Watson Roots

My grandmothers:  Vennie and Vivian

My grandmother Vennie was always a bit of a mystery having been raised in foster care.  She was 14 when she married my grandfather and the marriage license says she was an orphan which wasn’t quite true.  Her father had died from a horse accident but her mother was living in Farmington in an insane asylum. 

She had no known family since her brother had died young.  In 1976, I started researching genealogy to find more information about Vennie.  But, it wasn’t until the past two years that I’ve discovered her heritage through DNA.

Her maiden name was Watson, a Scottish surname.  When I asked what Grandma’s heritage was, Mother just shrugged her shoulders and said, “Scottish and Indian”.  Knowing the family was from Appalachia, I assumed Cherokee.  I had unravelled the mystery of Grandma’s mother, but her father, G. W.,  remained a mystery until a year or two ago.  With DNA on Ancestry.com, I could search surnames but Watson was a name on Grandma’s AND Grandpa’s side. I had hundreds of people to contact and didn’t have much information about G. W.

Finally it occurred to me to consult those who shared the most DNA and had the Watson family name (Grandpa’s Watson was several generations further back).  I found a woman, Cheryl, whose ancestor was from Cape  Girardeau, Missouri which was promising.  Cheryl’s ancestor was Melvinia “Vinnie” Watson and her parents were Arthur and Manurva Watson. I’d known that Grandma’s name was originally Louvenia Minerva Watson or “Vennie”.   I had found Grandma’s grandparents since Cheryl’s ancestor was Grandma's aunt. 

That information allowed me to trace my ancestry back to David Solomon Collins and Thompsy Posen who lived in Virginia in the late 1700’s.  I decided to google them.   What I found answered a lot of questions my DNA had raised:  where did the Native American and African come in? My DNA showed that I descended from at least one slave but it was in such a small amount, it had to have been from Colonial America.

David Solomon Collins was Melungeon:  a derogatory name for people who were tri-racial (African, Native American and European) living in Virginia and North Carolina.  Often Melungeons lived in their own communities since they didn’t really “fit in”.  But, it’s important to emphasize they were not slaves although descended from slaves.  My family, early on, passed for white—I cannot find any reference to any of them being “mulatto”.

This is where some knowledge of Colonial American history is important. 

"Interracial relationships, common-law marriages and marriages occurred since the earliest colonial years, especially before slavery hardened as a racial caste associated with people of African descent in the British colonies. Virginia and other English colonies passed laws in the 17th century that gave children the social status of their mother, according to the principle of partus sequitur ventrem, regardless of the father's race or citizenship”.   

While the mixed race children of an African mother were slaves, the mixed race children of a European mother were free.  So, I descend from a European mother who was probably an Indentured Servant who lived with the household slaves.  I may never know who David Solomon Collins parents or grandparents were—records with names for indentured servants and slaves are not good.  And, some think that the family name Collins was adopted by David and his siblings.

I do know the names of some of my Native American ancestors from my grandmother Vivian's family because they were considered “royalty”, but I don’t know who the Watson-Collins Native Americans were.  With the label “Melungeon” I know they were partly Native American.  David Solomon Collins lived in eastern Virginia which is not Cherokee, but has several other Native tribes including Pamunkey.

One interesting side-note.  David Solomon Collins had 10 children.

Aaron William Collins d. 1855 Twin Bridges, Douglas County, Missouri

Elvira Collins Lawson d. 1855 Hawkins, Tennessee

Eleanor Collins Bull d. 1870, Douglas County, Missouri

Margaret Collins Dodson d. 1870, White County, Tennessee (my 4 great grandmother)

David Collins d. 1844 North Carolina

Nancy Collins Collins d.1850, Grainger Co. Tennessee

Levi Collins d. 1860 Falling Springs, Oregon County, Missouri

Isaiah Cuppy Collins d. 1888 Dora, Ozark County, Missouri

Solomon “old Sol” Collins d. 1882, Douglas Count , Missouri

Hiram John Collins d. 1857 Morgan County, Indiana

Five out of 10 settled in the Ozark area of Missouri with 50 children among them. Today, there are 60.000 people that live in the region (3 counties)  they settled in—I’m probably related to many  of them. . . .

