James Edward Chipman’s siblings: Cynthia Ann (Chipman) Koonce & Benjamin Chipman / Miller Excursus
FAMILY OF CYNTHIA ANN (CHIPMAN) KOONCE, SISTER OF JAMES EDWARD CHIPMAN (1879-1956)
I don’t have many records on the Koonce family. James Edward Chipman’s sister Cynthia Ann (Sinthy) Chipman married John Bennett Koonce on 7 Dec 1895 in Lauderdale Co., TN.
According to her death certificate, Sinthy died on 1 Dec 1926 at Central, in Lauderdale Co. When I visited Ripley, TN about 20 years ago, I stopped by the local newspaper, and found this brief obituary in “The Lauderdale Co. Enterprise” 3 Dec 1926, p. 5:
“Mrs. J.B. Koonce died Wednesday at her home near Central after an illness of several weeks. She is survived by two children. Her husband died a few months ago. Her remains were laid to rest in Mt. Pleasant cemetary Thursday morning.”
The children of John Bennett and Cynthia Ann (Chipman) Koonce were:
Dupree D. (Dewey) Koonce b. 28 Oct 1898 d. 21 Jun 1972; Edna Gertrude Koonce b. 1902; Lily Mae Koonce b. 1908; Ethel Koonce b. 1911; Imogene Koonce b. 1915; and William Koonce.
I was fortunate to get a little information about the Koonce family from Bessie Koonce, who sent me the following:
“Feb. 28, 1988
Dear Jeff,
I don’t have much help for you about your research of Cynthia. I know Bennett Koonce and Cynthia were married in 1895-96 or 97. I don’t have any record as to the exact date.
The church cemetary where they were buried does not have records back that far. I do know the year they died. Bennett was my husband’s uncle. Bennett died in 1926, I can’t remember the date of year. Cynthia died in 1927, don’t have the date of yr. She would have been 50 years old in Sept. of that year. I have forgotten the day of her birth, but it was the 11th, 12th or 16th of Sept. Both Bennett and Cynthia were buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetary.
Wes Miller was Cynthia’s uncle.
Wishing you good luck with your research.
Sincerely,
Bessie Koonce”
MILLER EXCURSUS
The 1880 Lauderdale Co., TN Federal Census lists Howard Miller living in District 7, p. 186:
Howard Miller 66 b. NC (widower, deceased wife b. LA), Jane 20 b. TN (dau.), Ellen 15 b. TN (dau.), Millage 17 b. TN (son), Wesley 7. b. TN (son), Margaret A. 4 b. TN (granddaughter).
The 1870 Lauderdale Co., TN Federal Census lists Howard Miller in District 7, p. 595:
Howard Miller 57 b. NC, Caroline 48 b. FLA, Sarah 21 b. TN, Mary 17 b. TN, Jane 12 b. TN, James 9 b. TN, Miledge 6 b. TN, Ellen 4 b. TN
Joseph H. Chipman married Sarah A. Miller on 31 Aug 1873 in Lauderdale Co. Sarah was born in Shelby Co., TN, where she’s listed with her parents, Howard M. and [Leitha] Caroline Miller in the 1850 Shelby Co. Federal Census, p. 258. Philip B. Hargis was residing in an adjacent household.
Howard Miller married Leitha Caroline Hargis on 20 Jun 1844 in Shelby Co. By 1859, the family had moved to Lauderdale Co., when on 3 Oct 1859, Howard Miller mortgaged his cotton crop and a two horse waggon to B.M. Flippin (Lauderdale Co., TN Deed Book H, p. 356).
The 1860 Lauderdale Co., TN Federal Census lists Howard Miller in District 7, p. 371:
Howard Miller 46 b. NC, Lethe 33 b. GA, Frances 15 b. TN, William 13 b. TN, Sarah 11 b. TN, Emiline 9 b. TN, John 7 b. TN, Alexina 5 b. TN, Mary 3 b. TN, Eliza 1 b. TN
What fascinates me about Howard and Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller is this: Howard’s wife was “Letha” when he married her in 1844, called herself “Caroline” in the 1850 Shelby Co. census, became “Lethe” again in 1860, and wound up as “Caroline” once more in 1870. By 1880 she was deceased. Presumably the angels sorted it all out when she presented herself at the gates of Heaven.
Leitha Caroline (Hargis) Miller was probably the daughter of Philip B. and Marian W. (Fincher) Hargis, who married 10 Oct 1820 in Burke Co., NC. Philip B. Hargis was the son of Jonathan and Priscilla (Askew) Hargis, and a grandson of Shadrach Hargis (d. 25 Jan 1816), a Captain in the Revolutionary War. Jonathan Hargis died in Tipton Co., TN on 14 Aug 1837. The Hargis family was of colonial Maryland origin.
Philip B. Hargis had a son Milledge A. Hargis (living in Conway Co., AR in 1860), and Howard and Leitha Miller had a son Millage Miller. Onomastic evidence in this instance is compelling.
On 16 Mar 1846 in Shelby Co., Howard Miller and P.B. Hargis witnessed the will of Polly Bennett (Shelby Co. Will Record C-1, pp. 338-339). Philip B. Hargis was living as late as 24 Jan 1856, when he sold Levi Baldock his interest in a tract of land (Shelby Co., TN Deed Book 24, p. 618). Except for Milledge A. Hargis, I don’t know what became of Philip B. Hargis and his large family.
Sally Hargis, a daughter of Jonathan and Priscilla (Askew) Hargis, married Hiram Miller 31 Mar 1821 in Burke Co., NC. Howard Miller (born NC) doesn’t appear to be connected to any Miller family residing in Shelby Co. at the time, but Miller being a common name, I’ve been unable to further trace his ancestry.
________________________________________________
This is another family for which I have few records, but I have corresponded with Robert Craig, a grandson of Charles Samuel and Willie Edna (Chipman) Craig.
FAMILY OF BENJAMIN CHIPMAN (1874-1913), BROTHER OF JAMES EDWARD CHIPMAN (1879-1956)
Benjamin Chipman b. Nov 1874 in Virginia, d. 23 Dec 1913 in Blytheville, Mississippi Co., Arkansas, buried at Sawyer Cemetary in SE Blytheville (no marker).
Married 2 Mar 1899 in Mississippi Co., (her first) Anne Ashcraft, b. 12 Oct 1878, d. 18 Apr 1970 in Osceola, Arkansas.
Children:
Willie Edna Chipman, b. 1 Apr 1900, d. 21 Jun 1980, m. Charles Samuel Craig
Marvin Chipman, b. 10 Jul 1902, d. 25 Jul 1980
Gertie Chipman, b. 24 Apr 1904, d. 23 Sep 1980
John Chipman, b. 28Jan 1906, d. 10 Jan 1987
Joe Bill Chipman, b. 7 Mar 1908, d. 16 Nov 1973
Lillie Chipman, b. 5 Jun 1912, d. 22 Oct 1928
Mollie Chipman, b. 8 Mar 1914 (posthumous)
Annie (Ashcraft) Chipman married (2nd) Noah Wright.
Children:
Hazel Wright, b. 28 Apr 1918, d. 1967
Mabel Wright, b. 28 Apr 1919
