Uncle Dewey

Uncle Dewey demonstrating a weather instrument 

Welcome back to this week's "Weaver Wednesday" as we celebrate the sixth child of Nettie and Sisson Weaver. 

Charles Dewey Weaver was born on May 9, 1898. He was the last of the Weaver children to be born in the 19th century. He attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University. 

Uncle Dewey and my grandmother, Bo, were very close throughout their lives, being just 2 years apart in age. One of my fondest memories of Uncle Dewey was that he was a bee-keeper. My grandfather, Walter Lee Harper, was also a bee-keeper, and from what I remember, these two men helped each other out with bee-keeping duties. The only day that I can remember being told we MUST play indoors was the day that Uncle Dewey came over to help Papa "rob the bees" of their honey. Our grandmother, Bo, did not want us to get stung by the bees, so we were allowed to sit inside by the screen door and watch….Uncle Dewey and my grandfather in their bee-keeping outfits. They looked like astronauts,  smoking out the bees and pouring the honey out of the hives into big buckets. I wish I had a picture of this to post.

Uncle Dewey had many talents and interests. He was very interested in the study of weather. He had many weather instruments in his yard and was consulted regularly on his weather predictions.   

Uncle Dewey in the Weaver-Ragsdale store 1976

Uncle Dewey had shop-keeping in his blood, like many in the Weaver family. He and his brother, Tenison, owned and operated "Weaver-Ragsdale"store on the Square in Talladega for many years. This is a precious picture taken in their store. 

Dewey at 1 1/2 or 2 years of age

Aren't these pictures great?  If I did not already know that these three pictures were family photos, I would have thought they were illustrations from a children's book. 

Lallie, Bo, and Dewey

Dewey and Jep

Having so many siblings must have insured that a playmate was always around. Our Weaver family lore is full of tales of these 10 children getting into lots of mischief- and with ten children, I guess there was always someone younger who could take the blame! That's the way it is with brothers and sisters-lots of fun and mischief-making!

Love,

Mariellan

The Trail is Tough Right Now…..

Lee Morris, Sally Morris, Billy Morris, Mariellan Morris

Dear Family Trails readers, First let me apologize for being AWOL (as my daddy would say) for about 2 weeks. My family has had a very sad time this month.  My husband lost his dear, sweet brother, Lee,  on June 6. 

Lee fought a long, hard fight with cancer for 16 years. He remained cheerful and funny and never gave up the fight. He was a wonderful, son, brother, father, uncle, and great-uncle, and everyone he met adored him. We all are comforted knowing that Lee is wrapped in the arms of the Lord, but we miss him so much! 

I thought I would share this about Lee on this blog because of the good example he gave so many people who are continuing to fight the battle against cancer. Lee was optimistic. He was open to try the next new treatment. He was consistent. Rather than think about himself, he made a habit of checking on others who might need a listening ear.

All of the Morris family knows that Lee's example can continue to encourage others who are coping day to day with the battle of cancer, and I hope that this short tribute to Lee might reach someone who needs some encouragement today. 

I think that tomorrow we can step back onto our Family Trails. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and we can get back to our "Weaver Wednesday" post. I guess this is what happens when one walks a trail with others. There's a bend in the trail one day, then there might be a tremendous mountain to climb over the next.  The blessing is that we are walking this trail together, sometimes with great joy to see what is next to explore and sometimes just trying to put one foot in front of the other.

Thank you for joining me on this trail.

With love,

Mariellan

A Tip from the Tip Jar

Here is a Tip from the Tip Jar:

I have just updated the post, Made in Alabama-A State Legacy from May 20, 2015 with a picture of Militia Elizabeth Haynes Moon and her father, William Dawson Haynes, Sr. Be sure to check it out! I think it is always nice to put a face with a name, don't you!

Love,
Mariellan

Remembering...