G. W. Watson, Part 2

We know very little about my grandmother, Vennie’s father G. W. Watson.  We think his name was George. Knowing that he died from a horse accident, led me to search on Newspaper.com to see if I could find anything. I did find a G. W. Watson who was a harness racer up and down the Mississippi River.  Another clue is that he weighed about 106 lbs.  Although Vennie was normal sized, I am not.  I am smaller than all of my grandparents and parents. I know that my grandfather,Wes, Vennie’s husband also was a jockey at one time.  I know that Vennie and Wes were often “across the river” at the horse races.  I think it was in their blood.

I know that G.W. died before 1910.  The last entry for the harness racer G. W. was August 1909.  Sadly I still haven’t found a death notice for him.  Mother never knew either of her grandfathers.  They both died from horses.  She always told the story like they were just kids out racing horses.  But, G. W. was about 50 years old which sounds more like a work related accident not kids out joy riding. If the harness racer is my great grandfather, he appears to have been successful at winning races with Kitty and

G. W. is a hard man to trace for several reasons.  He was too young for a Civil War record, too poor to own land, not found in the census (1890 census  was destroyed), and he lived in small towns whose newspapers aren’t on Newspapers.com. I found him in the 1860 census living in White Co. Illinois and he is 3 years old. The only other official record I have is his marriage license from Dunklin County, Missouri.  He married Mattie Silas (sic) September 2, 1894.  They had 2 children:  John, who died as a baby and Vennie, my grandmother who was born January 1903.

DNA has finally solved the riddle of who his parents are: Arthur Watson (1830-1917) and Minerva Serilla Elizabeth Prince of Dyersburg, TN.  Through the descendant of one of G. W.’s siblings, I learned he had a sister named Vinnie Watson (almost the same name as my grandmother).  My Aunt Billie once told me Grandma’s name was originally Minerva LouveniaAnd, I was then able to find more about his genealogy—Arthur was a descendant of melungeons, a mixed race people living in TN, NC, VA.  DNA had told me I had African and Native American heritage dating back to the 1700’s and earlier.  Arthur’s great grandparents were David Solomon Collins and Thompsie Posey who were known to be melungeons.

David and Thompsie Collins who lived in Tennessee had 10 children including Arthur’s grandmother Margaret Peggy Collins Dodson.  One son was Aaron Collins who died in Douglas County, MO. (1855), Nellie Collins TurnBull died in Taney or Douglas Co. Missouri, Levi Collins died in Oregon Co, MO, Isaiah Cuppy Collins died in Ozark County Missouri, Solomon “Old Sol” Collins died in Douglas Co, MO  Although Arthur’s grandmother died in Tennessee, 5 of her siblings had gone to southern Missouri.

The only clues about G W Watson handed down were that he died from a horse accident and my grandmother remembered going to his funeral in Alton.  For all of these years, we thought he died near Alton IL which is across from St. Louis, but I think his funeral was in Alton, MO.  G. W.’s great uncle Levi died in Falling Springs, Oregon Co Missouri.  The county seat of Oregon county is Alton Mo.  G W’s father was still living and probably knew his grandmother’s family were all in southern Missouri also.

I have still not found where G W is buried but I believe it is with family.

G. W. Watson

Wes Wicker, Vennie Watson Wicker
Louise Wicker Long 1922

My mother never met her grandfathers:  one died before her father was born and one died when her mother was very young.  John Wicker left behind nieces and nephews who  told us a few stories, but with G.W. Watson we had nothing---no relatives that we knew of.  We only knew that he died from a horse accident (as did John Wicker), he was of Scottish descent, he was buried near Alton (Grandma remembered going to his funeral) and he had only one child who lived to maturity---my grandmother Vennie. We didn't even know when he died but it had to be between 1906-1910.  Oh, we also knew Grandma had Native American, but we didn't know if it was through her mother or her father.

