Transcription

Click on the title of a page image to the left for a transcription and a larger image.

Transcription in .pdf format.

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)