For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens, Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage. Click on any image to enlarge.
George Cleage was born in Memphis, Tennessee about 1845. He joined the 1st U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery in Knoxville, TN in 1864. His enlistment papers describe him as 19 years old, 5 ft 8 inches with black hair, black eyes and yellow complexion. His occupation was listed as “farmer”. His military record was uneventful, except for being confined to the military prison at Chattanooga for several months.
When he was mustered out in October of 1865, he had $10.50 coming to him, that would be worth $156.72 today. Not a lot to start a new life.
The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: Artillery Organizations via Ancestry.com
In 1868 he married Martha Rice in Athens, Tennessee. His first daughter, Sarah was born in 1869. While looking at him in the 1870 census, I looked to see who his neighbors were and right there above him was Fannie Turk, widow of Isaac and their children! I have been looking for her and not finding her in censuses. Isaac and Fannie came off of David Cleage’s plantation and Isaac also enlisted in the USCT in Knoxville. To read more about Fannie and Isaac, go to the link above.
In 1880 Martha and little Sarah are gone (presumed to have died) and George has married Jane. There are three daughters, Anna, 6; Mary, 4 and Lizzie, 2 years old. George continues to have employment listed as laborer, but by 1900 he is listed as a brick mason. I wonder if George had been doing brick work all along. Coming off of a plantation known for building with bricks, I expected more of the free Cleage men to be brick masons. (Cleage Bricks to learn more about Samuel Cleage’s brick making and construction business.)
In 1900 George was a widower. Two of his daughters are enumerated with him. Although daughter Anna married Frank Cunningham, she is using Cleage. She has one child, 2 year old Mazinia. George’s daughter Lizzie is working as a cook. Both of the daughters are literate, George is not. Tom and Sallie (Cleage) Waterhouse lived down the street from them. Sallie was the daughter of Clinton (sometimes Called Dick) and Sallie Cleage, who I wrote about in “D” is for Dick. I am loving the way people show up in each other’s lives.
That is the last I find of George Cleage. Lizzie ended up in Knoxville. Mary and Anna ended up in Indianapolis where they died in the 1920s. Anna is listed in the city directories as “Anna Cleage (widow of Frank) and that caused me some confusion because I thought she might have been a wife of my great grandfather Louis’ brother Frank Cleage, but that turned out not to be the case. She must have gone back to her maiden name after Frank Cunningham died. My grandfather and 3 of his siblings lived in Indianapolis at this time. I wonder if the two families crossed paths.
For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens, Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage. Click on any image to enlarge.
“Cook Dies at Age Of 78 Knoxville, Tenn., 15 – Fannie Cleage Wilson, aged 78 years, died Tuesday morning at her home 609 Payne avenue. The body will be buried in the Daughters’ cemetery. The funeral services were held Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock. She was a well known cook, and worked for many of the most prominent families in Knoxville.”
When I saw this item about Fannie Cleage, I chose her for F. There was a Fannie mentioned in the 1834 letter to the Overseer by Samuel Cleage’s, however this Fannie was not born yet, so that was not her.
In the 1900 census in Knoxville, Tennessee she was listed as a servant for the Hood family. The head of the family, NM Hood was a 47 years old merchant and had been married to Estela 32, for three years. Fannie was 65, a widow who had given birth to 3 children, all now dead. She was able to read and write.
Fannie Cleage’s death certificate says that she died of old age, general frailty and heart failure. She was a widow, 75 years old and had worked as a cook. She was buried Daughter’s of Zion Cemetery.
Afterward: My mother wanted to name me Fannie, after her mother Fannie Turner Graham. My grandmother told her not to do it. I was almost Fannie Cleage.
A southern family arriving in Chicago during World War I. (Chicago Commission on Race Relations, The Negro in Chicago [Chicago, 1922]) The Great Migration In Photographs
For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens, Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage. Click on any image to enlarge.
I didn’t expect to have trouble finding a Cleage with the first name starting with “E” and was suprised to find that Emma Cleage was one of the few.
