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a.
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Note: It appears "Ella" used her nickname rather than her full legal nam
Note: e on h
er marriage record. The IGI lists her as Ella Brown marrying Nathan E.
W. Stokely on March 29, 1891 in Fulton, GA.
Note: finally found the 1910 Census, which shows she was married to Jes
se Brand in 1910. It indicates that she had given birth to six childre
n, only four living at time of Census. Later in 1913, she would give bir
th to Edith, who soon died, making seven children.
From a letter written by G DeShields on July 9, 1994: "Grandma Bra
nd was born Dec. 18, 1870. She died on Jan. 18, 1946 (Dot was pregnant wi
th Bryan.) She had 6 children. The only thing I remember about her 1st c
hild was his name "Edwin" (Stokely) and that he died at about age 2. T
he next 4 children were also by Stokely. They were D.L., Jennie (own Moth
er), Eva Mae and Robert Warren (Stokely). The story that I heard was th
at he was a professor and head of a small business college. Aunt Eva w
as born in Woodstock, GA, so the college was somewhere around there, whi
ch was outside of Atlanta.
"Frankie related to me that the marriage between "Nathaniel Edwin Warren S
tokely" and Grandma Naomi was a failure and ended in divorce. She also sa
id that he was a reputed tyrant and mistreated his family. Grandma and t
he 4 children worked the farm. Somewhere along the line, Grandpa Stoke
ly hired a farm hand, Jesse Brand, a son of one of Grandma's sisters. Gra
ndma evidently turned to him for comfort 'causes she got pregnant by Jess
e. She was in her early 40's - he was under 25. Grandpa Stokely banish
ed her from the main house, divorced her and sent her and the 4 childr
en to the fields. Stokely remarried (I think her name was Mary). Grand
ma married Jesse. I remember seeing Jesse only once. Grandma and Eva us
ed to fuss over "Jess Brand" working the children so hard in the field
s. Eva was very bitter over her childhood with Jesse as her stepfathe
r. Grandma and Jesse separated and eventually went their separate way
s. Jesse was Grandma's nephew and the child born to them in 1913 had cong
enital heart disease. Her name was "Edith" and she died in 1926 at age 13
.
"Sometime in the early 1920's Jesse took Grandma and kids to Texas (he wor
ked the railroad laying track to the West). That's why we three girls we
re born in Houston. Our mother, Jennie, grew up in Houston and met our D
ad there. He was from Nome, Texas. After Grandma and Jesse divorced, Gra
ndma brought Eva, D.L., and Robert back to GA. They were grown by the
n. Our mother stayed in Houston, and she died in 1934. Aunt Eva got leg
al custody of us in 1937 and brought us to Atlanta.
"... The cemetery lots were still owned by Jesse Brand when Daddy di
ed in 1952. Grandma was dead by that time, and the whereabouts of Jesse B
rand unknown. This caused Frankie some delay but the "powers that be" dec
ided he was probably dead and they released the plot to Frankie for Daddy
's burial. It was a 6 grave plot. Edith (remember her?) was buried in o
ne grave (that's probably why Grandma Brand bought the plot!). Our paren
ts were buried side by side and as far as I know the other graves are empt
y.
"As you probably remember George was sent by telephone co to Houston in 19
74. I went there also for four weeks. We went to the cemetery and saw t
he markers. Ironically, Jesse Brand WAS ALIVE in 1952. We obtained a co
py of his death certificate while there. We stayed at a Ramada Inn off t
he by-pass and the rooming house where Jesse died was only a few blocks aw
ay. We rode by it. I heard Uncle D.L. mention Jesse Brand on one occa
sion. It was strange. It was when Aunt Louise died about 1974. I thi
nk D.L. was almost blind and in mid-seventies. We were walking across Eva
's yard in Lithia Springs and he was somewhat senile, I guess, cause he sa
id "Imagine having a stepfather only 7 years older than you." Of cours
e, he was referring to Jesse. Why he thought of him at that particular mo
ment, I do not know. I said nothing."
Recollections of Dorothy Holder Jones as told to her daughter, Vicki: T
he sepia photograph we have of Naomi was taken when she won a beauty conte
st at the age of 20. This was probably in 1890. She called herself El
la Brand. She wrote and recited poetry and taught elocution and public sp
eaking. When she was 16 she ran away from home and then took and passed t
he entrance exam to go to Emory Medical School (later Emory University
). At that time there were no women medical students -- if she had been a
llowed to attend she would have been the first woman medical graduate in G
eorgia. For some reason, she was not allowed to go -- either by the schoo
l, or because her father came and brought her home. Eventually Ella met a
nd married "N.E.W.S.", a teacher and newspaperman. He had moved from Tex
as to Acworth, GA. Either in Texas or Georgia, he opened the Stokely Busi
ness College. Ella may have helped him with the school. He was 20 yea
rs older. She later divorced him when she found him in bed with a servan
t! (note different story from Gracie's).
Per D DeShield: "Mama related to me on several occasions that Grand
ma Brand was part Indian (Cherokee, I think).
Received a copy of Ella's death certificate, which showed her birth as Dec
ember 18, 1871 in Paulding Co., GA,
to parents L.L. Brown (born in Paulding Co., GA) and Miss Cooper (of Geor
gia) I already have Rachel's
pedigree and a Census for their family. Eva Stokely gave the info for t
he death certificate. Ella died of
Cirrhosis of Liver. Stated she was the widow of J.L. Brand.
