Walter Gaines Fowler was born in Union County, South Carolina, the youngest of three sons of Big Mark Fowler (1780-1853) and Elizabeth Moseley ((1782-1883). In 1850, Walter Fowler resided in the household with his father, mother, sisters, and several nephews. His older brother Ellis Fowler and his family lived next door. It is possible that…

After four years of bloody battles, the loss of hundreds of thousands of fathers, brothers, sons, and the maiming of countless more, the American Civil War finally came to an end. General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox on April 8, 1865, and, as the news spread throughout the south, confederate soldiers began slowly making…

Alpha Ethel Fowler was born on September 18, 1868 near Jonesville, South Carolina. She was twice descended from Henry Ellis Fowler. Her father was Walter Gaines Fowler (1828-1870), youngest son of Big Mark Fowler (1780-1853) and Elizabeth Moseley (1782-1882). Mark Fowler was a son of Henry Ellis Fowler (1746-1808). Alpha's mother was Mahala Rebecca "Becky"…

The tale of murder, death, marriage, and family ties began simply; but as it so often happens while researching my Fowler family, I stumbled upon long, interwoven pathways into another, that of the Coleman family. Two Coleman family tragedies -- a murder and a death by lightning -- were linked to my family; thus, the…

I do not know exactly what day I first noticed the huge, beautiful, scary spider in her huge, beautiful, scary web in the frame of the door I use to go in and out of my home. Maybe it was a day or two before I decided to take a photograph or two of her…

Wymac Matthew Fowler was born September 27, 1836. He was the fourteenth child --the last child -- born to Womack Fowler and Susannah Moseley. Womack, Womach, Wymac, Wymack, Wymach. I am using "Womack" for the father and "Wymac" for the son. I have never seen or heard anyone refer to the son as "Mac" but…

Two Reubens born about the same time in South Carolina. A surname that was interchangeably Roof, Ruff, Reuff, and Reiff, and sometimes Rough. (I will use Roof for the remainder of this article to simplify things; specifically Lexington Reuben Roof and Mississippi Reuben Roof). When writing an article about my ancestor Simeon Godfrey Jacob Roof,…

Womack Fowler and his wife Susannah Moseley, had fourteen children if one takes as truth the entries made in the Womack Fowler Family Bible. Seven sons and seven daughters were born between the years 1809 to 1836. Two sons and three daughters did not survive childhood, and if not for the entries in the family…

He was a beautiful boy, Walter Ellis Burton, and later, a handsome young man. His life was far too short, but he never saw the ravages of time mar his features. There is no one left on earth who knew him; no one who remembers the beautiful boy. Walter Ellis Burton was the firstborn son…