James Blaine Friddles

When you first start doing genealogical research, you start out by putting your direct ancestors in and then you start filling out the list of siblings.  You never know what kind of story that you are going to find when you start looking beyond the names and dates, and sometimes the stories are rather sad.  My great grandfather’s brother, James Blaine Friddles is one of those sad stories.

James Blaine Friddles was born 29 Sept 1884 in Mountain City, Johnson Co., TN, the 4^th of the six children of Moses Friddles and Martha “Mattie” Brown.  (Moses had at least two other surviving children before this 3^rd family was born)  I don’t believe that he likely had a good childhood…perhaps better than his younger brother (my great grandfather – David Carl Friddle) but from everything that I have read, the family was not prosperous.  In the 1880, Moses Friddles is listed as a laborer.  I know that during the Civil War, he was called an “Artificer” and one of his main roles was shoeing horses in the 13^th TN Calvary, which is how he was injured.  I doubt he was able to work much and at about 60 years old, he was probably not what one might call an active father.  James’ mother was only 16 years old when she married Moses and would have been about 24 when James was born.  When James was six years old, Moses died (11 Mar 1890) and I am sure that the situation went from bad to worse.  Martha was left with six children, one of whom died about a year later.  From family stories, I think she ended up working for an old judge who lived nearby (I have heard him referred to Judge Vaught.  I believe he was Joseph L Vaught, who served in the area as a Justice of the Peace.  Joseph Vaught was in the Civil War and served with Moses Friddles and his daughter married Moses Friddle’s oldest son, Albert.)  Evidently, Martha worked as an housekeeper and I believe that Judge Vaught took it upon himself to teach at least my great grandfather how to read and write…and this was likely the case with with James’s siblings Roby, Jesse, and Callia.  Judge Vaught died in 1897 and by 1899, Martha aka Mattie was remarried to a John M. Tester.  In the 1900 census, I find Calia and David Carl listed as servants in other households, Roby is in the military in the Phillapines and Jesse and James are nowhere to be found.  I believe that they were in other households as servants just like Calia and David Carl. 

On 24 Dec 1901, James marries Dora Nevada Heck.  (daughter of Albert Heck and Susannah Kidd b. 15 Feb 1884 in Johnson Co., TN) and in a short time, they start their family.

• George Harrison Friddles b. 1902 d. 1902
• Jessie Raydell Friddles b. 30 Jul 1903 d. Jan 1986 m. Guy Landrum
• Bessie Mable Friddles b. 7 May 1905 d. 23 Apr 1996 m. Luther Cress
• Walter Paul Friddle b. 7 Sep 1906 d. Jun 1976 m. Doshie m. Mattie Brenson m. Evelyn McClendon
• Martha Callonia Ivalee Friddles b. 6 Mar 1909 d. ?? m. Charles Burnette
• James Howard Friddles Cleaton b. 1 Jul 1912 d. 10 Jan 1961 m. Bertha Ellen Watson

Tragically, Dora dies on 27 Oct 1912 of Typhoid fever in Greenville, Greene Co., TN and James is left to care for their children with the youngest only being a few months old.  As the story goes, James marries again…but there is a plan to take care of his children.  His new wife and he decide that they are going to farm out their children so they can be taken care of.  So, James does this and marries Emeline Guy on 4 Nov 1917 in Johnson Co., TN.

I have found in the records that Emeline was married to a Thomas Coleman Icenhour and had several children with him.  Thomas Icenhour lives until 1936, so I don’t know if a formal divorce occurred or what process was gone through to end the marriage.  He is found in the 1920 census remarried and with most of his children living with him.  It makes me wonder as to what happened to that marriage.

