Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Chloe Ann (Southard) Wells

Chloe Ann Southard was the 3rd child of Sarah Alameda "Meda (Dawson) and Oliver W. Southard.  Chloe was born in January 1882, Illinois and died 27 November 1924, Kansas during childbirth with twins.  Chloe married William N. Wells sometime before January 1920. 

These photocopies and the actual photo were in my mother's genealogy collection.

Will and Chloe Wells

William Wells, Chloe Southard Wells, Ray and Elnora Southard

Chloe Southard Wells


Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Meda (Dawson) Southard

Sarah Alameda "Meda" Dawson was the 6th child of Thomas Lewis and Rebecca Ann (Taylor) Dawson.  She was born 3 April 1853 in Illinois and died 30 April 1937 in Scottland, Edgar Co., Illinois. 

On 15 September 1875, in Edgar Co., Illinois, Meda married Oliver W. Southard.  The had 6 children:  Millie Cecil, Charles Clarence, Chloe Ann, Laura Celesta, Chancy, and Ray C.



From Challis Dawson's 1947 manuscripts to his son, while Gerard was attending Harvard University, page 104.  The originals are located at the Nansemond-Suffolk Historical Society, Suffolk, Virginia:
   "This path led to the back pasture, and also to Aunt Meda's home.  Aunt Meda was Dad's sister, and almost his same age.  She was married to a man by the name of Oliver Southard, . . . Every one called him "Oll", for short. . . They lived in a log cabin surrounded entirely by second or short growth timber.  It was a large log cabin, really a story and a half house, built with logs and thoroughly tight, made so by plastering the chinks between the logs with some material resembling cement.  I frequently would cross this path to Aunt Meda's, when large enough, and I loved to visit her.  Aunt Meda put up every summer a spread called plum butter, but it was mixed with apple butter to tone down the sour red plum taste.  It remained a beautiful red color, given by the plums.  Aunt Meda made a large, soft and light type, of biscuit.  These we would open in half, spread heavily with good fresh made butter, add the other spread and go to town.  The biscuits were always eaten fresh and hot from the oven.  I was always exceedingly fond of going through the woods to her place.  It always seemed like going through the real wilderness, even if it was only about one half mile, and it was an adventurous travel."