Meridith was the second son and third child of Hiram Calvin Vinson and Martha Anna Kendall. As you can see from the letter further down, he grew up during the civil war in the war-torn area of Mississippi. This was a very difficult time for him and as a result received very little 'formal' education. His father and older brother, who was only 14 had joined the war. His father had been captured during the war and was held prisioner for 18 months at the POW prision at Rock Ialand, Illinois. Plus his older brother was shot at the Battle of Shiloh. Therefore Meridith, was left the oldest son at home with his mother and several siblings. His older sister, Nancy had marrie din 1860. Her husband was also taken prisoner and put in the Rock Island prison. I'm sure, as a boy, Meridith had many sleepless nights wondering where his next meal would come from and if would have a home the next day. There was constant 'unknowing' and bloodshed surrounding him. Just daily survival was the order of the day. Anyone who has studied the civil war knows, Mississippi was not the place to be - especially if you were for the south.
H. VINSON 37 M farmer TN Martha 23 F NC Nancy 4 F TN John 3 M MS Merideth 1 M MS
Children, Nancy, Mary, Meredith and John Vinson are listed as students at Pleasant Hill School. Teacher is S. D. Kendall.
MY NOTE:
At this time, I'm not sure if or how, S. D. Kendall is related to Martha Anna (Kendall) Vinson - the mother of these children. Note that Meridith is now quite 9 and he would be quitting school in about 2 years due to the war.
Calvin Vinson 35 M farmer 400/600 VA Martha 33 F NC John 13 M MS Nancy 15 F MS Mary 12 F MS Sarah 11 F MS Robert 6 M MS James 4 M MS Newton 2 N MS
MY NOTE:
For some reason, William Meridith Vinson isn't listed - THOUGH Sarah is listed the age that he would have been.. As you can see the census taker, got some of the children out of order as they should be Nancy, John, (then my Meridith who is missing) , then Mary. Also, note that Sarah SHOULD HAVE BEEN 8 and it was Meredith (the one who was left out) that was age 11. This family was living right next door to Meridith's grandfather, Jesse Vinson, SR.
VINSON, W M WRIGHT, Caroline 1868-Jan-14
My Note:
See Caroline (below - under Meridith's wives)
Wm. M. VINSON 21 M W farmer MS Caroline 18 F W MS Granville L 2 M W MS
Meridith Vinson head 32 farm laborer MS ?? TN Caroline wife 29 MS MS MS Granville L. son 11 MS MS MS Sarah J. dau 10 MS MS MS Ida dau 8 TN MS MS Alice dau 6 TN MS MS Della dau 3 TN MS MS James son 1 TN MS MS Hester dau 2m (born Mar) TN MS MS
My Note:
See Sarah Jane Howell (below - under Meridith's wives)
My Note:
See Mary Bell Tucker (below - under Meridith's wives)
William M. VINSON head M W Mar 1849 51 md 9 yrs MS MS MS -farmer Mary B. wife F W Apr 1859 41 md 9 yrs-4 children-4 alive)TN TN TN Cora E. dau F W Feb 1888 12 TN MS TN Mamie C. C. dau F W Apr 1892 8 TN Richard H. son M W Nov 1893 6 TN Elija F. son M W May 1895 5 TN Jasper I. son M W Mar 1899 1 TN
Meridith W. VINSON head M W 61 M3 18 yrs MS TN TN -farmer Mary B. wife M W 51 M1 15 yrs 4 children,4 alive TN TN TN Ethel Cora dau F W 21 single TN TN TN Mamie C dau F W 18 single TN TN TN Hiram R. son M W 15 single TN TN TN Elija F. son M W 14 single TN TN TN Ira J son M W 11 single TX MS TN
Meredith VINSON head M W 70 married TN TN TN Mary wife F W 60 married TN TN TN Jasper son M W 20 single TX
William M. VINSON head M W 81 $1500 MS-TN-TN Mary B. wife F W 71 TN-TN-TN
*Meridith is the 2nd man from the left. So far this is the only photo that I've been able to find of my 2nd great grandfather.
--born abt 1851 Burnsville, Tishomingo Co., MS
--died abt 1885 McNairy Co., TN (probably childbirth complications)
--d/o Granville Lafayette Wright and Hester Malinda DONAHOO
----gd/o Philemon W. 'P. W.' 'Phil' Wright and Charity ?
