Hello,
I am looking for DNA relatives to connect with from North Carolina and Franklin County, Tennessee area.
My grandparents were Earl Altaman/ Alganon Weaver and Wilma Davilla Snell born in early 1900’s in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee. They were famous Gospel Music Hall of Fame Singers. Earl’s father come to find out was born out of an extramarital affair kept quiet.
The affair was by Euphania Ann ( Effy) Ridgway/ Taft and James Albert Jacob ( Jeff) PLESS Jr. in 1864. My great grandpa James Neal (JN) Weaver ( 1965) was the outcome of the affair, yet given the surname Weaver, not Pless. JN was born in Winchester, Franklin County, Tennessee . Because of the extramarital affair, Effy’s then husband James Taft, sued her for adultry in Franklin County, Tennessee. Effy lost the lawsuit, and was forced by the Franklin County courts to give up the baby JN to be raised by her mom. Effy’s mom was Mary Ann Polly Cole/ Ridgway/Weaver. Polly raised JN with the help of her then 2nd husband Johnny W. Weaver. There was no formal adoption in Tennessee before 1800, and that was 1865.
Polly and Johnny Weaver just tagged on the surname Weaver to Johnny and raised him with their other biological children that they had together.
Effy married Walton Jasper Rogers Jr after the lawsuit and they had many children. All together, I think JN had approximately 42 half siblings.
I am looking to prove my moms grandpa’s line on Wikitree are really Pless’s, but yet have Weaver and Rogers half siblings.
