Zelma's Brothers and Sisters, Part 1

....as told by Zelma in 1993....

Zelma's Brothers and Sisters from her Mother, Mantha Jane

Zelma was the oldest of the 7 children and she was 15 years old when her mother died. She married Gourmand Dreyfus McAdams in November 12, 1921.
They had 3 children:

Avery Cecil, Gourmand Jr. and Mantha Jayne

Gene was born in 1900. He married Mabel. She had a daughter, Mildred, from a previous marriage. Mabel died of leukemia in 1972 and Gene died of creeping paralysis in 1979.
No children are listed for Gene and Mabel.

Herman was born November 9, 1906. He married Jessee October 9, 1928.
They had 3 children:

Barbara, Dick and Linda.

• Barbara lives in Texas and she married Chuck Carney. They have 4 children:

Vickey, Mickey, Chuck Jr. and Cindy.

• Dick was a Navy career man, a frogman, and he died under mysterious circumstances. He was run off the road into the ocean in California. The family thinks it was foul play and the Navy refused to give out any information. Dick was married and had 5 children which have all disappeared. His sister has tried to find them but ran into a dead end.

• Linda lives somewhere in California, I think.

Nervie was born in 1907. She married Leonard Davis. Nervie and her family lived in Kentucky.
They had 6 children:

Juanita, Merline, Zelma, Letha, Leo and Geraldine.

She died of TB at the age of 31 in 1938. Leonard moved the family to Bedford, Indiana to work in the limestone quarry pits. He committed suicide by hanging himself. The children was put in foster homes and the family tried to find then but could not.

Grace was born May 15, 1908. She married Virgil Browning on December 26, 1925.
They had one child:

Ted

• Ted was born July 13, 1931. Ted married Barb on May 4th (year not given). They had 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. Ted and his family still live in Fairborn, Ohio as of January 1999.

Tereva, Jerry and 1 name unknown.

Grace was a successful business woman. She owned a grocery store, furniture store and still owns a bar in Fairborn, Ohio as of January 1999. Virgil was always called Brownie. He died of cancer.

Gradie was married to Fred McClellan on July 13, 1914. They had one daughter. Gradie and Fred separated. Gradie went to  stay with Grace. The baby girl was smothered and died while sleeping between Grace and Gradie. Gradie divorced Fred and later remarried Pinky Herr. Gradie had a tonsillectomy at home by a doctor who cut a vein in her throat and she bled to death. She was in her twenties. Her husband, Pinky, never remarried and mourned her death until he died.
(Note from Pamela: I estimate that Gradie was born about 1909 and that she died about 1930 or so. No dates are given by Zelma.)

Olga was born July 7, 1916. She married Hassie Johnson on Aug 19, 1932. They reside in Xenia, Ohio.
They have 3 children:

Richard, Nellie Frances (Sissey) and Johnny

• Sissy (born October 6, 1935) had 5 children and she died from a stroke.
• Richard (born December 13, 1933) and Johnny (born March 5, 1944) still live in Xenia.

James Monroe Jr. is said to have lived with Olga till his death at 81, which would have been about 1853.