Newspaper article about the death of my Paternal Grandparents, James L and Iva M Neighbors Dec 28, 1958

 I have been doing some research on family history at Ancesry .com and Newspapers .com and I've found a lot (hundreds) of newspaper articles about various family members. I'm going to start posting a few of the most interesting here. I'm starting with a news story about the death of my Paternal Grandparents, James L and Iva M Neighbors.

Abraham and Rebecca Neighbours

I was snooping around online when I found this information about some of my distant relatives....distant ancestors actually.

This is from the Neighbours, Neighbors, Nabors book that I believe, a few members of the family have a copy of (I inherited one from my Dad).

This article says that Abraham Neighbors lived to be 114 years old. I was only aiming for 103 but I can see now that I was being pessimistic. I'm going for a new family record.. 115. I'll see you in 2063.

Or I could shoot for 2066 and attend my 100th high school reunion. I hope it's not crowded, I hate when there are too many people on the dance floor.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Neighbours-14?fbclid=IwAR1U9geTdzO2221tTHxQT4ao8HY6m97YhvNSm0fKP19Wdtd4fzP-7I4isQA

Abraham Neighbours Sr (abt. 1684 - abt. 1798)

Biography

From Neighbours by John Whitman Monroe Neal:

"The name "Neighbours" appears to be the spelling of the family name when the fist members of the group came to America. It is now spelled many ways and very few members use the old spelling. Among the new spelling, most used are: Neighbors, Nabours, Nabors and Nabers. As to the different spelling of the name, it has been found many times that, if a certain family did not spell its name, Nabors, then members assumed they were of no relation to others spelling it Nabers or Neighbors. This is not true; as I have found in many cases, the name has been spelled four different ways in the same immediate branch of the family.

It shows that the family was mostly French Huguenots. After leaving France, they went to England and Ireland where many descendants live today. The first member of the family I have found in this country was Abraham Neighbours in Pennsylvania. he was born in 1684 and it is not known if he were born here or not, but it is believed he was an emigrant from Ireland.

Abraham Neighbours shall be considered out subject as the vast majority of the descendants of the family appear to have descended from him. It might be well to mention here that the name, "Neighbours" meant friend, as did the name, Nachbor, the German version of the word. Abraham Neighbours remained in Pennsylvania until the English soldiers were routed out be the Indians. He then came down into Loudon County, Virginia and settled on the Potomac River. He remained there until sometime in the early 1700's, ca. 1725. While living there, he married Rebecca, (maiden name unknown).

About 1725 Abraham and Rebecca Neighbours left Loudon County and went to Buckingham County, Va. The only courthouse record in Loudon County shows that property then was willed in 1758 to daughters of Nathan Neighbours and his wife, Mary Thacker. This Nathan Neighbours was believed to have been the son of Abraham and Rebecca as records will show in later years that the Thackers and the Neighbours family, along with the Gore family moved from Loudon County, Va. to Newberry Co., South Carolina and members of the Thacker family acted as administrators of the Neighbours family wills.

The next record found of Abraham and Rebecca Neighbours was in 1771 when they lived in Prince Edward County, Va. and it is recorded that they sold land in Buckingham Co., and it was mentioned in the papers that they were formerly of Buckingham County. Records show that several families of Neighbors lived in Buckingham County, Va. after Abraham left there for Prince Edward County. They are believed to be the sons and grandsons of Abraham and Rebecca. One grandson who served in the Revolution was Nathan, born and died near Bowling Green, Kentucky leaving many descendants in that area. It is believed that while part of the family of Abraham and Rebecca stayed in Buckingham County, others went with him to Prince Edward and it is believed that the Neighbours living in Campbell and Roanoke Counties, Va. are all descendants of Abraham.

When Abraham and Rebecca went to Prince Edward Co., Va., Jacob Neighbours was already there and was active in political matters, having on one occasion been a signer of a petition on Civil Liberties to the Continental Congress.

The next record of Abraham and Rebecca is in Laurens District, South Carolina where they apparently came about 1780. (It is also recorded that Abraham Neighbours bought 200 acres in Craven Co., S.C.(in 1771). Part of his family had come much earlier, around 1750-60.

Ramsey's "History of South Carolina" published about 1800 states, "Abraham Neighbours died in 1798 at the age of 114 years, and his wife, Rebecca, had fallen and broken her hip at the age of 105. She is doing nicely."

