Newest Member of Our Bragg Family

Thomas Augustus "Auggie" Bragg came into the world on November 1, 2011. He is the son of Chad and Koran, granddaughter of Charles and Rebecca and great-granddaughter of Don C. Bragg.  Auggie is also the little brother of Lochlyn Elizabeth. 

We are all thankful that Auggie and Koran are both doing well and wish them only the very best.

For Pete's Sake (A Review)

For a number of years I have been involved in researching the heritage of our family. Some sections have fallen into place without much effort (except in trying to verifying what is verifiable and removing, or at the very least qualifying the parts that may be more legend than fact).

When it came to the family tree of my paternal grandmother. Using a couple of documents my Dad gave to me as my starting point I was able to find establish the basic foundation upon which this search could be built. Grandma Bragg's maternal grandparents, the Munson family, came from a pretty distinguished family reaching back to the earliest period of American history. In the first few generations of Munson family in America, for example, we encountered Capt. Thomas Munson (1612-1685), Grandma Bragg's 7th great-grandfather, who was involved with the founding of a little college named Yale.


Grandma Bragg's paternal grandparents posed a more difficult proposal, mainly due to the fact that neither she nor any of her siblings had any idea who their grandparents were. All we did know is that they had settled near Linton, IN (Green County), where Cicero Gilbreath's father died while Cicero (Dad's grandfather) was just a boy. At first I thought the mystery was solved as nearly every lead too me back to the prestigious Gilbreath family that settled in and around Greensboro, NC.


Then I was contacted via e-mail by my first cousin one time removed, Elizabeth Esterholdt who likewise interested in our family history but whose own study raised questions regarding my conclusions. Upon closer examination, and correspondence with the sources I had relied upon in my research, I realized that she was in fact correct.


This put us right back to square. Occasionally Elizabeth would find a new lead for a possible connection, often helping to fill in very slowly the elusive information. The big break came with her a string of very significant discoveries:
1. That Ellen Hale Gilbreath was the mother of Cicero Gilbreath (Dad's grandfather).
2. The birth record for Cicero's younger brother, Arnie, showing his parents to be William and Ellen Gilbreath (Dad's maternal grandparents).
3. A  marriage record for William Gilbreath and "Eleanor" Hale for April 1,18?8 in Greene Co., Indiana.
4. Then she uncovered a source with the following information: "John Gilbreath" in Greene County, Indiana, born in 1810, married to Mary "Polly" Hoke in 1831, and father of two children, Cynthia A. and William H., who married Eleanor Hale in Greene County in 1858."

And just like that we were able to open a door leading up the Gilbreath family tree from Dad's father-in-law, Cicero Gilbreath, all the way back to Dad's fourth great-grandfather John Galbreath, who was born in Ireland and died on August 18, 1800.

That vital source Elizabeth discovered led us to the author, Gene Gilbreath, of Terra Haute, IN. Gene, Dad's third cousin, is the author of "For Pete's Sake: a sons reflects on his father's forty-seven year confinement with mental illness, seeking understanding, hope, and caring for our mentally ill." Not only did Gene provide us with an abundance of information on the Gilbreath family, he also provided us a copy of his book. I have just completed reading his book and wanted to share some thoughts with you regarding "For Pete's Sake."

Gene's book is the account of life in rural Indiana during the Great Depression and afterwards as this family struggled to cope with the illness of his father, Clarence Homer Gilbreath (1907-1995), known to family and friends as "Pete." Toward the end of WW II Pete came down with a bad case of the flu, which lead to inflammation of the lining of his brain. Gradually his plight led to his mental breakdown resulting in schizophrenia and nearly fifty years confinement ("28 years in Evansville State Hospital, Evansville, Indiana, and 19 more in two nursing homes," from Gene's website). Gene describes his father's plight as like unto that of Rip Van Winkle.

This work is of far greater value than a lens to look deeper into a segment of our family tree previously unknown, it is a fascinating account of coping with the unexpected hardships rocking a very real family and how they found the strength to survive its impact. It is the story of rebuilding a relationship after decades of interruption. It is a story of family strength and determination exhibited by Gene's mother. It also alerts the reader to the need of becoming aware of an all too frequently forgotten segment of society, the mentally ill.

I was impressed with a number of things in reading "For Pete's Sake." On page 80, for example, Gene compares the study of one's genealogy with the use of one's rear view mirror in driving down the road. While we must keep looking forward, it really helps to take that occasional glimpse to see what is behind you. Any generation will be enriched by simply taking the time to get to know the generations that have passed. It is not just listing names and dates, but to realize these were real people from whom we can continue to learn.

