Mish Mash Research

I found Nancy Emma Jane Givens, (b. 13 Sep 1864) as "Emmer J." in the 1880 U.S. Census of Baldwin County, Alabama, living with her family, Joseph Givens and Mary S., her mother.  In my notes for her, I have:
"Pine Barren Baptist Church Cemetery, Escambia, Fl is burial place."
Possible death date: 13 Mar 1917.
Of Atmore, AL at the time of her father's death in 1914."
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This Emma was age 15 in the 1880 census.  Another Emma, was born in 1856, instead of 1865 (or 1864 in this case).  My Emma is surely the one who married Aden A. Fleming, because my dad did an interview with Minnie Crabtree of Pensacola, back in 1964.  Now, who Minnie Crabtree is to the family, I have no idea!  I think, perhaps, she is Minnie Lee Givens, who first married James Wm. Steele?
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Who is Eliza Barker that married Alexander Givens 17 May 1847 in Mobile County, I wonder?
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Also found John Starling m. Martha Givens in Henry Co. Alabama in 1870. Mmmmmm....

Rose Givens' House

When Alex Givens (James Alexander Givens) passed away in Bradley, Alabama, on June 21, 1921, he left behind, his widow and nine children. I'm not sure of the exact circumstances of his death (I'm lagging behind in my research and documentation), but at some point, Mrs. Givens and her family settled in this large home in the city of Andalusia, Alabama. Mrs. Carl Palmer and her husband are the current owners of this house; they have completed many of the renovation projects in their efforts toward historical restoration. Most interesting though, is their hard work in documenting the family during the period of their residence in this home. They have completed much, if not all of the historical restoration, by now, I'm sure. A shout-out to them for their efforts, "Thank You".

Question: Where is Alex Givens buried?
Answer: Almarante Cemetery, Laurel Hill, Okaloosa Co., Florida

Question: How did he die?

Question: How did Rose Givens come to live in this house with her family?

Givens Family Bible

 

Torn Bible page scan 2
Content:
McGill were_________Jan 13th 1859.
Manda McGill was born July 24th, 1839.

Givens Bible

 

Scan 1: Torn page from Family Bible.

Upper right corner:
Date: 1859
Content below:
John H. Givens was born March 17th, 1862
James Alexander (sp. alescander?), was born January 20, 1867
William Sherman Givens was born August 25th, 1869

The Funeral Directory - Writing an Obituary

The Funeral Directory - Writing an Obituary

Revolutionary Pension

Samuel Givens is listed as a Revolutionary pensioner in North Carolina newspaper, May 1, 1846.

Samuel Givens, Revolutionary Soldier

: "GIVEN"

meck2001.jpg (JPEG Image, 2479x3100 pixels) - Scaled (15%)

meck2001.jpg (JPEG Image, 2479x3100 pixels) - Scaled (15%)

A map of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, where it is believed that John Witherspoon Givens was born in 1836.

The Kollmetz relative

Finally, we come to the relative/descendent who, in the 1970's, sent my father so much Kolmetz information and some of the pictures previously posted. This is Hans-Werner Kollmetz, born 19 of September, 1925. Thank you, Hans! 

Heinrich Andreas Kollmetz

The parents of Friedrich Kollmetz are standing in the foreground of this photo. Don't know who the other fellow is.
ON the left is Heinrich Andreas Kollmetz and on the right is Dothea Margaretha Marie (nee Moller). Now, we know where I got my name! [Margaret Marie]. 

Masonic Brethren in Washington County Florida

Friedrick (Frederick) Nicholas Kolmetz stands in the center with the tall fellow on his right being Mr. Sellers. I am related to "Fritz" Kolmetz through the Givens line. Alice Malissa Kolmetz was my great grandmother. She married William Sherman Givens. Their son, Richard Lud Givens was my grandfather (maternal). 

Back to Germany

The ancestral home of Friedrich Nicholas Kolmetz, who emigrated to America (Vernon, Washington, Florida) is to be found in Burg Auf Fehmarn. On this street is the house of Hinrich Kolmetz. No Kollmetz family members are living on the island anymore, though. 

Cleveland Public Library - Obituary File

Cleveland Public Library - Obituary File

When I checked this link, I found 29 matches for Givens! While they are most likely from an entirely different line than my Givens, it's possible if you went back far enough, we might share a common ancestor.

Givens in Escambia County Florida 1870

The 1870 Escambia Census is now online! Thanks to West Florida Genealogical Society volunteers and the hard work of project manager, Jerry Merritt, this is a wonderful way to locate relatives that were in Escambia County in 1870. Thanks also to web page master, Ginny Deagan. The link I have provided will take you to the index, but at the top of the page is a link to the census itself. Here are the Givens I have culled from the index:

• Amanda
• Charlotte
• Christina
• Henry
• Homer
• James A.
• John H.
• John W.
• Joseph
• Laura A.
• Louis
• Louis
• Maria
• Maria
• Mary J.
• Olive
• Ophelia
• William
• William
• William S.
  

Andalusia Star News: Genealogy- The Givens Family

Andalusia Star News: Genealogy

Summary of Pertinent Data

Summary of Pertinent Data in Pension Records in the National Archives.
Veteran's Name: Givens, John W.
Case No.: C2563232

Parents: Not mentioned

Births: On February 17, 1836, in "Mackalburg" (Also given as Mecklenburg) County, North Carolina.

