What better way to resurrect a blog than with a wedding!
On this day (May 29th) in 1919 my great-grandmother, Effie Eans Dennis married for the second time to Edwin Loy Rankin. Granny, as everyone called her, first married Samuel Patrick Donahoo, M.D. in 1893, but after only 12 years of marriage and 5 children, he died.
Granny was the second of five children born to Henry G. Dennis and Harriet Isabella Ashmore on 22 July 1876 in Jefferson City, Tennessee. She and E. Loy spent most of their married life in Jefferson City, but by 1950 they had moved to Knoxville and built their home on Speedway Circle. My mom remembers going there often as a child as it was less than half a mile from her house on Alma Avenue. My grandfather was a building contractor at the time and owned the company that built this house. That’s definitely keeping it in the family!
E. Loy had many jobs during his lifetime including farming. When Granny went to work it was as a dressmaker at Zirkle’s Department Store in Jefferson City. I’m sure this pair of scissors cut many yards of fabric over time…
E. Loy died on Valentine’s Day in 1955. Granny lived another 12 years, passing in November 1967. I was only 4 years old at the time and don’t remember her except through pictures and stories. But, in the end isn’t that all we have anyway?
Genealogy Tip: Write, Write, Write! Stories are meant to be told. It may only be for my files, but that’s okay.
Gray, this is awesome stuff!!!! Thanks so much for sharing. I remember Granny and Aggie, who shared the home on Speedway. Tan & Bob lived almost directly across the street. The one thing I remember about Granny was her Chicken & Dumplings. To this day I’m not sure I’ve had any that would rival hers. Boy she sure could cook!
Sent from Ben’s iPad
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Yes, Aggie lived with Granny and E. Loy. Mom said her bedroom was the front right window. That house was less than 1000 sq. ft., but I guess back then you didn’t have much so it seemed bigger. I never knew that Speedway Circle was so close to Alma Avenue until I looked it up on Google Maps. Mom showed me how she walked to school as the elementary school was just south of Granny. I did a Zillow search of the house and it is now a brick house worth about 45K. Glad you liked it.