Thank you to Stacey-Barbie Girl for sponsoring Clarsie's memorial. It is the most considerate gesture and so sincerely appreciated.
Clarsie was the second child of Levi Brown and Ealon Key Brown (sometimes her mother's name was said to be Elam and one reference has it as Ellen) Wife of Alastus Bilbrey. Sister to J. Harlie Brown and Lenorie Padgett. Mother to Martha Jane Bilbrey (died as an infant), Linnie Bilbrey Norrod Drown, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, Panzy Bilbrey McCowan and Danzy Bilbrey Baldwin.
This is my great-great grandmother. My great grandmother, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, whom I call Granny, and I were very close so in some ways I feel like Clarsie has been a part of my life too.
Clarsie's death so young was tragic, but it is even more so because the children she left behind endured a difficult childhood made harder by an unloving step-mother.
My granny's step-mother mocked her and called her "Little Clarsie" when she was a girl. Of course, my Granny took that as a great compliment.
It was always very tragic to me that Granny did not have a mother growing up. It was made even sadder because my Granny always referred to her mother as "mommy."
Granny remembers almost nothing of her mom. We do know that after Clarsie had her fifth child she weakened quickly and even though she was getting weaker and weaker she continued to tend to her home and family. A month later she would die, presumably from infection or hermorraghing.
Something else to note, probably because they were all poor and times were so difficult, no headstone was ever put on Clarsie. The headstone she has now was purchased by two of her daughters (my Granny Livvie and Aunt Danzy) after the girls had grown up.
My granny had five daughters, just like her mother, and one of her babies died, just like her mother. She was always worried that this was an ominous omen and that since she was so much like her mother, that she would die young just as her mother did. She said she always prayed as hard as she could that God would let her live long enough to raise her girls.
But fate had a better hand for my Granny than it had for Clarsie. My Granny is still living and taking care of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren now. I am sure her mother, Clarsie, would be proud to know how her daughters turned out. They were (and are) gracious women who worked hard, never complained and taught values and ethics to their children.
In turn, I am going to make certain that my Granny and her mother Clarsie are never forgotten. After all, it is the least we can do for those who gave us our life and our history. Sadly, this is the only known picture of Clarsie Mae Brown Bilbrey.
On February 9th, 2010 my Granny passed away. In Heaven I know she is with her mommy again. As of August 2010 Clarsie has more than 90 memorials left on her page. I know this gives my Granny more pleasure than I can explain because it was her biggest fear was that after she was gone no one would remember her mommy. She made frequent, at least once a year, pilgrimages from Indiana to Pine Ridge in Tennessee where Clarsie is buried to decorate her grave and made us all promise to do our best to go at least once a year. That's not always an easy thing to do, but seeing the messages on this page just lightens my heart.
Clarsie was the second child of Levi Brown and Ealon Key Brown (sometimes her mother's name was said to be Elam and one reference has it as Ellen) Wife of Alastus Bilbrey. Sister to J. Harlie Brown and Lenorie Padgett. Mother to Martha Jane Bilbrey (died as an infant), Linnie Bilbrey Norrod Drown, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, Panzy Bilbrey McCowan and Danzy Bilbrey Baldwin.
This is my great-great grandmother. My great grandmother, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, whom I call Granny, and I were very close so in some ways I feel like Clarsie has been a part of my life too.
Clarsie's death so young was tragic, but it is even more so because the children she left behind endured a difficult childhood made harder by an unloving step-mother.
My granny's step-mother mocked her and called her "Little Clarsie" when she was a girl. Of course, my Granny took that as a great compliment.
It was always very tragic to me that Granny did not have a mother growing up. It was made even sadder because my Granny always referred to her mother as "mommy."
Granny remembers almost nothing of her mom. We do know that after Clarsie had her fifth child she weakened quickly and even though she was getting weaker and weaker she continued to tend to her home and family. A month later she would die, presumably from infection or hermorraghing.
Something else to note, probably because they were all poor and times were so difficult, no headstone was ever put on Clarsie. The headstone she has now was purchased by two of her daughters (my Granny Livvie and Aunt Danzy) after the girls had grown up.
My granny had five daughters, just like her mother, and one of her babies died, just like her mother. She was always worried that this was an ominous omen and that since she was so much like her mother, that she would die young just as her mother did. She said she always prayed as hard as she could that God would let her live long enough to raise her girls.
But fate had a better hand for my Granny than it had for Clarsie. My Granny is still living and taking care of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren now. I am sure her mother, Clarsie, would be proud to know how her daughters turned out. They were (and are) gracious women who worked hard, never complained and taught values and ethics to their children.
In turn, I am going to make certain that my Granny and her mother Clarsie are never forgotten. After all, it is the least we can do for those who gave us our life and our history. Sadly, this is the only known picture of Clarsie Mae Brown Bilbrey.
On February 9th, 2010 my Granny passed away. In Heaven I know she is with her mommy again. As of August 2010 Clarsie has more than 90 memorials left on her page. I know this gives my Granny more pleasure than I can explain because it was her biggest fear was that after she was gone no one would remember her mommy. She made frequent, at least once a year, pilgrimages from Indiana to Pine Ridge in Tennessee where Clarsie is buried to decorate her grave and made us all promise to do our best to go at least once a year. That's not always an easy thing to do, but seeing the messages on this page just lightens my heart.