But this book is not primarily a record of family history. It is a study of the impact of mental illness on the afflicted individual and their family. Gene encourages family members and loved ones to become involved in the treatment prescribed for the patient. Family and friends need to also be involved in encouraging the patient. Gene write, "Specifically, we have asked that we develop a partnership in this healing and comforting process that includes the human rights of the patient and the full involvement of their families" (p. 228).

I heartily recommend Gene's book to anyone reading this blog. If you know someone, some family dealing with the mental health issues this book would make a wonderful and uplifting read. "For Pete's Sake" can be ordered through through Gene's website, and you might also enjoy visiting his blog, Filed and Forgotten (although the blog has not been updated lately).

Did You Know #40

Did you know that we had a relative that not only dreamed of becoming the President of the United States, but had a very legitimate chance of realizing that dream?

In the early years of our country James Israel Standifer moved among the legendary leaders of history. He was born in 1779 Virginia, the son of Israel Standifer and Susannah Heard and the grandson of James J. Standifer and Martha Watkins. The "Standifer" line can be traced back at least to John Standiford (1679-1720), the first in our line to have been born in America. According to an article written by Steven D. Byas ( Tennessee Historical Quarterly; Summer, 1991), the Standifer line is described as "an enterprising family with an avid interest in public affairs." *

A farming family, James Israel Standifer moved westward with his family to North Carolina and then on to Tennessee where they settled around Knoxville (frontier country in his day). In 1801 James married a young woman by the name of Martha, who just happened not only to be the daughter of William Standifer and Jemima Jones, and the granddaughter of James J. Standifer and Martha Watkins, but James' cousin. James and Martha (and indeed most families in those days) were not alone when it came to marriages between first cousins. Martha's siblings, Naomi and Isaac, were married to Israel M. Standifer (James Isreal's brother) and Elizabeth B. Standifer (the daughter of Luke, Martha's uncle). Although legal in that day, these marriages have led to much confusion as our generation seeks to unravel these families. This confusion is reflected in the inconsistent claims of various sources. With that in mind we will try to trace this family according to the best evidence I could find.

James Israel Standifer took up farming in Mount Airy, Tennessee, until he answered the call of his nation and marched  off to the War of 1812. Serving in the military James attained the rank of lieutenant colonel and participated in the famous Battle of New Orleans. Upon his return to eastern Tennessee, he turned his attention to politics. First he was elected state senator (1815-1821), and then he was sent to Washington D.C. where he represented Tennessee as a member of the U. S. House of Representatives (1823-1837). Standifer served alongside such notables as Sam Houston, James K. Polk, Andrew Jackson; Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun and David Crockett (he didn't really like to be called by the name "Davey").

One of the most interesting national issues of his day was the removal of the Cherokee Indians from North Carolina/Tennessee area. Standifer first voted "yes" to President Jackson's proposal to relocate these Indians west of the Mississippi (just a little north of Cape Girardeau, where I live). However, the moment he realized that the Cherokee Indians would be removed by force, Standifer became a vocal opponent of the plan. Sadly, not even Standifer could prevent the infamous "Trail of Tears," the forced removal of these tribes.

Congressman Standifer was also intimately involved with the presidential election of 1836 as an opponent of Martin Van Buren. After this election Standifer returned home to Mount Airy for a visit with his large family. When it came time for him to return to Washington, Congressman Standifer reportedly told his wife that "he might just run for president himself in 1840."  Then he set off on his horse and he never saw his family again. Stopping off at the home of a friend near Kingston, Tennessee, a man by the name of Colonel Joseph Byrd, Standifer "died, suddenly, on August 20, 1837." It was reported that Standifer died of pneumonia. That claim, however, did not seem to fit the official claim that his death was "sudden and unexpected" (most people who die of pneumonia do not die "unexpectedly"). Others insisted that Standifer was assassinated.

News of Standifer's death shocked Washington. It was not just the surprising fact that Standifer had died, but they were troubled by the persisting mystery concerning his cause of death. Amid the flourishing rumors both Houses passed resolutions calling for thirty days of mourning in Standifer's memory. In the House of Representatives John Bell, who would later run for president against Abraham Lincoln, announced the news of Standifer's "sudden" passing. Bell said that Standifer was a man "remarkable for an equanimity of temper," and a man with a "reputation for honesty which he nobly earned, and continued to maintain by the most scrupulous regard for truth and justice in all his transactions, public and private." In the Senate future President James K. Polk commented about Standifer's "truthfulness, even in the midst of their deep political division."