*****************
1880 Census:
Name: Maoma L. Brown
Residence: Acorn Tree, Paulding, Georgia
Birthdate: 1873
Birthplace: Georgia, United States
Relationship to Head: Daughter
Spouse's Name:
Spouse's Birthplace:
Father's Name: Littleton L. Brown
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina, United States
Mother's Name: Rachal Brown
Mother's Birthplace: South Carolina, United States
Race or Color (Expanded): White
Ethnicity (Standardized): American
Gender: Female
Martial Status: Single
Age (Expanded): 7 years
Occupation:
NARA Film Number: T9-0160
Page: 381
Page Character: B
Entry Number: 292
Film number: 1254160
Household Gender Age
Parent Littleton L. Brown M 54
Parent Rachal Brown F 51
Antonette Brown F 25
Mark A. Brown M 24
William J. Brown M 21
Carie L. L. Brown F 14
Maoma L. Brown F 7
Marriage Record:
Groom's Name: Nathan E. W. Stokely
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Ella Brown
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 29 Mar 1891
Marriage Place: , Fulton, Georgia
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M71289-1
System Origin: Georgia-EASy
Source Film Number: 409848
Reference Number:
1910 Census:
Name: Ella B Brand
Birthplace: Georgia
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Residence: Mount Sylvan, Smith, Texas
Marital Status: Married
Race : White
Gender: Female
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace: Georgia
Family Number: 110
Page Number: 7
Household Gender Age
Spouse Jessie L Brand M 29y
Ella B Brand F 34y
Child D L Stokely M 15y
Child Jennie Stokely F 12y
Child Eva M Stokely F 7y
Child Robert W Stokely M 5y
1920 Census has Ella living in household headed by her son, D.L. Stokel
y. He is age 25, a bookkeeper. Living there is also Jennie Stokely, h
is sister, age 22, a teacher in business school; Eva Mae, age 18; a waitre
ss in restaurant; Robert W., 18, a soldier in U.S. Army; and Ella Brand, h
is mother, age 45 (widowed--but she was really just divorced or separated
); there is also a "sister" to D.L. -- Edith M. Brand -- born in Texas, a
ge 7. Also interesting is a young "boarder" - whose name I could not ma
ke out -- looked like surname "Berg" - a boy born in TX about 4 years old.
************
The 1930 Census has Ella living with Jesse L. Brand in Houston, Harris Co
., TX. Jesse is 46 years old, born about 1883 in GA. His father and moth
er were both born in GA. He is not a veteran. They own their own hous
e, valued at 3,000. Ella is 56 years old, born in GA; her father bo
rn in NC, her mother in SC. No children are in the household.
Name: Ella Brand
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Houston, Harris, Texas
Gender: Female
Age: 56
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Birthplace: Georgia
Estimated Birth Year: 1874
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Father's Birthplace: North Carolina
Mother's Birthplace: South Carolina
Enumeration District Number: 0039
Family Number: 34
Sheet Number and Letter: 4A
Line Number: 2
NARA Publication: T626, roll 2343
Film Number: 2342077
Digital Folder Number: 4547966
Image Number: 00709
Household Gender Age
Spouse Jesse L Brand M 46
Ella Brand F 56
**********************
newspaper article s ent to her from Mark Lemon. It is from the Atlanta Constitution, dated Fe
bruary 22, 1906:
Headline: MRS. STOKELY ASKS DIVORCE
Refusing to attend prayer meeting, husband choked her.
Alleging that when she refused to attend and hear her husband lead pray
er meeting, he seized and hoked her, Mrs. Ella B. Stokely, wife of N.E.
W. Stokely, proprietor of a business school at 81 Marietta Street, yesterd
ay morning filed suit for divorce in the superior court.
Mrs. Stokely asks for a total divorce, the custody of her four children, w
hom she states her husband is an unfit person to take care of, and tempora
ry and permanent alimony. The petition, filed by Attorney James L. Key, w
as read and considered by Judge Roan, who assumed jurisdiction in the abse
nce from the city of Judge Pendleton, and a date was set for its hearing.
The petitioner states that she did not go to the prayer meeting because s
he entertained doubts of her husband's religious professions.
She alleges that on another occasion he threated to strike her with a hamm
er and was only deterred from so doing by her screams. She says that on o
ne occasion when she accused him of being guilty of infidelity that he fal
sely charged her with the same and that he used abusive language."
***********************
1940 United States Federal Census about Ella Brand
Name: Ella Brand
Respondent: Yes
Age: 68
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1872
Gender: Female
Race: White
Birthplace: Georgia
Marital Status: Widowed
Relation to Head of House: Mother
Home in 1940: Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia
Street: Parkway Drive
Inferred Residence in 1935: Wichita, Kansas
Residence in 1935: Wichita, Kansas
Resident on farm in 1935: No
Sheet Number: 18A
Household Members:
Eva Mae Stokely 34
Ella Brand 68
Virginia Kolder 17
Dorothy Kolder 14
Grace Kolder 12
**********************
Georgia Deaths, 1919-98
about Ella B Brand
Name: Ella B Brand
Death Date: 18 Jan 1946
County of Death: Dougla
Gender: F
Race: W
Age: 74 years
County of Residence: Douglas
Certificate: 643
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