The Life of Louise Garnett (1887-1945)

By: Terrence A. Garnett
(Feb. 25, 2019)

Life Story 

Louise (circa 1940) - From the
photo collection of my late
Grandmother Jane Garnett

My great-grandmother, Louise Garnett, was born September 7, 1887 (or May of 1887 according to some sources), in Bellville, Austin County, Texas, to former slaves Charlie Garnett and Jane Wade (Travick). Louise the fourth child of eight children; was raised in the Ives Creek Community. When she was old enough to work, she labored doing farm work on the property of her maternal grandparents, Frank and Mary Travick, who purchased the land in 1871. Family members affectionately called her "Mama Lou" and "Mickey"; the latter nickname was given to her by her favorite Uncle and Aunt, Mark and Martha (Travick) Slater. 


Sometime in 1899, Louise's father, Charlie, passed away around 41 years old, most likely due to natural causes. By 1900, her widowed mother, Jane, continued working on the farm, and she eventually employed the help of a laborer named James Harrison to work the land. 

On May 14, 1903, Louise, at the age of 15 or 16, gave birth to her first child, Leola Southern. Leola's father was 22-year-old Hannibal "Sam" Southern, whose family lived on a neighboring farm.

Louise didn't have much schooling, but she learned to read and write at the Westlake Colored School in Bellville. The 1940 U.S. Census reveals that the highest grade level she completed was the third grade. 

Inscription on the Church Cornerstone in front of
Pleasant Grove of Bellville, Texas

Louise attended Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Bellville, Texas where she was baptized at a young age. By 1912, Louise served as the church secretary under the leadership of Pastor R. C. Coleman.  

In 1916, after the death of her sister, Mary (Garnett) Loggins, Louise took in and raised Mary's infant son, Lemuel Logan (Loggins). She also helped in the upbringing of her niece, Idell Collins, who was the daughter of her sister Rosie (Garnett) Smith. 

On November 23, 1917, a few days before Thanksgiving, Louise gave birth to her second child whom she named Martha Garnett after her favorite Aunt who passed in 1915.

Louise went on to have two more children: Lenora "Mable" Garnett, born December 11, 1920, and Jane Garnett, born April 1, 1922. Jane was named after Louise's mother who passed in either 1920 or 1921.

Louise's older brother, Nelson Garnett, lived in Houston, Texas for several years, but as his health declined, he moved back to Bellville, Texas where Louise cared for him until his passing on July 6, 1935.

Death Certificate of Nelson Garnett - Louise was the Informant

According to relatives, Louise was petite at just under five feet tall and a stern disciplinarian. My dad relayed a story that his mother told him about Grandma Louise: apparently, Aunt Leola (Louise's oldest child) was "talking back" to her, so Louise picked up a chair and told her, "I brought you into this world, and I'll take you out." She was definitely a no-nonsense woman!

Louise suffered from hypertension, so she made her own blood pressure medicine using plants, herbs, and vinegar; she also made beer for relatives who lived on the family’s property, including her sister, cousins, aunts, and uncles. She was visiting in Houston when she had a massive heart attack in front of my grandmother, Jane. Apparently, Louise had collapsed while trying to calm my grandmother, who was upset about something at the time. She was 57 at the time of her passing on April 21, 1945. She was laid to rest at Pilgrim Rest Colored Cemetery in Bellville, Texas.

Death Certificate of Louise Garnett (1945)

Louise's Headstone

Children                                                           

Affidavit of Heirship of Louise Garnett 

1. Leola Southern-Taylor (1903-1994), affectionately called "Taylor"
2. Martha Lee Garnett-Coverson (1917-1994)
3. Lenora Garnett/Southern- Brown (1920-1981), affectionately called "Mable"
4. Jane Garnett (1922-2000)

Louise and her four children: Leola, Martha, Lenora, and Jane

Census

DNA

On August 5, 2013, a close DNA match (I'll call "Cousin B") appeared among my list of matches on 23andme. I surmised that she was connected to my father's side since she was not matching my mother or maternal grandmother. I sent her a message and she responded later that day informing me that her great-grandmother was named Martha (Garnett) Coverson. Growing up, Aunt Martha's name was mentioned frequently as she and my grandmother, Jane were close. Both sisters lived together in Houston, Texas after leaving their hometown of Bellville in the late 1930s. Aunt Martha only had one child, named Lloyd Melvin (1934-2004), known to the family as "Cousin Son"; and he is the maternal grandfather of "Cousin B" (my 2nd cousin once removed).

My father tested with 23andme in February of 2018 and his results show that he shares 165 centimorgans across 8 segments with "Cousin B"; including the X-Chromosome. I share 70 centimorgans across 3 segments with this cousin. Aunt Martha and my grandmother were Half-sisters. Researching Martha's father's line (Milam Curry) there appears to be no connection to the sisters other than through their mother, Louise.

