Our First Ingrams!!
My Ancestry as far as I have been able to trace it, so far, starts in Georgia about 180
2. That is when my GGG-Grandfather John Ingram was born. I have not been able to find out exactly where. I don’t know anymore about him in this era. I do know that he married my GGG-Grandmother Matilda, who was born about 1806, also in Georgia. If they married in Georgia and then moved on, or if they meet in another state and then got married. Just how it all happened I don’t know. I do know that they married and then somewhere in Tennessee they had their first child in 1828, a girl named Eveline, who married Archibald Brett December 6, 1864 in Jackson Co. Illinois. John and Matilda’s second child was named William and he also was born in Tennessee in 1829. Their third child Nancy was born in Illinois in 1832. This leads me to believe sometime between 1829 and 1832 they moved to Illinois and started homesteading there. Their fourth child came along about 1836 and he was named Martin. Martin is my GG-Grandfather and I will give more information on him a little bit later. After Martin came Alfred born about 1838, then Malinda about 1840. Richard in 1842 who married Catherine Thomas on December 3, 1865 in Illinois (Jackson Co.). Thomas about 1846, he married Eliza Bowerman April 13, 1873 in Illinois (Jackson Co.). Finally, Rebecca in July 1850 and she married Jesse Modglin December 15, 1871 in Illinois (Jackson Co.). That is all the children I am aware of but as we know there could have been others that didn’t survive long enough to be on any records.
My first ancestors I know about spent most, if not all, of their lives in Jackson Co. Illinois. A lot of the information I have was from the Jackson Co. Historical Society in Murphysboro, Illinois. I want to thank them for all the historical work they have done there. They are some of the most helpful people I have found when you go into their building to do research.
Second Generation as I know it!
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My GG-Grandfather Martin P. Ingram (1836 – 1920) married Matilda J. Lively (1847 – 1919) on June 4, 1864. She was born August 11, 1847 in Bradley, (Jackson Co.), Illinois. They only had one son that shows up on any records. If they had any other children there doesn’t appear to be any records of them, or at the least I haven’t found any yet. That one son, my G-Grandfather, was named John Sylvester Ingram (1870-1935). He was born in Jackson Co. Illinois also. There is a gap of 6 years between the marriage of Martin and Matilda and the birth of John. There could have been other births during this high infant mortality rate in our history.
To interject an interesting foot note, Martin and Matilda had one of Matilda’s sisters, Sarah Lively, living with them for the rest of their lives. I don’t know why Sarah lived with them but I suspect that she may have been mentally challenged of some kind. This is pure speculation on my part and a mystery to me. She never married and there isn’t any record of her doing anything else other than living with them in their household. When the family moved to Arkansas she went with them and continued to living with them until their deaths. She is then recorded in the 1930 Census as living alone.
I don’t have any pictures of Martin, Matilda or Sarah but I do have a photo of Martin and Matilda headstones. Matilda’s is intacted but Martin’s has been broken off.
The next generation is with my G-Grandfather John Sylvester Ingram b. November
1870, Jackson Co. Illinois, d. April 6th 1935, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He married Sarah E. Glodo, March 1, 1893 in Fountain Bluff, (Jackson Co.), Illinois. Sarah was born in Fountain Bluff February 18, 1875, and died March 3, 1935. Sarah died about one month before John did. I believe this is why John was moved to the state hospital in Little Rock so he could get medical attention and eventually died in Little Rock. From the stories I have hear from family members that John was sick in bed when Sarah passed. John and Sarah are both buried in the Manila Cemetery, in Manila, (Mississippi Co.) Arkansas. The location is unknown because there aren't any markers and most of the records for this section were lost in a fire. It is recorded on their death certificates they were buried in this cemetery.Another interesting note is, the town of Fountain Bluff, where John and Sarah were from in Illinois is now under water and no longer on the map. There is however, a power station in the area close to where the town was that is called Fountain Bluff Power Station. It is just a little ways south of Grand Tower, Illinois right on the Mississippi River, which also has some of our history. Some of our relatives from Sarah side are still living there. Sarah’s father, John Nicholas Glodo and her mother Mary Alice Sprouts are buried in Walker Hill Cemetery on outskirts of Grand Tower.
