Mam-ma's Southern Family

 

 James Madison Coor Lower Greens Creek Cemetery, Erath Co, Texas James Madison Coor (1833-1890) James Madison Coor was born in Crystal Springs, Copiah Co, Mississippi 18 Oct 1833 to John Coor and Ann Kethley.  He married Melissa Ann Welch Pittman 9 Oct 1856.  This is the second marriage for Melissa.  They had 10 children.  After his wife died, he moved with his younger children to Stephenville, Erath county, Texas, where he died 26 Mar 1890.  He was buried in Lower Greens Creek Cemetery.  He was my ggg-grandfather. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family

This assignment has me taking a grandfather and determining his age today, dividing by 4, then finding the ancestor in my family tree with the ahnentafel number, and writing 3 facts about that ancestor.  My ahnentafel number came up as 28 which would be Thomas Newton Johnston, my great grandfather.  Tom Johnston with granddaughters, Lea & Sandra Thomas Newton Johnston was born 25 Jul 1885 in Edna Hill, Comanche County, Texas to Ruben Mack Johnston and Olivia Jane Jones .  He died 20 Feb 1951 in Stephenville, Erath County, Texas. He married Nell L. Hutson on 6 Jun 1907 in Comanche County, Texas. Three facts I know: Listed as a farmer living on Gustine & Swan Hill Road in 1910 with his wife, Lea N. and daughter, Beryl M. Worked many years at the Higgenbotham's Lumber Yard in Stephenville, Texas, lastly as manager. Was called "Daddy Tom" by his grandchildren. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family

Tom-Tom, Lisa, & Mam-ma These are my grandparents, Tom J. Johnston and Pansy Louise Lancaster.  I am standing between them and am probably less than a year old.  I think this because I am not standing up straight. My grandfather was called Tom-Tom by his grandchildren and my grandmother was called Mam-ma.  They were in their late thirties when I was born, as their first grandchild, and felt they were too young to be grandparents.  So we did not call them "grandma" or "grandpa."  Also, in Texas, where my grandparents were born, a common name for grandmother was "Mam-ma."  My mother called her grandmother "Mam-ma," too. Tom-Tom was a carpenter and worked at Diablo Valley College until his death.  Mam-ma worked outside the home in clothing stores.  She also made her own clothes, probably the dress she is shown wearing here. Copyright © 2011 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, Mam-ma's Southern Family