Granddaddy Ike Ivery and his 3 Wives

Let me start by saying and referencing to a old post that will help you understand me and My Mentor the Old Guard! 

I always feel when I post about the African American side of me Mr. Spratlan is on call; walking and guiding me with my stories.Along with the Ancestors.

Overlooking.......  

 

Me and Mr.Spratlan

Me and Mr. Spratlan till this day, he plays a pivotal role in my research. One day I will post some correspondence between the both of us to show how our relationship has developed over the years.

 So I dedicate this to him, for getting me started in this quest when I was armed with  scattered pieces of information from my family. He got the ball rolling! And thus began our relationship.

*reference or citation below:

1870.......*Granddaddy Ike Ivery was 17. He was looking towards his future and ready to start his own family. Around the age of 22 or 24 he married Ms.Mary Haynes on 13 January 1875 on Mr. Finney's plantation, officiated by Andrew Harris. His 1st Wife.

Ike Ivery and Mary Haynes #1

In all Granddaddy Ike’s years of living he was married for 60 years out of his 84 years of living. Ike and Mary Haynes his first wife were married for 12 years, she passed away after her last child Abe in 1888. Out of this union 5 children were born. 

 She passed. Her *death is unknown.Just my theory she died during or after childbirth. Give or take a year or two Ike was a Widower at the age of 35.

He was diligently working his farm in Midway Alabama. Keeping his family strong he was blessed to meet another certain,determined young lady at the age of 30. She would be his 2nd wife.  Ms. Mary Henry. Their marriage license states; got married at church on 2 January, 1889 by S. W. Shields.

Ike Ivery and Mary Henry #2

At that time in early 1900’s, Mary Henry might have been considered old maid or having no prospects, Ike made himself presentable to be introduced to Mary Henry in the proper way, being that her father Dock Henry was so prominent as a farmer in the community with lots of land.

I'll talk more about Dock Henry in another post with the 3 wives, their Parents and introduce you to his 23 children. 

Now Mary Henry Ivery and Ike were thriving they were blessed to have 4 more children together giving them a total of 10 children by at least till 1895. 

They were together for 14 years.

 Her *death is unknown to me as of this date.Maybe illness until I can find out. Alabama didn't start recording deaths until *1908.

During the 2 years after Mary Henry passed away, Ike met his 3rd wife.

Ms.Berta Hatcher!

Mrs. Berta Hatcher Ivery

 They were married in Aberfoil on 23 December, 1897 by Rev. R. H. Harris.

Berta & Ike's Marriage License #3

 She was 20 years old. Ike had lost 2 wives and had 11 children. Ike and Berta were married 40 years had 12 children together, making a total of 23. 4 children are lost or misrepresented that were recorded on census’s whom we haven’t been able to locate or find anymore documents on. Grandma Berta passed away April 2nd, 1956
Berta was the wife who he got to spend the longest season with until Ike's death in the spring of 1937.Granddaddy Ike "laid in state" in the church while bells toiled. It was the church he helped built. Mt.Coney Missionary Baptist Church which is still up and running.

Mother Berta Hatcher Ivery

I wanted to introduce you to Ike's 3 Wives.

 I am a Descendant of the 1st wife. Mary Haynes she is my GreatGreatGrandmother, out of their 5 children I come from her Daughter: Mrs. Eddie Lee Rosanna Louisiana Savannah Ivery Lewis! 

I look forward to future posts so you can get to know the rest of Granddaddy Ike's family.Don't worry about remembering, I'll give you references to remind you were we left off. You can always write me a "NOTE" or ask question!

Granny Eddie Lee Ivery Lewis

Granddaddy Ike was strict when it came to family life and his faith. All 23 children raised their kids together as they were. Hopefully I'll be able to break it down to you and explain every one's place in this family. I just want to put them in place with their Mother and their Parents.  We have over 300 people at our Ike Ivery Family Reunions.

 I can tell who goes to who even if you just give me one word. I can point which branch you belong to you. It's a joy and I try to meet 5 new people and make my rounds to as many family members as I can and as possible to let them know I'm here for our Ancestors stories and it can be entrusted in me.

Ivery's in Atlanta 2009

 Without my Family it's always impossible to do. They make my work easy. They are cooperative when I need their help. 