My father's Maternal Haplogroup is: L2c2a - Follows his matrilineal ancestry through mitochondrial DNA (MtDNA), which is passed from mother to child.

From 23andme

Dad's Maternal Line

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Sources

1. Louise's Heastone shows her year of birth as 1887, The 1900 Census shows her being born in May of 1887, Her death certificate has September 7, 1896 (The year incorrect).
2. William Whitworth to Frank & Mary Travick, 1871; Deed Records, Volume P, Pages 278-280, Austin County Clerk, Bellville, Texas.
3. 1899 Austin County Tax Assessment Rolls, Line 29, Chas. Garnett - Last tax record listed. His wife Jane was widowed in 1900.
4. Austin County Official Public Records, Affidavit of Heirship of Louise "Mickey" Garnett, Volume 750, Page 706.
5. Texas Department of State Health Services, Death certificates, 1903-1976, Certificate No. 16446, Harris County (1945), Louise Garnett, Father: Charlie Garnett, Mother: Jane Travice, Informant: Mabel Benjamin, daughter.
6. Oral History from Idell Collins Graham (1922-2017), Louise Garnett's niece who knew her well.

Memories of Being at my Grandmother's Home

This is a picture of the my grandmother's former home (Google maps photo), in horrible shape. The appearance of the home never looked like this when my grandmother lived here. The google maps photo is from 2011, they don't appear to have a more recent one. I have passed by the home recently and quite a few things have been fixed since this photo was taken.

My late grandmother, Shirley Pipkins, lived on 3403 Erastus Street, located in the Historic 5th ward community of Houston, Texas. My siblings, cousins, and I have so many wonderful and fun memories of being together at this home. Grandma Shirley would babysit us while our parents were at work. Her home was surrounded or fenced by a metal gate and she had burglar bars on every window. When you walk in the house you would first see her living room, the dining room, and then the kitchen {which was next to the dining room}. Grandma would feed us breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner depending on how long we were at the house that day. For breakfast we usually had a choice of stove top oatmeal, malt-o-meal, or cream of wheat with a side of toast, and pan sausage or bacon {occasionally we would have cereal: Raisin Bran or Corn Flakes}. At Lunch time we had spaghetti, chicken, cabbage, macaroni and cheese, and various other foods and our choices for our drinks were either milk or apple juice. You could NOT leave the table until you finished everything on your plate {some of us would still be seated at the table for hours and end up falling asleep until our parents arrived to pick us up}.

 My grandmother was a strict disciplinarian and would discipline us using a switch, extension chord, belt, or making us go to time out.  As children we were to "stay in a child's place", you could not be around when the adults were talking and your response should always be "Yes Ma'am/Sir" or "No Ma'am/Sir" to adults. 

The grand kids would often play in back room of the home making sock doughnuts, tents & forts, playing video games, making fart noises or bothering our Uncle Jermaine {our parent's younger brother who was still living with my grandmother at the time}. 

Me, my siblings, and cousins at my grandmother's house on Easter
Sunday 1993 or '94

Grandma would watched various shows throughout the day such as the "Phil Donahue Show", "Sally Jessy Raphael Talk Show", and at eleven her favorite soap "The Young and the Restless". By Two or Three O'Clock we could watch our favorite children's show that were on at the time, such as the Fox Kids Block: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Eek the Cat, Power Rangers and other shows.

 The grandchildren were allowed to play outside, but only in front of the house where she could see you {She would usually be seated on the sofa talking on the telephone to her brother Robert Lee Johnson or another relative, or friend while watching us from the front window}. 

Sunday Dinners and Holiday Gatherings usually took place at grandma's home. I remember the grandchildren would help Grandma Shirley shell peas and other task. We would ask to lick the the spoon or bowl whenever she would bake cakes. She would bake cookies, pies, and cakes for her brother's and their respective families and various other people throughout the year and even more so for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every year, her Christmas tree was up Thanksgiving night or the day after and it was usually one of the best decorated tree's in the family. 

Terrence A. Garnett
December 11, 2015

Obituary: Mrs. Shirley Jean Pipkins

Shirley Jean Johnson Pipkins

Sunrise: March 14, 1937 - Sunset: April 30, 2015

Obituary

On Sunday, March 14, 1937, in Houston, Texas, Benjamin Johnson Sr. and Dorothy (Austin) Johnson welcomed their 6th child, a daughter whom they named, Shirley Jean. 

