Original of Simmons and Knight marriage.
Wedding Simmons and Knight retouched
Lucius Simmons (29 Dec 1883 – 9 Sep 1963) and Annie Knight Simmons (22 Feb 1888 – 1 Sept 1961), wedding photo, November 17 1904
I am guessing the man beside Lucius may be his brother Dewitt.
They were said to have been married at the home of Annie’s parents, Marion Thomas “Isaac” Knight and Frances “Fannie” Breland, in Franklinton, Washington Parish, Louisiana.
Pine Lodge
Some years ago I was sent an old and poor xerox of this above image. I found a photo of the original image here, which was far better, but found distracting the flash popping off in the middle of it. I removed the hot spot but, as you can see, I decided not to take great pains over it. My own quirk that I left it two tones as I simply like it that way.
The lodge is at Pine in Washington Parish, Louisiana, located on Louisiana Highway 62 North off Highway 10. At least that’s where it is now. The original lodge was torn down in the 1950s and was located “on Jim Steward Road, about a mile down the road on the left in the woods” according to the “the History of the Knight Family from Virginia to…Washington Parish, Louisiana” website, which is a great one. The masons met on the second floor, the first floor a school and Missionary Baptist Church meeting hall.
The lodge was organized in 1899, chartered Feb 13, 1900, and the photo was taken July 27, 1900.
Left to right: James “Jockey Jim” Knight, Plummer Knight, Dr. Warner, Ira Pope, Monroe Knight, D. E. Branch, P. E. “Rev. Pink” Toney, Rev. Tom Bennett, Marian Knight, Layton Schilling, Meredith Breland, James “Peg Jim” Knight, W. E. Alford, Archie Whittington, and Curtis “Boy” Miley.
Marion (Marian) Isaac Knight, the one in the hat, 9th from the left, is the ancestor pertinent to this website, b. 1866. Jockey Jim was his uncle, b. 1829, son of Charles and Susannah Knight. Ira Pope was married to Jane Knight, daughter of William Knight and Martha Nobles (these being the parents of Marion and so was his brother-in-law). Monroe Knight, b. circa 1865, was a brother of Marion Knight. Meredith Breland, b. 1860, was married to Selina Crain, daughter of John C. Crain and Melvina Knight. Melvina was an aunt of Marion. Plummer and “Peg Jim” appear to have both been sons of “Jockey Jim” unless I’m reading things wrong. The other individuals are likely related in some way as well.
Jockey Jim Knight, May 10 1901
The original from the Knight website. Much of the image is drawn in by the photographer.
Jockey Jim Knight, Marion’s uncle and the first Tyler of the lodge. The original image over at the Knights of Washington Parish website, showing some damage (I thought I’d try to add some depth and work on it just a little), is an interesting one as it shows the same kind of sketching in of details of the clothing that we find in the pictures of Frances Smith Simmons and Robert “Reuben” Simmons. It was Marion Isaac Knight’s daughter, Annie, who married Lucius Simmons, and these similarities lead me to wonder if old images of the Simmons were photographed and manipulated by the same photographer who did the Jockey Jim Knight photo.
Robert Reuben Simmons
The Washington Parish Knight website has also these wonderful images of the exterior and interior of the lodge, including another of the sign-in room. I’ve tried to straighten them up a little but didn’t spend but a few seconds on the images.
Masonic Lodge, outside
Masonic Lodge
Masonic Lodge
Photo from the Louisiana Studies in Historic Preservation website
George Knight (1831-1904) was a sibling of William Knight, the Knight line on this website, both being children of Charles “Charley” Knight and Susannah Williams who were married 1833 in Washington Parish, Louisiana.
George Knight married Martha A. Johnson, of Pike County, Missouri, Jan 21, 1858, and perhaps in preparation for this marriage he built in 1857 the Knight Cabin that is now on the National Register of Historic Sites, relocated from Enon, Washington Parish to the Washington Parish Fairgrounds at Franklinton. Slated for demolition in a highway project, it was moved to the fairgrounds prior to 1976, forming part of a complex of cabins and shops representing life in that area from the mid 1800s into the 1900s. More images of the cabin can be viewed here.
The house, composed of one room and a sleeping loft, is given as “significant as a surviving example of the smaller German log house, a vernacular house type which is rare in Washington Parish”, and, conversely is written of as being “representative of the pioneer era of the then wild, untamed Washington Parish.” I’m a little in the dark how this can be rare, vernacular, and representative, unless it was intended to mean that the house type is rare today (which it no doubt would be). Anyway, because it is stated as being both rare and representative I don’t know whether to show this to son, H.o.p., as being…well…representative of how his Knight ancestors in Louisiana lived. I suppose one day we could visit and get matters clarified.
This is George and Martha Knight.
George and Martha Knight
I played with the original from the Knight website a bit.
George and Martha Knight, original
The original image is over at this website which has to do with the Knights of Washington Parish, Louisiana and Bulloch County, Georgia but primarily concerns the line of James “Jockey Jim” Knight, a brother of the above George and our William Knight. The original image is drawn over and shows the same style of drawn over clothing we see in the portrait of James “Jockey Jim” Knight and our Robert Reuben Simmons.
