| Nathan “Abner” FOWLKES and Pattie
Jane WILLIAMS were married about 1871.
The obituary
of Pattie Jane shows she was born 29 Jun 1849, died 25 Aug 1926.
Funeral notice of Nathan Abner Fowlkes does not give date:
Funeral services for Nathan Abner Fowlkes were conducted yesterday
afternoon at 3 o'clock from Mt. Zion Baptist Church by Dr. Ernest
F. Campbell. Burial was in the church yard.
Flower bearers were Miss Winifred Knight, Miss Elizabeth Knight,
Mrs. Arthur Thomasson, Mrs. Wray Knight and Mrs. Coleman Watson.
Pallbearers; Sherwood Knight, Jack Knight, William Knight, Arthur
Thomasson, Harold Fore and Henry Fore.
Abner and Patty Jane Williams had no children of their own, however
they did adopt Molly Evelyn ("Eva") Fowlkes
(the daughter of Patrick Henry Fowlkes and wife Mary (Molly) Harper
born at Rice Depot). The adoption letter from P. H. Fowlkes reads
as follows:
Adoption letter:
To Whom it may concern, this is to say that in consideration
of the kind promises of Mr. Fowlkes of Lunenburg Co., VA and Mrs.
Pattie J. Fowlkes, his wife to adopt my little girl Mollie Evelyn
Fowlkes and to raise her up as their own child and further to educate
her and having implicit confidence in all their promises towards my
child, the said little Mollie Evelyn Fowlkes - and being the father
and sole guardian of the said child, I do promise not to take her
away from them except in case of ill treatment which I do not in the
least apprehend. But I do not mean by my promise to give to Mr. and
Mrs. Fowlkes the full control of my child, and to manage her in their
own way to convey the idea that I renounce her as my daughter. And
I sincerely hope that they may so train the child that in after years
she may be a great comfort and help to them for their great kindness
towards her.
As written by my hand this the 20th day of April, 1883.
P. H. Fowlkes
Evelyn (later referred to as “Eva”) was born April 3rd,
1875
Patrick Henry claimed to be from Prince Edward County. Shortly after
the marriage to Mary Harper they were said to have moved to Ettrick
in Chesterfield and raised their family. An 1880 census shows Patrick
Henry Fowlkes listed in the Manchester district (now south Richmond)
and occupation as a teamster. (See tombstone
of Patrick H. Fowlkes photographed in 2000 by Warren N. ("Ren")
Morris, Jr., son of Marjorie Fore Morris of Keysville, VA.)
Molly Harper Fowlkes must have died when her last child was an infant.
Only Molly Evelyn was actually adopted by Nathan and Patty Fowlkes
however they eventually served as parents to all the Fowlkes children.
The children of Patrick Henry and Molly were:
Martha Louise
("Mattie")Fowlkes (b) 4/3/1875 (d) 10/17/1917 in Richmond,
VA (photo). She married John Watts Williams,
(brother of Patty Jane Williams). Children:
Ruby Brant Williams
Ernest Guy Williams |
Mollie Evelyn ("Eva")
Fowlkes (b) 4/3/1875 (d) 1/23/1916 at Fort Mitchell. She married Howard
G. Fore 4/4/1897. Children:
Paul Elrich Fore
Pauline E. Fore
Mary Howard Fore
Harold Gray Fore
Virginia Florence Fore
Fulton Fore
Henry Fore
Evelyn Fore
Roberta Sue Fore
Robert Garland Fore
Julian Fore |
Clarence Walton Fowlkes - married
1st Goldie Brown. Children:
Louise Fowlkes
Grace Brown Fowlkes
Clarence Walton Fowlkes, Jr. |
Clarence Walton Fowlkes (Sr) married 2nd Grace Lee Saunders. Children:
Eva Lorraine Fowlkes
Robert Eugene Fowlkes
Helen Lee Fowlkes
Warren Douglas Fowlkes
Nettie (Dolly) Ann Fowlkes
Mildred Gertrude Fowlkes
Richard Evelyn Bird Fowlkes
Curtis Edward Fowlkes
William Carter Fowlkes |
Ernest Fowlkes - - - drowned as a child in the James River - Richmond
or Chesterfield County.
Lillie Mayfield - - - died at about age 7
Roberta Isophinia Fowlkes (b) 2/14/1882 (youngest) (d) 3/26/1949 in
Lynchburg, VA. She married David Hughes Knight, son of Robert Edwin
Knight and Martha Pettus of Lunenburg 9/4/1901. Children:
Marjorie Gray Knight - - - my mother
David Hughes Knight, Jr.
Henry Wray Knight
Mary Harper Knight
Ann Elizabeth Knight
Robert Sherwood Knight
William Scott Knight
John Caskie Knight
Winifred Lea Knight
Lillie Mayfield Knight
Edwin Knight |
Jim Dillard writes: “After the death of Mary Harper Fowlkes in
Richmond or Chesterfield, Roberta Isophinia Fowlkes, my grandmother,
who was an infant, was raised for several years by Miles Fowlkes and
his wife Milty in Chesterfield. I found reference that Miles father
was a William Fowlkes but did not find a connection to either Patrick
Henry or Nathan.” |