Found! - Elusive Ancestors

Finding Eva LARK (my first cousin)

Judy PHILLIPS w/Mother Eva LARK
Compliments of Judy PHILLIPS

Everyone gets excited about different things.... I get excited and feel my heart start to race when I find a wonderful genealogy discovery. So it was several weeks ago when I found (after 30+ years of searching) my first cousin Eva LARK, daughter of Lenard LARK and Grace Simmons.

I had made up my mind to pull out all the stops to find Eva. In fact, my youngest daughter and I had planned a trip to Unicoi County, TN in mid Oct 2016 to do some on site research. In preparation, I wanted to do some on line

research and look through "other" researchers family trees. (I typically don't ever use other researchers work unless they have good sources for their finds-- but they are great for hints - and what a hint this was!). A family tree led me straight to Find-A-Grave -- with a connection to Eva LARK and Grace SIMMONS -- same birthdates, etc. I was thrilled Find-A-Grave posted Eva's obituary -- which had the names of her children. More internet searching -- I found an email addresses for both Eva's Daughter and Son -- sent an email to both and waited semi-patiently.

My daughter still suggested we make a trip to Tennessee if we got no response -- but that was not the case. Eva's daughter, Judy Phillips, my first cousin, 1 time removed emailed!I was thrilled..... Now we are just waiting to connect by phone -- stay tuned!

Eva LARK (daughter of Lenard
LARK & Grace SIMMONS)
Compliments of Judy PHILLIPS

Eva LARK (1st chair), her mother, Grace SIMMONS (2nd chair) - Judy PHILLIPS standing right hand side. Picture identification for others coming. Compliments of Judy PHILLIPS

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Eva Lark was born Mintie Eula Lark (per her birth record) on December 9, 1927 at 7:00 PM in Unicoi County, Tennessee. Her mother, Grace Simmons, was 18 years old (born abt 1910 ) and her father was Lenard Lark, 22 years old (born 1904). Lenard LARK and Grace Simmons were married 24 Dec 1926, in Unicoi County, TN per the No one knows what became of Eva.

We know in 1928 Lenard LARK was living in Asheville, NC, an employee of the Asheville Ice & Storage Co. (See Directory)

Found on the "Old Hensley Cemetery #3 of 19W Spivey Mountain, Unicoi County, TN" website -- Grace's first husband was Ross Lewis, born May 14, 1915 and died Nov 11, 1934. He was the son of Mary Hensley and Mallie Lewis. He married Grace Simmons on Oct 1 1932 in Yancy
Co., NC. After the death of Ross Lewis, Grace married Lenard Lark.

The marriage record between Grace Simmons and Ross Lewis was found on ancestry. This does not make much sense because Eva LARK, Lenard's and Grace's daughter was born December 9, 1927. Perhaps, Lenard Lark and Grace Simmons were married in 1926, Eva was born a year later -- and Lenard Lark went back to his family and Grace move on to Ross Lewis. After Ross Lewis' death perhaps Lenard came back into the picture for a short time.

In 1940 Eva and her mother, Grace [Gracie] Simmons LARK were enumerated with Grace's parents. while Lenard [Leonard] LARK was enumerated with Ethel J. [BULL] in election district 5, on the Southernend of Falls Road in Baltimore, MD. Ethel was listed as Lenard's wife.

Parents of Grace Simmons:

- Spencer Simmons b 2/15/1875 b NC - d 2/2/1956 Unicoi County, TN
buried: Foster Cemetery No 1. (Spivey Mtn)
- Fronia Simmons b 1/25/1875 - d 6/21/1976
buried: Foster Cemetery No 1. (Spivey Mtn)

And with Grace's Siblings:

- Mary Simmons Foster b 2/8/1912 - d 7/5/1955
     buried:   Foster Cemetery No 1 (Spivey Mtn)
- Woodrow Simmons b 8/24/1914 - 8/1/1980
        Spouse:   Ira Simmons (192 5-1977)
        Buried:   Evergreen Cemetery, Erwin, Unicoi County, TN

Grace's other siblings include:

- Dora Simmons (b1908)

Found! - Elusive Ancestors

Finding Eva LARK (my first cousin)

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