This story is one of those complicated stories that I will have to give you some background history on, as that of course is where the 'mess' begins - with one Laura Arkansas Miller [supposed to be a full blooded Cherokee, per family word of mouth,but we can't prove it, yet. She had a twin sister - Alabama Miller].

Laura married Johnny D. Davidson, in Cherokee, Alabama, USA. They had one child, a daughter, Florence. Johnny was killed when a tree fell on him. Johnny had a brother, Joe Ed Davidson, who was married to Mary Randolph. Mary died very young. Joe Ed and Mary had 3 children. Arthur [one of the main characters]; Irene or Arrie {her family is the one portrayed by Mary Tylor Moore, in the Georgia Tann story; and James Ernest. She is mentioned only to explain everyone's relationship to Laura Arkansas Miller Davidson.

After Johnny died, Laura remarried; not unusual; and choice was ok. She married her sister-in-law, Mary Randolph Davidson's brother, James Joseph Randolph; and they had Agnes, Johnny, James Henry,and Rhoda Bell. Nothing strange here. Stay with me now,because the family still continues to get confused. In the mean time,Joe Ed, marries Sarah Ella. They had 2 more children.

As time went on Joe Ed's& Mary's son, Arthur, grew into a nice young man. They were sharecroppers in the Cherokee - Margerum - Florence, Alabama areas and Tishimingo County, Mississippi. Johnny and Laura's daughter, Florence, was a hard working young woman in the same area. Remember, her Father, Johnny, had already died and her mother, Laura, had remarried, to her sister-in-law's brother, James Joseph Randolph. They all worked and lived in the same area in close proximity.

The two young people, first cousins, fell in love, and married. Thus, the saga, began to unfurl. Now, Laura's nephew, Arthur, became not only her nephew, but her son-in-law! I won't go into the problems this caused for their descendants, as 2 of us on different, close limbs, began to try to figure out the: first cousin, twice removed, second cousin on one side, nephew on the other. You see where this leads.

To jump forward a few years. It is nearing Christmas time, and Florence is hoarding her sugar, eggs, flour and other staples, in order to make unaccustomed cakes, cookies, and pies, for the season. She is very protective of her items. Her mother, Laura is visiting, and Arthur is home. I don't know what Florence is doing or where she might be, but her husband, Arthur, and her Mother, Laura are sitting at the table, sharing a toddy or two, and have found Florence's stash of extra eggs and sugar......yes, they are making 'an eggnog' extra sweet and extra eggs, and toddy's with extra what evers!

Enter Florence...can you only imagine her frustration, anger, disappointment, and disgust! There sitting at her table, using up her little stash of eggs and sugar, sat her mother, Laura, and her husband, Arthur, both, feeling good! Happy! Laughing! sharing a bottle of liquor, [also being saved for Christmas baking]and close to being drunk...in the middle of the day! According to the story, Florence, came back into the kitchen, saw her mother and her husband sitting there, drinking, and became very angry and sent her mother home, and banished her husband to the outside shed! It may have made Florence feel better about the loss of her stash for Christmas baking, but for the two 'partners in crime'...they were feeling no pain, and continued in their good spirits as they trudged off to their respective sites, still laughing at what they thought had been a good joke on Florence, for hiding such 'goodies' in the first place.

This has been the most remembered and to the family, the funniest story they continue to talk about and pass down, especially on Arthur's and Florence's side...there sat Arthur and his 'aunt-mother-in-law'....getting into the holiday 'spirits' and thinking it was funny!

I hope you have enjoyed this item...perhaps some of these names sound familar, or you have run across them in your genealogy searches...if so, let's share what information or questions we may have.

Happy Researching