The Daily Dispatch, January 06, 1880, Richmond, Virginia - Marriages and Deaths

The Daily Dispatch, January 06, 1880

Richmond, Virginia; p. 2, col.4

MARRIAGES.

"Married, in this city, December 24, 1879, by Rev. John E. Edwards, D. D., Mr. EDWARD F. TAYLOR, of Hanover county, Va., and Miss EMMA E. SMITH, of Richmond.

Married, Tuesday, December 30, 1879, by Rev. Thomas Kelly, JOHN H. BOWERS and Miss MARY V. CAVEDO.

DEATHS.

Died, in Charlottesville, Va., on Monday, January 5, 1880, at 11:45 A.M., Miss C. F. PORTER, in the sixtieth year of her age.

Her remains will reach the city this morning via Chesapeake and Ohio railway.  The funeral will take place TO-DAY at 11 o'clock from the residence of W. R. Jones, Esq., 813 west Main street.  Friends and acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend.

Died, Sunday morning, January 4th, at 5 o'clock, in the fifty-eight year of her age, Mrs. MARY ELEANOR GILL, wife of J. R. Gil, superintendent of the Richmond Male Orphan Asylum.

Her friends and acquaintances are invited to attend her funeral TUESDAY, January 6th, from Park-Place Methodist church, at 11 o'clock A.M.

Petersburg, Va., and Paducah, Ky., papers please copy.

Died, Monday, January 5th, at half past 1 o'clock, of consumption, Mrs. MARY E. GARRETT.

The funeral services will take place at the residence of William Pierce Smith, 6 1 Canal street, TO-DAY (Tuesday), 6th instant, at half-past 3 o'clock.  The friends and acquaintances of the family, and those of her aunt Mrs. John C. Franklin, are invited to attend."

Get To Know The Rich History Of Henrico County Virginia

Among the oldest political designations in the country, Henrico County, Virginia was the site of the second settlement in the colony and today occupies about one-third of the greater Richmond metropolitan area.

Captain Christopher Newport led the first group of English explorers into the area and claimed the land north of Jamestown in the spring of 1607. Four years later Sir Thomas Dale left Jamestown and settled Henricus, or the City of Henrico, as the second settlement established by the New World colonists.

In 1612 the economy was established when John Rolfe introduced a new strain of tobacco. Two years later Rolfe married Pocahontas, the daughter of Powhatan, and that was enough to establish a temporary peace agreement with the Native Americans in the area. The couple is believed to have lived at Varina Farms plantation, which was the original county seat and remained so until 1752 when the City of Richmond was given that designation.

In 1619, the City of Henrico was included as one of seven settlements established and those in charge saw fit to set aside 10,000 acres as the site for the first English university in America. Later that year the seven plantations sent a contingent to Jamestown to attend the General Assembly. This is the first example of representative legislature being exercised in any British colony.

Henrico became one of eight original counties established in Virginia in 1634. It was named for Henry, Prince of Wales, the eldest son of James I, the King of England at the time.

It was Henrico planter Nathaniel Bacon, Jr. Who led one of the first revolts against the crown in 1676. The movement known as Bacon's Rebellion would serve notice that Virginians were not going to sit back and put up with anything they viewed to be unfair policies set forth by any governing body.

The economy of the county throughout the early years of the 19th century depended on milling, farming and coal mining. At that time, slaves were relied upon as the primary labor source. What is thought to be the most elaborate slave uprising ever conceived was organized in Henrico County by a slave named Gabriel. When several slaves spilled the beans, Gabriels Rebellion was effectively shut down.

Henrico County is the site of seven major Civil War battles during the Peninsula Campaign in 1862. The Overland Campaign took place in 1864 and the fighting that took place during the Siege of Petersburg eventually led to the fall of Richmond. General J. E. B. Stuart was mortally wounded there in May 1864 during the Battle of Yellow Tavern.

Many reconstruction efforts in Virginia were centered around education and central to the efforts was Virginia Randolph, who was born five years after the Civil War ended as the daughter of a slaves. Known largely for her help in the advancement of vocational education, she founded the Virginia Randolph Training School in 1915.

