Happy Birthday Walter!

Happy Birthday, Walter Choplin: Farmer, Father, and Family Legend

On July 14, 1877, a boy named James Walter Choplin was born in rural North Carolina. Folks called him Waldo when he was young. As an adult he was James, or Walter, or J.W., but mostly Walter.

Walter Choplin was the fourth son of Frances Tyson Ann “Ticy” Joplin—the complicated and resilient woman I wrote about in The Mystery of Ticyann. His father was Allen Davis, Ticy’s long-time partner and the man who deeded the family 200 acres, but a man Walter and his siblings would not claim. We don’t have much information on Walter’s childhood. We assume he grew up on that land or at least close to it. Like many boys of his time, he worked it from a young age. He was always a farmer, always a man of the land.

We don’t know for sure if July 14, 1877 is his actual birthday—but it’s the one we have, and it’s the one we honor. What we do know for certain is that Walter lived a life full of family, resilience, and community—the kind of wealth that can’t be measured in dollars.

A Life Rooted in the Soil

The first official glimpse of Walter comes in the 1900 census, where he appears as a 21-year-old living and working on the farm. His name pops up again and again in the Bailey Items section of the Creedmoor Times, a column full of small-town news, church picnics, and front-porch visits. Those mentioned were always "visiting until bedtime" and "reporting a nice time.”

It was at one of these gatherings that he met Lela Smith, a bright young woman 20 years his junior. Walter was 40 when they married; Lela was just 20. Together, they would raise 11 children, suffer heartbreak, and build a home that still stands as the heart of the Choplin family.

In 1935, their youngest child at the time Robert Samuel Choplin, died in his sleep at just 18 days old. It was a devastating loss—but the family endured. Just three years later, in 1938, Walter and Lela welcomed twin girls—Billie Jean and Betty Jane—their final children and the first of many twins to come in the family. Billie Jean is my grandmother, and today, both she and her twin sister are still with us, a living link to the past.

The Choplin Homeplace

Walter built the Choplin Homeplace with his own hands—a classic Southern white farmhouse with a wide front porch, no indoor plumbing, and (famously) a three-bay outhouse. He even tracked the cost of construction on a piece of wood, which now serves as the closet door under the stairs—a hidden time capsule we still cherish.

The family rode a wagon to Woodland Baptist Church every Sunday unless the weather was bad—then they rode the shorter distance to Good Hope Baptist. They didn’t have much money, but Walter had everything that truly mattered. By the time he passed away on February 3, 1960, he had raised 10 living children and welcomed 14 grandchildren into the world.

A Legacy Still Alive

Even now, decades later, Walter’s legacy is alive and well. Every Christmas, the Choplin family gathers to celebrate Christmas and to catch up. Cousins travel from near and far. We wear Santa hats. We sing carols. We belt out “The 12 Days of Christmas” (with varying levels of musical talent.) It’s loud, chaotic, joyful—and unmistakably Choplin.

And just like in the Creedmoor Times, everyone still “reports a nice time.” Only now, we text it to the cousins who didn’t come.

Remembering Walter

I never got to meet my great-grandfather, Walter Choplin, but I feel his presence in the land, in the traditions, and in the stories we tell. His life wasn’t about headlines or riches—it was about hard work, love, loss, and lasting family. That’s a legacy worth celebrating!

Today, on what would be his 148th birthday. By my count, he has 11 children, 27 grandchildren, 51 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great-grandchildren, and 6 sets of twins in the family. We honor not just his birth, but the home and family he built from the dirt up.

Happy Birthday, Walter.

Have a memory of Walter? Or a different count of his descendants?—Lets hear it! Leave it in the comments!

P.S.—If you get a chance go by to see Granny & Papa or Aunt Betty or give them a call! They would love to hear from y’all!

Young Love, Long Roads: The Life of Reuben and Bessie Lowery

They say young love never lasts—but Reuben Alford Lowery and Clara Bessie Rogers would have something to say about that.

They married on July 18, 1934—on what Bessie thought was her 17th birthday (read about Bessie's birthday mixup here Twins Born On Different Days?). Reuben was 23. And from that day forward, the two built a life together that would span over three decades, five children, many homes, and countless family memories. Not everyone was thrilled about their young love—especially Bessie’s mother, Lou Perry Rogers. The details are a little murky, but it’s safe to say Lou wasn’t Reuben’s biggest fan. Maybe it was the age gap. Maybe it was that Bessie married so young. Whatever it was, the tension between son-in-law and mother-in-law never quite faded.