Emma was born in 1881 in Austin Texas She was part of the first generation of Cleages born after slavery, and the 2nd child of Richard and Adeline (Wasson) Cleage. Richard, born into slavery in 1858, was the son of Charles Cleage, born into slavery about 1840. There was a Richard Cleage lodging with Abraham and Amanada Cleage in Austin in 1880 and that is the only sign of him in Texas. The family returned to Tennessee by 1880 (Richard was enumerated with them also) and lived first in Rhea County and then moved to Chattanooga by 1888, when Emma was 7 years old.
Richard worked as a hosteler, a laborer and in a feed stable to support his family. By 1892 that included 9 children, his wife and himself. Emma and her siblings attended school for 8 months out of the year. Between 1892 and 1900, Richard Cleage died. In the 1900 census both Emma and her mother were working as washer women. The same year, at the age of 20, Emma married Robert Carter. He died before 1910. They had no children. That year we find her still in Chattanooga, now working as a servant.
There is no description of how she looked, but there are descriptions of her 5 brothers in their Draft Registration cards. They were between 5’4″ and 6′ tall, of slim or medium build with light brown skin, black hair and brown eyes. I picture her as being small, slim, with tan complexion,black hair and brown eyes.
By 1912 Emma’s family had joined the First Great African American Migration north. They came looking for more freedom and better jobs. In 1913 Emma had been in Cleveland, Ohio long enough to know and marry Alexander Foster, a painter. This marriage ended in divorce and without children. By 1917 all but one of her siblings had moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Her brother Archie and sister Louise appeared regularly in little society news items in the black press.
The Encyclopedia of Cleveland describes the situation for African Americans this way: “The period from 1915-30 was one of both adversity and progress for black Clevelanders. Industrial demands and a decline in immigration from abroad during World War I created an opportunity for black labor, and hundreds of thousands of black migrants came north after 1916. By 1930 there were 72,000, African Americans in Cleveland. The Central Ave. ghetto consolidated and expanded eastward, as whites moved to outlying sections of the city and rural areas that would later become SUBURBS. Increasing discrimination and violence against blacks kept even middle-class African Americans within the Central-Woodland area. At the same time, discrimination in public accommodations increased. Restaurants overcharged blacks or refused them service; theaters excluded blacks or segregated them in the balcony; amusement parks such as EUCLID BEACH PARK were usually for whites only. Discrimination even began to affect the public schools. The growth of the ghetto had created some segregated schools, but a new policy of allowing white students to transfer out of predominantly black schools increased segregation. In the 1920s and 1930s, school administrators often altered the curriculums of ghetto schools from liberal arts to manual training. “
In 1918 Emma married Jacob E. Reed. She was 39 with no occupation and he was a 64 year old merchant who had been born in Pennsylvania. He had been married once and his wife was dead. He had one son, Scott who was 18. Jacob owned a fish market and his son worked as a salesman in the store. They owned their home free of mortgage in Shaker Heights Cleveland. It is still standing, as pictured below.
Emma and Jacob’s house – 1920, as it is today on google.
On August 9, 1926, Emma Cleage Reed died from kidney failure and hypertension. She was ill from June 20 to August 9. Emma had lived in Cleveland for 14 years. Her husband, Jacob Reed was the informant. She is buried in Woodland Cemetery, an integrated cemetery.
“Bicyclists’ group on Minerva Terrace. [Lt. James A. Moss’s company of 25th Infantry, U. S. Army Bicycle Corps, from Fort Missoula, Montana.] YNP.” October 7, 1896.
Buffalo Soldiers ready to ride cross country on their bikes.
While looking for information about Clarence Cleage for this year’s April A-Z Challenge I came across several stunning photographs of Buffalo Soldiers on bicycles. Buffalo Soldiers originally were members of the U.S. 10th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army, formed on September 21, 1866 at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas after the end of the Civil War. It is said that various Native American groups noticed the resemblance between the hair of the soldiers and that of the curly, kinky hair of the buffalo and gave them the name of Buffalo Soldiers.
In 1896 the army was considering replacing horses with bicycles as a mode of transportation. They picked the Buffalo Soldiers to try it out. In 1897 the Great Bicycle Ride of the 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps took place. It went from Fort Missoula to St. Louis, took forty-one days and covered more than 1,900 miles. For more about the Bicycle ride, visit Riding Through History.
