Sepia Saturday: Give Me an "A"

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week Sepia Saturday begins an alphabet challenge with a photo of a Curling team from Alberta, Canada. With no curling teams in my family and no residents of Alberta, I went looking for interesting relatives and ancestors whose names start with “A” and I found one: Alpharetta. The first in the alphabetta.

Alpharetta Susan Shiplett did not make a big splash in this world, from what I can tell within the limits of online research, but she certainly carried an interesting name. In the family tree, she was a niece of my maternal grandmother’s maternal grandmother.

Alpharetta was the oldest daughter of Philip Pendleton Shiplett and Jennetta Dovel. She was born 15 Nov 1861 in Rockingham County, Virginia, around the farming community of McGaheysville. 

Photo courtesy Jan Hensley
Philip Pendleton Shiplett and Jennetta Dovel with 9 of their 12 children
Alpharetta is the 2nd from the left on the back row.

In 1880, she married Joseph Harner, and the two moved right next door to her parents and went to farming like everyone else. Alpharetta and Joseph had 8 children, but only 6 survived and lived to adulthood.

Photo courtesy Jan Hensley
On the porch: Alpharetta holding baby Malcolm born 1901, Jennetta and Philip P. Shiplett,
and Joseph Harner
On the steps: Richard Howard, Della, and Mary Arbutus
Left: Maybe Joseph and woman unknown, perhaps one of the Shiplett sisters
Right: Maybe Edgar and man unknown

Joseph died unexpectedly in June 1920. In December, Alpharetta (aka Susan A. Harner) sold the farm animals and equipment. 

Oakland 5-passenger car 1912 model

Also up for auction was an Oakland 5-passenger car often advertised as “Not the cheapest, but the best” and “Finest medium-priced automobile.” My favorite slogan for the Oakland was “The Car with a Conscience.”

 Alpharetta then went to live with her son Malcolm and his family.

 

In census records from 1900-1940, she was enumerated as Susan. It was probably easier than spelling “Alpharetta.” In her obituary and on her death certificate Alpharetta was the prominent name used. Her tombstone included both. She is buried in the Mt. Olivet Church Cemetery in McGaheysville, Virginia.

Joseph Marion Harner 1856-1920
Alpharetta Susan Harner 1861-1954
photo courtesy Jan Hensley

Please visit the other Sepia Saturday bloggers whose pictures and stories will surely score A+! 

Wendy

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