Who, Who Are You? UNKNOWN photos

These are photos of people in my mother, Eunice D. Burgin's collection of family photos. Please comment if you recognize any of these people.

Repost of October 26, 2017 from prior site.

Skipper Reunion Newspaper Article

Repost of September 6, 2014 from prior site 

I found this article in my Mother's pictures. I know you are about tired of discovering what was in my mother's picture box, lately that is where I get all my blogging inspiration.

Below is the typed extract of the article and a scanned image of the article. I do not know the year as there is no data on the article.

Skipper Clan Gathers for Big Get-Together in Polk County

By Betty Smith, News Staff Writer

Picture Caption:         Some of the oldest living members of the Skipper clan present at the reunion Sunday are, front row, left to right: Mrs. Thurl Skipper, Mrs. Ferd Skipper, Mrs. Dovie Thompson; back row, left to right: Thurl, Ferd, Bernice and Garvin Skipper.

One of Polk counties oldest families, the Skipper clan, held it’s reunion at the home of Thurl Skipper, Sunday afternoon. approximately one hundred members and friends attended.

unpredictable weather changed the site of the picnic, which was first designated to be at the old mill spring, in Big Level community of Polk County. After much discussion, the Thurl Skipper home was chosen.

Dating back to 1842, grandmother Skipper lived within view of the Thurl Skipper home Grandfather Skipper was away, fighting the civil war.

Ten children were born to the late Minter and Addie Conner Skipper.

They were:

Lilly, Dovie, Furman, Ferd, Thurl, Ina, Garner, Garvin, Virgil and Cornelius. Lilly, the eldest died at the age of eight and Virgil a few years ago. All were present at the reunion except Cornelius.

Minter and Addie Skipper were grandparents to 49 children. Numerous great and great-great-grandchildren make this one of the biggest clans in Polk County.

Reminiscing time followed the partaking of a bountiful meal. Almost all of the food was grown by members present.

Seated on the front porch and in the shade of trees, past happenings in the lives of the family was discussed.

Thurl told of the time the first automobile was heard to be in the county. The younger boys walked 15 miles to see this contraption, which was displayed on the old US 20, now known as highway 74, near Wash Whitesides place.

The car would go down hill pretty good, However it was not cut out to make the grades so familiar to Western North Carolinians. To solve this problem, the occupants of the care would get out and start pushing, with the help of bystanders.

“Remember, we didn’t have hard surfaced roads then and the vehicle just couldn’t make it through those deep ruts” Thurl said.

All agreed that the country here abouts had changed in the last 50 years.

Thurl Skipper brought his bride to their home by horse and buggy approximately 45 years ago. A hard, eventful life has left this family rich in memories. Displaying to visitors and friends alike an attitude of welcome and courtesy for which the South is renowned.

Mr. And Mrs. Berry Freeman, of Rutherfordton, neighbors of the Skippers for over 15 years, and Sue Shehan, who has an apartment in the Freeman home and is also related to the Skippers by marriage, were present for the occasion.

Plans were tentatively set to make this reunion an annual affair. The clan has meet nearly every year for half a century.

Skipper Clan Photo

Repost of September 6, 2014 from prior site

In the late 1990s, I sought out my Aunts Katherine, Beatrice and my Uncle Eugene to help with identifying some of the pictures that were in my mother's belongings. One picture in particular caught our attention and we began a journey to identify as many people in the picture as possible. It took us about 8 months to locate and talk with several different people.

Apart from identifying the people in the picture, the most memorable experience was meeting the precious people who helped identify the people. Sitting and listening to the stories of their lives was ageless.  Below is the initial article that I wrote for the picture above.

First I would like to thank Katherine Davis Noblitt, Ruth Thompson, Dorothy Skipper Stephens and Ray Skipper for their valuable knowledge and time in identifying the people in this picture. Without their priceless endeavor the faces, place and time of this picture would be lost forever. Thank-You! During the middle 1990s, Aunt Katherine helped me to meet up with Ruth, Dorothy and Ray to identify the people in this picture.

