I found my greatgrandmother’s autograph/memory book in an envelope in a box where my mother saved little notebooks, wallets etc. The first part of the book, including the cover have vanished. Going by what is left I think my greatgrandmother started the book when she was 19 years old.
Transcribed entries numbering from top left down column, over to second column, etc.
Miss Virginia Allen
Montgomery Ala.
Mom passed aged 84
Mar 28 1954
Dear Jennie
When I am far away
From you believe
Me to be your
Dear brother
Dock Allen
Montgomery Ala Mar 14th/86
Jennie’s brother, Dock, was born in 1862, four years before Jennie. He worked as an errand boy and a barber – he drowned in 1891 on Aug. 30 Trying to “walk the moonlight path.”
Miss Jennie
May you live long and prosper in this life
And your last days be the best
Is my prayer. Yours Respectfully,
J W Saffold
Montg Ala
Jan 7th 1886
The secret of happiness, is love
Your true friend
N.C. Lambert
Montgomery, Ala.
Sept. 29, 1884
Dearest Janie
I wish you would
Remember they creator
In the days of thy youth when the evil
Days are not nor the years draw nigh
When thou may sayeth I have no
Pleasure in them
M.A. McCall
Montgomery
Ala/Jan/16th 1885
May flowers cheer your
Path way through
Life may life be a comfort unto you
Compliments from
R. Allen
R. was Jennie’s brother Rance.
Dear Jennie
Remember me as your loving little
Daughter when I am gone to come
No more
Compliments of Fannie M. Turner
Montgomery Ala
Mar 16 – 18/97 – Age 11
It’s better to trust and be deceived
and reap that trust, and that deceiving.
Than doubt the heart, that if believed
Would bless your heart, with true believing!
Obediently
V.B. Harris
June 24th 1884
Grandmother Turners
“Memory” Book –
Note the entries written by DockAllen and Dock Allen, Jr. – they are probably the same – grandmother’s brother
This was added years later by my mother, Jennie’s granddaughter.
Dear Jennie
There are few
friends in this wild world that love
is fond and true. But Jennie when you count them over, place me among the few
J. M. Nesbitt
Montgomery, Ala
To Miss V. Allen
I hope that your future live may be such,
As to permit you to be worthy of
A welcome in heaven.
Your well wisher
Through life
Montgomery
April 4/22 Ala
ThMC Logan
What a nice tribute to your great grandmother, and I enjoyed reading what her friends wrote. Thanks for sharing.
She was so very old when I knew her it gave me a whole new picture of her when I read these.
I don't think I ever realized there was a Dock Allen and a Dock Allen Junior… So is the first picture in the strip at the top of the page Dock Allen, your great,great grandfather? And Dock Allen Junior would by your great, great uncle?
That's right. Dock Allen Junior was my great great uncle and your 3 x great uncle. He is buried in the same plot with his parents in Oakwood cemetery in Montgomery. There is no marker but the sexton gave us a card with his information on it. MV told me he died while trying to walk the moonlight path from a boat. So far I do not have a photograph of him. The only one.
Ms. Virginia's memory book is a wonderful treasure. I love the message/stories – enjoyed reading them. It gives you a glimpse into their life.
There is a gospel singer Rance Allen..Is this one in the same?
Thanks for sharing!
No, this Rance was a barber. Never heard that he sang. He died in 1934 in Chicago.
When I was doing the memory book I had to restrain myself from looking up everybody who I hadn't looked up before to see more of their story.
Wow ! This is awesome! I see some names I recognize from my family tree!
Thanks for sharing .
Do you mean common first names, or actual names from your tree? A Nesbitt did marry into the family by way of a cousin by marriage 😀 Do we need to check our trees to see if we’re cousins? Or were our families friends and neighbors??