The "Williams" Kids

Macy Alice Williams is pictured above with her second husband George Henry Hall and four of her children: Clara Belle Hall , Ruth Agnes Hall, Obie Palmer Hall and James Wesley Wicker, my grandfather. Macy had a hard life bearing two children after the deaths of her husbands (John B. Wicker and George H. Hall), and yet she is remembered as a good Christian woman. Her granddaughter Kay said, "Dad (Macy's step-son and son-in-law) said he never knew a woman as good as she was." I think her children are evidence to character.
Here are the children here, too. As you can see, Clara and Obie were more serious even as children and Ruth is almost always smiling just as she was an adult. Grandpa. . . .looks like he's not really fond of having his photo made. These photos were probably made in and around Hornersville, Missouri.
I love this photo of them---Grandpa is maybe 10 years old but driving a car. He later became a car mechanic and drove earth-movers during the Depression, so it is fitting that he's driving a car.
This next grouping of photos were made around 1948 in Memphis, based on the little girl Michelle. L-R: Clara Hall Stephens, Wesley Wicker, Ruth Hall Ezell and Ray Ezell with his daughter Michelle. Ray was actually Clara, Wes and Ruth's half brother. Macy's third marriage was to James Ezell who had a son Everette by another marriage. Ruth Hall married Everette Ezell. . . I will try to connect the dots---Ray's half-brother and half-sister were married.
Here are: Dot (Ruth and Everette's daughter), Clara, Ruth; in the front row is Georgia Hall Endicott (another sister) and my grandmother Vennie Watson Wicker, Wes's wife.
This is the only photo I have with all six siblings: Wes Wicker, Ray Ezell, Obie Hall, (they all had different fathers); Ruth Hall Ezell, Georgia Hall Endicott, Clara Hall Stephens
After my grandfather died some of them still managed to get together with my mother who was one year younger than uncle Ray, and 3 years younger than her aunt Georgia. Here are Georgia, Ray and Ruth in the Smoky Mountains near where Ray lived.
This was probably in the late 1970's. L-R Nelda Hayes Wicker Ezell, Georgia Hall Endicott, Ruth Hall Ezell, Louise Wicker Long (my mom) with my dad and Ray in the background.
They also met at my Mother and Dad's house in 1983: Ruth, Ray, Nelda and Georgia
Beginning in the left corner and going clockwise: Rachel Morgan Twenter, Ray Ezell, Georgia Hall Endicott, Ruth Hall Ezell, Nelda Hays Wicker Ezell, me, Louise Wicker Long with Leah Morgan Warren and then Rebecca Morgan Lewis. The little girls are my daughters.

Nelda, Ray's wife, was first married to my grandfather's cousin Peck Wicker, of barbecue fame. Click here for more about Peck and his barbecue stand. So, Nelda was related to my mother and grandfather twice through marriage!

Although it's hard to tell, Georgia, Wes and Ray were the giants in the family---5'4" ,and at 5'1.5" I am a true Williams!

Grace Maupin McKay

Lorraine McKay and Grace Maupin McKay with Chris (?) 1980's California

I never knew "Aunt Grace" because she lived in California. My parents did go out to visit with her in 1987. With the renewal of their relationship, Grace and her daughter Lorraine sent these photos to Mom and Dad.

Unfortunately, there are no names on the photos. Pictured above is Lorraine with her husband, probably.
On the back of the photo above, it reads, "Jenny before Chris was born."
My mom did sit down and tell me a little about Grace in 2003:

Your sister Jane is a lot like Grace in personality. Grace lived in Grandma's house [after Henry Maupin died?]. She stayed aloof from the family---the other sisters were very close. [I think Mom meant Grace and Jane are in their own little worlds---not a negative "aloof".]

Grace married Harvey McKay, Uncle Hal's uncle. Harvey rejoined the Navy in WWII, and they went to California. Vivian used to say, "I wish sister Grace would come home." Grace came home when Vivian died. Why couldn't she come home when Vivian was living? Grace put Harvey first not her family. Your dad and I visited Grace in California in 1987 and saw Lorraine, too. Lorraine had one boy who was dark and another son who was adopted. Her brother Don lived in northern California.

Grace had breast cancer, Lorraine, too. All of Vivian's sisters had breast cancer. [as have two of my aunts]

To my knowledge, none of these women died of breast cancer. Grace died in San Diego California in 1991 and is buried with her husband Harvey McKay in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery.L-R: Lorraine, LeRoy Long, Grace, Louise Long and ???

Aunt Mary Long Wassmund added:

Grace and Mama (Vivian) "roomed together" as girls. It was their job to fix their father's breakfast each morning. Grace would push Mama out of bed so she would get the breakfast started. Grace took voice lessons and had a beautiful voice. Mama took piano lessons.

