The Children of Missouri Beasley and Green Berry Barnes

Last week I posted the Will of my great-great grandfather Green Berry Barnes, published in 1891 after his death.  Because his will essentially holds his estate in trust it is likely that Missouri left no will when she died in 1925.  There is nothing in the will books available on microfilm from the Family History Library so confirmation will have to wait until I can visit the Bulloch County Courthouse in person.  In the meantime, I have a few other documents that mention or prove facts about the children of Missouri and Green Berry Barnes.

Here are the basic facts I’ve uncovered about their offspring.  The names marked with an asterisk (Ella Barnes Jones, James Henry Barnes & Willis Remer Barnes) are mentioned by name Green Berry Barnes’ will.

·      Ella Carene Barnes* (1866-1927)
married John Jones (1861-1950) in 1886
Thanks to the marriage books available through the Georgia’s Virtual Vault website (Bulloch County Marriage Book 4A, 1877-1890, p 300; courtesy of the Georgia Archives; Marriage Books, Bulloch County Ordinary Court, Georgia Archives) I have a copy of their marriage license record, and their burial in the Brooklet Cemetery, Brooklet, Bulloch County, is recorded among other places on the Find A Grave website, which has pictures of their grave stones courtesy of nu2ga.

·      James Henry Barnes* (1868-1916)
married Rebecca Deal (1875-1973) in 1891
I have found their marriage license record (Bulloch County Marriage Book, 1875-1892, page 441; courtesy of the Georgia Archives; Marriage Books, Bulloch County Ordinary Court, Georgia Archives).  They are buried in the Ramah Cemetery, Mershon, Pierce County, Georgia, and memorialized on Find A Grave (pictures courtesy of Irisheyes).

·      Thomas Barnes (1869-?)
Thomas probably died before 1880 because he’s only listed in the 1870 census, and I’ve found no further mention of or documentation on him.

·      Willis Remer Barnes* (1870-1903)
married Mittie M Olliff (1873-1960) in 1891
I haven’t located their marriage record yet, but according to their 1900 census they were married about 1891.  Willis is buried in the plot set aside as a family burial ground in his father’s will (Barnes and Akins Family Cemetery Records, Bulloch County, Ga; Compiled by the Genealogical Committee; LDS Church; Filmed by the Genealogical Society, Salt Lake City, UT, 1956; FHL Film # 2105, Item 10).  The Remer Barnes mentioned in the will was Greens’ brother, who died in 1889.  That Remer was reburied in Eastside Cemetery, Statesboro, to rest beside his wife when she died in 1936.

·      Nancy Rosanna “Rosa” Barnes (1872-1948)
married Jacob Cuyler “Jake” Jones (1866-1950) in 1891
These were my great grandparents.  And, yes, Jacob Jones and Ella’s husband John Jones were brothers.  So their descendants are double-cousins of ours.  I’ve previously discussed Jake and Rosa in greater detail, and have a copy of their marriage record and have been to their grave site.

·      Mollie Ann Elizabeth Barnes (1874-)
married V H Morris (?-?) in 1900
I have found a marriage record that seems to be for “our” Mollie Barnes, but beyond that I have discovered nothing.

·      Missouri Maggie Barnes (1877-1959)
married Welcome Amos Akins (1877-1945) in 1901
The Akins family, both descendants of Maggie & Amos and other branches of the Akins tree still inhabit the regions of Bulloch County where our ancestors once farmed side by side.  The farm which hosts the Barnes & Akins cemetery is still in the Akins family.  For the younger Missouri Barnes and Amos Akins, I have found their marriage license record (Bulloch County Marriage Book, 1898-1904, page 275; courtesy of the Georgia Archives; Marriage Books, Bulloch County Ordinary Court, Georgia Archives).  They are buried in the Upper Mill Creek Cemetery, Statesboro, Bulloch County, and memorialized on Find A Grave (pictures courtesy of Craig & Tonya Banks).  Maggie’s youngest brother Robert is buried in the same plot.

·      John Green Barnes (1879-1951)
married Missouri Deal (1887-1984) in 1914?
I have nothing confirmed on John & Missouri, only two census records (1920 and 1930), and even they are conflicting.  The death dates are also presumptive until further information is obtained.  The 1920 census shows JG Barnes & wife Missouri, aged 39 & 35, with 4-year-old daughter Francis, but doesn’t indicate when they may have married; however they live next door to presumptive brother WB Barnes & his wife Alice (below).  The presumed 1930 census has John G & Missouri Barnes, with two daughters, J Francis (13) and Jonnie M (9).  But here John is 51 and Missouri is only 34 (or maybe 38, difficult to read).  In 1930 Column 15 gives the “Age at First Marriage”.  For John it is 35, and for Missouri it is 25.  This means he would have been first married about 1914, but her first marriage would have been about 1921 (or 1917, depending on which age you use).  Such a riddle!

·      William Benjamin Barnes (1881-1961)
married Alice Woodrum (1886-?) in 1908
With William I am a little luckier than with John.  I did find a marriage license record for Ben Barnes and Alice (Bulloch County Marriage Book, 1905-1912, p 169; courtesy of the Georgia Archives; Marriage Books, Bulloch County Ordinary Court, Georgia Archives).  I haven’t yet found cemetery or death records for them, though as with John there is some indication they may have settled in the Savannah area, and may be buried there.

·      Eli Whitney Barnes (1882-1920)
married Susie May Prosser (1889-?) in 1902; Susie married [?]Cannoles[?] abt 1924
Another of Green & Missouri’s children whose life was tragically cut short.  I found his marriage license record (Bulloch County Marriage Book, 1898-1904, page 382; courtesy of the Georgia Archives; Marriage Books, Bulloch County Ordinary Court, Georgia Archives).  I have found a copy of his death certificate online (Death Certificates, Vital Records, Public Health, RG 26-5-95, Georgia Archives) which states that he was buried at Friendship Church but so far I haven’t located a picture of his gravesite.  It appears there are at least three Friendship Churches in Bulloch County.  According to the 1930 census Susie remarried by 1924 or 1925, but was apparently twice-widowed by then.

 

·      Robert Calhoun Barnes (1886-1943)
Robert never married.  In my previous post I speculated on the possibility that he was blind and for that reason lived with his mother, then his sister.  Since then I was sent his obituary by the kind courtesy of Janice Strickland, Statesboro Regional Library.  From the Bulloch Times, Thursday, June 17, 1943, p 4, it states:

R. C. BARNES

Funeral services for R. C. Barnes,
56, who died here yesterday, will be
held this (Thursday) afternoon at 6
o'clock at Upper Mill Creek church
with Elder A. E. Temples in charge
of the services. Burial will be in
the church cemetery.
Mr. Barnes, who has been in ill
health for some time, was blinded by
an accident 35 years ago. He was
well known throughout the county.
He is survived by two sisters, Mrs.
Amos Akins, of Statesboro, and Mrs.
Jacob Jones, of Statesboro; two broth-
ers, John C. Barnes, of Savannah, and
W. B. Barnes, of Hinesville. Pall-
bearers will be nephews, Doy Akins,
Ray Akins, Floyd Akins, Fred Akins,
Ernest Akins, Datus Akins, and In-
man Akins. Lanier's Mortuary is in
charge of funeral arrangements.

I also have a photo of his grave stone courtesy of the kind graces of Craig & Tonya Banks and the Find A Grave web site (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=69715737).  As I stated above, Robert is buried in the Akins plot at Upper Mill Creek Cemetery, Statesboro, with his sister and brother-in-law Missouri “Maggie” Akins and W. Amos Akins.

That’s about it for now.

Later y’all,

*GeorgiaTim