Friday’s Photo: Karl Wimberly and Helen Estelle Barker: Getting Karl’s Name Right

Karl Bryan Wimberly was the third child of John Lawson Jr. and Alice Martha Bryan. He was born in Bienville Parish on 18 May 1890. Helen Estelle Barker, born 19 Oct 1894, was the daughter of Wellington Maxwell "Mackey" Barker and Sarah "Sallie" Elizabeth Gilliland. Karl and Helen were married in 1915. They had four children and lived near Ringgold, where Karl farmed. Karl died in 1953 and Helen in 1984. Karl, Helen, and many family members are buried in the Wimberly Cemetery in Bienville Parish. 

In a previous post that included photos of a younger Karl, I wrote his name as Karl Bryant Wimberly, unlike today's post, where it is Karl Bryan Wimberly. I found "Karl Bryant Wimberly's" short biography on page 270 of the Wimberly Family History, but on earlier pages, in the index, and under a family photo in that same book, he was listed as "Karl Bryan Wimberly."  

Because his mother’s maiden name was Bryan, Bryan seemed more likely to me than Bryant. My own maiden name was Bryan, and I know from experience how often people added a “t” to it. Still, I wanted proof.

Karl’s headstone, obituary, and death record all give his middle name as Bryant. Those records were likely based on information provided by the same person after his death. Earlier records tell a different story. Many simply show him as Karl B. Wimberly, but the Social Security Application and Claims Index, his World War II draft registration card, his daughter’s birth record, and his World War I draft registration card all give his name as Karl Bryan Wimberly.

That would have been enough evidence on its own, but the clearest proof was Karl’s own signature on his World War I draft registration card: “Karl Bryan Wimberly.” For me, that settles the question.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page , where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

Diana Bryan Quinn, “Friday’s Photo: Karl Bryant Wimberly,” blog post, Moments in Time, A Genealogy Blog (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/2023/02/fridays-photo-karl-bryant-wimberly.html  :  posted 3 February 2023; accessed 3 April 2026).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/90292434/karl_bryant-wimberly: accessed April 3, 2026), memorial page for Karl Bryant Wimberly (18 May 1890–25 Feb 1953), Find a Grave Memorial ID 90292434, citing Wimberly Cemetery, Bienville, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, USA; Maintained by A Footstep In Time (contributor 47345816).

Karl and Helen Barker Wimberly, photograph, n.d.; scanned image, from the privately held photo collection of Mary V. Smith, Alaska, 2004.

"Louisiana, Deaths, 1850-1875, 1894-1960", FamilySearch  (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F3MD-749 : accessed 2 April 2026), Entry for Karl Bryant Wimberly and J I Wimberly, 25 Feb 1953.

“Louisiana, U.S., State Birth Records, 1911–1923,” database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com  : accessed 3 April 2026), entry for Wilbur Wimberly, born 7 March 1923, Ringgold, Bienville Parish, Louisiana, certificate no. 4186; naming Karl Bryan Wimberly as father.

Vera Meeks Wimberly, Wimberly Family History, Ancestors, Relatives, and Descendants of William Wimberly, Pioneer from Georgia to Louisiana 1837 (Houston, Texas: D. Anderson, 1979), 271-273.

“U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007,” database, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com  : accessed 3 April 2026), entry for Karl Bryan Wimberly; citing Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936–2007.

"United States, World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZ8C-JBP : accessed 2 April 2026), Karl Bryan Wimberly, 1917-1918.

"United States, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X596-CJX : accessed 2 April 2026), Entry for Karl Bryan Wimberly, 1942.

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 1

I discovered long ago that the best way to identify old photos is to keep sharing them, hoping someone with the same image will recognize them. Over the next few Fridays, I will post unidentified photos from the Marguerite Cook Clark collection. 

Marguerite Cook Clark grew up in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, and was my third cousin. She descends from Joseph, the son of Reddick Bryan and Elizabeth Regan. As the family genealogist, she was the keeper of her family’s photos, documents, and letters, and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to view and scan her collection.

Below are the first six unidentified photos in Marguerite's collection. Please email me if you can identify any photos or have the same or similar images. 

Click to send 

 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Unidentified photographs, n.d.; digital images, from the privately held photo collection of Marguerite Cook Clark (1913-1989), Waynesville, North Carolina, 2021. Photos were accessed and scanned at the home of Marguerite Cook Clark's daughter in Alpine, Texas on April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016.

A Record of Enslavement - Could this be Mourning Iverson of Bienville Parish?

I have had this Bill of Sale for quite a long time, but mine was faded, and the enslaved person's name could not be seen. This copy, from Martin County's Deed Book F, found at FamilySearch last week, can be easily read. 

To all People to whom these presents shall come, I, James Bryan of the county of Martin and State of North Carolina planter for and inconsideration of love good will and affection which I have and bare towards my loving Daughter, Amy Bryan of the County and State aforesaid have givin and granted and by these presents do freely and grant unto the said Amy Bryan her heirs Executors, admns and assigns one negro named mornin to have and to hold all the negro slave to her the said Amy Bryan her heirs Exors and from henceforth as her and her property absolutely without any manner of consideration. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17th day March 1815 - Signed sealed and delivered and in the presence of

                                                                                                                                       James Bryan {his mark}

Benj. Bowers

Reddick Bryan

Martin County December Term 1816  this bill of sale was proven in open court by the oath of Reddick Bryant, one of the subscribing witnesses and ordered to be registered.

H.B. Hunter Clk

Persons Named in this Bill of Sale

Benjamin Bowers and Reddick Bryan witnessed this transaction. No information has been found to positively identify Benjamin Bowers. Reddick Bryan was my second great-grandfather. Much about him can be seen by clicking on this page. 

James Bryan

I have long suspected that James Bryan, of Martin County, North Carolina and  named in the bill of sale, was the father of Reddick Bryan. Two years before this transaction, he deeded land to Reddick with no mention of cost. Reddick witnessed this document where James names Amy as his daughter. It is thought that James moved to Twiggs County, Georgia. Reddick was one of the administrators of a James Bryan's estate in 1817 in Twiggs.

Amy Bryan

Amy Bryan was named as the daughter of James. It is thought that she moved to Twiggs County with her family as Reddick, who was living in Twiggs, was the administrator of an estate of an Amy Bryan in 1826 in Twiggs County. 

Mornin

Mornin was an enslaved woman gifted to Amy Bryan by her father James. Mornin's age is not known, but if Amy Bryan went to Twiggs, it was very soon after this transaction and Mornin probably went with her. 

When I read this bill of sale, I was surprised to see the name Mornin. Mornin was very similar to the name Mourning, which I found when writing about records of persons enslaved by Reddick Bryan at Slavery and the Bryan Family

An enslaved woman, 43-year-old Mourning, was listed on an 1856 transaction between Reddick and his son, Joseph B. Bryan, in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. She was not listed in the family bible transcription but was one of several enslaved persons who would remain with Elizabeth Bryan as reported on the Partition of Slaves recorded after Reddick Bryan's death in 1864. This same person was found as Mourning Iverson on the 1870 United States Census in Bienville Parish, Louisiana. 

Mourning appears to be the mother of several of the enslaved persons named in Reddick Bryan's probate. The ages of her enslaved children indicate that she probably came with the Reddick Bryan family on their move to Louisiana from Georgia. 

Could Mourning Iverson and Mornin, found in the 1815 Martin County Bill of Sale, be the same person? 

More Questions than Answers 

Unfortunately, there are more questions about the relationships between these people than answers. Twiggs County records burned in 1901, leaving absolutely no early records. I cannot say that James was the father of Reddick and Reddick, the brother of Amy. Reddick could easily be a nephew or cousin. 

And I cannot say that Mornin is Mourning Iverson.

Although I don't know the answers to these questions, it is important to share this information.  I may never solve these hard genealogical puzzles, but future researchers will have more clues than I did when I started researching. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

"Administrator's Sale," Southern Recorder (Milledgeville, Ga.), 5 September 1826, p.4, col.5; digital images, Digital Library of Georgia, (https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82016415/1826-09-05/ed-1/seq-4/ : accessed 9 March 2024).

"Administrator's Sale," The Georgia Journal (Milledgeville, GA), 6 January 1818, p.3, col.6; digital images, Digital Library of Georgia, (https://gahistoricnewspapers.galileo.usg.edu/lccn/sn82014251/1818-01-06/ed-1/seq-3/ : accessed 9 March 2024).

Diana Bryan Quinn "Slavery and the Bryan Family," blog page, 24 June 2020, Moments in Time: A Genealogy Blog (https://momentsintimeagenealogyblog.blogspot.com/p/throughout-my-bryan-family-research-i_10.html : accessed 9 March 2024).

Martin County, North Carolina, Deed Book F: 378, Bill of Sale, 17 March 1815; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L983-N3LW? : accessed 9 March 2024), image 193. 

Martin County, North Carolina, Deed Book F: 220, Deed, 10 September 1813; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G983-NQ3B? : accessed 9 March 2024), image 114. 

Last Week, Everything Changed . . . Finding Reddick Bryan Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search

Two weeks ago, I started on a much-procrastinated project - my brick wall, Reddick Bryan. He lived in Martin County, North Carolina, moved to Georgia and later to Bienville Parish, Louisiana. I am hoping to find more information that points to his parents. There are many public trees giving him a variety of parents, but none show adequate documentation. 

Exhaustive searches in Martin County, North Carolina records and Bienville Parish records were completed years ago, but I had never spent enough time looking at deeds and other records in the surrounding counties or in Pulaski, Houston, and Twiggs Counties in Georgia, where Reddick was said to have lived. 

In addition, Reddick was closely connected to a Miles Bryan in both Georgia and Louisiana. I don't know the family connection, but YDNA says it's close. 

I began by reading unindexed succession records in Bienville Parish, looking for any pages or clues I may have previously missed. I spent much time in the library reviewing Bienville Parish deeds on Family Search and much more time at home looking at Bryan family deeds in Houston County also on FamilySearch. I even wrote a blog post about searching the Bienville succession records on Ancestry.com - Look Beyond the Indexed Records When Searching Louisiana Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com 

Last Week, Everything Changed . . .   

Then, last week, at RootsTech, it was announced that FamilySearch Labs released Full-Text Search, allowing us to search scanned images of records not previously indexed. According to the website, there are currently only two collections available to search: the United States Land and Probate Records dating from 1630-1975, and the Mexico Notary Records collection, with most records created before the 1900s. However, new collections will be added regularly. 

This means that all of those wonderful land records that were digitized from microfilm will be searchable by name, place, or whatever phrase I use. Not only are they searchable, but when you locate a record, a transcription can be seen along with the record. 

This record of Reddick Bryan was found when I entered the search terms "Bryan" and "Twiggs." These terms are highlighted in the document. The transcription of the two pages was below the record, which was saved as a PDF. I clipped the bottom portion of the transcription to give you an idea of what you will see. 

In only a few days, I completed county searches in North Carolina and Georgia that would have taken me years to complete prior to Full-Text Search. I found records I did not find in previous searches. I was able to search by decade, state, and county. I searched for Bryan using a variety of spellings and full names in quotation marks, such as "Reddick Bryan," as well as only surnames or less common first names. 

A search for "Twiggs" in the 1810s and 1820s showed numerous deeds in other Georgia counties and states naming those who lived in Twiggs County, Georgia, during the time Reddick Bryan was living there. This is especially valuable as Twiggs County's early records were burned in a fire in 1901.

In less than a week, I accomplished the following:

• Complete searches of deed records at FamilySearch for Bryans in Houston, Twiggs, Pulaski, AND all surrounding counties in Georgia. Began searches for Bryans in counties surrounding Martin County, North Carolina. 

• Determined that Reddick Bryan probably never lived in Pulaski County, as seen in many family trees. There will be more on this in a later post. 

• Determined that Reddick probably left Martin County in North Carolina to settle in Twiggs County, Georgia, where he lived before moving to Houston County, Georgia. Again, more about this will be in a later post. 

• Found new clusters of friends, associates, and neighbors of both Reddick and Miles Bryan that need to be investigated.

With AI, I was hoping for good transcriptions of handwritten records, but I never expected to get something this good in my lifetime! Now waiting for court records, Freedmen's Bureau records, and Irish birth records. Thank you, FamilySearch!

For Descendants of Reddick Bryan and Miles Bryan 

As many of you reading this post will be descendants of Reddick Bryan, I want to offer my help and ask for yours. I have been researching Reddick and his family since the late 1990s. I have collected much information and am willing to share what I have. 

I would also like your input. If you have family documents, a Bible, or family photos, please share. You never know what kind of clue will be in the documents, on the back of a photo, or in a family Bible. Click below to send me an email. 

Click to send 

More About Full-Text Search

Learn how others are using this fabulous tool at the links below. 

Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! from Randy Sever (read his lessons learned and advice) 

12 Strategies for Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search from Kimberly Powell

Try It! FamilySearch's New Full-Text Search from Marian B. Wood

Full-Text and AI comes to FamilySearch from James Tanner

John Coor of Copiah County Made an Agreement with Joel Hoggatt from Lisa S. Gorrell

Exploring FamilySearch’s New Full-Text Search Tool & AI Transcription Comparison from Dana Leeds

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

The Bryan Puzzle, a study of the Bryan families living in Martin County, North Carolina during the 18th and early 19th centuries - compiled by Dr. Howard V. Jones

In June 2000, my father and I traveled to
Williamston to visit the Martin County
courthouse to view the deed records and get a
few specific records for Dennis and Howard.
This was my first time looking at courthouse
records. I was clueless and thankful the
women working at the courthouse were
so patient.

Reddick Bryan
1793-1864

As I began my search for my great-great-grandfather, Reddick Bryan, I was assisted by two very experienced, thoughtful genealogists. First, J. Dennis Bryant of Georgia who found Reddick Bryan in Martin County, North Carolina deed records. Second, Dr. Howard V. Jones of Iowa who was a descendant of a Martin County Bryan family. I never met either of these men, but through phone conversations and other correspondence, both showed me the importance of the exhaustive research needed to produce evidence-based conclusions. 

From Howard and Dennis, I also learned the value of land records and other documents found in deed books. And, they encouraged me to take my first genealogy trip to the courthouse in Martin County, North Carolina to find additional deed records.

In early 2000, through correspondence, I introduced Howard and Dennis. They shared documents and the next year, Howard sent me a wonderful 37-page document titled The Bryan Puzzle, a study of the Bryan families living in Martin County in the 18th and early 19th centuries. This document is a compilation of Howard's research and information shared with him. This is an invaluable tool if you are researching Bryans in North Carolina, especially near Martin, Halifax, and Edgecombe Counties.

Howard Vallance Jones
1922-2013

Using deed records and wills, Howard shows possible relationships of these Bryan families. Howard wrote that there is much speculation in this document and all should not be confused as fact. One example of the speculation is Howard placing Reddick as a son to James Bryan on page 19. This is not proven; however, Howard gives me a good place to begin my research. Look at the land records related to Reddick and his thought-to-be family. Researching these other Bryans, neighbors, or even witnesses on deed records may give me some new family information.

Howard asks questions and makes very helpful comments throughout this document. I use a copy of The Bryan Puzzle to make notes and add information when researching North Carolina Bryans. Download a copy of The Bryan Puzzle by clicking on this link. 

Dr. Howard Vallance Jones, Jr., 91, of Cedar Falls, Iowa, died May 17, 2013. Click here to see his obituary. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2020

Sources

Family photographs from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

The Bryan Puzzle, a study of the Bryan families living in Martin County, North Carolina during the 18th and early 19th centuries - compiled by Dr. Howard V. Jones, Jr.  Used with permission. 

The Other Reddick Bryans

My great-great-grandfather, Reddick Bryan. Born 1793 in North Carolina, he
lived in Georgia before moving to Bienville Parish, Louisiana in 1838.
He remained in Bienville Parish until his death in 1864.
This drawing is copied from an early photo of Reddick Bryan and was
found in the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark. The artist is unknown. 

There are two men from North Carolina who are often confused with my great-great-grandfather, Reddick Bryan, in online family trees. The title to my post is a little deceiving as these men weren't actually named Reddick Bryan. 

Redick O'Bryan was said to have come from Chatham County in North Carolina and by 1815, when married to Elizabeth Bourland, he was living in Hopkins County, Kentucky. His parents were said to be Thomas O'Bryan and Sylvania Frances Copeland. Both born about 1760 and said to be from Chatham County. Redick O'Bryan died and was buried in Hopkins County, Kentucky in 1879. 

Riddick Bryan of Northhampton County, North Carolina is sometimes seen as Reddick Bryan, but most documents indicate it was Riddick. He was born about 1810 and can be found living in Northampton County until his death sometime around 1888.  He married Charity Bryan in 1833 and Sarah Bryan in 1864. 

Although I cannot find any documents connecting these three men, it does not mean they were not connected. Very little can be found about my great-grandfather while he lived in North Carolina. From deed records, I know he lived in Martin County before moving to Georgia.  However, I have found no other information as many records were lost in two Martin County Courthouse fires prior to 1900.  

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2017

Sources

Ancestry.com. "Public Member Trees." Web. 14 Jan. 2017. <http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx>.

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Marguerite Cook Clark. Accessed April 28, 2014, September 14, 2014, and November 9 to 11, 2016. Used with permission.


Martin County, North Carolina Genealogy Genealogy - FamilySearch Wiki. Web. 1 Mar. 2017. <https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Martin_County,_North_Carolina_Genealogy>.