Self Seekers Newsletter, v.11, no.4

SELF SEEKERS:

THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE NEWSLETTER SUPPLEMENT

Co-Hosts
Tim W. Seawolf Self
Barbara Ann Peck
[email protected]
Volume 11, no. 4 October, 2008
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WELCOME

Welcome to volume 11, no. 4 of the quarterly online newsletter supplement to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com

You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to join "Self Seekers: The Self Family Association." We appreciate all of your contributions, large and small, and we hope you will continue to support our page, our surname list, and this newsletter.

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FLESH ON BONES

Some years ago, we were very fortunate to become part of the USGenWeb Project and adopt a few of the counties where the Selfs in Tim's line lived for several generations. Probably the most successful of all of them has been Union County, GA. which has elicited many contributions from visitors to its pages. The mountainfolk who inhabited these North Georgia hills intermarried with their neighbors, so practically everyone who has ancestors in that county is related to every other county researcher, either by blood or by marriage. It's a rare person with Union County heritage who cannot claim in some way to be "kin" to the huge Collins family, and thus to Celia (Self) Collins, daughter of Job Self, one of the area's earliest settlers. The Collins descendants that we know are multi-talented individuals. A particular skill is writing, whether it be fiction, prose, or poetry. In this issue we introduce today's most prolific writer and historian of her extended family and her surroundings which still echo the ancestral environment--Cousin Ethelene Dyer Jones. She has taken her skeletal ancestors and put flesh on their bones. And our invaluable assistant, Linda Garrett, has worked with her in editing and presenting us with final copy. We hope that you enjoy the articles. Though they are reprinted on our Union County GAGenWebSite, they are relevant to just about everyone just for a "good read." Ms. Jones still writes these weekly histories, and we will continue to upload them as they come to us. In keeping with the upcoming holiday season, Mrs. Jones has given us a treasure that will stand out from all of our other gifts. Enjoy!

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INTRODUCING COUSIN ETHELENE DYER JONES AND "THROUGH MOUNTAIN MISTS"
by Barbara Peck
edited by Tim Seawolf-Self

As did many single-surname page hosts, we became county coordinators in the USGenWeb Organization a long time ago. Hosting counties relevant to our ancestors was just one more way to meet relatives and gain information about our past. In 2002, we were able to become caretakers for Union County, Georgia where Tim's family had lived for almost 100 years before moving on to Texas. Today we consider Union our very best county. It has lots of visitors, lots of discussion on its corresponding ListServ, and most of all, a great deal of input from those who research there.

The Union County GAGenWebsite owes much of its success to our Archivist, Linda Garrett. Linda has patiently typed local obituaries for over five years and is still going back to previous years to make our obituary collection as complete as possible. Thanks also goes to Kenneth West, editor of the North Georgia News, for naming our site as the newspaper's official obituary archives.

Another contributor to the site was Martha Clement. Martha is no longer with us. A heart attack stifled the talents of a very promising young writer and photographer in the summer of 2006. Just a month before she passed away, her mind was virtually overflowing with novel ideas for feature articles. We miss her both as a friend and as an assistant.

We never thought that we'd be lucky enough to find another writer. But thanks to Linda, we are now receiving the weekly work of Ethelene Dyer Jones, reprints of articles published in the Union Sentinel. This collection, entitled "Through Mountain Mists," can be found at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~gaunion/mmindx.html. In addition to her writing skills, Ms. Jones is a wonderful historian who gathers information both from her own memories and those of family members and local residents of Union County.

BACKGROUND

Ethelene Dyer Jones is the daughter of J. Marion and Azie (Collins) Dyer, the granddaughter of __________________, and the ggd of Celia (Self) Collins. Celia Self, daughter of Francis Self of Buncombe County, NC, was Tim's 4th great aunt. She and her husband, Thompson Collins,left many descendants in Union County, GA where they settled as early pioneers. There were very few surnames that were not allied with Collins and Self, often several times over. Today there are still individuals living in Union County who are directly descended from Tim's 5th gg, Francis.