So how is Congressman James Israel Standifer related to our family? He was Mom's fourth great-grand uncle (the brother of her fourth great-grandfather). Here are the details:

Israel Standifer and Susannah Heard
Cong. James Israel Standifer b.1779	Skelton Daniel Standifer b.1752
	Archibald Standerfer Sr. b.1775
	Franklin H. Standerfer b.1820
	William Standerfer b.1841
	Zacharious I. Standerfer b.1871
	Mercedes Ruth Standerfer b.1872
	Mary Jean Ethington Bragg b.1928

Since James married his first cousin, Mom was also related to Martha Standifer. She was Mom's first cousin 6 times removed:

James J. Standifer and Martha Watkins
William Standifer b.1757	Israel Standifer b.1740
Martha Standifer b. 1783	Skelton Daniel Standifer b.1752
	Archibald Standerfer Sr. b.1775
	Franklin H. Standerfer b.1820
	William Standerfer b.1841
	Zacharious I. Standerfer b.1871
	Mercedes Ruth Standerfer b.1872
	Mary Jean Ethington Bragg b.1928

* Note: like so many family names, the Standerfer family name takes on a wide variety of spellings. It would not be until James and Susannah's grandson, Archibald, that the spelling "Standerfer" enter our direct family lineage. But that is not so say that Archibald, or any of his ancestors would not occasionally be referred to by the name "Standerfer."

Sources:
James Standifer, Sequatchie Valley Congressman , Tennessee Historical Quarterly; Summer, 1991.
Rootsweb forums, Family of James M. Standerfer II 
Carol's Commentary - Adeline's Letter

Saying Goodbye to Mom

In Loving Memory

Mary Jean Bragg

January 15, 1928 – September 30, 2011

As we sat beside our Mom in the final days and hours of her earthly life, I noticed a single tear making its way down her cheek. Surrounded by those she had devoted her life to care for, and as we were reflecting on now distant memories of our lives together, there was no way of knowing if it was a tear of joy or of pain. She knew, but she could not tell us.

I caught that tear, and as I held it in my hand it struck me as to how many other tears she had shed without our awareness. The tears of joy of a child playing with her brothers and sisters in the Ethington home near Allenville. Or the tears that only her mother could sooth after she fell and skinned her knees. The happy tears of a redheaded teenage girl in love with a man she recently met, who had just returned from the War and with whom she would spend the remaining years of her life.

The painful tears of a mother giving birth to a newborn child, a scene repeated thirteen times over two decades. And it was our tears, as babies, that she soothed as she sang the beautiful hymn, “I come to the Garden alone … “, as a lullaby. There would come tears of sympathy to be shed over her own little boy or girl, as they struggled to cope with their own skinned knees, held tightly within her loving embrace. She would become thirteen different “Mom’s,” being to each of us what we individually needed.

She no doubt has shed many tears of sadness over the unwise choices of her children, our successes and our failures. There were the tears that nearly every parent knows, those we may associate with the old adage, "This will hurt me more than it will you." Perhaps tears of loneliness as she awaited a call that didn't come, or longing for a visit we never thought to make.

And countless must have been the tears shed over the worry and care on Bonnie's behalf. To the amazement of the doctors who last attended her, Bonnie’s life was extended over five decades, thanks primarily to Mom and Dad’s deep devotion and loving care.

There were tears of grief as death claimed, one by one, the lives of her own parents, brothers and sisters, and tears most of us can't begin to fathom, those of a parent coping with the death of her own children.  In our minds’ eye we can visualize Bonnie standing at the gates of heaven, calling to Bob and dancing with joy saying “Mom’s coming! Mom’s coming!”  What a joyful reunion that must be.  Dad has said that he prayed God would allow him to live to make sure Bonnie was cared for, and after she was gone that he might do the same for Mom.  His prayer was answered. It may just be that Mom did such great battle with death and dying because she shared that prayer of taking caring of him.

Over the years Mom and Dad built not just a "house" but a home we all enjoyed regardless of the physical house we may have been living at any particular time. And she knew the joyful tears of seeing her children leave the home to start a new life and build a new family of their own. These were soon soothed with the happy tears reserved for Grandparents (many times over), Great- Grandparents, and then Great-Great-Grandparents.

Throughout the years of her long life Mom would work alongside Dad in the field, the garden, and the home to provide for those who would grow to love them most. Like the woman honored in Proverbs chapter thirty-one, "Her husband has full confidence in her" as she, in return, would bring "him good, not harm, all the days of her life" (verse 11-12). How often did we see her exhausted from a long day's work offered "with eager hands" (verse 13), helping to provide whatever we needed, day or night (verse 15), feeding and clothing us with tireless energy (verses 16-19). Even after adulthood she continued to care for our needs, such as the care given to Charlie as he recovered from the wreck near Bethany.  She would, in various ways, do the same for each of us. Such devotion is captured in a chorus of the Randy Travis song Angels:

Are you telling me that you’ve never seen an angel?