Fannie Frances Lang Smith and Seldon Albert Lang
“This is a photo of my dad, Seldon and his sister, Fannie L. Smith. Aunt Fannie and Daddy were the only ones still living when this photo was taken. Aunt Fannie lived into her 90’s and died just a year or so before Daddy. He was the baby and the last to die.”
Courtesy of Bob Ann Breland.
Youngest son and child of Albert Winston Lang and Narcissus Simmons, Seldon was born Jan 27 1912 and died May 8 1999. He married Beulah Mae Griffith.
The youngest daughter of Albert Winston Lang and Narcissus Simmons, Fannie was born FReb of 1906 and died Oct of 1997. She married Hubert Smith.
Perry Lang Family
William Perry is seated holding his daughter Jessie (b. 1897), wife Sarah on the right.
Standing behind are Oscar (b. 1883) and Eula Belle.
Not shown are the three oldest children, Albert Winston Lang b. 1869 who married Narcissus Lang, Charles F. Lang b. 1874 who married Rosa Lang (first cousin), William L. Lang b. 1878 who married Lula Holmes.
The photo is circa 1898.
* * * * *
William Perry LANG, son of James W. LANG, b. c. 1814-1820 at Kemper Co., MS, and Annie Adeline BROWN, was born 1847 and died 1936.
James J. LANG, a brother of William Perry LANG, married Mary Ann “Daught” SIMMONS, a sister of Narcissus SIMMONS who married Albert Winston LANG, son of William Perry.
William Perry married Sarah PHELPS, a step-sister, daughter of Marshall PHELPS and Caroline PARKER. She was born 30 Nov 1853, Newton County, MS., and died 30 July 1901.
William and Sarah had 6 children:
1) Albert Winston b. 20 Oct. 1869, d. 17 Feb. 1959, married Narcissus SIMMONS.
2) Charles F., b. 8 April 1874, d. 1944, married Rosa LANG, a daughter of Columbus W. LANG and Martha THIGPEN. They had one daughter, Ina, who married Leo PAGE and died without children. Charles is buried at the Union Baptist Church Cemetery at East Magnolia.
3) William L. “Will” b. 21 April 1878, d. 1944, married Lula HOLMES, and their children were Felton, Beulah and Elizabeth. William is buried at the Union Baptist Church.
4) Oscar L. b. 17 Sept 1883, d. 1950, married Nellie MATTHEWS. He is buried at the Union Baptist Church Cemetery. To them were born: Sarah, who married James FOREMAN, had six children; Mattie married Roy KUYRKENDALL and had three children; Barney married Jessie Elizabeth NASH and had two children; Frank married Nettie FENUSCI and had no children; Bessie married Ray TISDALE and had six children; Hellen married Ted TANNER and had two sons.
5) Eula b. Dec. 19, 1887.
Jessie b. 22 June 1897, married Edward LANG. Edward LANG was a son of Columbus W. LANG and Elizabeth THIGPEN. Columbus W. LANG was a brother to William Perry LANG. Jessie and Columbus had five sons and three daughters: Alfred “Pete”, Joel, William, Charles, Aaron, Nellie, Ruth and Ione.
After the death of Sarah PHELPS, William Perry married 2nd Ella MATTHEWS, who had already two children, Ethel and George SMITH.
William Perry LANG and Ella MATTHEWS had 3 children:
1) Barney C. “Billy”, b. June 12 1903 when William was abt. 56. He married Retha STERLING. They had no children.
2) Nella, b. March 4 1906 when William was abt. 59. She married Prentiss CASE; no children.
3) Polly, b. in 1908 when William was abt. 61. Died young.
Ella Lang, second wife of William Perry Lang, is buried in the Lang-Simmons Cemetery just off LA Highway 10 in Sheridan community, located between Bogalusa and Franklinton.
SOURCE:
Bob Ann Breland
Estus D. “Pete” Simmons died March 14 1960 at Sheridan, Washintgon, Louisiana.
Estus D. Simmons Dies at Sheridan
Estus D. Simmons of Sheridan died at 6:30 this morning at the family residence in Sheridan. He was 52.
The funeral party will leave the residence at 4 p.m. tomorrow for the Simmons Cemetery, where graveside rites will be conducted by the Rev. J. W. Magee and the Rev. J. B. Rocko. The Brown Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Simmons is survived by his wife, Mrs. Genieva Simmons; a son, Denman Simmons, serving in the Air Force at Clovis Air Force Base, N.M.; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lucius Simmons of Sheridan; three brothers, Ezra of Slidell, Lloyd of Freeport, Texas, and Jim of Sheridan; and two sisters, Mrs. Ethel Hennesey of Camden, Ark., and Mrs. Fannie Lee Foil of Franklinton.
Fannie Lang
Fannie Lang, daughter of James Jefferson Lang and Mary Ann Simmons Lang. James Jefferson Lang was the uncle of Albert W. Lang. James Jefferson’s wife, Mary Ann, was Narcissus Lang’s niece.
Photo courtesy of Bob Ann Breland.