Wicker's Barbecue--Facebook memories

Remembering when. I remember when Peck Wicker started bottling Wickers's BBQ Sauce. He converted a wringer washing machine into a mixer. How do I know, I saw them making it. Frank Vandiver, Mrs. Effie Tinnin help him make it!

Share · 1 May at 09:26 near Kosciusko, MS

Fry-Alderson Photos

 Suzy brought a huge box of photos and documents to the family reunion which I was able to photograph.  This album had a lot of Alderson photos including one of Aletha Peters Jones who was my husband's great-great grandmother.  But the one below is of Alice Alderson and Isaac Henry Fry's oldest children: Irene, Alfreda, Alderson, Phil, Hale and Donald.

There were also photos of Alice and her family.  Below is her mother Mollie C. Jones Alderson (Mary)

Fig and Date Salads

Eloise's Fig Salad

 While at a Fry Family Reunion, Donna prepared one of Eloise's recipes:  grapefruit, bananas and dates. Tom said his dad frequently served this to him when he had breakfast at Grover's.  She developed this recipe by picking up dates on the golf course.  Her mother, Alice Alderson had a recipe for Fig Salad which we found in documents while at the family reunion.

Mix together 2 cups of shredded cabbace [sic], 2/3 c. shredded carrot, 2/3 cup diced celery, 1/3 cup diced green peppers, 1/3 cup finely cut fennel.  Moisten with the following dressing:  cut until crisp 2 T finely cut bacon.

Add and cook slowly 5 mins. 4 t finely cut onion, remove to heat 4 T vinegar, 1 t. salt, 2 t. sugar, 1/8 t pepper, 1/3 cup Pet milk. Whisk well, mix, pur over prepared veg.  Serve at once.  Do not chill Serves 4

Huh?  Where are the figs?  We think this must be a "Faux Fig Salad"!

Williams Brothers

Although Benjamin and Mahala Watson Williams, had two daughters, we don't really know much about them.  Martha married Matthew Harris in 1846, had a daughter in 1849, appeared in the 1860 census, but her husband re-married in 1867.  That is more than we have on Polly who appeared in the court records and then we have nothing.  She might have married or died.

The oldest brother Thomas Jefferson Williams went with his brother-in-law Matthew Harris and his brother Daniel to Indiana where they joined the Union army in the Civil War.  Their brother James (and possibly Charles) went to Tennessee to join the Confederate Army.  While there are scores of James Williams in the Civil War, cousin Tom pointed out that this one joined the same day as JJ Vaughn who appeared as his neighbor in the 1860 Census. (and was possibly a relative of his future wife Mary Ann Pullum)

While the Union war and pension records for Daniel and Thomas Jefferson are lengthy (A 65th and C Infantry 120th Reg. Indiana), there is very little on James which makes us wonder if he went AWOL as many did.

Benjamin Williams and Mahala Watson

Genealogy can be pretty dry and reading legal documents can be tedious.  But every now and then we run across facts and can just imagine the emotions and conditions which led to the events.  But we will start at the very beginning.  May I introduce my great-great-great grandparents.  Sorry, there are no photos---those would be pretty rare for this class of people during the early 1800's.

Benjamin Williams and Mahala Watson were both born in Kentucky around 1810.  The first record we have is their marriage in 1827 in Hopkins, KY.

The 1830 census is more of a tally with only the "head of the household's" name.  There were 2 white adults between 20-29 (one male, one female) living in Benjamin's household.  I always like to see who else is on the page because there are often relatives.  William Williams was on the same page and in the same age range.  When we later found out his wife was Malinda Watson, we were pretty sure they were related through the husbands and/or the wives.  Carol Williams Huff found an obituary which showed that Malinda only had one daughter whose name was Mahala.  That is another indication that they were related---she might name her daughter for her sister.

The children started arriving by 1834 with Martha Williams (m. Matthew Harris), Polly Williams born in 1836 and Thomas Jefferson Williams in 1838. The next census in 1840 is still a tally with 1 boy under 5, 2 girls between 5-9 and 2 adults between 30-39 living in the household of Benjamin Williams.  Next door is living a Samuel Watson who was born around 1813, but we don't know if this was Mahala's brother, but he is likely a relative.