Well it looks like I’ll be heading to Wilkes County soon to visit the Cemetery at Lyonsville Baptist Church in Rayle.

From what LaKisha {my new found, could be cousin!:-} tells me, Lyonsville is a family cemetery of sorts and many FAVER/FAVOR-BOLTON Ancestors are resting in the Church Cemetery.

If my Annie FAVER is connected to this line, there is a good chance she could be to!

Grandma Annie would have passed away after 1900 but before 1910 — as she is found in the 1900 Pento, Wilkes County Census living with Grandpa Phil but by 1910 Grandpa Phil is widowed living in Atlanta’s 4th Ward.

Because she died before 1919 there is no Georgia Death Certificate to reference.

Could Grandma Annie and other FAVER-CARTER Ancestors be buried at Lyonsville? Quite possibly — I sure hope so.

My Faver-Carter family is the biggest remaining GeneaMystery I have. It would be a blessing to know more about her and my other kin folks from that line.

I’m still crossing my fingers that the Faver/Favor genealogy compiled by the late Paris Favors of North Carolina will make its way to me. I’m anxious to see what questions I am able to answer!

I’ll keep you posted…

Luckie.

In 1869 My 4th Grandfather Philip CARTER married Annie FAVER in Washington-Wilkes, GA.

When they married, Grandma Annie already had a 2 yr old Daughter named Anna WRIGHT and aside from my childhood memory of Grandma Annie’s long braid of hair, held in a glass jar by my Great Grandmother Annie CARTER JACKSON {obviously, her namesake}, that is all I know of Annie Faver.

Recently, much to my amazement, Willie BOLTON and his Daughter, LaKisha BOLTON-GREEN discovered Our Georgia Roots and tagged the blog! They are descendants {Grandson and Great Granddaughter} of Mamie FAVORS-BOLTON, a FAVORS Ancestor I posted about on July 23 – Mamie FAVORS Bolton 1891-1982!

This for me is an unexpected blessing and an opportunity to answer questions I NEVER thought I’d have an answer to and possibly the discovery of new “cousins” and a lost Grandmother’s history.

I have TONS of questions for Willie and Kisha… thank goodness they live close by which gives me an opportunity to meet them in person! But for the sake of posterity, I wanted to post my initial FAVER/FAVOR/FAVORS questions here at OGR too!:-)

1. It appears that Henry BOLTON had 2 wives and a total of 28 children. Were Amanda/Mandy FAVER {1st wife} pictured with Henry and Mamie FAVORS {2nd wife} related?
2. Do you know the names of Mamie’s (or Mandy’s) Parents and Grandparents? [Luckie: Mamie's Parents were Paris and Janie Faver/Favor. I believe Henry's Father was Silas Bolton. Mandy's Parents are still unknown]
3. Do you know who would have been the original slaveowner of Mamie’s (or Mandy’s) family?
4. Where did your FAVORS and BOLTONS originally live in Wilkes County? [Luckie: It appears the Boltons were originally from Oglethorpe Co. and the Favors (post-emancipation) in Pento and Derbyshire, Wilkes Co.]
5. Has it ever been said that your FAVOR/FAVORS were of Native American decent?
6. Are you aware of any CARTER and/or WRIGHT relatives from Washington-Wilkes?
7. Have you ever heard of Philip CARTER and Annie FAVER?
8. Who is your oldest living FAVOR/FAVORS relative? Could I speak to them?
9. Is there a documented family tree that I could study?
10. Are there pictures of your FAVOR/FAVORS Ancestors?

Just when think you’ve hit a brick wall, along comes new cousins to provide a much welcomed detour! Lord, I love it!:-)

Luckie.

Philip CARTER my 2nd 4th Grandfather from Washington-Wilkes was said to be of small stature, with keen features, white skin, blue eyes and snow-white hair.

My Great Grandmother Annie once told me that when Philip’s siblings, Tom and Anna were Emancipated in 1865 they went on to live as white and were lost to the family forever, never to be seen again.

Philip lived to be very, very old — his 1922 Georgia Death Certificate lists him as 112 yrs (by my calculation his actual age in 1922 was abt. 96 yrs. old).

I am aware of only one family story about Grandpa Phil and this is what was told to me…

One day, Grandpa Phil returned from working the fields to find that his wife and children had been sold by his owner (still unconfirmed but believed to be John R.J. CARTER of Wilkes County).

When he attempted to protest, he was “encouraged” by his owner to let the matter go because why fret, he could always take another wife and have more children.

In 1869 on the 18th of February, Philip chose his 2nd Wife, Annie FAVER, my 4th Grandmother and with her, had at least 10 children — one of which was my Great, Great Grandfather, Wash CARTER.

From the moment that Grandpa Phil came home to find his wife and children gone forever, I’ve often wondered how he found the strength to live.

When I try to imagine myself in his shoes, and think about what the instant loss of my family would mean to me, I just can’t imagine moving forward. I don’t know how a person recovers from that kind of loss. Who did Philip become after that day? Was he a different man than he had been before?

Like with most of my Ancestors, I wish I knew Philip’s life story and could see his face with the  mysterious features that surely connect to another branch of our tree all together. I wish I knew more about him than the tale of his suffering.

I am praying for the day when by chance I encounter another CARTER and/or FAVER ”cousin” from Wilkes County who can share with me more of who my Grandparents were and how they lived.

