Friday's Photo: A Found Baby Picture

This old photocopy of a baby picture was labeled Hairston "Buster" Bryan and found in my cousin Jackie's genealogical files.  Where did she get this copy? Does anyone have a similar picture of Buster? 

Diana

© 2012

Census Sightings: Harry B. Bryan???

Brothers, Hairston "Buster" Bryan and my father,
Whit Criswell Bryan in the late 1920s

In the 1930 census, my father, Whit Criswell Bryan, was living with his three sisters in Borger, Texas; however, his brother, Hairston "Buster" Bryan is not with the family and for years, I was unable to find him.  

Last week, when writing about Buster and his wife, Wanda, in the 1940 census, I decided to search yet another time for Buster in 1930. According to a search at Ancestry.com there were 356 male Bryans or Bryants born in Texas around 1906 and living in the United States in 1930.  Number 58 was the first that looked promising - Harry B. Bryan and the more that I read, the more that I knew it was Buster. 

"Harry" lived on Burnett Street in Wichita Falls, Texas - not far from Buster's hometown of Seymour.  He was a lodger in a home owned by a widow, Wanda Lawler, from Kentucky.  Also living in the house were Russel Dobbs, the G. C. Casey family, and another lodger, Carlena Mays, a cook. "Harry" was a drugstore clerk and like Buster, he was born in Texas in 1906, his mother was born in Texas, and his father was born in Louisiana.  

I don't know why his name is written as "Harry" instead of Hairston but, I know that this is Buster. Buster lived in Wichita Falls at the time of his father's death in August of 1929 and newspaper clippings about his father's death state that Buster worked at the Kemp-Kort Drug company in Wichita Falls. 

Diana

© 2012

Monday's News: News from the Bossier Banner

In 2007 while in Louisiana looking for Bryan and Regan family information, I found the following items in old issues of the Bossier Banner. These people are not related to my family, but I thought that someone researching might like to see some of this information.  

In my notes, I wrote that I looked at most of the issues from July 1, 1859 to June 22, 1860 and from April 17, 1866 through December 1866. I recorded information from legible obituaries and marriages. I did not always record all of an obituary or marriage notice as I was pressed for time, but any information of genealogical importance was recorded. 

 December 23, 1859

On the 19^th inst., of Pnemonia, after a short illness, Mrs. Mary Rasberry consort of L. C. Rasberry aged about 48 years.

Married – on the 10^th instant at the residence of the bride’s father, by the Rev. J. F. Ford, Mr. A. B. George of Claiborne Parish and Miss Penny P. Hodges of this parish.

March 9, 1860

Married

On the 1^st instant at the residence of Gideon Allen by the Rev. Robert Martin.  Mr. Franklin Cavett  to Miss Annie E. Owens all of this parish.

Sunday's Obituary: Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan

Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan died on September 15, 1940.  My father, Whit Criswell Bryan, was his younger brother. Buster was the son of Redic E. Bryan and Myrtie Hairston Bryan, both who died in the 1920s.  

This obituary appears to have been written by a paper in Seymour, Texas and it is assumed that this paper was The Baylor County Banner. Several years ago, my father pointed out the inaccuracies in this obituary.  Buster's date of birth was January 24, 1906. His married sister was Willa Mae Dudley, not Armstrong. Buster graduated from Seymour High School in 1923, not 1924 and he had a step-son, Randall Dorman, not a step-daughter. 

Diana

© 2012

Census Sightings: Hairston "Buster" Albritton Bryan

Wanda

Buster

Buster was my father's older brother, he died in 1940 so I never had the privilege to meet him and didn't know very much about him until I started looking into the family history. 

When an adult, Buster went by H. B. Bryan. I assume that this is stands for Hairston Buster Bryan. 

As recorded in the 1940 census, Buster was living with Wanda, his wife, and her 19 year old son, Randall Dorman. Buster and Wanda were both 34 years of age. Wanda and Randall were born in Oklahoma while Buster was born in Texas. Buster was working as a driller's helper in the oil fields, Wanda did not work, and Randall worked as an attendant at the "gasoline service station." Buster had worked for 40 weeks during the previous year and made $1400.00. 

