Stella's Roots- Part 3

    After arriving home from our trip to the Winchester area, Jim and I started an online search on the Machen family. In Allie Mae's obituary Willis and Sallie (Sargent) Machen were listed as her parents. It took awhile, but we finally found them.
    Willis and  Sallie were married  on October 23, 1893 in Jackson County, Alabama. On the 1900 census Willis and Sallie were living in Hollywood, Jackson County, Alabama along with Lucille (5) and Lovey (65).  Lovey was Willis' mother.
     By the 1910 census Willis (43) and Sallie had four children.  One of which was Allie Mae who was one year old. They were still living in Hollywood.  On the 1920 census their last name was spelled Matchen. Willis (52), Sallie (48) and Allie M.(11) were the only ones in the household.  Once again they were living in Hollywood.
     When reviewing the actual 1920 census there was a Goins family listed directly above them.  Fanny Goins (29) was listed as a widow  with four children: William (11), Paul (9), Nellie A.(7) and Bee M. (5).  In the previous census Fannie's husband was Marlin L. Goins.
      Since Stella was born in 1920, the search for her has been more difficult. If Allie Mae's story of her and Stella having the same father is true then Willis Machen is our guy. As for the mother, who knows. Jim thinks the Goins family on the census is not coincidental. He made some good points about the possibility of this woman being Stella's mother, but without proof, I cannot fully buy into his new theory.
     A trip to the state archives is planned for this week. Neither one of us is holding out for full disclosure of Stella's parents, but maybe a few clues to keep us going.

Stella's Roots - Part 2

Jim and I traveled to Franklin and Coffee County. Our first stop was the public library in Winchester. We obtained a copy of Allie Mae Nolen Kirk's obituary.  Allie Mae was reportedly Stella's half sister.  Willis and Sallie (Sargent) Machen were listed as her parents.  I had hoped her parents would be Goins but no such luck.  The in-house genealogist was a little overwhelmed with our questions about the local girls school, the Francis family of Cowan and the local record keeping, so she recommended  a visit to the county archives to consult with Judy Phillips.

Ms. Phillips was very helpful.  When we mentioned the school Stella attended, she immediately called it by name, Tullahoma Vocational School for Girls. She once had a friend whose mother had been at the school and in later years, found the school records in a barn in Nashville.  After a phone call, Ms. Phillips felt certain the records were now housed at the state library in Nashville.

Two of three original buildings for the vocational school. 

After learning Jim's mother could have been a Goins, she shared an interesting tidbit about the last name.  Goins is a Melungeon-associated surname that represents multiracial descendants. We found the discussion very interesting regardless whether Stella turns out to be a Goins or not.  Hopefully, the records at the state library will aid in the search for Stella's heritage.

Looking for Stella's Roots

          Since Jim’s family tree was one-sided, he and I started investigating mother’s background earlier this year but with little success.  The family always thought she was adopted, but we could not locate any adoption papers on file in the state of Tennessee.  During the holiday break we hope to find out who Stella really was?

          Very little is known about her family, but this is what we know as of now. Stella remembered as a small child being taken to an orphan’s home (girls school) in Tullahoma, Tennessee by a man she believed was her father.  On the 1930 census Stella appeared in the household of Nora Francis as an adopted child. Her last name was listed as Francis.  They were living in Winchester at that time.

            At some point Mrs. Francis returned Stella to the girls’ school. Edith Holderfield of the Totty’s Bend area took Stella into her home. She did housework in exchange for room and board. During this stay she met Alvin and married.

            Stella always thought Mrs. Francis was her biological mother, but no paperwork was found after Mrs. Francis’ death to support her theory.

            As an adult, Stella was approached by Allie Mae Nolen who claimed she was a sister.  Allie Mae stated she and Stella had the same father but different mothers.   Also, Stella learned she had two half brothers in the Chattanooga area and met both of them.  Their last name was Goins. Stella referred to herself as a Goins.