The Ingram’s, Martin, Matilda, Matilda’s sister Sarah Lively, John, Sarah and their son Charlie, along with, I believe, at least one of Martin’s brothers, Alfred, all made the move by covered wagon to Arkansas about 1897. I can only image what it was like to make this move knowing that there was a great possibility that they would never again see the family members they were leaving behind.
Fourth Generation, as I know it!
First is my grandfather Charlie Edward Ingram. He was born February 1, 1896 in J
ackson Co. Illinois to John and Sarah. Charlie was the first of at least 6 children born to John and Sarah.
Charlie was with the family when they all moved to Arkansas as a small baby. He spent the rest of his hard life in Arkansas. He was a farmer, fisherman, and hunter. I don’t know much about him other than what I learned from documents I found and stories and memories told by my father and two aunts.
He married Coridonna (Connie) O. McDole on September 13, 1913 in Manila, Arkansas. They had to travel to Blytheville to get their marriage license and there is a story I have about that. When I was going through the record books, to find a copy of their marriage license, I found that there was another male Ingram from the town of Gosnell, AR that picked up his marriage license that same day in the same Blytheville office. I did not have time to research this more at that time, so I still don’t know much about it. But I believe there were some other Ingram’s in the area that were related to us. This may be one of them, a cousin possible. I hope to someday follow through on this but will need to go back to Arkansas to be able to do it.
Ok, getting on with more of the genealogy for the forth generation. Charlie and Connie had 5 children but only three survived. I will get to them in the next generation. Connie died at the early age of 31 in 1926, leaving three of her children to be raised by John and Sarah. After their deaths, and maybe some before, they were taken care of by Connie’s sister, Mary and Peck Holsclaw.
A few years after Connie’s death, Charlie married Kate Whiticar on February 9, 1937. They remained married until his death on November 22, 1942 in Manila, AR. He is buried in the "Potters" section of Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro, AR.
Continuing on with the Fourth Generation Fannie L. Ingram born in June, 1898 in Manila, AR. Fannie married Tom Bunch on May 9, 1914 in Manila, AR. Fannie and Tom remained married until her death on February 7, 1938and is buried in Manila Cemetery. There is no record that they had any children. I don’t have any pictures of Fannie.
Next birth to John and Sarah that was recorded is Mittie. Mittie was born on July 18, 1906 but died at the age of 15 on October 1, 1921 in Manila.
Next in line for
the Fourth Generation is Stanley S. Ingram. Stanley was born in Manila, AR October 8, 1909, and died May 15, 1961 in Oxnard, California. He married Emma J. Schmitt in Manila on May 25, 1929. They had one son named Stanley E. Ingram born in April 1930 but died May 25, 1930. Emma died sometime after that and I don’t have any date of her death.
Stanley then married Gladys A. Curnett on October 21, 1936 in Manila. She was born November 27, 1919 and died March 9, 1986 in Kennett, MO. Stanley and Gladys had four children but one of them passed away before her 1st birthday. I will not list the other three here because they are still alive.
I have talked to all three of his children over the years but never did have the privilege to meet or talk to Uncle Stanley. I do have a picture of him that I will put in here for his place in the line.
After Stanley came Martha Jewell Ingram. Jewell, as everyone called her, was born
in Manila, AR on March 3, 1913 and died on September 15, 1999 in Oxnard, California.
She married Jim Seymour on November 7, 1928 but they were divorced sometime later. She then married Guy Lattrell, sometime after her and Jim’s divorce and they never had any children. I did get to talk to her a couple of times on the telephone but never did get to meet her.
From what I have been told from those that did know her and lived by her she did get to travel a lot. She really enjoyed playing Bingo and enjoyed her life in Southern California. She did tell me once that if she took a notion to travel someplace she would just get up and go. That is great when someone can do that whenever they feel like doing it.
The last child
born to John and Sarah was Vernon Manuel Ingram. He was born in Manila on February 26, 1916 and died in Santa Maria, California February 22, 1980. Manuel, as we knew him, married Dorothy Louise Meador in Arkansas. She was born January 19, 1924, in Dell, AR and died March 1, 1997 in Mill Valley, CA.
Manuel and Louise had five children. The first two were born in Manila, AR and the last three were born in different place in CA. All but one of the children are still alive.
