A Brief Introduction
In this Fly Family History I have attempted to trace my Fly family line, my paternal grandmother’s genealogical line, forward and backward as far as I could go in either direction. In so doing, I have traced either all or part of the family line of several of you who will read this document.
Bertie Fly Hudgens, my grandmother, is unquestionably the central figure in this family history. I begin with William Flye (born around 1658) and go forward as far as Bertie Fly Hudgens’ last great-great grandchildren who were born in 1997. That covers 14 generations and around 340 years. This history, however, actually covers a longer span than that - at least a couple of generations further back than William Flye in Generation 1. I have some information about both his parents and his grandparents. I believe that the information I have on those two very early generations is accurate, but it is so sketchy that I did not include it in this history as separate generations. Also, for some branches of the Fly family I have collected far more material than you would want to see in a document of this sort. In those situations, I have tried to indicate places where I have substantial amounts of information that has not been included.
My interest in family history probably grew from seeds planted in my life long ago by several people, but it has grown into a serious interest only in the last few years. My father’s youngest brother, Kay Berton Hudgens of Kankakee, Illinois, has been my greatest inspiration and mentor in this area. He has been the keeper of the Fly (and Hudgens) family information for as long as I can remember. Much of my original Fly family material came from him. I appreciate the long and intense conversations about the family that I had with him during the summers of 1996 and 1997. Uncle Kay has also been the keeper of the family stories. I probably should have included more of these in my family narrative, but many of them aren’t suitable for any respectable publication, and I’m not particularly looking for a law suit.
I was also helped considerably by a great deal of material that I recently received from my father’s cousin, Charles Jackson Fly of Wilsonville, Oregon. Charles Fly sent me a massive amount of Fly family information that had been compiled previously by James Whitney Fly of Montgomery, Alabama. Much of that helped me fill in "empty branches on the family tree" and has been included in my family narrative. Many thanks also to almost all of my cousins who sent me updated information on their various family tree branches.
I spent some time trying to decide how best to present the vast number of names, dates, places, relationships, and stories that I have collected and put in my computer. I tried printing out the family history in several formats, but each one seemed to be just a dry collection of facts and figures. I finally decided to type the whole thing up myself and put it into as much of a narrative form as I could and to include as much information and human interest as was reasonable. After all, that’s what this is all about. It’s just a story - a story showing the "connectedness" of a great many people over a long period of time in what we have come to call "Our Family".
Arba L. Hudgens
Oakland, California
April 1998
Descendants of William Flye
GENERATION 1
WILLIAM FLYE (1658?-1679?) m. MARY SMITH
William Flye was the son
of John Flye. His mother's name is unknown. William was born about
1658, probably in Virginia. He died about 1679 in Isle of Wight
County, Virginia . At the time of his death he was in his early
20s. Around 1678, not long before he died, William married
Mary Smith in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Mary was born
around 1662 in Isle of Wight County and died there sometime after
1702.
Mary Smith Flye, wife of William, had four husbands
and was widowed three times. William Flye was her first husband.
After his death Mary married John Hole (in 1688) in Isle
of Wight County, Virginia. After he died, Mary married Captain
Thomas Pitt (sometime before 1696) in Isle of Wight County,
Virginia. She was again widowed. Sometime before April 1702 she
married a man whose last name was Tyler (first name unknown)
in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. Her last husband outlived her.
Death was obviously a constant companion of folks who were part
of these earlier generations.
William and Mary Smith Flye had one child, Jeremiah
Fly (see Generation 2). As far as I can determine, Jeremiah
Fly was the only child of this marriage, not surprising since
William Flye, his father, died so early.
Notice that son Jeremiah changed the spelling of
the family name, dropping the final "e". From this point
on the family name was spelled "Fly" by most, but not
all, family members.
GENERATION 2
JEREMIAH FLY (1679?-1736) m. MARY TYLER
Jeremiah Fly,
the only child of William and Mary Smith Flye,
was born around 1679, probably in the same year his father died.
Most records say he was born in Isle of Wight County, Virginia,
One record says that he was born in Newport Parish, England, although
frankly that seems to me to be a far-fetched possibility. He died
in 1736 (probably in December) in Isle of Wight County. Where
he was living at the end of his life is firmly established, because
his will was filed in Isle of Wight County. About 1705, also in
Isle of Wight County, he married Mary Tyler. Mary, Jeremiah
Fly's wife, was born about 1685 (place unknown). Mary first married
Henry Bulls around 1702 and was soon widowed. Around 1705
she married Jeremiah Fly. The date of Mary's death is unknown.
The place of her death, though unsubstantiated, was almost certainly
Isle of Wight County.
Jeremiah and Mary Fly had four children:
John Fly - (See Generation
3)
Rachel Fly - born about
1710 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. (No other information.)
Charity Fly - born about
1712 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. (No other information.)
Mary Fly - born about
1714 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. (No other information.)
GENERATION 3
JOHN FLY (1707? - ?) m. (Unknown)
John Fly, the first child
and only son of Jeremiah and Mary Tyler Fly, was born around 1707
in Isle of Wight County, Virginia. It seems without question that
he was born in the New World, yet he evidently lived a good deal
of his adult life across the Atlantic in England. He was married
around 1726 to a woman whose name is unknown, but she seems to
have been born in Newport Parish, England, around 1709. There
is also some indication that she had been previously married.
Newport Parish in England became an important part of John Fly's
life. For one thing, John seems to have been married in Newport
Parish. Furthermore, each of his three children seem to have been
born there also. One wonders what he was doing in England around
1726. Did he find his wife there? Did he meet his wife in Virginia
and then go to England so that she could be married in her hometown?
When and where John Fly and his wife died is uncertain. Could
they have died in England also? Is that why there is almost no
information about their lives and deaths in early Virginia records?
Exactly at what point did this Fly family line return to America?
Interesting questions. Anybody got answers?
John Fly and his English wife, whose name we do not know, had three sons, all evidently born in England:
William Fly - (See Generation
4)
John Fly - born about
1730 in England or Wales. Around 1755 he married Margaret
(last name unknown). He died about 1766. I can't determine whether
he died in England or in the American colonies.
Jeremiah Fly - born about 1733 in Newport Parish, England. He died between February 15 and February 19, 1785 in Richmond County, Georgia, so he obviously returned to America sometime during his lifetime. Jeremiah Fly seems to have been married, but I have no information about his wife.
GENERATION 4
WILLIAM FLY (1727? - 1795?) m. Mary (Last Name
Unknown)
William Fly, the eldest
son of John Fly and his English wife whose last name we do not
know, was born about 1727. An in-family story says that he was
born in England. Although likely, that is not substantiated. William
was married around 1743 to Mary whose maiden name is unknown.
He died around 1795 in Northampton County, North Carolina. If,
as the record suggests, he was born in England, he obviously returned
to America at some point during his life because he died in America.
Mary, the wife of William Fly, was born around 1730
(place unknown) and, like her husband, died in Northampton County,
North Carolina (date unknown). It is interesting to note that
at the time of their marriage (around 1743) William was around
16 years old and Mary was around 13. William and Mary Fly had
six children:
1. John Fly
- John Fly (later called John Fly, Sr. to distinguish him from
his son with the same name) was born around 1744, possibly in
Pennsylvania. He died in Northampton County, North Carolina, in
February 1804. Four years after his death, his heirs were certified
in an 1808 decision by a Northampton County Court. It took four
years to settle his estate. The delay in settling his estate may
have been related to the fact that he had three marriages - but
that's just a guess. A "John Fly" is listed in the 1790
U.S. Census. That census reports him heading a household of four
persons in Northampton County, North Carolina.
John Fly was first married around 1764 to a woman whose last name was Stevenson. She was born around 1745 and died around 1769, probably in Southampton County , Virginia, after she and John had been married for about five years. John Fly and his first wife had one child, John Dixon Fly, born around 1765 in Southampton County, Virginia. It is known that John Dixon Fly died in 1813 in Davidson County, Tennessee.
Around 1788 John Dixon Fly married Sarah "Sallie" Woodard, probably in Southampton County, Virginia. She was born around 1769, possibly in Southampton County, and died in Davidson County, Tennessee, on or after July 26, 1835. In 1788 a John Dixon Fly was found in contempt of court (see files of the North Carolina Superior Court - 1788-1803). I have no way of telling if this is the same John Dixon Fly, but I suspect it is. 1788, the year John Dixon Fly got into trouble with the court, was probably the same year he got married. Maybe he was in a fussy mood that year.
John Fly was remarried around 1772 in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, to a woman whose name was most likely Susanna Johnson. She was born around 1753 and died around 1795 in Northampton County, North Carolina. John Fly and his second wife, whose name we think was Susanna, had five children: Thomas Amelius Fly (called Amelius) born around 1774; twins Enoch and Enos Fly born January 19,1776, - a very exciting year to be born! (Enoch sometimes spelled his last name "Flythe" and settled in Missouri); Rebecca Fly born around 1782; and Millicent ("Millie") Fly born around 1783. I have a considerable amount of information about these five children, their spouses, and their descendants - far too much to list here.
Shortly after his second wife's death, John Fly married
again (maybe 1796), this time to a woman whose name was Mary.
Mary's maiden name is unknown, but she was the widow of John
Hutchings. Mary was born around 1765 and died sometime after
1818, probably in Northampton County, North Carolina. John and
Mary Hutchings Fly had four children, all born in Northampton
County: William H. (the H. possibly stood for Hutchings)
Fly born around 1797, Susan Driver Fly born around
1799, Martha Roberts "Patsy" Fly born around
1801 (never married), and Eliza G. Fly born around 1804
(died at age 20). I also have a considerable amount of information
about each of these children.
2. Jeremiah Fly - Jeremiah Fly was born around 1746, possibly in Pennsylvania, and died (date unknown) in Northampton County, North Carolina. Jeremiah Fly's signature appears on a very old petition in the files of Northampton County, North Carolina. This petition was filed in the last quarter of 1795, which means he would have written this signature (which still can be read) between October 1 and December 1, 1795. Aside from this, I have little information about this Jeremiah Fly.
3. Elisha Fly - Elisha Fly, whose name is sometimes listed in records as "Elijah", was born around 1748, possibly in Pennsylvania. He was referred to as Elisha Sr. to distinguish him from a son with the same name. He died sometime before 1795 in Northampton County, North Carolina. Around 1766 Elisha married a Cherokee woman. Records refer to her only as "a Cherokee wife." No other name is given. They were possibly married among the Cherokee people. She was born around 1750 in the Piedmont area of North Carolina. The date of her death is uncertain, but she probably died in Northampton County, North Carolina. Elisha Fly and his Cherokee wife had three children: Elisha Fly, Jr. born around 1767 (settled in Carroll County, Tennessee), John Fly born January 1, 1772 (lived in Maury and Williamson Counties in Tennessee), and Jeremiah Fly born around 1773 (married in Davidson County, Tennessee, and died in Barry County, Missouri). You will notice that the names they chose for their children, Elisha, John and Jeremiah, were names used repeatedly in the early generations of the Fly family. I have extensive information about these three children, especially about John, the second child, who had three marriages and is called "Reverend". The 1790 U.S. Census lists an Elisha Fly in the Halifax District of Northampton County as being the head of a household of five. It also lists an Elisha Fly, Jr. in the same district also heading a household of five.
4. Jesse John Fly, Sr. - (See Generation 5)
5. Charles Fly - born around 1751, possibly in Pennsylvania. He died before 1796 in Northampton County, North Carolina. Charles never married. He served in the army during the Revolutionary War. Revolutionary War records show that on February 1, 1785, Charles was paid $12.20 (I suppose it was his pension) from Revolutionary War accounts. Also, he, like other Revolutionary War soldiers, was given a land grant at the end of the War. Charles Fly died in North Carolina, and his Revolutionary-War-Service land grant went to the University of North Carolina. By law, the land grant went to the state university if there were no surviving heirs of the grantee. Since Charles never married, he had no heirs.
6. William Fly, Jr. - born around 1753, possibly
in Pennsylvania, and died around 1792 in Northampton County, North
Carolina. He married Margaret "Peggy" Allman,
probably in 1783. It is likely that they were married in Nansemond
County, Virginia. Margaret Allman Fly was born around 1760, probably
in Nansemond County and died after 1810 in Northampton County,
North Carolina. William and Margaret Allman Fly had three children:
John Allman Fly (sometimes spelled "Flythe")
born around 1783; Millicent "Millie" Fly born
around 1785; and Aaron Allman Fly (sometimes spelled "Flythe")
born around 1792. All three of these children were born in Northampton
County, North Carolina, and all died there. I have extensive information
on William Fly, Jr's children and their families.
Like his brother Charles, William Fly also served
as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. A payment of 4 Pounds,
2 Shillings, 8 Pence was made to him from Revolutionary War accounts
on January 26, 1782, (Account #4818). I have no idea why William
was paid in British currency for his Revolutionary War service
while his brother Charles seems to have been paid in American
dollars - when both payments were coming from the same account.
Maybe they had a choice since both currencies were in circulation.
GENERATION 5
JESSE JOHN FLY, SR. (1750? 1789?) m. (WIFE
UNKNOWN)
Jesse John Fly, Sr., the
fourth child of William and Mary Fly, was born around 1750, possibly
in Pennsylvania. He seemed to go by the name John, rather
than Jesse. He died around 1789, either in Southampton County,
Virginia, or Northampton County, North Carolina. His death occurred
not long after his marriage and probably in the same year his
only child was born. He was married around 1788. Although the
name of his wife hasn't been determined, we do know a few
things about her. She was born around 1762, possibly in Isle of
Wight County or Southampton County, Virginia, and she died around
1790 in Northampton County, North Carolina. Jesse John Fly, Sr.
and his wife seemed to have only one child, Jesse John Fly,
Jr. (See Generation 6.)
It seems logical that Jesse John Fly, Sr. would have
fought in the Revolutionary War since he was about the right age
at the time, but I can find no record that he did. He died while
still in his 30s. Perhaps his health was not good enough
for military service.
My information about Jesse John Fly, Sr. is "as
scarce as hen's teeth.". That's an expression that my grandmother
, Bertie Fly Hudgens, often used.
GENERATION 6
JESSE JOHN FLY, JR. (1789-1859) m. SARAH DELANY
WHITFORD
Jesse John Fly, Jr., the
only child of Jesse John Fly, Sr., was born October 18, 1789 (one
record says 1790), in Northampton County, North Carolina, and
he died April 26, 1872, in Southern Illinois, probably in Cobden
in Union County. Although his name was the same as his fatherÕs,
he seemed to go by the name of Jesse Fly, while his father
was called John. Evidently he made two major moves in his life
- from North Carolina to Bedford County, Tennessee, in 1826, and
from Bedford County, Tennessee, to Wayne County in the southern
part of Illinois. The 1830 U.S. Census lists a Jesse Fly in Bedford
County, Tennessee, as the head of a household of eight. During
the last part of his life he lived near Cobden, Illinois, and
is buried in the Union Christian Church Cemetery in Water Valley,
about ten miles east of Cobden. The History of Illinois
says that Jesse John Fly, Jr. fought under General Andrew Jackson
against the English in the Battle of New Orleans during the War
of 1812.
On March 18, 1808, Jesse John Fly, Jr. married
Sarah Delany Whitford in Davidson County, Tennessee. She seems
to have gone by the name "Delany" , although some records
spell it "Delana". She was born in 1791 in North Carolina
and died February 17, 1859, in Cobden, Illinois. She is also buried
in Union Christian Church Cemetery in Water Valley, Illinois.
Jesse John and Sara Whitford Fly had eight children:
1. Eliza Fly - born about 1810 in Davidson County, Tennessee. She died about 1845 in Illinois. She was married twice - the first (in Illinois) to a man whose last name was McCracken. He was the brother of Sarah McCracken who married John Dickerson Fly (see #2 below). Her second husband was Alexander "Alex" Nesbit. He and Eliza were married in Wayne County, Illinois.
2. John Dickerson Fly - born on December 12,
1812, in Davidson County, Tennessee. He died November 23, 1888,
in Cobden, Union County, Illinois, and is buried in the Union
Christian Church Cemetery in nearby West Valley.. He was married
September 5, 1832, (in Illinois) to Sarah McCracken,
who was nicknamed "Muzzie". She was born in Kentucky
on January 13, 1813, and was brought to Illinois at age 5 by her
parents, Sam and Nancy McCracken. "Muzzie" died
February 19, 1898, and is buried beside her husband in the Union
Church Cemetery in West Valley, Illinois.. It appears that John
Dickerson and "Muzzie" McCracken Fly had four children
who died in infancy, but I wouldn't bet the family farm on that.
3. James Whiteside Fly was born January 30,
1814, somewhere in the area of Davidson-Williamson-Rutherford
Counties in Tennessee. According to family stories, James made
violins. He died May 28, 1901, in Illinois. Around 1830 he married
Kezziah Farmer in Illinois. She had earlier been married in
Illinois to a man whose last name was Deming. After his
death she married James Whiteside Fly. Kezziah was born in 1807
and died in Illinois (date unknown). James Whiteside and Kezziah
Farmer Fly had a houseful of children: Atlena Fly (a male)
born in 1831; Lacey Fly (a male) born in 1835; Louis
Fly born in 1836; John "Red John" Fly born
in 1839; Mary Martha Fly born in 1842; twins Edith and
James Fly born in 1844; Jesse Fly born in 1846; and
Harmon Fly born in 1848. I have quite a bit of information
about these children and several generations of their descendants-
more than you'd want to hear about here.
4. Sarah Delana Fly was born in 1816 in Bedford
County, Tennessee. She and her husband John James Deming
had five children (no date of marriage). Sarah Delana Fly Deming
died in Illinois. I have no information about husband John other
than his complete name. Their children were Sarah Ann Deming,
John Trent Deming born in 1843, William Jasper Deming,
Jerome Deming, and Minerva Deming. I have just a
slight bit of information about these childrn and their descendants.
5. Martha K. Fly - was born around 1818 in
Bedford County, Tennessee. She was married twice - first to John
Parrish and then, after his death, to James R. Cochran.
Both marriages were in Illinois. She died January 25, 1870 in
Illinois. There were four children by her first marriage: Jack
Parrish, John Parrish Jr., Sarah Parrish, and
Eliza Parrish. There were two children by her second marriage:
James Cochran Jr. and John Cochran. Seems as though
there were a lot of Jims, Johns, and Jacks in that household.
I have no information about these six children other than their
names.
6. Jesse Jackson Fly was born August 14, 1821
(one record says August 11), in Bedford County, Tennessee, and
died on February 24, 1904, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Sometime
between 1826 and 1829 he moved from Bedford County, Tennessee,
to Wayne County, Illinois. On October 6, 1845, he married Elizabeth
Baugh in Illinois (probably in Mount Vernon). She was born
October 24, 1826, and outlived her husband by five years, dying
on May 10, 1909, in Mount Vernon. I have documents that indicate
that Jesse Jackson Fly was both a furniture merchant and a mortician.
I don't know if he worked both jobs at the same time or
not. I hope not. He served in the Mexican War in 1846.
Jesse Jackson and Elizabeth Baugh Fly had eight children.
All of their children were born in Mount Vernon and most of them
lived their lives there. I have several pages of information about
their descendants. Their children were: Laura Caroline "Carrie"
Fly (1848-1926); Augustus Fly (1850-1852 -died young);
Clifford Taylor Fly (1854-1855- died young); Walter
Scott Fly (1857-1947); Oscar Baugh Fly (1860-1944);
Henry Van Cleve Fly (1863-1864 - died young); Addison
Perry Fly (1865-1948); and Amy Louise Fly (1869-1936).
In 1919 my great-grandfather, Dr. J.J. Fly, wrote a note in the
Fly Family Bible about Uncle Jack and Aunt Lizzie's
family living in Mount Vernon..
7. Madison Perry Fly - (See Generation 7.)
GENERATION 7
MADISON PERRY FLY (1824-1890)
m. SARAH “SALLY” ASA
Madison Perry Fly, my great-great grandfather, was the seventh child of Jesse John Fly, Jr. and Sarah Delany Whitford. He was born on November 7, 1824, in Bedford County, Tennessee. He died on October 23, 1890, in Southern Illinois and is probably the first of the Fly family to be buried in Fountain Cemetery, located behind the Fountain United Methodist Church just off State Route 37, 6 miles south of Marion, Illinois. His grave there is marked by a fairly tall headstone, parts of which are becoming illegible. Inscribed on the headstone is an unusual statement that doesn’t make much sense anymore because an important word or two can no longer be read: “Madison P. Fly - Died October 23, 1890 - Aged 66 Y 7 M 8 D - Death has claimed its victim. Time has raised his lease. And worn out (gaspinymatter?) has freed the spirit. Rest in Peace.” Could the word(s) be “gasping matter”?
The History of Illinois
contains this paragraph about Madison P. Fly: “Born in
Davidson County, Tennessee in 1824, Madison P. Fly was brought
to Illinois by his parents in 1826 and grew to manhood on a farm
in Wayne County. In 1848 he moved with his family to Williamson
County and there purchased a farm lying on the Jackson County
boundary line, and was there employed tilling the soil until his
death. One source I read said that he came from Tennessee
to Illinois by oxcart. Although The History of Illinois
reports that he was born in Davidson County, Tennessee, most other
sources say it was Bedford County. Kay B. Hudgens says that he
purchased the above-mentioned farm on the Williamson-Jackson County
line in 1854.
In 1845 in Edwards County, Illinois,
(which is adjacent to Wayne County), he married Sarah “Sally”
Asa. Sarah was born in November 17, 1821, in Wayne County,
Illinois, and died on New Years Eve 1908. I cannot locate her
burial site. In August 1997 I searched through Fountain Cemetery
(where her husband is buried) for her grave. Since she is my
great-grandmother, I was interested in finding it, but I couldn’t.
(James Whitney Fly, who is a far more astute family historian
than I, disagrees with me on the dates of Sarah Asa Fly's
birth and death. He says she was born in 1827 and died in 1903.
I think my dates are correct, so I have used them.)
Here is an interesting story about
one of Sarah Asa’s grandparents. It’s definitely not
pertinent to my account of the Fly Family History, but it’s
an exciting.tale. My great-grandfather, Dr. Jesse J. Fly, wrote
about it in the Fly Family Bible. He wrote, “My great-grandfather
on my mother’s side (that would be Sarah Asa’s side),
lived in Connecticut and was with Colonel Crawford in his expedition
against the Moravian Indians. He was a guide in the undertaking,
knowing the country and the Indians and their language from having
been a captive for twelve years. Crawford was burned alive by
the Indians, and all the crew except my great-grandfather, whose
name was John Slover, and one more. My great-grandfather was
tied and the faggots were piled around him and it rained and put
out the fire. The Indians concluded to wait until morning, but
during the night he made his escape and returned to the settlement.
This was in 1782, March 20th. He was born in 1752.”
Sorry for the digression.
Though born in the South, Madison
Perry Fly served his enlistment in the Civil War on the Northern
side. On the Internet I recently found a roster of Madison Perry
Fly’s entire Civil War unit (Company E of the 81st Illinois
Infantry), listing every soldier in it, their hometowns, and what
happened to each one. It identified places where various soldiers
were killed, so you can fairly well trace the movement of that
unit during the War. That listing can be found on the Williamson
County, Illinois, Genealogical Website. It is clear that
my great-great grandfather returned to his farm after his Civil
War enlistment was up.
According to Kay B. Hudgens, Madison
Perry Fly’s wife, Sarah Asa, was from a Confederate family
living in the North. That must have led to some wild family discussions.
I have a photo of Sarah Asa Fly, but none of her husband. She’s
petite, but she sure looks tough. Of course, everyone looked
tough in old photographs. In that old photo she is seated in
front of the home of her son, Dr. Jesse J. Fly, in Pulley’s
Mill, Illinois.
In one of my conversations with Kay
B. Hudgens (August 1997) he said that he has a vague recollection
that there was something questionable about the birth of Madison
P. Fly and thought that maybe he was adopted into the Jesse Jackson
Fly, Jr. family. There is nothing to substantiate this. It's
just one of the many family stories.
Madison Perry and Sarah Asa Fly, my
great-great grandparents, had eight children, most of whom remained
in the Southern Illinois area. Many are buried in Fountain Cemetery.
1. Jesse Jackson Fly M.D. -
(See Generation 8.)
2. Mary J. Fly - died around age 2. She was probably born in 1847 in either Wayne or Williamson County, Illinois. She died in Williamson County, Illinois, probably in 1849. Since she died so young, her name is often missing from listings of the children of Madison P. and Sarah Asa Fly. That explains why there is so little information about her - and why the information that does exist is fuzzy.
3. Elmira Fly - born in 1849
in Williamson County, Illinois. She was married twice. The problem
is that both marriages seen to have been in 1868 - the same year!
Either something crazy was going on here - or the family records
pertaining to this woman are badly screwed up. I think its
the latter. Elmira Fly's first husband was Elmer Kilken.
All I can find out about him is that he was born in 1847 and
died in Illinois - plus this one further complication: not only
did Elmira seem to have two marriages in the same year, but Elmer,
her first husband, seems to have been married to two different
Fly women that same year (1868) - Elmira and someone named Delana
Amaretta Lanie Fly. (Christopher Columbus Hudgens,
Elmira’s uncle, had a daugher by this name. This complicates
the relationships even further.) If I have enough time left in
my life, I may try to straighten out this poor woman’s life
story and her seemingly bigamous situation. I suspect that typographical
errors, rather than infidelity, have caused the problem. There
seem to be no children from this first marriage. That’s
a blessing!
The second husband of Elmira Fly
was William Rodden. As I mentioned, records indicate that
Elmira and William Rodden were married the very same year that
she married her first husband. He was born around 1845. William
and Elmira Fly Rodden had six children: David Rodden,
Irvin Rodden, Jesse Rodden, Bert Rodden, Mae
Rodden, and Grace Rodden. All I know about these children
is their names.
4. Sarah Fly was born in
1852 in Williamson County, Illinois, and died there of pneumonia
in 1875 when she was around 23. She married George Bankston
around 1872. The History of Illinois says that “on
her death she left one son”, but I know nothing about
him. Sarah’s name appears in the 1870 U.S. Census of Williamson
County.
5. Almarinda Fly - was born
around 1854 in Williamson County, Illinois. She married Newton
Bane, and they had three children: Luther Bane, Daisey
Bane, and Oscar Bane. I have no other information
about the children, nor do I have dates of Almarinda’s marriage.
A note in the Bible of my great- grandfather Dr. Jesse J. Fly
reads, “Almarinda Bane (my sister) died March 1918”
He had written the exact day of the month, but that is illegible,
at least on the photocopy that I have. The History of Illinois
says that her married name was Bane and that she was living in
Carbondale, Illinois, in 1912. There seems to be a split decision
on the spelling of her married name: Bain? Bane? Her name also
appears in the 1870 Census of Williamson County. There it's
spelled Bane. I'm putting my money on the "Bane"
spelling.
6. Laura Ann Fly - was born
August 4, 1855, in Williamson County, Illinois. Around 1875 she
married Lindsey W. Miller. He was born September 25, 1845,
and died in 1936. Laura died March 24, 1918, many years before
her husband. Notes in the Family Bible of Dr. Jesse J. Fly say,
“ Laura Fly Miller (my sister) died March 24 10 a.m. of
heart and lung disease in Sunnyside, Washington - 1918.
That sounds like something a doctor would write, doesn't
it. Lindsey and Laura Fly Miller are both buried in Fountain
Church Cemetery. Lindsey evidently enlisted in the Civil War
because his gravestone inscription mentions his Civil War unit
- Co. F 145th Illinois Infantry. That’s the same company
that my great-grandfather Dr. Jesse Jackson Fly served with.
Laura’s gravestone inscription reads, “One of the first
among mothers and gave the best of her life for others.”
Lindsey W. and Laura Ann Fly Miller had two daughters, Lena
Miller (who died in infancy) and Delphie Miller.
7. James Perry Fly - was born January 30, 1858, in Williamson County, Illinois. He died October 26, 1929, and is buried in Fountain Cemetery in Williamson County. The History of Illinois says that he was “engaged in farming at Marion, Illinois.” In 1876 he married Mary Elizabeth Neber in Illinois. She was born December 12, 1858, and died December 30, 1897. She, too, is buried in Fountain Cemetery, James Perry and Mary Elizabeth Neber Fly had nine children, all seemingly born in Marion, Illinois: Elmer Fly born in 1878, Emmett Lawrence Fly born in 1880, James Edgar Fly born in 1882, Fred Burton Fly born in 1883 (married Bertha Talley), Jesse Homer Fly born in 1885 (married Myrtle Ragsdale), Noma Fly born in 1887, Pearl Fly born in 1888 (married Ernest Pritchett), James Jackson “Jack” Fly born in 1891 (married twice: to Frances Maddox and to Anna Ethel Starling), and Effie Fly born in 1894 (married Guy Midgett). James Perry Fly’s name appears in the 1870 U.S. Census of Williamson County. While making my study of the graves in Fountain Cemetery last August, I found the graves of several of James P. and Mary Neber Fly’s children: Emmett L., James E., Noma, Pearl Fly Pritchett, and Effie Fly Midgett. I have some additional information on various members of this family - actually quite a bit of information.
8. Louvina “Vinie” Fly - born in Williamson County, Illinois, on October 8, 1863. She married Frank C. Hudgens (1864-1926) in Illinois, probably Williamson County. “Vinie” Fly died July 20, 1912, and is buried in Fountain Cemetery in Williamson County beside her husband Frank. Their gravestone bears this inscription: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. I can find no indication that Louvina and Frank Hudgens had any children. She is another one in this family listed in the 1870 Census of Williamson County. Incidentally, I found the 1870 U.S. Census on the Internet. Notes written by her brother, Dr. Jesse J. Fly, in the Fly Family Bible verify the dates of her birth and death.
GENERATION 8
JESSE JACKSON FLY, MD (1846-1928)
m. EMMARANDA McINTOSH
Jesse Jackson Fly, MD,
the first child of Madison Perry and Sarah Asa Fly, was born November
7, 1846, in Wayne County, Illinois. Although he was my great-grandfather,
I never knew him. He died four years before I was born. He died
on Christmas Eve in 1928 in West Frankfort, Illinois, at the home
of his son and daughter-in-law, Ralph E. and Mae Fly. He is buried
in Fountain Cemetery in Williamson County, Illinois. He was married
on October 3 (4?), 1867, to Emmaranda A. McIntosh, probably
in Wayne County. This was two years after his discharge from
his Civil War service. Emmaranda was born June 11, 1848, and
died March 24, 1918. Emmaranda’s parents were Elijah and
Nancy Bankston McIntosh. Her father, Elijah, was one of the first
County Clerks in Williamson County. Emmaranda’s husband,
Dr. J.J. Fly, notes her death in the Fly Family Bible: “Emmaranda,
wife of J.J. Fly, passed away March 24, 4 a.m., 1918. Cancer
of the spleen and stomach.” Emmaranda is buried in Fountain
Cemetery with her husband. The marriage of Dr. J.J. Fly and Emmaranda
McIntosh lasted over 50 years and produced ten children. One
of them was my grandmother, Bertie Fly.
It is difficult to understand why
this happened, but two years after Emmaranda’s death ended
their 50+ year marriage, Dr. Fly married again - this time to
woman named Mae Ella Parks. Family stories about this
marriage abound, and all of them indicate that it was a “marriage
made in Hell.” According to family stories, Mae Ella insisted
that they move from Illinois (where Dr. Fly had lived all his
life and where all his children were living) to Florida. While
in Florida, so the story goes, Mae Ella pushed her new husband
down a long flight of stairs in a big, new hotel, breaking his
hip and leg. He returned to Illinois, claiming that “She
tried to kill me, by Gimmy!” and divorced her. (“By
Gimmy” was his favorite expression.) This ill-fated and
strange marriage was very short and often is not mentioned in
respectable family records. In addition, family stories about
this second wife of my great-grandfather say that she stole everything
in sight. According to the stories, her stealing problem was
so bad that Dr. Fly went to the merchants in Goreville, where
he lived, and had them keep a record of the things she stole.
Every month they would secretly send her husband a bill for the
stolen merchandise. Dr. J.J. Fly wrote an interesting note about
his second marriage in the Fly Family Bible. It reads, “Jesse
J. Fly and Mae Ella Parks were married January 20th 10 a.m. in
the parlor of Hudson home Benton, Illinois, 1914 (I think he meant
1920), and divorced December 24, 1921 (Separated). Lived with
his wife 2 years and 11 months.” The dates that my great-grandfather
wrote in the above paragraph don’t exactly square with substantiated
dates, but he does make it sound as if he was keeping track of
each day of his all-too-long second marriage.
The History of Illinois contains a long biographical sketch of Dr. Jesse J. Fly, and he himself wrote a short history of his medical training and practice in the Fly Family Bible. His own hand-written, personal sketch in the Bible reads, “Jesse J. Fly commenced the study of medicine AD 1864, attended a course of medical lectures in Miama (sic) Medical College in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1877-78 at the age of 31 years. He commenced the practice of medicine March 14, 1871. He continued in active practice until 1914, August 1, when he took charge of a drug store, where he makes only an occasional call, does prescriptions, and sells drugs. It’s interesting that his brief account of his medical career makes no mention of the fact that he graduated from Nashville Medical College (now Vanderbilt University) in the Class of 1878, around seven years after he had begun the practice of medicine. He name is listed in McDonald’s Illinois State Medical Directory published September 1891. There it says that he “graduated from Nashville Medical College in 1878 and is serving the community of Pulley’s Mill, Illinois - population 60.”
Jesse J. Fly, like his father, enlisted
in the Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. His gravestone
in Fountain Cemetery refers to his Civil War unit. The inscription
reads, “Jesse J. Fly, MD - Father - Mem Co F 145 Illinois
Infantry Nov. 7, 1846 - Dec. 24, 1928.
Some other things about my great-grandfather,
Dr. Jesse Jackson Fly: After his Civil War service he returned
to his home at the age of 19 and began a short career as a teacher.
He taught school for five years during the winter months and
farmed during seed-time and harvest, all the while studying physiology
and medical science. He moved from Pulley’s Mill to Goreville
in November 1902. While in Pulley’s Mill, he seems to have
served as Postmaster on top of everything else.
Kay B. Hudgens says that the daughters
of Dr. Jesse J. Fly (and he had a lot of daughters) were all good
pianists. Uncle Kay says that Dr. Fly drove a wagon from Southern
Illinois to St. Louis to buy an extra long piano for his girls.
The piano sat in the large entrance hall at the foot of the stairs
in the Fly family home in Pulley’s Mill, Illinois, for years.
It was reputed to be the first piano in Williamson County. Ethel
Fly played this piano when her sister Bertie Fly married John
Bell Hudgens in the Pulley’s Mill home in 1895.
The ten children of Dr. Jesse J. Fly
and Emmaranda McIntosh, his first wife, were:
1. William “Willie” Fly
- born on New Year’s Day 1869, at Pulley’s Mill, Williamson
County, Illinois. According to a note in the Fly Family Bible,
he died at birth. His birth year is often listed as 1883 which
would make him the 7th child in the family, but his father clearly
and firmly listed his birth date as January 1, 1869, in the Fly
Family Bible. I don't want to argue with that, so I have
listed him in the first position.
2. Nettie Fly - was born July
19, 1870, in Wayne County, Illinois, and died in 1933. Her birthdate
is recorded in the Fly Family Bible. On July 18, 1889, she married
Isaac Newton Lentz (known as Newton). He was born around
1870 and died in 1944. He is buried in Fountain Cemetery.
Here’s an interesting marriage
story. It’s very complex, so pay close attention. Nettie
Fly married Isaac Newton Lentz and Nettie’s sister, Ethel
Fly, married J. Marshall Lence, Newton’s brother - a case
of two sisters marrying two brothers. The interesting twist came
when one of the sisters (Nettie) and one of the brothers (J.Marshall)
died. The remaining sister and brother (who were once sister-in-law
and brother- in-law) then married each other. In 1937 in Mt.
Vernon, Illinois, Ethel (the remaining sister) and Newton (the
remaining brother) were married. Everybody following this? You
will also notice that the last names of the two brothers are
spelled differently - Lentz and Lence. During World War I it
was not desirable in this country to have a family name that looked
German, so J. Marshall changed the spelling of his last name from
Lentz to Lence so as to appear more non-German. Isaac Newton
kept the Lentz spelling of the name and took his chances. Nettie
Fly and Newton Lentz had two children:
a. Lavinia “Vinnie”
Lentz- born 1890. Lavinia was a pharmacist and married a
pharmacist. I’m not sure of his name. They lived in Wolf
Creek, Illinois, and had a drug store in West Frankfort. They
had no children. According to Kay B. Hudgens (telephone conversation
11/19/97) Vinnie Lentz married twice. Later in life she lived
in Kankakee, Illinois, and worked in the State Hospital there.
I have a good-sized, mounted
photograph of Vinnie Lentz sitting in her elaborate Victorian
parlor in Wolf Creek, Illinois. It was taken sometime around
1890. The photo shows her entire parlor. On the wall in that
photograph is a large, sentimental picture of children playing
a childÕs piano. The picture that was hanging on the wall
in that photograph somehow ended up in the hands of Bertie Fly
Hudgens, my grandmother. She gave it to me sometime in the1950’s,
and the picture that once hung in Vinnie Lentz’s old Victorian
parlor in the 1890’s (the one I can see in that old photograph)
now hangs in my home in Oakland, California.
b. Robert F. Lentz, DDS
was born December 10, 1892, and died April 2, 1962. He is buried
in Fountain Cemetery. His gravestone gives some indication of
his military service in World War I. It reads, Robert
F. Lentz - Pvt. - 1 Dental Co MD - World War I. He married
Thelma Fox, and they had two sons. I know nothing about
them.
3. Carrie Fly - born February
4, 1873, in Wayne County, Illinois. The date of her birth appears
in the Fly Family Bible. She died February 8, 1961, and is buried
in Fountain Cemetery beside her husband. In October 1895 she
married Zachariah “Zach” Hudgens, Jr. in Williamson
County, Illinois. He was born February 23, 1873, in Williamson
County and died there September 20, 1954. Here is another case
of two sisters marrying two brothers. Carrie Fly and her sister
Bertie Fly both married Hudgens brothers, Carrie marrying Zach
Jr. and Bertie marrying John Bell Hudgens. According to Kay
B. Hudgens, Carrie Fly made hats and had a hat store next to her
husband's general store in Hudgens, Illinois. Carrie Fly
and Zachariah Hudgens, Jr. had five children:
a. Claude Bryan Hudgens - born
October 29, 1896, at Hudgens in Williamson County, Illinois.
On March 27, 1920, he was married to Elsie Simpson (October
3, 1897-November 2, 1968) in Williamson County. Claude died April
11, 1967, and is buried in Fountain Cemetery with his wife. His
gravestone there reads simply, “Claude B. Hudgens - October
29, 1896- April 11, 1967.” Claude B. and Elsie Simpson Hudgens
had two boys, Claude Ray Hudgens (still living) and John
Robert Hudgens (April 23, 1926-May 4, 1977). John
Robert is buried in Fountain Cemetery with his parents.
b. Vivian Hudgens - born December
4, 1901, at Hudgens, Williamson County, Illinois. She died before
reaching the age of 1 and is buried in Fountain Cemetery. Her
gravestone is inscribed with these words, At Rest - Vivian
Hudgens - Dau. of Z & C Hudgens - Died June 10, 1902 - Aged
7 M 6 D - The Fairest Flower We Fondly Touch How Soon It Fades
and Dies But Purer it Blooms Above in Houses of Paradise.”
c. Frank Eugene Hudgens - born
July 30, 1903, at Hudgens, Williamson County, Illinois. In 1918
he married Jewel Whitman in Williamson County. For much
of their married life Frank and Jewel Hudgens lived in California,
eventually settling in Yucaipa on the far eastern edge of the
Los Angeles basin.. According to Kay B. Hudgens, Frank died there
this past year - 1997. Frank and Jewel Hudgens had no children.
d. Zachariah Hudgens, Jr. -
born April 20, 1914, in Hudgens, Williamson County, Illinois.
On November 23, 1939, in Williamson County, he married Thelma
Watson. He died in 1985, and both he and Thelma are buried
in Fountain Cemetery. Zachariah and Thelma Watson Hudgens had
a daughter, Iris Ann Hudgens born June 19, 1940. In a
telephone conversation (11/19/97) Kay B. Hudgens said that there
was another daughter, but I have no information about her.
e. Mary Evelyn Hudgens - born
July 9, 1916, in Hudgens, Williamson County, Illinois. She died
June 10, 1986, and is buried in Fountain Cemetery. She married
Dee Wilmuth. Her grave marker reads, “Mary E. Wilmuth
- Sgt. U.S. Army World War II - July 9, 1916-June 10, 1986.”
Dee and Mary E. Hudgens Wilmuth had no children.
4. Martha Ann Fly - Martha
Ann Fly must have died at birth or in infancy because almost no
information about her can be found anywhere. Her name is often
not included in the listing of children of Dr. Jesse J. and Emmaranda
Fly. If her name is listed, she usually appears as their fourh
child. It's difficult to verify her placement in the family
since I don't have a birthdate for her.
5. Bertie Fly - (See Generation
9)
6. Ethel Fly - born January
7, 1879, in Pulley's Mill, Williamson County, Illinois,
and died February 11, 1960. Her date of birth and the dates of
her first marriage and divorce are noted in the Fly Family Bible.
She is buried in Fountain Cemetery. Ethel Fly seems to have
been married four times. On June 4, 1905, (in Illinois) she married
Constantine D. “Tine” Huggins. “Tine”
Huggins was born in 1869 in Illinois and died in 1920 in Arkansas.
“Tine” and Ethel Fly Huggins were divorced in August
1915. Ethel married her second husband, J. Marshall Lence,
in 1920. J. Marshall Lence was the brother of Isaac Newton Lentz
who married Ethel’s sister, Nettie. J. Marshall Lence was
born in 1869 and died in 1932. He is buried in Fountain Cemetery
beside Ethel. In 1937 she married for a third time, this time
to Isaac Newton Lentz, the brother of her second
husband. Newton Lentz had previously been married to Ethel’s
sister Nettie. (See page 15.) Isaac Newton Lentz was born around
1870 and died in 1944. He, too, is buried in Fountain Cemetery.
Kay B. Hudgens says that there was a fourth husband, her first
he thinks. Uncle Kay remembers him only as Dr. Walker.
Ethel was an outstanding candy-maker. She lived for many years
in Herrin, Illinois, and ran a candy company there that produced
candy under the Ethelence label. For many years Ethelence candy
was a staple on the dessert tables at Hudgens and Fly Family Reunions.
Ethel Fly and her first husband, Constantine Huggins, had two
children:
a. Roscoe C. Huggins, Colonel
- born January 11, 1907, in West Frankfort, Illinois. He was
married twice. His first wife was Josephine, called “Jo”,
(maiden name unknown). Roscoe and Jo were married October 14,
1935. Because of his military career, Roscoe and Jo lived in
several places throughout the United States. Jo died sometime
in the mid-1970’s. On September 3, 1978, he married Blanche,
called “Birdie”, (maiden name unknown) in San Antonio,
Texas. Roscoe died August 17, 1987, in Kerrville, Texas. He
is buried in the cemetery at the United States Military Academy
at West Point, New York - the school from which he graduated.
b. Ralph Emerson Huggins - born May 26, 1909, in Illinois. In 1930 he married Dorothy (maiden name unknown) in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. In 1993 he was living in San Antonio.
7. Myrtle Fly - born October
2, 1881, at Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois.
Her father wrote her date of birth in the Fly Family Bible. She
died August 28, 1883, around age 2. Her gravestone in Fountain
Cemetery reads, “Myrtle Fly - Dau of JJ & E Fly - died
August 28, 1883 - Aged 1 Y 10M 26 D - A tender bud has passed
from earth and blooms in Beulah Land. According to Kay
B. Hudgens, Emmaranda Fly, Myrtle's mother, was reputed
in the community to have some sort of a psychic sense. One of
the family stories is about Myrtle’s birth. When she was
born, her mother Emmaranda is reported to have looked at her and
said, “This girl isn’t going to live long.” Myrtle
didn’t.
8. Eva Fly - born April 18,
1884, in Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois (birth
date verified by Fly Family Bible). I don't have the date
of her death, but she is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion,
Illinois. Eva Fly had three marriages. She first married Patrick
“Pat” Kelley in Williamson County on March 6, 1900.
He was born in 1874 in Williamson County and died in 1928. He
is buried in Carterville, Illinois. Around two years after the
death of her first husband in 1931, Eva Fly Kelley married W.
T. Holland, a well-known Williamson County businessman. She
was again widowed. In 1939 she married her third husband,
Isom Harrison who came from a family with deep roots in Williamson
County. I have little information about her last two husbands.
Eva Fly and her first husband Pat Kelley had two children. She
had no children by her other husbands.
a. Hope Kelley - born in 1901
in Williamson County. Hope was married to LeRoy Barham.
She died in 1985 and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion,
Williamson County, Illinois, where she lived the last years of
her life. According to Kay B. Hudgens, Hope Kelley Barham was
an accomplished pianist. She lived in St. Louis for awhile and
worked in the major department stores there, playing sheet music
for prospective customers. Kay Hudgens also says that she played
piano in movie theaters in St. Louis during the silent picture
era.
b. Ralph Kelley - born in 1906
in Williamson County, Illinois. He died in 1938 and is buried
in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion, Illinois. He was single.
9. Ralph Emerson Fly - was
born June 2, 1887, at Pulley's Mill, Williamson County,
Illinois. On December 3, 1906, he married Daisy Mae Grisham
in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. Mae’s parents were
Charles Alonzo Grisham and Sarah Francis Calhoun. Mae was born
February 14, 1888, in Goreville. Sometime during the 1930’s
Ralph and Mae Grisham Fly moved from Illinois to Northern California.
He was a barber for much of his life. A brief newspaper article
in a 1906 edition of the Goreville (Illinois) Record reads,
“Ralph Fly has gone into the barbering business with Solon
Hodge and they are located at Rolla Watson’s old stand in
the Perry Building.” Ralph died in California on December
6, 1964, and his wife Mae died there on August 2, 1967. Both
are buried in Parkview Cemetery on French Camp Road just south
of Stockton, California. (The dates of his birth and marriage
are verified in the Fly Family Bible.) Ralph Emerson and Mae
Grisham Fly had three children:
a. Jessie Dean Fly (called “Dean”) - born January 2, 1908, in Illinois, and died February 8, 1992, in Sacramento, California. She married Arthur Glen Jones (called “Glen”) on May 29, 1931. He was born February 6, 1907, in Galatia, Illinois, and died in Los Gatos, California. Both he and Dean are buried in the Los Gatos Cemetery. After Glen’s death Dean Fly Jones married Nelson“Nels” Keys. He died in October 1988 of a heart attack at age 82. I have no other information about him. Glen and Dean Fly Jones had two children:
1) Patricia Dean Jones - born
in San Francisco, California in 1935. She has been married three
times. First to Raymond Leigh Tegge on March 2, 1952,
(divorced), then to Richard Eckhoff on January 17, 1961,
and then to Samuel Obregon on June 19, 1977, in Sacramento,
California. Sam and Patricia Jones Obregon presently live in
West Sacramento. Patricia and her first husband, Ray Tegge, had
at least one child - Robin Adair Tegge born September 2,
1956. I’m not sure about other children.
2) Glen David Jones - born
1933 in San Francisco, California. David seems to be single and
presently living in Orange County, California.
b. Charles Jackson Fly - born July 4, 1916, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. Charles Fly is a graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. On August 17, 1943, he married Dorothy Jane Smith at Napier Field, Alabama, where he was serving as a 1st Lt. in the Air Force during World War II. Dorothy Jane Smith was born September 30, 1923, in Springfield, Illinois. Charles J. and Dorothy Smith Fly are presently (1998) living in Wilsonville,Oregon. It was through Charles Fly that I received a substantial amount of material on the Fly family that had been researched by James Whitney Fly of Montgomery, Alabama. Charles Jackson and Dorothy Smith Fly have two daughters:
1) Charla Jane Fly - born October
26, 1944, at Fort Rucker, Alabama. On June 22, 1968, she was
married to David Alan Dent (born November 17, 1945, in
Vallejo, California). David and Charla Dent have three children:
Charles Burney Dent, born September 19, 1974, in Portland,
Oregon; Emily Jane Dent born November 4, 1976, in Portland;
and Graham David Dent, born January 8, 1978, also in Portland.
Charla Jane Fly and David Alan Dent are divorced.
2) Charyn Mae Fly - born November
5, 1948, in Modesto, Stanislaus County,, California. On December
18, 1969. she was married to Robert Arthur Ofstie.in
Oregon. Charyn Mae Fly and Robert Arthur Ofstie are divorced.
Charyn has been living in Wilsonville, Oregon.
c. Max Emerson Fly - born October
6, 1919, in West Frankfort, Illinois. He died on February 20,
1979, and is buried in Reno, Nevada. On February 27, 1943, he
married Karen Elin Berg in Tacoma, Washington. Karen Berg
was born November 17, 1921, in Oslo, Norway. Max Emerson Fly
graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in Accounting.
His work took him and his family to Peru and Chile for several
years. His widow, Karen Berg Fly, is presently (1998) living
in Truckee, California. Max Emerson and Karen Berg Fly had three
daughters:
1) Karen Lee Fly - born October
3, 1944, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On May 28, 1966, she married
Norman Scott Justeson, a pilot, in Dallas, Texas.
He was born on April 23,1940, Norman and Karen Lee Fly Justeson
have two daughters, Britta Marie Justeson (born May 19,
1970 in Belleville, New Jersey) and Stacey Elizabeth Justeson
(born July 5, 1972, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.) They are presently
living in Truckee, California.
2) Sandra Marie Fly - born
May 13, 1949, in Albany, California. She married Richard Brownell
Ross (born around 1947) on December 28, 1976, in Truckee,
California. They have a son, Kevin Emerson Ross, born
June 17, 1983, in Boulder, Colorado. Sandra Fly and Richard Ross
are divorced. Sandra and her son are presently living in Truckee,
California. She is a Spanish teacher.
3) Leslie Deborah Fly was born
November 18, 1961, in Walnut Creek, California, and is presently
living in Fallon, Nevada. with her husband and daughter. She
married Arne Lee Martin on December 30, 1989, in Truckee,
California. He was born May 31, 1961, in Fallon, Nevada. Their
daughter is Carly Elin Martin, born April 3, 1992, also
in Fallon.
10. Afton Fly, the youngest of the children of Dr. Jesse J. and Emmaranda Fly, was born September 22, 1890, in Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois. Her date of birth is listed in the Fly Family Bible. She worked for many years for the State of Illinois. She died in 1961 and is buried in Fountain Cemetery. On August 14, 1919, Afton married George S. Johnston in Johnson County, Illinois. George Johnston was born in 1880 and died in 1930 in Illinois. George S. and Afton Fly Johnston had no children. Afton may have had a second marriage late in her life, but I have no information about that.
GENERATION 9
BERTIE FLY (1876-1960) m. JOHN BELL HUDGENS
Bertie Fly,
my grandmother, was born March 14, 1876, in Wayne County, Illinois.
On October 6, 1895, she was married to John Bell Hudgens
in the large Pulley’s Mill, Illinois, home of her father,
Dr. Jesse J. Fly. (See page 15 about the music at their wedding).
At the time of her marriage Bertie was 19 and her husband was
38. Bertie Fly Hudgens died on September 2, 1960, in Marion Illinois.
John Bell Hudgens, her husband, was born April 26, 1861, in Hudgens,
Southern Township, Illinois and died January 3, 1944, in Goreville,
Illinois. He lived much of his life in Goreville where he was
a merchant, a banker, and a judge. When he married Bertie Fly
in 1895, he was a widower. His first wife, Emmaranda McInturff
(born June 23, 1862 in Williamson County, Illinois) died on August
7, 1893, at age 31. John Bell Hudgens is buried in Fountain Cemetery
along with his two wives. In fact, his two wives are buried right
beside him - one on either side.
Bertie Fly Hudgens was known for her
compassion in the community of Goreville. Her youngest son, Kay
B. Hudgens, relates story after story of her taking hot meals
and clothing to acquaintances, friends, or family members. It
was just a normal part of her life. Sometimes she opened her
home (which already housed nine children) to others.
Earlier this year Kay B. Hudgens,
my uncle, gave me a small disk, a souvenir from the World’s
Fair held in St. Louis in 1902. That year my grandparents, John
Bell and Bertie Fly Hudgens, hitched up their horse and buggy
and made the long trip from Goreville, Illinois, to St. Louis
to attend that great Fair where electricity was introduced to
the nation. This souvenir disk with pictures of the Worlds
Fair was one of the things they brought back with them, and my
grandmother kept it the rest of her life as a memento of one of
her “grand experiences”.
John Bell and his first wife Emmaranda McInturff Hudgens had four children. Three of those children (Earl, Guy Bell, and Mary Ruby) where living at the time of their mother’s death. A fourth child, DeWitt, died in infancy. John Bell’s three children by his first marriage were raised by his new wife, Bertie Fly, as though they were her own. No one can seem to remember a single time when she made a distinction between her three step-children and her own six children. For that reason I have listed all nine children whom Bertie Fly considered her own in this Fly Family History, although the first three are not actually her blood descendants.
GENERATION
10
CHILDREN OF BERTIE FLY HUDGENS
1. Earl Grover Cleveland Hudgens
was the eldest son of John Bell and Annie L. McInturff Hudgens.
He was born August 22, 1884, in Hudgens, Williamson Co., Illinois.
He died April 7, 1944, in Marion, Illinois, and is buried in
Fountain Cemetery next to his brother Guy Bell. Earl married
Helen Jones in Paducah, Kentucky, on September 25, 1909.
Helen was born March 29, 1891, in Texas. Earl and Helen Jones
Hudgens were divorced. Earl and his second wife, Marie Stewart,
were married in 1929 on Christmas Eve in Jonesboro, Illinois.
Marie was born June 4, 1904, in Drakesboro, Kentucky. Earl and
his first wife Helen had one son, Victor Randall Hudgens
born January 11, 1911. (See Generation 11.) There were no children
by his second marriage.
2. Guy Bell Hudgens, the second
son of John Bell and Annie McInturff Hudgens, was born September
17, 1886, in Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois.
On July 13, 1922, Guy was shot to death in a labor dispute between
the United Mine Workers and management of the Southern Illinois
coal mines. He died in Marion, Illinois. His impressive gravestone
in Fountain Cemetery was erected by the United Mine Workers.
In 1915 Guy Bell Hudgens married Mollie E. Corshire in
Montana. She was born in 1890 in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, and died
in 1918 in Red Lodge, Montana. Her death came at age 28, just
three years after her marriage to Guy Bell and two years after
the birth of their only daughter, Venita Blanche Hudgens.
(See Generation 11.)
3. Mary Ruby Hudgens (known
as Ruby) was the only daughter of John Bell and Annie McInturff
Hudgens. She was born February 23, 1893, in Pulley’s Mill,
Williamson County, Illinois. In the early years of her life she
lived in Pulley’s Mill where her father owned a flour mill.
One of his most popular brands of flour was the "Little
Ruby" brand - named after Mary Ruby, his daughter. Ruby
married Walter Wise Kirk on April 11, 1914, in Marion,
Illinois. Walter Kirk was born November 29, 1890, in Ina, Illinois,
and worked for the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad from
his youth to retirement. Ruby died March 12, 1979, in Salem,
Illinois, where she and Walter lived much of their adult life.
Walter died August 29, 1983, at the home of his daughter and
son-in-law in Kirkwood, Missouri. Both are buried in Salem.
Walter W. and Ruby Hudgens Kirk had one daughter: Annie Lou
Kirk born November 10, 1919. (See Generation 11.)
4. Arba Fly Hudgens - born
August 20, 1896, in Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois.
He died August 26, 1972, in Salem, Marion County, Illinois. and
is buried in East Lawn Cemetery there. He worked for many years
as a conductor for the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad.
On January 16, 1925, he married Clara Faye Bagley in Cairo,
Alexander County, Illinois. She was born January 8, 1902, in
Cairo and died February 23, 1986, at her son Val Jean’s home
in Salem, Illinois. She is also buried in East Lawn Cemetery.
Arba Fly and Clara Bagley Hudgens had one son, Val Jean Hudgens
born August 3, 1926. (See Generation 11.)
5. Val Jean Hudgens - born
December 15, 1898, in Pulley’s Mill, Williamson County, Illinois.
He married Irma Lee Berry on June 1, 1929. The marriage
took place in the home of Ruby and Walter Kirk in Salem, Marion
County, Illinois (Ruby was Val"s half-sister.) Irma Berry
was born February 27, 1906, in Anson, Jones County, Texas. Irma
was a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville,
Class of 1926. Val and Irma met in Goreville, Illinois, where
he owned the Ford Motor Car Agency and she was a teacher of English
and Latin in Goreville High School. His car agency “went
under” early in the Great Depression. In June 1943 during
World War II Val and Irma Berry Hudgens moved their family from
Illinois to San Leandro, California, because war-related jobs
were plentiful on the West Coast. Val worked as a machinist,
and Irma obtained her elementary school credential and taught
kindergarten for 20 years in the San Lorenzo Unified School District.
Val Hudgens died May 23, 1973, in Kaiser Hospital in Hayward,
California. He is buried in the Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery
in Hayward. After his death Irma Berry Hudgens moved to the Rossmoor
Retirement Community in Walnut Creek, California, and died there
August 5, 1991. She is buried in the Chapel of the Chimes Cemetery
beside her husband. Val and Irma Berry Hudgens had three children:
Arba Lee Hudgens born November 28, 1932, Lois Emily
Hudgens born September 8, 1937, and Robert Earl Hudgens
born May 2, 1945. (See Generation 11.)
6. Wilhelma Hudgens - born
December 7, 1902, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. On
New Year’s Day in 1920 Wilhelma married Everett Thornton
in Marion, Illinois. Everett was the son of John Thornton of
Johnson County, Illinois. They were divorced. Some years later
she was married to Deral C. Bartlett. Known as “Bart,”
he was raised in Decatur, Illinois, and “Billie” and
“Bart” made their home in Decatur for many years in
the large and gracious home that once belonged to Bart’s
parents. As of this writing (April 1998) Wilhelma is 95 years
old, living in a care facility in Kankakee, Illinois, so as to
be near Kay B. Hudgens, her only surviving sibling. Everett and
Wilhelma Hudgens Thornton had one son: Robert T. Thornton
born August 1, 1921. (See Generation 11.) Wilhelma had no other
children. A 1993 newspaper clipping about the death of Wilhelma’s
son, Robert T. Thornton, mentions a step-mother, Edith Thornton.
Evidently Everett Thornton married again.
7. Emma Maxine Hudgens was
born January 18, 1906, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois.
She died in Marion Memorial Hospital, Marion, Illinois, on April
6, 1985, at age 79. She is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion.
On May 3, 1924, she married William Jerome Hubbard
in Carrier Mills, Illinois. Jerome, known to everyone as “Roe.”
was born December 5, 1903. He worked for many years as a sales
representative for the Chevrolet dealership in Marion. Roe died
on September 28, 1957, in Marion and is buried in Maplewood Cemetery.beside
his wife and eldest son Roe Jean. Roe and Maxine
Hudgens Hubbard had three children: Roe Jean Hubbard born
April 10, 1932 (deceased), Billy Joe Hubbard born May 31,
1934, and Camille Hubbard born October 1, 1950. (See Generation
11.)
8. John Jackson “Jack” Hudgens - born December 16, 1909, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. On August 20, 1932, “Jack” married Yolanda Burklow in Graves County, Kentucky. Yolanda was born on June 3, 1914, in Johnson County, Illinois. Jack and Yolanda Burklow Hudgens lived primarily in Springfield and Taylorville, Illinois. Jack died on July 13, 1962, as the result of an automobile accident on State Route 37 south of Marion, Illinois. He died in Marion Memorial Hospital. He is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion. Yolanda Burklow married Vogel Eichelberger of Taylorville in June 1979 in Rock Island, Illinois. Vogel was born in Taylorville, Illinois, November 16, 1906, and he died there on February 10, 1993. Yolanda died October 30, 1997, at the Carondelet Hospice Home in Green Valley, Arizona. She resided in Taylorville for 37 years before moving to Arizona in 1994 with her daughter and son-in-law, Jacquelyn and William Snyder. Her ashes will be buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion, Illinois, in June 3, 1998 - the anniversary of her birth. John Jackson and Yolanda Burklow had one daughter: Jacqueline Lou Hudgens born June 9, 1933. (See Generation 11.)
9. Kay Berton Hudgens - born
December 21, 1918, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. He
is presently living in Kankakee, Illinois. Kay attended Southern
Illinois University in Carbondale and graduated from the University
of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago, majoring in Occupational
Therapy. He worked for several years at the University of Chicago’s
La Rabida Institute and later at the Illinois State Hospitals
in Peoria and Kankakee. Kay B. Hudgens, my uncle, has been interested
in the history of the Hudgens and Fly families most of his life,
and a good deal of the information and inspiration for this updated
and expanded Fly Family History came from him. On March 17, 1946,
he married Garnet Marjorie Varvel in Blue Mound, Macon
County, Illinois. Garnet was born February 6, 1921, in Blue Mound,
Illinois, and worked for many years in the field of floral design.
She died January 5, 1997, in Kankakee and is buried there. Kay
Berton and Garnet Varvel Hudgens had two sons: John Mark Hudgens
born May 4, 1957, and Michael Varvel Hudgens born January
5, 1963. (See Generation 11.)
GENERATION 11
Grandchildren of Bertie Fly
Hudgens
1. Victor Randall Hudgens
(the only child of Earl Grover Cleveland and Helen Jones Hudgens)
- born January 11, 1911, in Illinois and died March 15, 1981,
in California. Victor married Gertie Green (born May 30,
1914). For many years Victor and Gertie lived in Southern California
where Gertie worked as a seamstress in the movie industry in Hollywood.
Later they moved to Northern California. Gertie died in California
November 24, 1980. Victor and Gertie Green Hudgens had two children:
Diane Lee Hudgens born October 26, 1947, and John Edward
Hudgens, born December 23, 1953, in Covina, California. (See
Generation 12.)
2. Venita Blanche Hudgens -
(the only child of Guy Bell and Mollie Corshire Hudgens) born
on March 14, 1916, in Red Lodge, Montana. Neta,
as she has always been known, was a small child when her mother
died in Montana. After his wife's death, Guy Bell brought
two-year-old Neta back to his family home in Goreville, Illinois,
where she was raised primarily by her grandfather and step-grandmother,
John Bell and Bertie Fly Hudgens. She married John Ellis Simmons
on October 25, 1935, in Mount Vernon, Indiana. John Simmons was
born on August 8, 1908, in Tunnel Hill, Johnson County, Illinois.
Neta died July 23, 1986, in Vienna, Johnson County, Illinois.
Her husband John died there July 6, 1988. Both are buried in
Roberson (Robertson?) Cemetery in Vienna. Sometime before her
death, Neta's sons took her on a trip to Montana to visit
her birthplace and the grave of her mother. John Ellis and Neta
Hudgens Simmons had four sons: Guy Bell Simmons born September
9, 1936, Max Ellis Simmons born August 27, 1938, Gary
Michael Simmons, born February 28, 1940, and Jon Arthur
Simmons born January 5, 1941. (See Generation 12.)
3 Annie Lou Kirk (the only
child of Walter Wise and Mary Ruby Hudgens Kirk) was born November
10, 1919, in Cypress, Johnson County, Illinois. On January 27,
1940, Ann Kirk married James Marion Brown in Bowling Green,
Kentucky. James was born June 30, 1917, in Salem, Marion County,
Illinois. For many years Jim was in the grocery business. Jim
and Annie Lou Kirk Brown are living in Salem, Illinois, and have
lived there much of their lives. They have two children: Mary
Ann Brown born October 11, 1944, and James Kirk Brown
born August 11, 1951. (See Generation 12.)
4. Robert T. “Bob” Thornton (the only child of Everett and Wilhelma Hudgens Thornton) was bornAugust 1, 1921, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. His parents were divorced when he was young, and his grandparents, John B. and Bertie Fly Hudgens, assisted in raising him. During World War II Bob served in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought under the command of Jimmy Roosevelt. He suffered leg injuries in the war which caused him problems the rest of his life. Bob married Nina Probst on December 20, 1946, in Decatur, Illinois. They had one daughter, Randa Kay Thornton born October 21, 1947, in Macon County Hospital in Decatur. (See Generation 12.) Bob and Nina Probst Thornton were divorced. Nina died some years afterwards following a long bout with cancer. Bob Thornton later married Agnes “Aggie” (last name unknown) and settled in Pensacola, Florida where they lived for 30 years. There Bob was in the printing business. He died May ll, 1993, in Pensacola. He is buried in Barancas National Cemetery near Pensacola. His widow Aggie still lives in Pensacola.
5. Val Jean Hudgens (the only
child of Arba Fly and Clara Bagley Hudgens) was born August 3,
1926. He was named after his father’s next youngest brother.
In a recent letter, Val Jean wrote, “Their first and only
child was named after his uncle. This child was so wonderful,
beautiful, and smart they just gave up and didn't have
any more. He also turned out to be by far the tallest
grandchild of Bertie Fly Hudgens. On April 10, 1948, Val Jean
married Lois Maxine Hicks in Salem, Illinois. She was
born August 26, 1926, in Harvey, Cook County, Illinois. Like
his father, Val Jean spent his working career with the C &
E I Railroad. Val Jean and Lois Hicks Hudgens have three children:
Brenda Jane Hudgens born September 29, 1950, Norman Eugene
Hudgens born January 22, 1954. and Patricia Kay Hudgens
born July 15, 1955. Val and Lois Hudgens live in Salem, and their
children all live in Salem or in the vicinity. (See Generation
12.)
6. Roe Jean Hubbard (the first
son of Jerome “Roe” and Maxine Hudgens Hubbard) was
born April 10, 1932, in Marion, Williamson County, Illinois.
On May 3, 1945, at the age of 13 he died suddenly of ptomaine
poisoning in Marion. His paternal grandfather, Seigel Hubbard,
burned to death in a hotel fire in Marion the next day. A double
funeral service was held in Marion.. Roe Jean Hubbard is buried
in Maplewood Cemetery in Marion, beside his parents.
7. Arba Lee Hudgens (that’s
me!) is the one putting together this Fly Family History. The
oldest child of Val Jean and Irma Berry Hudgens, he was born November
28, 1932, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois, and was named
after his father’s older brother, Arba Fly Hudgens. (He
has always wished his uncle had been named something else.) Arba
moved from Southern Illinois to Northern California with his parents
in June 1943 and has lived there ever since. A graduate of the
University of California at Berkeley, he worked for 34 years in
the San Leandro (California) School District as a high school
teacher and counselor. On August 22, 1953, he married Mary
Ann “Sallee” Sueltz in Berkeley, California. “Sallee”
was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and is also a graduate of
the University of California at Berkeley. Arba and “Sallee”
Sueltz Hudgens have four children: Mari Beth Hudgens born
October 5, 1956, Lori Anne Hudgens born June 14, 1958,
James Marshall Hudgens born August 1, 1959, and Jon
Arthur Hudgens born March 16, 1963. All are presently living
in California. (See Generation 12.) Arba and Sallee Sueltz
Hudgens have resided in Oakland, California, for 39 years. His
address is 2019 Mastlands Drive, Oakland 94611, (e-mail hudgens1@ix.netcom.com)
in case you want to let him know how excited you are about this
Fly Family History - or in case you want to get off his
mailing list.
8. Jacqueline Lou Hudgens was
born June 9, 1933. “Jackie” is the only child of John
Jackson Jack and Yolanda Burklow Hudgens. She
married Samuel Louis Rice in Las Vegas, Nevada on July
2, 1953. Sam was born in East Moline, Illinois, October 15, 1932
They were divorced. Sam and Jacquelyn Hudgens Rice had three
children: Mark Anthony Rice born September 14, 1954, Dianne
Louise Rice born January 17, 1957, and Mary Beth Rice
born May 18, 1961. (See Generation 12.) Jackie married William
“Bill” Snyder in Moline, Illinois, on October 2,
1971. Bill was born May 27, 1924, in Chicago, Illinois. For
several years Bill and Jackie Hudgens Snyder lived in Honolulu,
Hawaii, where he was connected with the ABC television affiliate
in that city. From Honolulu they moved to Taylorville, Illinois,
and then, in 1994, to Green Valley, Arizona, where they presently
reside. Her first name is spelled Jacqueline in earlier family
records. Somewhere along the line she seems to have changed the
spelling to Jacquelyn.
9. Billy Joe Hubbard -(the
second son of William Jerome “Roe” and Maxine Hudgens
Hubbard) was born May 31, 1934, in Marion, Williamson County,
Illinois. He married Lois June Green on October 24, 1952,
in Marion. Lois was born June 22, 1933, also in Marion. Bill
and Lois are presently living outside St. Louis in Pacific, Missouri.
Their four children are: Sheri Jo Hubbard born January
14, 1954, in Marion; Geary Roe Hubbard born February 6,
1956 in Marion (deceased); Marcia Lynn Hubbard born April
26, 1961, in Stockton, California; and Michael Glenn Hubbard
born July 16, 1962, in Marion. (See Generation 12.)
10. Lois Emily Hudgens (the
only daughter of Val Jean and Irma Berry Hudgens) was born September
8, 1937, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. At age 5 she
moved from Southern Illinois to Northern California with her parents.
She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and
taught in Berkeley public schools. She received her Masters
Degree in Social Work from the University of Washington and has
been licensed in the state of Washington as a massage therapist
since 1985. On June 9, 1960, she married Winslow “Win”
Whitman in the chapel of Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley,
California. Born on July 28, 1929, in Evanston, Illinois, “Win”
is a graduate of Harvard University and Northwestern Law School.
For 36 years Winslow and Emily have resided in Seattle. Recently
retired, Winslow had a long career as an assistant attorney general
for the State of Washington. They have two daughters: Paula
Whitman born October 17, 1962, and Sara Whitman born
October 29, 1971. (See Generation 12.)
11. Robert Earl “Bob”
Hudgens (the second son of Val Jean and Irma Berry Hudgens)
was born May 2, 1945, in Oakland, Alameda County, California.
On May 3, 1975, he married Barbara Lee Richason Gorrell
in Gainesville, Florida. Barbara was born January 16, 1946.
She had previously been married. Bob and Barbara Hudgens were
divorced in 1996. Bob graduated from the University of California
at Davis and obtained his doctorate at the University of Florida.
His work in international agriculture has caused him to live
abroad for many years, primarily in South and Central America
and in Africa. He is presently on the staff of Kansas State
University in Manhattan, Kansas. He has no children.
12. Camille Hubbard (the only
daughter of William Jerome “Roe” and Maxine Hudgens
Hubbard) was born October 1, 1950, in Carbondale, Illinois. She
has been an elementary education teacher in Marion for 25 years.and
continues to teach. In October 1968, she married Stephen Shafer
in Marion, Illinois. He was born April 6, 1949, in Anna, Illinois.
They were divorced in March 1994. Stephen and Camille Hubbard
Shafer have two children: Brian Charles Shafer born April
3, 1973, and Jennifer Kay Shafer born March 2, 1977. Both
are living in Marion. (See Generation 12.)
13. John Mark Hudgens (the
eldest son of Kay Berton and Garnet Varvel Hudgens) was born May
4, 1967, in Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois. He is a graduate
of Columbia College in Chicago. On August 7, 1993, he married
Cheryl Gay Klochman in Kankakee. Cheryl was born October
9, 1958, in Kankakee and is a graduate of Bob Jones College in
Greenville, South Carolina. Mark and Cheryl are presently living
in Bourbonnais (adjacent to Kankakee, Illinois). They have two
sons: Sean Mark Hudgens born July 1, 1995, and Brittan
Michael-Martin Hudgens, born February 6, 1998. Brittan is
the newest leaf on this Fly Family Tree. (See Generation 12.)
14. Michael Varvel Hudgens
(the second son of Kay Berton and Garnet Varvel Hudgens) was born
January 5, 1963, in Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois. He married
Desta Maria Wagner on September 12, 1992, in Kankakee.
Desta is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William O. Wagner of Bradley,
Illinois, and is a graduate of William Woods College in Missouri.
Michael and Desta Wagner Hudgens are presently living
in Kankakee. They have no children.
GENERATIONS 12, 13, 14
Great- Grandchildren of Bertie Fly Hudgens - numbered 1., 2., 3., 4.
Great-Great Grandchildren of Bertie Fly Hudgens - numbered a., b., c.
Great-Great-Great Grandchildren
of Bertie Fly Hudgens -
1), 2). 3)
The children of Victor
Randall Hudgens, Bertie
Fly’s step-grandson, are:
1. Diane Lee Hudgens - born
October 26, 1947. Possibly adopted. She lived with her parents
in Southern California and in Concord, in Northern California.
On November 25, 1966, she married James W. Stockton. I have
no recent information about Diane or her family and don’t
know how to get in touch with her.
2.. John Edward Hudgens - born
December 23, 1953, in Covina, California. He moved with his parents
to Concord, California, and graduated from Ygnacio Valley High
School in Walnut Creek. California, in 1972. I have no recent
information about John and don't know how to get in touch
with him.
The children of Venita
Blanche Hudgens Simmons,
Bertie Fly’s step-granddaughter, are:
1. Guy Bell Simmons - born
September 9, 1936, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. On
June 10, 1953, he married Bonnie Lou Casey (born December
2, 1936). They are presently living in Griffith, Indiana. I
am lacking up-to-date information about Guy, but I do have his
address. Guy Bell and Bonnie Casey Simmons have a daughter, Cathy
Lea Simmons. There are possibly more children.
a. Cathy Lea Simmons.
(birthdate unknown). I have no recent information about Cathy
although I do have her e-mail address.
2. Max Ellis Simmons - born
August 27, 1938, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. Max
worked for 29 years in the steel mills in Northern Indiana. He
is now retired, living in Bradenton, Florida. Max married Shirley
Mae Dowdy in 1959. They were divorced in 1990 after 30 years
of marriage. Max Ellis and Shirley Mae Dowdy Simmons had three
children, Sheryl Janene Simmons, Max Ellis Simmons,
Jr., and Kip Dewayne Simmons:
a. Sheryl Janene Simmons -
born November 27, 1960. (No recent information.)
b. Max Ellis Simmons Jr. (died
in infancy)
c.Kip Dewayne Simmons, - born
July 4, 1969. (No recent information.)
3. Gary Michael Simmons - born
February 28, 1940, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. He
married Sheilah Narae Haltzclaw in Cambria, Williamson
County, Illinois. She was born July 2, 1943, in Evansville, Indiana.
Gary and Sheilah Haltzclaw Simmons presently live in Ozark, Johnson
County, Illinois, where Gary grew up. They have two children,
Simi Dawn Simmons and Jamie Linn Simmons.
a. Simi Dawn Simmons was born
October 17, 1963. She married Darrell Allen Poe. Simi
Dawn Simmons and Darrell Allen Poe have two children, Deandra
Renee Poe and Austin Allen Poe:
1) Deandra Renee Poe - born February 29, 1984, in Rockford, Winnebago Co., Illinois.
2). Austin Allen Poe - born
May 7, 1987, in Rockford, Winnebago County, Illinois.
b.Jamie Linn Simmons born August
11, 1969, in Sparta, Randolph County, Illinois. Jamie has been
operating the Simmons Home Repair Company in Vienna, Illinois.
Jamie married Lorie Keith. Until recently, Jamie had
a nice webpage on the Johnson County Online website, but that
county site seems to have disappeared from the Internet. Jamie
and Lorie Keith Simmons have two children: Rachel Lana Simmons
and Jordan Tobias Simmons:
1) Rachel Lana Simmons -
born July 31, 1995, in Hillsboro, Montgomery Co. , Illinois.
2) Jordan Tobias Simmons
- born October 3, 1997, in Hillsboro, Montgomery Co, Illinois.
4. Jon Arthur Simmons - born
January 5, 1941, in Goreville, Johnson County, Illinois. He married
Linda Louise McCuan on June 29, 1968, in Vienna, Johnson
County, Illinois. She was born September 29, 1947. Jon A, Simmons
is presently an auctioneer and businessman living in Vienna.
I have not received any recent information about Jon or his family,
but I do have his address in Vienna.
The children of Annie
Lou Kirk Brown, Bertie
Fly’s step-granddaughter, are:
1. Mary Anne Brown - born October
11, 1944, in Salem, Marion County, Illinois. She married Michael
Stephen Bernath in October 1966, in Pasadena, California.
Michael Bernath was born November 14, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri.
Michael and Mary Anne Brown Bernath have two children, Brett
Allen Bernath and Cynthia Page Bernath:
a. Brett Allen Bernath was
born July 4, 1967, in St. Louis, Missouri. Brett married Maite
Peralta of San Diego, California, on July 29, 1994, in San
Diego. Maite was born August 18, 1968, in Malage, Spain.
b. Cynthia “Cindy” Page
Bernath was born September 15, 1973, in St Louis, Missouri.
2. James Kirk Brown - born
August 11, 1951, in Salem, Illinois. He married Christine
Marie Eisner. James Kirk and Christine Eisner Brown (now
divorced) have one son, Joshua Clay Brown;
a. Joshua Clay Brown - born January 17, 1983,.in St. Louis, Missouri.
The child of Robert
T. Thornton, Bertie Fly’s
grandson, is:
1. Randa Kay Thornton - born
October 21, 1947, in Macon County Hospital, Decatur, Illinois.
She was married to Robert Jewett and lived in Veradale,
Washington, a suburb of Spokane, for some time. According to
Kay B. Hudgens, Randa has two children, but I have no information
about them. Her married name is now Trevino, and she lives
in Scottsdale, Arizona. A recent inquiry produced no information
about Randa or her family, although I do have an address for her
in Scottsdale.
The children of Val
Jean Hudgens, Bertie Fly’s
grandson, are:
1. Brenda Jane Hudgens - born
September 29, 1950, in Salem, Marion County, Illinois. On December
21, 1974, in Carlyle, Illinois, she married William Roy “Bill”
Garish (born December 22, 1942). They were divorced in October
1979. Bill and Brenda Hudgens Garish had one son, Gary Michael
Garish. Her second marriage was to Stephen George Loew.
The wedding was in Salem. Stephen has two grown daughters by
a previous marriage.
a. Gary Michael Garish - born
September 13, 1977, in Centralia, Illinois.
2. Norman Eugene Hudgens -
born January 22, 1954, in Salem, Marion County, Illinois. On
April 29, 1973, in Salem, Norman married Karen Jean Richison
(born July 19, 1954). Norman and Karen Richison Hudgens have
two sons: David Val Hudgens and Joel Arthur Hudgens:
a. David Val Hudgens - born
November 22, 1975, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He is presently
single.
b.Joel Arthur Hudgens - born
May 15, 1979, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. On March 8, 1997, Joel
married Tina Marie Karrick in Salem, Illinois. She was
born August 15, 1977. Joel Arthur and Tina Karrick Hudgens have
one son: Joel Blade Hudgens:
1) Joel Blade Hudgens born
September 6, 1997, in Centralia, Illinois. Val Jean Hudgens writes,
“His parents and grandparents call him Blade. I call him
“J.B.” He makes me a great-grandfather, so I can call
him whatever I want.
3. Patricia Kay Hudgens - born
July 15, 1955, in Salem, Marion County, Illinois. She married
Bret Edward Jezek in Kinmundy, Illinois, on August 18,
1984. Bret and Patricia Kay Hudgens Jezek have two children:
Cole Edward Jezek and Rebecca Jane Jesek:
a. Cole Edward Jezek - born
July 26, 1985.
b. Rebecca Jane Jezek - born
February 10, 1987.
The children of Arba
Lee Hudgens, Bertie Fly’s
grandson, are:
1. Mari Beth Hudgens - born
October 5, 1956, in Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey. Mari
has two bachelors degrees - one from California State University
in Chico and one from St. Marys College in Moraga, California.
She is a Registered Nurse. On June 5, 1984, in San Francisco,
Mari married Irving Christopher “Chris” Hudlin, M.D.
He was born November 18, 1953, in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He
is a graduate of the Medical School at Washington University in
St. Louis. At the time of their marriage Chris was a Major in
the U.S. Air Force, serving as an Air Force surgeon at Travis
Air Force Base in Vacaville, California. They were divorced in
1996. Chris and Mari Hudlin Hudgens have three children, Ryan
Christopher Hudlin, Jenna Marisa Hudlin, and
Brittany Rae Hudlin. Mari and her children live in Stockton,
California.
a.Ryan Christopher Hudlin
- born November 23, 1984, at Travis Air Force Base, Vacaville,
California.
b. Jenna Marisa Hudlin - born
May 6, 1986, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
c. Brittany Rae Hudlin - born January 5, 1988, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.
2. Lori Anne Hudgens - born
June 14, 1958, in Oakland, Alameda County, California. Lori is
a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. She has
worked as a program administrator in the field of early childhood
education. On December 27, 1980, she married Robert Wayne
Brueckner. He was born June 14, 1959, in St. Paul, Minnesota,
and is a graduate of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.
He is a building contractor. Bob and Lori Brueckner live in
Walnut Creek, California, and have three children, Lindsey
Anne Brueckner, Carie Janette Brueckner, and
William Taylor Brueckner.
a. Lindsey Anne Brueckner -
born October 23, 1981, in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County,
California
b. Carie Janette Brueckner
- born April 22, 1985, in Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County,
California.
c. William Taylor Brueckner
- born September 3, 1996, in Berkeley, Alameda County, California.
3. James Marshall Hudgens -
born August 1, 1959, in Oakland, Alameda County, California.
James is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley
and has received an advanced degree from the University of California
at Los Angeles where he is now on the staff. For many years he
lived overseas in Germany, in Paris, and in West Africa. He has
published a travel guide to West Africa and works “on the
side” in the film industry. He is single and lives in Los
Angeles.
4. Jon Arthur Hudgens - born
March 16, 1963, in Oakland, Alameda County, California. Jon is
a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara.
He has worked for several years for an insurance agency in Oakland,
California. On July 28, 1990, he married Tamara Ann Farrand,
an elementary school teacher, in Orinda, California. They live
in Pleasant Hill, California, and have two children, Katherine
Ann Hudgens and Gregory James Hudgens.
a. Katherine Ann Hudgens -
born June 16, 1994, in Walnut Creek, Contra Costa County, California.
b. Gregory James Hudgens -
born March 29, 1997. in Walnut Creek, California, Contra Costa
County, California
The children of Jacqueline
Lou Hudgens Rice Snyder,
Bertie Fly’s granddaughter, are:
1. Mark Anthony Rice was
born September 14, 1954. Mark and his first wife JoAnne
(last name unknown) had one daughter, Marissa J. Rice.
Mark’s second wife is Sandra (last name unknown).
Mark and Sandra Rice presently live in Moline, Rock Island County,
Illinois.
a. Marissa J. Rice was born
July 27, 1979. She is currently a freshman at Northern Iowa University,
and is also living in Moline, Illinois.
2. Dianne Louise Rice was born
January 17, 1957. Diane Rice married Richard Moody on
October 30, 1995, in their home in California. They have one
son, Samuel Jackson Moody. Richard and Dianne Rice Moody
currently live in Cheviot Hills, California (Los Angeles area).
a. Samuel Jackson “Jack”
Moody was born April 21, 1997, in California.
3. Mary Beth Rice was born
May 18, 1961. Mary Beth is divorced from her husband David
Kahn. Mary Beth has not remarried and continues to live in
Honolulu, Hawaii. David and Mary Beth Rice Kahn had no children.
The children of Billy
Joe Hubbard, Bertie Fly’s
grandson, are:
1. Sheri Jo Hubbard - born
January 14, 1954, in Marion, Williamson County, Illinois. She
married Edward Michael Droege on June 18, 1977, in St.
Louis, Missouri. Her father, Bill, officiated at the wedding.
Edward Droege, Sheri’s husband, was born September 12, 1954,
in St. Louis. Edward and Sherri Jo Hubbard Droege have two children:
Aimee Lee Droege and Kyle Edward Droege.
a. Aimee Lee Droege - born
May 11, 1979, in St. Louis, Missouri.
b. Kyle Edward Droege - born
September 22, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri.
2. Geary Roe Hubbard - born
February 6, 1956, in Marion, Illinois. Geary Roe died May 16,
1984, in Bad Nauheim, West Germany, while serving with the U.S.
Army, and is buried in St. Louis, Missouri. He received a posthumous
Meritorous Service Medal on December 18, 1984. Geary Roe married
Victoria Ann Smith on November 27, 1974, in St. Louis.
She was born January 24, 1956, also in St. Louis. Two children
were born to Geary Roe and Victoria Smith Hubbard: Christopher
Michael Hubbard and Patricia Ann Hubbard.
a. Christopher Michael Hubbard
- born October 5, 1980, in Frankfort, West Germany.
b. Patricia Ann Hubbard - born
June 8, 1983, in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
3. Marcia Lynn Hubbard - born
April 26, 1961, in Stockton, Stanislaus County, California - 100
years to the day after her great-grandfather, John Bell Hudgens
was born. On October 10, 1981, she married John Michael Coppersmith
in St. Louis, Missouri. He was born September 5, 1960, in St.
Louis. John and Marcia Hubbard Coppersmith have three children:
Nicki Renee Coppersmith, Ian Michael Coppersmith, and Chelsey
Ann Coppersmith.
a. Nicki Renee Coppersmith
- born June 16, 1983, in St. Louis, Missouri.
b. Ian Michael Coppersmith
- born September 3, 1987, in St. Louis, Missouri.
c. Chelsey Ann Coppersmith
- born February 10, 1990, in St. Louis, Missouri.
4. Michael Glen Hubbard - born
July 16, 1962, in Marion, Illinois. He married Barbara Ann
Bommarito in St. Louis, Missouri, on June 26, 1981. She was
born September 7, 1963, in St. Louis. Michael and Barbara Bommarito
Hubbard have three children: Michael Glenn Hubbard,
Jr., Patrick Corey Hubbard, and Matthew Adam Hubbard.
a. Michael Glenn Hubbard, Jr.
was born December 1, 1981, in St. Louis, Missouri.
b. Patrick Corey Hubbard was
born November 16, 1984, in St. Louis, Missouri.
c. Matthew Adam Hubbard was
born March 24, 1988, in St. Louis, Missouri.
The children of Lois
Emily Hudgens, Bertie Fly’s
granddaughter, are:
1. Paula Whitman - born October
17, 1962, in Seattle, King County, Washington. A graduate of
Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, Paula
is presently working toward a Masters Degree in Education at Evergreen
State College in Olympia, Washington.
2. Sara Whitman was born October
29, 1971, in Seattle, King County, Washington. She attended Shoreline
Community College in Seattle. She resides with Andrew Alexander
Jeromsky in Seattle. “Andy,” born August 26,
1964 in Seattle, is a graduate of Shoreline College. Sara and
Andy Jeromsky are the parents of a daughter: Piper Angela Jeromsky.
a. Piper Angela Jeromsky -
born on October 20, 1997, in Northwest Hospital, Seattle, Washington.
The children of Camille Hubbard Shafer, Bertie Fly’s granddaughter, are:
1. Brian Charles Shafer - born
April 3, 1973, in Marion, Williamson County, Illinois. He married
Stephanie Ruth Sharp on April 21, 1995. She was born February
13, 1973, in Murphysboro, Illinois. Brian has had a lifelong
interest in trains and is an engineer for a local short-line railroad.
Brian and Stephanie are the parents of one son, Andrew Charles
Shafer. They live in Marion.
a. Andrew Charles Shafer -
born October 26, 1995, in Marion, Illinois.
2. Jennifer Kay Shafer - born
March 2, 1977, in Carbondale, Illinois. Jennifer is currently
living in Marion, Illinois. She is a student at Southern Illinois
University in Carbondale, planning to graduate in May 1998.
The children of John
Mark Hudgens, Bertie Fly’s
grandson, are:
1. Sean Mark Hudgens - born
July 1, 1995, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, Kankakee
County, Illinois.
2. Brittan Michael-Martin Hudgens
- born February 2, 1998, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee,
Illinois. Brittan is the youngest person listed in this Fly Family
History.
This family information provided by Arba L. Hudgens, Arba has also contributed the Fountain Church Cemetery Inventory, many of the individuals mentioned in this family history are buried there.
| Fountain Church Cemetery Inventory |
| Southern Illinois Ancestors |
| Williamson County IL Gen Web Family Genealogies |
Page Copyright © Arba L. Hudgens April 15, 1998