Never felt the presence of one standing by?

No robe of white, no halo in sight

You’ve missed the most obvious thing

Man, are you blind, just look in your Mother’s eyes.

Throughout the years, and especially most recently, it became increasingly obvious just how proud Dad was to be her husband. In these past few days we have seen his incredible tenderness, protection and care for her, making sure that they could end their lives together with the same love in which they began it sixty-five years ago. It was a love strong enough to last all of their lives, and is passed along to each of us. But if time could be relived, we would undoubtedly seek to give her fewer occasions for the sad tears, and fill her life with joyful ones. While it is too late for that, it is not too late for us to resolve to do that for each other and for those we meet along life’s path.

Now Mom’s hands have ceased their work, her physical suffering has finally passed, and her eyes are no longer blurred by tears. Our lives, however, remain a testament of praise, "gateways" through which we continue to praise her (verse 31). And we thank God, who promises to wipe away all tears, for the many memories she leaves in her passing. We agree with Proverbs that "She is worth far more than rubies" (verse 10).

Mom’s tear did not linger long in my hand that day, but its resulting impression is indelible.

Did You Know # 39

Susan B. Anthony, raised in a Quaker family and a strong anti-slavery proponent, is best known for her long career as an advocate for the right of women to vote.

Born near Adams, Massachusetts on February 15, 1820. The family relocated to New York state where her father established a school, where Susan and her siblings received their formal education. When she was about 17 her father enrolled Deborah Moulson's Female Seminary in Philadelphia, in 1837. It was about this time that the Anthony family, like so many others, suffered a catastrophic economic loss in the Panic of 1837.

Later, Susan would go on to become a teacher herself at Eunice Kenyon's Friends' Seminary in New Rochelle, New York. But when her father entered the insurance business Susan relocated to the family farm near Rochester, NY.  It was here that Susan B. Anthony joined a woman's rights group, the Daughters of Temperance (1848). However, when she was not allowed to speak at an event in Albany, NY, because she was a woman, she left this group and formed her own group, the Woman's New York State Temperance Society.

As the Civil War approached much of her attention was directed toward anti-slavery rallies and after the war she, and many other like-minded people, was instrumental in the passing of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution.

So, how is our family related to Susan B. Anthony? As the chart below demonstrates, Grandpa Bragg and Susan B. Anthony were 8th cousins 4 times removed. Their common relative was Henry and Agnes Butler Sherman. This couple was Susan B. Anthony's 7th great-grandparents and Grandpa Bragg's eleventh great-grandparents.

Henry and Agnes Butler Sherman
Henry Sherman b.1546	Edmund Sherman b.1548
Samuel Sherman b.1571	Edmund Sherman b.1572
Philip Sherman b.1610	Esther (or Hester) Sherman b.1606
Edmund Sherman b.1641	Esther Ward b.1623
David Sherman b.1680	Daniel Burr b.1660
Hannah Sherman b.1727	Elizabeth Burr b.1696
Hannah Lapham	Nathaniel Hull b.1726
Daniel Anthony	Ezekiel Hull b.1765
Susan Brownell Anthony b.1820	Platt Hull b.1787
	Ezekiel Hull b.1813
	Rebecca L. Hull b.1841
	Frank Martin Bragg b.1867
	Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895

Welcome to the World

Congratualtions to Nathan and Carissa Bragg on the birth of their son, Aaron David, on Friday, July 15, 2011. Aaron was born at 11:24 PM (EST) at Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. He arrived just 36 minutes before his mother's birthday. But what a wonderful birthday present he was when his mother first held him in her arms just one minute after midnight.

Aaron weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long. Baby, Mother, and Father are all doing well.

Aaron is the grandson of Dave and Ann Bragg (of Cape Girardeau, MO), nephew of Kari Bragg (of Warrensbrug, MO), and great-grandson of Don and Mary Bragg (of Sullivan, IL).

Did You Know? #38

Peter Newport Bragg, Jr. and Dad (4th cousins 1 time removed) were both born in 1920 and both served our country during the dark days of WW II, one in the military and the other in a laboratory? But only one would survive that war.

