Bynum Reunion in 1966

The following article appeared in the August 30, 1966 edition of the Hattiesburg American in Hattiesburg, Mississippi:

Sunday's Obituary - Earl Bethea Sumrall

Hattiesburg American - 12/7/1959

Earl Bethea Sumrall

Born on June 15, 1888

Son of

Daniel Sumrall and Mary Rebecca Pouncey

Brother to

William Thomas, Mary Elizabeth, Frances "Fanny", Annie Jane,

Mary Margaret, Daniel Peter, Lilly, Berry Erastus "Raz",

Hattie, Addie and Allie Mae Sumrall

Husband to

Nancy Almeda "Nannie" Rutland

Father to

Roxie Lee, James Wilmer and Willard David Sumrall

Died on December 5, 1959

Buried in Highland Cemetery

Hattiesburg, Forrest County, Mississippi

A Visit to the Dan Sumrall Historic Cemetery

The Dan Sumrall Cemetery is located in Sumrall, Lamar County, Mississippi. On a recent trip to the area, my daughter and I visited the cemetery to view the tombstones and pay our respects to ancestors long since passed.

Two of those ancestors were my maternal great-great grandparents, Daniel Sumrall and Mary Rebecca "Becky" Pouncey.  The town and this small historic cemetery were named after Daniel Sumrall.

From an earlier post...

On December 3, 1868, Daniel Sumrall married Mary Rebecca Pouncey.  Dan and Becky settled in a portion of Marion County that later became Lamar County.

Prior to 1874, Dan purchased a grist mill, cotton gin and farm belonging to Arthur Lott.  He later added a store and established the Sumrall post office in the store.

When the community incorporated there was opposition to naming the community and post office Sumrall due to Dan's service in the Union Army.

The Post Master General refused to change the name of the post office and issued Order 48 in 1892 stating that the name of post offices should be the same as the towns and railway stations to prevent confusion in mail delivery.  In 1903, the incorporated community was named Sumrall.

Children born to the marriage of Daniel Sumrall and Mary Rebecca "Becky" Pouncey were:

William Thomas "Tom", 1869-1938; m. Sarah Minnie Bryant, 1866-1948

Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie", 1871-1910 

Frances C. "Fanny", 1873-1934; m. Allen M. Patterson, 1872-1934

Annie Jane, 1876-1950; m. James Benjamin Bynum, 1875-1941

Mary Margaret "Maggie", 1879-1940; m. Sheppard H. Herrin, 1875-1945

Daniel Peter "Pete", 1881-1892

Lilly L., 1883-1903; m. Palmer "Plumer" Herrin, 1877-1904

Berry Erastus "Raz", 1885-1901

Earl Bethea, 1888-1959; m. Nancy Almeda "Nannie" Rutland, 1893-1979

Hattie, 1891-1961; m. Yates H. Watkins, 1878-1962


Addie, 1893-1985; m. Wiley William King, 1891-1943


Allie Mae, 1896-1984; m. Louis Robertson, 1891-1968


All but Tom, Annie, Maggie and Earl are buried in the Dan Sumrall Historic Cemetery.

Daniel and Becky Pouncey Sumrall

Daniel Sumrall Military Marker

Mary Elizabeth Sumrall

Frances C, "Fanny" Sumrall Patterson

Daniel P. Sumrall

Lilly Sumrall Herrin

Berry Erastus "Raz" Sumrall

Hattie Sumrall Watkins

Addie Sumrall King

Allie Mae Sumrall Robertson

Mary Rebecca Pouncey (1852-1941)

Dan and Becky Pouncey Sumrall

Mary Rebecca "Becky" Pouncey was born in Clark County, Alabama on October 22, 1852 to the marriage of Peter Alexander Pouncey and Mary Harbin. 

Following the death of Becky's mother in 1856, her father married a second time to Matilda J. Burch.

The 1860 census shows the family living in Ward 3, Caldwell Parish, Louisiana.
 

On December 3, 1868, Mary Rebecca Pouncey married Daniel Sumrall in Perry County, Mississippi.
 
The following children were born to the marriage of Becky and Dan Sumrall:

William Thomas, 1869-1938 (m. Minnie Bryant)
Mary Elizabeth, 1871-1910
Frances C., 1873-1934 (m. Allen M. Patterson)
Annie Jane, 1876-1950 (m. James Benjamin Bynum)
Mary Margaret, 1879-1940 (m. Sheppard H. Herrin)
Daniel Peter, 1881-1892
Lillie L., 1883-1903 (m. Palmer Herrin)
Berry Erastus, 1885-1901
Earl Bethea, 1888-1959 (m. Nancy Almeda Rutland)
Hattie R., 1891-1961 (m. Yates H. Watkins)
Addie I., 1893-1985 (m. Wiley King)
Allie Mae, 1896-1984 (m. Louis Robertson)

Annie Jane Sumrall Bynum's family called Becky "Little Granny."  One family story tells of Little Granny visiting her daughter, Annie (known as "Big Granny").

While the women were cooking in an open fireplace, a black bear approached the outside of the fireplace.  The bear was able to remove pieces of the mortar in his search for the food.  The women and children watched as the bear's progress opened a big hole.  Little Granny grabbed a red hot fire poker and stuck it to the bear's nose, causing the bear to run for the woods.

Mary Rebecca Pouncey Sumrall passed from this life on January 31, 1941.  She is buried alongside her husband in the Dan Sumrall Cemetery in Sumrall, Lamar County, Mississippi.

Sweet be thy sleep

On that ever golden shore, we will meet to part no more