Tee and Aunt Nina


 

Dear Family Trails readers, 

As we have throughout this first year of our family blog, we continue to honor and remember the ten children of Nancy Antoinette Haynes and Charles Sisson Weaver. We have 2 birthdays to remember for the month of May, and this week, we shall honor Lora Antoinette Weaver Ragsdale, the third child and first daughter.

 Lora, who was affectionately called "Tee", was born May 20, 1891 in Lineville, Alabama. 

There is so much to write about Tee that I have included the article from the Talladega Daily Home in this post and retyped what was written about her. The picture above, though, helps to sum up how much Tee meant to all of her large extended family and her friends. Tee, and her sister, Nina, lived together in Tee's house after both became widows early in each of their married lives. Their home became The Family Home, where Sunday afternoons and holidays were celebrated, and all were welcome there. This picture of Tee and Aunt Nina waving "good-bye" reminds me of so many visits in their house. No matter when we had to leave, Tee and Aunt Nina wished we could stay longer.

"Tee" and "Hubb"

I never knew Hubb. He sounds like an interesting man. Hubb fought in the Spanish American War, and there is a picture of his regiment somewhere in our family archives that I must find!
I wonder if he met Teddy Roosevelt!

The picture below is from the Talladega Daily Home paper. Tee always smiled like that!

The above captions reads:

Lora Weaver Ragsdale was taken by surprise at Wednesday's Talladega City Council meeting when library board president Jake Montgomery announced that the conference room in the new library has been named in her honor for her service to the library. She was also presented with a dozen roses and a silver bowl.

FUNERAL TODAY FOR LORA W. RAGSDALE

Talladega-Funeral services for well-known community member Lora Weaver Ragsdale, 98, of 412 Cherry Street., will be at first Baptist Church with the Rev. Ralph Jernigan officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. 

Mrs. Ragsdale died Feb. 24 at Talladega Nursing Home. She was a native of Clay County and a resident of Talladega for more that 90 years. She moved to Talladega in 1897, and was educated in the public schools of Talladega and at Judson College in Marion. 

It is believed that as a 12 year old girl, she was the first female to drive a car around the Square in Talladega.

Mrs. Ragsdale was the widow of George W. Ragsdale, a veteran of the Spanish American War. In 1919 she and her husband became partners with her brother, the late Kiser Weaver, in founding and operating Weaver-Ragsdale Dry Goods Store. The Weaver family has operated businesses in the Square for 92 years.

Active in community affairs, Mrs. Ragsdale was a member of the Andrew Jackson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for 33 years and served for a time as its regent.

among her many civic organizations affiliations were the following: Highland City Study Club, founding president of the Friends of the Library, member and president of the Federated Garden Club, member of Talladega Music Club, and Talladega Historical Society. 

During the 88 years she was a member of First Baptist Church, she accepted a variety of responsibilities including Sunday school teacher, president of the Woman's Missionary Union for 3 two-year terms and chairman of the committee that decorated and refurbished the Thomas Chapel of the church. A member of the Philathea Sunday School Class, Mrs. Ragsdale was active in W.M.U. work in the state, serving on the state W.M.U. Executive Board from 1954 to 1962. For many years she was an officer in District 3 W.M.U. and was a member of the nominating committee of the Southern Baptist Convention W.M.U. in 1959. 

She is survived by three sisters, Lassie Weaver Malone, Ivera Weaver Harper, and Nina Weaver Dodge of Talladega; one brother, Tenison Weaver of Talladega; and several nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be William C. Malone III, Thomas H. Davis, Jr., Dr. S. Louis Armstrong, Jr., William Davenport, Robert Weaver, Thomas DeWine, Robert Owens, Weaver A. Dodge, Charles H. Weaver, and George R. Dodge.

So for today, "good-bye" to all of the readers of Family Trails. If the obituaries and photos of tombstones seem a bit much, hang in there with me just a few more months. I do think we learn so much from them, but I know it can be a bit daunting.