennessee? 

One find always leads to more questions.

Andrew Cathey

                                        Click picture to enlarge

In my search for Riley Leonard Cathey, son of William Glenn Cathey and Margaret Elizabeth Summers, I often come across the WWI Draft Registration for Andrew Cathey.  This morning I was once again reminded that I have never found information on this particular Andrew Cathey. 

I have no clue from which Cathey family he descends.  According to his draft registration he was born in Gibson County, Tennessee on August 22, 1889.  At the time of his registration he was living in Trenton, Gibson County, Tennessee.

The reasons this records pops up during my searches for Riley are because of the date of birth (Riley was also born in 1889), and because of the location (Riley was living in Gibson County in 1910, the last known location before he disappears).

Peggy Cathey, Free Person of Color

Several weeks ago I received an email from a DNA cousin who matches on my Cathey line.  She was asking if I knew much about the Catheys in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina since her ancestor is on the census in 1830 in said county, wedged between Sarah Cathey and George Cathey. 

1830 US Federal Census, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, p. 374

Peggy Cathey

Free colored males under 10: 1

Free colored females under 10: 2

Free colored females 10-23: 3

Free colored females 24-35: 2

Free colored females 36-54: 1

 

I know that the George Cathey who Peggy lives by is not my 5th great-grandfather George (son of Josiah Cathey and Rachel Clark), because by 1830 he was already living in Stewart County, Tennessee. 

According to the 1850 census, Peggy was born about 1795.  I have already gone through several Cathey wills, and I am going to check out several other surnames.  I have also searched the Race & Slavery Project maintained by The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  My next step is to contact Mecklenburg County to see if they are able to find any information.  Back in the 1830s in North Carolina there would have been a will granting freedom, or a court record of some sort. 

I would love to find the connection, for myself as well as for my distant DNA cousin!

In Memory

My 2nd great-grandfather Isaac T Vincent

September 23, 1854 – December 31, 1921 

My 2nd great-uncle Acra Archie Cathey

July 24, 1894 – December 31, 1944

Photo courtesy of Tracey M. 

My mother-in-law Elaine Wallace Smith

November 14, 1941 – December 31, 2011

Court Records Concerning the Children of Josiah Cathey

These records were sent to me by a distant Cathey cousin, “Sis”. 

 

Mecklenburg County Court Records, 175-1785

Mecklenburg County, North Carolina

1778. October Session.

Ordered that Letters of Administration issue to Rachel Cathey, Widow & Relict of Josiah Cathey decd., who produced for her Security Thomas Polk and George Cathey [who were] bound in the sum of £1400, Admrx. sworn.

1781. October Session.

Alexander Elliot in Rite of his wife as Admn. of the Estate of Josiah Cathey, Decd., Settled said Estate after deducting his wifes third and the Sum of £20 allowed by the Court to Sd. Admr. for their Service etc.  There remains in the the Hands of Said Admn.the Sum of £270.00.11 which he now paid to the Guardians Viz: Geo. Cathey, Henry Benson & Margaret Benson as Admst. of Jas. Benson, Decd.  Returned Inventory & account Sales Amounting to £2,401.19.6 and produced Vouchers against Sd. Estate Amounting to £800.3.6 [leaving a] Balance in their Hands [of] £1,601.16.0.

1781. October Session.

Ordered that Geo. Cathey be Guardian of the Children of Jos. Cathey [page broken away] gave bond & Robert Mitchell Security in the Sum of £800.

 

(Geo. Cathey mentioned in both October Sessions is not George, the some of Josiah, but George the father of Josiah)

 

1783. October Session.

On Motion, Ordered that Alexander Elliott have leave to remove out of this County the Orphan Children of Josiah Cathey, deceased, who offers for his Security Francis Moore & Isaac Milligan [who] were bound in the Sum of £200, Condition that the said Elliot furnish the said Orphans with the several necessaries Which they may from time to time have occasion for, and on Notice produce the Same into this Court that further proceedings, if required, thereon may be had.

