Prepared by Michael Vaughn Sims John Lemuel Epperson (1866-1932), page 1
1727 Mealing Road / Tyler, AL36785
September 21, 2006
John Lemuel Epperson
(1866-1932)
1866 Born - September 28, 1866,[1] Uchee / Uca[2] / Hurtsboro, RussellCounty, AL; son of Jesse Thompson Epperson and Mary Ann Womack
1870 U. S. Census, RussellCounty, AL; Uchee
AppersonJessey45 M WFarmer50001200GA
Margaret (Maryant?)28 F WKeep houseAL
Mary17 F WKeep houseAL
William15 M WAt schoolALx
Francis12 F WAt schoolALx
Caroline10 F WAt schoolALx
Augustus 8 M WAt schoolALx
Lenard 6 M WAt schoolALx
John 3 M WAL
Jessey6/12 M WALDec.
1880 U. S. Census, RussellCounty, AL; Uchee
Epperson J. T.W M 55farmerGAGAGA
CarrieW F 44 [24]daughterhouse keeperALGAGA
LeonardW M 18sonfarm laborerALGAGA
JohnW M 13 sonat homeALGAGA
JesseW M 11sonat homeALGAGA
VirgilW M 9sonat homeALGAGA
SarahW F 7daughterALGAGA
Joel FW M 3sonALGAGA
SlatonTomB M 80farm laborerGAVAVA
1885 Jane “Jennie” Lamar Vaughn received by experience into fellowship of RamahChurch, Barbour County, AL - July 30, 1885[3]
1893 Married Jane “Jennie” Lamar Vaughn (b. Dec. 27, 1870, Comer, Barbour Co., AL; dau. of William Webster Vaughn and Sarah Elizabeth Kennedy) - October 17, 1893, at home of father W. W. Vaughn, by M. P. Reynolds[4]
1894 Birth of daughter Cora L. Epperson - April 24, 1894
1896 Stillborn son - October 6, 1896
1897 Birth of daughter Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie Mae” Epperson - September 5, 1897, Comer, Barbour County, AL, at home of William Webster Vaughn; named “Mary” in honor of Mary Ann Womack and “Elizabeth” in honor of Sarah Elizabeth Kennedy[5]
Worked as section foreman for the L & N Railroad at Saint Elmo, Mobile County, AL
1900 Birth of son Roy Lemuel Epperson - November 28, 1900, Theodore, Mobile County, AL
1903 Birth of daughter Maida Grace Epperson - November 20, 1903, Mobile, Mobile County, AL
1906 Birth of daughter Alma Kate Epperson - July 11, 1906
1909Birth of daughter Jennie Kate Epperson - January 19, 1909
Death of daughter Alma Kate Epperson - February 2, 1909, pneumonia; buried RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL
1910 U. S. Census, Mobile County, AL; GrandBay, Precinct 15
EppersonJohn L. headM 43 M1 16ALUSUSEnglishsection foremanrail road
Jennie L.wifeF 39 M1 61[16]7 4ALGAALEnglishnone
Lizzie MaydaughterF 12 SALALALEnglishnone
RoysonM 9 SALALALnone
GracedaughterF 6 SALALALnone
KatedaughterF 1 1/12 SALALALnone
1911 Birth of son Joel Vaughn Epperson - March 1, 1911, GrandBay, Mobile County, AL
From Joel Vaughn Epperson; Treasures From the Heart; 1994:
About this time I was getting to be pretty good size where I could follow my daddy. He was a big hunter, and had two bird dogs. He always had plenty of land to hunt on. People would tell him, “Oh John, you can hunt on my land anytime.” He always let them know when he was there. I followed him all day. He’d shoot partridges. I carried them for him. I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. We’d come by the pond in the evening and he’d say let’s get us a couple of doves and give them to Mama. He would have those two dogs so well trained. They’d circle around him about 25 feet from him, and he’d talk to them, “Spot, Hey, Brown. Spot, Hey, Brown.” They would just keep circling until they came up on the covey of birds. Then they would freeze with their foot up and their tail straight out, pointing at where the birds were. That was just about the prettiest sight you could see was those two dogs posed perfectly still not making a move. My daddy would say, “Be careful Spot, Careful Brown. Careful.” What he was telling them was to be slow to keep those birds from flushing at one time. After a while two or three would fly up. He’d get one on that side, and one on the other side. Before you knew it he’d have two or three partridges with one shot. I think one reason I wanted to go so much was to see those dogs. . . .
My dad worked on the railroad. He was what you called a section foreman. He kept up the railroad for a section of about 6 miles. He had a crew of about 6 men who all knew me real well and worked for my daddy quite a while. Well, I was getting up on into high school at this time. He had a rail car that you pumped. I know that you’ve seen them on cartoons where two men, one on each side would get on and pump this car along the tracks. They gave Papa a car that had a motor, like a motorcycle, you know – putt, putt, putt. This kind of fascinated me. So, I’d ask Papa if I could go along with him. He’d tell me to come along with him, so I’d get on and ride with him on his little motorized car and watched them work, line track, drive spikes, and tap tires and so forth.
