Granbery Map

When I visited the Granbery's former land, Rattle and Snap, I had no previous knowledge of how close their church was to their plantation.  St Johns Church was not only where the Polks worshiped and help built, it is also where the Polks of Maury County and the Granbery's are buried.
Here is a map I made from Google Maps that give you a since of how close and small the town of Mt Pleasant is.

Rattle and Snap Map

Secret Love Codes

Grace Gull was called to Western States Mission in Denver, Colorado. At this time Grace's divorce from Harry Granbery was pending, she had a 22 month old daughter and engaged to a man named Roland Heeder. On the mission Grace would frequently guest the home of the Whitaker family with the other missionaries in the area. Here, she met and fell in love with the son, Berlin. Grace became torn and confused. With a daughter and fiance at home, while serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Grace was lost emotionally in the mission field. As her love for Berlin grew, the Whitaker family did not welcome her into their home.

She writes in her mission Journal:

17 May 1923

Though she tells me to give you up, I cant and will not. Her life is almost spent, I am just beginning mine and hope it is with you.

As her and Berlin's love began to grow they created a secret language to communicate to each other. To this day no one knows how to break the lovers code.

Within five month of the May 1923 journal entry Grace had passed away. Berlin and Grace were sealed in 1967 along with Grace's daughter, Derelys. 

Grace Gull, Missionary Journal: 5.
Derelys Anthony, "Mama," Mama and Me, 1-2.

Visiting St Johns Church and Cemetery

This weekend I had the amazing blessing to come visit were the Granbery's lived most of their lives, Mt Pleasant, Maury County, Tennessee. We started our tour at the cemetery where the Granbery's are buried. As we walked up the church we were greeted by Dawson Gray, a member of the churches board, who told us the history of the Church.

In the video Dawson explained the creation of the church and all the trials it went through to keep it alive today. He also explained that this church had a tradition of being mixed, slaves and owners worshiped together side by side.

Right behind the main church was my great great grandfather along with his family.  The head stones are perfectly visible and eligible. The care taker of the cemetery keeps the place looking pristine and welcoming.

The Granberys are buried right next to the Polk family of Tennessee and the Brown family. Every headstone is more magnificent then the next.

Mystery of the Ages

Following the Washington long shooting Harry went missing in the census accounts, until He met and married Grace Gull of Payson, Utah. According to the Marriage License, Harry P Granbery married Grace Gull in Beaverhead, Montana on 2 February 1920.

In the record it states that Harry was 31 years old and grace was 21. If this was true, Grace would have had to be born in 1899, but following documentation says differently.

The first census that Grace is found in is not until 1910, where it states she is about 8 years old. There are no census records for Grace Gull before this time.  Even on Graces grave stone it states that the birth year was 1902. Which would make Grace 17 (turning 18)  at the time of her marriage.

The same mystery appeared with Harry.

The only proof of Harry Granbery's age is in the census records of 1880 and his grave stone.

In the 1880 Federal Census, seen in the previous blog post, it stated that Harry was 5 months old. Meaning he would have been born in 1979. According to his grave stone Harry was born at the end of 1878.

If Harry was born 1878 or 1879 Harry would have married Grace at the age of 41 years old, not 31 as the marriage license states.

According to family tradition, Grace and Harry lied about their ages to make it seem like they were closer to age. According to the records this could make this tradition true.

Beaverhead, Montana, Marriage License, 2096, Grace Gull Henry Pointer Granbery, 2 February 1920; Susan Anthony's Home, Provo, Utah, Utah, United States.

Ancestry, "1910 US Federal Census," digital image, Ancestry, Ancestry (Ancestry.com : viewed online 23 December 2014), Grace Gull; 91

Find A Grave, Find A Grave, digital image (Findagrave.com : viewed online 4 February 2015), Harry Pointer Granbery.

1880 Federal Census

1880 US Federal Census 

The 1880 Census is one of the only census records that contains the whole Granbery Family under one Head of Household. The family starts on line 1 and goes till line 10.  The unique thing about this census is that the census taker used initials for many of the family.  Which could make indexing and searching harder then having the full names. 