What I Have Been Doing Lately

1.  I had purchased several hundred photos on eBay that all turned out to be a family collection.  After hunting around for a while I finally found the family to which they belong.  I scanned roughly 70 of the photographs and mailed those off to the family on Tuesday.  In the coming weeks I will scan the rest of them so I can get those mailed off, too.  I am extremely happy that I found the family, and I am extremely happy that they are getting their precious heirlooms back.  I had started a blog regarding the photos just in case I wasn’t able to find family.  I will be keeping it going so you can check it out here.

 

2.  My mom and I went up to Tennessee to visit with family again.  After picking up Great-Aunt Kat we drove up to Clarksville to visit Grandmother and Granddaddy’s graves.  Then we drove down to Hurricane Mills (our usual spot) and visited with Donny and Bobbie.  We didn’t stay long because Bobbie wasn’t feeling well (luckily she is feeling much better now).  While there we had decided that instead of buying Nan Nan’s fried pies from Cissie Lynn’s store, we would go to Nan Nan’s store and buy them directly from her.  After driving out of our way (you can tell from the start of this that it ended badly) we got to the location only to find out that the location was moved.  The sign (of which I wish I had taken a photo) gave the address of the new location and said to stop in and visit.  So we drove even further out of the way.  Come to find out the new location was the original location:  the owner’s home.  She (I assume Nan Nan, but it might just be named Nan Nan by using her grandmother’s recipe or something) was not pleased to see us.  She seemed to be miffed that we pulled into her driveway.  After telling us she didn’t really have many pies to sell I asked her if she took credit cards.  No, she said, she didn’t even take them at the other location.  By now I was angry.  Their website (which is just their Facebook page from what I can tell) didn’t have the new address listed which caused the looooong drive.  They also didn’t have payment options on the page, so I didn’t know I should have stopped for cash.  But in the end, you know what?  Her attitude ruined the entire thing anyway.  Had she been more pleasant I may have considered driving out to an ATM and getting cash just to buy a fried pie.  Will I ever purchase another Nan Nan’s Homemade Fried Pie again?  Nope.  (I just checked out the Facebook page, and they now have that they don’t accept credit cards and failed to use spell check…ok, that’s just me being bitter and mean)

 

3.  A couple of weeks ago my mom and I got to meet new cousins who live here in Georgia:  Valerie Craft and her mom Ruby!  Valerie has the genealogy blog Begin With Craft, which is chock-full of great information and research tips.  Due to the shared Craft surname we think that may be how we are related.  Through DNA Valerie’s father matches up to Great-Aunt Kat an estimated 4th cousin.  That means to find out how they are related we would need to go back to, at the very least, Prestly Ezekiel Craft’s father.  I think it has been figured out that his name was John Craft (don’t hold me to that because I am not positive).  Kat’s Craft family goes back:

Henry Corbit Craft (1895 TN-1971 TN)

John Craft (1859 TN-1936 TN)

Thomas Craft  (abt 1810 NC-aft 1880 TN)

Prestly Ezekiel Craft (abt 1786 NC-btwn 1850 and 1860 TN)

Several people have that Prestly married his wife Mary Thaxton in Surry County, North Carolina.  I guess I will have to look into that more.

 

4.  My mom and I are getting ready for the Bondurant Family Association Annual Meeting next week.  I’m pretty excited about it!

 

5.  I recently applied to go back to school.  I have thought about it for a while, and now with the imminent closing of the Georgia Archives to the public I decided to just do it!  I applied to American Public University online school for history.  Who knows, maybe I will eventually become an archivist!

 

6.  In my genealogy research I am currently working on (ready for this?  It’s like it is never-ending!):

-Who are Peter McQueen’s parents?  It really is driving me crazy not knowing.  The earliest I can find him is on an 1818 bill of sale for a slave named Daniel.  Peter doesn’t appear on any census record (by name at least) until 1840, though. 

-What happened to Spencer DeMumbrie?  When and where did he die?  Where is he buried?  Why is he being difficult?