From 1976 until 2018, all of my research only turned up a marriage certificate in Dunklin County, Missouri. September 2, 1894 G. W. Watson married Mattie Silas (sic) in Malden.  Mother thought his name was George. I had my DNA done but the task was complicated because my grandfather's great grandmother was also a Watson.  So, I had to weed out all of the Watson DNA matches in Kentucky and Tennessee.  I finally found a woman whose grandmother had also lived in Southeast Missouri and her name had been Malvina (Vinnie) Watson.  What really caught my eye was her mother's name was Manurva Prince.  My Aunt Billie had once told me that Grandma's name was originally "Minerva Lou".  I had found Grandma in the 1910 census (with a widowed mother) and her name was listed as "Louvinia".  So I had high hopes that I had found G. W.'s parents:  Arthur Watson and Manurva Prince in Dyersberg, Tennessee.

With that information, I was able to find the family in 1860 census in White County Illinois.  His name was George Watson and he was born in 1857.  So far, that is the only census I have been able to find him in.  I haven't found the family in the 1870 census, George would have been 23 in 1880 census and probably living in a boarding house.  The 1890 census was destroyed and I haven't found him in the 1900 census yet.  This was obviously a family that didn't have roots.  Arthur was born in North Carolina, lived in Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee and Missouri.

No Civil War records, and census records were not found.  The only story we had was he died riding a horse.  Mother told the story often that both of her grandfathers died riding horses "those were the automobile accidents of the day."  She implied that they were probably racing as young men like to do.  I decided to try to find G. W. / George in the newspaper---maybe there was a record of his death somewhere.  So I went to newspaper.com, entered "G.W. Watson" and "horse".  After some research I found a G. W. Watson who was a harness racer between New Orleans and St. Louis.  He raced in Kinloch and Delmar Tracks (both in St. Louis area) in 1903 and in New Orleans in 1909 with a horse named "Kitty".

New Orleans 1909

This was very interesting since I'd known my grandfather had been a jockey, but my grandmother's father has been a jockey, too?  I don't have any real proof that the jockey G. W. Watson was my great grandfather but I do know that I'm 5'1" and my grandparents often went to "the races" in Illinois.  Recently I did the math on G. W.  If he was born in 1857 and died in 1909,  he was 52 years old. If he died racing horses, he was a little old to be drag racing with his friends as mother implied.  But, a man earning a living by racing horses makes more sense.

My DNA and genealogy held more clues to G. W. Watson.  I've known since a child that I had Native American (doesn't everyone) and we naturally assumed it was Cherokee (doesn't everyone).  The first time we had DNA done we had mitochondrial, the maternal line, examined.  We wanted to know what Vennie's mother's line was.  My siblings and I placed bets on what we would find.  My sister thought Romany (gypsy) since Grandma Vennie read tea leaves.  My brother was rooting for Native American because he wanted to claim some casino money (just jokingly).  I, on the other hand, believed there was African.  The DNA results came back. . ..Irish.  We were all a little disappointed since we believed Grandma (who grew up in foster care) had more exotic roots.

The refinements in DNA over the years have given us more information. My brother and I have both had our DNA analyzed---they are a little different but we both have about 98% European.  We are a little different in what the 2% is.  His is more Native American and mine is more African.  The amount of African DNA puts it in Colonial America and Sub-Saharan----slave.

Working on G.W.Watson's genealogy, I came across the name David Solomon Collins, Arthur's great grandfather and G. W.'s great-great grandfather.  My 5th great grandfather was born in 1750.  For some reason, I decided to google him, not really expecting to find anything.  I was wrong.  I should not have been surprised, but he was Melungeon which explains a lot.

My Grandmothers

My Two Grandmothers

My father’s mother was Vivian Maupin who grew up in an upper middle class, large family in De Soto , Missouri.  Her father was the Superintendent of the Round House there for Missouri Pacific Railroad and he descended from French Huegenots.  Her mother Anna Reed was the daughter of two English immigrants.  She grew up in the Methodist-Episcopal church where her family were leaders. Even her hobbies were more English—tatting and crochet. She gave me beautiful store-bought dresses that I probably only wore to church. I was 6 years old when she died but I still remember.  

 I remember her twinkling brown eyes and how she would bend down to talk to me at my level, holding me warmly—always so loving and caring.  After family dinners with 20 of us gathered in the dining room and hallway, the women would all go to the kitchen to wash the dishes.  I loved being a part of that—my job was drying the silverware and putting it away but I cherished being a part of the laughter, sloshing water, damp cotton towels and love with my grandmother, aunts and mother. It was the perfect job for an active pre-schooler:  sending me to the butler’s pantry with silverware to be polished, sorted and  stored.  Years later, my aunt said, there were never photos of my grandmother smiling because her teeth were bad and yet I remember her smiles and eyes with warmth and love.  I am sorry my cousins and siblings never really knew her.

