Friday's Photo: Mitchell Alonzo Giddens

Mitchell Alonzo Giddens was the son of my great-great-grandfather, George L. Giddens, and his second wife, Sarah Rich. He was born in Duplin County, North Carolina on September 18, 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
© 2019

Sources

Family photographs from the Giddens Family collection. Accessed July 2012. Used with permission.

"Retired Officer, M. A. Giddens, Dies Saturday," El Paso Times (El Paso, Texas), 25 Jul 1976, p. 34, digital images, Newspapers.com: accessed 26 Jul. 2019.  https://www.newspapers.com/clip/34262318/mitchell_alonzo_giddens_obituary/

“U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999 for Mitchell Alonzo Giddens.” https://www.ancestry.com/interactive/1265/31916_b033941-00162/28086815?indiv=try&h&db. Accessed 26 Jul. 2019.

Was Louis D. Giddens' Genealogy Research Preserved?

Charles A. Giddens
1865-1958
Charles was born in Giddensville, 
graduated from Jonesboro High School, 
worked as a postmaster in Giddensville, 
worked as a milkman in NYC, 
and owned stores in Crew VA, 
Phillipsburg NJ, and St. Louis MO. 
Before he retired to Sedalia MO, he
purchased and ran a hotel in Edinburg TX. 

The letter below is a transcription of a letter written in 1952 by my great-grandfather, Charles Allen Giddens. The letter was written to his half-sister, Lena Letisha Giddens Byrd who was looking for family information. The letter was dated June 7, 1952. Lina passed away on August 20 of that same year. 

In the letter, Charles mentions talking to Louis Giddens of Goldsboro, North Carolina several years prior to this letter.  Louis's hobby was genealogy.  

On page 243 of The Heritage of Wayne County, North Carolina, Arthur Fountain Smoot wrote about the Giddens family. His sources were L. D. Giddens Sr.'s diaries, L. D. Giddens family Bible, Goldsboro newspapers and personal interviews. 

Louis D. Giddens, Sr. died in 1909. Where can I find Louis Giddens' Bible, diaries, and other research? 

June 7- 52

Dear Lina your letter of 1 / 2 received    Glad to hear from you and to learn where your Fla residence is located.  My son Charles lives at Hollywood Fla which is not far from your place.  We were down to see him and Louise his wife in 1946. That was before we left St. Louis for Tex.  We were in Florida in 1928 and in 1939 and covered both east and west Fla, but in 46 we went by Deland , Sanford, Orlando Kissin then Okeechobie then around the lake.  Then on down to Hollywood.  We had quite a trip.  Geneology or family tree you wrote about I know a little which I learned from Louis Giddens of Goldsboro several years ago I knew nothing until he mentioned it to me that was his hobby.  The first known to come to this country were from Wales and they came over with lord Baltimore and landed in Baltimore, Md.  One of them drifted down to N.C. Wayne County and married a Miss Taylor I think her first name was Mary.  The next I know anything about was our grandfather Mitchell and his brother which was Louis Giddens' father both married sisters whos names was Britts.  Our grandmother was Laticha or something like that.  This is where you branch off and drop all except the Mitchell branch.  I was born Nov 22nd1865 at Giddensville Sampson Co NC You can get sisters history from Hugh and Pearl she was about two years younger than I.  My children are all dead but two Charles and Edith I do not know where Edith is Charles may be able to tell you if you write him his address is Hollywood Box 1042 Fla. Lucy my first wife was borned in Vermont and about three months younger than I, her last name was Glenn. Our great-grandfather was married when he was quite old and had two sons George Britt one of the boys used to visit us at Giddensville and we went to dances together around the Holliday.  He was about three or four years older than I was, he was a good sport.  Let me hear from you often and come to see us sometime.                           Love and best wishes                                Charles and Stella Giddens                                2005 E. Broadway Sedalia, MO. Charles A. Giddens wrote, "The first known to come to this country were from Wales and they came over with lord Baltimore and landed in Baltimore, Md.  One of them drifted down to N.C. Wayne County and married a Miss Taylor I think her first name was Mary.  The next I know anything about was our grandfather Mitchell and his brother which was Louis Giddens' father both married sisters whos names was Britts." My great-grandfather's story is similar to the one found in The Heritage of Wayne County, North Carolina (1982). Arthur Fountain Smoot wrote, "John Giddens was born in Maryland in 1755 and moved to Dobbs County in 1770 where he married Sarah Taylor."   My research shows that John fought in the American Revolution and received land in Wayne and Duplin Counties. At the time of his death in 1802, John lived in Wayne County. He and his wife had eight children. As described in the letter, two sons married Britt sisters. David married Sophia Britt and Mitchell married Letisha Britt. Louis D. Giddens was the son of David and Charles Giddens was the grandson of Mitchell.  Information about others mentioned in the letter can be found below.  Charles Allen Giddens was the son of Luellen Bradshaw and George L. Giddens and was born in Giddensville, Sampson County, North Carolina. His first wife was Mary Lucy Glynn and his second wife,  Estella Moyer Rosenberger. He mentioned his grandfather, Mitchell Giddens who was married to Letisha Britt (George Britt was her half-brother). Edith Giddens Davis Charles William Giddens His son, Charles William Giddens was living in Hollywood, Florida with his wife, Louise.  His daughter (and my grandmother), Edith Giddens Davis, was living in New York at the time he wrote the letter. Charles mentioned his nephew, Hugh, son of Frances "Frankie" Giddens and Warren Harper. Hugh and his wife, Pearl, lived in Texas.