Long Family Reunions

LeRoy Long (1918-2004) with his uncle Alfred Stewart Long ( 1881-1977)

Although the Long Family Reunion has been held for over 70 years in Jefferson County Missouri, I don't have a lot of photos. This first group of photos says "Jan 76" on the back, but the reunion is always in September and even Sept. 1975 would have been hard for me to attend---I was living in Pittsburgh. So this photo is either another year, or my parents took the photos.
This is one of Dad's favorite uncles---Curtis Andrew Long (1903-1980) with Le Roy Long.
The lady in the yellow lawn chair is Cenith Catherine Long Bruns, Aunt Katie (1891-1978).
The photo above was taken of my dad (on the left) with his cousin Clyde Long (1922-2001) at the reunion in 1981.
Although this looks like my grandfather, Roy Long, this is his nephew Clyde Long again in 1981.
I'm not sure who are in the photos above---Clyde? David? Please contact me (Jaclyn Morgan) if you know who these gentlemen are. To see photos of the 1931 reunion, click here.

Birthday Letter to LeRoy from Rachel

If you read the letters from Dad's siblings, they talk about their older brother and how he influenced them. The letters from 2 of his children talks about his cars and laid back personality. His grandchildren almost all remember his cycling, train room and decorating the pontoon for July 4th. Click here for Rebecca's memories.
Double click on Rachel's letter to read it. She included the photo of LeRoy (beardless) and herself as a baby as a part of her letter.

L-R: Rebecca Morgan Lewis, Rachel Morgan Twenter, Jaclyn Long Morgan, Leah Morgan Warren

Here we are getting ready to cheer Dad on during his bicycle race.
Dad had a model train room that all children loved, but he was especially proud of showing it off to his great-grandson Brett Twenter.

Colyton, England

Although I didn't know for sure that my Wicker family was from Colyton, England, I decided to visit the village with my husband and children in 1987.
According to R.Fenton Wicker's book Thomas Whicker came to America in 1685 as an indentured servant sending his son Benjamin back to Southleigh, England where he was living in 1704. I did the charts and notes in the 1980's before I had a computer program.
If you look at the map above Southleigh is to the left and above Seaton. I believe we visited Southleigh and there wasn't anything there really. So, we went on to Colyton which was the "city" for the parish.
In fact, that is where the progenitor (Richard Whicker) was from.
We, first, went to the church but didn't find any tombstones for Wickers.
But, it is still very moving to go to the churches and walk down the streets where you think your ancestors lived.
I do recall that the family had some problems during the English Civil War. But, since I didn't buy R. Fenton Wicker's book, I don't recall which side they were on Royalists or Cromwell, but I do remember hearing about the Civil War while we were visiting the church.

Note that the document above mentions Southleigh as being still a part of the Colyton parish.
Here's a little history about Colyton. Keep in mind that Thomas Wicker left in 1685 which is the same year as the Monmouth (or Pitchfork) Rebellion. Click here to find out more about this Rebellion. According to Wikipedia:

"Colyton first appeared as an ancient village around 700 AD and features in the Domesday Book as 'Culitone'. . .

It was called the "most rebellious town in Devon" due to the number of its inhabitants who joined the Monmouth Rebellion in 1685."

On the map above (a replica) dating from 1610, the town is seen as Cullyton. If you're intested in historical fiction, the following books according to Wikipedia deal with the Monmouth Rebellion:

The Monmouth Rebellion plays a key role in Peter S. Beagle's novel Tamsin, about a 300-year-old ghost who is befriended by the protagonist.

Arthur Conan Doyle's historical novel Micah Clarke deals directly with Monmouth's landing in England, the raising of his army, its defeat at Sedgemoor, and the reprisals which followed.^[22]

Several characters in Neal Stephenson's trilogy The Baroque Cycle, particularly Quicksilver and The Confusion, play a role in the Monmouth Rebellion and its aftermath.

Dr. Peter Blood, main hero of Rafael Sabatini's novel Captain Blood, was sentenced by Judge Jeffreys for aiding wounded Monmouth rebels. Transported to the Caribbean, he started his career as a pirate there.

R. D. Blackmore's historical novel Lorna Doone is set in the South West of England during the time of Monmouth's rebellion.

John Masefield's 1910 novel Martin Hyde: The Duke’s Messenger tells the story of a boy who plays a central part in the Monmouth Rebellion, from the meeting with Argyll in Holland to the failed rebellion itself.^[23]

The Royal Changeling, by John Whitbourn, describes the rebellion with some fantasy elements added, from the viewpoint of Sir Theophilus Oglethorpe.

Aphra Behn's Oroonoko can be read as an allegory for the rebellion, with the titular slave playing Monmouth's role.

That last one is very interesting---Aphra Behn was my topic (assigned to me---I'd never heard of her) for a graduate class in research.

Captain George "Buddy" Fry

Dave's Uncle "Buddy" Fry (Eloise's brother) was a well-decorated soldier in World War II. Double click on any of these photos to see them larger.
"Buddy" was loved and well respected by many. Shortly after his death, his son-in-law (pictured below with his family: Melinda, Lins, Rans and Nell)read his eulogy into the Congressional Record.

G.D. Morgan, Sr. Christmas 1983

Dave's parents Grover and Eloise (Fry) Morgan were transferred to Arcadia, California in 1971. They loved it so much that they decided to retire out there. They tried coming East for Christmas one year, but sat huddled in front of the fireplace most of the time. After the Christmas visit of 1975 (pictured below), they encouraged (sometimes paid for) each of us to go out there for Christmas.
I loved going out there for Christmas (which we did 2 or 3 times), but we couldn't always manage (two babies were born in early February). So, they did have a few Christmases without any of us. But, they managed to establish a new holiday tradition!