Real Daughter of Union Civil War Soldier
Eula J. Pearson Laymance
Eula J. Pearson was born June 4, 1928 to Charles Melvin
and Sibba Darthula Barnes Pearson in Rugby, Morgan Co., Tennessee.
Charles Melvin Pearson was born February 8, 1846 in Biddeford, Maine to
William Pearson. He enlisted in the Union Army as a private on July 8,
1863 in Manchester, New Hampshire at the age of 17 years and was assigned to
Company "M", 1st New Hampshire Heavy Artillery. On January 1,
1865, he was given the appointment as Bugler for his company. Charles was
engaged in 9 Battles, all of which were in Virginia. His last battle was
the Siege of Vicksburg, VA. On June 9, 1865, he was mustered out in
Concord, New Hampshire.
Charles married Sarah Katherine McKinney on September 19,1906. This marriage
produced no children. After the death of Sarah Katherine, Charles married Sibba
Darthula Barnes April 8, 1917 in Rugby, Morgan County,
Tennessee. She was the daughter of John and Lucy Belle Williams Barnes. Charles
and Sibba had seven children. Charles was a farmer, Justice of the Peace
(Magistrate), blacksmith, and was an active member within the community
and county. He was given a tribute from the citizens of Morgan County for
his many years of service and dedication.
Eula married Junior Powell Laymance . They have three children: Dusty Laymance
Nichols, Bernice Laymance Hall and Harold Dean Laymance.
The hearts of Major Belle Reynolds,
Tent No. 4, Jackson, TN., are saddened to relay the loss of our REAL daughter,
Eula Jewel Pearson Laymance on June 30, 2009. At the age of 81, and having
numerous health issues, she was unable to stay longer with her loved ones on
earth.
Eula was the daughter of Charles Melvin Pearson
and Sibba Darthula Barnes Pearson. Charles served in the Civil War from
1863-1865 as an enlisted soldier with Company "M," 1st Regiment, New
Hampshire Heavy Artillery. A few years after the war, he moved to Rugby,
Morgan County, TN., where he served as a Magistrate within the 12th Civil
District. He served the community with honor and distinction and was given a
tribute by the citizens of Morgan County for his many years of faithful
service.
Orphaned at an early age, her
father’s Civil War pension was used towards her early education, she (and
her younger sister) were placed in the Grace Nettleton Home for Girls
(affiliated with Lincoln Memorial University) in Harrogate, TN. Eula was the
last surviving child of Charles and Sibba.
Eula enjoyed quilting and was
famous for some of her quilts in the east TN area. Many were purchased by
local businesses and displayed in offices. She enjoyed working in her many
flower beds when she was physically able and also loved her vegetable gardens.
For many years, she canned her own food. A large amount of it was given to her
children, some to family and friends.
She inherited her soft brown eyes
from her grandmother Little Bird (Lucy Belle) Barnes Pearson. Upon her death,
her hair was still very black; another gift from her Indian heritage. With a
penchant for privacy, she rarely talked about her early years. Those who were
close to her were fortunate enough to glean bits and pieces of her life before
she married and had children. The one thing she longed for as a child was a
mother but not long after the death of her father, her mother died, and she
was forever an orphan.
Eula became a mother for the first
time at the age of 20 and proceeded to have three more children one right
after the other. Her last child, a son, was stillborn and shortly after wards,
she had a hysterectomy, forever eliminating the possibility of future
children.
Her years spent at Grace Nettleton
weren't unhappy years, and in many ways, she says they were fortunate years.
She was raised in a good “home.” A “home” with indoor plumbing, an
education, girls who became special friends, enough food on her plate, the
advantage of learning to play the piano, and tap dancing (to name a few). With
her younger sister in the same “home,” they forged bond that lasted until
her younger sister's death at an early age.
Her younger sister never had
children so Eula's three children gained more than their fair share of
attention and love from their laughing, fun-loving aunt. It was always an
adventure when Aunt Bo visited!
Eula was in her twenties when she decided she
was going to learn how to drive a car. She lived with her husband and three
children on a dead-end gravel road in Morgan County, TN. It was a safe place
for her to learn the basic's before attempting the highway. Since her husband
worked during the day, it was up to her to teach herself the general
procedures of keeping the car on the road. She also had to learn the basic's
of using a clutch.
When her husband came home of an evening, he'd
usually ask her how many mailboxes she'd knocked down during the day and who's
mailboxes they were? She'd tell him, and he'd head down the road, put the
boxes back up, and repeat the process until she was efficient enough to
control the car and use the clutch. Luckily for her neighbors, she was a quick
study!
When her eldest daughter turned 15,
she decided to get a job. Her husband jokingly told her he was glad she'd
learned to drive. He wasn't sure their new neighbors would be so
accommodating.
She dedicated her life to her
husband and children. She welcomed everyone in her home and loved nothing
better than to cook huge meals for all who entered her door.
After her children married, each
Sunday was a day spent together laughing and having fun. Eula's husband was a
jokester. He kept everyone in stitches with his stories and laid back way of
looking at life.
Christmas was always a special time
of year. Eula passed on many hand crafted gifts to her children. Every
available space in her kitchen groaned with the abundance of food she'd been
preparing for days.
Eula leaves behind three children;
Dusty Laymance Nichols of Cumberland Furnace, TN., Bernice Laymance Hall of
Harriman, TN., and Harold Dean Laymance of Oliver Springs, TN. She also leaves
behind seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. Eula’s female
descendants of Major Belle Reynolds, Tent No. 4, Jackson, TN., are Dusty
Laymance Nichols, Tammy Melissa Nichols Solomon, Jennifer Rhian Nichols Maxson
and Kelsey Alannah Solomon.
Written by: Daughter, Dusty Nichols
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