Tag Archives: #Fannie Turner Graham

Fannie Mae Turner Graham Obituary – 1888 – 1974

March 13, 2017Grahams, Obituary, Turner#Fannie Turner GrahamKristin

Grandmother Clock — From top, clockwise: My grandmother Fannie in the 1950s. My grandmother Fannie was 4 holding her hat. Her mother Jennie holding Daisy. Her father, Howard Turner had been killed. 1894. My grandfather Mershell pointing at Fannie about 1917. My grandmother holding my mother Doris up, 1923. My grandmother in the back, her mother in the front holding baby Howard, on the left my mother Doris and on the right my aunt MV, 1930. My grandmother with her daughters MV and Doris, about 1934. My grandparents Mershell and Fannie (Turner) Graham, about 1945.

On Being 12 & 70

March 12, 2017Biography, Grahams, Turner#Fannie Turner Graham, #meKristin

My maternal grandmother, Fannie Mae Turner Graham, was born 129 years ago on March 12, 1888, in Lowndes County, Alabama. She died on August 13, 1974 in Detroit, Michigan. You can read more about my grandmother in this post Fannie Mae Turner Part 1.

1958 augkris&fan — I was 12 and my grandmother was 70. 1958 in my grandmother’s backyard.

I am the same age as my grandmother was when we posed together on her back steps. Looking at the photograph below of me and my granddaughter made me think about the endless circle and the passage of time.

My granddaughter was 12 and I was a a few months shy of 70. 2016, we were at the beach in St. Petersburg, Florida and the water was freezing!

Fannie Mae Turner about 1919

January 9, 2015Grahams, Turner#Fannie Turner GrahamKristin

Another photograph that I am seeing for the first time, of my maternal grandmother Fannie Mae Turner soon to be Graham. Written on the back of the postcard type photograph, it says “Fannie M. Turner before marriage”

from pearl jan 2014 — Fannie Mae Turner Graham 1888 – 1974.

Three Generations – 1939

January 7, 2015Detroit, Grahams#Alice Turner, #Daisy Turner, #Doris Graham Cleage, #Fannie Turner Graham, #Jennie Turner, #Mary V. Graham ElkinsKristin

From Left to right My grandmother, Fannie Mae Turner Graham, peeking over my greatgrandmother’s, Jennie Virginia Allen Turner’s, shoulder. My grandmother’s sister Daisy Turner. Behind and between Aunt Daisy and Aunt Alice Turner, is my aunt Mary Virginia Graham Elkins, although she was not yet an Elkins. At the end, behind Alice, is my mother, Doris Graham Cleage, although she was not yet married a Cleage either.

They are posed in Grandmother Turner’s backyard on the East Side of Detroit at 4536 Harding. The house is gone now. They look like they just came from Church, at Plymouth Congregational, however the photo is dated July 4, 1939 on the back. July 4 was on a Tuesday that year. Maybe they went on a church picnic. My grandfather, Mershell C. Graham took the picture.

My grandmother Fannie’s Fan

August 22, 2014sepia saturday#Fannie Turner GrahamKristin

Only the skeleton remains. It used to be covered with gossamer thin white material with little sparkling threads, like the fan below. All rotted away now.

fan1895 — The fan once looked similar to this one. Click photo to see another fan.

I found this page with a short modern history of fans and the language of fans –

Photos of 1800s African American women & Church Hand Fans + the Courting Language of the Fan

Fannie Turner before marriage - 1909. — Fannie Turner before marriage – 1909.

I wonder if she carried the fan when she was married.

All Four of My Grandparents

October 14, 2013The Book of Me#Albert B. Cleage Sr, #Fannie Turner Graham, #Mershell C. Graham, #Pearl Reed CleageKristin

fannie_mershell_young — Fannie & Mershell after marriage in 1919.

My maternal grandparent’s names were Mershell Cunningham Graham and Fannie Mae Turner Graham. They were both born in Alabama in 1888. Mershell was born in Coosada Station, Elmore County. Fannie was born in Hayneville, Lowndes County. Both counties are near Montgomery.

Before moving to Detroit, Mershell worked on passenger trains in the dining car. After coming to Detroit in 1917 he worked on a Great Lakes Cruise ship as a steward and finally put in 30 years at Ford Motor Company in the parts dept at the River Rouge Plant, before retiring.

My grandmother Fannie, managed her uncle Victor Tulane’s store in Montgomery before her marriage. After their marriage in 1919, she didn’t work outside of the home. They both lived until I was in my mid-twenties. My grandfather died in 1976 at 86 years. I was 26. My grandmother died in 1977 at 87. They both died in Detroit. We spent every Saturday at their house when I was growing up and for the last year of college, they lived downstairs from us. They lived in that flat until they died. So I knew them and also research them.

My paternal grandparents were Albert Buford Cleage and Pearl Doris Reed Cleage. Albert was born in Louden county, TN in 1883. Pearl was born in Lebanon, KY in 1886. They were married in Indianapolis in 1910. My grandfather worked on a Great Lakes Cruise line summers until he finished Medical school and became a family physician.