To tie this post in with my A-Z Challenge this year, which is writing about Cleages who started on the Cleage plantations in Athens, Tennessee. Some are related to me, most are not. Clarence Cleage is a bit of a departure because he was not born until 1893 in Chattanouga, Tennessee, well after the end of slavery. I cannot find him in the 1900 census, and the online death record does not include the names of his parents, so I am unable to connect him to any specific Athens Cleage family. I know there is a tie in and I will find it eventually. Clarence is the only Cleage who enlisted in the Buffalo Soldiers.
Buffalo Soldiers driving wagons leaving Fort Ethan Allen for Pine Camp in New York – 1913 Clarence would have been traveling with them. Photo from Buffalo Soldiers – Fort Ethan Allen
In Columbus, Ohio in 1909 Clarence Cleage enlisted in the US tenth Calvary, widely known as the Buffalo Soldiers. In the 1910 Census he was at Fort Ethan Allen, in Vermont. The Buffalo Soldiers were based there from 1909 until 1913, when they were relocated to Fort Huachuca in Arizona. I can imagine his feelings about the cold and snow he found in Vermont.
The Hamilton National Bank Building. Click to enlarge. (The Chattanoougan)
His military service ended October 1, 1919 and he returned to Chattanooga where he married Anne Mae and worked as an elevator operator at the Hamilton National Bank Building. He worked there for several years until moving to Chicago, Illinois where we find him in 1930.
In the 1930 Census Clarence and Anne rented their house. They had a 13 year old son, Scott and several lodgers shared the home. Clarence works as an auto mechanic for an automobile sales company. Anna has no outside job and Scott attends school. Clarence says that he fought in World War 1. They own a radio.
In the 1940 Census Clarence was still repairing cars. His highest grade completed was the 6th. Anne had completed the 3rd year of High School. Three lodgers shared the house. Their son Scott married the previous year and lived elsewhere with his wife. In 1941 Clarence filed his WW2 Draft Registration Card. He was no longer repairing cars, but worked at the post office. They also provided a description, he was 48 years old, stood 5 ft 11 in and weighted 205 pounds. He had a light brown complexion, black hair and brown eyes. They continued to live at 6222 South Indiana Ave. And the row house is still standing.
6222 Indiana Ave. From Google.
Clarence Cleage died in 1970 in Chicago, Illinois. His wife, Anne, died in 1976.
For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens, Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage. Click on any image to enlarge.
Clinton “Dick” Cleage was bought by David Cleage for $700 in January of 1841. He was about 17 years old.
“From all men by these presents that I, John Armstrong, of the county of McMinn and the state of Tennessee for and in consideration of the sum of seven hundred dollars to me in hand paid the receipt where of is hereby acknowledged have bargained, sold and delivered unto David Cleage of the County and State afore said a negro (sic) boy named Clinton, sometimes called Dick, of dark mulatto colour, aged about seventeen. Said boy I warrant sound and healthy both in body and mind and free from any defect whatever and a slave for life and covenant that the title is clear of any encombrance whatever and will warrant and defent by these presents for ever given under my hand and seal this 9th day of January 1841.
John Armstrong
Witness: William Burk, JB King”
On July 7, 1866, Clinton appeared again as a witness in Fannie Cleage Turk’s widow’s pension hearing. He testified that he knew her and she was who she said she was.
He never appears in any census, but he appears on his children’s death certificates. In 1870 his wife, Sallie Marsh Cleage, is listed as a widow. In the 1900 Census Sallie said that she had given birth to 14 children and 5 were still living. The children that I know the names of, are listed below. Click linked names to read their A-Z post
Headstone of Charles A. Cleage in Hammonds Cemetery in Athens Tennessee. Photo by me.
For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel Cleage and his sons, Alexander and David Cleage. Click on an image to enlarge.
