ciaran on Family Tree Circles

This family history was written by Lucille M. Billingsley Aug.1,1961. I have a copy in my paper files. It is presented here exactly as she typed it.

Oscar and I "went together" the first time on July 1,1914. We were walking to prayer meeting that night and as we passed the store, Oscar came out of the store and went on to prayer meeting with us and then he walked home with me after prayer meeting.

As I have said, we were married June 24, 1915 in the parlor of the old Peabody hotel. It stood on the corner of Main and Monroe,in Memphis,Tennessee, where Lowenstein's department store now stands. We were married at 10-30 A.M. and it was a Thursday. Our only witness was Mrs. Maude Clark, the first wife of Rass Clark. The Reverand H.P.Hurt,pastor of Union Avenue Baptist Church performed the ceremony. Maude and Rass were the only ones we had told that we were getting married. Mama and Papa may not have objected if we had told them but I didn't want them crying; so on Sunday before I married on Thursday, I went to Nesbit, Mississippi to visit my Uncle Buddy and his daughter's family. I got on the train there thursday morning and Oscar and Maude were already on the train as they got on at Senatobia. There was a slow rain that day until late afternoon, the sun came out and sank clear.

My ggg-grandfather was James Mattox Gentry. He married twice in Hickman County, KY. First to Polly Nichols on Jan. 24, 1830. Both were not legal age & had to get their father's certificate. Her father, M.G.Nichols, was listed but his was not.They were married by Dempsey White,J.P.
His 2nd marriage was to Mary Carter on Apr 13, 1843, Both were of age and her brother (not named) was present. They were married by F.A.Bone.

The 1850 Census for Obion County,TN shows:
Matox(as he's sometimes listed)
Mary
James Milton (my gg-grandfather)
John
Robert
Sarah

He's also listed in the 1860 Obion County census, & the 1870 Lake County,TN census but nothing after that.

His children were: James Milton b. 8/8/1836 KY, John E. b 1839 KY, Robert Henry b. 1842 KY, Sarah b. 1844 KY, Alice R. b. 1854 KY, Thomas E. b 4/1860 Obion County,TN, James H. b. 1864 Obion County,TN.

My gg-grandfather, James Milton Gentry married Martha Tanner in Obion County,TN. Their son, William Walter, was b. 12/14/1873 Obion County,TN & d. 11/13/1951 Memphis,TN. He married Viola Kitchens(she was an orphan)9/9/1904 on Union City,TN. They had 7 sons & 2 daughters:William Floyd-my grandfather, Harl,Mason,Neuman,Jack,Earl,Milton,Ruth, & Doris. None of this generation is still living.