Home to nearly 300,000 people today, the country embraces its rich heritage and through various preservation efforts, several county sites are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

Some Hightower obituaries from South Hill, Virginia

South Hill Enterprise

South Hill, Virginia
October 10, 1973

"J. B. HIGHTOWER

PETERSBURG - John Bailey Hightower Sr., 78, died in Petersburg General Hospital, Thursday, Oct. 4.  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Irma Lett Hightower of Petersburg; two daughters, Mrs. Shirley Cook and Mrs. Mary Jane Adams, both of Richmond; three [sons], John B. Hightower Jr. and Harry B. Hightower, both of Petersburg, and M-Sgt. Gerald I. Hightower of Elgin Air Force Base, Fla.; two sisters, Mrs. Mary Gatewood of Greenville S. C. and Mrs. Alice Vaughan of Richmond; six grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the Herbert L. Farrar Funeral Home, South Hill, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery."

South Hill Enterprise
South Hill, Virginia
February 6, 1985

"IRMA HIGHTOWER

RICHMOND - Mrs. Irma Lett Hightower, 81, formerly of Union Level, died Sunday, Feb. 3, 1985 at the Camelot Hall Nursing Home, Richmond. 

She is survived by three sons, Harry Hightower and Gerald Hightower, both of Sumpter, S.C., and J. B. Hightower of Richmond; two daughters, Mrs. Shirley H. Brigman and Mrs. Mary Jane Adams, both of Richmond; six grandchildren; two sisters, Mrs. Hazel Wall of South Hill and Mrs. Lenis Hall of LaCrosse.

A funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Crowder-Hite Funeral Home, South Hill, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery."

Orbs in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond

So I tried to schedule a few entries to post themselves over the weekend, including my big Halloween-themed post. I must have done something wrong because none of them were added to the site. Sorry for the delay with this one since I promised I would post it on Halloween. It is a little late but a good story nonetheless.

Back in 2002 I finally found an ancestor of mine buried in Hollywood Cemetery. I always wanted to find one but never had any of my people buried there. Hollywood was a too prestigious (i.e. costly) for most of my ancestors. Surprisingly enough, I found that my grandmother's great-grandparents were actually buried in the cemetery. I never would have thought it since they were some of the poorest ancestors that I have. They were buried in a relative's section so maybe that relative had money (and some pity)!

Once I found the grave site I was impressed by the nice iron fence but disappointed when I did not find gravestones for my ancestors. I had been to the office in Hollywood and gotten a copy of the burial records for this particular section. I was amazed at how many people were supposed to be buried in such a small plot, some of them not related to our family (as best as I can tell). In the little section there were a total of fourteen graves, only five of which were laid out on the plat. The remainder of the area is marked "full of graves."

I took some pictures of the fenced section and was about to leave when an idea hit me. I noticed that one of the fence rods was loose so I pulled it out of the fence. I proceeded to poke all over the leave-covered ground with the metal rod, not knowing exactly what I would find. After about five minutes I hit something. I then used the rod as a shovel and started removing dirt.

The object was probably six inches below the surface and I was too curious to stop digging. Being so close to a large tree, who knows what the roots might have pushed up! After a few minutes it became clear what I had found...a tombstone. Once completely uncovered I had found the tombstone of my ancestor, Frank Jarvis of Petersburg and Manchester. That only excited me (and cost me another hour of poking). I was thereafter determined that I could find a stone for his wife, Elizabeth, but I did not have such luck. She died in a home for the poor years after Frank so it made sense that she did not have one.

This is a great story so far but it gets even better. When I developed the film, I noticed something even more odd than tombstone being buried. I could understand the tombstone being buried because the large tree had been dumping leaves on the flat stone for well over 100 years. The photos that I took captured something that the leaves could not cover up...the spirits of those buried beneath its branches!

Look at this first photo. If you click on the photo you can get a very large view of it. There is an orb floating in the corner of the section, right where I found the stone for Frank Jarvis. There is also a blob in the top, right corner and a haze over the entire middle of the photo.


In the second photo, taken from behind the section, there is a hazy blob where Elizabeth Jarvis would have been buried, near the trunk of my car. There is also some haze in the air near the top, right side of the photo. There also appears to be a tiny orb in the upper, middle of the photo, in the tree's branches.


