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CHAPTER VI

WILLIAM BISHOP KENNEDY

 

William Bishop Kennedy, fourth child and first son of Martha Ann Hicks and Neal Kennedy, was born June 29, 1850. He died on September 16, 1933. Married December 24, 1874, Louvenia Emma Davis, born on May 16, 1855; died March 25, 1934. Both are buried in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance, Alabama (see attached copy of their Marriage License, and pictures of tombstones).

Emma Davis was the daughter of Arthur M. Davis and Susanna Anthony Hawkins, and the sister of Elbert Fisher Davis, husband of Margaret Isabelle/Isabella Kennedy, sister of Wm. Bishop Kennedy.

William and Emma may have first resided in Scyrene, Clarke Co. AL, as this is where William's father, Neal Kennedy, lived. Their two oldest daughters, who died early in life, were buried at Old Salem Cemetery near Scyrene - Alma in 1879 and Ruby in 1884.

By 1893, William owned property in Chance, according to land records in the Clarke County Court House. The house in which they lived most of their married life, and where my father,my sister and I were born, has since burned down. I keep hoping that somewhere there is a picture of the house.

There was a porch across two-thirds of the front of the house with a wide open hallway down the middle, and a small back back porCh.There was a large room and a small room on the left side of the hallway. On the right side there was one large room with a small "shed-room" on either side it it. We had no "parlor", as the large rooms were used as bedrooms.

The kitchen, dining room, two small pantries and a porch were 25 or 30 feet from the other part of the house - connected by a covered walk (off the ground), with railings. The walk was delightfully cool in the spring, summer and fall, but dreadfully cold in the wintertime!

Did this property in Chance where William and Emma lived, belong at one time to Emma's father or grandfather? Under a very old tree out back of our house, there were two graves, marked simply with large stones. As children playing around this tree, Sister and I often wondered who were the persons buried there, but never asked, I suppose, until our grandparents were gone. Years later, when I bought and read Historical Sketches of Clarke County, Alabama published by the Clarke County Historical Society, I learned that the graves were those of Susan Davis and her husband, John T. McCoy. Susan was a sister of Arthur M. Davis.

 

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On March 22, 1902, W. B. Kennedy and wife, L. E. Kennedy, gave a deed to J. Wright, Trustee of the Public School, for land to be used for public and private school purposes (see attached copy of document). I wish I had been aware of this when I was attending that two-room school house in Cane Creek.

During the year 1902, William and Emma lost two more children - Edgar in April and Zeola in December. Three years later their son Louie died, and these three children are buried beside their parents in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance.

During the Depression of the 1930's, my father, Leo Hobson Kennedy, lost his job with the A T & N Railroad in Mobile, which meant we had to move back to the family farm and live with Daddy's parents. The day that we arrived in Chance, my grandfather tripped over a rocker, fell and broke his hip. He was bedridden until his death in September of 1933.

Grandma Kennedy lived only a year and a half after Grandpa's death. Their oldest daughter, Viola Kennedy McLeod, was visiting us at the time, and I was in the room with them when Grandma had a stroke which took her life in a few days. Aunt Viola sent me running for my father.

Grandma was seated before the fireplace in her small handmade rocking chair, and this rocker was later passed down to me. Today our daughter, Mary Leslie Reynolds Holliday, is the proud owner of this old chair. Grandma Kennedy, I was told, rocked all of her children in this chair. I have rocked my children in this chair and am now rocking my grandchildren in it. If, indeed, Grandma Kennedy DID rock all her children in that same chair, it is over 100 years old, as her first child was born in 1876.

I remember my Grandpa Kennedy as a tall, stately, dignified man. He had snow white hair and a long white beard when he died. At breakfast time, I used to sit by him and drink a sip or two of coffee out of his mustache cup.

Grandma Kennedy was short and plump, characteristics which I have inherited! She was a very jolly, optimistic person. one of my memories of her is the time she fell down and out the front porch steps. She got up laughing as she said, "Where are my glasses? Did they break?"

Grandma dipped snuff, a common practice among women during those days, and my sister Miriam and I enjoyed roaming through the woods around our house, looking for sassafras bushes - she used the twigs for her "snuff brushes". Grandma kept these brushes in a snuffbox, which I own today.

 

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I am proud to say that I came from a Christian background. Grandpa Kennedy was a staunch Baptist all of his life, and Grandma was just as staunch a Methodist, with he subscribing to the "Alabama Baptist" and she to the "Christian Advocate" as long as they lived.

William and Emma's nine childen are listed as follows:

 

 

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JOHN FISHER KENNEDY 

John Fisher Kennedy, first child of William Bishop Kennedy and Louvenia Emma Davis, was born on March 6, 1876 and died on February 2, 1955. Johnny married on September 28, 1901, Lizzie Russin Davis, born April 28, 1875; died November 19, 1948. They are buried in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance, AL.