It was reported that all three were living in Lea, New Mexico in 1935. In regard to education, Buster had two years of college, Wanda completed seventh grade, and Randall completed two years of high school. 

After finding this census record, I was able to find a little more about Buster's wife, Wanda. She was married previously to Walter Dorman* who had children from a previous marriage. She and Walter* had one child Randall.  Randall and Wanda moved back to New Mexico after Buster's death, but no other information is known.  I have yet to find Wanda's maiden name and a marriage record for Wanda and Buster. 

*This is incorrect. Wanda married a Rufus Dorman in 1918. Buster and Wanda were married in 1935 and Wanda's maiden name was Land. 

Diana

© 2012

Friday's Photo: A Classroom in Stephenville, Texas

Stephenville School Room 1 had at least 70 students in the class. There are two adults, the man in the front and a woman on the left.  I wouldn't be surprised if only one was the classroom teacher. 

This picture came from Carla, a distant cousin from my Hairston family. She believes that her grandfather, Joseph Oscar Noah, was in the picture. Joe was born in 1896 so this picture would have been taken in the early 1900s. 

The top picture is a cropped version of the picture at the bottom.  It was taken by Flanders Photography.  Can anyone date this picture?

Diana

© 2012

Monday's News: National Aviation Day

Louise Giddens, wife of Charles Allen Giddens (my grandmother's brother), a cardboard version of  Charles A. Lindbergh and my grandmother, Edith Giddens.      

Yesterday was National Aviation Day - it comes every August 19th. And, yesterday, my mother sent me this picture of my grandmother and her sister-in-law with a cardboard cut-out of Charles Lindbergh.  Lindbergh became famous for making the first transatlantic airplane flight in 1927. 

This was probably taken in New Jersey before 1930. I assume that it was taken soon after the flight. 

Diana

© 2012, copyright Diana Quinn

Friday's Photo: Edith Giddens

This is my grandmother, Edith Giddens Davis. I assume that this is when she was still single as she looks so young.  Born in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, she was the daughter of Charles A. Giddens from Giddensville, NC and Mary Lucy Glynn from Putney, Vermont. 

Diana

© 2012

Sunday's Obituary: Willa Mae Bryan Dudley

Willa Mae Dudley

Willa Mae Bryan Dudley was the fourth child of Redic E. Bryan and Myrtie Hairston.  She was born, Willie May Bryan, in 1910 in Seymour, Baylor County, Texas.  She was married to James Dudley and had one child, Jacqueline. Willa Mae is buried with her sisters, DeRay and Marie, in the Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. 

Willa Mae Dudley

Willa Mae Dudley, 81, Borger, died at 5:45 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 1991 in Golden Plains Community Hospital.

Services are pending with Minton-Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.

A native of Seymour, she had been a Borger resident since 1927. She was a former manager for ladies' wear at Dunlap's, and formerly employed at Cartwright's and KC Store.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, and Altrusa Club.

Survivors include a daughter, Jackie Skinner of Denver, Colo.; a brother, Whit Bryan of Virginia Beach, Va; a grandson, Chip Skinner of San Francisco, Calif.; a granddaughter, Kelli Vlahos of San Francisco, Calif.; a great-granddaughter, Demetria Vlahos.

                                                                Borger News Herald - May 26, 1991

Willa Mae Dudley

Graveside services for Willa Mae Dudley, 81, Borger, will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. William Houghton, rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, officiating.

Burial will be by Minton-Chatwell Funeral Directors of Borger.

Mrs. Dudley died at 5:45 a.m. Saturday, May 25, 1991 in Golden Plains Community Hospital.

A native of Seymour, she had been a Borger resident since 1927. She was a former manager for ladies' wear at Dunlap's, and formerly employed at Cartwright's and KC Store.

She was a member of First Baptist Church, and Altrusa Club.

Survivors include a daughter, Jackie Skinner of Denver, Colo.; a brother, Whit Bryan of Virginia Beach, Va.; a grandson, Chip Skinner of San Francisco, Calif.; a granddaughter, Kelli Vlahos of San Francisco, Calif.; a great-granddaughter, Demetria Vlahos.

