Jep Perryman Weaver

Jep Perryman Weaver was the seventh child of Nettie and C.S. Weaver. He was born on 

September 13, 1900. Unfortunately, I do not know much about my Uncle Jep. I only met him a few times as a child, but I will pass along what I do remember about him and what I have been told.

Jep was my grandmother, Ivera's, younger brother. He was born after their brother, Dewey, so the two boys were big buddies growing up. Uncle Jep moved to West Virginia  as a young man to work in the retail business like his father and older brothers had done in Talladega. He must have wanted to carve out his own path in life because he remained in West Virginia for the rest of his life. There he married Leona Watkins. 

Uncle Jep loved dogs, and Grandmother said that Jep always had "a pack of dogs."

  

All of Jep's five sisters loved Leona, and she was welcomed into the large Weaver family. Leona was very talented and enjoyed sewing. Every year she made hand-embroidered aprons and mailed them to  her sister-in-laws  in time for Christmas. I am so fortunate to have two of Aunt Leona's aprons. These pictures below are close-up shots of the handwork on the two aprons. I have used these aprons for years. I would tie them around my children's necks when they were helping in the kitchen when they were growing up, and these aprons have served as very oversized-but handy-bibs for my children and grandchildren. 

These two aprons are the same pattern, but the embroidery on each is so different. 

I like how the embroidery on the green check is very free-hand, and the cross-stitching on the blue check is more precise. 

Uncle Jep is also featured in our Family cookbook, Seasoned With Love. 

As mentioned in the cookbook, Jep owned and operated a restaurant in St. Albans, West Virginia. His original recipe, "Uncle Jep's Greek Spaghetti Sauce"  is a Weaver family favorite. During the late 1970's and early 1980's, it became harder on such a large, extended family as the Weavers to travel on Christmas Day, so we started a new tradition. We gathered at Tee's house on "The Night After Christmas" for a spaghetti supper, featuring Uncle Jep's famous sauce. 

So in reflecting upon Leona and Jep Weaver, I thought I did not know much about them, but now I see that I did know a few things. They both left us with legacies to remember them by…Leona, in her sweet ways and her skilled sewing, and Jep, in his love for his dogs and his love for cooking.

Happy Family Trails, everyone!

Love,

Mariellan

  

Family Trails' First Anniversary

Happy First Anniversary to Family Trails.

Dear readers, 

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since we began this trail together. The first and most important part of this post that I want to write is my sincerest gratitude to every reader. I appreciate you all for checking in on Family Trails to see where our journey will take us each week.

As the writer of our family blog, I have access to the "Statistics" of the blog details. Here is a screenshot of some of the stats… it shows how many times our blog is read and in what countries these readers are from. FASCINATING! The Weaver family history has much to offer around the world…family, faith, storytelling, and of course, good food.

During this first year, we visited Jamestowne Colony where our first New World ancestor, Richard Pace, landed in 1620. See posts, We're Coming to America and How Did We Ever Get Here? and Family Trails' First Guest Book Reviewer.

We looked into Civil War history in the post,  From Alabama to Appomattox Courthouse   

 and then at  World War II history in The USS Sawfish and a Scrapbook Find.

We have revisited our family's "hometown" in April in Talladega Remembrances and A Stroll Through Talladega,  and Touring 305 Oak Street…Again,

We learned more about the children of Nancy Antoinette Haynes and Charles Sisson Weaver in  Uncle Dewey, and Remembering…, and March, and Celebrating, and C.S.Weaver, HERO of the Hunting Season,  and Sing a Song of the Saints of God.

We still have two more of their children to celebrate during the month of September. 

We celebrated holidays on our blog in Advent and …Quilts? and Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary.

We explored more family history clues in books and other publications. 

We remembered family reunions in Weaver Family Reunions at Clairmont Springs, and Bright Mountain, and "The Highest and Coolest Resort in Alabama" and Clairmont Springs, Alabama.

We learned more about our ancestors in William Dawson Haynes Celebrates at Clairmont Springs.

We have only begun to dive into our family's favorite recipes in Cousins and Cookbooks.

We looked at ways to organize family history and memorabilia in The Scrapbook,

and found ways to solve family mysteries in C.S. Weaver, The Farmer's Friend and in...

Let the Scanning Begin!

So as we look back to learn where we came from,

 let's plan ahead for this year's path on Family Trails.

Just pour yourself a cup of coffee and check in each "Weaver Wednesday" for a new installment of 

Family Trails.   

Thank you, again, for joining me on this very special adventure.
 I look forward to our next year together.
Love,

Mariellan

C.S. Weaver-Conservation Special Agent

Dear Family Trails readers,

The scrapbooks that were kept by Charles Sisson Weaver continue to supply our family blog with interesting aspects of his life. In 1920, at the age of 55, C.S. Weaver was asked by the State of Alabama Department of Conservation to serve as a Special Agent without compensation. 

This week's "Weaver Wednesday" edition has 2 letters that Grandfather Weaver included in his scrapbook. 

I have also included some beautiful photography of just a few of Alabama's amazing wildlife. These photographs are from Outdoor Alabama.  

Please take a minute and check out this website. Alabama has so much natural beauty and amazing wildlife. I have included just a few pictures of the animals that Grandfather Weaver may have encountered in his excursions.