Charles A. Cleage was the person that got me interested in investigating the Cleages outside of my family, at least his headstone did. In 2004 our branch of the Cleages had a reunion in Athens, TN. It was my first visit. My cousins, who were born and grew up there, took me on a tour. They showed me where family members were buried in Hammonds historic African American Cemetery. We wandered around looking at the other graves. I noticed the headstone belonging to Charles A. Cleage and wondered who he was and what the letters stood for.
Charles A. Cleage was born into slavery about 1828 in McMinn County Tennessee. He first appears in the record as part of a bill of sale between the heirs of Samuel Cleage. After Samuel’s death there was some shuffling around of the enslaved, livestock and household property between the siblings. It says in part,
“Know all men by these presents that we Alexander Cleage and Walter Nutter and his wife Elizabeth H Nutter have this day bargained and sold to David Cleage and his heirs and assigns forever Charity fourteen, Caroline sixteen Jim thirty Joe eight Sally near ten Arch sixteen Margth fourteen Bill forty five Charles twenty four Mary thirty one Henry four Lydia one year of age
For five thousand two hundred and fifty dollars being his distribution share out of the proceeds of the slaves of Samuel Cleage deceased We warrant said negroes (sic) to be slaves for life and that we as the heirs at law of Samuel Cleage have a right to convey them
Given under our hands and seals this 20th day of March 1852″
In testimony given by Charles on 17 June,1895, at the Pension Hearing of Mariah Turk Witt, he gave a look into his life on Samuel Cleage’s plantation.
“… that he and the said soldier Isaac Turk were slaves and belonged to the same master during the year 1849, and on up to the War of the Rebellion they lived as the custom was, within a few nods of each other, both being married and having children; he further states he is enabled to fix the date of birth of Mariah Witt, daughter of said soldier Isaac Turk, by the birth of his own daughter Juley Ann Watts, which as his Family Bible Record shows occurred July 29th 1849, said Mariah Witt being born just one month later which would make the birth of said child Mariah August 29, 1849.”
In 1863 Charles joined the United States Colored Troops (Co. A USCT) in Knoxville, Tennessee. His papers described him as 41 years old, 5 feet 9 inches with black hair, black eyes and a brown complexion.
Charles A. Cleage was promoted from private to Corporal on March 15, 1866 only a few weeks before he was mustered out on March 31, 1866 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In 1870 Charles A. was 42 and his wife Martha was 25. Charles was a laborer and owned no property. His personal worth was $180. Neither of them could read or write. There were 6 children living with them. The oldest, daughter Julia, was 21. Her husband, Sam Reynolds was also a part of the household. He worked as a laborer. His son Hillard was 19. Frank, 13 and Philip, 11 were attending school. The youngest children were Amos, 2 and Richard 3 months. If Martha’s age is correct, Charles had a wife before her. However, we do not know if Martha’s age is correct. There was a Martha that was in Alexander’s part of the division of slaves in 1852. She was 21 and that would have made her birth year 1831, closer to the birth year given in 1880, as you will see below.
Ten years later, according to the 1880 census, Charles and Martha had aged 20 years. They are now 66 and 46. You have to take the ages on census records, especially for older people, with a grain of salt. The oldest child still home is 18 year old Phillip who is also working as a laborer, as was Charles. Four new children have joined the family – Henry, 9; Mitchel, 7; Rosa, 4 and Mary, 2.
In 1887 Charles applied for his military pension as an invalid. Charles appeared in the 1890 Veterans Schedule. During 1890 he testified at the pension hearing I mentioned above. On January 20, 1908, Martha began to receive her widow’s pension. Charles probably died in December of 1907. On October 16, 1910, Martha Cleage died of asthma. Her age is listed as 65 years old.
Both images from: The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Compiled Military Service Records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served with the United States Colored Troops: Artillery Organizations via ancestry.com
Bart Arnwine. Photo shared with me by a family member.
For this year’s April A-Z Challenge I am blogging a series of sketches about the free people formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood, although our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage. I do have a connection with Bart’s family, not a blood connection but my grandfather’s sister, Josie Cleage, married Bart’s first cousin, James Cleage. James was the son of his uncle Jerry Cleage. You can enlarge images by clicking on them.
