Scrapbook of Lola Williamson Peters

Lola Williamson Peters was my maternal grandmother.  For many years, she kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and this page is an attempt to organize those clippings.  In many cases, I don't know from which year nor from which newspaper the clippings originate.  I will annotate the clippings to the best of my knowledge about them.

The infant was Lola's nephew, having been the son of her brother Willie Ragin (Bill) Williamson and Uncle Bill's wife Elma Florine (Florine) Monger.  The infant was stillborn on 3 Jun 1930.  In addition to the scrapbook, I found the obituary in the Knoxville Journal, 4 Jun 1930.

The home at 1132 Morris Avenue and General Hospital were both in Knoxville, but the family had roots in Lenoir City and the infant was buried in Lenoir City.  There was no death certificate and there is not a grave marker for the infant.  He was buried at the corner of the Williamson Family Plot at the Lenoir City Cemetery. If you stand at the Williamson Plot, looking at the monument company on the hill, he was buried to your right, at the lower corner of the Plot.

The infant's paternal grandparents were John William Williamson and Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.  The infant's maternal grandparents were James Hand Monger and Bertie Hinds.  Both of the infant's grandfathers had died before the infant was born.  The obituary listed the infant's maternal grandmother incorrectly as Betsy rather than as Bertie.

Salesmen at Morton-McCrary Motors, including Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Morton-McCrary Motors was a car dealership in Knoxville on Broadway near the intersection of Broadway and Central Avenue.  Driving towards town, the dealership was on your right just before the intersection with Central Avenue, and I believe it actually had entrances both on Broadway and Central Avenue.

The clipping is not dated in the scrapbook.  Therefore, there is no good way to find the original newspaper which contains the clipping.

Most of the clippings on this page are for individuals who appear to have been friends and neighbors of the family.  Neither I nor other family members still living know exactly how Lola knew the individuals.  An exception is that G. W. Roberts was their neighbor on Morris Avenue, living two houses down on the other side of the street.

The clippings along the right hand side of the page are for family members.  William Daily (Will) Peters was the uncle of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Nora Grace Kirby was the wife of Marion Wesley Letsinger who was the brother of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger, and Sam was Lester's brother-in-law.  Thomas Lamar Cole was the father of Thomas Clyde (Clyde) Cole, and Clyde was Lester's brother-in-law.

I do not know who these people where or why the clippings appeared in Lola's scrapbook.

I do not know why Lola clipped this article about Leonard A. Freels.  They had neighbors named Freels in Anderson County, but Leonard Freels was from Maryville in Blount County.

For some of the people on this page, I don't know why they were in Lola's scrapbook. But there are a few of them that I can identify.

• Mrs. Lester Lane and Mrs. Guy Jones were sisters, and both of them were the double first cousins of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Which is to say that Janette Hazel (Nettie) Peters who married Lester (Buck) Lane and Menta Reese (Recie) Peters who married Guy Alonzo Jones were the daughters of Robert Asbury Peters and Mollie Caroline Cole, and Lester was the son of Alva Edward (Alvie) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  Robert Peters and Alva Peters were brothers, and Mollie Cole and Sallie Cole were sisters.
• The infant Leita Peters was Lester Peters' niece, having been the daughter of Lester's brother Arthur Peters.
• William Webster (Billy) Bray was Lola's uncle, having been the brother of Lola's. mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.  It is a huge piece of family lore that Uncle Billy burned his house down for the insurance money and he was acquitted at his arson trial even though everyone knew that he was as guilty as sin.  It was apparently in the early 1940's, but I have not been able to ascertain the date of Uncle Billy's trial.

This page just contained a poem, no articles about people.

This page just contained a little brain teaser and was hand written rather than being a newspaper clipping.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were on this page.  The exceptions are as follows.

• Thomas Lamar Cole was the father of Thomas Clyde (Clyde) Cole.  Clyde was the second husband of Lester Peters' sister Ella.
• George Washington (Wash) Roberts was a neighbor on Morris Avenue in Knoxville.  Mr. Roberts lived across the street and two houses down.  Everybody called him Grandpa, even people not related to him.
• Ida Belle Bearden Holloway was the grandmother of Edna Pearl Holloway who was the wife of Samuel Arthur (Arthur) Peters.  Arthur was Lester's brother.
• Cornelia Letsinger Phillips and her brother John M. Letsinger Jr. were the aunt and uncle of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger who was the husband of Elza Peters. Elza was Lester's sister.
• William Webster (Billy) Bray was Lola's uncle, having been the brother of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.