To give an idea of the size of Abraham's family, the Federal Census of South Carolina in 1790 shows 7 males over 16 including himself, 8 males under 16 and 5 females, one of which was his wife. After the death of Abraham, most of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren remained in Newberry and Laurens Counties for about fifty years, having large families which multiplied to great proportions before they started their migration to Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and later to Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. All these states today contain large numbers of Nabors and there is hardly a family that cannot trace its roots to Abraham and South Carolina. The particular branch of the family to which my wife, Lois, belongs is still located in Clinton, Laurens Co., S.C.

In the pages which follow will be found records of courthouses that I have visited and notes on various members of the family listed according to counties of the various states. Also listed are the Federal Census for the various years that I have checked. This census record is by no means complete, with the exception of the 1880 Soundex census record which shows every member of the family in the United States that had a child in the household ten years of age or younger. At this time, there is no doubt may families who did not have a child ten or under; therefore, they are not listed in this record. Listed also, herewith, are Army and Pension records. All these data are being included in order to enable anyone to make further family research.

As was the case of all families in America in the earlier years of our existence, much migrating took place; moving from one section of the country to another until they were finally satisfied with the area in which they settled and desired to make their permanent home. From the item in Ramsey's "History of South Carolina" Abraham Neighbors was the oldest person in the state of South Carolina. It might also be mentioned here, that this same item shows that Abraham and his wife were both Pennsylvanians so it is highly possible that both were born in Pennsylvania. Also mentioned is the fact that this couple was married more than 80 years. In no record is there any mention of the maiden name of Rebecca.

The Neighbors started migrating from South Carolina mainly to Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee at first. The ones who went to Alabama were very prominent, being lawyers, Judges, doctors and members of the state government.

As to religion, I found that most of the family is Baptist, however, have found many other religions including Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist and Mormon.

No records of graves of the family members before the early 1800's was found. Most of the deceased had, no doubt, been buried on their own land as was the general custom. Therefore, no record is to be had of this and if burying places were found, possibly no tombstones or markers continue to exist. A much more comprehensive record could be had if records had been better kept. For instance, the census of Virginia for 1790 was destroyed and neither North or South Carolina kept vital statistics until 1913. Other states did not start their records until about the same year --- thus making it hard to secure information."^[1]

Bonnie Neighbors murder case

A friend of mine shared this link. I wonder if "Bonnie Neighbors" was a relative of our branch of the family. According to the Neighbors, Neighbours, Nabors book, since she has the name, she is probably a relative.

https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/bj83p8/resolved_dna_used_to_arrest_man_in_1972_murder_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app

Uncle Millard and Uncle Floyd Neighbours

My Uncles, Millard and Floyd Neighbours in 1932. Floyd is wearing a bandage because he injured his ear in an accident in Florence, Colorado. He was a passenger in a vehicle that hit a tree, and he went through the wind shield, injuring his ear.

During the depression, Floyd, Bud (Clarence David Neighbors) and Millard all worked together. in Florence. The photo was taken in Westcliffe, Colorado.

Thanks for the help with the information to my cousin Louise Swisher, Floyd's daughter (hopefully I got it right). Floyd used to tell the kids that an Indian had tried to cut off his ear. Sounds like something one of my older brothers, or any one of my Neighbors Uncles, would have said. I got this photo (and some more) from Millard's granddaughter, Deborah Forsberg.

I love everything about this photo. The 1930 (I think) Colorado license plate...the car, the fact that the two brothers are soooo alike. Sit alike, hold their hands alike, tilt their head alike, grin alike. Quintessential Neighbors boys. It's like we were all made from the same pattern.

The car is a 1929 Ford Sports Coupe owned by Millard. 

Neighbors family abt 1940 Oklahoma

Uncle Millard and his sons and granddaughter

John and Juanita Neighbors family 1953

My sisters Jean Neighbors Westfall and Carol Neighbors Eggert

Carol Neighbors Eggert

Clarence David "Bud" Neighbours, My Uncle

left to right My uncle Earl Neighbors, my brothers Keith A. Neighbors, John M. Neighbors

Jean Neighbors Westfall (my sister) and me (Dean Neighbors) sep 2018 Brookings Oregon

Colorized Aunt Jackie, Grandma Neighbors, Aunt Clara, Aunt Ann

Grandma Neighbors

Floyd Neighbours

My uncle Floyd Neighbours, my aunt Laura (Uncle Millard's wife) and Junior (Millard's son). 1932 Colorado.

 Photo courtesy of Deborah Forsgerg (Millard's granddaughter). Photo taken by Millard Neighbors.