-Why am I unable to locate James Franklin Stalls’s grave in Oak Grove Cemetery in Paducah, McCracken County, Kentucky?  His obituary says he is there, but there is no record of him as being buried there. 

-Is the research I did on Brett’s Murphy family correct?  It seems perfectly logical to me, but I was presented with something extremely different that is completely illogical to me.

-The Craft line (as mentioned above).

-The search for Eppy Willhite Craft’s death record.  I will have to write a whole post for this fun headache.  Let’s just say that no one is actually sure of her first name anymore, and her death cannot be found (and she had to have died unless she’s still alive at the ripe old age of about 150 years-old…which you never know, I guess).

-William Glenn Cathey:  where are you buried exactly?

-Amanda Summers: when, where and how did you die and where are you buried?  Oh, and who exactly is Lizzie’s father?  Or do you not even know?

-And let’s just say many other research subjects, such as who are the parents of John B Smith?  Where exactly was Elizabeth Brownlee from?  Where is the Stalls family from?  And many, many more questions. 

 

I’m going to go watch movies now!

Captain George Leonidas Cathey

I have spent a fair amount of time trying to figure out who William Glenn Cathey who fought in the Civil War is, and I finally found him (but that’s another post for another day…it involves a chicken, just remember that).  While searching through the Cathey Family History and Genealogy, Volume 1 (Boyt Henderson Cathey, Genealogy Publishing Services, 1993) I found a family in Henry, Jasper and Heard Counties, Georgia that started as Cathy, then changed to Cathey (but that’s, again, another story for another day…but doesn’t involve a chicken…that I know of).  I went on Ancestry searching specifically for an 1827 McDonough, Henry County, Georgia census (which I couldn’t find, so I guess I will have to make my way up to the Henry and Clayton Genealogical Society again), but ended up searching the General Name File on the Georgia Archives and I found a name with a newspaper article.  BUT, before I get to the article, let me tell you what I found in the book.

Ok, so to figure out if the man in the newspaper article, Captain George Cathey, was even related to me (which I don’t know since there doesn’t appear to be much information about him on Ancestry public trees, and what is there doesn’t match up to the newspaper article).  So, in the Cathey book is the following about him (Chapter 8: The Civil War Period, Page 271):

George Leonidas Cathey (RN=10314)

George Leonidas Cathey (RN=10314) was born in Danville, Virginia, on 27 Nov. 1822, the son of William A. Cathey and Jennie Lessly.  At an early age they moved to Iredell County, North Carolina, where George began teaching before the state had a public school system.  He later moved to Georgia, teaching there until he entered the CSA Army.  He was captain of Company C, Georgia Legion, Lisk’s Brigade.

FATHER: William A. Cathey (RN=3005)

MOTHER: Jennie Lessly (RN=5063)

BORN: 27 Nov 1822

  AT: Danville, VA

MARITAL STATUS: Single

DIED ON: 18 Jan 1923

  AT: Raleigh, NC

NUMBER OF CHILDREN: 0

Following the war George resumed his teaching career in Georgia.  Later, he moved back to NC, teaching in Swain, Graham and Macon Counties.  George retired at the age of 96 and a few years later took up residence in the Confederate Soldiers’ Home in Raleigh, NC.  On 29 November 1922, two days after his 100th birthday, the North Carolina Teachers Assembly awarded him a certificate of honor and merit in recognition of his record of more than 75 years as a school teacher.  He is buried in the Confederate Cemetery in Raleigh.(sources listed in back of book)

 

Now, for the article:

Atlanta Constitution, November 27, 1921

Raleigh, N.C. November 26-

Captain George Cathey, who taught in Georgia and North Carolina for almost 80 years, is celebrating his 100th birthday at the North Carolina home for Confederate Soldiers here today.  He is enjoying remarkable good health, having use of all his faculties.  Captain Cathey was born near Danville, Va., on November 26, 1821, and began teaching when he was 18 years of age.  With the exception of the time he served as a captain in a Georgia regiment during the war between the states, he continued to teach until two years ago, his last school being in Macon county, in the mountains of North Carolina.