Lizzie was the daughter of Howard Covington Davis and his first wife, Sarah Agnes Pine. Howard was a nephew of Arthur M. Davis, father of Louvenia Emma Davis.

John and Lizzie had five children:

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ALMA N. KENNEDY

Alma N. Kennedy, second child and first daughter of William Bishop Kennedy and Emma Davis, was born on November 22,1878 and died on January 25, 1879. See tribute and poem written by her Aunt Ellen Davis, single at the time of Alma's 'birth and death. Aunt Ellen probably was assisting her sister during the time of this child's birth and very short life and apparently loved the child very much, from what she wrote. Alma was was buried in Old Salem Cemetery, Scyrene, Clarke Co. AL.

There is a cemetery book in the Grove Hill, AL public library which contains a listing of tombstones in Clarke County. The name of the book is Beneath Southern Sod, by Dorothy Ivison Moffett and William R. Armistead. Alma's name is ommitted, as her sister Ruby's. However, I have seen the tombstones and on the following page you will see pictures of them.

 

 

 

EDGAR ENNIS KENNEDY

Edgar Ennis Kennedy, third child and second son of William and Emma Kennedy, was born August 25, 1880; died April 5, 1902. He is buried in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance, AL.

 

 

 

CAREY RUBY KENNEDY

Carey Ruby Kennedy, second daughter and fourth child of Emma and William, was born July 11, 1883 and died August 30, 1884. She is also buried in Old Salem Cemetery. Her name should have not have been spelled "Carey" but "Carrie", probably named for her father's sister - Nancy Caroline Kennedy.

 

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MARTHA ZEOLA KENNEDY

Martha Zeola Kennedy, third daughter and fifth child of William and Emma, was born November 22, 1885 and died December 2, 1902. She is buried in the Kennedy Cemetery.

One of Zeola's sisters told me that she was in love with a young man that her mother disapproved of, and that she "died of a broken heart" when she was not permitted to marry the young man.

The recent discovery of three very old newspaper clippings has caused me to speculate about Zeola and the young man. First to appear was a poem written by Zeola, a copy of which is attached. The poem was submitted to the Clarke Co. Democrat after her death, by Robert S. Walker. Next, Zeola's Obituary was discovered, written by none other than the same Robert S. Walker. Lastly, I came upon the Obituary of Robert S. Walker, which seemed insignificant at the time, so I filed it with other Walker data.

I suppose at this point (with the prodding of my sister Miriam), my imagination ran away with me.

Zeola evidently was in love with Robert S. Walker, but he was nine years older than she. Naturally, Grandma Kennedy would object, because Zeola was probably only 16 years old at the time. The attached poem appears to have been written with a sweetheart in mind, and evidently was given to Robert, as he is the one who submitted it to the Democrat.

We know also that Robert's health began to deteriorate in 1899 (see attached copy of his Obituary) and for the next two years he must have been practically an invalid. Naturally, Zeola's mother would not want her daughter to marry a man who was in that physical condition. After all, this was William and Emma's first daughter to survive infancy.

But the worst was yet to come. Zeola developed typhoid fever and died December 2, 1902. Three days later her Obituary was published in the local paper - by Robert S. Walker, "Her sorrowful friend". Then on December 15th he submitted one of Zeola's poems for publication. A little more than six months later, July 9, 1903, Robert S. Walker died and was buried in the Kennedy Cemetery.

Of course, this is all speculation on my part, but the fact that Robert's Obituary was saved by her family seems significant to me, especially when combined with all the other evidence.

 

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The above was composed September 3, 1901 by Miss Zeola Kennedy of Chance, Alabama, a young lady of 17, who died December 2, 1902 .

She was an amateur writer and did not write the piece for publication; but by request I send it to the Democrat for insertion.

Chance, Dec'r 15

 

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KENNEDY - Miss Zeola Kennedy was born November 22, 1885 and died at her home, Chance, Ala., December 2, 1902, after an illness from typhoid fever which lasted about twenty days. She was converted and joined the Baptist church more than two years ago. She was so gentle in her disposition that her outer life seemed to need no change. She was exceedingly quiet in her nature, meek in spirit, and harmless in character. She was devoted to her loving father and mother, brothers and sisters,and did faithfully and well the things that came to her hands.

She was a flower just blooming into young womanhood. The purity of her life and solidity of her character impressed all of her associates. Cut off in the bloom of young womanhood and in the break of her day of usefulness, she was found ready. When the end was near she spoke of playing on "The Golden Harp" with her brother, Edgar, who preceeded her. Truly it may be said that she possessed all the qualities of a noble young womanhood. She was considerate, mild and gentle in all of her ways and possessed a kind heart and sweet temper.