By this time the Granbery Family had moved to the Rattle and Snap plantation they had purchased from the Polks. 

Joseph worked on the Rattle and Snap plot as a farmer, while his wife Susan B was a house worker trying to raise her eight young children. 

All the the Granbery children, were born and raised in Tennessee. Being from a wealthy family, all the children attended school from an early age and continuing until their 20s.  Nettie and Harry, the youngest of the 8 children. were the only ones not attending school at the time. 

This is the last year that Joseph and William, the oldest of the Granbery family will be listed with Joseph has their head of house hold.

Derelys Granbery Anthony Finds Her Father

Californians Trace Ancestry to Tennessee On Camper Jaunt

Derelys Anthony mentioned that she had traced  her fathers family to Tennessee but had gotten no further. With help of local neighbors in the Tennesse area, she was able to locate the Granbery line she was seeking. Derelys brought six of her children, Sharon, Tom, Hal, Debra, Eric, and Kristen to accompany them on their cross country tour. Derelys was able to locate her fathers grave, photography of the family home in Ashwood, outside Columbia known as "Rattle and Snap". 

After much investigation, Derleys discovered who her family was.  Starting with her father, Harry Pointer Granbery. The infamous man who was witnessed shooting Washington Long. 

Derleys was able to find the newspaper from the trial. 

Derleys learned that Harry Pointer Granbery was the youngest in the Granbery family, Son of Joseph John and Susan Brown. He was married to a woman named Katie May Carmack, the daughter of a famous senator. They had one child together and another on the way. Harry was convinced that Washington Long was growing affection towards Katie, and it needed to stop. On June 9 1908 Harry Pointer Granbery, shot Washington Long. Harry and Katie May separated shortly after the trail. 

"Famliy Search", database, Family Search, Family Search (familysearch.org : viewd May 2009), "Alexa Allyn Prolo," Derleys Granbery Anthony, Henry Pointer Granbery; submitted, [contact information for private use], Provo

Who Killed Washington Long?

Eye witness describes how Harry Granbery shot Washington Long. 

Columbia Herald Vol Ll - NO 36. Page 1 

An Eye witness described to the jury how Washington Long was shot and killed by Harry Granbery on the night of June, 6 (1908), in a deplorable tragedy that shocked the entire Mt Pleasant (click link) community. 

The witnesses described minutely how Granbery had entered Peter's Pool Room and without warning shot and almost instantly killed Washington Long. 

The news of this tragedy generated at least three other articles in the Columbia Herald (click link). The issue that went to print on Friday June 12 1908 (page 6) describes why this shooting caused one of the biggest trials, at the time, in Maury County, Tennessee. 

The article states,

Awful Tragedy 

At Mt Pleasant 

No tragedy in recent years in Maury County has caused so much comment and excitement or has been so generally deplored as the killing of young Washington Long by Harry Granbery at Mt. Pleasant Saturday night. Both families are prominent, influential, and wealthy, and the fact that the unwritten law will be set up as a defense for the killing lends additional interest to the altogether unfortunate affair. 

Long was said to be playing pool and he was in the act of making a pool shot when Granbery entered the room, drew an automatic Colt's pistol and began firing. Six shots all told are said to have taken, three of which went through the young mans head. Granbery went at once to police headquarters to give himself up to Officer Pack, he was quoted saying 

"He has spoiled my pleasure for life having caused myself and wife to be separated. I shot him nine times and guess I killed him. If he is not dead he ought to be. I did what any other man would have done." 

The article continues to state that there was a warrant out for Harry Granbery, murder in the first degree. 

[1]"Awful Tragedy at Mt Pleasant," Columbia Herald Tennessee, 31 August 1908; online archives (: viewed online 2010); Columbia Herald Archives.

[1] "Witness Describe How Harry Granbery Shot Washington Long," Columbia Herald, 1908; Vol L1 No 36 (: viewed online 2010).