Family stories

The caption under the first picture reads Aunt Cindy, Aunt Pash Wilson, and Aunt Pollie. The back of the second picture reads: born 6-24-1897 William T; John G January 27, 1894 died April 1946. My aunt, Ollie Goforth Hanna daughter of Margaret Louise Pennington and George Edmond Goforth, wanted to visit Julia Pennington in Kentucky because both were interested in Goforth genealogy. Her scribbled note of the Pennington relationship from her visit with Pash Wilson reads: Levi brother to Jim. Jim father of John, Ephraim, Amy, Tilda, Lindy. John father of Elizabeth, Lucindy Jane, Polly Ann, Nancy Margaret, Sarah Pash, Margaret Louise, John G, William Thomas. Levi had William, William had Levi who married cousin Julia.

Julia was the daughter of Margret L. Goforth and John Ferguson of Clay County. All of John Pennington's children grew up in Clay County and from the census records they were listed in the order of their birth. Pash did not give her the name of another child of Mary Brummit and John Pennington, Mary. Mary is six months old in the 1880 census but not in the 1900 census. In the 1900 census Mary Brummit Pennington had 9 births and 8 living children. She must have died at an early age, beyond Pash's memory, and hers could be the unknown grave in Rocky Knob.

Aunt Ollie was born in Wise Co. Texas. The following is her cover letter to her work on our Goforth line:

Julia and Martha Ferguson were sisters and first cousins to Papa, George Edmond. Julia married Levi Pennington and they lived in Kentucky near Cincinnati, Ohio. Martha married McDowell Pennington and they lived and died in the general vicinity where I was born and raised. I believe Levi and Mac were first cousins. Mac was a cousin to Mama, Margaret Louise Pennington. I don't know the exact kinship but believe second cousins. I knew we were cousins from both sides but never asked how.

I can only vaguely remember Martha and Mac. However, I remember two of their sons and several of their grandchildren. Their son Paul grew up around my older brothers and sisters but I didn't know him until Don and I moved to Midland, Texas in 1958. Paul and Mary were living in Odessa - a distance of about twenty miles. I had not heard of Julia until we met Paul and Mary.

In 1959 Don and I went to Kentucky and to North Carolina. Mama's sister, Pash Wilson, lived at Tyner, Kentucky. At the time, Aunt Polly and Aunt Cindy were alive and also lived there. Uncle Bill lived in Cincinnati. Papa's sister, Alice, lived at Marshall, North Carolina.

Going to Cincinnati, accompanied by Aunt Pash, we stopped at Julia's and Levi's. I was surprised to learn Aunt Pash knew them and that we were also related to Levi. She told me how we were related. I believe Levi told me that Mac's dad as Critenton.

It was sometime in the afternoon when we arrived at Julia's. Being harvest time, she had spent much of the morning in the kitchen. This was a community thing where neighbors and friends helped each other and had dinner where they worked that day. We had intended to stop for a couple of hours and go on but, at their insistence, we sat down to homegrown meat and fresh vegetables from the garden. Later, they decided to go with us and visit a daughter. I only saw them that one weekend but they conveyed an expression of family which I didn't feel again until North Carolina.

We spent too much of our week visiting Mama's people and there was little time left when we reached North Carolina. Our visit was brief but with it came the desire to continue to keep in touch. I had been writing to both my aunts since Mama's passing in 1956. I seldom heard from Aunt Pash but Irene was always prompt to answer her mother's letters. Her mom couldn't read nor write. We still exchange Christmas greetings. (Margret's note: this is why I can not locate any letters that Grandma wrote)

From 3/1961 to 7/1965 we lived in Lasing, Michigan. We made four or five trips to Tyner, KY stopping to see Uncle Bill while he was alive. Mama had many relatives and we enjoyed meeting and knowing them. But my being a relative was mostly accepted as a matter of fact. Even then, I rationalized I truly was a stranger. Unlike the many other relatives, I had not grown up around them. After leaving Michigan, I had no further contact which was as much my doing as theirs, I'm sure.

The distance and the roads in the Great Smokie Mountains made trips prohibitive to North Carolina from Michigan. We made only one trip. On March 27, 1964, we went to Nashville and the Grand Ole O'pry. From there we went to visit Aunt Alice, Irene and her family -- stopping by Aunt Pash's on our way back home.

Thanks, Margret Goodson