| The Family of my G-G-Grandparents Isaac and Abba Ann Warren Garrett Jefferson County, Mississippi |
Isaac Garrett was born January 12, 1808, in the Sumter District of South Carolina. Based on Sumter District
census records, I believe he was the son of David Garrett, Sr.
Some time during the 1830's, Isaac made his way south to the newly opening territory of Mississippi.
Whether Isaac had family members in the Scottish settlement of Union Church, in Jefferson County, is not
known. But it was here he decided to seek his fortune and begin his new life. And it was here, at the
Union Presbyterian Church, that he married Abba Ann WARREN.
Abba Ann's family had migrated to Union Church in about 1820, when she was 7 yearrs old, from
Montgomery County, Georgia. My connection to the The Mayflower is through Abba Ann's ancestor,
Edward DOTY. Her parents were Benajah and Ferriba STRINGER WARREN. Edward Doty was Benajah's
4-g-grandfather.
Isaac built a home about midway between Union Church and the village of Perth. This home, at one time,
served as the first Post Office in the area, and was called Scotland Post Office, in honor of the many
citizens of Scottish descent, most of whom had come to Jefferson County from North or South Carolina.
The postal riders stopped there to change horses and stay overnight in the attic, which had been
converted into a room for that purpose. That attic, with its trunks full of memories of the house's past life,
would become a wonderful, magical place for Isaac's grandchildren, g-grandchildren and
g-g-grandchildren to search for treasures, play dress-up one day far into the future.
Isaac Garrett died on August 24, 1856, at the age of 48. Abba Ann died on December 1, 1899, at the age of
87. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Their children were:
DAVID W. GARRETT was born on September 7, 1840. He married Martha (Mattie) Pearce and they had one
child, Luther Garrett, who was born April 9, 1880 and died August 26, 1880. He is buried at Bahala Chapel
Methodist Cemetery, Lawrence County, MS. David and Mattie lived most of their married life near
Monticello, Lawrence County, MS.
Beauvoir, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was at one time a home for aged Confederate Veterans. David
and his wife, as they grew older, came to the decision that they could no longer care for themselves or
their home properly and they made plans to move to Beauvoir. As he and his wife completed the task of
closing down their home, David was bitten by a rabid dog. In those days, of course, there was no cure
available. Whether David knew the dog was rabid and realized the wound would be fatal is not known,
however, he and his wife proceeded to make the move to Beauvoir, where David died a short time later.
His wife lived out her life there. To see a photograph of David's tombstone, located in the Beauvoir
Cemetery, click here.
JOSIAH GARRETT, my g-grandfather, was born on December 14, 1840. Josiah married Flora CARMICHAEL
on January 17, 1867, at Union Presbyterian Church in Union Church, Jefferson County. Flora Carmichael
was born on September 30, 1839, in Autagua County, Alabama. Her parents, Daniel and Nancy McCORMICK
CARMICHAEL, moved to Alabama from Marion County, South Carolina, the home of Daniel's family. Nancy's
family had settled just over the state line in Richmond County (later renamed Scotland County), North
Carolina. Daniel and Nancy first show up in a Jefferson County census in 1860. Josiah and Flora made
their home on the Garrett family plantation, where they lived out their lives. Josiah died on April 20, 1928
and Flora died on December 6, 1906. They are buried in Union Church Cemetery.
To the union of Josiah and Flora, eight children were born:
Lola Garrett GIBSON, daughter of Josiah and Flora, was born November 17, 1868, Jefferson County and
died in 1966. Lola married W. H. (Will) GIBSON on January 26, 1899. Will was born in 1871, in North
Carolilna, and died in December, 1940. Lola and Will made their home with Josiah and Flora in the Garrett
homestead. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery. They had no children.
An "Infant Daughter" was born to Josiah and Flora and died the same day, August 10, 1870, Jefferson
County and is buried in Union Church Cemetery.
Annie Garrett, daughter of Josiah and Flora, was born August 5, 1872, Jefferson County and died August
4, 1876. She is buried in Union Church Cemetery.
Edgar Josiah Garrett, my grandfather, was born on June 4, 1874, in Jefferson County, and died February
19, 1966, in Natchez, Mississippi. Edgar married Ada Mae DAWKINS on December 28, 1897, in Jefferson
County. She was born on August 23, 1878, in Caseyville, Mississippi, and died in Meadville, Mississippi,
on January 25, 1937. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery. Ada Mae's parents were Stephen
Walter and Ella OSBORNE DAWKINS. Her father migrated alone from Rockingham, North Carolina to Union
Church as a young man. Her mother was born in Louisiana. See more about Stephen Dawkins' family on
the Dawkins page.