----gd/o Alexander Donahoo and Charlotte HENSLEY
1860 Tishomingo Co., MS, P. O. Burnsville, page 449Granville Wright 34 M KY Farmer 800/1120 Ether M. 29 F TN Caroline 9 F MS Lucinda 5 F MS Geo. W. 2 M MS Josiah 4/12 M MSSee my Wright File fo mofre information on the Wright Family
--born about 1859 Tennessee
--died about 1890 McNairy Co., TN
1880 McNairy Co., TN, District 5, page 58DSarah Jane was known as 'Sackie'. At the time of marriage to Meridith, Sarah was the widow of Ephriam Barnett who had died about 1885/86 in McNairy Co., TN. She had two young boys.E. BARNET Self M Male W 68 KY Farmer SC SC Sarah BARNET Wife M Female W 31 MO Keeping House MO MO Ephraim E. BARNET Son S Male W 10M TN KY MO
- Ephriam Lee Barnett
--born August 6, 1879 Gravel Hill, McNairy Co., TN
- Jesse Burton 'Burt' Barnett
--born April 3, 1884 McNairy Co., TN
--born April 16, 1860 Savannah, Hardin Co., TN
--died January 11, 1934 Coolidge, Limestone Co., TX
----buried Armour Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
1860 Hardin Co., TN, 10 civil District, Hamburg, P. O., page 362, #1118-1156
--enumerated September 6, 1860R. F. TUCKER 33 M farmer $232 TN Sarah C. 24 F TN Elizabeth A 6 F TN James S. 4 M TN Jane A. 3 F TN Mary B. 1 F TN1870 Hardin Co., TN, District 12, page 130ARichland TUCKER 34 M W farmer $400 $250 TN Nancy 31 F W k house TN Elizabeth 16 F W TN Jane 14 F W TN James 13 M W TN Mary 10 F W TN1880 Hardin Co., TN, District 12, page 130ARichard F. TUCKER Self M Male W 55 TN Farmer NC TN Nancey E. TUCKER Wife M Female W 43 TN Keeping House TN TN Elizabeth A. TUCKER Dau S Female W 24 TN House Keeping TN TN Jane S. TUCKER Dau S Female W 23 TN House Keeping TN TN Mary B. TUCKER Dau S Female W 22 TN TN TN Jasper N. TUCKER Son S Male W 5 TN TN TN
This letter was written by W. M. Vinson when he was almost 87. It was in response to an inquiry letter about his family's history.
My Obsertation:Feb 1, 1936 from Prairie Hill, TX to Mrs. M.V. Aultman of Byron, GA "....I grew up during the Civil War in Mississippi. Because of this I was deprived of an education, being out of school at the very time I should have been going. My brother, John Wesley Vinson, joined the army when he was fourteen years old. He was my oldest brother. I had six brothers. Their names are John Wesley, Robert Anderson, Isaac Newton, James Edward, Thomas Franklin, and Hiram Calvin Vison. All of them are dead except Hiram and myself. My sisters were Nancy, Mary, Sarah and Georgia.
My father's name was Hiram Calvin Vinson. He grew up in Fayette County, Tennessee. The only one of my father's brothers I knew was Anderson Vinson.
My grandfather's name was Jesse Vinson. If my family name was ever spelled Vincent I do not know it. My people came from North Carolina, but I do not know what part they came from.
I have a son living in Wilmore, Kentucky. His name is R. H. Vinson. ...I have been married three times, so it would take to long to tell you about my present family. I am eighty-seven years old and I have more children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren than I am years old. I have two great-great grandchildren. I sign my name W. M. Vinson. My full name is William Meridith Vinson. ....."
W.M. Vinson
Some of this family intermarried with descendants of Hiriam Calvin Vinson. William Calvin Vinson (s/o Pleasant Anderson Vinson and M. Elendor 'Ellen' Campbell) married Martha Jane Sutton (d/o John Porter Sutton, Sr. and Galpha Manurver 'Manerva' Vinson). Galpha and Pleasant Anderson Vinson were both children of William Vinson and Rutha Wilson. Now Martha Jane (Sutton) Vinson also had a brother, Hiram Sylvester 'Syl' Sutton (1870-1964) who married Georgia Ann 'Georgie' Stone (1878-1964). Georgia was the d/o Sarah Elizabeth Vinson and William Henry Stone and gd/o Hiriam Calvin Vinson (Meridith's father). Sarah (Vinson) Stone lived in McNairy Co., TN the same time as Meridith did.
Funeral services were held at the Methodist Church following his death at 3:30 P.M., at the home of his daughter, Mrs. T.C. Suttle, west of Coolidge on February 6, with the Rev. R.E. Briggs pastor of the Methodist church, conducting the services.W.M. Vinson was born in Burnsville, Mississippi, on March 23, 1848, and at the time of his deth lacked only a few weeks of being 95 years of age, and up until a few weeks ago he had been very active, spending his time in visiting with his children and many other relatives. Mr. Vinson also took a very active part in church affairs, having united with the Methodist Church when only a lad of 15 years of age.
In 1866 Mr. Vinson was married to Miss Caroline Wright and to his union ten children were born, all of whom were deceased at his death.