But Reuben and Bessie pressed on. In 1936, their first child, Henry Alfred Lowery—my grandfather—was born. At the time, the couple lived off Falls of Neuse Road, now know as Old Falls of Neuse Road in Wake County, in a modest home near Reuben’s family. Their home sat on what is now New Falls of Neuse Road. Reuben worked at the old cotton mill across the river, and Bessie stayed home raising Henry. Life was tough, but they were happy.

Their second child, Clara Aileen, came along in 1937, born just 10 months after Henry—“just a young couple in love,” as my grandpa said. The young family bounced around quite a bit—moving in with Reuben’s parents for a time, living in Wake Forest with no electricity, milking cows, drawing water from the well, and listening to a battery-powered radio by the glow of oil lamps at night.

They then would move to Franklin County. Their days were simple and hardworking. Tobacco and cotton fields, wagon rides to town, farming with the help of a mule named Ole Kate. There were joyful times—and scary ones too. Once, after moving back to Wake Forest in Thompson Mill Road their daughters Clara and Louise got lost in the woods while looking for the cow. It took all night to find them, the whole community helped. I can only imagine the fear Reuben and Bessie felt, and the sheer relief when their little girls were returned safely home.

In 1948, the family finally got electricity. But they still had to be frugal—only one light on at a time!

By 1950, they had settled on Joyner Davis Road, where their last child, Alice Faye, was born. Bessie even learned how to drive. Reuben started managing a chicken hatchery in Youngsville, and later opened a small poultry business with Mrs. Davis, the widow of his former boss. They made it work—until larger hatcheries took over. Reuben then took jobs at local food stores, where he earned a solid reputation and close friendships. When cancer struck in 1966, Reuben could no longer work—but Johnny Lyons, the son of his former employer, kept paying him anyway. That tells you everything you need to know about the kind of man Reuben was.

Reuben passed away in 1967. Bessie lived another 39 years in the last home they purchased. The home still stands—since remodeled but the old chicken hatchery still sitting in the back yard. She never remarried. She remained devoted to him—and missed him every single day until her passing in 2006.

Reuben and Bessie Lowery built more than a home-they built a legacy of love, resilience, and faith that continues to grow to this day.  Together they had 6 children, raising 5 into adulthood. and from their humble beginnings in rural North Carolina, their family blossomed into something more. They were blessed with 12 grandchildren, who then brought 20 great-grandchildren into the world, and those great-grandchildren have continued the legacy with 17 great-great-grandchildren (and counting).

It’s easy to talk about marriages in terms of dates, houses, and jobs. But Reuben and Bessie’s story is about more than that. It’s about love that outlasted hard times. About farming with mules and oil lamps. About five children and rides to church. About sticking together even when things weren’t easy—and they often weren’t.

Reuben and Bessie may have started out young, but their love grew deep roots. Roots that stretch all the way to me—and now to you, reading this.

Places They Lived & Where Their Children Were Born

1. Old Falls of Neuse Road (Wake County, NC)

            Henry Alfred Lowery – born September 11, 1936

2. Mangum Hill (Near the Cotton Mill, Wake County, NC)

            Clara Aileen Lowery – born July 20, 1937

3. House next to Wake Union ChurchMary Louise Lowery – born September 28, 1939

4. Jackson Road (Youngsville, NC –became Lye’s Dairy Farm)

            Elizabeth Carolyn Lowery – born December 11, 1942

5. Thompson Mill Road

            (No births here, but this is where the girls got lost in the woods)

6. Joyner Davis Road

            Alice Faye Lowery – born September 5, 1950

            (This is also where Bessie learned to drive!)

7. Near Woodland Baptist Church (Ed Davis house)

            Family became active church members, Reuben served as a deacon

8. Joyner Davis’s Home (later purchased by Reuben & Bessie)

            Ran a chicken dressing business here.

👇 Share your memories or stories in the comments below—I’d love to hear them!

Twins Born On Different Days?— The Curious Case of the Rogers Twins

You’d think twins—born side by side, raised under the same roof could at least agree on one thing: the day they were born. But…

Not these twins!

My great-grandmother, Clara Bessie Rogers, always celebrated her birthday on July 18th, while her twin brother, Bennett Hester Rogers, insisted his birthday was July 15th. A three-day difference for twins sounds like something out of a tall tale—but in this case, it’s just a classic example of old-school record keeping, family memory, and maybe even a little clerical chaos. For their entire lives Bessie and Hester, as they were known, celebrated different birthdays—neither knowing who was right. To top it off, July 18th is also the day Bessie enter into a marital bond with Reuben Alford Lowery. Not only didn’t Bessie never know when her actual birthday was, she also believed she married on her birthday.

Two twins. Two birthdays. One long-standing mystery.