That is all the children of John and Sarah. Charlie, Fanny and Mittie all lived in AR all of their lives. Stanley, Jewell, and Manuel all moved on to California to live. The best of my knowledge Stanley went there right away. Jewell lived in Oklahoma for a few years before moving on
to CA. Manuel went to CA while still in the service and after his discharge stay in CA until he moved to MI. Around 1954 he and his family moved to Michiagn for a few years but moved back to CA sometime around 1957 where he remained the rest of his life. There were some health reasons for moving back and I guess after living in CA, Michigan just was not their cup of tea. However, while there were all in Michigan is when we got to meet and know them. When they moved back to California it was a sad time for us here in Michigan because we were losing some of our family. We really enjoyed them living here, but I do understand them wanting to go back. If I was in their place I probably would have felt the same way. I have a lot of fond memories of them and their time here in Michigan. I know they don’t feel the same way about their time in Michigan and I am sorry that is the case. It was a lot of years before we ever seen any of them again. However, I have seen them again in the last few years, and have meet their children, and enjoyed their company again.
ackson Co. Illinois to John and Sarah. Charlie was the first of at least 6 children born to John and Sarah.Charlie was with the family when they all moved to Arkansas as a small baby. He spent the rest of his hard life in Arkansas. He was a farmer, fisherman, and hunter. I don’t know much about him other than what I learned from documents I found and stories and memories told by my father and two aunts.
He married Coridonna (Connie) O. McDole on September 13, 1913 in Manila, Arkansas. They had to travel to Blytheville to get their marriage license and there is a story I have about that. When I was going through the record books, to find a copy of their marriage license, I found that there was another male Ingram from the town of Gosnell, AR that picked up his marriage license that same day in the same Blytheville office. I did not have time to research this more at that time, so I still don’t know much about it. But I believe there were some other Ingram’s in the area that were related to us. This may be one of them, a cousin possible. I hope to someday follow through on this but will need to go back to Arkansas to be able to do it.
Ok, getting on with more of the genealogy for the forth generation. Charlie and Connie had 5 children but only three survived. I will get to them in the next generation. Connie died at the early age of 31 in 1926, leaving three of her children to be raised by John and Sarah. After their deaths, and maybe some before, they were taken care of by Connie’s sister, Mary and Peck Holsclaw.
A few years after Connie’s death, Charlie married Kate Whiticar on February 9, 1937. They remained married until his death on November 22, 1942 in Manila, AR. He is buried in the "Potters" section of Oaklawn Cemetery in Jonesboro, AR.
Continuing on with the Fourth Generation Fannie L. Ingram born in June, 1898 in Manila, AR. Fannie married Tom Bunch on May 9, 1914 in Manila, AR. Fannie and Tom remained married until her death on February 7, 1938and is buried in Manila Cemetery. There is no record that they had any children. I don’t have any pictures of Fannie.
Next birth to John and Sarah that was recorded is Mittie. Mittie was born on July 18, 1906 but died at the age of 15 on October 1, 1921 in Manila.
Next in line for
the Fourth Generation is Stanley S. Ingram. Stanley was born in Manila, AR October 8, 1909, and died May 15, 1961 in Oxnard, California. He married Emma J. Schmitt in Manila on May 25, 1929. They had one son named Stanley E. Ingram born in April 1930 but died May 25, 1930. Emma died sometime after that and I don’t have any date of her death.Stanley then married Gladys A. Curnett on October 21, 1936 in Manila. She was born November 27, 1919 and died March 9, 1986 in Kennett, MO. Stanley and Gladys had four children but one of them passed away before her 1st birthday. I will not list the other three here because they are still alive.
I have talked to all three of his children over the years but never did have the privilege to meet or talk to Uncle Stanley. I do have a picture of him that I will put in here for his place in the line.
After Stanley came Martha Jewell Ingram. Jewell, as everyone called her, was born
in Manila, AR on March 3, 1913 and died on September 15, 1999 in Oxnard, California.She married Jim Seymour on November 7, 1928 but they were divorced sometime later. She then married Guy Lattrell, sometime after her and Jim’s divorce and they never had any children. I did get to talk to her a couple of times on the telephone but never did get to meet her.
From what I have been told from those that did know her and lived by her she did get to travel a lot. She really enjoyed playing Bingo and enjoyed her life in Southern California. She did tell me once that if she took a notion to travel someplace she would just get up and go. That is great when someone can do that whenever they feel like doing it.
