52 Ancestors: #29, Grandma Pearly

 

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
From her blog “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”

The focus of My blog posting today is my paternal Grandmother Lucy Pearl “Pearly” Deese Purvis



Lucy Pearl Deese was the first born child of John Calvin Deese and Louvena Huneycutt. John Calvin and Louvena were married on 9 April 1884. Lucy Pearl was born 17 January 1885, 9 months and 8 days later. She was the first of 4 children, all girls, born to John Calvin and Louvena. Louvena and the last born child, a daughter also called Louvena perished due to complications related to childbirth.

This left John Calvin, a farmer, in a major predicament. Three young daughters to raise and the demands of being a farmer. Needless to say John Calvin went looking for another wife marrying Sarah Frances Gathings on 4 February 1892. This marriage took place just a little over two years after the passing of his first wife and baby daughter on 18 October 1889.

John Calvin and Sarah Frances would also have three daughter. No sons were born to either of these unions.

John Calvin wrote his Will on 14 March 1908. Within the Will, item 5 relates to his daughter Lucy Pearl Purvis; so we know that Lucy Pearl was married prior to 14 March 1908. No marriage license has been found.

Lucy married James Francis “Jim” Purvis, son of William James Purvis and Mary Hulda Previtte. James Francis was born 7 November 1885, Together Lucy and Jim would have 7 children,  3 boys and 4 girls. Their first born, a daughter, died at birth. The remaining children lived to adulthood.  Grandpa Jim died on 21 February 1936 leaving Grandma a widower with six children to raise. Grandma would remain a widow for the next 34 years until her death on 23 April 1970.

Grandma Pearly was the only one of my grandparents that I knew as a child growing up. We saw her quite often and were delighted to be with her. She was small in statue with a big heart and was a great cook. She worked with us in the fields and cooked after a full days work. The last 10 years of her life I was away from home serving in the Air Force, only seeing her occasionally while home on leave. She was a wonderful person and continues to be missed by those who shared their lives with her here on earth.


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