Ethelene writes mostly about her family, past and present. And because she's related to almost everyone, living or deceased, in the county, she will probably never run out of stories. She presents vignettes of life in North Georgia as well as biographies of those teachers, philanthropists, and inventors who have made their mark on their town, state, and even the nation.

SAMPLER

The collection begins with "Considering Mists," a brief account of its origins and the qualifications of the author. Those who love the mountains will recognize the early morning mists that inspired the birth of these articles in July 2003. Following this introduction are tales of people and places that belong to those shrouded hills. You'll meet Micajah Clark Dyer, the real inventor of the first "flying machine" some fifteen years before the Wright Brothers' experiment at Kitty Hawk. You'll feel the religious passion of Charles Edward Rich, Rev. Thomas M. Hughes, and his son, Thomas Coke Hughes, among others. The pages are also inhabited by farmers, soldiers, teachers, musicians, physicians, and gunsmiths. Celia Self must be very proud of all those who carry her genes!

In addition to individuals, Ms. Jones takes us to historic buildings such as the Souther-Dyer House (1850), the old Souther Mill (1848), and the Hunter-England House (1832). And through her eyes and her pen we visit natural landmarks including Track Rock Gap, Brasstown Bald, the Ivy Log Community, and others. I could make this article much longer, but you really have to read these articles. I promise you'll become enchanted with them and find it very difficult to leave your computer!

CONCLUSION

We're very fortunate to be able to present this series of articles on our Union County site. We're also lucky to claim such a knowledgeable and talented cousin as one of our own. Even if you're not a member of this Self branch, you might want to save fuel and visit the mountains of North Georgia online this fall. You'll definitely feel as if you've been there, and you'll keep on coming back.

(NEXT: "Mini Reunion")
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PLEASE CONTRIBUTE BIOGRAPHIES AND PHOTOS

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MINOR SELF LINES
part 20
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self

In 2003, we presented an article on the major unconnected Self lines. Now we'd like to concentrate on the minor lines that are still not connected to Olde Robert Selfe, even by "best evidence." In this installment, we've included Self branches from South Carolina. We hope to feature more small family lines in the following newsletters.

Virginia

SALLY SELF: We know the general line of Sally Self, who was born 1810 in Cumberland County, KY. Her family comes originally from Amelia County, VA. But who were her parents? She m. Samuel Spencer and had six children: Thomas, Nathan, Milton, Louisa, Sidney, and Sarah. We don't know what happened to them, either.

WILLIAM JOHN SELF: Another Self with ties to both Amelia County, VA and Cumberland County, KY is William John Self (1829-1898). His wife was Mary C. Guinn, and his seven children were Berry, James, Hiram, Sallie Matilda, Julia, Dora Alice, and William B.

JOHN MUSCOE SELF: To this day, Selfs and Selphs live in Caroline County, VA. One early Self who has puzzled us, though, is John Muscoe Self, born about 1786. He was almost 40 when he married Susannah Edwards who could not have been the mother of his oldest daughter, Mary, born in 1812. We don't know who his first wife might have been, but she was not around in 1824 when he married Susannah. Part of the mystery may be because he is sometimes referred to as Muscoe, sometimes as John, and sometimes as John Muscoe. His children with Susan were Benjamin, Martha, Rebecca, Frances, Caroline, Paul, Jona, John, and Frank. Son Paul (1837) went on to marry a cousin, Mary Susan Self, b. 1834, daughter of John and Polly Self. We need some help in sorting out this family.

HENRY SELF: Henry Self married Fannie Jerden/Jordan/Jordon in Caroline County. They had four children: Florence Ellen, Zeila B., Wilbert, and Ada.

CARRIE FLOYD SELF: Born in 1872 and died in 1964, Carrie Self married first David W. Banks, and, following his death, Richard Thomas Martin. Son Garland Graham Banks lived from 1897 to 1966. Two daughters, Mary and Lola, were born to Carrie and Richard Martin.