Where was the picture taken?  The picture was taken at the homeplace of Addie Conner Skipper, daughter of Joseph Washington Conner and Cynthia Flynn Conner. Addie married Minter Skipper. The home place was located on County Line Road off of Rock Springs Church Road in Rutherford County, NC.

Who took the picture?     No one is sure who took the picture

Who is not in the picture? Trying to determine who was standing behind the camera, Katherine Davis Noblitt, Ray Skipper and Ruth Thompson all agree that Lawrence Davis, Garvin Skipper and Cornelius Skipper are not in the picture. As Cornelius Skipper disappeared in the last few years of the 1930s (1938 or 1939), he would not be present. Depending upon the ages of Lawrence and Garvin, plus their military service records, there is still a question of who was present to take the picture.

What was the date and occasion of the picture?  No one has been able to place the actual date of the picture. Three people have been valuable in narrowing the date to 1941 or 1942.

First, Ray Skipper identified the baby standing at Bernice’s knee as Joyce Skipper. Guessing that the age of the baby is about one year and knowing Joyce’s birthday is in July 1941, he placed the picture being taken the summer of 1942.

Secondly, Ruth Thompson states that she remembers the picture being taken “shortly after” she married Curtis Thompson, son of Charlie Thompson and Dovey Skipper. She was married in 1940.

Thirdly, Dorothy Skipper Stephens expressed that she was about 10 years old when the picture was taken, which again places the picture between 1941-1942.

Birth Dates of the Skipper Family:  Thomas Minter Skipper         born June 20, 1864 – March 27, 1904; married Addie Conner (9/20/1870 – 7/26/1957)

Ten children were born to Minter and Addie:

Lilly	(eldest and died at the age of eight)
Dovey	8/9/1888
Furman	9/3/1890
Ferd Garnell	1/1/1893
Thurl	12/17/1894
Ina Beatrice	9/6/1896
Garner	4/8/1898
Garvin	2/18/1900
Virgil	12/28/1901
Minter Cornelius	2/2/1904

Who’s Who of the Skipper Clan?  Women’s maiden names, if known, have been used.

Starting on the back row, standing left to right:

Nina Skipper (wife of Furman Skipper)

Furman Skipper (son of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Ferd Garnell Skipper (son of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Major Conner (with moustache; brother of Addie Conner Skipper)

Eugene Davis (grandson of Addie and Minter Skipper; son of Ina Skipper)

Roy Conner (son of Major Conner)

Katherine Davis Noblitt (daughter of Ina Skipper Davis)

Johnson Davis (husband of Ina Skipper)

Adelina Skipper (daughter of Garner Skipper)

Garner Skipper (son of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Virgil Skipper (son of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Alice Skipper (wife of Virgil Skipper)

Thurl Skipper (son of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Lily Skipper (wife of Thurl Skipper)

Dovey Skipper (daughter of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Ina Skipper (daughter of Addie and Minter Skipper)

Lela Thompson (daughter of Dovey Skipper)

Dorothy Skipper (in front of Lela; daughter of Ferd Skipper)

L.C. Davis (husband of Lela Thompson)

Nettie Thompson (sister of Lela Thompson)

Iona “Onee” Thompson (daughter of Dovey Skipper)

Annabelle Thompson (daughter of Dovey Skipper)

Curtis Thompson (son of Dovey Skipper)

Ruth Thompson (wife of Curtis Thompson)

Lusco Skipper (wife of Ferd Skipper)

 

First Row, kneeling, left to right:

Hester Skipper (daughter of Ferd Skipper)

Mary Sue Skipper (daughter of Garner Skipper)

Mildred Skipper (daughter of Garner Skipper)

Norman Skipper (son of Furman Skipper)

Ray Skipper (son of Garner Skipper)

Arnold Skipper (little boy kneeling; son of Ferd Skipper)