Shirley attended Blackshear Elementary, E. O. Smith Jr. High, and Phillis Wheatley High School. She accepted Christ as her personal Savior at a young and tender age and she was baptized by the late Rev. B. J. Collins in 1950 at Greater True Vine Missionary Baptist Church. Although she was a member at Greater True Vine, the Lord blessed her with musical talents and she served as a musician at several churches around the Houston area. She landed her first musician job at Mt. Herman Baptist Church at the age of 12 years. Most recently, she was a member of Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church, under the leadership of Pastor Terry K. Anderson and Associate Pastor Carlos Washington.

Shirley loved people and worked well in whatever capacity she was asked to work. Shirley’s biggest joy in life was her children and grandchildren. Because of her children and grandchildren, she was able to start Shirley’s Daycare out of the comfort of her own home, where it allowed her to care for several children through the years.

After a lengthy illness, God called Shirley home from labor to her reward on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 3:15 a.m., at Memorial Hermann Hospital Memorial City, in Houston, Texas.

Shirley was preceded in death by her parents; son, Larry Jerome Pipkins; brothers: Thomas Higgins Jr., Wilford Johnson, Bernard Johnson, and Nathaniel Johnson; sisters: Theresa Johnson, Maude Esther Johnson Addison and Carolyn Joyce Johnson Lee.

Shirley’s outstanding personality and beautiful smile will be missed by all of the many lives that she touched during her 78 year journey here on earth.

Warm and loving memories will forever be cherished by her five children, eighteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, three brothers, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

~ Obituary and Letter/Will Originally written by Shirley in 1991 ~

Homegoing Celebration for Mrs. Shirley Pipkins

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of my beautiful grandmother, Shirley Jean Pipkins. She went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, April 30, 2015 at 3:15 am. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Thank you,

Terrence A. Garnett

Services

Viewing & Funeral: Saturday, May 9, 2015

Spirit of Life Ministries

485 Maxey Rd

Houston, TX 77013

Viewing: 

9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Funeral: 

11:00 a.m.

Veterans Day 2013: Tharner James Pipkins [WWII]

My grandfather, Tharner James Pipkins, was a World War II veteran. Friends and family called him Buddy and James, but I knew him as Paw-Paw. He was born on April 6, 1924, to Marcellus and Roberta (Perkins) Pipkins in Bethany, Louisiana. After the death of his mother, Roberta, in 1930, his father Marcellus remarried later that year to Lois Allen. Grandpa attended grammar school at the Cornelius Springs Colored School in East, Texas where he completed seven years of school.

At the age of nineteen, he enlisted in the Navy where he served from June 12, 1943, to February 17, 1946. After leaving the Navy, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served from April 4, 1946, to December 9, 1946, receiving an honorable discharge.  The rumor is my grandfather joined the Navy because he did not get along with his stepmother Lois. A document I received from the National Archives on his service in the Navy revealed that my grandfather was married at the time he enlisted. I asked my grandfather's sister, Aunt Mary Lee, about it, and she told me, "My brother James's first wife was Grady Mae. I don't know her maiden name, but they used to argue and fight a lot. They didn't have any children together. I believe they got married in Shreveport." Sure enough, Caddo Parish marriage records show that Tharner J. Pipkins married Grattie Mae Lewis on January 30, 1946 (Vol: 114, pg. 395). The couple would eventually divorce.

Tharner as Associate Pastor of GTVMBC in the 1950s

Paw-Paw eventually moved to Houston, Texas in the early 1950s and united with Greater True Vine Missionary Baptist Church where he served as one of two associate pastors under Rev. B.J. Collins.

While a member of the church, my grandpa James met my grandmother Shirley Jean Johnson who was the church pianist. They were married on November 21, 1954, by associate Pastor S. Hubbard. My grandparents raised four children, one who was from my grandmother's previous relationship. They eventually separated when my mother was a baby, and my grandpa stepped down as an associate pastor and left Greater True Vine. He would later unite with Macedonia Baptist Church and Israel Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of Rev. A.A. McCardell, Jr.

My grandpa went on to meet "Living wife", and they raised four children together, two of which were from her previous relationship. Growing up, my grandfather rarely spoke about his experience in the war, at least not with his grandchildren. The little I overheard let me know that the war had really affected him.

In my 2010 interview with my grandfather's sister Mary Lee, she mentioned the following: "Mama [Lois] took care of James after he came home from the war; he was shaken up by what he had seen. He would have nightmares about it."

Grandpa worked at a corner store down the street from his house, and when my cousins,  my siblings, and I would visit, he would tell us to get whatever type of candy and drinks we wanted in the store. He died on April 1, 2001, after a lengthy stay at the Michael E. DeBakey VA hospital. He is buried at the Houston National Cemetery. I will always remember his jokes and laughter.

Paw-Paw in his latter years

Headstone

Source Citations:

1. Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.