Edgar and Ada Mae moved to neighboring Franklin County in 1912. In addition to caring for her own
family, Ada Mae could always be depended on to come to the aid of friends and neighbors. It's said that
when the doctor arrived at the home of a seriously ill patient, so much had he come to depend on her
help, his first question was inevitably, "Has Mrs. Garrett arrived yet?"
To this union, ten children were born:
Leta Mae Garrett, daughter of Edgar and Ada, was called "Sister" by the family. She was born on
January 18, 1899, in Jefferson County, Mississippi. In the summer of 1918, as Leta was preparing to leave
for her second year of studies at State Teachers College in Hattiesburg, MS (now the University of
Southern Mississippi), she became ill. The doctor was summoned, but he was unable to help her. She
died five days later, on July 30, 1918, in Franklin County, Mississippi, at the age of 19 years old. It's
believed that she died from a ruptured appendix. She was devoted to her family and they to her. Leta
Mae's early death left a void in the family that would be felt by her brothers and sisters all the years of
their lives. She is buried in Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Virgil Dowing Garrett, oldest son of Edgar and Ada, was born on June 5, 1901, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi and died on November 20, 1980, in Collins, Covington County, MIssissippi. Virgil married Ruth
Opal Edith SMITH, known as Opal, of Franklin County, Mississippi, on July 30, 1927, in Meadville, Franklin
County, Mississippi. They lived for a time in New Orleans, Louisiana and in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but
most of their married life was spent in Collins, Mississippi. To their marriage, four children were born.
William Daniel Garrett, son of Edgar and Ada, known as Daniel, was born on October 25, 1904, in
Jefferson County, Mississippi and died on August 22, 1916, in Franklin County, Mississippi. Daniel was
crippled from birth and died after he'd become weakened from a lengthy siege of influenza, at the age of
11 years old. It's believed that the illness from which he suffered was probably Spina Bifida. Despite his
handicap and continuing frail health, Daniel was to be remembered as a oy and inspiration to all who knew
him. His brothers and sisters loved him dearly and included him in all of their activities. He couldn't
attend school, but his mother and siblings taught him at home and he was eager, as well as quick, to
learn. He was a deeply religious child and read from the family's Bible every day. He could quote long
passages of scripture. On the night he died, he called his brothers and sisters into his room and divided
his few possessions among them. He told his mother and father that he was going to leave them, but he
asked that they not be sad. Hours later, as he lay in his father's arms, reciting the 23rd Psalm, he left the
family who loved him so much, as he'd predicted he would. He is buried next to his sister, Leta Mae, in
Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Nancy Florelle Garrett JACKSON, known as Flo, was born on September 7, 1907, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi. She was named for her two grandmothers: Flora and Ella. She married Archie Lee JACKSON,
son of Allen Edward and Louvenia Elizabeth CAIN JACKSON, on December 22, 1930, in New Orleans,
Louisiana. They spent most of their married life in New Orleans. Archie Lee, known as Lee, was born on
June 2, 1909, in Dallas, Texas. He served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific for the entirety of World War
II. He was a gifted painter, his favorite subjects being his beloved Texas landscapes and his dogs. He
died in Pearl River County, Mississippi on January 18, 1991. He is buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery
In Pearl River County. After many years of marriage, Flo's ardent wish came true, FINALLY, a child was
born:
Nancy Lee Jackson BRISTER was born at Southern Baptist Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana. She
married James Michael BRISTER, son of James Howard and Lola WHITTINGTON BRISTER at the Napoleon
Avenue United Methodist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana. James Michael, known as Mike, was born in
Tylertown, Walthall County, Mississippi. To this marriage, one child was born:
James Michael Brister, Jr., known as Jim, was born at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Oleans,
Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with undergraduate degrees in
Sociology and Psychology in 1994; and a graduate degree in Education in 1996. He married Pamela
Paulette YOUNG on April 30, 2000. To their marriage, one child was born:
Sarah Elizabeth Brister was born in Slidell, LA, on in 2004. She is her family's pride and joy!
Edgar Josiah Garrett, son of Edgar and Ada, was born on June 15, 1910, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi. Edgar married Elizabeth ___ in 1958, in Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi. They've spent
their married years in Vicksburg.
Marcus Benton Garrett, known as Benton, was born on May 11, 1913, in Franklin County,
Mississippi and died on May 25, 1979, in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi. Benton married Mary
Lou GLISSON of Mize, Smith County, Mississippi, on September 21, 1940. Mary Lou was born on June 1,
1914, one of ten children. Benton and Mary Lou both attended Jones Junior College and State Teachers
College, where they graduated in 1937 and 1939. They both taught schools in Meadville, Franklin County,
in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, and in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi. to this marriage, four
children were born.
Garrett Family continued on Next Page >
My G-Grandfather's Attic - Home
census records, I believe he was the son of David Garrett, Sr.