DANIEL SELF: Who was the Daniel Self who married Savilla Koler in 1887 and lived, with son, Dan, in Caroline County?

WILLIAM SELF: Another Caroline County resident who should be obvious but isn't: William Self m. Mary Covington in 1952 and had children Mary Belle and Walter Franklin.

JOHN ALFRED SELF: He m. Kate Virginia Sisle and lived in Caroline County. Their children, born during the years 1844-1852, were Sally, Margaret, Phoebe, John Washington, and James Buchanan. Who was John Alfred Self? And what became of the first four children?

MARY A. SELF: We have some inconsistent dates for Mary Self. First of all, who were her parents? Second, we have her married to James Eubank in 1850 and giving birth to four children (Luella, Lucy Ann, Christine, and Olivia), the youngest sometime in 1859. However, we also have a death date for her husband of 1853. If that's true, who did her last three daughters belong to?

NANCY SELF: Even more confusing is Nancy Self--parents unknown, but probably closely related to Mary A. Self above. She also married someone named James Eubank in 1826 and having one son, John Thomas Eubank, born in 1839. Can someone please sort out the Self and Eubank families in Caroline County?

MARTHA SELF: We know that she was born in 1830. She married Daniel Coler and had at least one child, a daughter name Savilla. Who was Martha? Who was Daniel? What happened to Savilla? And finally, were there any other children in this family?

LOUIS LEON SELF: He lived in Chesapeake County, VA until his death sometime before 2003. His second wife, Alexzene Florence (Clark) Self died in that year. Louis was married once before and had children. Who was his first wife? And who were his parents?

JOHN W. SELF: John W. Self was born 1845 in VA of unknown parents. His wife, May, was nine years his junior. This couple had five children: Olivia, William, Daniel, John, Joseph. They are on the 1880 Census for Chesterfield County.

ROBERT SELF: In Craig County, Robert and Mary Jane (Elmore) Self (both born 1841) lived with their daughter Elizabeth Ann in the mid-1800s. Their daughter married Robert Kelly and had five children: Stella, George Ella Susan, Minnie D., Paul Grant, and Robert Lee. Nothing else is known about this family.

JOHN E. SELF: There were so many John Selfs in early Virginia, sometimes using their middle names or initials, sometimes not--it's almost impossible to place all of them without help. Who was John E. Self of Cumberland County? His wife was Mary Gannaway Holman, and his son was George Richard Self who left many descendants in Buckingham County.

REBECCA SELF: We need to know the parents of Rebecca Self who married Thomas Ownby in Essex County and had children Walter, Betsy, and Willoughby.

ROBERT SELF: This mystery man was born in 1846. He m. Ellen Shipman. There were three children--Robert F., William James, and Gertie V.--in their Fairfax County family.

WILLIAM J. SELF: It's possible that this man, born 1837, was the brother of Robert Self (above). He and wife, Mary F., lived in Fairfax County with their four children (Marian, Joseph, James, and Robert) and their nephew, William J. Self.

TABITHA SELF: Tabitha Self was born in 1784 in VA or NC. She lived in Halifax County with her husband, Obadiah Martin, and their children, Meady, Lavisa, Lucy, Sarah, Presley, Rebecca, Wesley, Pascal, and John. We know about their descendants, for the most part, but we don't know which Self branch Tabitha was from...

JOSEPH SELF: He married Ella Mae Divers and allegedly lived in Elizabeth City, NC with his family of five children: Vera, Lena, Joseph, Oscar, and Milton Robert. Where in Virginia did Joseph come from, and why did he move to another state?

DAVID SELF: All we know about David Self is that he married Elsie Holly and had one daughter, b. in 1781, named Melvina. This daughter married Henry Zion of Lee County, VA and had eight children. The line stops here for us. Please let us know if you have more information.

JOHN SELF: Yet another John Self lived in King George County in 1846 with his wife, Mary Carver, and two sons, James and John. He may have gone to Washington State. Who was he, and what happened to him and his descendants?

