My mom was just seven years of age when her older sister Wilene, not of age to drive, took command and drove the family car out to the fields so as to alert their mother that Aunt Jack had passed. It was indeed a sad day and she knew her mom needed to know that everyone was preparing to gather in Albemarle. Given her nickname by way of her husband Thomas Jackson Furr, Aunt Jack was born Tirzah (or Tersy) Adeline Hinson. Tirzah is my great grandmother Frances Isabelle Hinson Love’s sister and is named for their mother’s sister Tirzah Biggers. Tirzah and Frances Isabella are the daughters of William Bartlet “Bartley”and Marcena Biggers Hinson.
I’d like to be able to paint a picture of my gggrandfather William“Bill” Bartlet Hinson with kind and loving language. But, he simply was not that kind of man. Known by many as “Fighting Bill”, William Bartlet Hinson was nothing less than hardcore. He served as constable in Union County where a case he was working on reached the Supreme Court. W. B Hinson, along with the Clontz brothers were charged with entering a dwelling at night in order to apprehend a person believed to be hiding out. Depositions tell of heavy handedness and of an equally harrowing experience. William Bartlet Hinson owned a sizeable farm situated on the east side of Highway 200 and north of Highway 218 in present day Union county. It is said he would stand at the nearby crossroads challenging to fight most anyone passing by. Back in the 1970’s, my cousin Linda Gail photographed Bill’s home which no longer stands (below).
One of Bill and Marcena’s daughters, Frances Isabella, married my great grandfather John Ephraim Love. John E. and Frances lived on Rene Ford Road about half way between Grove and Locust. It is said that when Bill Hinson died, Frances received pouches of gold instead of land which had gone to her brothers. My mother remembers stories of her grandmother Frances and of her long touring car, the shed she kept it in and of a man who was hired to drive. Frances eventually had to exchange her inheritance for paper money when in 1929, the Great Depression led to a change away from the gold standard. In the photographs below, the first is of Frances Isabelle and the second is of her husband John Ephraim Love with my mother sitting on his knee.
John Ephraim and Frances Isabelle are the parents of Minnie Ann Love, my grandmother. Minnie Ann died before I was born. From the following photograph taken at Dry School, I can imagine my grandmother as being an outgoing person in the days of her youth.
My grandmother Minnie Ann Love is in the back row center wearing a hat.
Minnie Ann Love married William Columbus Love, my grandfather. I always knew my grandfather to be a kind and soft spoken soul. At the top of this post is a photograph of William and Minnie following their wedding. The photograph was taken near C. C. Love’s mill overlooking Rocky River. And yes, the two were cousins. Below are photographs of my grandfather and grandmother. Below that is a chart showing their shared family relations.
Jonah Love
James Wade Love Jonah Askew Love
John Ephraim Love James Daniel Love
Minnie Ann Love + William Columbus Love
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Frances Isabelle Hinson Love died in 1929 when my mom was but one year old. And then my mother lost her (great) aunt Tirzah when she was but seven years old. The photograph below was given to my mom who’s sure that the lady on the left is her Aunt Tirzah. We’re not sure of the person on the right though having similar facial features, could this be Frances Isabelle Hinson Love? Please let me know if you have any information adding to this story and to the family connections made herein.
(left-right) Tirzah Hinson Furr, possibly Frances Isabelle Hinson Love
They Lived Along a Rocky River 
Definitely a place in time when you had to be creative just to make do. My dad used to point to the “native intelligence” of GI’s in WW II for getting a mission accomplished. I can’t imagine working a farm with so little top soil in the Sand-hills of North Carolina. I suspect that is tobacco being grown in the background. What do you suppose Malcolm is holding in his hands? By the way, my third great grandmother was Tempie Stinson: Birth
26 Jan 1787
North Carolina, USA
Marriage
1807 to Zadock* Barber
Chatham, North Carolina, USA
Death
1850
Chatham, North Carolina, USA
This is a little further west in red clay. The sand hills start in earnest in southern Union county and across the Pee Dee in now Richmond county. Could be tobacco but think it was probably cotton which was king at that time. But yes, it was a time when lots of things standard today were just coming to be. It was a good time, a time when the way of life changed more than in any other generation.
Very nice article!
Tirzah A Hinson Furr was (supposedly) my grandfather’s mother. His name was Henry Wilson Furr, born in Badin, NC on April 6,1888. However, in my very preliminary genealogy research I find information that she and her husband, Thomas Jackson Furr only had one child together, Flora. We were always aware of the fact that our grandfather had a sister (Aunt Pud). It’s confounding hat we see no records of our Henry wilson’s birth to the family. The
We would be very grateful to you if you could offer any further information regarding Tirzah’s child(ren).
Thank you!
Thanks for your response and here’s after a quick look… Yes, according to the 1910 census, Tursey A Furr (mother) is living in the home of her son Henry W Furr who was a laborer in the knitting mill. They likely lived in a mill house an Thomas Jackson Furr is not listed. Also living in the household was Nathaniel Love who I believe is my mother’s Uncle Thanney Love. He is my grandmother Minnie Ann Love’s brother. 1910 census: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RKH-PW2?i=14&cc=1727033 Thomas “Jackson” Furr is well documented in the 1904 estate of his father Israel J. Furr: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9CF-L99D-9?i=4&cc=1911121
So all I see is Henry W Furr and his mother …no other children. Also, I didn’t see Thomas Jackson Furr in the 1900 census and he should be there. Also did not see Tersey in that year. Will look again later.
Okay, this is a little bit of a leap and for now is just thought …I know there was a Silas Love/Furr, illegitimate maybe who was born in Stanly County NC, removed to TX, and back to Stanly where he’s buried at Love’s Chapel. I’ve got a bio on him somewhere that may add to this. There are many who moved to Collins County area of TX. In 1900 we see no Thomas Jackson Furr or wife Tursey Adeline Furr in NC …anywhere. However, in 1900 Hopkins County TX, near Collins County TX, is Adeline and daughter Flora age 16 and son Henry age 11 all of which are born in NC. Are these family: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6QGQ-HC5?i=40&cc=1325221
Where is Thomas Jackson Furr in 1900? He’s named in his father’s 1904 estate so he should still be alive …but where?