On this page: Transcription, Description, History
Latest update: Friday, 13 March, 2015
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Transcription
Click on the title of a page image to the left for a transcription and a larger image.
Description
"There’s a stunning amount of information in these pages of Joshua EDGAR's old
Family Bible, and much of it is very sad. It’s reflective of the hard times our ancestors
faced in that era, in Texas. I wonder whether Darden and Mary had unusually bad luck/
health, or whether she was just more diligent about recording more. Either way, they
had it hard. Those children who died so young are about to get their place of respect
in the data base. Somehow, that feels good to know that in this way, they won’t be
forgotten. I’ll bet their parents would be happy to know that, especially their mother
who made all those sad entries in the pages of the old family Bible she and her
husband had inherited from his parents." (Robert Merritte WEBB, email 07 Dec, 2006,
updated 30 May, 2007)
On the first page of family information, "the entries below the squiggle lines were the
first entries on this first page, and were apparently made by Joshua's wife, Martha
Washington WOLLARD. Notice her beautiful handwriting. The entries above the
squiggle lines on this first page were made later by Darden's wife (Joshua's and
Martha's daughter-in-law), Mary Susan Margareth NYEGAARD EDGAR, who was born
in Louisiana and whose father was from Denmark. Her handwriting was good but not
as beautiful and flowing, I think, as was Martha's. There are many more entries made
by Mary on subsequent pages, some of which document the hardships and tragedies
she and Darden suffered, including the loss of several children at young ages." (Robert
Merritte WEBB, June 2006, updated 30 May, 2007)
History
In the 1970's, James D. EDGAR (b. 17 Dec 1918), one of James’ and Selah’s great
grandsons, and his wife Francis Ellen GREEN EDGAR (b. 04 Apr 1921) made several
trips from their home in north central Alabama to visit EDGAR historical locations in
south central Texas (DeWitt and neighboring counties) and to look for EDGAR
relatives. On one of those trips, they found the old Joshua EDGAR family Bible.
(source: Robert Merritte WEBB, August 2006)
Ray BOOTHE LOWRY (b. 08 Apr 1907) and her husband Alvin LOWRY (b. 12 Oct
1901) "had the old Bible that had been owned by her grandparents (William James
Darden EDGAR and Mary Susan Margareth NYEGAARD) and before that by her great
grandparents (Joshua N. EDGAR and Martha Washington WOLLARD EDGAR). Ray
offered to give the Bible to James since he was so actively interested in EDGAR family
history. He told her he couldn’t in good conscience take the Bible, but he asked if he
could get photocopies of some of the pages. She said certainly, and he did. We are
so grateful that Ray was so generous in sharing that family treasure, and we are so
grateful that James had the foresight to get the copies of those pages which have now
been electronically copied and saved. The original of this photo is owned by James and
Frances EDGAR, and it is in their album. They allowed me to scan and make copies of
the photos in that album during one of my visits with them in Albertville, Alabama where
they live. We are so grateful to them for collecting these items of such great interest in
Edgar family history, and we are happy to be getting them, one by one, posted on the
expanding web site so many Edgar descendants, worldwide, will be able to see and
enjoy them. On that same visit, Ray and Alvin took James and Frances to visit Ray’s
mother who was in her 90’s and was in a nursing home at that time in Gonzales. Her
name was Nettie May EDGAR BOOTH and her birth (01 Mar 1881) was recorded in
the old family Bible by her mother, Mary Susan Margareth NYEGAARD EDGAR. Nettie
died 04 Jul 1977 at the age of 96 years, 4 months, and 3 days." (Robert Merritte
WEBB, 25 May 25, 2007)