In 1886 he was married to Mrs. Sarah Jane Barnette and Mrs. Ethel Adams of Coolidge was the only child of this union.
In 1893 he was married to Miss Mary Bell Tucker and to this union four children were born, Mrs. T.C. Suttle, Elijah Vinson, Jasper Vinson and Hiriam Vinson.
Mr. Vinson came to the Coolidge community in 1898 and had made his home in and near here since that date, and had been here engaged in farming most of his life.
Pallbearers were Olin Rivers, J.B. Suttle, Aubrey Vinson, Pat Kay, Bill Blount and Edgar Vinson.
Granville Lafayette Vinson
--b. November 14, 1868 Iuka, Tishomingo Co., MS
--d. Aug 6, 1940 Mexia, Limestone Co.,TX)
----buried Old Armour Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
--m. Eliza Evaline 'Eva' Ledbetter
--December 11, 1888 TN
----b. February 13, 1870 Florence, Lauderdale Co., Alabama
----d. April 13, 1941 Coolidge, Limestone Co., Texas
------buried Old Armour Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
----d/o Francis Marion Ledbetter and Eliza Ann (Smith) ROUNDTREE
------gd/o Henry Clay Ledbetter and Elizabeth RUNNELS
Picture on right: Granville L. Vinson
Sarah Jane (Vinson) CUNNINGHAM
--(August 23, 1870 Iuka, Tishomingo Co., MS - 1892/7 Michie, McNairy Co., TN)
Ida Bell (Vinson) CUNNINGHAM
--(July 1, 1872 McNairy Co., TN - 1888/97 McNairy Co., TN)
Martha Alice (Vinson) HOPKINS
--(January 1, 1874 McNairy Co., TN - abt 1894 McNairy Co., TN)
Malinda Della (Vinson) ELAM
--(October 18, 1876 McNairy Co., TN - 1894/7 McNairy Co., TN)
James Alexander Vinson
Hester Lee (Vinson) CHRISTIAN
--b. March 29, 1880 District 9, McNairy Co., TN
--d. Nov 3, 1933 Coolidge, Limestone Co., TX)
----buried Armour Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
--m. Mattison Lafayette CHRISTIAN September 20, 1899 Navarro Co., TX
William Newton Vinson
--(abt 1882 District 9, McNairy Co., TN - abt 1895)
Johnnie Vinson
--(1884 District 9, McNairy Co., TN - 1884 District 9, McNairy Co., TN)
Infant Vinson
--(1885 District 9, McNairy Co., TN - 1885 District 9, McNairy Co., TN)
Children of William Meridith and Sarah Jane (Howell) Vinson
Ethel Cora (Vinson) ADAMS
--b. February 22, 1888 Selmer, McNairy Co., TN
--d. April 29, 1982 Coolidge, Limestone Co., TX)
----buried Coolidge City Cemetery, Coolidge, Limestone Co., Texas
--m. Calvin Hathaway ADAMS
--November 19, 1911 Limestone Co., TX
----b. December 8, 1888 Freestone Co., Texas
----d. January 24, 1957 Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
------buried Coolidge City Cemetery, Coolidge, Limestone Co., Texas
Ethel's photo - Courtesy of Storm Bergen
Children of William Meridith and Mary Bell (Tucker) Vinson
Mamie Clara (Vinson) SUTTLE
--b. April 27, 1893 Sardis, Henderson Co., TN
--d. September 28, 1975 Waco,McLennan Co.,Texas)
----buried Waco Memorial Park, McLennan Co., Texas
--m. Tom Charlie SUTTLE December 31, 1911 Limestone Co., TX
Richard Hiram Vinson
--b. September 1894 probably Sardis, Hendeson Co. TN
--d. May 1942 Dayton, Ohio)
--m. Mattie CALDWELL November 11, 1917 Fulton Co., KY
Elijah H. Vinson
--b. June 24, 1895 near Coolidge, Limestone Co., Texas
--d. November 30, 1959 Limestone Co., TX)
----buried Coolidge City Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
--m. Ella Marie WADDELL 1925 Limestone Co., TX
Jasper Ira Vinson
--b. March 4, 1900 Coolidge, Limstone Co., Texas
--d. October 29, 1963 Waco, McLennan Co., Texas)
----buried Coolidge City Cemetery, Limestone Co., Texas
--m. Mildred A. STRATER
--abt 1929 Limestone Co., TX
----b. November 4, 1906 Hillsboro, Hill Co., Texas
----d. January 1989 Waco, McLennan Co., Texas
Jasper Ira's photo - Courtesy of Storm Bergen
Additional Pictures, Stories, Information?
Would love to have any additional 'old' pictures, stories, scans of documents, etc to add to this file.
E-Mail me - Ann (Jobe) Brown
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