From what I have gathered from James Friddles descendants, this was not a happy marriage and within a few years, James wants to get his children back.  I know also that his older brother, Albert, had communicated with him and was encouraging James to come west because of the availability of land.  Albert Friddles had come out in the mid 1880’s with his family.  July Friddles Prestwood came out west shortly after 1900 and my great grandfather came out in 1910…so just about all of James’s living siblings were living out west…and the theory is that he was getting ready to bring his family out west.  However, that was not to be.  James was found alongside the road shot to death on 1 Oct 1928.  Officially, he committed suicide but family descendants don’t believe that and say that he was shot to death by his wife, because he was going to leave her.  According to the Tennessee, Deaths and Burials Index, 1874-1955 on Ancestry.com, James was buried at Withs Cemetery in the First District in what I believe was a paupers grave with no marker.  If someone can provide me some additional information, I would appreciate it. 

I have a photo of James Friddle in his marriage photo with Dora Heck and I have a photo that was probably taken about six years later and a later one that was probably taken during the mid-teens.  It is hard to believe that this is the same man – for you can easily see the aging and wear and tear of life on his face.  I don’t think we will ever know what really happened to James Blaine Fridddles – but I do know that when he died my great grandfather suffered the loss of two brothers in less than a week, because his older brother Albert died on 5 Oct 1928 just days after James died.  Grandpa Friddle might have gotten the news on the same day.  Julia Friddles Prestwood died a few years later in 1932.  My great grandfather lived to 4 Jan 1955.  He was relatively young 66 years of age, but he had outlived his entire family by many years.

James Friddles and Dora Heck - 1901

Friddle family - about 1904 - Standing in the back is James Friddles and Callia Friddles, in front,
the older woman is Mattie Brown Friddle, then Dora holding Jessie Friddle and unknown man - possibly husband of Calia.

Probably taken about 1915 or so - James Friddles with his children
Left to Right - Martha, Bessie, James holding James Howard, Jessie, and Walter

Roby Smith Dollar

Picture Caption:  Taken abt 1904: Left to Right, Back Row:  Etta Winifred “Freddie”,
Amanda Emaline “Eva”, Cora Eula, Front Row:  Roby holding Smithy Pearl,
Sarah Margaret holding Tempa Maude Elizabeth, Bertta “Annis” Eunice

Roby Smith Dollar was the youngest child of Elizabeth Pennington and Alexander Monroe Dollar.  He was born in Ashe Co., NC on 18 Apr 1868.  As a young man, the family moved to Laurel Bloomery early in the 1880’s.  His uncle, Andrew Pennington had moved there around 1852.  Shortly after they moved to Laurel Bloomery, his mother, Elizabeth Pennington died.  His father, Alexander Monroe Dollar then married Sarah “Lulu” Pearce.  Roby married Sarah Margaret Simmons on 3 Jan 1889.  She was the daughter of Joel Simmons and Tempa Ena Harris. 

Later photo - Only the youngest daughter, Carie Mae not picture.

Roby and Maggie were the parents of ten daughters. They were:  Cora Eula Dollar (1890-1988) m. Benjamin Harrison Sturgill, Amanda “Eva” Emaline Dollar (1892-1979), Bertta “Annis” Eunice Dollar (1894-1980) m Coy McKinley Parsons, Etta “Freddie” Winifred Dollar (1896-1988) m. Charles A Thomas, Tempa Maude Elizabeth Dollar (1900-2002) m. James Walker Beverly, Smithy Pearl Dollar (1902-1980) m. Walter E Parsons, Lena Cleo Dollar (1904-2004) m. Nathan Roth, Estelle Catherine “Kate” Dollar (1906-1989) m.  Raymond Freeman, Sarah Clyde Dollar (1909-2001) m. Thomas P. Jensen, & Carrie Mae Dollar (1911-2004) m. Wilfred Joseph “Fritz” Cloutier.

