Birthdays in my family tree for the week of Sept. 14:
Sept. 14
Wayne Monroe Wilson, (my second cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1901 in Kentucky; I have no details about his death. Wayne's parents are William Monroe Wilson (1865-1908) and Ella Byron Wilson. His father died when he was just 7. Our common direct ancestors are Isaac Wilson and Theodocia Lee Wilson, my 4-G grandparents and his great-grandparents.
Elaine Rose Pucko Thomas, (wife of Billy Ray Thomas, my first cousin once removed), b. 1949.
Sept. 15
Tilden Hendrix Caudill, (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1876 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Aug. 27. 1955, in Rowan County, Ky. Tilden was the son of John Maggard Caudill and Frances Pennington. He married Rebecca Ann Caudill Caudill, his first cousin once removed. Rebecca's paternal grandfather, the Rev. Henry C. Caudill, was the son of Tilden's paternal grandfather, Samuel Caudill.
Henry Kidd, (my second cousin on my father's side and my second cousin once removed on my father's side), b. 1914 in Breathitt County, Ky.; d. Jan. 31, 1999, in Belleville, Wayne County, Mich. Henry was a double relative — his grandfather, Peter Fannin-Kidd, was my grandfather's uncle; his wife, Nellie Lee Thornsberry, was his second cousin and my grandfather's first cousin. It's also possible Henry is a triple relative — his mother, Mary E. Jennings Kidd, could be among Jenningses related by blood and marriage on both sides of my family.
I don't have many details of Henry's life. However, I do know Henry quite possibly was born in Rowan County, not Breathitt County. Some sort of transcription error of court records has tainted some place-of-birth designations — my mother and aunts, for example, are recorded as having been born in Breathitt County, as well, but were actually born on the family homeplace in Rowan County.
Sept. 16
Elias Lambert, (my 3G uncle on my father's side), b. 1836 near Corckett, Wythe County, Va.; d. March 20, 1926, in Wagner Precinct, Rowan County, Ky. Elias was the son of Henry Lambert Jr. and Emaline Victoria Leedy Lambert. Elias' brother, Julian Delaney Lambert, is my 2G grandfather. He was born in Virginia and lived there until at least age 34. By the time of the 1870 census, he had moved to Elliott County, Ky., and his brother joined him there in the early 1900s, after living for a while with his son's family in Wisconsin.
Daniel Peyton Gibson, (my 3G uncle-in-law on my mother's side), b. 1857 in Montgomery, Ky.; d. June 20, 1922, in Montgomery County, Ky. In 1882, Daniel married Callie Wilson Gibson, sister of my 2G grandfather Abijiah Wilson.
James Albert Lambert, (my step great-grandfather on my mother's side), b. 1884 in Rowan County Ky.; d. March 15, 1964, in Rowan County, Ky. James married my great-grandmother Nora Ellen Kendall Williams, after the death of her first husband, Andrew Jackson Williams. I have several Lamberts on my father's side of the family, but I don't believe James was a relative. He hailed from Indiana, and the Lamberts in my family were from Virginia and Wisconsin. A few years after James passed away, Nora moved in with her daughter — my grandmother, Leona Williams Wilson — in her husband's family homeplace. She shared a bedroom with my other maternal great-grandmother, Mahala Susan Hall Wilson, whose husband Burl passed away in 1967.
Leslie Hall, (my first cousin three times removed), b. 1892 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. September 1975 in Clearfield, Rowan County, Ky. Leslie was a cousin of my maternal great-grandmother Mahala Susan Hall Wilson.
Sept. 17
Jacob Glenn Kidd (my nephew). That's Jake with Leona Williams Wilson, his great-grandmother, shortly after his birth and about two years before her death. Their birthdays were 11 days apart. Happy birthday, Jakester. Granny would be proud of you. Hope you have a great day.
Minnie Mae Hamilton Williams, (my 2G aunt-in-law on my mother's side), b. 1885 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. March 8, 1943. Minnie married Jesse Scott Williams, brother of my great-grandfather, Andrew Jackson Williams. She died of a stroke at age 57, just two days after the birth of her grandson Gary Zane Williams.
Cassie Mae Pillion, (my maternal half-uncle Ronnie Jackson Brooks' aunt-in-law), b. 1906 in Claiborne County, Tenn.; d. April 22, 1974. Cassie married Roy Brooks, brother of my maternal grandmother's first husband, Otis Brooks.
Kenneth Earl Wilson, (my second cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1921 in Camargo, Montgomery County, Ky.; d. March 21, 1981, in Kettering, Montgomery County, Ky. Kenneth was one of four children of John Everett Wilson and Mary Lou Owen Wilson. Everette was a grandson of Isaiah Wilson and Sarah Jane Wilson Wilson, my 3G grandparents.
Charles Richard Ray, (my wife Deobrah Renee Ray's first cousin once removed on her father's side), b. 1956; d. Sept. 20, 2012, in Camden, Kershaw County, S.C. Charles was the son of James Claude Ray Sr. and Martha Viola Parker Ray. Charles was the brother of my wife's grandfather, Clarence Richard Ray.
Randolph Fay Brunson Jr., (my wife Deborah Renee Ray's cousin on her father's side). Happy birthday, Randy. Hope you have a great day.
Sept. 18
Judge Charles Lee Sr., (my 7G grandfather on my mother's side), b. 1706 in North Farham Parrish, Richmond County, Va.; d. 1799 in Cumberland, Cumberland County, Va. Charles was the great-grandson of Col. Richard Lee, an English immigrant and the patriarch of the great American family that includes Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and his son, Gen. Robert E. Lee. Charles Lee, Sr. was a Revolutionary War patriot. According to one genealogy website, the lawn of the Lee homestead in Cumberland County, Va., was a muster ground for Revolutionary soldiers. There was an armory established on or nearby this place, and Charles Lee, a silversmith, used his ingenuity to repair soldiers' arms.