                                                       Borger News Herald - May 29, 1991

Diana

© 2012

Friday's Photo: Julia Murray Moylan

Julia Murray was born on March 25, 1893, Ballyvelaghan in the old Parish of Abby, now New-Quay, County Clare, Ireland.  She was the only child to remain in her home town and only one of two to remain in Ireland. She married Patrick Joseph Moylan. He died in 1956 and Julia died in New Quay on November 30, 1988.

Do you know where Julia is buried? Is she buried near her parents? 

Does anyone have additional pictures of Julia? 

Diana

© 2012

Census Sightings: Whit C. Bryan

Whit Criswell Bryan - This is the same picture used in the
article seen in last Monday's post. 

Last week Ancestry.com announced that it indexed all of the 1940 census records so I immediately put Dad's name in the search boxes. A few months ago, I found his sisters in his hometown of Borger, Texas, but he wasn't listed as part of the family and I knew that he joined the Navy in 1940.

Well, Dad was the only Whit Bryan in the 1940 census and he was residing at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego where he was attending Hospital Corps School.  There were no new facts on the record. He was 19 years old, born in Texas, and stated that he lived in Borger, Texas in 1935.

I have more pictures from San Diego.  The one below is of Dad and two other very young men.

On this picture Dad wrote 

Bill Smith

 ? Winters

Whit Bryan 

Hospital Corps School San Diego Cal (Spring?) 1940 

A little more searching on the 1940 census told me more about the others in the picture with Dad. 

William Smith was 20 years old, born in Texas, but in 1935 resided in Fredrick, Tillman County, Oklahoma. 

Robert Winters was also twenty years old. He was born in Montana and resided in Glasgow, Valley County, Montana in 1935. 

  

The following pictures are also from Dad's time in San Diego. 

Administration Building - U.S. Naval Hospital Corps School 1940

 

Diana

© 2012

Sunday's Obituary: Myrtie Marie Bryan

Myrtie Marie Bryan, my father's sister

Myrtie Marie Bryan was the first child of Myrtie Hairston and Redic Bryan.  She was born in 1901, in Erath County, Texas, but spent most of her childhood in Seymour, Texas.  She graduated from Seymour High School in 1921 and moved to Borger, Texas after the death of her parents, where she managed the household duties for her siblings. 

Marie Bryan . . . . senior citizen

Funeral services are pending for Marie Bryan, 85, who died Saturday at Magic Plans Nursing Home, Borger, where she resided.  

Surviors include two sisters, Dee Ray {DeRay} Bryan of Borger and Willa Mae Dudley of Borger; one brother, Wit Bryan {Whit Bryan} of Virginia Beach, Va., and nieces and nephews. 

Arrangements are by Minton/Chatwell Funeral Directors. 

                                                      Borger News Herald, September 14, 1986  

Marie Bryan

   

Borger - Marie Bryan, 85, died Saturday. 

Graveside services for Marie Bryan will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery with Rev. Jerry Evans, Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Arrangements are by Minton/Chadwell, Funeral Directors. 

Miss Bryan, born in Erath County, had lived in Borger since 1927.  She was a member of First Baptist Church.  

Survivors include two sisters, DeRay Bryan and Willa Mae Dudley, both of Borger and a brother, Whit Bryan of Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Source and date unknown - clipping found in genealogical notes that belonged to Whit Criswell Bryan     

Diana

© 2012

Friday's Photo: Dollie Wylie Revisited

A few weeks ago, I posted the picture on the top left.  It had never been labeled and until recently comparing it with other family pictures, I always thought that it was a family friend. After comparing pictures, I decided that it might be Dorothy Elizabeth Harriet Bryan Wylie, my grandfather's sister.  Maureen Taylor, the Photo Detective, dated the black clothing in this picture at about 1912.  Well, Dollie's husband, Tom Wylie died in 1911.  Could this picture be Dollie Wylie on the day of her husband's funeral? 

The picture above, on the right, is Dollie Wylie.  It was sent to me by Jane A., a granddaughter of Dollie. It is said to be on Dollie and Tom's wedding day; July 27, 1889.  

Some of you thought that my picture (on the left) was Dollie and others did not. Now what do you think? 

Dollie 1889
Wonderful details on this dress! Thank you Jane!

This is the entire photo.  Could this be a church or building in Coke County, Texas? 

Diana

© 2012