The last child
born to John and Sarah was Vernon Manuel Ingram. He was born in Manila on February 26, 1916 and died in Santa Maria, California February 22, 1980. Manuel, as we knew him, married Dorothy Louise Meador in Arkansas. She was born January 19, 1924, in Dell, AR and died March 1, 1997 in Mill Valley, CA.Manuel and Louise had five children. The first two were born in Manila, AR and the last three were born in different place in CA. All but one of the children are still alive.
That is all the children of John and Sarah. Charlie, Fanny and Mittie all lived in AR all of their lives. Stanley, Jewell, and Manuel all moved on to California to live. The best of my knowledge Stanley went there right away. Jewell lived in Oklahoma for a few years before moving on
to CA. Manuel went to CA while still in the service and after his discharge stay in CA until he moved to MI. Around 1954 he and his family moved to Michiagn for a few years but moved back to CA sometime around 1957 where he remained the rest of his life. There were some health reasons for moving back and I guess after living in CA, Michigan just was not their cup of tea. However, while there were all in Michigan is when we got to meet and know them. When they moved back to California it was a sad time for us here in Michigan because we were losing some of our family. We really enjoyed them living here, but I do understand them wanting to go back. If I was in their place I probably would have felt the same way. I have a lot of fond memories of them and their time here in Michigan. I know they don’t feel the same way about their time in Michigan and I am sorry that is the case. It was a lot of years before we ever seen any of them again. However, I have seen them again in the last few years, and have meet their children, and enjoyed their company again. The Fifth Generation, as I know it!
The fifth generation starts with my father and hi
s two sisters. Really there were two other children that was born before them, but died as infants. Their name's are Paul and Dorothy Ingram and they died before my father was born. Dorothy was born on September 8, 1914 and died on November 12, 1914. Paul was born on November 15, 1915 and died on March 7, 1916. Both children were born and died in Mississippi Co. Arkansas.
My father is Vay Charles Ingram born April 19, 1918 on Big Lake in Mississippi Co., Arkansas and died in Gillette, Wyoming on October 7, 1971. He meets Geneva Alice Woodell, in Flint. She was born in Lonoke, Arkansas (Lonoke Co.) on February 26, 1923 and died in Flint, Michigan on March 30, 1987. They were married on June 7, 1942 in Flint Michigan and had three children.
s two sisters. Really there were two other children that was born before them, but died as infants. Their name's are Paul and Dorothy Ingram and they died before my father was born. Dorothy was born on September 8, 1914 and died on November 12, 1914. Paul was born on November 15, 1915 and died on March 7, 1916. Both children were born and died in Mississippi Co. Arkansas.My father is Vay Charles Ingram born April 19, 1918 on Big Lake in Mississippi Co., Arkansas and died in Gillette, Wyoming on October 7, 1971. He meets Geneva Alice Woodell, in Flint. She was born in Lonoke, Arkansas (Lonoke Co.) on February 26, 1923 and died in Flint, Michigan on March 30, 1987. They were married on June 7, 1942 in Flint Michigan and had three children.
Dad grew up in Arkansas, but because of the death of his mother when he was only 8 years old that left him and his two sisters to be raised by their grand parent’s. After their de
aths they went to live with their Aunt Mary, one of their mother’s sisters. Dad and my Aunt’s always talked fondly of Aunt Mary and bragged about her cooking, especially her biscuits. In 1964 I had the privilege to meet her and her husband Peck. I can tell you first hand they were right about the biscuits. This was also my first experience with hominy grits, first and last, YUK! My future wife was living in Arkansas at the time and I had gone to visit her. While I was there I fulfilled a promise to my dad to go and meet Aunt Mary. She opened the door and when I told her who I was you would have thought I had been there my entire life. Her and Uncle Peck took me in and just talked and talked. The problem was I was only 18 at that time and didn’t know what I was missing, along with the all the history and knowledge I could have gotten then. By the time I was old enough to understand, it was too late because the information they had was gone now.Dad also told me about the way they earned a living as he was growing up. They were hunters, fishermen and farmers and this is the way they made their money. The game they killed or caught would be sent up the Mississippi River to St Louis or down it to Memphis to be sold to the public. It was a common practice back then. They also would work in the fields helping to raise crops for land owners. It was a poor, hard life.
