Granny Petticord's Birthday

Granny Petticord's 87th birthday in 1946 brought the family together. This includes Brenda's Granny Dawson, the daughter of Granny Petticord. Then Brenda's Mother, Marjorie and her two sisters, Katherine and Adeline, and her brother Roy. Cecil Johnson is Granny Dawson's brother.

Granny Petticord was born October 3, 1859. Her mother and dad survived the Trail of Tears (1838-1839) from Oklahoma and settled in Tracy City, Tennessee. Our understanding is that she was fullblood Seminole indian. Brenda's recollection is that she died when Brenda was a young child. Our records show her date of death as January 2, 1948. She had five sisters (Mollie, Elizabeth, Minerva, Sally, and Paralee) and three brothers (Abe, John and Joe). Minerva, Sally and Paralee married brothers.

Granny Petticord had first married Johnson, and that is the blood lineage to Brenda. Granny Dawson and Cecil Johnson were his children. Brenda remembers going to the funeral home when Granny Petticord died in 1948. So Brenda is 1/8 of either Cherokee or Seminole, that is still an uncertainty. But we thought only the Cherokee were involved in the Trail of Tears.

This picture from Wayne Ivey.

This is a young picture of Frank Johnson, Granny Petticord's first husband and the father of Izora Johnson Dawson and Cecil Johnson. His legal name is noted as Francis Johnson in some locations. He is Brenda's maternal great-grandfather and is native American like Granny Petticord according to our information.

This picture from Wayne is identified as Grandma Petticord's 100th birthday celebration at Homewood, Alabama at the Sullivan's house. But if the date of 1946 is correct, it is her 87th birthday.

This is Tollie and Ethel Sullivan who were good family friends in Birmingham, living close to the Petticords. Brenda remembers that they moved to Panama City and bought a motel which she thinks they named "The Bama" or "Bama on the Beach". This picture was obtained from Carol Dawson Jones and was dated October 5, 1947. It was also labeled "Grannie's birthday", which we presume to be Grannie Petticord. So it may be that the 1947 date is correct for all this celebration, and if so it would have been her 88th birthday.

Walter Kersey and Jennie, Cecil and Lula Johnson with Grannie Petticord.

Bonnie and Brenda at the house on Bankhead and Addy Street in Atlanta. Taking the date to be 1946, Bonnie would be 3 and Brenda 5. They lived there during World War II, all together with none of the men present. Living in the house were Granny Dawson, Marjorie, Brenda and Bonnie (who was born while they were living there), Adeline and Wayne. Brenda remembers Bonnie coming home from the hospital to that house. Marjorie was divorced from Clyde Mason. Katherine introduced Marjorie to Herbert Duncan and they married during this period, in February of 1946.

Brenda, Bonnie and Wayne at Aunt Katherine's house on Simmons Street just off Bankhead in Atlanta. Brenda and Bonnie had just had perms from their Aunt Katherine, who was a beautician. Aunt Katherine's house was just across Bankhead from the rest of the family. Her husband, Hays, was also away in the armed services.

This picture of Wayne, his mother Adeline Ivey, and Bonnie was taken on the same day as the above photo.

Brenda and Bonnie sit on the knees of Uncle Albert Ivey. This was fairly soon after the family moved to this frame house on River Road in Austell. This was after Brenda's Mother, Marjorie married Herbert Duncan in February. Probably the move was made in June or July of 1946. Sherry was born in November after the move.

Granny Duncan by their house. Aunt Eunice Huckeba with young daughter Linda.

Dorothy Jean Duncan with young Martha Ann Huckeba above. In the background is Herb's 1940 Ford and the free-running pigs in the yard of Granny Duncan's house. Dorothy Jean says this house was on Felton Lane. Mr. Duncan was a tenant farmer for Mr. Felton and lived in this house during this time. Later they moved to one of Doc Bishop's houses, and then to the house on Queensferry Road. Herb Duncan, 1946