After some digging into Franklin County, North Carolina birth records, I found the original listing for both Bessie and Hester. According to the record—just a long, handwritten list of babies born around the same time—both names are listed under July 15th, 1917. Not the 18th. Not different days. One shared birthday.

So how did this mix-up happen?

The Era of Records

Bessie claimed that her mother, Mary Minerva “Lou” Perry Rogers, told her they were born on July 18th, and maybe that’s what was celebrated at home. But in 1917, children were still born at home, usually with a midwife, relative, or neighbor attending. Doctors were rare, and many births not recorded until weeks or months later, with the official filing of birth records spotty at best. The system took time to catch up—especially in rural counties like Franklin.

Driver’s licenses, which weren’t mandated in North Carolina until 1935—Bessie and Hester were 18 yearn old adults. And even then, you didn’t need to show proof of your birthday. No birth certificate. No ID card. Not even a driving test! Mistakes like this were common, and once the ink dried, well, that was that. There were no online forms to double-check. No digital databases to sync up. Just handwritten logs and best guesses.

Neither of them was ever quite sure who was right, and despite their efforts over the years to correct the paperwork, the mystery remained, at least during their lifetimes. Whether a clerical error or some other unknown reason official documents could never be corrected.

More Than a Date

Though their birth dates didn’t match on paper, everyone important knew the truth. The community, the church, the family—they all saw them as a matched pair.

It’s likely they celebrated on the same day when they were younger, if birthdays were celebrated at all. Back then, birthdays weren’t the balloon-filled, cake-and-streamer events we know today. Most rural families focused on chores, not candles.

Bessie and Hester were twins and proud of it. And that’s the part that matters most.

So here’s to Bessie and Hester—born together, remembered together, and forever twins, no matter what the paperwork says.

Do you have twins in your family? Any unique or funny birthday stories?—Leave it in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

The Mystery of Ticyann: Scandal, Secrets, and a Legacy of Land—Part 2

Left Behind and Taken In

Ticy’s childhood was not an easy one. Her father died around the time she became a teen in 1861. After her father’s death the family struggled in poverty. A court case (I have yet to get my hands on) came about that details their hardships. Her mother remarried, and for reasons still unclear, seems to have abandoned Ticy and her siblings. The rumor mill says Ticy and her siblings were passed around on their father’s side of the family. Some say they went to live with their paternal grandfather William Joplin until his death in 1866, then moved around between their father’s siblings. While I do think this is partly true the paper trail tells a different story.

After the death of William Joplin in 1866 a Guardian Bond appears with some unsuspecting names in November of 1866 meaning William Joplin had to pass away prior to the bond.

Here is the transcription of the Guardian Bond:

GUARDIAN BOND—Printed and for sale at the Standard Office, Raleigh.

State of North-Carolina,

[Blank] County.

Know all Men by these presents, That we, Willis Smith, William C. Mangum, & C. M. Rogers,

all of said county, in the State aforesaid, are held and firmly bound unto the State of North Carolina, in the sum of six hundred dollars

current money, to be paid to the State of North Carolina in trust, for the benefit of the child now hereinafter named, committed to the tuition of the said Willis Smith,

to which payment well and truly to be made we bind ourselves, and each of us, each and every of our heirs, executors and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents, sealed with our seals and dated this 19th day of Novemberin the year of our Lord, 1866.

The Condition of the above Obligation is such, That whereas the above bounden Willis Smith is constituted and appointed Guardian to Tyson, William, James, Elizabeth, Ransom, Mary, Emma, Susan, Elizabeth Joplin minor orphans:

Now, if the said Willis Smith shall faithfully execute his said guardianship, and particularly shall well and truly secure and improve all the estate of the said Wards until they shall arrive at full age, or be sooner thereto required, and shall render a plain and true account of his said guardianship, on oath, before the Justices of our said Court, and in all cases as required by act of Assembly, and deliver up, pay or possess the said Wards of all such estates as they ought to be possessed of, when lawfully required by said Wards or to such other persons as shall be lawfully empowered or authorized to receive the same and the profits arising therefrom, then this obligation to be void; otherwise, to remain in full force and virtue.

Signed, sealed and delivered in presence of:

Willis Smith (SEAL)

C. M. Rogers (SEAL)

W. C. Mangum (SEAL)

This Guardian Bond suggests Willis Smith became the guardian of Ticy and her siblings. (Fun Fact: Ticy’s son Walter James Choplin’s father in-law is Willis Norman Smith. I have not verified the two Willis Smiths are the same person. I don’t believe they are. The age of his father in-law doesn’t seem to match up. But I am curious if there is some relation!) I have found no record of Ticy or her siblings living with any of the men listed on the Guardian Bond or their families. But I’m still digging!