Okay, let's try to explain these photos. I can rule out malfunction...look at the photo of Frank's tombstone and you will see no such blurs or hazy spots. I will admit that it was kinda rainy that morning but it was not really raining at the time of the photos. It could have been a little misty and perhaps the orbs are reflections off raindrops. However, keep in mind two things...I am not sure if the flash was even on and I was using my wife's nice camera. If it were raining, I would not have had the nerve to use it. If it got wet, she would kill me.

Take it for what it is worth but I like to think that maybe I caught the spirits of Frank and Elizabeth on film. I know that it was probably just water and humidity but there is a lot of haze around the photos, maybe it is ectoplasm of something. It just seems strange that only these two photos were influenced when I took a bunch of photos that day. What do you think? Water or Jarvises?

Library of Virginia Bible Collection

I received an e-mail from a reader that I wanted to pass along and comment on further:

"...You might mention to your readers that you don't have to be a Lee, Houston or Jefferson to have your family Bible on record at the Library of Virginia. They don't make it clear on their website, but they will be happy to photograph or photocopy an individuals family Bible record entries to include in their archives. These are then available for genealogical research. It also makes a safe back up in case of damage to the original. I recently went through this process with my Johnson Ivey ancestors' Bible dating back to 1799 in Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia. Continued good luck with your project, Ed Miller"

Well, what Mr. Miller states is very true. The Library of Virginia does have a large collection of Bible copies for patrons to search. This collection can be found online and is totally free. I will put a link to it below.

If you want to submit a Bible, I think they prefer that you bring it in but you can probably submit copies through the mail. However, I think there are some authenticity and quality issues if you do not bring in the actual Bible.

If you take your Bible to the Library, you will probably have to leave it for a few days as there is always a backlog in the scanning department. I know that they will not accept donations of entire Bibles (meaning the actual, physical book), they just do not have the space. They will refer you to the Virginia Historical Society for such a donation.

If you go to the following website it should look like a search box for the archives and manuscript collection. The Library categorizes Bible records in this thread so search here for them. I would recommend that you search by last name, maybe county. Just searching the word Bible brings up too many, unrelated entries.

Check out the Library of Virginia Bible Collection Here!

New Site Launch - USA Family Tree

I launched a new site today. It isn't exactly new but it is "re"newed at least. The site is called USA Family Tree and features live genealogy auctions that are ending soon on eBay. I have found lots of great items on eBay and think it is a valuable tool for genealogists. You never know who might have found your great-grandmother's Bible at a yard sale in Petersburg and has since listed it for sale on eBay. I have bought many old family letters, papers, deeds and used envelopes on the auction site.

USA Family Tree is broken down into several categories, each focusing on a different part of our hobby - genealogy. They are as follows:

Births, Marriages, Deaths

Census Records

City, State Directories

Coat of Arms

County, State History

Family Trees

Immigration Lists

Maps

Military Records

Feel free to browse the site. It has a full search feature, with an advance search option. You should be able to enter your family name or maybe the county or state you are looking for and it will bring up all of the items it finds currently on eBay. (Be sure to check the "Search title and description" button to find all of the items available).

If you click on any of the items, it will take you to the main eBay site and the listing for that given item. You can then bid on the item like any other auction on eBay. If you are not a current eBay member, no problem. You can sign up for a free account and it only cost you money if you win an item - you obviously then have to pay for the item! Bidding is fast, easy and safe. I have personally sold and/or won over 700 items and have had few, if any, problems completing transactions.

If you go to an item that you to turn out not to be interested in, you can either use eBay's search feature to find additional items or simply press the back button until you get to USA Family Tree again. Happy bidding and do not forget to bookmark the site. The auctions are live so they change constantly. Check back often.

James Marvin Lett of Mecklenburg County, 1910-1978

Richmond Times-Dispatch, c. September-October 1978:
"LETT - James Marvin Lett, 67, of South Hill, died Friday, September 29, 1978 in a South Hill Hospital. He was a retired grocer. Mr. Lett is survived by his son, James Lett, San Antonio; a daughter, Mrs. Mary Ann Jackson, Richmond; five sisters, Mrs. Irma Hightower, Petersburg; Mrs. Hazel Wall, Mrs. Amy Williams and Mrs Delle Roberts all of South Hill and Mrs. Lenis Hall, LaCrosse, Va.; six grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted 2 PM, Sunday at, Farrar-Crowder Funeral Home, South Hill with interment in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home, Saturday 7 to 9 PM."

