CURLING Family Tree

My Grandma Bird, Clara Myrtle GRAY (1900-1988)  was born on June 14, 1900, in Seaboard, Princess Anne County, Virginia. Clara was the daughter of George Irving GRAY (1874-1905) & Lula Virginia "Ginny" WILLIAMS ( 1874-1935).   Clara’s father left home one day looking for work and never came home. Four months after Clara was born her mother put all of her children, except her oldest daughter Susan, for adoption in the Saint Mary's Infant Home, located on Chapel Street in Norfolk, Virginia. According adoption records, Clara was immediately adopted and raised by, her in-laws, Annas Norris SADLER (1859-1941) & Margaret Eddie CURLING (1862-1925) of Great Bridge, Norfolk County, Virginia.  

Clara’s uncle Russell Greenville WILLIAMS (1880–1942) married Edith Olivia SADLER (1886–1978). Russell was the son of John Walker WILLIAMS (1840–1905) & Sarah "Salley" Frances CAPPS (1846–1943) the grandparents of Clara. Russell was born November 12, 1880 in Seaboard, Princess Anne County, Virginia and died on December 27, 1942 in Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia.

Edith Olivia SADLER (1886–1978) was the daughter of Ananias Norris SADLER (1859–1941) & Margaret Ellen "Eddy" CURLING (1862–1925). Edith was born on January 1886 in Pleasant Grove, Great Bridge, Princess Ann County, Virginia and died on June 11, 1978 in the Lafayette Villa Nursing Home, Norfolk, Virginia.

Russell & Edith had one child, Clarence Miller WILLIAMS (1912-1987). Clarence was born on December 31, 1912 in Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia and died on October 29, 1987 in Leigh Memorial Hospital, Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia. Clarence was a pressman for the Ledger Star, in Norfolk, Virginia. Clarence married Martha Grace TINSLEY (1911–2001) on September 19, 1938 in Norfolk, Virginia. Martha was born on September 16, 1911, in Gordon, Georgia and died on July 5, 2001, in Norfolk, Norfolk County, Virginia. They were divorced on May 3. 1963 in Norfolk, Virginia.  They had one child, Emily Lucille WILLIAMS born on May 6, 1939 in Norfolk, Virginia

I can remember driving, in my 1962 Ford Galaxy, Grandma Bird and my mother down to Norfolk three different times so Grandma Bird could visit her “favorite aunt” Olivia which was four years older than she was. They grew up together and went to the dances on board the USS Louisiana were they both met their future husbands. I also remember driving my father and mother down see my brother in North Carolina. On the way we stopped in at cousin Clarence beach house on the “Sound” on the Outer Banks Peninsula, Kinnakeet, North Carolina to visit with him and Grandma Bird and aunt Olivia.

______________________________________________________________