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Amazing Grace: The Gospel, Civil War, Secession and the Trail of Tears

Illustration from The Circuit Rider: A Tale of the Heroic Age by Edward Eggleston (Image from Wikipedia) "Yet still they look with glistening eye, Till lo! a herald hastens nigh; He comes the tale of woe to tell, How he, their prop and glory fell; How died he in a stranger’s room, How strangers laid him in the tomb, How spoke he with his latest breath, And loved and blessed them all in death. ~ Final stanza of a hymn about the perils of the Circuit Rider by Samuel Wakefield While researching Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers, who I have been told was a traveling evangelist or circuit rider for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I came across these interesting vital statistics: Henry F. Somers was born in Jackson County, Tennessee in June of 1860. This was approximately one year before the War Between the States and exactly one year before Tennessee voted to secede. American Civil War Montage - Wikipedia In the 1860 Jackson County, Tenn. Census his father is

Beloved Mother: Lillian Mae Weaver Somers

Born September 24, 1903, Randolph Co., AR Went to be with the Lord on August 12, 1977, Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., MO "Our Children" as recorded in the Somers Family Bible Mamie Irene,  10.30.1921, Corning, Ark. Daisy Ellen, 8.27.1923, Corning, Ark. William Henry Jr., 3.22.1925, Corning, Ark. Minnie Lorene, 11.07.1926, Corning, Ark. Daniel Raymond, 6.21.1928, Corning, Ark. Clyde Freeman, 3.06.1931, Corning, Ark. Alfred David, 2.05.1933, Fairdealing, Mo. Jesse Cecil, 7.28.1935, Neelyville, Mo. Harvey Izear, 11.14.1937, Harviel, Mo. Willis Franklin, 7.12.1940, Harviel, Mo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cotna Lenoa - Born 10.18.1920, Died 11.17.1920 Jesse Mae - Born 3.1.1930, Died 3.17.1930

Childhood Memories

Fishing with Grandma Somers and my mother in 1960. One of my earliest memories is of Grandma Somers teaching me how to fish... And after finding this photo, I vividly remember the day it was taken at Grandma's favorite fishin' hole. We used a cane pole and Grandma explained to me that I had to be very quiet so as to not scare away the fish and as you can see, Grandma's advice worked! If you look very closely, you can see that in the photo I'm holding my first fish! I also remember how pretty my mother was that day and how much in love she and my father were. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the wonderful memory and for placing these loving parents and grandparents in my life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another fond memory I have is arriving at my grandparents home in the evening after the long drive from St. Louis and Grandpa telling me he had heard a bobcat near the outhouse... Well, needless to say I refused to go outside and grandma chuckled and showed

Somers Name Trivia and Historical Figures

Updated September 21, 2022 While searching the Internet for "William Henry Somers" I came across this interesting trivia: Source: Wikipedia A William Sommers (or Somers) served as Henry VIII's court jester and retired during Elizabeth I's reign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sommers The Anne Boleyn Files reports this about Henry VIII's Court Jester: 15 June 1560 – Death of William Somer (Sommers), Court Fool to Henry VIII Posted By Claire on June 15, 2013 On 15th June 1560, William Somer (Sommers), former court fool to Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I died in Shoreditch, London. He was buried at St Leonard’s Church, Shoreditch. Somer served as Henry VIII’s fool from June 1535 and just a month later got into trouble with the King. In July 1535, Eustace Chapuys, the Imperial ambassador, recorded that Henry VIII was so angry with Somer that he nearly killed him: “He the other day nearly murdered his own fool, a simple and innocent man, becaus

Mother's Family Tree

As recorded in the Somers Family Bible: Mother's Name: Lillian Mae Weaver (Born September 24, 1903, Randolph Co., Arkansas - Passed Away August 12, 1977, Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., Missouri) Her Father: William Izear Weaver Father: A.G.C. Weaver (Alfred Green Chance Weaver - listed as second husband to Patience here: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/s/Marjorie-Casteel/PDFODT8.pdf ) Mother: Patican Ang. Casteal (Patience Angeline Casteel) Father: John Casteal Mother:       Burdett (William Casteel and Elizabeth Burdett are listed as Patience's father and mother in this Casteel family tree: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/s/Marjorie-Casteel/PDFODT8.pdf ) Her Mother: Maggie Lenoa Wright Father: George Wright (Probably George Washington Wright Jr. as listed here: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ajobebrown/wright/phil/gw.html ) Mother: Nancy E. (Elizabeth) Jones Father: Mose Jones Mother: Mary

Father's Family Tree

As recorded in the Somers Family Bible: Father's Name: William Henry Somers (Born August 2nd, 1894 - Tuckerman, Jackson Co., Arkansas - Passed Away March 7, 1976, Poplar Bluff, Butler Co., Missouri) His Father: Henry Francis Somers (Recorded as Henry Summers in the 1860 Jackson Co. Tennessee Census) His Mother: Cotna (Cotney) Lisbeth (Elizabeth) Cole (also listed as Harris and Tidwell) Henry Francis Somers Family Line Father - Abraham Somers (Birth: Approximately 1820, Jackson County, Tennessee) Mother - Darcus Somers (Birth: Approximately 1824, Listed as both Alabama and North Carolina) Grandfather - John Somers (Birth: Approximately 1782, Caswell County, North Carolina - Death: Approximately 1856, Jackson County, Tennessee) Grandmother - Rebecca Wright (Birth: Before 1786) Great Grandfather - Captain John Somers (Revolutionary War) (Birth: September 7, 1750 - Death: April 1, 1803 Caswell County, NC) Great Grandmother - Catherine Arden (Birt

Marriage Record of William H. and Lillian M. Somers

Marriage Record: Husband: William Henry Somers Birth Date: August 2nd, 1894 Wife: Lillian Mae Weaver Birth Date: September 24, 1903 Date of Marriage: February 5th, 1920 Performed by: O.A. McKeney, Justice of the Peace at Poplar Bluff, Missouri