Second Generation

2. Ellis Washington GARRETT was born on 1 Jun 1872 in North Carolina.
Per headstone. He died on 30 Jun 1960 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.
Per headstone. He was buried in Jul 1960 in Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Willard, Greene County, Missouri.
I never met my grandfather Ellis as he had deserted the family when my mother, Lottie Mae aka "Rickey", was younger. My mother rarely, if ever, spoke of him (as none of his children ever did). I did ask my mother about him many years ago when I was a young girl and curious about my "roots". Now it should be understood that my mother is of the type that "turns the other cheek" and rarely do you hear a "bad word" come out of her mouth. At first she kind of brushed me off with a "I don't know anything about him. He took off when I was young". But I did pursue the matter, trying to get a feel for what type of man he had been. My mother finally said "The only thing I know about him is he was the meanest @*# that I have ever known". After I had gotten over the shock of this statement, I asked her why she said that. She then began to relate a few stories such as the time Ellis got angry at the old plow horse they had and picked up a whip and whipped the horse "until it dropped dead". She also said she remembered one time he took her brother Sherman outside and whipped him "until the blood ran". She could not recall what had lead up to this, she could only remember watching poor Sherman being whipped.
My mother stated that Ellis would come and go, usually showing up when he had run out of money and needed more. She said Ellis would stick around just long enough for her mother to get pregnant, take any money he could, and then disappear again for long periods of time. She related an incident where, in addition to her regular work, Mamaw had been taking on extra work such as laundry and ironing so that she could buy all of the kids a Christmas present one year. Up until that time none of the kids had ever had a "regular" present; past Christmas presents had been some kind of fruit, such as an apple, in their stocking. My mom said that Mamaw had bought each child a set of clothes, wrapped them in paper, and then placed them under the tree ready to be opened Christmas Day. Right before Christmas Day Ellis showed up and, as usual, was wanting money. Mamaw told him that she didn't have any money and Ellis replied that she was lying as he knew she always had a little cash stowed away for a "rainy day". Mamaw told him that she didn't have any extra money at all as it was Christmas and she had bought a present for each of the children. Ellis then looked at the presents under the tree and realized that what Mamaw had said was true; there was no money. My mother said he then became angry and strode over to the tree, grabbed the presents, and threw them all into the wood stove, burning each and every one of them. When I asked my mother if, prior to this, they had all been excited about having presents to open Christmas morning, she seemed at first to be surprised at the question, as if she had never given this a thought. She honestly could not remember how she had felt before Ellis came in and threw those presents into the fire; not joy, not anticipation, nothing. The only thing that stood out in her mind was watching those presents burn up, "the flames big and orangy color", and hearing her mother cry like her heart would break because the kids would have no presents to open on Christmas, not even a piece of fruit, because there was no money left to replace what had been burned. When relating this story, even now, I get teary-eyed at the fact that seeing and hearing her mother cry (which she says she rarely, if ever, recalled happening before this incident) so affected my mother that it wiped out any memory of the happiness that she must have felt at anticipating having a present to open for the first time - by Debra Hayes Brodbeck as related by Lottie Mae Garrett Hayes.

Of note is the fact that my Uncle Coleman did try to determine shortly after his mother, Lexie Evans Garrett, died if a divorce had ever been obtained by either of his parents. As far as he could determine he could not find record of a divorce being filed and no family member can recall Mamaw ever stating that she and Ellis were divorced. All family members agree that, knowing Mamaw, it is most likely that they were never divorced. When Coleman was notified that Ellis had died, he did say that he had been told that Ellis had other children after he left Lexie and that none of them would claim Ellis' body. Uncle Coleman, even though he had not seen nor heard from/of his father for many years, felt it was his christian duty to see that Ellis was laid to rest. He spoke with his mother about this as he wanted to explain to her why he was arranging the funeral and burial, which was in the same cemetery Mamaw had her own plot, purchased when she laid her beloved son Sherman to rest. Mamaw told him that she understood that this was something that he felt was his duty. The only stipulation his mother gave him was that Ellis was to be buried as far away from her (thus Sherman's) resting place as he could get him! Fortunately, Ellis' burial place is not in the general vicinity of where Mamaw and Sherman's final resting place is located. Ellis is laid to rest next to his brother Peter.

Since starting this family genealogy I have made numerous calls to my mother to ask questions, her opinions, and to pick her brain regarding her mother and father and the family history. At first (as she always has in the past), she would refer to Mamaw as "Mother" and to Ellis as "Ellis". But as time went on, and my sister and I dug deeper and farther back into Ellis' ancestry, many unknown and delightful tidbits began to reveal themselves. So as these little gems of info began to unfold, I would call my mom up to chat and impart the newest findings. Such as the fact that the Garretts had owned plantations, growing mainly tobacco, and that they had been respected landowners. Or that Ellis' maternal side, the Strouds, could trace their ancestry back to the le Strodes which were respected as great warriors. I now notice that my mother refers to Ellis as "Dad". And so, some old wounds have healed, which has made the many, many hours (too many to count) that my sister Lexie and I have put into researching the family line worth every single minute - DLB.





