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Archiver > ARIZARD > 2002-07 > 1026344029


From: "bernie moore knowles" <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD-L] Mary Blankenship/ Langston/Kelley - Krystal
Date: Wed, 10 Jul 2002 16:33:49 -0700
References: <20020710230100.2651.qmail@web13101.mail.yahoo.com>


Wow Krystal

Mary Blankinship was my grandmother's sister. In my lifetime, I never met
any of her siblings, isn't that a shame?

What little that I know about her was given to me by Michael Moser, a direct
descendant. The only child that I am aware of Mary having with Johnson was
Austin and he was born in 1913 and by 1918, her husband Jim Johnson was
deceased. Maybe he died from the flu epidemic?

But, you said that there were two half brothers? Jim Johnson was married
prior to Mary - to a Mary Winters. She died in 1910 - and believe that he
married Mary Blankinship Langston by 1911. Could be that the other Johnson
half brother was from that marriage?

Frankly, my understanding was that Mary was not so pleasant of a person. I
have had a couple of folks tell me that. My take is that there are things
that happen to folks in their lives that make them that unhappy and
evidently, something must have happened to Mary.

Sad to be remembered in that light, don't you think?

Her Langston husband left her and as I know it, lived his life out somewhere
in Missouri. Michael sent me a phtograph of Mary and Will Langston, early
in her marriage and he was quite handsome. She looked stoic. Like many
women of that time period, she was a child bride.

There is an interview in one of Betty Mc's books that mentions her in not so
good of a light and I want to say that it was from her daughter-in-law? Not
sure about that, but will see if I can find it, if you'd like.

Cynthia Menoria Langston Moser is the niece of my grandmother's that kept in
touch with her from this branch. I found many, many cards and letters in my
grandmother's belongings from her. I believe that Mrs. Moser died in
Batesville in the mid 1960s. Never met her myself, but her cards were
always so sweet to my family.

I tell you, I would love to have a copy of the imformation that you get from
the family Bible. You are very, very fortunate to have access to it and I
will be a very, very lucky woman if you decide to share it with me! LOL



Bernie Moore-Knowles
Phoenix, Arizona

"I have Indian blood in me. I have just enough White blood for you to
question my honesty." ........Will Rogers
----- Original Message -----
From: "Krystal Londo" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2002 4:01 PM
Subject: [ARIZARD-L] Mary Blankenship/ Langston/Kelley


> Does anyone have any information on Mary Blankenship's
> second marriage? I spoke on the phone today to Mary C
> Kelley (Joseph Gordon Kelley and Bertha Elizabeth
> Langston's daughter) for the first time! She told me
> that Bertha had two half brothers with the last names
> of Johnson or Johnston.
>
> It was a wonderful wonderful conversation. She is now
> 83 years old and lives in Michigan and I'm going to go
> see her in a couple of weeks. I had already planned
> to go to Michigan to see my maternal grandmother, so
> I'm going to make a stop on the way and see Mary. If
> any of you have any Langston/Kelley/Blankenship
> questions, this would be the perfect opportunity to
> send them to me. She gave me so much oral history
> today, my head is still spinning:-)
>
> I would like to pass this tidbit along. Tennie
> Walker, Josephs first wife died from a ruptured
> appendix, not TB like I originally thought. Little
> Ewell was 9 and Jasper was 4 when he remarried to
> Bertha Langston. Those boys always thought of Bertha
> as mama and Bertha made no differentiation between
> those two and her biological children.
>
> Well, I thought I'd share that with you. I'm
> preparing a list of questions for her when I see her.
> She also said that she has a family bible... (I'm
> glad you can't see all of the drool on my computer
> screen!)
>
> Bye for now!
>
> Krystal Kelley
>
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