Suzie Crabtree Kearns Drummond biographical letter

Suzie Crabtree Kearns Drummond biographical letter

Date: Sometime in the early 1980’s. I (JK) had written her asking her for information and this was her response:

…I know very little of my ancestors but will try to tell you all I can about them.

My Grandfather was born in Hall Co., Ga. He was married to a girl (or lady) named Ann. I don’t know her last name. His name was Irvin Crabtree. His wife, Ann. They had several sons–my father, and I only know one of their names–was Sam. They were English and French. The Crabtree family originated in England.

My father’s name–Adam Bell Crabtree. Mother–Alice Virginia Jones. They were married and lived all their lives in Whistler, Ala. 7 miles from Mobile.

My mother’s name–Alice Virginia Ranagier. Her mother was named Martha Jane Jones. Father–Andrew Jackson Ranagier.

Her mother’s name was (I am repeating myself)–well, was 3 children from their union–John Wesley Ranagier, Alice Virtinia Ranagier, Henry ? Ranagier.

My mother and father had 9 children–6 boys, 3 gals. Adam, John, Mary V., George, Charles, Martha Ann, Harry, Lee and Susan (me).

My father died at the age of 47. Mother was neare 85. They were buried in Whistler, Ala. Cemetery. My father was a painter by trade and also a musician–played the violin. My father was fair skinned–blue eyes–black hair and about 5’4″ I guess. I was 5 years old when he went away and I do not remember. But my sister told me about him. My mother had brown hair, fair skin and gray eyes–she was a very modest person and read her bible daily until the last days–I am the only one left.

I had 6 children–R. G. Jr. (Rhett Goode), Mary Alice, twins (Dorothy and James Dodson–he was lost in the war in 1942, Carribean Sea), Selden Stephens Kearns, Jacques Merlin Kearns.

My first husband, Rhett Goode Kearns, was an alcoholic. We divorced in 1936. I remarried in ’43 to Martin Madison Drummond. He was good to me and left me very comfortably fixed to live, thanks be to God for that.

Dorothy and Mary Alice both died of cancer. Some day I’ll tell you all about them. They were beautiful girls (like me, ha).