1920 U. S. Census, Mobile County, AL; GrandBay
EppersonJohnheadM W 53MALALsection foremanrailroad
VirginiawifeF W 44MALGAALnone
ElizabethdaughterF W 22SALALALtelegraph operatorrailroad
RoysonM W 19 SALALALship carpentership yard
GracedaughterF W 16SALALALnone
KatedaughterF W 10SALALALnone
VaughnsonM W 9 SALALALnone
1932 Died - August 14, 1932, Saint Elmo[6] / GrandBay, Mobile County, AL;[7] buried MagnoliaCemetery, Mobile, Mobile County, AL
Widow Jane Lamar Vaughn Epperson cared for as a invalid at home of daughter Mary Elizabeth Epperson Sims
1947 Death of widow Jane Vaughn Epperson - April 13, 1947, at nursing home, Mobile, Mobile County, AL;[8] buried MagnoliaCemetery, Mobile, Mobile County, AL
Children of John Lemuel Epperson and Jane Lamar Vaughn:
Cora L. Epperson - b. Aug. / April 24, 1894;[9] d. Sept. 19, 1895; bur. RamahChurch Cem., Barbour Co., AL[10]
Infant son - stillborn Oct. 6, 1896; bur. Ramah Church Cem., Barbour Co., AL[11]
Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie Mae” Epperson - b. Sept. 5, 1897, Comer, Barbour Co., AL; d. April 11, 1984, at home of dau. Pearl Sims Stephenson, Chickasaw, Mobile Co., AL; bur. Bay Minette Cem., Baldwin Co., AL; m. (1) George Washington Sims (b. March 31, 1892, Georgiana, Bulter Co., AL; d. Oct. 6, 1931 [morphine overdose], Georgiana, Butler Co., AL;[12] bur. Bay Minette Cem., Baldwin Co., AL; son of Robert Sims and Martha Coleman) - Dec. 18, 1924; m. (2) James Kelly Harris (d. Nov. 10, 1959 [heart attack], 252 Clark Street, Prichard, AL) - Nov. 30, 1946, Lucedale, MS, by Rev. F. J. Eubanks
Roy Lemuel Epperson - b. Nov. 28, 1900, Theodore, Mobile Co., AL; d. Jan. 24, 1962, Spring Hill, AL; bur. Memorial Gardens, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; m. Helen Corine Krebs (b. Aug. 16, 1902, Pascagoula, MS; d. April 10, 1985, home of dau. Yvonne E. Spencer; Mobile, AL; dau. of J. J. Krebs and Lamar Corine Poitevin) - June 30, 1921, Mobile, AL[13]
Maida Grace Epperson - b. Nov. 20, 1903; d. Nov. 20, 1973, at home, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; bur. Greenwood Memorial Cem., Montgomery, AL; m. Charles Otis Hayslett (d. Dec. 21, 1957, Montgomery, AL; bur. Greenwood Memorial Cem., Montgomery, AL) - Sept. 1, 1938, Montgomery / Tuscaloosa, AL
Alma Kate Epperson - b. July 11, 1906;[14] d. Feb. 2, 1909, pneumonia; bur. Ramah Church Cem., Barbour Co., AL[15]
Jennie Kate Epperson - b. Jan. 19, 1909; d. March 19, 1984, Alan Memorial Nursing Home, Mobile, AL; bur. Memorial Gardens, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; m. Raymond Bertram Green (b. Sept. 9, 1901; d. Feb. 27, 1963; bur. Memorial Gardens, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; son of Joseph Franklin Green and Felicia Hyman Berdine) - July 16, 1931[16]
Joel Vaughn “Boots” Epperson - b. March 1, 1911, Grand Bay, Mobile Co., AL; d. Dec. 18, 2005, at home, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; bur. Pine Crest Cem., Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; m. Etta Deakle (b. Dec. 3, 1911, Grand Bay, Mobile Co., AL; d. Dec. 28, 2002, Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; bur. Pine Crest Cem., Mobile, Mobile Co., AL; dau. of Benjamin Deakle and Molly Clark) - Aug. 28, 1940, Saint Elmo, Mobile Co., AL[17]
[1] George Washington Epperson Bible.
[2] Jennie Kate Epperson Green.
[3] Ramah Church Book; cited by Jessie Epperson Cobb; Ramah Baptist Church.
[4] Maida Grace Epperson Hayslett.
[5] Lizzie Mae (Epperson) Sims Harris.
[6] Joel Vaughn Epperson.
[7] Etta Pearl Sims Stephenson.
[8] Etta Pearl Sims Stephenson.
[9] Grave marker of Cora L. Epperson; RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL.
[10] Grave marker of Cora L. Epperson; RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL.
[11] Grave marker of infant Epperson; RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL.
[12] Maida Grace Epperson Hayslett.
[13] Helen Krebs Epperson.
[14] Grave marker of Alma Kate Epperson; RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL.
[15] Grave marker of Alma Kate Epperson; RamahChurchCemetery, Barbour County, AL.
[16] Kate Epperson Green.
[17] Etta Deakle Epperson.