Some time during the 1830's, Isaac made his way south to the newly opening territory of Mississippi.
Whether Isaac had family members in the Scottish settlement of Union Church, in Jefferson County, is not
known. But it was here he decided to seek his fortune and begin his new life. And it was here, at the
Union Presbyterian Church, that he married Abba Ann WARREN.
Abba Ann's family had migrated to Union Church in about 1820, when she was 7 yearrs old, from
Montgomery County, Georgia. My connection to the The Mayflower is through Abba Ann's ancestor,
Edward DOTY. Her parents were Benajah and Ferriba STRINGER WARREN. Edward Doty was Benajah's
4-g-grandfather.
Isaac built a home about midway between Union Church and the village of Perth. This home, at one time,
served as the first Post Office in the area, and was called Scotland Post Office, in honor of the many
citizens of Scottish descent, most of whom had come to Jefferson County from North or South Carolina.
The postal riders stopped there to change horses and stay overnight in the attic, which had been
converted into a room for that purpose. That attic, with its trunks full of memories of the house's past life,
would become a wonderful, magical place for Isaac's grandchildren, g-grandchildren and
g-g-grandchildren to search for treasures, play dress-up one day far into the future.
Isaac Garrett died on August 24, 1856, at the age of 48. Abba Ann died on December 1, 1899, at the age of
87. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Their children were:
DAVID W. GARRETT was born on September 7, 1840. He married Martha (Mattie) Pearce and they had one
child, Luther Garrett, who was born April 9, 1880 and died August 26, 1880. He is buried at Bahala Chapel
Methodist Cemetery, Lawrence County, MS. David and Mattie lived most of their married life near
Monticello, Lawrence County, MS.
Beauvoir, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, was at one time a home for aged Confederate Veterans. David
and his wife, as they grew older, came to the decision that they could no longer care for themselves or
their home properly and they made plans to move to Beauvoir. As he and his wife completed the task of
closing down their home, David was bitten by a rabid dog. In those days, of course, there was no cure
available. Whether David knew the dog was rabid and realized the wound would be fatal is not known,
however, he and his wife proceeded to make the move to Beauvoir, where David died a short time later.
His wife lived out her life there. To see a photograph of David's tombstone, located in the Beauvoir
Cemetery, click here.
JOSIAH GARRETT, my g-grandfather, was born on December 14, 1840. Josiah married Flora CARMICHAEL
on January 17, 1867, at Union Presbyterian Church in Union Church, Jefferson County. Flora Carmichael
was born on September 30, 1839, in Autagua County, Alabama. Her parents, Daniel and Nancy McCORMICK
CARMICHAEL, moved to Alabama from Marion County, South Carolina, the home of Daniel's family. Nancy's
family had settled just over the state line in Richmond County (later renamed Scotland County), North
Carolina. Daniel and Nancy first show up in a Jefferson County census in 1860. Josiah and Flora made
their home on the Garrett family plantation, where they lived out their lives. Josiah died on April 20, 1928
and Flora died on December 6, 1906. They are buried in Union Church Cemetery.
To the union of Josiah and Flora, eight children were born:
Lola Garrett GIBSON, daughter of Josiah and Flora, was born November 17, 1868, Jefferson County and
died in 1966. Lola married W. H. (Will) GIBSON on January 26, 1899. Will was born in 1871, in North
Carolilna, and died in December, 1940. Lola and Will made their home with Josiah and Flora in the Garrett
homestead. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery. They had no children.
An "Infant Daughter" was born to Josiah and Flora and died the same day, August 10, 1870, Jefferson
County and is buried in Union Church Cemetery.
Annie Garrett, daughter of Josiah and Flora, was born August 5, 1872, Jefferson County and died August
4, 1876. She is buried in Union Church Cemetery.
Edgar Josiah Garrett, my grandfather, was born on June 4, 1874, in Jefferson County, and died February
19, 1966, in Natchez, Mississippi. Edgar married Ada Mae DAWKINS on December 28, 1897, in Jefferson
County. She was born on August 23, 1878, in Caseyville, Mississippi, and died in Meadville, Mississippi,
on January 25, 1937. They are both buried in Union Church Cemetery. Ada Mae's parents were Stephen
Walter and Ella OSBORNE DAWKINS. Her father migrated alone from Rockingham, North Carolina to Union
Church as a young man. Her mother was born in Louisiana. See more about Stephen Dawkins' family on
the Dawkins page.
Edgar and Ada Mae moved to neighboring Franklin County in 1912. In addition to caring for her own
family, Ada Mae could always be depended on to come to the aid of friends and neighbors. It's said that
when the doctor arrived at the home of a seriously ill patient, so much had he come to depend on her
help, his first question was inevitably, "Has Mrs. Garrett arrived yet?"