The only person I recognize on this page is Mrs. A. E. Peters.  She was Sallie Jame Cole, wife of Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters.  Sallie was Lola's mother-in-law.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• Mrs. J. W. Williamson of Morris Avenue was Lola's mother, Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray, widow of John William Williamson.
• Mrs. Mollie Peters Fraley was the aunt of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Lester's parents were Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  Mollie Caroline Cole was Sallie's sister and Mollie married Alva's brother Robert Asbury Peters. So Mollie's children were Lester's double first cousin.  Robert died in 1905, and Mollie married Joseph E. (Joe) Fraley in 1926.  Aunt Mollie was responsible for Lester and Lola meeting each other.  At the time, Lester was a young widower who was living with his infant daughter and his in-laws in Knoxville.  Aunt Mollie had deep roots in Anderson County and lived much of her later life in Knoxville.  Nevertheless, Aunt Mollie lived for a short time on Broadway in downtown Lenoir City where her next door neighbors were the Williamson family.  While Aunt Mollie was living in Lenoir City, Lester visited her and thereby met Lola Williamson, the girl next door.
• Miss "Peggy" Florine Monger was Lola's sister-in-law, having been the wife of Lola's brother Willie Ragin (Bill) Williamson.  This item in Lola's scrapbook was a calling card rather than a newspaper clipping.  The full name of Lola's sister-in-law was Elma Florine Monger, and I never hear her called anything but Florine.  But I assume she must have been called Peggy at some point, else her name wouldn't have appeared that way on her calling card.  Uncle Bill and Aunt Florine were married in 1929, so I assume that Lola came into possession of the calling card prior to that time.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• Mrs. Ida R. Wells was the aunt of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Lester's mother was Sallie Jane Cole.  Ida Rhoda Cole who married Phillip Hancher Wells was Sallie's sister.
• Ella Mae Yadon was the sister of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Ella married first Bayard Earl Yadon and Bayard died in 1933.  Ella married Thomas Clyde (Clyde) Cole in 1936.
• Charles Frederick Bray age 10 who was killed by a car was Lola's nephew, having been the son of Lola's half-brother Charles Lee (Charlie) Bray.  I do not know why Charles Frederick Bray was listed as Charles Edward Bray in the newspaper clipping.  The elder Charles Bray was the son of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray and Haley's first husband William George Washington Green.  Charlie was raised by his grandparents Joseph A. (Joe) Bray and Ferriba Salina (Salina) Moore.  He took the Bray surname rather than the Green surname or the Williamson surname.
• Mary Hudson was the sister-in-law of Lola's husband Lester Peters', having married Lester's brother Robert Earl Peters.  Mary was the daughter of John Richard (Dick) Hudson and Martha Wilson.  But Martha died when Mary was an infant, and Mary was raised by her aunt Eva Frances (Ev) Hudson and Ev's husband John Henry Holloway.  Hence, it was they who announced Mary's engagement.
• Mrs. J. W. Williamson of Morris Avenue was Lola's mother, Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray, widow of John William Williamson.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• Mr. R. H. Bray was Robert Henry (Henry) Bray having been the brother of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.  As such, he was Lola's uncle and he was referred to in the family as Uncle Henry.  Laura Bray in the article was Uncle Henry's daughter, and Laura was Lola's first cousin.  Mrs. R. H. Bray in the article was Laura's mother who was Uncle Henry's second wife.  She was Ola M. (Ollie) Lewis.
• Mrs. Mollie Peters Fraley was the aunt of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Lester's parents were Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  Mollie Caroline Cole was Sallie's sister and Mollie married Alva's brother Robert Asbury Peters. So Mollie's children were Lester's double first cousin.  Robert died in 1905, and Mollie married Joseph E. (Joe) Fraley in 1926.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• Delia Weaver Peters was Cordelia Ann (Delia) Weaver, daughter of George Weaver and Malinda Hunter.  Delia was the wife of Lester's uncle William Daily Peters.
• Mrs. Mollie Peters Fraley was the aunt of Lola's husband Lester Peters.  Lester's parents were Alva Edward (Alvy) Peters and Sallie Jane Cole.  Mollie Caroline Cole was Sallie's sister and Mollie married Alva's brother Robert Asbury Peters. So Mollie's children were Lester's double first cousin.  Robert died in 1905, and Mollie married Joseph E. (Joe) Fraley in 1926.
• William Bailey Peters was a typo.  He was actually William Daily (Will) Peters.  Will was the uncle of Lola's husband Lester Peters.
• William Webster (Billy) Bray was Lola's uncle, having been the brother of Lola's. mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.
• Charles Frederick Bray age 10 who was killed by a car was Lola's nephew, having been the son of Lola's half-brother Charles Lee (Charlie) Bray.  The elder Charles Bray was the son of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray and Haley's first husband William George Washington Green.  Charlie was raised by his grandparents Joseph A. (Joe) Bray and Ferriba Salina (Salina) Moore.  He took the Bray surname rather than the Green surname or the Williamson surname.
• John William Williamson was Lola's father.
• Bayard Earl Yadon was Lester's brother-in-law, having been the husband of Lester's sister Ella Mae Peters.  Bayard died shortly after this article was published.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• William Webster (Billy) Bray (often known as W. W. Bray) was the brother of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.  This clipping concerns Uncle Billy's arson trial, where he allegedly burned his house down for the insurance money.  Ultimately, he was acquitted but the conventional wisdom in the family was that he had done it.
• Mrs. J. W. Williamson in the same article was the aforementioned Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray who was Lola's mother and who was the wife of Lola's father John William Williamson.
• Knox Stove Works which received the contract to make griddles for the U.S. Army was the place where Lola's husband Lester Peters worked.
• Bayard Earl Yadon was Lester's brother-in-law, having been the husband of Lester's sister Ella Mae Peters.
• Mrs. Lou Bray was Lucille (Lou) McDaniel, wife of Lola's Uncle George Samuel Bray who was the brother of Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray.
• Alva E. Peters was Lester's father.
• Mrs. A. E. Peters was Lester's mother, Sallie Jane Cole.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• The birth announcement for Beatrice Ruth Peters was for Lola's first child.  The street address was misspelled.  They lived on Morris Avenue rather than on Marrs Street.
• Bayard Earl Yadon was Lester's brother-in-law, having been the husband of Lester's sister Ella Mae Peters.
• Mrs. W. R. Williamson who was in the hospital was Lola's mother Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray who married Lola's father John William Williamson.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• The wedding announcement was for Lola's marriage to Lester Peters.
• Howard R. Peters was Lola's younger son.
• Bayard Earl Yadon was Lester's brother-in-law, having been the husband of Lester's sister Ella Mae Peters.
• Laura Bray who married Granville Hatcher was Lola's first cousin.
• John William Williamson was Lola's father.