The car is a 1929 Model A Ford sport coupe. It has a cloth top that does not fold down like a convertible, a rumble seat and front fender-mounted spare tire. Pretty sporty car for its day. Thanks to Jim Conaway for the vehicle info.

Floyd Edward Neighbours: BIRTH 10 JAN. 1914 • Sparks, Lincoln, Oklahoma, USA
DEATH 4 NOV 2009 • Grand Junction, Mesa, Colorado


This is what a Model A ford sports coupe looked like from another angle.

Laura Neighbours (and friend)

My Aunt (Uncle Millard's wife) 

Laura D. Neighbours
1912–1996
BIRTH 21 FEBRUARY 1912
DEATH 12 MARCH 1996

Photo courtesy of Deborah Forsberg

My Uncle Millard (Millard Eldridge Neighbours 1909-1992), and Aunt Laura. Colorado(?) 1940's? Photo courtesy of Deborah Forsberg (Millard's granddaughter)

Uncle Millard Neighbours and wife Laura D. Neighbours

Dean Neighbors and Cousin Carolyn Smith at Carolyn's house in Arizona, April 2018.

Cousins. See caption for names

My sister, Carol, early 1950's in front of our house in Conejo, California. Mom had made her this coat (or cut it down from a hand me down coat). Love this photo.

Ed Neighbors tribute album

Photo from Lisa Dunham

Aunt Anne Uncle Raymond Aunt Clara left to right. Photo courtesy of my cousin Lisa Dunham who is Clara's granddaughter.

An old man with a good memory

This was transcribed from my Uncle Clarence David “Bud” Neighbours handwritten journals by Dean Neighbors 20 Aug 2017 courtesy  of Bud's grand daughter Donna and Ed's Daughter Jana.  

“Mama” was my paternal grandmother Iva Mae Faughn's Neighbours. “Dad” was my grandpa James Levin Neighbours. “Millard was their adult son Millard Elldridge Neighbors. And yes, some spelled it Neighbours and some spelled it Neighbors but that's another story.

     “ Oct 29, 1981

To the Edgar Neighbours family.

Nov 6, 1931 started off a gray cloudy day. How well I remember it.

The evening late afternoon Mama starting having labor pains. The plan was to send us kids to a Neighbor's house. But the rain changed them. Dad called Dr. Nash from Sparks. He was an old man at the time. His driver and the Dr. started... got as far as grandpaw neighbors place the little creek coming out of William's place flooding road.

The only thing to do was for us kids to stay at home. It rained and lightning and thundered. A bad a storm as I ever remember.

Brother Millard was there. He was 22 yrs old at time. Dad sent him next door to the east to get Nancy Price. She was a large woman.

They put rest of children to bed. Dad and Nancy was going to deliver baby. Millard was still up sitting in kitchen. I was in west bedroom listening to the strange sounds.

Sometime after midnight heard crash. The whole house shook. Dad called out Millard get in here. When mrs Price saw the mess she fainted. Heard Millard say what are we going to do with her. Dad said let the old fool lay. So they delivered the baby while she lay on the floor. Next sound I heard was a loud cry. Then I went to sleep.

Next day about 9 a.m. Dr arrived. They had sat all night on the road waiting for water to go down. Dr. Nash examined Mama. Said everything was allright. Dad asked what do I owe u. Dr. answered some hot coffee and $10.00 (Ten dollars)

Times was hard then middle of the depression, Ed. You had less than a dollars worth of clothes 3 little waist that went around and pinned in back. Rest made from this and that of old clothes and feed sacks. You had a full head of black hair. Needed a haircut the day you were born.

I wanted to name you Charles. Dad wanted to name you Edgar Allen after the poet. We called you Edgar Allen when you was little to tease Mama but she named you Edgar. When mama said something she had what it took to make it so.

Congratulations on your 50th day of your birthday. May you have 50 more.

With Love

Your brother

CD (Bud) Neighbours  an old man with a good memory.”

Jack Daniel's relationship to the Neighbors family

Some interesting things are coming from the DNA test I took. I got the following message from one of my DNA connections on Ancestry: "Dean-
I see we are 3rd cousins with common ancestors James Hiram Stricklin and Nancy Caroline Daniel. (Nancy was first cousin of Jack Daniel).

Joel Serafin
Alabama"

and, yes, that's Jack Daniel the whiskey distiller.

