Tombstone Tuesday......James P. McCormack

JAMES P.

SON OF

J.P. & R.A.

McCORMACK

MARCH 4, 1909

JANY. 12, 1910

Another little angel stone.

James P. McCormack was the son of Joseph Preston McCormack and Roena Ann Porterfield.

At first glance, one would wonder why this little lost boy is even in my genealogical tree. But bear with me.

Roena Ann Porterfield was married four times in her lifetime. The first time to my grand uncle, William Ballard Preston Beane, or my grandfather's brother [1859-1893]. "Uncle Billy", as I have always known him, died at a young age due to bleeding ulcers. Grandpa said he always had to drink milk and buttermilk to get any relief from the "terrible suffering he endured". Uncle Billy and Roena had five children together.

After Unlce Billy died, Aunt Roena married second, Joseph Preston McCormack [1842-1915].  It was Joseph's second marriage as well. He was a widower. His first marriage had been to Uncle Billy's aunt, [my great-grand-aunt], Martha Caroline Bean [1836-1893]. Aunt Martha Caroline was buried at the corner of the church in Waiteville when she passed. And when Joseph died, Aunt Roena made sure to bury him right beside her. When the church was added onto [about 1916 or 1917], the new addition is almost to their grave! There is about a 2 feet distance between the church's corner and their joint stone.

Aunt Roena and Joseph had 4 children together. The youngest one being James P.

So, while neither Joseph McCormack or Roena Porterfield are by blood related, they are both "uncle" and "aunt" through marriage. And while Joseph and Roena's four children are really of no relation to the Bean's... they have always been called "cousins". [No other way to put it, than my family history is terribly convoluted! I really must put it all down in a legible form one day, so that others can untangle the web that is formed by a genealogical software when saving this information!]

Aunt Roena went on to marry [third] after Joseph died to Samuel Lewis Bruffey [1858-1926], which ties the Bruffey's [of Methodism] to our tree.

When Sam Bruffey died, Roena then married Calvin Aliff [1856-1941].

Both third and fourth marriages remained childless.

Aunt Roena died in 1956. She is buried at the side of Uncle Billy at New Zion Union Church Cemetery, just a short distance from Aunt Martha Caroline and Joseph P. McCormack [her seond husband], and a short distance from her little angel son, James P.