Judge Lee's family line runs through Theodocia Lee, his great-granddaughter and my 4G grandmother. She married Isaac Wilson in 1832. Their daughter, Sarah Jane Wilson, married her sixth cousin Isaiah Wilson. Among their children was my 2G grandfather Abijiah Wilson.
Samuel C. Caudill, (my 4G uncle on my mother's side and my 4G-uncle-in-law on my mother's side), b. 1844 in Letcher County, Ky.; d. June 17, 1927, in Rowan County, Ky. Samuel shared a first name with his father and followed him from Letcher County to Rowan County, Ky., sometime between 1860 and 1870. The Caudills became quite prominent in Rowan County — one of Samuel's brothers founded a bank in the county seat of Morehead, another brother was a minister (like their father), and his grandniece was a physican who helped establish the town's hospital in the 1960s.
The Caudills were related to me through my mother's maternal line. Samuel C. also married Synthia Ann Hall, and the Halls are related to my mother on her father's side. That made Samuel C. both a blood relative and an in-law.
Jessie P. Caudill, (my 3G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1859 in Letcher County, Ky.; d. Oct. 16, 1923, in Kansas. Jessie was another of the Caudills who hailed from Letcher County. His sister, Rebecca, married William Washington Williams — they were my 2G grandparents. Jessie was a nephew of Samuel C. Caudill. I'm not sure how he wound up in Kansas.
Cynthia Calpernia Hall, (my first cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b. 1874 in Mason County, Ky.; d. July 31, 1971, in Lexington, Fayette County, Ky. Cynthia was the daughter of James Edmund Hall and Elizabeth Jane Coyle Hall. She also was a first cousin once removed of my great-grandmother, Mahala Susan Hall Wilson.
Eugene Courtland Wilson, (my second cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1899 in Kentucky; d. 1975.
Clyde Tracy Lambert, (my great-uncle on my father's side), b. 1910 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Feb. 28, 1994, in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio. My paternal grandmother's brother was an interesting, old fella. (That's him on the right in the accompanying photo, seated next to his brother-in-law, my grandfather, Elmer Kidd.) I didn't know him very well, but I was around him on holidays and visits to Ohio once in a while. I don' think he had a lot of money and lived in a ramshackle house in Springfield. He worked on furniture and upholstery when I was a young'un, but I'm sure he did other things before that, and maybe after.
Only after his death, when I got interested in genealogy, did I learn a little more about Uncle Trace's life. And it was a hard one. He was divorced. His first son died in a motorcycle accident, leaving behind a pregnant widow and a 4-year-old daughter. His distraught daughter-in-law killed herself only a few months later, after giving birth to Trace's grandson. Several years later, Trace's other son, Johnny, was shot to death. My father told me does not think his killer was ever caught. All of that had already happened to Uncle Trace by the time I ever met him. If I hadn't learned of all that had befallen him by asking, I would never have known it. Uncle Trace never seemed angry or bitter to me, just maybe a little broken and in need of looking after.
Lois Evelyn Crosby Brinson, (my wife Deborah Renee Ray's great-aunt-in-law on her father's side), b. 1921; d. Dec. 2, 2010. Lois was married to James Ernest Brinson, who celebrated a birthday Sept. 20. James also was the brother of my wife's grandfather and grandson of James John Brinson, who celebrated a birthday Sept. 15.
Wardson Stewart Lambert, (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1925 in Devil's Fork, Logan County, WVa.; d. Nov. 11, 1987, in Michigan. Wardson was the son of William Lambert and Laura Etta Hall Lambert. Laura Etta — pronounced "Loretta" — was the sister of my maternal great-grandmother Mahala Susan Hall Wilson. I have Lamberts on my father's side of the family — three of them in this roundup of family-tree birthdays — but I'm not sure if William was one of them.
Evelyn Wright Kidd, (my aunt-in-law on my father's side). Happy birthday, Aunt Evelyn. Hope you have a great day.
Sept. 19
William Watts Wilson, (my second cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b. 1836 in Ohio; d. Nov. 28, 1838. William was the son of William Wilson and Elizabeth Watts Wilson and the great-grandson of Jacob Wilson and Mary Lee Fritz Wilson, my 5G grandparents. William died at age 2, but I do not know why.
Sept. 20
Ella Byron Wilson, (wife of William Monroe Wilson, my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1866 in Kentucky; I have no details about Ella's death. Ellas is the mother of Wayne Monroe Wilson, who had a birthday Sept. 14.
Nella Lenvill Brown, (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1906 in Kentucky; d. 1992. Nella was the daughter of Rufus Humphrey Brown and Amanda Melvina Williams Brown. Her grandparents — William Washington Williams and Rebecca Caudill Williams — were my 2G grandparents.
James Ernest Brinson Jr., (my wife Deborah Renee Ray's great uncle on her father's side), b. Charleston, Charleston County, S.C.; d. Aug. 10, 1976, in Charleston, Charleston County, S.C. James was the brother of Ruth Augusta Brinson, my wife's grandmother. Like Ruth's husband, Clarence Richard Ray, and his nephew (my father-in-law) James Kenneth Ray, he worked much of his life as a civilian employee at the Charleston Naval Shipyard.
Richard Shaver, (my cousin-in-law on my mother's side). Happy birthday, Richard. Have a great day.