Ellis Washington GARRETT and Alexa Sevilla EVANS were married about 1913 in Georgia or North Carolina.

3. Alexa Sevilla EVANS² was born on 19 Apr 1889 in Nantahala, Macon County, North Carolina. She emigrated in 1921 from Georgia to Missouri in a covered wagon.
Sometime in 1921 Lexie and her husband Ellis, along with their 4 children Bernard, Sherman, Coleman, and Lottie Mae, moved to Missouri. They traveled by covered wagon and Lexie carried Lottie Mae in her arms, walking behind the wagon, a good portion of the trip. Her brother Rush accompanied them on the trip to help them move, returning back to Georgia when done.


She died on 3 Sep 1986. She was buried on 6 Sep 1986 in Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Willard, Greene County, Missouri.³
Double Headstone:
Garrett
Mother

Lexie Willie
Apr. 19, 1889
Sept. 3, 1986 She was also known as Lexie Willie Evans.
Alexa Sevilla Garrett was born in Nantahala Township, Macon County, North Carolina to a farmer and his wife who eventually had 16 children, 13 of which lived to adulthood. She grew up in the Deep South, in and around the Macon County area. By the time she was three she was picking cotton and working in the fields. She told of backbreaking work, the constant bending over, the heat and humidity. Of how heavy her long skirt and petticoat were, adding that she would lift them up and tuck them in at the waist so she could get a little breeze on her legs. When she grew into womanhood many heard of Alexa Sevilla Evans and how pretty she was with her long, black hair and beautiful blue eyes.
When she was eighteen she met and married Michael Ghormley, always affectionately referred to by Lexie as "Mikey". Neither Lexie nor Mike liked her given name so she changed it, and from then on was known as "Lexie Willie". She and Mike had two children, a son, Jesse Bernard, and a daughter Loise; the daughter would die young of pneumonia, as would Mike. Lexie always spoke highly of her "Mikey" stating, "He was always good to me." Sometime after the death of Loise and her beloved Mikey, about 1912, she and Bernard moved to Georgia where her parents had already relocated a few years before. She began to work in a mill and she spoke of taking homemade pickles and crackers for her lunch everyday; life was hard for a widow with a young son to support.
About 1913 she met, probably at the mill she was working in, and married Ellis Garrett. They had two sons and a daughter and then, in 1921, the couple decided to move to Missouri, possibly because Ellis had family there, or maybe for better employment opportunities. For whatever reason, they packed up what belongings could be put on a covered farm wagon, and the kids, and set off for the long hard journey to Missouri. Rush, Lexie's brother, accompanied them to help with the move, later returning to Georgia. Lexie walked most of the journey from Georgia to Missouri behind the wagon, carrying baby Lottie Mae and tending her three sons, Bernard, Sherman, and Coleman. Shortly after arriving in Missouri, Pauline was born in October of the same year so Lexie must have been pregnant when she walked those many miles. Ellis and Lexie would have three more daughters, Mary Belle, Willie, and Lucille.
Life wasn't easy for Lexie; Ellis was a drinker and abusive, especially to his stepson Bernard. He would hang around long enough to get her pregnant, grab what money he could, and then he would disappear for long periods of time. Lexie continued to work out in the fields of their farm, taking in extra work as she could, in order to support the family. Lottie Mae tells of her mother working long, hard hours and coming into the house every evening exhausted. One of the kids would always run and get a pan of warm water for her so she could soak her feet. Lottie Mae said there were many times her mother would have her get a pen and paper and Lexie would dictate letters to her while she soaked, many to her father and to her Aunt Bunie. The last child, Lucille, was born in 1929; soon after that Ellis left for the last time and never returned. Years ago Coleman and his wife, June Baker Garrett, were staying with Lexie and June spent many afternoons talking with her. June asked Lexie why, when Ellis had been so abusive, she had stayed with him. Lexie told her that she had left Ellis three times but that each time she left him, her family, most notably her father, made her go back to him. Most likely the thought of her father's censure would have been more difficult and painful for her to face than Ellis' abuse.
After Ellis left for the last time, Lexie bought a cafe in Willard, Missouri and it became known as "Garrett's Cafe." Lexie worked long hours in the cafe, as did the children. The kids would get out of school and go to the cafe to help out; Lexie had indeed taught her children the meaning of "good work ethics", which stayed with all of them throughout their lives. About 1944 or 1945, before WWII ended, Lexie sold the cafe and moved to Springfield. All of the family remember well the big, two story house on Robberson Street. By this time Lexie had many grandchildren, and as the years went by there would be great, as well as great-great-grandchildren and many family get-togethers in the house on Robberson Street.
In Feb 1982, at the age of 92, Lexie broke her hip. While in the hospital she was told by the doctors that she could not return home until she could walk and that usually took about 6 months (medical science, of course, not being like it is today). Lexie walked out of the hospital in 27 days. Soon after, the house on Robberson Street was sold and she moved into a mobile home behind her daughter Pauline's house. About six months after she left the hospital, Lexie suffered a stroke which paralyzed her left side and affected her speech. The next five years must have been torture for a woman who had always been so independent. But Lexie, as she had always done, met this challenge and coped with her disabilities with grace and dignity.
Lexie Evans Ghormley Garrett passed away in the fall of 1986, leaving behind a loving family and a legacy that will not be forgotten. During her lifetime, she saw 17 United States presidents take the Oath of Office, her country involved in 5 wars - not counting the "Cold War", man's first flight in an airplane and his first steps on the moon, the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania, the discovery of antibiotics, diseases such as polio and smallpox eradicated, and the introduction of AIDS. She was a strong woman with true, pioneering grit and an indomitable spirit. "Mamaw, we miss you."

