Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Jennie Simmons Brandon (1857-1947)

Located in the Gilead Presbyterian Church cemetery in Estelle, Caswell County, North Carolina (between Yanceyville and Milton) are the graves of three seemingly unrelated people:

Jennie Simmons Brandon (1857-1947)
Virgie Estelle Francisco (1881-1961)
Pearlie B. Lea (1895-1951) and her husband Samuel Isaac Lea (1893-1984)

The central person is Jennie Simmons Brandon. Her full maiden name was Louisa Jane Simmons, and she was married twice.

Her first husband was Charles Chesley Firesheets. One of their children was Virgie Estelle Firesheets, who married George Francisco. Thus, she is the Virgie Estelle Francisco whose gravestone is in the Gilead Presbyterian Church.

The second husband of Louisa Jane (Jennie) Simmons was James A. Brandon (1867-1937). He is buried at the Shiloh Baptist Church cemetery (Yarbrough's Mill Road, Caswell County, North Carolina). James and Jenny had two daughters. One was Pearlie Lee Brandon. She married Samuel Isaac Lea in 1918 and is the Pearlie B. Lea whose gravestone is in the Gilead Presbyterian cemetery, along with that of her husband.

Thus, the mystery is solved. Both Virgie Estelle Francisco and Pearlie B. Lea were daughters of Jennie Simmons Brandon, but had different fathers.

To see these and all the other gravestones in the Gilead Presbyterian Church cemetery go to the Caswell County Cemetery Census.

For more on these families see the Caswell County Family Tree.

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