My Brick Walls

Below are ancestors with whom I've hit the proverbial Brick Wall. If you can help, please e-mail me.

Catherine MNU
Born: ca. 1785, GA
Married:
Died: after 04 Oct. 1853, Rabun Co., GA
Catherine has presented a small problem. I had heard from various researchers that Catherine, the mother of Harrison Darnell and Mary Darnell Collins, married three times: 1) An unknown man who was the father of her two children; 2) An unknown Darnell, after whom the children took their surnames; 3) Benjamin Grist. I can verify the third marriage, but the more research I do on Catherine, the more I am inclined to believe that her maiden name was Darnell, that she was born in North Carolina, not Georgia (probably in Rowan or Wilkes County), and that her only marriage was to Benjamin Grist in 1834.

Miranda Fletcher Curtis
updated! Born: September 1856, GA
Married: Andrew J. Curtis
Died: 1919, Monroe Co., TN
Miranda's first name may have been Clarissa (or variant); possibly the daughter of Joseph Hial Fletcher and Elizabeth Morgan (both parents unverified; Elizabeth believed to be the daughter of James Morgan and Elizabeth MNU), who were married in Rabun Co., GA. Enumerated on the 1880 Census, Fannin Co., GA with husband and three children, and on the 1900 Census, Macon Co., NC after her husband's death.

Sarah McKinney Hopper
Born: ca 1793, Burke Co., NC
Married: Second wife of Samuel Hopper, date unknown, possibly in Giles or Claiborne Co., TN
Died: 1842, Rabun Co., GA
Sarah's maiden name and date of death come from a biography of her son, Zacharias Hopper, who lived in Arkansas.

John Martin, Sr.
Born: 1815, Ireland
Married: Celia Carver 1863 Rabun Co., GA
Died: Aft 1900, possibly Habersham Co., GA
What can you say about an ancestor named John Martin except that he has one of the most common names, ever? The first record I have for John is his marriage to Celia, when he was 48 years of age. My grandmother always told me that John immigrated from Ireland with two brothers (names unknown): one stayed in NY or went west, one went to SC, and John came to Rabun County. She also said that he had only three children, which I have verified through census records, but now I have one little, lone record that says in February 1864 (just a few months after his marriage to Celia), Mrs. John Martin of Chechero had 6 children while her husband was off fighting in the War of Northern Agression. Huh? So, where did these children come from and where did they go after February 1864? Or is this just an error of some kind (by the record-taker or the transcriber, which just happens to be moi)? This is the very first family I researched, starting way back when I was a teenager. You'd think after more than 20-odd years I would have found more information on this man...

James R. Roberts
Born: 15 Apr 1828, GA
Married: 1) Mary Callahan 1853 Jackson Co., GA; 2) Nannie -----
Died: 30 Nov 1890, Jackson Co., GA
James had one brother that I know of, a twin named William who was buried in Academy Baptist Church Cemetery, the same place James and his second wife were buried. I now have the names of James's children, BUT I'm completely clueless about his parents. My best guess is Isaac and Nancy Myers Roberts, but that's just a guess.