Children were:

	i.	Sherman James GARRETT4,5 was born on 7 Nov 1915 in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corp in 1933 in Missouri. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a work relief program for young men from unemployed families, established on 19 Mar 1933 by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.The young men went to camps of about 200 men each for six month periods where they were paid to do outdoor construction work. The slogan of the Civilian Conservation Corps was "We can take it!" CCC enrollees worked 40 hours a week and were paid $30 a month, with the requirement that $25 of that be sent home to family. Members lived in camps, wore uniforms, and lived under quasi-military discipline. They lived in wooden barracks, rising when the bugle sounded at 6:00 a.m., reported to work by 7:45, and after a lunch break, worked until 4:00 p.m. Late afternoon and evening activities centered on sports and classes. On weekends there was bus service or their own trucks to town, or they could attend dances or religious services in the camp. The CCC provided two sets of clothes and plenty of food; discipline was maintained by the threat of "dishonorable discharge." There were no reported revolts or strikes. I am currently in the process of requesting Sherman's CCC records and as soon as I have info regarding his date of entry into the CCC, which camp he was located at, and the project he was working on at time of death, I will update his info. Per his death certificate his occupation was listed as a "Forester" and I believe it can safely be assumed that Sherman was with the CCC forestry program operating in private, state, and federal forests across the USA. I assume he was stationed somewhere in the St Louis County, Missouri area where Jefferson Barracks is located. The hospital there is listed as place of death and I would hope that when he became ill he was taken to the hospital (military) that was closest to his camp. He died of pneumonia on 6 Feb 1934 in Jefferson Barracks, Carondelet Township, St. Louis County, Missouri.6 He was buried in Feb 1934 in Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Willard, Greene County, Missouri.3 Double Headstone: Garrett Son Sherman James Nov. 24, 1915 Feb. 6, 1934 Sherman Garrett was the son of my grandmother Lexie Evans Garrett, my mother's big brother, and my uncle. Years ago when I was a child I remember asking Mamaw about the photo she had of a handsome young man in an oval wooden frame. I remember Mamaw walked over and gazed at the picture and said "That's Sherman". I then asked Mamaw who this "Sherman" was; where was he now and why hadn't I ever seen him? Mamaw then told me that Sherman had been her son and that he had died. Died? This handsome dark haired boy; the one looking up at the camera, hands on his hips with a serious look on his face? This boy was dead? How could that be; he was so young! I asked her how he had died and she told me that he had gone off to a camp to work, contracted pneumonia, and died. And then she said, "Poor Sherman, he wasn't long for this world".That moment in time has remained with me, just as sharp as when it took place. I can still see her face as she gazed at that photo and hear the tone of her voice; the grief, now tempered by time, into a gentle sadness. I did not pursue it any further at that time, perhaps that to do so would be painful for her, or maybe just because I was a child and something else caught my interest. Years passed by and it wasn't until I became an adult that I began to wonder about Sherman and desired to know more about him. Unfortunately, Mamaw had passed away by then and neither my mother or any of her siblings seemed to know many details of his death. My mother did know that Sherman had joined the Civil Conservation Corp and that this was the "camp" Mamaw had referred to. Mother added that Sherman had become ill and that by the time he was taken for medical intervention, it was too late. I asked Mom what Sherman had been like and did she remember any stories about him. Mom said they all went to the same school and she remembered one time Sherman had gotten angry with a teacher (evidently he didn't agree with something the teacher had said or done), announced he wasn't staying there any longer, walked out, and went home. When family members that knew Sherman speak of him the impression is of a young man that definitely had a mind of his own! My mother says that when she was about 5 years old she had a doll that she loved and would not turn loose of, she even took it back and forth to school every day. Now Lottie Mae is not overly big; if you ask her she'll tell you that she is 5' tall even. If you ask me then I'll tell you 4'10"! Mom was always little for her age and the said doll was