For some of the clippings, I don't know who the people were.  I do know the following.

• William Houston (Bill) Giles and Grace Gambill were the parents of Lina Gene (Jeanne) Giles.  Bill Giles was Lola's first cousin once removed and Lina Giles was Lola's second cousin.  The connection was that Bill was the son of William Morgan (Will) Giles and Cora Pickens Ellis and the grandson of James Calvin (Calvin) Giles and Dica Ann (Dicy) Smith.  In turn, Lola was the daughter of John William Williamson and Mary Mahala Jane (Haley) Bray, the granddaughter of Alexander L. (Alex) Williamson and Margaret Ann (Maggie) England, and the great granddaughter of Jacob England and Dica Ann (Dicy) England.  Jacob died in the Civil War, and Dicy subsequently married Calvin Giles.  Dicy was the common ancestor.
• Knox Stove Works was Lester's employer.
• Samuel Dexter (Dexter) Letsinger was Lester's nephew, having been the son of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger and Lester's sister Elzie Peters.

Marion Wesley Letsinger was the brother of Samuel Mabry (Sam) Letsinger.  Sam was Lester's brother-in-law, having been the husband of Lester's sister Elzie Peters.

Newspaper clipping of a wedding photograph Lola's daughter Beatrice Ruth (Ruth) Peters who married Robert Elmer (Bob) Bryan.