John Bragg Sr & Mary Newport
Peter Newport Bragg b.1763	Richard Bragg b.1762
Hosea Bragg b.1804	Hugh Lewis Bragg b.1795
Walter Newport Bragg	William Bragg b.1834
Peter Newport Bragg b.1887	Frank Martin Bragg b.1867
Peter Newport Bragg b.1920	Orval Bishop Bragg b.1895
	Don Cicero Bragg b.1920

During WW II Peter N. Bragg, a civilian chemical engineer on the famous the Manhattan Project, worked in the Philadelphia Navy Yard at the Thermal Diffusion Unit [1]. On Sept. 2, 1944 a tragic accident occurred as Peter and his fellow researchers attempted to unclog a tube filled with high-pressure steam near a flow of "liquid uranium hexafluoride." [2] "Without warning, at 1:20 PM, there was a terrific explosion. As the tube shattered, the liquid uranium hexafluoride combined with the escaping steam and showered the two engineers with hydrofluoric acid, one of the most corrosive agents known."[3] Peter N. Bragg and a fellow researcher, Douglas Paul Meigs, were killed instantly. Five other workers were critically injured in the explosion.

As noted above, this same accident took the life of Douglas Paul Meigs. Meigs just happens to be the 4th cousins 3 times removed of the famous "Quartermaster General of the U.S. Army during and after the American Civil War," Gen. Montgomery Cunningham Meigs.[4] This family also has a somewhat convoluted connection with our Bragg family. [5]Gen. Meigs' 3rd cousins 1 time removed, Rebecca Meigs, was married to a man by the name of David Bragg. He was a 3rd cousin 1 time removed to James Bragg, whose wife, Orpha Munson, was our Dad's 3rd cousins 4 times removed. This is how the connection appears:

John Meigs and Sarah Wilcoxson
John (No. 11*) Meigs b.1670	Capt. Janna Meigs b.1672	Ebenezer Meigs b.1675
John Vincent Meigs b.1697	Return Meigs b.1708	Ebenezer Meigs b.1703
Dr. John Meigs b.1725	Josiah Meigs b.1757	Nathaniel Meigs b.1741
Dr. Phineas Meigs b.1760	Dr. Charles Delucena Meigs b.1792	Rebecca Meigs b.1773 [Wife of David Bragg (b. 1786)]
Charles Meigs b.1793	Major Gen. Montgomery C. Meigs b.1816	Ebenezer Bragg (b. 1810)
Benjamin Franklin Meigs b.1831
Charles Pembroke Meigs b.1882
Douglas Meigs b.1919

Note: the three individuals on line two of the chart above (John, Janna, and Ebenezer) are all brothers.

This would also make Ebenezer Bragg (b.1810, the oldest son of Rebecca Meigs and David Bragg) [6] the 4th cousin 3 times removed of Douglas Meigs (chart above) who died in the same accident that killed Peter Newport Bragg on Sept. 2, 1944 in the Philadelphia Navy Yard's Thermal Diffusion Unit.

This same Ebenezer Bragg (b. 04 Mar 1810) is also the 4th cousin 1 time removed of James L. Bragg b.1833 (first chart below), who is also our 4th cousin 4 times removed (second chart below).

Nicholas Bragge and Sara Langbrady
John Bragg b.1659	Henry Bragg b.1659
Thomas Bragg b.1685	Alexander Bragg b.1689
John Bragg b.1717	Nicholas Bragg b.1732
Nathaniel Bragg b.1743	James Bragg b.1784 [married Orpha Munson b.1793]
David Bragg (b. 1786) [married Rebecca Meigs b.1773]	James L. Bragg b.1833
Ebenezer Bragg b. 1810

Samuel Munson & Martha (Mary) Farnes
Solomon Munson b.1688	Waitstill Munson b.1697
Samuel Munson b.1717	Samuel Munson b.1724
Samuel Munson Jr. b.1763	Waitstill Munson b.1760
Isaac Munson b.1802	Orpha Munson b.1793
Joel Munson b.1846	James L. Bragg b.1833
Elvira Belle Munson b.1871
Gladys Gilbreath b.1898
Gladys Gilbreath b.1898
Don Cicero Bragg b.1920

Footnotes:
[1] http://www.mphpa.org/classic/VET_ARCHIVES/MPVA_07.htm#bragg
[2] http://www.mphpa.org/classic/FH/PH/The_Incident.htm
[3] Ibid.
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_C._Meigs
[5] District of Columbia Deaths, 1874-1959 for Douglas P Meigs
[6] Rebecca Meigs (b. 23 May 1787, d. 01 Sep 1847

Photographs:
1 Peter Newport Bragg Jr.
2 Douglas Paul Meigs