Roby worked alongside his father, brother, and uncle in a small family lumber mill located near the present Dollar Road in Johnson Co., TN.  After the death of his father in 1908, and the remarriage of his step-mother, Roby and Maggie inherited the family home near Shingletown.  Only a short time later, Roby lost his wife, Maggie, to pneumonia on 19 Feb 1912 and he was left with ten daughters to raise, the youngest being under a year in age.  With the help of his older daughters, Roby managed to raise his large group of children.  He worked as a farmer, lumberman and blacksmith.  It is interesting to note, that the house he lived in at that time, had been built most likely by his brother John Dula Dollar, and then passed on to his father, Alexander Monroe Dollar.  After Monroe Dollar’s death, the house went to his widow, and then was signed over to Roby’s wife, Maggie.  After her death, he inherited the little house.

Top Photo taken in 2009 - View of the house opposite the house -
2nd picture - View from the front porch - taken in 2004

Roby was known to say that “He would never be broke because he had his ten Dollars.” However, it was difficult for the family to make a living.  He was a single father with a large family and they lived on subsistence farming and whatever work he could pick up.  Then the depression hit, and his daughters had to move elsewhere to support themselves.   Some lived as close as North Carolina, and others who moved to Illinois and New York.  Roby sold his land and house in Shingletown and built a small house in Mountain City where he spent the remainder of his life.   

Painting of the little house that Roby built in Mountain City,  Painting by his granddaughter, Gail Dahl

 Most of Roby’s daughters enjoyed long and healthy lives.  Roby, Eva, Lena and her husband Nathan are all buried at Mountain View Cemetery and Sarah “Maggie” Simmons Dollar is buried at the Shingletown cemetery.

Shingletown Cemetery or Wesley Methodist Church Cemetery - Johnson Co., TN

Here is a genealogy report on the family

Roby Smith Dollar and Sarah Margaret Simmons had the following children:

             2             i.   Cora Eula Dollar, born 13 Mar 1890, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Benjamin Harrison Sturgill, 4 Jun 1913, Laurel Bloomery, Johnson Co., TN; died 18 Mar 1988, Milan, Rock Island Co., IL.

                           ii.   Amanda  "Eva" Emeline Dollar was born on 3 Jul 1892 in Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN.  She died on 28 Mar 1979 at the age of 86 in Richmond, Henrico Co., VA. She was buried in Mar 1979 in Mountain View Cemetery, Mountain City, TN. 

             3           iii.   Bertta "Annis" Eunice Dollar, born 5 Feb 1894, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Coy McKinley Parsons, 10 Apr 1918, Todd, Ashe Co., NC; died 20 Aug 1980, Lenior, Caldwell Co., NC.

             4           iv.   Etta "Freddie" Winifred Dollar, born 14 Feb 1896, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Charles A. Thomas, 24 Sep 1924, Laurel Bloomery, Johnson Co., TN; died 16 Nov 1988, Monmouth, Warren Co., IL.

             5            v.   Tempa Maude Elizabeth Dollar, born 6 Mar 1900, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married James Walker Beverly, abt 1930; died 27 Apr 2002, Conway, Horry Co., SC.

             6           vi.   Smithy Pearl Dollar, born 4 Jul 1902, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Walter E. Parsons, 25 Jan 1922; died 25 Feb 1980, Valois, Schuyler Co., NY.

             7          vii.   Lena Cleo Dollar, born 24 Jun 1904, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Nathan Rothnagel, 5 Jun 1939, Johnson Co., TN; died 17 Feb 2004, Mountain City, Johnson Co., TN.

             8         viii.   Estelle Catherine "Kate" Dollar, born 14 Mar 1906, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; died 21 Sep 1989, Jacksonville, Clay Co., FL.

             9           ix.   Sarah Clyde Dollar, born 11 Aug 1909, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Thomas Peter Jensen, 6 Sep 1928, Monmouth Illinois; died 5 Feb 2001, Kirkwood, Warren, Illinois, USA.

           10            x.   Carrie Mae Dollar, born 11 Jul 1911, Shingletown, Johnson Co., TN; married Wilfred Joseph "Fritz" Cloutier, 1 Jul 1931, Larchmont, Westchester Co., NY; died 31 Jul 2004, Mount Vernon, Westchester, New York, USA.