My mother’s mother was Vennie Watson who was a foster child in Southeast Missouri. She was an only child—her brother died as a baby.  Her father was possibly a harness racer who died when she was a baby from a horse accident.  Her mother was a housekeeper for another family until she was committed to the insane asylum in Farmington, MO.   Vennie was fostered by members of the Methodist church they belonged to.  She descended from Melungeons—a mixed race people in Tennessee and North Carolina.  

Vennie was a seamstress who made most of my clothes. There were no large family dinners but we ate with my grandparents every Friday night.  Grandpa was a fisherman who provided delicious fried catfish or perch every Friday with pan-fried potatoes, sliced sweet onions, and tomatoes in season.  Vennie lived next door to us so I spent a lot of time  with her—especially in the afternoons watching Art Linkletter on the television, playing solitaire, sorting buttons and hearing the whirr of Grandma’s sewing machine. Vennie was not well-educated having married at 14 and yet she encouraged me to learn to read at a young age.  She was barely literate herself, stumbling on the words in my Golden Books.  I became so frustrated hearing her read that I had her teach me to read when I was 4 years old so I could read to myself.

Their backgrounds could not have been much different and yet they both left me with wonderful, loving memories and the feeling that I was treasured as the oldest granddaughter.   They both encouraged my independence—one by helping me read and the other letting me step forward and be a part of a working group. They both died in their 50’s, a loss I still feel today.  I am sorry that my cousins never knew them as well as I did. 

Louise's memories: her early years

The photo above clockwise beginning left: Clara Hall, Macy Williams Wicker Hall (Louise Wicker Long's grandmother), James Wesley Wicker (Louise's father), Obie Hall, Ruth Hall, George Henry Hall.

No one seems to know why my grandmother Vennie Watson Wicker went to Hornersville to live with Maggie Williams (wife of Luther Williams). Helen, Maggie's daughter, said, "Mom just heard that your grandmother was living with someone down at Coldwater." So, we don't know how Maggie knew Vennie. But, my grandparents (Vennie and Wes) met while living at Maggie's house. Her family has remained close to ours even now.

After mother was born, Vennie and Wes were "sent" to Arkansas to keep Wes out of trouble. Some of Macy's family were not a good influence on Wes, so Vennie, Wes and Mom (Louise Wicker Long) moved to Arkansas around 1921.
It was there, they met the Everette Family: Big Mama, Big Daddy (neither were 5' tall), Pearl, Molly, Annie and "Brother".

Annie, Wes Wicker, Vennie and Louise Wicker, Molly @1923

Annie and Jim Spence, Vennie and Louise Wicker
Pearl and Louise Wicker

Although most of Mother's friends went to Memphis after high school, Mother came to St. Louis because the Everettes were all up here. My grandparents also moved up to St. Louis after my parents were married.Back row: Wes Wicker, Jim Spence, Bud Hughes Front row: Vennie Wicker, Pearl Hughes, Annie Spence (St. Louis, 1950's)
Jane and I (pictured above with Barbara, "Brother's" daughter, and Big Daddy) also grew up with the Everettes. I can even remember getting in a fight with Barbara over her aunts and grandparents. I insisted they were my aunts and grandparents, too. I, often, stayed with each of them several days at a time. Annie and Jim had a small house in Wellston, Pearl and her parents lived in Richmond Heights on Hoover, Mollie and Henry Haverstick lived in an apartment across the street from the zoo. They were wonderful, loving people. It's a shame that Barbara was the only grandchild---if you didn't count me, Jane, Mom and Billie (Mom's sister)!