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

© 2019

Sources

Family photographs and documents from the collection of Diana Bryan Quinn

“The Heritage of Wayne County, North Carolina, 1982: Wayne County Heritage Book Committee: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming: Internet Archive.” https://archive.org/details/WayneCountyHeritageFamilyHistories/page/n249. Accessed 6 Apr. 2019.

#52ancestors Post Forty-Eight: Next to Last - Bryant Rustus Giddens

This photo was taken between 1910 and 1918. If Mildred and Albert were already married when this photo was taken, the photo would have been taken after the marriage of the
Northcutts in 1917 and prior to the death of Cleo Patra Giddens O'Cain in 1918.
Click on the photos to see a larger version. 

The writing prompt for #52ancestors, post-forty-eight is next to last. Bryant Rustus Giddens was the next to last child of Mitchell Giddens and Letisha Britt of the North Carolina. Bryant Rustus Giddens was probably born in Duplin County. According to Bible records, he was born on September 2, 1851. His father was living in Duplin County when recorded in the 1850 census and appeared to remain in Duplin until at least November 1852. 

Friday's Photo: Oscar Lullen Giddens

This photo was found in an album that once belonged to my grandmother, Edith Giddens. Oscar was her
father's half-brother. He visited his half-brother, Charles, and family in Phillipsburg, NJ before 1920.

Timeline - Oscar Lullen Giddens

Date	Event
September 20, 1891	George L. Giddens married Sarah Rich in North Carolina.[i]
April 20, 1893	Oscar Lullen Giddens was born in Faison, Duplin County, North Carolina.[ii]
December 23, 1895	Sister of Oscar, Lina Letisha Giddens was born in Faison Duplin County, North Carolina.[iii]
1896	The family lived in Faison in Duplin, NC where George Giddens was a town magistrate.
July 11, 1897	Sister, Dorothy Mildred Giddens was born in Faison Duplin County, North Carolina. [iv]
June 30, 1900	1900 Census. Oscar's father, George, age 59, lived in Duplin County, North Carolina where he was a Postmaster. He lived with his wife, 24-year-old Sarah and children, 7-year-old Oscar, 4-year-old Lina, and 1-year-old Dorothy. His sister-in-law, Ada Rich, and brother-in-law, Milton Rich, also lived with the family. Ada was 14 years old and her occupation was "house labor." Milton, age 13, was listed as "farm labor." A boarder and dry goods clerk, Bessie Hobbs, age 20, lived in the home. Sarah had four children, but only three were living. She and George had been married for 9 years.  George's daughter, Frances "Frankie" Harper lived nearby with husband Warren Harper and family. His son, Charles, lived in Phillipsburg, NJ.

Sunday's Obituary: Charles Allen Giddens

Found at Newspapers.com - Click here to view. 

Charles A. Giddens was my great-grandfather. The father of my grandmother, Edith. This obituary contains a few errors and didn't tell the whole story.  

Charles was the son of George L. Giddens and Luellen Bradshaw and was born in Giddensville, Sampson County, NC. George L. Giddens married Sarah Rich after the death of his first wife in 1890.  

In North Carolina, Charles worked in his father's store and was once postmaster in Giddensville. 

By 1891, Charles was in New York City where he delivered milk. He married Mary Lucy Glynn, my great-grandmother in Manhattan on March 31, 1891. 

By October of 1891, the Giddens family was living in Crew, Virginia where he owned or co-owned a dry goods and shoe store.

He left Crew, Virginia in 1894 and moved to Phillipsburg, New Jersey where he worked as a laborer in one of the many factories. 

From about 1898 and 1920, he owned a dry goods store in Phillipsburg . Around  1920, he divorced his first wife and in 1922, married Estella Moyer Rosenburger.  They relocated to St. Louis, Missouri where he opened a clothing store. 

Around 1946, Charles Giddens and family left Missouri to settle in Edinburg, Texas where Charles and Estella opened a hotel - The Giddens Hotel. 

By 1952, Charles was retired and living in Sedalia, Missouri where he died at the age of 92. 

Charles was preceded in death by his children Elizabeth, Warren, Florence, John, and Georgie. Edith, my grandmother, was living in New York and his son Charles lived in Florida.  Mrs. Roy Wilhite was his step-daughter - Margarette Rosenburger Wilhite. 

Diana

© 2012