almost as big as she was. She said she always started out walking either to or from school carrying the doll but it wouldn't be long before she'd get tired and she'd be dragging it behind her. Mom says Sherman would always come striding up behind her, lean down and pick her up, put both her and the doll on his shoulders, and carry them the rest of the way to school or back home. Sherman would always tell her he carried her so that she "wouldn't drag the shoes off her doll and lose them." Eventually, when he got older, Sherman bought a 1928 or a 1929 Star Touring and he used to take all the kids to school and pick them up in it. Mom is fairly sure that Sherman, as well as her brother Coleman, only completed the 8th grade and then went to work because the family needed the money. Of course by that time their father, Ellis, had deserted them and Mamaw was the sole support. Some time in 1933 Sherman joined the Civilian Conservation Corp, aka the CCC, which was part of FDR's WPA. I managed to obtain Sherman's death certificate and it shows that on 2 Feb 1934 Sherman was admitted to the military hospital at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri and was attended by Maj Kilgore, MD. On 6 Feb 1934 Sherman James Garrett was pronounced dead at 8:12 pm from left upper lobe pneumonia. He was 18 years of age. Mom says he was engaged to a girl at the time of his death but she is unable to recall the girl's name. She did add that his fiancee's last name might have been Snyder.
	ii.	Coleman Washington GARRETT5 was born on 13 Oct 1916 in Dalton, Whitfield County, Georgia. He died on 7 Mar 2002 in Republic, Greene County, Missouri.7 Name: Coleman Garrett SSN: XXX-XX-XXXX Last Residence: 65738 Republic, Greene, Missouri Born: 13 Oct 1916 Died: 7 Mar 2002 State (Year) SSN issued: Missouri (Before 1951) He had an a bio - included at his funeral - written about him in Mar 2002 He served in the military. Served in the 103rd Army Artillery with C Battery, saw combat in Europe, and was discharged in 1946. He was a Teamster for 25 years and retired in 1973. My mom tells the story of when Coleman decided to do a little "cow-bustin". Coleman was about 9 or 10 years old and he and the rest of the kids were outside. Well, Coleman decided he was going to ride a cow so off they all go, Coleman leading the way to the pasture, the rest of the kids following behind. Coleman climbed over the fence and proceeded to catch a cow. He climbed on top of the cow and surprise! It seems the cow didn't like having this human on it's back and it bucked Coleman off and slammed him, back hitting first, into a tree. And he just laid there, not a movement out of him. The rest of the kids were appalled and mom says she just knew he was dead. They all rush over to him, afraid Coleman had riden his last cow forever! Well it certainly did knock the air out of him but he rallied after a couple of minutes, moving a bit, and then he mumbled something. Mom says they knew then that Coleman wasn't dead but he sure did scare them for a minute or two. Mom says they never did tell Mamaw about it. When thinking about my Uncle Coleman what always comes to mind is "The Dutiful Son". Coleman, at the age of 17, was the one who stepped up to the plate when his older brother Sherman died; thus he became the man of the house. Coleman attended school through the 8th grade at which time he went to work to help support the family. My mother said that she remembers Coleman bought a 1929 Whippet that he used to drive around. When WWII broke out, Coleman enlisted and served in the military and fought in the "Battle of the Bulge". Mom says he would keep a little of his pay to cover necessities and then would send the rest home. The soldiers had KP duty assigned to them and, of course, most of the fellows didn't want to do it. So they would pay Coleman to do their KP duty for them and then Coleman would send that home too - every little bit helped his mother and sisters back home. Coleman was always the one who looked after Mamaw's affairs in later years. Mamaw was mowing her own lawn well into her late 80s and it was Coleman that finally made her stop. Coleman was always there for his sisters and he had helped them all out at one time or another. My mother says he was the nicest and most truly good person she has ever known. He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, and uncle and he is sorely missed by all.
1	iii.	Living.
	iv.	Living was born on 14 Oct 1921 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.
	v.	Living was born on 23 Jan 1924 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.
	vi.	Living was born on 6 Jun 1926 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.
	vii.	Living was born on 9 Aug 1929 in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri.