The Death Notice of Mary Jane Priddy Cook

The days I am off work, I go into full genealogy mode. I spend hours and hours going back into my files and seeing which ones I need to be digging more into. A few weeks ago, I decided to look into some old newspapers online. Lo and behold, I dug up Grandma Mary Jane's death notice. It was found in the Greensboro Patriot [now defunct] dated 26 March 1873. Her actual death date was 15 March 1873. It seemed like at the time, obituaries ran about two weeks after the real death date and only prominent citizens or tragic events were published.

Taylor Searcy: Where For Art Thou?

Previously, I posted about Julia, Taylor's wife. I have another brick wall to break through and this time it is Taylor Searcy, himself.

I have seen one census where he is listed with his mother, Susanna Searcy as William T. Searcy in the 1880 US Census, Edneyville-Henderson-NC. She is listed as widowed and has one child, which I assume is Taylor. I have no name for his father and I do not know if he has any siblings at this point. Susanna and Taylor are all I know currently. I have a marriage date for Taylor and Julia: 6 October 1891 [Asheville-Buncombe-NC].

Taylor is listed under all of his sons' birth certificates and on a 1900 US Census. I lose him after Joe's birth in 1903.

I have always heard that he was killed in a logging accident. No one could recollect when or where it happened. If this story is true, he died as a young father, leaving his wife Julia with a gaggle of young sons.

I am at a loss as to what happened to Taylor. Did he really get killed? Was there another family secret? Did Julia and Taylor divorce and he remarry? To whom?

I'll update this entry as information comes to me.