South Hill Enterprise, October 4, 1978:
"JAMES LETT - SOUTH HILL - James Marvin Lett, 67, of South Hill died Friday, Sept. 29, 1978, in Community Memorial Hospital, here. He was a retired grocer. He is survived by his son, James Lett of San Antonio, Texas; a daughter, Mrs. Mary Ann Jackson, of Richmond; five sisters, Mrs. Irma Hightower of Petersburg, Mrs. Hazel Wall, Mrs. Amy Williams and Mrs Delle Roberts, all of South Hill, and Mrs. Lenis Hall of La Crosse; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at Farrar-Crowder Funeral Home, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery."

John Beddingfield NC Infantry Regiment Company E, Oakwood Cemetery???

Good afternoon and thank you for putting together the Oakwood Cemetery records project. I am pretty sure my 3-great uncle John Beddingfield would be buried there.

He died of disease at Chimborazo Hospital on August 2, 1862. He was in the NC Infantry Regiment Company E. Any info would be appreciated. I know you are busy and don’t expect you to drop what you are doing. I have been trying to locate all of my dead confederate relatives and I have been fortunate to find most of them. Hollywood, Gordonsville, Petersburg, Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh, etc. Thank you and please let me know if there is any way I can help. I am living in Charlottesville and would be happy to volunteer some time to help!

Chuck Beddingfield

Alexander A. Gates of Petersburg, 1810-1887

Daily Index=Appeal, June 6, 1887:
"DIED. GATES - Friday, June 3rd, at 7:45 o'clock P. M., at his residence on Old street, ALEXANDER A. GATES, in the 78th year of his age. His funeral will take place from the High Street Methodist Church THIS (Sunday) MORNING, June 5th, at 11:30 o'clock. Friends and acquaintances of the family are respectfully invited to attend."

Amy Lett Williams of South Hill, 1980

South Hill Enterprise, September 10, 1980:"AMY WILLIAMS - SOUTH HILL - Mrs. Amy Lett Williams, 65, of South Hill, died Tuesday, September 9, 1980. Mrs. Williams was a Security Receptionist for Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill. She is survived by her husband, Clyde A. Williams; a son, William A. (Billy) Williams of South Hill; four sisters, Mrs. Irma Hightower of Petersburg, Mrs. Hazel Wall and Mrs, Delle Roberts, both of South Hill, and Mrs. Lenis Hall of La Crosse. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday at Farrar-Crowder Funeral Home, with burial in Crestview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home."

Delle Lett Roberts of South Hill, 1983

South Hill Enterprise, November 23, 1983:"DELLE ROBERTS - SOUTH HILL - Mrs. Delle Lett Roberts, 63, of South Hill, died Saturday, Nov. 19, 1983, in a Richmond hospital. She is survived by her husband, John W. Roberts; a daughter, Mrs. Jo Anne Palmore of South Hill; a son, William S. Roberts of Richmond; three sisters, Mrs. Hazel Wall of South Hill, Mrs. Duckie Hall of La Crosse, and Mrs, Irma Hightower of Petersburg; and two grandchildren. She was a member of Brunswick Chapter No. 20 Order of the Eastern Star and was currently serving as Worthy Matron. She was also a member of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church at Meridithville. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon at Farrar-Crowder Funeral Home, with burial in Oakwood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Southside Rescue Squad, Inc. of South Hill."

Obituary for Susanna Wells Jarvis Gates, c. 1797 - April 09, 1887, of Petersburg, Virginia

Obituary for Susanna Wells Jarvis Gates, c. 1797 - April 09, 1887, of Petersburg, Virginia.

Daily Index=Appeal, April 12, 1887:"DIED. GATES - At her home on Old street, at 11:50 o'clock P. M. Saturday, 9th inst., SUSANNA J., wife of Alex. A. Gates, aged 90 years. Her funeral will take place from the High Street Methodist Church THIS (Tuesday) MORNING at 10 o'clock. Friends and acquaintances of the family are respectfully invited to attend."