SARAH SELF: Sarah Self was from Loudon County. She married Andrew Burnside, born about 1785. Apparently someone once believed that she was the daughter of one of the Presleys, but apparently this assumption was false since that Presley had no children. The Burnside family had five children: Elizabeth, Nicholas, Andrew Jackson, Dorcas, and Mary. We know what happened to them, but we still don't know Sarah's ancestry.

FLEET SELF: One Self who has us confused is Fleet Self, born before 1792 in Northumberland County, VA. He was married to Piner C. Lunsford and had at least one child named Stephen Fleet Self who had quite a few children in Westmoreland County. We have a feeling that "Fleet" was probably his middle name. Who was he? Who were his parents? We have absolutely no clue on this individual.

THOMAS SELF: Born in 1820 in Northumberland County, Thomas Self and his wife, Lucy, had four children: William, Addison, John, and Elizabeth. A later entry in our files has Thomas born in 1819 and gives his wife's name as Louisa ("Lucy") Dixon.

EDWARD T. SELF: He m. Ann Bradley in 1834 in Prince Edward County. Supposedly this family lived in Mecklenburg County. Who were the Self grandparents of Mary, William, Sarah, Edmond, Ann, Rebecca, and John?

SAMUEL ZACHARIAH SELF: Married to Elizabeth Brickey in 1835 and to Martha Ann Luckham in 1849, this individual seems to have had just one child, George W. Self who married Alice Hooker. The family lived in Richmond County.

BENJAMIN SELF/SELPH: We have some leads on the ancestry of Benjamin Self/Selph. He was born in 1805. His wife's name was Sarah Martin, and he lived in Rockbridge County. We have his descendants scattered in several files. We'd like confirmation on his identity.

GEORGE SELF: Born 1816 in VA, he married Polly (??) who was born in 1824. They seem a little old to be the parents of Jennie (b. 1861) and Henrietta Ada (b. 1863), but that's what we have in our records. We also have a notation that his mother's name was Louisa, and that she was born 1794 in VA. The location is probably Westmoreland County.

WALTER SELF: Walter Self, born 1819 in Westmoreland was the husband of Lucy S. Brann and the father of Susan, Compton, and Virginia. Who were his parents?

ROBERT SELF: One of many Roberts, he was also born 1819 in Westmoreland County. He and his wife, Jane Elizabeth Kirk, had seven children: Mollie, Bettie, Sallie, Louella, Robert William, Mary, and James Francis.

SAMUEL B. SELF: This is another individual that has a few possibilities in our files. But we'd like to know for sure. His four children were Hiram, Jane, Frances, and Elizabeth. His wife is listed as Eliza Self, but it's not clear if she was born with the Self surname, previously married into it, or just called Eliza Self because she was married to Samuel. The county is Westmoreland.

MARY F. ("POLLY") SELF: One more early female Self whose origins are unknown. She married William McKeldor and had at least one child, Julia Ann, in Westmoreland County.

JEREMIAH SELF: We're stumped! Jeremiah Self was born 1819 in VA, but to which parents? His wife was named Julia Ann, and the family moved to Jasper County, IL. There were four sons (Josephus, Ephraim, William, and Caleb) and four daughters (Joanna, Elmira, Dorcas, and Mary Magdalen), and Mary is the only one for whom we have information...

WILLIAM SELF: Born somewhere in VA around the turn of the 19th century, William Self married Mary (Yarber) Holt. Their one known child, Martha Caroline (Self) Baker was born in Virginia in 1826 and died in Washington County, MO at the age of 89.

(NEXT: Minor Self Lines, part 21)

Maybe your ancestors used to tell stories about life in the "old days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able to help. Please contact us. And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.

LOOSE ENDS

Please go to our "Loose Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.

DEAD ENDS

Please go to our "Dead Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.

SELFS IN SPACE

What would you like to see here? This space is reserved for any topic of interest to Self cousins. Express YourSelf!!

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