Monday, May 19, 2008

Rootbound in the Hills #92:
27 June 1989

by Rocky Macy

Katie NEATHERRY of Noel had a wonderful Mother's Day this year - and it was thanks to a Rootbound reader!

A few weeks ago we mentioned that Katie had found an old memory book while browsing through a flea market in Fayetteville. The book had been presented to Ethel "Chubby" CHAPMAN of Joplin by her Aunt Clara in 1905. Chubby used the book to collect autographs of her friends and relatives for the period from 1905 until 1915. Katie notified Rootbound about her find and offered to give it to any of Chubby's kin. A family member spotted the item, and on Mother's Day Chubby CHAPMAN's
grandson showed up at Katie's house to claim the family treasure. That would suffice as a happy ending for this little tale, but there's more...

The grandson, a Mr. STAPLETON, didn't want the memory book for himself. He was picking it up to return to his grandmother, Chubby CHAPMAN, who still lives in Joplin! Somehow over the years, she had lost track of the little book that Aunt Clara had given her during her eighth grade year. But it's home now and Chubby has her memories back, and Katie has the satisfaction of knowing that she did one super good deed!

The BONEBRAKE clan of Pineville, MO, want to take note of the following query:

Jack H. KIRBY (802 Shady Creek Drive, Cleburne, TX 76031) is seeking information on the STAFFORD family who settled in McDonald County possibly as early as 1828. John STAFFORD was born 4 Feb 1798 in Virginia. His son, Martin (perhaps Claibe), came into the world in Tennessee on 12 Dec 1821. The son married Matilda Add WHITTON on 8 June 1848 in McDonald County. Their oldest child, Louisa STAFFIRD, married Cornelius L. BONEBRAKE in Pineville on 18 Nov 1875. Louisa STAFFORD BONEBRAKE died 7 Nov 1896 and is buried in the Pineville Cemetery.

Jack H. KIRBY (address above) is also on the trail of Fenton JOHNSON/JOHNSTON, a Baptist preacher who was in Jasper County, MO, in 1860 when his daughter, Willie Ann, was born. Willie Ann married Milton Columbus CAWYER on 23 Dec 1875 in Jasper County. The CAWYERs were in business for some years in Webb City and Joplin. Jack H. KIRBY is interested in contacting any of he Ozark cousins. Get in touch!

Mrs. C.D. MORRISON (1802 South 11th Place, Rogers, AR 72756) would like to contact others researching the surnames FENN and GRIFFIN. Of particular interest to Mrs. MORRISON is Oswald GRIFFIN and his son, Eli D. GRIFFIN. Eli was born in 1807. His daughter, Sara Joanna GRIFFIN, married Wiley Thomspon FENN. Do we have other readers working this line?

Rootbound loves good typesetters, and one of the best is Tammy COONES (Box 1017, Gentry, AR 72734). Tammy is tracking her SLAWSON family through Palo Pinto and Parker Counties in Texas. Although Rootbound is too far removed from north central Texas to be of much help in Tammy's research, we do recommend the folling columns:

Kissin' Kin, a regular feature in The Weatherford Democrat, is penned by Evlyn WILEY BROUMLEY (512 Palo Pinta Street, Weatherford, TX 76086). Weatherford happens to be the county seat for Parker County.

Tammy's area of research is also adjacent to the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, so she might be well advised to send a query to Rootbound's good friend, Margaret Ann THETFORD (Communications Center, P.O. Box 655237, Dallas, TX 75265). Her column, Family Tree, runs each week in The Dallas Morning News. Margaret mentioned Rootbound in her column last December and the sky rained letters from Texas for over three months!

But that rain has slacked off, so this would be a great time to sort through the old family files and come up with a few queries for Rootbound. We're as close as the mailbox!

Happy trails!

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