Marriage: The Veteran married Nancy Ann Amanda McGill on January 13, 1859 in Escambia County, Florida. In 1903, she was 64 years of age and died shortly thereafter, but the date of her death is not given. On December 24, 1907, the verteran married Alice Fralish in Blue Springs, Alabama. In 1908, she was 35 years of age. (From Bible, Amanda died Aug. 22, 1907).

Children: Laura Ann, born Oct. 26, 1859 (Deaths from Bible), Nov. 23, 1910;
John H. born March 17, 1862; James A. born January 19, 1867, died June 30, 1922; William S. born August 25, 1869, died Sept 19, 1907; Joseph H. born February 28, 1872, died July 26, 1907; Henry T. born September 29, 1874; Green B. born May 18, 1879, died Nov 19, 1904; Gerald Elisha, born April 20, 1862, died April 9, 1907.

In 1898, Henry T. Givens was living in Laurel Hill, (in Walton County at that time), and in 1902, Joseph H. Givens was living in that place.

Other Family: Amanda M. Givens, 13 years of age in 1903 and residing in Laurel Hill, Florida at that date. Relationship to veteran not given. (This was his granddaughter).

Residence: In 1907 the veteran stated that since leaving the service in 1864, he has resided in Baldwin County, Alabama, Escambia County, Florida, Covington County, Alabama, and Walton County, Florida, (now Okaloosa County). The Pension File indicates that he [John W. Givens, the veteran], was residing in Muscogee, Escambia County, Florida in 1893, in Baldwin County, Alabama in 1895, and in Laurel Hill, Walton County, Florida from 1896 until his death. In 1908 his widow was living in Laurel Hill.

Death: The veteran died on August 4, (Also given ?) 1903.

Service: Private, Company B, 1st Regiment, Florida Volunteer Cavalry, Civil War. In an affidavit executed by the veteran on July 2, 1896, he stated that "he has never served in the Confederate States Army."

Pension: The veterans claim for pension was allowed.

Note: Dates of death of dependants was taken from Bible records. This further information also came from Bible:

Laura Givens married H.N. Sowell March 19, 1874 and their children are Gerald Edward Sowell, born July 31, 1877 (never married) and John Hezekiah Sowell, born Aug 22, 1879.

[This may be incomplete as photocopy looked as if content was continued on another page, which I haven't located at this date].

Baldwin County Alabama Research

Givens, Gussie S., b. 25 Jan 1906, d. 08 May 1956, bur. TA
Whistler Cemetery, Whistler, Mobile Co., AL (Interment.net)

Amanda Elizabeth Givens (wife of Samuel T. Taylor) Dec 14, 1847 Washington Co, FL Mar 05, 1928 Choctaw County, AL
Cindy Shambley cindydiane@webtv.net

John M. Givens April 09, 1846 Washington Co, FL Aug 31, 1924 Choctaw County, AL Cindy Shambley cindydiane@webtv.net
(rootsweb.com/~alchocta/death.html)

Givens, Andrew J., b. 6 Apr 1871, d. 19 Nov 1935, Sec D 80
Givens, Delaine A., b. 25 May 1874, d. 25 Jun 1951, m. 7 Jun 1891, w/o William R. Givens, Sec D 80
Givens, Joseph Harvel, b. 10 Feb 1832, d. 24 Feb 1914, Creek Indian, Sec D 80
Givens, William R., b. 24 Feb 1870, d. 14 Jul 1951, m. 7 Jun 1891, h/o Delaine A. Givens, Sec D 80
Givens, Wilma, b. 1914, d. 1914, Sec D 80
Givens, Jr., Lonnie M., b. 26 Nov 1933, d. 5 Sep 1953, Fla. EN3 US Navy, Sec D 80
(interment. net--Fl Bay Co., Millville Cemetery)

John Hezekiah Givens

Somehow I have temporarily misplaced my Heritage Book of Okaloosa County! However, I find that I was at one point extracting Givens info from it, pages 224 and 364. Don't think I ever finished, but here are some of the notes I took:

John Hezekiah Givens, also known, I believe, as "Bud", received a homestead grant in Laurel Hill. This according to Dr. Mark Givens Weatherly, his grandson. Bud Givens was into the sawmill business and was a prominent business man and financier, who in 1900, founded the Falco Land & Lumber Company near Florala. Some 15,000 acres of timberland were involved. There were Branch Mills in Munson and Blackmon/Blackman. Obie Weatherly ran both mills. This industry embraced both Walton and Santa Rosa County areas (Okaloosa not having been formed as a county at that time). Bud Givens was part Creek Indian and the Yellow River Railroad was another of his interests.

It is believed that the Givens migrated from Scotland to Orange County, Virginia, to North Carolina, to Alabama (Bay Minette). The turpentine and lumber industry were an integral part of their livelihoods.

John Hezekiah (Bud) married Marguerite (or Maggie) Chance of Milton. Listed as children are Lilla Mae, b. 1892, Daisy, Gladys, Johnny (ie), Val, and James. Obie Lee Weatherly married Lilla Mae Givens in 1911 in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. Their children were Mabel, b. 1911, Maurice, Maudie (John), John Max Weatherly (of Laurel Hill), and Mark. This from page 363 and 364 of the Heritage Book.

William Givens: Search in the Social Security Death Index returned 16 matches. The one that interested me, however, was living in Florala at the time of his death. Actually, his residence location is somewhere between Florala and Andalusia. His birth date matched the one I have for William Edward Givens, who changed his name some time after his father, (Wm. Edw. Givens), died. The senior fellow was the brother of my grandfather, Richard Ludlow Givens. I discovered that the junior W.E. Givens grew up as Quinton Virl Givens.

GenealogyBuff.com - genealogy data for the GIVENS surname