We lived down the street from them for several years when I was 5 and 6 years old. We saw them often. My grandfather died in 1957 after being ill for awhile. He was 73. I was 11. My grandmother lived until 1982. She was 96. I was 35. I knew both of them. I also research them.

Below are links to some of the many posts about my grandparents on this blog.

G is for Grandmothers

Poppy Could Fix Anything

The Steamer Eastern States

Fannie Mae Turner Graham’s Bible

July 27, 2013Grahams, sepia saturday#Bible, #Fannie Turner Graham, #hair, #Howard Turner, #Mershell GrahamKristin

4_grahams_1931 — My grandmother Fannie with my mother Doris, Howard and Mary V. 1931 In their Detroit East side backyard.

bible cover — Howard Alexander Turner Graham. Born Sept 7, 1928 in Detroit.
died – 3-2-1932. Scarlet Fever

Between some pages my grandmother’s Bible are little snippets of hair. It is a well used Bible. The covers are missing. Part of the front cover remains, tucked between pages. On this and on the back pages, corners worn away, she wrote about the births of her children and deaths of her two sons. I don’t know who the hair came from, but I would guess from her children. They were all blond as babies.

Mershell and Doris with their father. 1925.Belle Isle, Detroit.

“Our darling little Mershell Jr. was run over by a truck on Tuesday Nov. 1st – ’27 at 12:45 PM. on his way to school from lunch. skull crushed etc. – Neck broken – shoulder fractured- rushed to St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital – never regained consciousness – died – same night at 2:10 – Dr Turner at his sid(e) (Fun)eral-Nov 4th … (Lavi)scount offic(iated) sang….”

Mary Virginia born April 3rd 1920 at 5:10 AM on Saturday. Detroit Mich at 1031 St. Jean Ave, 7 #. Dr. Ames & …
2nd baby – Mershell C. Graham, Jr. born June 10th – 1921 at 7:45 PM. On Friday. Detroit, Michigan. Dunbar Hospital. 8 1/2# Dr. Turner. Died 11/1/27 killed by auto.
3rd baby – Doris J. Graham born February – 12th – 1923. 5:10 A.M. – on Monday at Women’s Hospital Beaubien and For(est) Detroit, Michigan 7#

4th baby – Howard Alexander G(raham) born at Woman’s Hospi(tal) Sept 7th ’28 at 5 P.M. 7#10 oz. Dr. Turner

__________________

Our baby Howard was taken ill Nov. 17th 1931 – Dr. turner came + pronounced it Diabetes … cured — Jan 1932… On Feb 20- 1932, he developed Scarlet Fever – was sent to Herman Kiefer Hospital an(d) on acct of his condition died March 4th 1932 and was buried Sat. March 5…Private funeral at Memorial Park Cemetery 3 1/2 years old born 9/7/…

—–#—–

Our loss is truest g… God fills the pla… by our 2 ba…

Belle Isle – Summer 1922

July 4, 2013Grahams#Fannie Turner Graham, #Mary V. Graham Elkins, #Mershell C. Graham, #summerKristin

names — “Belle Isle. Grandma Graham – Mary Virginia – Clifton – Mershell Jr + Fan

This photograph was taken about two years after the one of my grandmother Fannie at Sugar Island. Grandma Graham was my grandfather, Mershell Graham’s adopted mother. Mary Virginia was born in April 1920 so she would be 2. Clifton was the son of my grandfather’s adopted brother, Clifton. Mershell Jr was born in June of 1921 so he must be about 1 year old. My mother was born in February, 1923 so my grandmother may have been just pregnant with her here. The park tables and benches are so unanchored. They are all cement now.

Sugar Island July 3, 1919

July 2, 2013Detroit, Grahams#Fannie Turner Graham, #summerKristin

sugar_island_group1 — “Sugar Island Group” My grandmother, Fannie Mae Turner Graham is lounging in the middle front. She had moved to Detroit with my grandfather in 1918 after their marriage in Montgomery, AL.

“Sugar Island is a small island in the Detroit River between Grosse Ile and Boblo Island. Sugar Island is part of Grosse Ile Township, Wayne County, Michigan, USA, and lies about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) west of the border with Canada. Currently the island is uninhabited and was recently converted to wildlife refuge by the US Fish and Wildlife service (see below). The majority of the island is wooded and it is known for its white sandy beaches and easy access by boat.” From Wikepedia

More of the Sugar Island Group. — “The A.A.O.C. Club Bunch (I don’t know what the initials stand for_

sugar_island3 — “Dinner On Sugar Island.”

My Daughter and Grandmother – 1972

May 22, 2013Photographs, Wordless Wednesday#Fannie Turner GrahamKristin

My grandmother, Fannie Turner Graham and my oldest daughter, Jilo. Detroit, 1972. — My grandmother, Fannie Turner Graham and my oldest daughter. Detroit, 1972.

My mother wrote about her mother’s life in these posts:

Finding Eliza