Born into slavery on David Cleage’s plantation about 1860, Bart Arnwine, lived to be 100 years old. Bart was the son of Jefferson Arnwine and Malinda Cleage.
Oral tradition passed on to me by Elbert Arnwine, one of Bart’s descendents, says that when Samuel Cleage left Virginia heading for Tennessee in the 1820’s, Bart’s grandparents, Joe and Leah were among the few slaves he had with him when he started.
In 1870 Bart was listed as a 9 year old living with parents Jeff and Malinda Arnwine and 6 children from 7 to 14 years old. Neither the parents nor the older children could read or write. Jeff was 35 and worked as a laborer. He owned no property and his personal worth was nothing. Malinda was 28 and kept house.
I haven’t yet found Bart in the 1880 census when he would have been about 20. I found his mother and her new husband, Samuel Reynolds and their daughter. The rest of the family seems to have vanished. On January 12, 1883, Bart married Mary Brown. He was using the surname Cleage, although he went back to Arnwine soon after. He was 22 and she was 18. She had been married once before. Henry Cleage, his uncle, and John A. Miller acted as a witnesses.
Through the years, Bart farmed and Mary kept house. They had 13 children together. In 1910 only seven were still living. The children attended school for varying lengths of time and the younger ones were literate. Eventually the parents also learned to read but not to write. He owned his farm, free of mortage at that time.
By 1920, Mary was dead, leaving Bart a widower. The household included four of his children ages 16, 14, 13 and 9; a 10 year old grandson and his 80 year old widowed mother Malinda. He was still farming, but now on rented land.
In 1940 he was living in his son Augustine’s home with daughter Lena and several grandchildren. He was 70 years old and no longer listed as working, but I cannot imagine that he sat in his rocker all day while his son did farm labor.
“Finally, in this early period, mention should be made of Bart Arnwine. Arnwine had three trademarks — a broad sense of humor, a shining, double-bladed ax, and the reputation of being able to thresh more wheat in one day than anyone in the county. Like several of these memorable people (note: other people mentioned in the book), Arnwine lived to be over 100 years old.”
Recounting History – Descendants of Bart Arnwine Return
After years of living apart, the Arnwine family gathered at Cooke Park recently to enjoy being together once again and recount the family´s rich history.
In 1870, former slave Bart Cleage changed his last name to Arnwine as the recently-freed family stayed in the Niota area where Bart lived.
Through the years, however, members of the family began moving to various parts of the country from Mississippi all the way to New York. There were members of the family who had never met each other before.
That changed recently as the family held its first reunion to catch up with family members they haven´t seen in years and to meet some they had never met.
Frances Williams, one of the organizers of the reunion, said more than 100 people attended.
Our family just spread out, Williams said. We´ve got cousins who have never met. It was time to bring the family back together again.
Everybody at the reunion was a descendent of Bart and Mary Arnwine. Family members came from New York, South Carolina, Ohio, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi.
The oldest family member at the event was soon-to-be 80-year-old Vera West, and the youngest was 2 1/2 year-old Raen Williams.
I think it´s great, West said. I´m glad they did it.
The family reconvened at Cook Park where they cooked hot dogs and renewed friendships or made new ones. Elbert Arnwine is the designated historian of the group and knows all about the family´s history.
I think it´s beautiful, Arnwine said. It´s nice getting the family together on a happy occasion.
Tintype of an African-American Couple. From: Auction Finds…and the stories behind them.
Today begins the 2015 A-Z Challenge. This year I will be writing a series of sketches about those formerly enslaved on the Cleage plantations in Athens Tennessee. Most are not related to me by blood. Our families came off of the same plantations – those of Samuel, Alexander and David Cleage, but were not blood relatives. Enlarge images by clicking on them.
Abraham Cleage was born into slavery in about 1838 in McMinn County, Tennessee. By 1864, the Union troops were in control of Eastern Tennessee. Abraham left slavery and enlisted with the United States Colored Troops Heavy Artillary Unit in Knoxville, TN on July 4, 1864. His enlistment papers described him as 5 ft 7 in with black hair, black eyes and a dark complexion. On March 31, 1866, he was mustered out in Chattanooga, TN. He had $42.15 due him.
