Y'all come back, now - y'hear?
Albert Sidney Green
Carmen Ercell Green
George Edward Harding II
Ralph Farish Burrage
Carmen Areta (Green) Burrage
Billia Joan (Stephens) Green
Gary Lane Green
Sidney Fay Green
James Dudley Green
Ina Francis (Cliburn) Green
Euple "Penny" (Green) Harding
Visitors to this site since April 6. 2001
FAMILY HISTORY
"Green" is an Anglo-Saxon surname which was first recorded in Kent County, England nearly a thousand years ago. The coat of arms consisted of a shield with three stag heads and bore the motto: "Virtus Semper Viridis" which may be interpreted as "Greens are always virtuous". Our branch of the Green family was in America (probably North Carolina) in colonial times and may have participated in the War for American Independence. When the Revolutionary War ended, settlers poured across the mountains into what is now Tennessee.
Somewhere in East Tennessee our earliest known Green ancestor, Able Nelson Green, was born in 1815. After the Chickasaw Cessation opened new lands, Able and his young wife, Mary "Polly" (McGee) began their family of thirteen children in Itawamba County, Mississippi. Their second child, John Willis Green, was born in 1844. Although most of his family moved on to Wise County, Texas, young John Willis stayed in Mississippi and married Mary Elizabeth "Sis" Vandevander in September of 1860. The couple evidently made their new home in the beautiful hill country of old Tishomingo County but their happiness was shortlived due to the outbreak of the War for Southern Independence. Like most of the men of Tishomingo County, J.W.Green joined the 32nd Mississippi Infantry Regiment, CSA and fought long and hard for The Southern Cause. At one point he was able to come home to visit his beloved wife and see his newborn son, John Willis, Jr. (born Sept. 11, 1862), but left never to return for he died of wounds and dysentary in Georgia where his body remains.
John Willis "Jack" Green (Jr.), grew into a tall handsome man who did not abide "foolishness", and married Jenette "Nettie" Minerva Ann Fendley (a small, energetic woman who loved to play fiddle and dance) in 1882 who bore him 10 children, one of which died as an infant. Jack Green built a two-story home in New Site, a small community in East Prentiss County, across from the present location of New Site School (in fact, the Greens gave the land for the school). The sixth child born to Jack and Nettie was Albert Sidney Green (born Dec. 17, 1894). Typical of the time, Sidney Green fell behind in his school work due to farm duties and eventually found himself sitting in the one-room New Site Schoolhouse before a new teacher who was hardly a year older than himself. The young teacher was Carmen Ercell Robinson (born January 1, 1894) who had come all the way from her home in Monroe County (several days by wagon) after finishing her studies at Blue Mountain College for her first assignment. Sidney Green courted his teacher, won her heart and they were married June 3, 1917.
After they were first married, Sidney planted a crop, and later attended Corinth Normal School for a year, earning a teacher's certificate. While there he played baseball (2nd base) and ran track, possibly for scholarship money. He apparently was a fast runner and competed at Jackson for a championship. At some point he earned the nickname "old bluesocks" because he ran wearing blue dress socks due to lack of white athletic socks.
Though of small frame (taking after his mother instead of his father and most Greens), Sidney was not lacking in courage. He resigned teaching of Providence School and was inducted into the army in May of 1918, refusing draft deferment for being married and a certified teacher. Nine weeks later he was a trained infantryman on a ship headed for France (see A.S. Green's WW I account). When he returned home in May of 1919, Ercell rode down to Camp Shelby and surprised him with their first child, Sidney Fay, in her arms. Upon his return to Prentiss County he became a rural mail carrier, riding the county on horseback and/or mule. Meeting so many people around the county helped him get elected Tax Assessor, (Jan 1928-Dec 1931)a job which also meant riding all over the county and staying overnight with farmers. He then was elected Sheriff (Jan 1932-Dec 1935) when the Depression and Prohibition was in full swing, and Prentiss County was the scene of a great deal of bootlegging and moon-shining. (Although National prohibition ended in 1933, Mississippi Prohibition was not repealed until 1966. Prentiss County is STILL dry!) His aggressive enforcement of the law against those operations, coupled with an incident in which he slipped a Negro accused of killing a white man out of town before a mob could lynch him, probably played a part in not being re-elected. Although Sidney then wanted to move back to New Site and farm, Ercell put her foot down (for perhaps the only time) fearing the children would not receive adequate education. So, he became a Mississippi State Vehicle Comptroller, weighing trucks until his retirement.
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Happy years filled with many joyous occasions were known in the old house which stood at 121 Smith St. in Booneville, Mississippi. Though it stands no more, we, the children and grandchildren who knew this place as HOME , cherish the wonderful memories we share as loving members of the family of Mr. & Mrs. A.S. Green (Albert Sidney and Carmen Ercell). Most of all, we are forever proud and thankful for the nurturing love and guidance we received from them. It is my hope that this site will be enjoyed by my aunts, uncles and cousins whom I love dearly. All relatives, neighbors and friends are welcome as always at 121 Smith Street.------- Ronnie Joe (Idea Guy) and Skip (Web Geek)