May the bereaved family realize that every step brings them nearer their eternal home, where dwells their departed. She is theirs as ever and they are hers. The ties that unite them are not broken. They are too strong for death's stroke. They are made for the joys of heavenly uniting. They should not grieve for her, but turn their thoughts to the living. Doubtless if they could hear her sweet voice, she would tell them to dry their tears and bind themselves to other loved ones and faithfully perform all their duties on earth, until their time to ascend shall come. It has been said, "The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced".

May her loving father and mother and devoted brothers and sisters and her many relatives and friends console themselves with the blessed assurance that they shall see her again in that blissful home above, where there is no death, and partings are never more.

Chance, Ala., Dec. 5, 1902

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WALKER - Robert S. Walker was born in Clarke County, Alabama on the 18th of November, 1876, and died on the 9th of July, 1903, about one mile from where he was born. He joined the A. E. (Methodist Episcopal) Church, South, under the pastorate of Rev. D. J. Wright in the year 1890.

Robert was a very close student of the Bible, and manifested great interest in the churCh.He was very anxious to obtain a good education, and while at school made rapid progress in his studies, and had his health not failed he, no doubt, would have succeeded in this.

In 1899 his health began to decline, and gradually grew worse, and for at least 2 years incapacitated him for study or any kind of business. During his sickness he often expressed himself as willing and prepared to die. He also said that his purpose was fixed, that if he recovered his health, to finish his education and answer God's call to the ministry.

While his pastor for four years,the writer was aware that he felt thus impressed, and gave him what encouragment he could to that end. His whole life was blameless, and it was not the cross to him that it is to so many to be religious.

Being blessed with Christian parents, and born in a home where God was feared and his commandments kept, no wonder he remembered his Creator in youth,and consequently escaped the evil days that destroy pleasure. Like most of our people,he died well, and is doubtless reaping the reward of the righteous.

Dayton, Ala.,March 7, 1904

 

Note: Robert S. Walker
buried in the Kennedy Cemetery
which is not too far from
Damon, where several Walker
families resided. I am wonder-
ing if "Dayton" should be "Damon"?

 

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SUSAN VIOLA KENNEDY

Susan Viola Kennedy, sixth child and fourth daughter of William Bishop Kennedy and Lou Emma Davis, was born on July 26, 1889 in Chance, Clarke County, Alabama and died in Mobile, Alabama on October 14, 1979.

Viola married Bob Thomas McLeod on January 3, 1911. He was born in Dickinson, AL on April 14, 1889, the son of Corrine Wilson and Pugh McLeod. Bob died in Mobile on March 6, 1949. He and Viola are buried in Mobile.

Two of Corrine Wilson's brothers - John Winfield Wilson and Thomas R. Wilson - married two of Viola's aunts - Mary Elizabeth Kennedy and Martha Jane Kennedy, respectively.

 

Bob was a long-time employee of the Southern Railroad. He and Viola had four children.

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WILLIAM LOUIE KENNEDY

William Louie Kennedy, seventh child and third son of William and Lou Emma Kennedy, was born June 11,1892; died February 2, 1905. He is buried in the Kennedy Cemetery, Chance.

 

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LEO HOBSON KENNEDY

Leo Hobson Kennedy, youngest son of William Bishop Kennedy and Emma Davis, was born in Chance, Alabama January 31, 1898; died October 30, 1970 in Selma. Married June 18, 1922, Calvert, AL, Leslie Elma Faile (see attached Marriage Certificate) born in Grove Hill, AL on August 17, 1901. Elma was the daughter of Carl Steele and Alfred Washington Faile. She died in Selma on February 26, 1988. Both my parents are buried at Chance in the Kennedy Cemetery.

 

Leo and Elma had two daughters, both born in Chance.

 

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LEONA GREY KENNEDY 

Leona Grey Kennedy, fifth daughter and last child of William Bishop Kennedy and Lou Emma Davis, was born September 23, 1900. She married on December 7, 1919, Manah Dozier of Chance, AL, the son of Lucy Jeffrey and John Dozier. Manah was born on October 8, 1896 and died in Selma at the King Memorial Hospital on November 17, 1936, when he was only forty years old. He was buried in the Lower Peach Tree Cemetery, Wilcox County. Grey died in the hospital in Thomasville on June 25, 1974 and is also buried in the cemetery in Lower Peach Tree.

 

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SOURCES FOR WILLIAM BISHOP KENNEDY

 

Personal knowledge

Family Group Sheets completed by relatives

Cemetery records and tombstones

Probate Records in Clarke County Court House, Grove Hill, AL.

Newspaper clippings

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