Louise's memories: her parents' early years

Dollie Cates and Vennie (Louvenia) Watson @1916

My mother started her memoirs any number of times. This version was begun in 1999---paragraphs would have been nice, but I'm so happy she decided to put her life into words. (Double click on the page to make it larger and use the back arrow to come back) This first page tells a little about her father (James Wesley "Wes" Wicker), his personality and his drinking.
The second page is mostly about her mother Vennie Marie Watson Wicker and the Cates Family. I've included some photos of the Cates Family and their farm. From what I understand, Vennie's mother (Martha Silas) was the housekeeper. When she was committed to a mental institution, my grandmother (around 12 or 13 years old) was taken in by the Cates family who lived in the Coldwater area near Hornersville, MO. The Cates family remained close to my grandparents even after they moved away.
Here are photos of my mother and Dollie's son J.H.Cates when they were toddlers and later when they were in their 20's. I even corresponded with J.H. several times trying to learn more about Vennie's family.

Here are photos of me visiting J.H. Cates---around 1947. I can see my grandfather on the right.For many years, my only memory was of the chickens. As you can see by my body language, I was a little afraid of them and remember them pecking my hands trying to get to the seed that I was "feeding" them with.

Memories about Vennie

Wes and Vennie Wicker, St. Louis, 1941

From my sister Jane:

What can I say.... I love her so much. I still get tears in my eyes because she was so special to me. She gave me great memories. Vennie Watson Wicker, 1935

We would always go to the park. She always wore a dress. I always climbed to the top of the jungle gym and would be afraid to climb down. She would have to climb up in her dress and help me down. When we took the bus shopping or to the church ladies circle meetings it was strictly white glove and hat for me. I better be a lady or I would hear about it later. When we walked to do shopping and run errands she still wore a dress, but I got to wear pants. I remember we would always stop at the cleaners for her to talk to a friend. I think about those days when I go into the cleaner and smell that odor.

Virginia and Vennie Wicker, 1939

She would rock me to sleep for my afternoon nap. (I still have this rocker) When I woke up, I got orange marshmallow circus peanut candies and a Dr. Pepper while I watched Art Linkletter. I remember Grandma making tea for dinner. To this day the smell of tea brewing or the fragrance green tea triggers a picture of Grandma in her flat cooking in the kitchen.

Vennie Wicker late 1920's

We would play hearts or old maid at the dining room table. It had a big window across the gangway from Marilyn's dining room window. We[Jane and her friend Marilyn] would talk and get in trouble just talking there. I went with Grandma to the basement and helped her on wash day. I liked the area for washing, but the part with the furnaces was scary.

Vennie Wicker, 1935

I always felt special that she made our clothes and doll clothes. The last dress I remember was a taffeta plaid magenta dress for Rose and Ron's wedding.
I think I am very much like my Grandmother. I am a homebody who just enjoys doing things around the house. In some of the pictures on the blog, I can see I had her smile and nose.
I loved her so much. She was a great influence on my life.

JaneFor more memories, click here

Happy Birthday Vennie Watson Wicker!

Today is my grandmother's birthday. Since I lived next door to her for my first 8 years (and she was only 43 years old when I was born), she was always like a second mother. I first started my genealogical hobby 32 years ago on her birthday because I wanted to know who she was. She is pictured above with her mother Martha Silas (Sollis) Watson Tuttleton in 1928.

She had a very difficult childhood---her brother died before she was born, her father died when she was a baby, her step-father was abusive, her mother was committed to an insane asylum and she lived with at least two families. First, she lived with the Cates family (photo above is Dollie Cates and my grandmother who I estimate to be 13 years old) whose farm she'd lived on when her mother was committed. Then, she lived with Luther Williams family where she met her husband James Wesley Wicker (Luther was his uncle). Vennie and Wes are pictured below with Jersey their cow---probably in 1930's.
I regret to say that 32 years later, I still don't know who my grandmother was. I've learned that her name was probably Louvenia (Vennie being more of a nickname). My aunt Billie said her name was Minerva Lou, though.  Since her parents were migrant workers, they had no family around that I know of. Mother recalled seeing photos of Vennie as a young child and photos of her brother when her grandmother Martha was still living, but they were buried with Martha when she died. My grandmother tried to find her father's family from "the Alton area," but never located them.
I even got a court order to see Vennie's mother's mental health records, but that didn't help much at all.  So, 32 years later, I still don't know who she was, but I'll never forget what she was---a beautiful, resilient woman whom I loved very much.