In choosing which pictures to include, I decided to only use SOME  of the mammals of Alabama in this post. When you look up this website, be sure to look at all of the other pictures too-fish, birds, reptiles, insects, and the scenery of our state. 

This first letter is addressed to :

Hon, C.S. Weaver

Talladega, Ala.

Dear Mr. Weaver,

Recognizing the fact that you as a sportsman are very much interested in the enforcement of the conservation statutes of this state, I have the honor to hand you herewith a commission as Special Agent for the Department of Conservation to serve without compensation. This commission vests you with the power and authority to enforce the provisions of the game, fish and forestry laws in every county in Alabama. 

Of course I do not expect any special active service form you; I merely want you to be in position to prosecute such offenders as you can without incurring trouble or expense on your part. I will appreciate it if you will advise me by return mail if you  will accept the appointment. 

With high regards, believe me,

Very truly yours,

John H. Wallace, Jr.

Commissioner

This letter reads:

Department of Conservation

State of Alabama

I, John H. Wallace, Jr., Commissioner of Conservation, to C.S. Weaver, send greetings:

Reposing full trust in you prudence, integrity and ability, by virtue of the power and authority in me vested by the laws of the State of Alabama, I have, this day, appointed you Special Agent of the Department of Conservation, to serve without compensation from the Department of Conservation, State of Alabama, and you are hereby authorized to enforce the provisions of the game, fish and forestry laws of this state in each and every county in Alabama.

In Testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of my Office to be affixed at the State Capitol, in the City of Montgomery, this the 15th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty. 

John H. Wallace, Jr. 

Commissioner of Conservation

So after reading these letters, we learn that the love for this beautiful land goes back several generations. Thankfully, Alabama still has much of its natural land and its wildlife preserved for many more generations to enjoy. 

Love,

Mariellan

"Shop Local"

Dear Family Trails readers, 

What thoughts does this week's title, "Shop Local," conjure up for you…a trendy new way of looking at how you shop, where your tax dollars are going, supporting small businesses in a world of big-box stores? That's where my thoughts go when I see the banners around town to remind shoppers to support their home-town merchants. It makes sense, and it has helped me change the way I shop, but honestly, I thought this was a new concept in the past 20-plus years. For many years the local farmers' market has sent this message, and I agreed with the farmers…I would definitely want to eat lettuce grown right here in Alabama than some lettuce picked 2 weeks ago and shipped across the country in a truck. But the retail aspect of this….I didn't give it that much thought-not until, that is, my friends began opening their own businesses. Okay, are you asking yourself, "Where is this week's blog going with all this 'shop local' chatter?" Let me connect the dots…

In last week's "Weaver Wednesday" post, Fifty Years in the Merchantile Business, we read about the closing of "C.S. Weaver and Sons" in 1944. This week I am posting another letter written to Grandfather Weaver about the doors closing to his business.

But first, speaking of taxes…..here is a tax certificate that Grandfather Weaver paid in order to sell tobacco. It is dated October 31, 1939 and the cost was $5.00 tax to the state and $2.50 to Talladega County for a one year license. The probate judge who signed it is D. Hardy Riddle, and it is written in pencil. 

I will retype this letter so it will be easier to read. It is dated October 13, 1944 and is written by John B. Chastain of the "Chastain-Roberts Company."

Gentlemen, 
It is with regret we learn that you are liquidating your business. A business that has continued for fifty-two years through depressions, panics, booms, and what not can be counted upon to be managed by honest, capable people.
Since we began working Talladega we have had three or four different salesmen working that particular trip, without exception they have really believed in your firm. Any claim, shortage or complaint of any kind they knew to be just as your pictured it and your word we feel sure was always accepted without question.
We hate to see you liquidate because, if for no other reason, though there are many, there is a scarcity of good independent merchants. We believe and will continue to believe, until the picture changes far from where it is today, that live wide-awake independents can whip the chain stores, the trouble being there are far too few who will operate and merchandise like you and a few other merchants in this territory have been doing.
If at any time we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to call upon us. Please refer anyone at any time to us that you have occasion offer references to.
We want to wish for you good luck and prosperity in whatever undertaking you may decide to follow, with our very best wishes for you and yours for the future and with appreciation for what you have done for us in the past, we are

Yours very truly,
CHASTAIN-ROBERTS CO.
By: J.B. Chastain

Our Weaver family cookbook, Seasoned with Love, by our very own family member, Lucretia Malone Mount Davenport, contains many recollections about Grandfather Weaver's store. In the next few "Weaver Wednesday" posts, we will look at the remembrances written for the cookbook. Past blog posts have featured our cookbook, so if you would like to know more about Seasoned with Love,  please check out Merry Christmas and Happy Anniversary and Cousins and Cookbooks.
Seasoned With Love is available online at Lulu.com. You will be in for a treat when you order your own copy of this very special family cookbook.

Before I close this week's edition of Family Trails, let me just say I am sorry that it did not get posted on our traditional "Weaver Wednesday." We are having some work done on our stairwell at home, and after the stairs were all taken out, I realized that my family history notebooks AND my scanner were at the top of the stairs! So …better planning ahead, I hope!
Thank you for checking out the Weaver family's Family Trails this week.
Love,
Mariellan