Just like me, they are out there. I am just waiting for destiny to connect us.

Luckie.

[Image Source: 1867 Wilkes County, Georgia Voter Registration Card - Philip Carter #479]

What would Genealogy be without the persistent mysteries each new “find” presents? BORING!:-)

A couple days ago I was thrilled to discover an image of Mandy FAVER BOLTON & her Husband, Henry BOLTON online at the Digital Library of Georgia.

Without doubt, I believe Aunt Mandy will lead me to learning more about the family of my 4th Grandmother, Annie FAVER CARTER {b. 1850} from Wilkes Co.

So how cool was it to also discover this funeral program {also via the DLG} of Mamie FAVORS BOLTON in 1982?!

For a second I thought Mandy FAVER BOLTON & Mamie FAVORS BOLTON could be the same person, but that would be impossible. The funeral program says Mamie was born in 1891 which would have meant she was 11 yrs. when the image with Henry Bolton was taken in 1902.

Hmmm… so who was Mamie? The Daughter of Mandy & Henry Bolton? NOPE! From the funeral program it looks like Mamie was Henry’s WIFE too!

Okay, I need a timeline!

• 1902 – image taken of Mandy Faver Bolton & Henry Bolton in Derbyshire, Wilkes Co.
• 1910 – census shows Amanda & Henry Bolton living in Derbyshire, Wilkes Co. with children. It lists Henry’s age as 40 yrs. & Amanda’s as 35 yrs. {Question – did they really look that young in the 1902 picture?}
• 1920 – census {note spelling error} shows Mamie & Henry Bolton living in Derbyshire, Wilkes Co. with children. Henry’s age is listed as 56 yrs. & Mamie’s age is 28 yrs. Henry’s children with Mandy are still in the home but older respectively. There are more children listed from the union of Henry & Mamie.
• 1982 – Henry is already deceased & Mamie passes away in Wilkes Co.

So Henry BOLTON married two FAVER/FAVORS women who were from the same area & roughly 16 yrs. apart in age?

Also interesting, Mamie’s funeral services were officiated by C.P. WRIGHT, which is also a Wilkes Co. surname of mine!

It’s still hard for me to believe that Henry & Mandy were in their 30’s when the 1902 image was taken?! That would mean that my Annie would have been 25 yrs. older than Mandy?

Hmmm… I need to find Mandy’s parents because that would also mean Aunt Mandy was not the 3 yr old. “Manda” from the estate of Thomas FAVER in 1859! Just so I don’t forget, Mamie’s Parents were Paris & Janie FAVORS.

Geez, could this be easy for once?!:-)

Luckie.

Thanks to Joyce McCollum of AfriQuest.com, I received a link  to a new [at least for me] Georgia Genealogy resource today – the Digital Library of Georgia.

As usual, the first thing I did was start searching for my folks – WINGFIELD, CARTER, DICKEY, FAVER, WRIGHT & COHEN. I always hope that one day, I’ll turn up that previously undiscovered family image that will make my day!:-)

Well, after searching for Wingfields & Dickeys with no luck, I did a search for FAVER.

Annie FAVER CARTER was my other 4th Grandmother from Washington-Wilkes & aside from remembering as a child her long braid of hair kept in a jar by my Great Grandma Annie CARTER JACKSON {Her namesake}, I know very little about her.

My search yielded the above image with the following description:

“Wilkes County, ca. 1902. Henry Bolton seated weaving white split oak cotton baskets used when picking cotton. Aunt Mandy in background. Aunt Mandy FAVER Bolton was mother of 18 of her own and 18 step-children. Located on Herbert and Robert Spratlin homestead on Sardis Road.”– from field notes

Wow! I’ve seen this image before & remember pausing on it – SEVERAL TIMES. However the image I’ve seen, didn’t have the description & the FAVER name called out!

FAVER, spelled exactly the way my Annie’s FAVER surname is spelled on her 1869 Marriage License?!

With my WHOLE heart I do believe that Mandy & Annie FAVER are connected.

Why?

• 1859 – In the estate of Thomas Faver, a 3 yr. old slave named “Manda” is listed. Although my Annie doesn’t appear on the estate of Thomas {maybe she was already owned by his Louis D.?}, she would have only been 9 yrs at the time of his passing.
• 1860  – my Annie is owned by Nancy {Widow of Thomas Faver} and/or Louis D. FAVER {their Son} & the SPRATLIN families were their neighbors! Both Nancy & L.D Faver own a 10 year old FEMALE SLAVE in 1860. Either one could be my Annie!
• 1870 – Louis D. Faver remains on his Plantation with SPRATLIN neighbors & surrounded by many of my FAVER relations
• 1880 – Nancy Faver remains on Plantation living with Louis’ Widow Martha. They still have SPRATLIN & black FAVER neighbors.
• 1900 – There are several BOLTONS close by to my Annie FAVER CARTER & Phillip CARTER in Pento, Wilkes County & many more in Derbyshire, close to Henry & Mandy.
• 1902  – above image shows Mandy & Henry living on property owned by Herbert & Robert SPRATLIN.

So maybe the road to my Annie & our FAVER family begins with Aunt Mandy FAVER BOLTON?!

It’s just amazing that after 12 years of research I am still surprised by the “unexpected” & that there remain so many more roads in this journey to travel.

Luckie.