I let them know without them none of this is possible, that's why working together we can save our OWN stories. No one has to tell our story like we can for Us.

As my Tribe member Luckie Daniel of Our Georgia Roots would say:

She quoted a passage that spoke to my Family......"You can tell a Tree by the Fruit it bears". That's us! The Ivery's!

* Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Ridgely, Bullock, Alabama; Roll: M593_4; Page: 271B; Image: 545; Family History Library Film: 545503.

* http://www.archives.alabama.gov/referenc/vital.html

"The Old Guard"

"My Mentor" Mr. Dean Spratlan, 75, Historian, actually "Called Me" from Union Springs, Alabama. My Ancestral Home of most of my Family Research for years now.

Bullock County Courthouse, Union Springs Alabama

He wanted to let me know he had been getting my letters and phone messages and he was mailing me some "new findings" that I'll find of most interest.

He called to tell me, "I had good reason to worry this time about him", and it was all warranted. He won't fault me this time in worrying and not getting back to me. 

I usually scold him and tell him "Why you took so long" to get back to me? You know you had me worried kind of voice.

 Most of the time our method of communication is through "Snail Mail" or a few scattered calls here and there. No computers. He is so busy he rarely calls. I can count on my hand the times he has. I had been leaving messages and on one occasion I didn't, I just didn't want to bother him. 

It meant a lot to me that he called Today. 


His reason for all his delaying was,He had open heart surgery!

My heart dropped. I knew something wasn't quite right. Our talks had gone to long and to far apart. He sounded well and strong, and was getting back to his routine and not to worry.

Normally, I can take the absence of

Mr. Spratlan not getting back to me on a timely fashion. That's just his way. He mostly responds to a message I might of left on his answering machine months before or a letter I wrote,with a letter. We juggle back forth with the tit for tat on research. He's who I wait by the mailbox for most of the time. 

He's my Ol'Guy!I like to call him  "The Old Guard". He has been a steady guide in my life in what we call Genealogy and Family History.

Me and Mr. Spratlan

Me and Mr. Spratlan understand each other. We just have this Down Home mutual respect and admiration for one another. It's not like any other relationship I know of. We are of different races and both born in different era's. There's this dance we do in our conversations and music in our dialogue.  

He keeps me in tune with my research. He gently sways me in directions I need to be going without missing a beat. I sometimes don't know how I got there, it's with his teachings I get the steps. He knows how to scold me when I do wrong in only his gentle way. 

He gets tons of calls, letters and visits. He's needed everywhere for Conferences and Classes and even I hate to bother him with all my questions and nuance's about this and what about that? He keeps patience with me and "My Youth" as he would call it. 


I ponder on a lot of things he says. I'm constantly learning from the "Old Guard". 

Grateful he takes time to pass on a little fire without giving the torch up. I wish you could hear all our conversations and debates and scoldings: Now,TrueAnn remember what I told you about that time now!(in his southern drawl)......Mr.Spratlan embodies all that a Southern Alabama man is. Sitting side by side to do a little work, standing over him reading some document,just watching him and how he goes about doing research, the smell of his cigar. Him offering me a pop, walking the land and talking. Discussion after Discussion.

Researching with Mr. Spratlan

 His voice is of authority, booming and quite to the point with a heavy southern drawl. It's a constant teachable voice. He doesn't speak without capturing an unforgettable thought that you have to go back and think on it. He constantly makes you wonder and think that you have to come back to him with a answer or another provoking question. He has kept me quite on my toes. 

Either way, I know it's with much gratitude on my part that he has taken time over the years to Mentor and pass this "Genning" on to me. As he would say "Yeah,(this genealogy) It's something, but you just gotta stay at it"!

 I can never go wrong with all the knowledge, teachings and conversations to keep me going on this great Sankofa of keeping my Ancestors alive. I'm mostly self taught, but Mr. Spratlan has laid the ground work for me. He scooped me up and planted some good seeds. I hope in return I make him Proud, as I am of him.

I think I'll write him a hand written "Thank You" note just to remind him of all that he means to me and how I appreciate everything. 

Thanks for the Call Mr.Spratlan!

Roll Tide!

There's something to be said in keeping with the "Old Guard".