Caroline E. McGowin Mancil (Callie)

One of my first posts here was about my great grandmother, Callie. My grandfather Jake had told us that her real name was Caroline but on her marriage and death certificates etc. all I found was Callie. I cannot find any kind of birth record for her. There are a few places that have her listed as the daughter of James McGowin II and his second wive Virginia Sanks but after some research, Virginia is too young to be her mother. Her death certificate lists her as the daughter of Sam McGowin. I am in touch with Sam's descendants and trying to see if they know who her father is as she is not listed on any roster of his family. Her youngest son George said it was known amongst her children that she was disinherited for marrying her husband, James Bryant Mancil who was called Tobe. I would like to solve that mystery. I have been able to solve some of the other mysteries surrounding this woman. Firstly, we knew that she had been killed by her son-in-law, Angus Graham. We never knew what happened to him or where she was buried. I believe her daughters knew but my grandfather was very young when she was killed and I'm not sure if he asked. Talking about her made him quite nervous. I learned from his youngest brother George's daughter that George witnessed her death and my grandfather might have as well. My grandfather talked of the killer being married to his sister Ruby. I wondered if Angus had ever been tried. After much searching I was able to find a blurb that he was acquitted on the grounds that he was not sane at the time. A year later I find him still married to Ruby living in Pensacola. Ten years later he has been divorced and remarried with two young children. I wonder if he ever thought about Callie and the damage he caused to her children. Her husband married a much younger woman and his younger children were sent to live with family elsewhere. My grandfather never spent another day as a student after that. If he even set foot in that house again I am not aware of it. What kind of a person could shoot their mother-in-law in front of her young child (or children) and leave her there to die? But I digress..... A short time ago I found out where Callie was buried, McCurdy Cemetery in Century, Fla. I wondered why she was there and not in the McGowin cememtery near her home? There were many entries for Find a Grave but none for her or her deceased children (I knew at least one was buried with her, Ruby, who died at age 30.) I emailed the person who had taken most of the photos and asked if he was in the area if he could verify for me that Callie had a stone and possibly take a photo of it. I was elated this morning to receive the news that he had not only taken a picture of Callie's stone but pictures of three of her children's stones as well. That gave me more information on two of her children. This is a photo of her stone:

The inscription is so perfect for her. "Rest mother, rest in quiet sleep while friends in sorrow o'er you weep." I love that it says MOTHER on the stone. It's been nearly 100 years since her death but she lives on in me. So, it's Thanksgiving. I wasn't feeling well today and I didn't make a big dinner. The day seemed kind of gloomy until I received this wonderful gift from a stranger. Thank you kind sir, thank you. A part of me will rest easier knowing that my great grandmother has this stone and has four of her children with her.