Various chapters of the Daughters of the Confederacy today showered Captain Cathey with gifts, including handsome furniture for his room at the home.  Captain Cathey has three daughters living in Atlanta and one son in Charlotte.

No information (relative?) to Captain George Cathey (can be?) secured in Atlanta.

Oddly enough his death certificate lists his birthdate as November 27, 1822.  His death certificate also lists his place of birth as Macon County, North Carolina, but it was a member of the hospital staff that was the informant.  He is listed as a widower on the death certificate, also.  I can see on Ancestry trees that people have him marrying a Miranda Parazada Crisp on July 27,  1893 in Graham County, North Carolina, but I can’t find the marriage record, or any other for him.  And those same trees show him only having one to four sons.

Captain Georgia Leonidas Cathey died on January 18, 1923 in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina.  The cause of death contributed to by broncho pneumonia, but I can’t read the immediate cause.  It looks like “died suddenly while (something) folding”.

The one thing that can’t be denied is that on November 27, 1921 the Atlanta Constitution reported his 100th birthday celebration the day before, along with having at least three daughters and one son (though the question arises over whether or not those were actually all of his children, or if some may have been daughters- and/or son-in laws).  All in all it’s an interesting story.

Sure wish I knew if this guy is related to my Cathey family!

The Search Continues…

At this point I have pretty much exhausted my searches for direct family members in 1940 with the exception of my granddaddy, his parents and grandparents in Memphis, Tennessee.  I will just need to wait for the census records to be indexed because I just cannot figure out where everyone was!

I spent most of yesterday making phone calls in order to find records pertaining to Acra Archie Cathey’s death.  Since the murder happened in Madison County, Tennessee I called the Madison County Archives, the Madison County Circuit Court and the Madison County Sheriff Department.  The gentleman at the archives searched and then called to let me know he hadn’t found anything but would resume his search on Monday.  The Sheriff Department said that they had nothing and assumed I was looking in the wrong county.  The circuit court told me that I would have to call the archives (which, by the way, the archives said that if they don’t have anything then the circuit court should).

Since originally Gibson County, Tennessee was where everyone thought his body had been found I made a phone call to the Gibson County Sheriff Department (though I may need to call the Humboldt Police, since I think that may have been the department that responded to the initial call).  I left a message for an investigator, and I am waiting for a call back.

The final calls I made were to the FBI.  It is the family’s understanding that the evidence found had been sent to the FBI for testing.  I first called the Jackson office in Madison County.  The agent I spoke with initially seemed slightly excited, asking if I had new evidence.  He then seemed slightly down when I told him I didn’t have new evidence but was instead searching for information.  He had said that I would have to request information from the headquarters.  I tried to look it up, but I couldn’t find who to contact.  So I called the Memphis headquarters of the FBI and left a message for an agent.  Man, the FBI are super prompt!  I got a call back within an hour from an agent.  He told me exactly how to request the information.  So later today I will do that.  I’m really hoping that the evidence was sent to the FBI so that I could get the report on what they found, if anything.

I’m bound and determined to find out what happened.  Since I am fairly certain that all parties involved are now deceased (from Acra to the investigating Sheriff, including those that murdered Acra) I feel that it should be a bit easier to find the information than it is seeming to be.  In fact, because no one seems to have any records on the case, it makes me believe the family story that there may have been a political cover-up.  And that really saddens me.  To think that this man, a man who was loved so much by everyone he knew, was brutally murdered and then thrown out on the highway, the murder weapon and other evidence found in a suspect’s vehicle and the suspect(s) released-no other information about it to be found-a man who had a wife and young children who, after his death, felt the need to leave the State of Tennessee out of fear…to think that his murder may never be resolved is heartbreaking.  I hope to find the truth before his last living children pass.

Last Saturday my great-aunt Kat, my mother and I went to the cemetery where Acra is buried.  We left two red roses on his grave.  Kat stood there and cried.  She said her Uncle Acra was the sweetest, kindest man and she sure did miss him.

