Dorothy Campbell - May 17, 2009
Welcome Karen,
Glad to have you join us. Please join the rest of your cousins already here.
Here is Karen's line:
John was her 3rd great grandfather.
Leona Elizabeth Lewellen
George Henry Lewellen
Andrew Lewellen
John Columbus Lewellen
Resa Miller - May 17, 2009
Dorothy is the Sheriff John? Since we have been having that "Columbus" discussion, lately.
Dorothy Campbell - May 17, 2009
Resa,
Yes it is the same person.
Karen Hix - May 18, 2009
I would like to know what I should do...since most of you think that Columbus was not John Lewellen's middle name if I should remove it from the Find a Grave website memorials. All I know is that my grandmother (Leona Elizabeth Lewellen Stewart) told her niece (Joyce Lewellen) that her father was George Henry Lewellen, her grandfather was Andrew Lewellen and her g.grandfather was John Columbus Lewellen. I don't have any other proof that it really is Columbus. Her father (George) died when she was 5 and he mother (Thruza) died when she was 11. Her grandfather (Andrew) had already passed away when she was born. My grandmother could have been mistaken. Let me know what you think?
Dorothy Campbell - May 18, 2009
Personally, I would say leave it as you have it, and see if more descendants see it and what they might have to say.
What does everyone else think? I am sure there are several other legs of descendants that we may uncover yet. I believe we have just scratched the surface.
Billie Harris - May 18, 2009
I agree with Dorothy. Leave it as it is. There's nothing proving that it isn't Columbus and that may well have been his name. There are certainly plenty of individuals with that name in the family and it could have been. So, my vote is to leave it as is.
Incidentally, does anyone know if there's a nickname for Columbus? I've seen the nickname of Lum before and wonder if it might be for Columbus.
Dorothy Campbell - May 18, 2009
Yes, Lum is a nickname for Columbus.
Mary Hubbell - May 20, 2009
Welcome Karen,
My line is
(ggrandmother) Balzada Lewellen, Anderson S. Lewellen, John Lewellen.
As for the discussion, I disagree about ignoring the addition of a middle name to John Lewellen. It shouldn't be done without adding a disclaimer. Right now the biggest argument against a middle name is Texas Lewellen Hurt's Bible. Most of the names recorded in that Bible, include at least a middle initial - even for her mother-in-law! John and Emley are both recorded without middle initials. As a family history instructor, I've found that too often family tradition isn't always true - or just contains a bit of fact. What if John had the nickname "Columbus" as a joke because he moved around? It seems if he really had a middle name it would have shown up in at least once in the many Scott County records. He was not the only John Lewellen in Scott County - so why wasn't a middle initial used? You find him as John Lewallen or perhaps Sheriff added.
I suggest that Karen change her entry. Remove Columbus as a part of his name and add that your grandmother told her niece that her great grandfather's middle name was Columbus but no proof has been found. At the very least, put quotation marks around it.
That will allow other researchers to know of the possibility and if it isn't correct, won't become the source of future error. They are so hard to change once they are out there. Already, Dorothy gave Karen's line including the middle name and someone who doesn't know any more about it, could take that as fact. It already caused confusion for Resa.
I'm going to correct his entry in the Lewellen book to add that he possibly had the middle name but suggest people search for proof. Another correction I'll be adding is that the photograph we have might not be Delilah. Anyone who bought a copy of the book, I suggest you add those corrections. If you find any other errors, please contact me.
I'm also looking for the source of "Dolly" being Delilah's nickname.
Last comment - while looking through Scott County's court records I came across Delila Lewallen and Elihu McDonald, Jr in an 1852 case (husband of Elizabeth Lewellen (married 1855), so Delila would be his mother in law if it is the same woman). They were fined $2 each. Wonder what that was all about? Hmmmmmm.
Mary Ann
Dorothy Campbell - May 20, 2009
Since John did change his last name when he moved to Texas, could it just be possible he omitted his middle name as well? Just a thought.
I ran across this rootsweb site last night that also has his middle name as Columbus. I wrote this Jim to see what he says.
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Follow lineage though his mother Bertie Etta Bell, and grandfather XB, through great grandmother Lucinda and then great great grandfather John, you will see he has Columbus for John's middle name also and a different line, that thinks he got is from his grandmother as well.
Dorothy Campbell - May 23, 2009
Here is the reply from Jim Lumpkin about John's middle name of Columbus. I sent him an invitation, but don't know if he will join us or not.
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John Columbus Lewellen
Thursday, May 21, 2009 1:57 PM
From: "jlum1951@aol.com" <jlum1951@aol.com>
To: campbelldorothy@rocketmail.com
Hi, Dorothy,
I don't remember precisely where the information came from. However, you may have noticed that my connection is through his daughter, Lucinda, who married Calvin Bell. I grew up in the same household as her granddaughter, Bertie, who was my grandmother. Bertie is buried beside them at Little Flock Cemetery outside of Temple, TX. My information almost certainly came from her. I'll try to identify the source.
I've met several Lewellen relatives in North Central Texas in the past. I'm glad to make your acquaintance.
Jim
Billie Harris - May 20, 2009
Since there's concern about John's middle name, I'm going back to the middle name of Anderson. I realize the name of Grant shows on that old marker but it doesn't say Anderson Grant Lewallen or Grant Anderson Lewallen and the name of Anderson Grant is all over the internet. Take a look at the photo of that marker. Am I the only one who wonders about this?
Dorothy Campbell - May 20, 2009
Billie,
It looks like to me the word Grant is on there.
Billie Harris - May 20, 2009
Yes, it's on there but I just can't connect that it's with the word Anderson because everything seems so "disjointed" for lack of a better word.
Dorothy Campbell - May 20, 2009
I imagine that it must have been hard to do a neat job of hand carving on that hard rock.It has got to be hard to have lasted all thee years.
Mary Hubbell - May 23, 2009
It could have just been graffiti. No idea otherwise