Means Family History as Told by a Grandson of James and Mary Ann McKenzie Means

The following is my transcription of a photocopy provided by Elaine Turk. The letter was written by Francis Marion Means (born 30 July 1851 {Upson County, Georgia?}; died at age 88 on 30 January 1940 in Fulton County, Georgia). It was evidently in answer to an enquiry by his niece Annie (Allie) Elizabeth Means Sappington. Although not dated, the letter is assumed to have been written before the 1932 publication of the Means family history in "The History of Lamar County." Francis Marion was the son of James Anderson Means and grandson of James and Mary Ann McKenzie Means. Spaces between unpunctuated sentences have been added by the transcriber for clarity.

Desendance of The Means Family was Scotch Irsh.

In the early Settlement of A.M. Thre [sic] Brothers came ove [sic] one Settled in N.C. one in V.A. & one in M.D. the one that Settled in N.C. our Ansisters came from my Grand Father was Born in N.C. 1790 he Maried Mary McKinsy in 1812 he came to Ga in 1821 in Dec Settle 8[?] mile South west of now Barnsville now known as the Willis Place the Indians was drove out in the Fall of 1820 the first Settlers made there first crop in 1821 My Grand Father started but got sick & was delayed his first crop was 1822 him his Wife & Five cildren with all they possest came in a two Horse wagon drove on the Lot of Land he Drew not a Tree had ben cut he camped til he could Build a Log cabin Dab the Crack with mud waited the Boards on his cabin with Poals the chimily was Built

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was made of scicks [sic] & mud there was no mills My Grand Father was a mill Wrigh he built the first mill in the Winter of 1822 & 1823 there was 9 children Bornd to James & Mary Means, Namly, John, Mathew, Anderson, William, & Frank the girls was Ellen, Sarah, Permialia & Jane, Frank Died Diging Gold in Califonia in 1850 the Boys Married John, Nancy McGinty - Mathew Virginia Lester - Anderson, Elizbeth Allen - William Susan Lane - Ellen Linsy Smith - Sarah Seborn Hickson - Permialia Anon Willis - Jane, Steven Ellott - My Father was Anerson [sic] Means he maried Elizbeth Allen 1843 he lived in Upson Co. ten years moved to Monroe Co. 1854 he rased 5 Boys Three girls Namely William Frank John T James A. Mathew Martha Elizbeth & Sarah

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William was Born 1849 maried Susan Oxford 1872
Frank M Born 1851 maried Frances Welch 1873
John T Born 1855 maried Annie Thurmond 1882
James A Born 1857 maried Emma Harpe 1880
Mathew S. Born 1859 maried Lela Hogan 1883
Martha A. Born 1853 maried Willis Franklin 1871
Elizbeth Born 1863 maried Edward Thurmond 1884
Sarah A Born 1866 maried Robert Hamlin 1889
My Father Died 1897 My Mother 1913.
There was Reared by F M & N F Means seven girls & one Boy namely
William V Born 1877 maried Minnie Clements 1896
Beatrice Born 1874 Died 1908 never Maried
Bertis Born 1882 Maried Bearl Green 1905. Died 1911
Floys Born 1884 M. Haris Leonard 1908
Amy Born 1886 M Oscar McBrayer 1907
Ola B 1888 M William Drewry 1925
Eula Born Born 1890 M Hoyt Smallwood 1915
Frankie our Bab never maried

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My grand Father lived on the place he first Settled til 1859 he Sole all his propity it a mounted to $10,000 he Divided among his children (taken there Notes with Entres pable evry year he went to live with his children living with one Each year paying his Board with the Entrest he lived three years Died at 73 years of Age.

My Father Died 1897 at the Age of 77.
My Mother Died 1913 at the Age of 88.

F. M. Means.

Dear Allie I wrote you as soon as I got your first Letter Sorry you did not get it You can take this & make any changes you like by leaving out any thing you do not think appropiate [sic] to go in I want to be at my chuch [sic] the third Sunday with best wishes your Uncle Frank

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