The Road to Nolan Cemetery

The road to Nolan Cemetery, Hurricane Mills, Humphreys County, Tennessee. 

 

On the Death of Acra Archie Cathey

These newspaper articles prove that Acra Archie Cathey, my great-grandmother’s brother, was not hit by a car as his death certificate states.  In fact, it appears something sketchy was going on, especially when the death certificate and the facts of the case contradict each other.  I’m curious to see if I can find any police reports or court reports regarding the case.

I have transcribed the articles exactly how they were published, including the incorrect names of family members and misspellings.

 

Jackson-Sun, Front Page and Page 5

January 1, 1945

Sheriff Investigates Death Of Man Found Near Gibson Line

Sheriff Tom Lewis stated today that he is holding a man listed as James A. McKenzie in cnonection with an investigation into the death of Acra A. Cathey, 51-year-old World War I veteran, whose body was found near the Gibson county line Sunday morning.

Cathey’s head appeared to have been hit by a blunt instrument, Sheriff Lewis said, the blow causing death.  Officers believe that the body was then placed on the highway to make it appear that he was the victim of a hit-run driver.

Sheriff Lewis stated that a hammer was found in a car belonging to McKenzie, and that other items found there indicated there may be a close connection between the man’s death and occupants of the car.

Cathey’s body was found by an unidentified person and the find reported to Hunt Funeral Home in Humboldt.  Sheriff Doe Garrison of Gibson county, some of his deputies and police officers of Humboldt first took up the investigation in the belief that Cathey had been found in that couny.  Later investigations, however, disclose that the body was in Madison county and Sheriff Lewis was notified.

Officers found Cathey’s empty pocket book some feet from the body, leading to the theory that robbery may have been a cause of his death.

Tracing the movements of the car’s passengers, Sheriff Lewis reports that McKenzie and a woman giving her name as Mrs. Mary Depriest of Georgia spent the night in Humboldt.  Mr. and Mrs. “Red” Glover, who are said to have been with them for a time, returned to Jackson.

While investigating the Humboldt angle of the matter, Sheriff Lewis was notified that a man was trying to drive the car from its parking place on the highway.  Returning to the car, Sheriff Lewis found McKenzie and took him into custody.

Sheriff Lewis said at noon today that he is continuing the investigation with the assstance of Sheriff Garrison and other officers and hope to solve the case in the near future.

Cathey, who was born and reared in Hickman County, Tenn., served as a sergeant of  Company B, 11th Infantry, during World War I.  He moved to Humboldt soon after his discharge, and was married to Miss Annie Lou Prickard.  He had engaged in farming.

Surviving are his wife; three daughters, Dorothy E. Cathey, Annie R. Cathey and Ruby Frances Cathey, of Humboldt; a son, Arthur D. Cathey of Humboldt; his mother, Mrs. Lizzie Smith of Waverly; a sister, Mrs. C. A. Daniels of Martin; two half-sisters, Mrs. Granville Baker of Waverly and Mrs. J. W. Rushing of Martin; two brothers, G. A. Cathey of Memphis and W. R. Cathey of Detroit, Mich.; and a half-brother, Walton Smith of Waverly.

Funeral services were held in Humboldt this afternoon at the chapel of Hunt Funeral Home with the Dr. S. R. Woodson, pastor of the First Baptist church of Humboldt, officiating.  Interment followed in Mt. Zion cemetery.

 

 

Jackson-Sun, Front Page

January 5, 1945

Release M’Kenzie On Own Recognizance In Cathey Investigation

Sheriff Tom Lewis announced today that he has released James A. McKenzie of Jackson and Mrs. Mary Depriest of Georgia on their own recognizance pending outcome of an investigation into the death of Acra A. Cathey of Humboldt.

Mr. and Mrs. Bedford Glover had already been released in a similar manner as material witnesses to events preceeding the finding of Cathey’s body on the Humboldt Highway a short distance from the Gibson county line.

Sheriff Lewis stated that there is a necessary time lag at this point while certain tests needed in the inquiry can be made and their results known.