Thank you to Stacey-Barbie Girl for sponsoring Clarsie's memorial. It is the most considerate gesture and so sincerely appreciated.
Clarsie was the second child of Levi Brown and Ealon Key Brown (sometimes her mother's name was said to be Elam and one reference has it as Ellen) Wife of Alastus Bilbrey. Sister to J. Harlie Brown and Lenorie Padgett. Mother to Martha Jane Bilbrey (died as an infant), Linnie Bilbrey Norrod Drown, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, Panzy Bilbrey McCowan and Danzy Bilbrey Baldwin.
This is my great-great grandmother. My great grandmother, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, whom I call Granny, and I were very close so in some ways I feel like Clarsie has been a part of my life too.
Clarsie's death so young was tragic, but it is even more so because the children she left behind endured a difficult childhood made harder by an unloving step-mother.
My granny's step-mother mocked her and called her "Little Clarsie" when she was a girl. Of course, my Granny took that as a great compliment.
It was always very tragic to me that Granny did not have a mother growing up. It was made even sadder because my Granny always referred to her mother as "mommy."
Granny remembers almost nothing of her mom. We do know that after Clarsie had her fifth child she weakened quickly and even though she was getting weaker and weaker she continued to tend to her home and family. A month later she would die, presumably from infection or hermorraghing.
Something else to note, probably because they were all poor and times were so difficult, no headstone was ever put on Clarsie. The headstone she has now was purchased by two of her daughters (my Granny Livvie and Aunt Danzy) after the girls had grown up.
My granny had five daughters, just like her mother, and one of her babies died, just like her mother. She was always worried that this was an ominous omen and that since she was so much like her mother, that she would die young just as her mother did. She said she always prayed as hard as she could that God would let her live long enough to raise her girls.
But fate had a better hand for my Granny than it had for Clarsie. My Granny is still living and taking care of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren now. I am sure her mother, Clarsie, would be proud to know how her daughters turned out. They were (and are) gracious women who worked hard, never complained and taught values and ethics to their children.
In turn, I am going to make certain that my Granny and her mother Clarsie are never forgotten. After all, it is the least we can do for those who gave us our life and our history. Sadly, this is the only known picture of Clarsie Mae Brown Bilbrey.
On February 9th, 2010 my Granny passed away. In Heaven I know she is with her mommy again. As of August 2010 Clarsie has more than 90 memorials left on her page. I know this gives my Granny more pleasure than I can explain because it was her biggest fear was that after she was gone no one would remember her mommy. She made frequent, at least once a year, pilgrimages from Indiana to Pine Ridge in Tennessee where Clarsie is buried to decorate her grave and made us all promise to do our best to go at least once a year. That's not always an easy thing to do, but seeing the messages on this page just lightens my heart.
Clarsie was the second child of Levi Brown and Ealon Key Brown (sometimes her mother's name was said to be Elam and one reference has it as Ellen) Wife of Alastus Bilbrey. Sister to J. Harlie Brown and Lenorie Padgett. Mother to Martha Jane Bilbrey (died as an infant), Linnie Bilbrey Norrod Drown, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, Panzy Bilbrey McCowan and Danzy Bilbrey Baldwin.
This is my great-great grandmother. My great grandmother, Livvie Bilbrey McCowan, whom I call Granny, and I were very close so in some ways I feel like Clarsie has been a part of my life too.
Clarsie's death so young was tragic, but it is even more so because the children she left behind endured a difficult childhood made harder by an unloving step-mother.
My granny's step-mother mocked her and called her "Little Clarsie" when she was a girl. Of course, my Granny took that as a great compliment.
It was always very tragic to me that Granny did not have a mother growing up. It was made even sadder because my Granny always referred to her mother as "mommy."
Granny remembers almost nothing of her mom. We do know that after Clarsie had her fifth child she weakened quickly and even though she was getting weaker and weaker she continued to tend to her home and family. A month later she would die, presumably from infection or hermorraghing.
Something else to note, probably because they were all poor and times were so difficult, no headstone was ever put on Clarsie. The headstone she has now was purchased by two of her daughters (my Granny Livvie and Aunt Danzy) after the girls had grown up.
My granny had five daughters, just like her mother, and one of her babies died, just like her mother. She was always worried that this was an ominous omen and that since she was so much like her mother, that she would die young just as her mother did. She said she always prayed as hard as she could that God would let her live long enough to raise her girls.
But fate had a better hand for my Granny than it had for Clarsie. My Granny is still living and taking care of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren now. I am sure her mother, Clarsie, would be proud to know how her daughters turned out. They were (and are) gracious women who worked hard, never complained and taught values and ethics to their children.
In turn, I am going to make certain that my Granny and her mother Clarsie are never forgotten. After all, it is the least we can do for those who gave us our life and our history. Sadly, this is the only known picture of Clarsie Mae Brown Bilbrey.
On February 9th, 2010 my Granny passed away. In Heaven I know she is with her mommy again. As of August 2010 Clarsie has more than 90 memorials left on her page. I know this gives my Granny more pleasure than I can explain because it was her biggest fear was that after she was gone no one would remember her mommy. She made frequent, at least once a year, pilgrimages from Indiana to Pine Ridge in Tennessee where Clarsie is buried to decorate her grave and made us all promise to do our best to go at least once a year. That's not always an easy thing to do, but seeing the messages on this page just lightens my heart.
