More on Aunt Effie

Once Mama and I got our cousin Jimmy on the trail of Aunt Effie, it was only a matter of time before more information started coming in:) Jimmy is intrigued with genealogy and has done some amazing work in tracing the Wyatts—Grandme and Aunt Effie's family. (His father was their baby brother.) He sent me this picture of Aunt Effie with Beverly Lee, whom we have heard was her beau. Jimmy also contacted the Shelby County Historical Society and found several documents about Aunt Effie, including an announcement about her position at Chelsea High School, published in the Shelby County Sun on October 3, 1912:

The Historical Society even had Aunt Effie's obituary, which appeared in a paper called The People's Advocate on June 26, 1919. I think the paper might've gotten a couple of facts wrong—we're reasonably certain she was only in New Mexico during her illness, not Texas or Mexico—but we won't fault them too much for that:

And just one final bit of information that will probably be of interest only to my cousins. Jimmy identified all the young ladies in the group portrait I posted earlier:

Far left: Alvie Garrett Thompson (married John Thompson).

Next to "Miss Alvie," in the blue dress with red scarf: Ora Nixon, daughter of Clark and Nanncy Nixon. Aunt Nanncy was Big Daddy Wyatt's half-sister.

Standing, in yellow, Aunt Effie.

To the right of Aunt Effie, in green dress: Evie Garrett Sumners (married Ernest Sumners).

Far right, in blue dress with sash: Icie Wyatt McCranie, "Grandme."

 

Little girl kneeling in center: Lou Garrett Perry (married Arlon Perry), daughter of Wiley Garrett and Sally (Sarah) Wyatt. Aunt Sally was Big Daddy's sister. 

[Hand-tinting in portrait by Tina Evans Cornett]  

Many thanks to Jimmy. Here's one of my favorite pictures of him with my mother. (They were big buddies when they were kids—still are.) Left to right, that's Jimmy, Uncle Bud, Mama, and Uncle Chick.

 

Comments

[Kacey]

I am eating this genealogy stuff up. Thank you so much for posting it! Grandme has always been sort of a feisty but mysterious heroine to me - wish I could have known her. And may I just say that last picture is pure McCranie! You can see those distinct features in their faces a mile away. Love it!

[Valerie]

Thank you so much! Honey child, I can tell you all kinda stuff about Miss Icie! And yet, she's a mystery to me, too. That's what's so fascinating about her. We need to find an afternoon sometime to have some Starbucks and talk McCranie:)

[Kacey]

Would LOVE that. Really.

[Valerie]

Let me commit that to a sticky note, and we'll make it happen!