Just a few of the ancestors

Just a little familiarity with geography would let you know where you were on this planet.  That would be Surry County and more specifically in the Mt Zion Methodist Church Cemetery in Pinnacle NC.  That tombstone is for Granny's parents- James B.  and Elizabeth Stone Smith.

And this photo below is Elizabeth and James.  Actually Rhoda Elizabeth and James Beauregard to be more specific.

We heard  many interesting, and some sad stories of our ancestors.  It was the occasion of the Crissman reunion in Boonville in neighboring Yadkin County on Sunday and Patt and I took the opportunity to go early and visit on Saturday with George Jones, Dad's first cousin -- Granny's sister Callie's son. We had visited with him the Smith reunion back in May.

James was born Feb 21 1862 and died Sept 15, 1908, which was 31 days after his 20 year old son, Emory died after a brief illness.  James grieved himself to death simply not eating according to George's recollection of his mother's story of her father's death.  James operated a "rolling mill" on the banks of a creek feeding into the Yadkin River -- I remember Granny telling me that her Dad died young and that life was hard after that.  George also said that his mother said "their life was hard".  Two of the eleven children died in infancy.  Granny or Myrtle, and her eight remaining brothers an sisters, must have been extremely close.  When we were young we met many of those brothers and sisters and visited the baby brother, Clayton who married Bessie-- they were  dairy and tobacco farmers.  

Elizabeth Stone Smith was born Nov 8, 1866 and died Jan 7, 1955.  We have photos of me and other brothers with her.  This is her parents gravestone.  It is a few miles away near the town of Pilot Mountain and just beside the Pilot Mt. golf course.  Lizzie as she was called had a twin sister Rebecca who lived until 1958.  Lizzie and Becca are buried beside one another and James and Emory are buried beside one another on either side of the grave marker at Mt Zion.

Below is Elizabeth's parents Malinda and William.  pertinent dates apparent.  George remembered "Granny Stone sitting in a rocker" and that is all I got.  They lived on the "other side of the river"  and accessible only when the river was low.  

Does George remind you of anyone from behind.  He really reminded me of Dad a few years ago in appearance and several mannerisms.

This is a view from the Stone cemetery-- a corner of the golf course is just beyond the fence.

William Stone is the fifth child of Enoch and Elizabeth.  Got that from the Stones of Surry book that we have.  Also that William and Mary had 14 children.  

More later on other side of the family-- had a lot of fun visiting distant relatives and seeing places that were important to earlier generations of Dad's family.  On Sunday prior to going to the reunion we went again to Siloam Baptist Church where there are both Smiths and Crissmans.  We are kin to a large portion of the congregation.  Dad had a lot of cousins.