As dad got into his older teenager years he started north as a migration worker picking crops as they became available. This is how he worked his way into Michigan. When he first got to Michigan he settled on the Western side of the state but later worked his way over to the Eastern side of the state. Here he started working as a coal delivery man and this is where he meet my mother and as luck would have it, she was from Arkansas too. It would seem that some of the Ingram’s just can’t get away from the Arkansas women. I married a woman from Arkansas also.
Next in line would be Virginia Lee Ingram Woolard. She was born in Manila, Arka
nsas February 3, 1921 and died July 1, 1990 in Flint, Michigan. She married John Henry Woolard who was born on November 3, 1903 in El Dorado, Arkansas (Union Co.) and died about 1977 in Newport, Arkansas (Jackson Co.). Their marriage on October 11, 1937 in Manila, Arkansas produced four children. The first child, Vadis Eugene, died after only a couple of months.Aunt Jenny, as we all called her, was so good to us as we were growing up. I can't remember her getting very angry with us, although I am sure she had to at times. I remember how much she loved to go fishing. I guess it was instilled in her as well as her brother and sister. All three of them loved to fish and I guess it came from when they were kids. What ever the reason I'm sure happy they did because it gave the same love to us of the outdoors. I love to fish but did give up on hunting when Dad died. It just wasn’t as much fun anymore.
Aunt Jenny’s children are some the kids that we grew up with and played with. We all lived within a few miles of each other for many years. They are all very close to me as well has Aunt Alma’s kids. One of the funniest things I remember as a child is when my cousin DeWyane and I were out in the woods roaming around, as boys will do, with his dog Bouncer and came up on a skunk. Bouncer had the skunk cornered and wouldn’t let it get away. We were both kids and didn't kow what to do. We looked around out in the woods, found a container, and caught the skunk. We then took it to Aunt Jenny’s house while, her and my mother were gone to the hospital to visit my dad. We had the skunk tied up in the front yard and even had it inside the house. What can I say, we thought it was a baby? Dee called one of the neighbors that said he could de-skunk it. So we took it to him and guess what, it wasn’t a baby but a full grown one.
When our mothers got back there was hell to pay. We had to bath in the back yard, wash the dog off and tie him up out back so he couldn’t get close to the house. The house smelled of skunk inside and out but Dee and I had gotten used to ut by then I guess and couldn't smell it anymore. I have never forgotten that day and I hope I never do. To look back at it today brings back a lot of memories of those days. I wouldn’t change them for anything.
The last of the fifth generation from Charlie’s line is his youngest child Alma Lillian Ingram Munsey. She was born December 29, 1923 in Manila, Arkansas, died February 26, 1985 in Flint, Michigan. She married Ralph Franklin Munsey September 21, 1946. Ralph was born November 22, 1916 in Cardwell, Missouri and died May 2, 1981 in Flint, Michigan. They raised four children during their marriage.Aunt Alma sure was great! She was very small in stature but so full of spunk. I believe she could and would fight a wildcat is she felt ahe had to. One of the things I remember most about her was the fact that she could cook almost anything. We were a poor family and that woman could fix a meal from almost anything. Now I'm talking about this more from memory than any thing else, because as kids you never think about eating as long as your belly isn’t hurting. My memory of her cooking is that it was great! She could fry the best tasting fish and even made carp taste good. I don't know how she did it but she did. I remember her makeing some of the best tamales I have eatin.
Her oldest son Chuck and I were the same age. We grew up together more like bro
thers than cousins. We would always play together, fight together, sometimes each other, and anything else we could think of. Sometimes it would cost us some skin off our butts when we got caught doing things we weren’t suppose to be doing. It seems like we were together more than we were apart. With my dad being in the hospital all those years we were at Aunt Alma’s a lot. Between her and Aunt Jenny we had a lot of time with our cousins.Sadly, there are way too many of my cousin’s on this side of the family that have passed on and I dearly miss them all. We were a small but close group at one time. The years have passed and now we have gone our own ways. From Charlie’s line we have lost my brother Dennis, my cousin’s Dee, Chuck who died in Viet Nam, Patty Ann, and Jerry. I do miss them all and I remember them with great fondness. It is so sad that we were so full of life when we were kids and now we are so far apart.
This all seems to me like it was just yesterday but I know it was a while ago. I look back on those years with fond memories of our life growing up and all that we went though. It was hard times but there were some fun times and we did survived them.
Vay Ingram
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