Joe was the son of Alexander Monroe "Chick" and Nancy (Elder) Bryant. I knew him as Papa (pronounced Pa-pa). He was my mother's father.

He married Mary Etter Cravens on December 18, 1898. Mary Etter came from a large family and was the daughter of Sylvester and Angeline (Powell) Cravens.

Joe and Mary Etter had eight children: Emmer, Marvin, Nora, Effie, Nona, Owen, Arthur and Lucian. Mary Etter died August 30, 1921.

Joe remarried on May 8, 1925 to Viola Mae Bryant. My whole life, I was told that she came from a different set of Bryants. Well since I started genealogy research, I found there is only one set of Bryants in Adair County, Kentucky. Viola Mae was his 3rd cousin and his 3rd cousin once removed.

Joe and Mae (as she preferred to be called) had 4 girls. The first one was my mom. She was named Mary Walker Bryant. She always knew her 3 living half-brothers (Marvin was deceased) had picked out her middle name wanting her to be a boy. What Mom never knew was the 3 brothers had an Uncle Walker Cravens who'd died the previous August before she was born. I am almost certain that it was him for whom the boys wanted to name my mom.

The next 2 girls were twins, Helen and Hazel. They only lived 5 months. On the day one was buried, the second one died. I can only imagine what a sad day it was for my grandparents.

The final daughter was my Aunt Pauline. She's the last one living of my grandfather Joe's children.*

Over the years, my mom told me stories about helping her father work in the field. She enjoyed that so much more than working in the house. For one thing she got to spend more time with her father and he liked to talk to her about current events especially what the politicians were doing about the economy and what they were doing about Europe which was something most girls in that day didn't really get to discuss.

My grandfather died when I was but a little girl. I have vivid memories of him though. While he was still able, he'd scoop me up in him arms and set me on his lap and tell me it was time to slow down.

In the last months before Mom passed away, she told me how much she was really missing her father. She got to go see him again in January 2006. I'm sure they're not discussing politics at all.

His obituary from the April 27, 1960 Adair County News:

Joe Bryant of Sano Route, Columbia, died at his home after a long illness on Sunday, April 24. The son of the late Alex and Nancy Elder Bryant of Adair County, he was 82 years of age. Surviving are his wife, Mae Bryant; five daughters, Miss Nora Bryant, Louisville, Mrs. Mary Sullivan, Plainfield, Indiana, Mrs. Pauline Shipley [spelled Shiplet in obit] of Nashville, Indiana; Mrs. Nona Stackhouse, Canton, Ohio, and Mrs. Effie Wilson, Rantoul, Illinois; two sons, Arthur Bryant, Greenfield, Indiana, and Owen Bryant, San Frandio [sic], California; three brothers, Elzia Bryant, Sano Route, Robert Bryant, Grafton, Illinois, and Harlan Bryant, Paxton, Illinois; and two sisters, Mrs. Lona Belle Floyd, Louisville, and Mrs. Jim Floyd, Indianapolis, Indiana. The Reverend Oris Bailey conducted the funeral services on Tuesday, April 26, at the Free Union Church. Interment was in the church cemetery. Funeral arrangements were by Stotts & Phelps Funeral Home. Alburn Foley, Robert Cox, Vester Kerr, John Brockman, Walter Hadley and Paul Green were pallbearers.

I'd like to thank my cousin, indcub, who originally created this memorial. He did an awesome job photographing so many tombstones in Adair County, Kentucky. It was from him that I learned about findagrave. Thanks!

Note: *Aunt Pauline went to be with Jesus on November 13, 2013.