So, the Jack Daniel connection to our family is like this:
My father was John L. Neighbors
His father was James Levin Neighbors
His MOTHER was Sarah Ellen Stricklin
Her MOTHER was Nancy Caroline Daniel....first cousin of Jack Daniel.

here is the Wikipedia entry for Jack Daniel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Daniel

DNA testing

I don't think I am going to post anything more about dna on the neighbors facebook page yet. I need to think about it for a while.

Here is the what I think at the moment.

1. the Ancestry DNA test is incredibly accurate as far as it goes.
a. I know of only 4 relatives of mine that have, for sure, taken this test: (1) my first cousin Fred Neighbors,  (2) my first cousin once removed, Lisa Dunham,  (3) Lisa's daughter, my first cousin twice removed, Rosalie and  Joyce Duncans husband, my fourth or fi cousin, Hugh Duncan. Hugh Duncan's great grandfather and my great grandfather were the same man: John Ledford Monroe Neighbors. The fact that this test was able to verify that information is absolutely amazing.
b. My test results, in fact, matched and  found all four relatives and precisely identified their relationship to me.

2. Why didn't the test show that Mark Neighbors (for example) is my cousin.
a. He hasn't taken the test, therefore his data is not in the computer and the test could not indicate that we were related.

3. Why didn't the test show my indian DNA.
a. Same reason as #2.
b. No indian relative of mine is in the data base.
c. There are only about 2 million people in ancestry's data base.
d. The population of earth is about 7 Billion people.
e. Ancestry's data base contains information on about (700000000 divided by 2000000 X100)                0.028% percent of the worlds population.
f. Finding that indian is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. In fact...that particular needle             is likely not even IN the haystack.

Ancestry DNA test results for Dean Neighbors

Okay.....my Ancestry DNA results are in:.

So....as it turns out, my results say that I am 46% descended from western Europeans, 41% from the Irish, 8% from Scandinavia, 4% Great Britain and 1% Finland/Northwest Russia.

Some of you Neighbors (most of you) are going to be disappointed because it doesn't indicate any american indian ancestors in my DNA. This may be simply because a particular Gene skipped me (I DO look like my Mom)...or because there aren't many American Indian DNA samples in the database yet. Personally, I believe the family stories.

The DNA data also connected me to 1518 (wow) 4th cousins and above (4th to 1st) who have had the DNA test. I have looked at a few of them and HAVE SEEN some american indian in some of the Faughn descendants. I am going to look at this over the next few weeks and I will report back to you on what my conclusions are.

I will also try to figure out how to make my Ancestry Family tree public so that anyone can look at it. I think you will have to join Ancestry to view it...but there is a free membership level available if all you want to do is look.

Stay tuned.

For the Austian ( Rebecca Austian ) and Kimbleys ( Penny Armstrong-Frizzell )... I am, obviously, just as much Austian as I am Neighbors and what I have looked at so far indicates that I got the Irish and western european from both Austian and Neighbors ancestors.

Ada Evelyn Faughn

This is my Aunt Ada Evelyn Faughn on her wedding day. Ada was my grandma Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors's younger sister.

When Ada Evelyn Faughn was born on April 2, 1894, her father, George, was 38, and her mother, Martha, was 29. She married William Henry Sawyer and they had ten children together. She then married William Joseph Burch in 1940 in California. She died on June 11, 1975, in Eugene, Oregon, at the age of 81.

Carrie Belle Faughn

This is my great aunt Carrie Belle Faughn and her husband James Monroe Mitchell. Carrie was my grand mother Iva Mae Faughn's (Neighbors) younger sister. She was born Feb 22, 1899 in Springfield, Missouri. She married James Mitchell June 11, 1916 at the age of 17, in Ofuskee, Oklahoma. They had 9 children in 17 years. She died Nov 29, 1992 at the age of 92 in Modesto, California, where she had lived for many years.

James Monroe Mitchel and Carrie Belle Faughn Mitchel

Ryan Smith Graduation

My Dad and 6 of his 10 brothers and sisters

7 of the 11 children of my Paternal grandparents, James Levin Neighbors and Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors.

Standing L-R my uncle Earl, my Dad John, Uncle Ray, Uncle Ed. Front row L-R Aunt Ann, Uncle Bud, Aunt Jackie. Dad was the oldest, born in March 1907...Ed is the youngest. Born Nov 1931..a 25 1/2 year span.

Fredrich Earl Neighbors, b 1927, John Ledford Neighbors 1907 - 2001, James Raymond (Ray) Neighbors 1915 - 2004, Edgar (Ed) Neighbors b 1931, Anna Bell Neighbors 1924 - 1999, Clarence David (Bud) Neighbors 1917 - 2009, Vera Mae (Jackie) Neighbors b 1922.

Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors

Just completed the blog page for my Grandmother Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors. A link to her page can be found HERE or by selecting her page from the Individual pages in the menu in the right hand column.

James Levin Neighbours

Just completed the page for my Paternal Grandfather, James Levin Neighbours. You can go to the page from this link or navigate using the menu in the right hand column of this blog.

Nieghbours/neighbors/nabors/nabers

On the subject of the spelling of the name "Neighbours/Neighbors". John whitman Monroe Neal, who wrote the book "Neighbors, Neighbors, Nabours, Nabers, says in the beginning of his book: "the name Neighbours" appears to be the spelling of the family name when the first members of the group came to america. It is now spelled many ways and very few family members use the old spelling. Among the new spellings, most used are Neighbors, Nabours, Nabors and Nabers." Mr. Neal goes on to say that families that used different spellings often assumed they weren't related. He found this to be not true. In most cases they WERE related. In some families he found up to four different spellings within the same family group. Another Author, Reba Neighbors, in her book "History of the James Peek Family", states the following: "Family legend says when President Teddy Roosevelt asked people to Americanize their names, Republican members dropped the "U" or shortened their name further. Democrats kept the original spelling. But, no doubt, spelling changed for many other different reasons, just as it did in other families." It's interesting that the same person often had more than one spelling associated with him. This is the case with my grandfather James Levin Neighbors. His WWI draft cards says "Neighbors". His world war two draft card says "Neighbours". His tombstone says: Neighbors. You decide. It's interesting anyway. Even more interesting...there is some evidence that the Neighbors (in all the various spellings) descend from French Huguenots who emigrated from France to Ireland and then on to america. There is also anecdotal evidence (but no documentation that I can find...yet) that our name was changed from the French "Voisin"...which means "Neighbor" in French. That should give you something to think about today. Neighbours/neighbors/nabors book

I just created the new "Iva Mae Faughn" page. Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors was my Paternal Grandmother. You can navigate to her page from the links in the column on the right side of this page. Or by clicking here: Iva Mae Faughn

John L. Neighbors and his mother Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors 1956

James L and Iva M Neighbors and their children 1939

Neighbors Family 1939

Front Row L - R Earl, Ed, Ann, Jackie and Clara

Back Row L-R John, Millard, George, Raymond, Bud, Floyd, Grandma Iva Mae and Grandpa James L. Neighbors

There was a 25 year span between the oldest, John and the youngest, Ed. Ed was 8 years old when this photo was taken. He met his brother, Millard, for the first time on this day. Millard was gown up and had left home before Ed's birth. John lived locally but was also married and had two children older than Ed and one older than Earl. 

Juanita Neighbors and her baby Dean Neighbors 1948 (yeah, that's me).

Vera Mae (Jackie) Neighbors McCall 1940

My Aunt Vera Mae Neighbors McCall. High school graduation about 1940?

Charles Manning Austian, Armina Hunt Austian

My Maternal Grandparents, Charles Manning Austian, Armina Hunt Austian.

Wedding Photo 1898, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

John L Neighbors family

Two poses. About 1955 on the Neighbors place East Ave, Rural Fresno County, California

Back row L-R, Keith Neighbors, Jim Neighbors, David Neighbors

2nd Row L-R John Neighbors, Jean Neighbors, Carol Neighbors

Front row: Dean Neighbors

Clara Neighbors Hiemer and her daughter Rosalie

Five Generations

James Levin Neighbors with his Aunt Josephine L Neighbors, his son George Neighbors, George's daughter Wilma Neighbors Hollis and  her children Gregory (Greg) and Rebecca (Becky) Hollis. Five generations represented. Photo taken April 1956 on the occasion of James L. Neighbors and Iva M. Neighbors 50th anniversary.

Letter from Juanita Fay Austian Neighbors 1956.

This letter was written about 6 weeks before my mother's death.

Clarence David (Bud) Neighbors U.S. Army record

Many of you remember my Uncle Bud ...Clarence David Neighbors and his talent for telling stories. This is a younger brother of John L. Neighbors (my Dad).

Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors Wedding Photo

Iva Mae Faughn Neighbors. My maternal Grandmother on (I believe) her wedding day, April 30 1906 in Chandler, Oklahoma. She was a strikingly beautiful young lady. She was born in December 1891 so she was not quite 15 1/2 in this photo.

James L and Iva M Neighbors 50th anniversary.