To this union, ten children were born:
Leta Mae Garrett, daughter of Edgar and Ada, was called "Sister" by the family. She was born on
January 18, 1899, in Jefferson County, Mississippi. In the summer of 1918, as Leta was preparing to leave
for her second year of studies at State Teachers College in Hattiesburg, MS (now the University of
Southern Mississippi), she became ill. The doctor was summoned, but he was unable to help her. She
died five days later, on July 30, 1918, in Franklin County, Mississippi, at the age of 19 years old. It's
believed that she died from a ruptured appendix. She was devoted to her family and they to her. Leta
Mae's early death left a void in the family that would be felt by her brothers and sisters all the years of
their lives. She is buried in Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Virgil Dowing Garrett, oldest son of Edgar and Ada, was born on June 5, 1901, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi and died on November 20, 1980, in Collins, Covington County, MIssissippi. Virgil married Ruth
Opal Edith SMITH, known as Opal, of Franklin County, Mississippi, on July 30, 1927, in Meadville, Franklin
County, Mississippi. They lived for a time in New Orleans, Louisiana and in Vicksburg, Mississippi, but
most of their married life was spent in Collins, Mississippi. To their marriage, four children were born.
William Daniel Garrett, son of Edgar and Ada, known as Daniel, was born on October 25, 1904, in
Jefferson County, Mississippi and died on August 22, 1916, in Franklin County, Mississippi. Daniel was
crippled from birth and died after he'd become weakened from a lengthy siege of influenza, at the age of
11 years old. It's believed that the illness from which he suffered was probably Spina Bifida. Despite his
handicap and continuing frail health, Daniel was to be remembered as a oy and inspiration to all who knew
him. His brothers and sisters loved him dearly and included him in all of their activities. He couldn't
attend school, but his mother and siblings taught him at home and he was eager, as well as quick, to
learn. He was a deeply religious child and read from the family's Bible every day. He could quote long
passages of scripture. On the night he died, he called his brothers and sisters into his room and divided
his few possessions among them. He told his mother and father that he was going to leave them, but he
asked that they not be sad. Hours later, as he lay in his father's arms, reciting the 23rd Psalm, he left the
family who loved him so much, as he'd predicted he would. He is buried next to his sister, Leta Mae, in
Union Church Cemetery, Jefferson County, Mississippi.
Nancy Florelle Garrett JACKSON, known as Flo, was born on September 7, 1907, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi. She was named for her two grandmothers: Flora and Ella. She married Archie Lee JACKSON,
son of Allen Edward and Louvenia Elizabeth CAIN JACKSON, on December 22, 1930, in New Orleans,
Louisiana. They spent most of their married life in New Orleans. Archie Lee, known as Lee, was born on
June 2, 1909, in Dallas, Texas. He served in the U.S. Army in the South Pacific for the entirety of World War
II. He was a gifted painter, his favorite subjects being his beloved Texas landscapes and his dogs. He
died in Pearl River County, Mississippi on January 18, 1991. He is buried in Memorial Gardens Cemetery
In Pearl River County. After many years of marriage, Flo's ardent wish came true, FINALLY, a child was
born:
Nancy Lee Jackson BRISTER was born at Southern Baptist Hospital, New Orleans, Louisiana. She
married James Michael BRISTER, son of James Howard and Lola WHITTINGTON BRISTER at the Napoleon
Avenue United Methodist Church, New Orleans, Louisiana. James Michael, known as Mike, was born in
Tylertown, Walthall County, Mississippi. To this marriage, one child was born:
James Michael Brister, Jr., known as Jim, was born at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Oleans,
Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with undergraduate degrees in
Sociology and Psychology in 1994; and a graduate degree in Education in 1996. He married Pamela
Paulette YOUNG on April 30, 2000. To their marriage, one child was born:
Sarah Elizabeth Brister was born in Slidell, LA, on in 2004. She is her family's pride and joy!
Edgar Josiah Garrett, son of Edgar and Ada, was born on June 15, 1910, in Jefferson County,
Mississippi. Edgar married Elizabeth ___ in 1958, in Vicksburg, Warren County, Mississippi. They've spent
their married years in Vicksburg.
Marcus Benton Garrett, known as Benton, was born on May 11, 1913, in Franklin County,
Mississippi and died on May 25, 1979, in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi. Benton married Mary
Lou GLISSON of Mize, Smith County, Mississippi, on September 21, 1940. Mary Lou was born on June 1,
1914, one of ten children. Benton and Mary Lou both attended Jones Junior College and State Teachers
College, where they graduated in 1937 and 1939. They both taught schools in Meadville, Franklin County,
in Hattiesburg, Forrest County, and in Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi. to this marriage, four
children were born.
Garrett Family continued on Next Page >
My G-Grandfather's Attic - Home