William “Earl” Skipper (kneeling on one knee with left hand on knee; son of Thurl Skipper)

Malcolm Skipper (little boy standing to right of Addie Conner; son of Virgil Skipper)

Addie Conner Skipper (sitting; dark polka dot dress & hat; Matriarch of the Skipper Clan, wife of Minter Skipper; daughter of Joseph Washington Conner and Cynthia Flynn)

Joyce Skipper (baby standing at Bernice’s knee; daughter of Garner Skipper)

Bernice Skipper (wife of Garner Skipper)

Preston Skipper (son of Garner Skipper)

Beatrice Davis (daughter of Ina Skipper)

Anna Laura Skipper (daughter of Furman Skipper)

Dorothy Skipper (standing in middle row; daughter of Ferd Skipper)

Emma Lou Skipper (peeking around tree; daughter of Garner Skipper)

Novella Thompson (daughter of Dovey Skipper)

Juanita Skipper (daughter of Ferd Skipper)

Katherine Page (friend of Juanita Skipper)

Eunice Davis (daughter of Ina Skipper)

Minter Skipper Tombstone

Repost of August 8, 2014 from prior site

In my mother's photo box was this postcard from 1900 of the original tombstone for Minter Skipper. It is the large white stone, top center of the photo.

 Tombstone of Minter Skipper at Rock Springs Baptist Church

Davis Family of North Carolina: Census & Death Certificates

 Repost of August 15, 2014 from prior site

Research completed at McDowell County Public Library, Marion, NC on Wednesday September 17, 2008

June 1880 Census, Chimney Roc k Twshp, Rutherford County, NC           Pg 2, Line #29

Surname	Name	Relationship to Head of Household	Race	Gender	Age	Born	Dad born in	Mom born in	Yr of Birth
Skipper	Juda A.	HOH, Mom	W	F	58	TN	TN	NC	1822
	Loueza	Daughter	W	F	24	NC	NC	TN	1856
	Rhoda	Daughter	W	F	22	NC	NC	TN	1858
	Martha	Daughter	W	F	19	NC	NC	TN	1961
	Minter	Son	W	M	17	NC	NC	TN	1863

1930 Census, Polk County, NC                     Pg 4a, Line #9

Surname	Name	Relationship to Head of Household	Race	Gender	Age	Year of Birth
Skipper	Cornelius M.	HOH	W	M	25	1905
	Lona B.	Wife	W	F	22	1908
	Herman S.	Son	W	M	3 7/12	1927
	Mavis M.	Dau	W	M	1 6/12	1929
Skipper	Adda L.	Mother	W	F	59	1871

1880 Federal Census, McDowell County, NC

Surname	Name	Relationship to Head of Household	Race	Gender	Age	Est. Year of Birth
Davis	Rebecca	Wife	W	F	55	1825
Davis	John A.	Spouse	W	F	58	1822
	Harry S.*	Son	W	M	29	1851
	Mary A.	Dau	W	F	23	1857
	Lydia S.	Dau	W	F	22	1858
	Robert W.	Son	W	M	27	1853
	Martha C.	Dau-n-law	W	F	23	1857
	Jane E.	Dau	W	F	32	1848

NC Death Certificates, 1909 – 1975

Death Certificate for

Mary Josephine Davis Davis Lewis		Silas H. Davis
White, FemaleBorn 10/14/1869 in Old Fort, NC   Died 4/9/1946 in Crooked Creek, NC Spouse:           Joseph H. Lewis Father:             Catherine Ross Spouse: Silas Harve Davis Second Spouse: Joseph Lewis		White, Male,Occupation:    Farmer   Born 12/12/1850 in McDowell County, NC Died 11/1/1916 in McDowell County, NC Father:             John Davis      birthplace: NC Mother:           Rebecca           birthplace: NC Cause of death:           Cancer of the eye Informant:       A.B. Halford Funeral Director:         J.L. Nichols, Old Fort, NC