Amanda Cleage was born about 1837. She and her parents, Clinton and Sallie, were slaves on David Cleage’s plantation in McMinn County. Abraham and Amanda married in 1870. Reconstruction was over. With it’s end came the rise in lynchings, Jim Crow laws legalizing segregation in trains, street cars, restaurants, waiting rooms and schools. The right to vote was stolen through the use the poll tax, literacy tests, grandfather clauses and property ownership requirements.
Train tracks are shown by the heavy black lines. Credit Line: Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
Not long after their marriage the couple moved west to Austin, Travis County, Texas. It is likely that they took a train. There was a train station in Athens and tracks connected all the way to Texas. Their daughter Sarah was born there in 1876. In 1880 Abraham was working as a laborer. In addition to their family, the household included a border, Richard Cleage, age 21. There is a Richard Cleage, same age, who appears in the 1880 census back in Athens with two children born in Texas.
They lived in Austin from at least 1876, when their daughter was born, until they appear in the Los Angeles City Directory in 1888. Abraham worked as a laborer. Amanda kept house.
Free people celebrating Juneteenth in Austin, TX 1900.for family reunions. See more at: Juneteenth.”
They would have participated in the local Juneteenth Celebrations. “Although news of emancipation came at different times during that Texas summer and autumn 1865, local blacks gradually settled on June 19 (Juneteenth) as their day of celebration. Beginning in 1866 they held parades, picnics, barbecues, and gave speeches in remembrance of their liberation. By 1900 the festivities had grown to include baseball games, horse races, street fairs, rodeos, railroad excursions, and formal balls. Two distinct trends emerged with these early celebrations. First the oldest of the surviving former slaves were often given a place of honor. That place of honor rose in direct proportion to the dwindling numbers of survivors with each passing year. Secondly, African Americans in Texas initially used these gatherings to locate missing family members and soon they became staging areas
In 1888 the family relocated to Los Angeles, California where Abraham registered to vote and continued to work as a laborer. In 1893 he filed for his pension as an invalid. Amanda was not working outside of the home during these years. By 1900, they owned their own home, with a mortgage. Abraham could neither read or write. Amanda could read but not write. Abraham was 62. Amanda was getting younger with each passing census and was enumerated as 48, although she was closer to 60. She had given birth to 2 children and both were alive. I can only name one, Sarah, who was 24 and married to Richard Pierce, a carpenter who had been unemployed for 5 months during the past year. Sarah had given birth to 2 children but only 1, 6 year old Evelyn was living. Sarah and Richard could read and write. They were all living with Abraham and Amanda.
Abraham died on April 14, 1908. He is buried in the Long Beach Municipal Cemetery. Although I found his information in several death indices, I have not found a death certificate and so do not know how he died. Amanda began to receive her widow’s pension the following month.
By 1910 only one of Amanda’s children was still living. I cannot find Sarah anywhere, I assume she died. Sarah’s husband, Richard Pierce has remarried and is living with his new wife and young daughter. Evelyn, Sarah’s daughter is missing. It is possible she is living with the other living child. Amanda began taking in laundry to support herself.
1916 found Amanda back in Austin, Texas, continuing to take in washing. Perhaps she was working her way back East, because by 1920 she was once again living in Athens Tennessee, on her own and still doing laundry. She gave her age as 58, but she was closer to 83.
On July 22, 1921, Amanda broke her leg, receiving a compound, open, fracture. She was taken to Collins Chapel Hospital in Memphis. Her sister Lydia and her husband Charles lived in Memphis. Amanda may have been visiting or may have moved to Memphis to be closer to her sister. Two weeks later her kidneys failed and she was dead at 84 years. Lydia was the informant on the death certificate.
From page 43 in “African Americans in Memphis” by Earnestine Lovelle Jenkins.
Amanda Cleage was buried in Mt. Zion Cemetery on August 9, 1921. According to the Tennessee Historical Commission, “Zion Cemetery, comprising 15 acres, was established in 1879 by the United Sons of Zion Association who responded to the need for a respectable burial site for African Americans.” As time passed and the original founders died, there was no organization to continue caring for the cemetery and it became seriously overgrown until it was impossible to find the graves. In the last several years improvements have been made and 5 acres have been restored. Work is still progressing. The 3 minute video below tells the story.
