Strong Roots, Beautiful Leaves

John William McRae was born July 8, 1881 in New Albany, Indiana. He was the eldest child of William Rice McRae and Sarah 'Sallie' Cooper. John married Lula Hoover on December 13, 1905. At this time, John was living in Carmi, White County, IL while Lula was from Griffin, Posey County, IN. Not too many days into their marriage (the first newspaper article was published on December 29, 1905), John was dreaming or half asleep when he started talking about Kansas. This peaked Lula's attention, and she started asking more questions. As it turns out, John had previously married a Miss Lou Gillahan on March 18, 1903 in Johnson County, KS. While in Kansas, John went by the name Will. In the spring of 1904, John and Lou had a child together, Raymond. By that fall, John went back home to Griffin, IN. When he returned home, he told people he was single while others he told he was divorced. In November 1905, John wrote to Lou in Kansas and asked for a divorce. The next month is when he ...

Manlove Walls and Celia (Hazzard) Walls were born and raised in Sussex County, Delaware. They married in the same area. Manlove was named after his mother's maiden name. When Celia was a teenager, she molded bullets for the Revolutionary Soldiers. By 1797 the couple were living in Virginia. By the 1810 census, they were living in Breckinridge County, Kentucky. Around 1814 they moved to Indiana. Manlove had moved to a plot of 160 acres of land, granted to him through delayed payment from federal legislation. This land was in Greenfield Township, Orange County. They appeared in Orange County, Indiana on the 1820 census.  Per census and burial records, this is where they spent the remainder of their lives. The couple had at least four children: Levin Derby, Thomas, William Conway, and Jemima. Their oldest child was Levin Derby Walls, named after his paternal grandfather. Levin was born October 19, 1795. As mentioned above, the family was living in Breckinridge County, Kentucky by 1810...

Reverend Joseph Wasson was my husband's 5th great grand uncle. Oddly enough, my husband's Posey County family did not come from this branch of Wassons, but from descendants of a sibling of Joseph. Joseph, a man of Scottish ancestors, was born August 1, 1782 in Iredell County, North Carolina. Joseph's parents moved to Bourbon County, Kentucky between 1795 and 1800. Joseph married Elizabeth 'Jane' Adams on September 30, 1801 in Bourbon County, Kentucky. Jane was born in 1776 in North Carolina. She was a first cousin to our sixth President, John Quincy Adams! Joseph and Jane had 12 children. At some point, the family moved to Maury County, TN. In 1812 they moved from Maury County, TN to Gibson County, IN. At that time, Joseph met a man named Alexander Campbell. Alexander was the leader of a religious group called the Campbellites. This religious reform was the start of many non-denominational churches, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Alexander pu...

Williamson 'Wesley' Woods (1874-1948) married Mary 'Etta' Hobbs on February 18, 1894 in Brown County, Indiana. Wesley was one of at least six children (Rebecca Elizabeth, George Alma, Franklin, Henry Thurston, and Alva Clarence). Etta was one of 11 children (Anna Eliza, Ella Mae, George Benjamin, Ada Jane, William Thomas, Bessie Iona, Amanda Eva, Washington Moser, Hattie Olive, and Harry Hugo). Wesley and Etta decided to move to New Harmony, Posey County, IN sometime after their marriage. Etta gave birth to their first child, Iona May Woods on November 26, 1894 in New Harmony. Just over two short weeks later, Etta passed away on December 11, 1894. She was buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Nashville, Brown County, IN with several of her family members. Williamson Wesley Woods Mary Etta Hobbs Woods While Wesley had to work and could not raise a child by himself, he sent young Iona to live with her maternal grandparents, Benjamin and Mary Hobbs. Etta lived here for about two...

 Sattie Mae Sturm was born May 29, 1891 in Eckerty, Crawford County, IN. She died September 21, 1980 in Princeton, Gibson County, IN. She met her future husband, Travis Farrow, when he was staying at her family's home. Travis worked on pump stations for the railroad. His territory ran from St. Louis to Louisville. Travis and Sattie married on December 23, 1907 at the Sturm house by Reverend James Bobbitt. They had eight children, seven which survived to adulthood. Sattie was very active in her community and church. These are four of the songs and poems she wrote: Composed October 21, 1905 Yes you tell me that you love me that you love none else but me And that we’d be one if I could only see See how well you love me and know that you are true And for me to love you as you think I ought to do. For me to love you would be all in vain Although I tried to the first day you came And when we first became sweethearts Although it was on the sly for no one else knew it except you and I O wh...