Saturday, January 11, 2014

Meeting Grandma Prater: The Fleming's of Brownsville,Tennessee

Edith Fleming-Prater 1922




I remember the day that I met my husbands paternal Great Grandmother, Edith Elizabeth Fleming Prater. He had always spoke of her, saying that she had this tiny voice. It was soft, yet high pitched. Making her sound very young. He told me that when he and his sisters went to  grandma Prater's house as children, there were never any other children or family around. No cousins, aunts or uncles. It was so strange. Different than most families. Already the curiosity about grandma Prater's family history was brewing. Where was her family?  It was Thanksgiving day that year and my father in law had brought her home from the nursing home to spend the day with the family. I approached the woman in the wheelchair with caution. Looking back, I think I was a bit nervous. When she spoke, I noticed her  very tiny voice. It was my children's first time meeting her also. She seemed fascinated with my son, who was just a little boy back then. She hugged him and started to cry when she heard his name. He is the 4th generation of the family name, Charles. I could see that she had a very special bond with her grandson, Charles, ( my father in law) who she raised as her son. Meeting her that day only made me more curious to find out all about her history. And so the questions began..

Edith was born in November of 1904 in  Memphis,Tennessee to  Robert Fleming and Jennie King. As far as I know she only had one sibling, a sister named Vivian. I began searching for her in the census records and was surprised that I found her so easily. For every census year up to 1930, I found Edith living with her grandparents, Emmet and Elizabeth Fleming and her father Robert Fleming. It appeared that she was raised by her grandparents. Her mother, Jennie was no where to be found in the census. I wondered where she was? After the death of Edith's grandmother, Elizabeth. Edith and her family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. According to the story my Father in law told me, Grandma Prater (Edith) was expecting. Being an unwed mother, she was being sent away to stay with relatives in Buffalo New York. The picture shown above was taken when she was getting ready to leave. I wonder who lived in New York..Another clue to figure out. After her daughter, Mary Louise was born, Edith came back to Cincinnati, Ohio. It was there that she met Albert Thomas Prater. They were married in 1925. He was from Newman, Georgia. His parents were Israel Prater and Cornelia Huggins. Thomas had three sisters, Lola, Ida Belle and Sarah.

Edith and Thomas moved to Minneapolis, Mn about 1946 with their young grandson Charles.Thomas opened a grocery store called Prater's Grocery. The family lived in the back of the store. They later moved to a house in south Minneapolis. Years later Thomas and Edith both worked for the U.S. Navy department. Thomas died in 1977 and Edith died in 1990.


Looking For the Fleming Family:

As I continued to trace the history of Grandma Edith Prater. I started searching for her father Robert. I found him living in Brownsville, Haywood county, Tennessee. As I sifted through census records, and went back further. I found Robert along with his parents and siblings. By the time that I reached the 1870 census I felt like I found gold! There was Robert's father, Emmet, his parents Thomas and Harriet Fleming and a load of brothers and sisters and their families. A whole page of Flemings!  Peter and Melissa Austin were living next door. I had heard the name "Austin" before. I have a hunch that Melissa was Thomas and Harriett's daughter. From 1870-1940 they stayed in the same place. Brownsville, Tennessee. According to the  census, they were all farmers. I wondered how life was for them. So this was Grandma Prater's family. Now I have to try to put the families together and find out who they were. along with locating the slave owner..more to come.

1870 Census- Brownsville,Haywood co, TN




Robert Fleming-Father of Edith Fleming Prater


Denise 

© 2014 Denise Muhammad 

23 comments:

  1. Lots of questions still to answer here!

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  2. Yes, so many questions. Hope to get some more answers soon.

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  3. It is lots of questions to answer but it's a very nice start, I love looking at the photographs..Robert Fleming looks like he has Asian ethnicity. Your grandmother Edith looks like she thinking OK hurry up and that the picture already..lol . Your grandmother Edith is very pretty. I always wonder if they made their own clothes. Nice Story Denise, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the story.

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    1. Thank you. Yes, I have been told that there may be Asian in the family. Haven't figured out who or where yet. She has that "I don't want to be bothered" look on her face..lol.

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  4. Denise...I love those "goldmine" moments! Looking forward to what you discover next.

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  5. Wonderful story .. thanks for sharing!!!

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  6. Yes, alot of questions, you have alot of work ahead of you, but I love the way you have put this together already. You come along way and you've put it together so wonderfully. Looking forward to hearing what you find on this story.

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  7. Love it! A whole page of family, lot's of tips and clues to help along the way! Great story!

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    1. Thank you. I felt like I found gold seeing all these ancestors in one area. :)

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  8. Denise,
    This was really exciting. When she met you son was so touching. I really love how you write and tell your stories. I can't wait until you find your answers. The pictures are great.

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    1. Thank you Bernita. I'm still trying to put this puzzle together..following the clues :)

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  9. Don't you just love the way Ancestors work? When you lean-in the exchange is almost fluid it's so easy. Ms. Edith and her FLEMINGS are calling you my Dear. Love seeing you answer!:)

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    1. Thanks Luckie! you are so right, once I found one, the rest followed. Very exciting!

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  10. This made for a very good, warm read in the wee hours!

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  11. This is a great post filled with loads of information. I am curious in wanting to learn more about the people Elizabeth stayed with in New York as well as the Austin family of Tennessee. There is just so much to find now and all because of your thorough research! Thank you for sharing the Fleming and Prater families with us!

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    1. Thank you Dante. I have been trying to be creative in thinking of who she could have stayed with in New York. There's no one still living that I can ask..So many clues it's hard to know where to start first. This one really keeps me up nights.

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  12. The photo of Edith Prater along with your story led me to tears like no other. Edith reached beyond that photo with her body language with the solemn look on her face. Oh what a sad day it was for her to have to leave behind what was so familiar to her. To be pregnant and to be sent away. I wonder what she was thinking...Did she have the opportunity to tell you?

    She is a symbol of many young ladies that had to be sent away...Thank you to her and I honor her.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Yvette. I know what you mean. This photo speaks volumes. She was so sad. I was told that she was a few months along in this picture and was wearing the wide belt to try and conceal her pregnancy. Her grandparents were sending her away and she did not want to go.

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