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I gathered this information from census records, death records, city directories at Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.com and other above mentioned online sources.
This is my 3rd year to participate in the A-Z Challenge. In 2013, I jumped around and covered a variety of topics and people related to my family history research. Last year I used my Grandfather Albert B. Cleage’s letters to my grandmother during the years of their courtship and immediately after they were married covering 1909 to 1911.
This year I will tell the story of the formerly enslaved Cleages of Athens Tennessee. Only a few were my relatives, but all were part of the community that my Ancestors belonged to, both before and after slavery. Most of the people I will write about were slaves before 1865. A few will be their descendents. Although I have more than enough names to get through the whole month, there are lots of those that start with “A” and “C” and none that start with Q, U,X, Y or Z. Perhaps a name will appear. Otherwise I will find a topic relevant to the months posts starting with the letter and blog that.
I finally was able to see a copy of my great grandmother, Anna Celia Rice Cleage Sherman’s death certificate. I had been searching for it for years, not realizing that her first name was “Anna”. It doesn’t have her parent’s names or tell where in Athens, Tennessee she is buried. What it did was to tell me when and where she died and to verify some of the information I already have.
My grandfather, Albert B. Cleage Sr was the informant, he provided the information. I thought his close friend, Dr. P.B. Gamble signed, but the initials are wrong.
Great grandmother Celia holding my aunt Gladys. 1923. Detroit.
She died on May 31, 1930 of Cerebral Apoplexy, a stroke, which she suffered on May 28, 1930. That would have made my Aunt Anna 6 years old, the age she told me she was when she saw her grandmother suffer a stroke while sitting at their kitchen table.
Great grandmother Anna Celia married Roger Sherman in Athens, Tennessee on April 25, 1897. He was 51 and she was 42. He was a carpenter and worked for himself. It was the second marriage for both of them. His 4 children were all grown and living on their own. She had 5 children. In 1900 the oldest daughter, Josie was married with two children and was sharing the house with Roger and Celia Sherman, as were three of her younger brothers (Henry, Edward and Albert) who were all students. Jake, the 2nd oldest, had been working in Knoxville as a waiter for several years.
Celia and Roger Sherman were living together in the 1910 Census, but by the time of the 1920 Census, Mr. Sherman was living with his daughter, Mamie Sherman Kennedy, in Winston Salem, NC. Later that same year he died. His body was also shipped back to Athens for burial in an unnamed cemetery.
Anna Celia lived in Athens with her son Charles Edward and his family in 1920. In 1924 he died. She moved to Detroit where her other three sons lived. In 1930 she is enumerated with my grandfather and his family. Several months later, she died.
On the death certificate, my grandfather says that he doesn’t know when she was born but guesses her to be about 65. He was 47 at this time. His oldest sister was 57. If their mother was 65, she would have been 8 when her daughter was born. She was old enough when Freedom came to remember her life on the Rice plantation where she was born. If only she could have written it all down. In the 5 censuses I find her, the date of birth is given as “about 1855”. She was closer to 75 than 65 when she died. He says that she was born in Tennessee. The information on the census records are split between Virginia and Tennessee. All agree her mother was born in Virginia.
What else do I want to find out about my great grandmother Anna Celia Rice Cleage Sherman? I want to know where she is buried. I want to find her in the 1870 Census and I want to find out her mother’s name and what plantation they came off of.
In my minds eye, I see a large stone grave marker in Hammonds Cemetery that said “Sherman”. I did not go up to it, just saw it across the grass. When I get back to Athens, I am going to go look at that marker and see if it has any other information on it. Not to mention looking at every other stone there.
!["Bicyclists' group on Minerva Terrace. [Lt. James A. Moss's company of 25th Infantry, U. S. Army Bicycle Corps, from Fort Missoula, Montana.] YNP." October 7, 1896.](https://findingeliza.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Minerva-Terrace-Bicycle-Corps-001.jpg)
