FOND FAREWELL

I have these pictures of Great Grandmother Susan, all were taken later in her life.Her 2 sons loved and respected her very much even as a 92 year old man,my grandfather had fond memories of his mother and his early life. I love the last 2 lines of this article, how true then , now and forever !!In the summer of 1994 my cousin Winnie from West Virginia , my oldest brother and I visited the old cemetery where she is buried. This is the hand ingraved or chiseled tombstone that marks her grave.Her last husband Bunion Huntley must have loved her very much to inscribe the long message on her stone. It is hard to read here but there is a copy above in the picture collage.A fitting resting place for a lady who left a legacy in her wake.Susan Pryor Connor Freeman Huntley March 1,1836--July 17 1922.

INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF GREAT GRANDMOTHER SUSAN

Nothing is known as yet of Susan's life until she became pregnant out of wedlock at the age of 18 . A son was born March 9, 1854 and she named him Richard Martin and gave him her maiden name of Pryor although she evidently knew exactly who his father was. Records show his last name was Horne. A little over a year later she became pregnant out of wedlock again by another man. My great uncle William Daniel Franklin Pryor was born March 15,1856 , as he also was given her maiden name when once again she knew his father was a Lattimore.Here again the story is told by my father's double first cousins.
Even after she was married 3 times later these were evidently her only children.
I am so glad these sisters,who were daughters of William wrote this history down or else it would be lost forever. That inspires me even more to keep this tradition going throughout the future generations.

INTRODUCTION AND BEGINNING OF GREAT GRANDMOTHER SUSAN

This will be a second blog devoted entirely to my history. Sometimes hilarious,sometimes tragic but nevertheless a part of the "making of me". I'm sure there will be a lot of edits and additions as I go along and more information is found.I want my work to be preserved for future generations without the fear of lost papers and pictures and this is as good a way as I can think of to do just that. I am just getting things organized so this will be a work in progress. Hop on and join me in this journey down memory lane!
BEGINNING ON MY PATERNAL SIDE HERE WE GO!


Long,long ago in Cleveland County in the town of Shelby lived a couple, William Jay and Nelly Pryor. They had 7 children that I know of Susan, John, Pinkney, Charolette,
William O.,Catherine, and Thomas Pryor. Susan was my great grandmother, she was born on March 1,1836. I have no birth or death records at this time on her brothers and sisters. She had a very hard life when she was young,being brought up by a single mother.I can hardly imagine how hard that must have been back then,it would be a very difficult thing even today with 7 children to raise.
As the story goes William Jay (Susan's father) owned land with a fine spring on it. Well here is the story of what happened told by my father's double first cousin and published in a local newspaper by my grandfather,her son.Click on it and enjoy the humor and tragedy all in one story.