“Here’s my mother’s parents—Clay Simmons and Deedie Bailey.” My father-in-law, Jerry D., paused before the granite grave marker at Mount Hope Cemetery in Wells, Texas. Having just begun doing genealogy, I feverishly wrote the information in my notebook. We visited multiple graves that hot summer day in the late 1990s. This post describes, in chronological manner, what I discovered about Clay Simmons and his family. Throughout the post, I reflect on how my research practices changed.
Clay & Deedie Simmons grave marker. Mount Hope Cemetery, Wells, Cherokee county, Texas. Picture taken by Jerry L. Ellerbee, 11 July 2013. [1]
Jerry D. recalled only that his maternal grandfather’s name was Clay Simmons. [2] He did not know the names of Clay’s parents. So, Simmons ancestry became my focus of inquiry in January 2013. A scrapbook, presented to Jerry D. as a Christmas gift that year, described my findings. My husband and I traveled to east Texas in July 2013 to search further.
Start with what you know. I began with Clara Doris Simmons and her father, Clay Simmons. A file review yielded previous online searches and a Texas death certificate for “H.C. Simmons”. [3] An early record shows the name “Richard”, followed by a question mark. Was Clay’s other name Richard or one that begins with “H”?
Disclaimer: This work was done PGDO (pre Genealogy Do-Over). I did a lot of point-click-save genealogy. As I found documents, I printed and placed in a folder. I did not keep a research log or a list of what records I found. Fortunately, most databases also printed names and dates on the page. I did not recognize the value of thorough and systematic record-keeping until much later!
In January 2013, I printed an online gravesite index which listed his name as “Henry Clay Simmons”. [4] I still needed proof. Note: We again visited his grave, among others, at the Mount Hope Cemetery in Wells, Cherokee county, Texas during our genealogy field trip.
A marriage record index entry for H.C. Simmons and Dedie Bailey offered little new information[5]. We obtained a copy of the original certificate on our genealogy field trip. The certificate is now scanned and in an acid-free sleeve.
Using “Clara Simmons” as key word, I had previously found 1930 census record for the family. [6]
Simmons, Henry C., head, age 43. Deedie D, wife, age 40. Lester, son, age 20. Otha F, daughter, age 18. Morris C, son, age 14. Clara D, daughter, 14. Mildred, daughter, age 13. William J, son, age 8.
“Henry C. Simmons”? Yes, this could be Clay’s other name instead of Richard. Maybe the online grave index entry was correct? I don’t have any notes about my initial review of this record. Did I even recognize his name? Now, I mark or highlight the name and write a note or analysis in research log. Notes include comments about the consistency or inconsistency of information.
Back another decade to the 1920 census, same county (February 2013): [7]
- Simmons, H.C., Head, M W, 34, M[arried], born Texas, father born Alabama, mother born Mississippi.
- __________, Deedie, wife, F W 29, M[arried], born Texas, father born Texas, mother born Texas
- _________, Lester, son, M W 9, S[ingle], born Texas
- _________, Opal F, daughter, F W 7, S[ingle], born Texas
- _________, Morris, son, M W 4 6/12, S[ingle], born Texas
- _________, Dorris, daughter, F W 4 6/12, S[ingle], born Texas
- _________, Mildred, daughter, F W 3 2/12, S[ingle], born Texas.
Yes, Morris and Dorris are twins (confirmed by Jerry D)! Their full names are Clay Morris and Clara Doris. Information is consistent with marriage record, death certificate and 1930 census record. To summarize, I had found:
- Known as Clay by family and friends
- Death certificate for H.C. Simmons, buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, Wells, Texas. Known burial location for Clay and Deedie.
- Marriage record index: H.C. Simmons and Dedie Bailey.
- 1930 census: entry for Henry C. Simmons, Deedie, and children.
- 1920 census: entry for H.C. Simmons, Deedie, and children.
The search continued for additional documents with both names—Henry and Clay. We found no new records during our field trip. Finally, Henry’s World War I Draft Registration card surfaced: [8]
Richard can definitely be ruled out as part of Clay’s name.
I presented Henry Clay Simmons, a.k.a. H.C. Simmons, a.k.a. Clay Simmons in a scrapbook dedicated to the Simmons family ancestry. Jerry D. said that he had never heard his grandfather called “Henry” or even “H.C.” After confirming the identity of “H.C. Simmons” from the death certificate found years earlier, I traced the Simmons line from Texas to Georgia to North Carolina in the late 1700s. And, that is a story for another day!
Reflection:
This year, I am reviewing and cleaning up files for families of my in-laws. As I pulled files for this story, I realized (again) how inconsistent my recordkeeping has been. I do not always find chronological records in the exact sequence in which events happened. In my opinion, keeping track of when you find a record is as important as placing that record within the person’s biographical timeline. Access to records change. Websites disappear or change names. Records transfer from one agency to another. Agencies move to another address.
What am I doing different? Trying to be more systematic and thorough in approach. I create research logs and/or fill out research checklists and individual worksheets more often. I track the sequence in which I find records.
What I learned: Reinforced previous experiences of person being called one name but having one or more additional names. Keep complete records of all sources and include date on which you accessed the source. Take time with record and file clean-up process.
What helped: Printed copies of sources and records in file. Scrapbook done in 2013. Individual worksheets and research checklists begun in January 2017 but not complete.
What didn’t help: Incomplete record keeping and analysis.
To-do list: Continue file clean-up. Check scans of certificates. Place originals in appropriate BMD notebook. Create Research logs for Clay and Deedie – DONE.
SOURCES:
[1] Mount Hope Cemetery (Wells, Cherokee, Texas), Clay & Deedie [Bailey] Simmons; photograph by Jerry L. Ellerbee, 11 July 2013.
[2] Personal knowledge of [living] Ellerbee, shared with Susan Posten Ellerbee, daughter-in-law, ca. 2010-2011; handwritten notes in vertical file, Clay Simmons family, privately held by Ms. Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma. Mr. Ellerbee stated his grandfather’s name of Clay as a fact.
[3]. Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, “Standard certificate of death,” digital images, Footnote (now Fold3) (http://www.fold3.com : accessed, printed, downloaded 23 July 2011), entry for H.C. Simmons.
[4] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : viewed 30 January 2013), memorial page for Henry Clay Simmons, Find A Grave Memorial # 88689404, citing Mount Hope Cemetery (Wells, Cherokee, Texas), memorial created by Eleanor Baker.
[5] Marriage record for Mr. H.C. Simmons & Miss Deedie Bailey, (18 February 1909), Cherokee County Marriage Records: ; County Clerk’s Office, Rusk, Texas; obtained 11 July 2013.
[6] U.S. Census, Cherokee county, Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct 6, enumeration district (ED) 37-34, p.3B (penned), dwelling 62, family 62, H.C. Simmons head; digital images, Fold3 (http://www.fold3.com : accessed, printed & downloaded 2011); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication T626, roll 2307.
[7], U.S. Census, Cherokee County, Texas, pop. sch., Justice Precinct 8, enumeration district (ED) 35, p. 6A (penned), family # 103, H C Simmons; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & printed 22 March 2017); National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Microfilm publication T625_1787.
[8] World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1919,” digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, printed ,downloaded 2 December 2013), entry for Henry Clay Simmons; citing United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication M1509.
© Susan Posten Ellerbee and Posting Family Roots, 2019
Posting Family Roots 