The 1870 census lists a Tyson Geoplin-22 years old (note the spelling of the surname) head of household and living with three of her siblings; Mary Geoplin (12), Susan Geoplin (11), and Emmer Geoplin (9). Despite the spelling of the last name I am pretty confident Tyson Geoplin and Ticy Joplin/Choplin are the same person.

Not long after the 1870 census was recorded Ticy must have gone to live with Lurectia Joplin Davis, her father’s sister. It is unclear if her siblings went to Lurectias too.

It was in Lurectia’s household that Ticy’s life took a scandalous and mysterious turn.

An Affair

By all accounts--oral histories, land deeds, and whispered stories passed down for generations--Ticy and Allen Davis, Lucretia's husband, began a relationship. Whether it was forced, a secret or simply unspoken, their union produced at least 8 sons and potentially 9 over the years. I do get the feeling this relationship was more of an unspoken one. After speaking with a distant relative I learned Ticy and Allen’s relationship continued until his death in 1906, but there is no marriage record, no legal acknowledgment--only the lives and land that followed.

In 1902 Allen Davis deeded 200 acres of land to Ticy and their children citing only “services rendered”. On November 19,1906, three days after Allen Davis’s death, this document was officially recorded in Granville County Register of Deeds office. It's a vague phrase, “services rendered”, that doesn't begin to capture the complexity of their connection. What we do know is that the land has remained in our family ever since. It's the very ground I was raised on--a daily reminder of a woman who refused to be erased.

I have only been left with more questions. What was Ticy’s relationship like with her Aunt Lucretia, or Seny as most knew her? Where did Ticy and her sons live during this time? Did Allen have a relationship with his and Ticy’s sons? There are simply too many questions to list with answers that have been lost to time.

Timeline of Allen Davis and Frances Tyson Joplin/Choplin Known Relationship

1870 Census record for Ticy and siblings

1870 Census record for Allen Davis

July 28, 1871: Genadious Choplin born (first son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

October 17, 1871: Ticy marries Burwell H. Perry (they are married by A.S. Davis J.P.—I have not yet identified this person. Is this Allen Davis?

1872: Birth of Allen Davis—son of Allen Davis & Lucretia “Seny” Joplin/Choplin

1874: Birth of Louisa Davis—daughter/last child of Allen Davis & Lucretia “Seanie”

1876: Birth of John Foster Choplin—2nd son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1877: Birth of James Walter Choplin (My great-grandfather)—3rd son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1880 Census record for Allen Davis and family

No record of Ticy or her sons has been found in the 1880 census

1881: Birth of Henry Choplin—4th son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1884: Birth of William Eden Choplin—Allen Davis & Ticy’s 5th son

1887: Birth of Joseph Presley Choplin—6th son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1888: Birth of Albert Luico Choplin—7th son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1891: Birth of Ollie Choplin—8th son of Allen Davis & Ticy Choplin

1900 Census record for Ticy

1900 Census record for Allen Davis

1901: Death of Lucretcia “Seanie” Choplin

November 13, 1906: Death of Allen Davis

1906: Land sees files in court.

April 27, 1910: 1910 Census—Grissom Precinct, Granville, North Carolina Household Members Walter Choplin (33/head) Henry Choplin (25) Frances (64/9 children born, 7 living)

Have answers to any of these questions? Or a similar story in your family tree? Leave it in the comments—I’d love to hear from you!

The Mystery of Ticyann: Scandal, Secrets, and a Legacy of Land—Part 1

Every family tree has at least one branch that twists in unexpected directions. In mine that branch belongs to Frances Tyson Ann Joplin—or as her family knew her Ticyann or simply Ticy. Her story is tangled in questions or identity, abandonment, scandal, and resilience.

A Vanishing Name

Ticy was born between 1845-1849 in New Light Township, Wake County, North Carolina—or at least, that’s what we believe. But there is a mystery right from the beginning. Ticy is not on the 1850 or 1860 census, but instead a Jane Berdy Joplin living with Ticy’s parents Eli Wesley Joplin and Aryanne Lowery Joplin. Then in 1870 Jane disappears—and a new name, Ticyann takes her place in the records. Were they the same person, renamed and reinvented? Or was Jane Berdy a separate child who died, with Ticy born soon after? The paper trail does not say. But the timing—and the household—suggests otherwise.

To complicate things further, Ticy’s surname shifted from Joplin to Choplin in various records. It could be a simple case of phonetic spelling as was common at the time. Or it could signal an attempt to distance herself from something— or someone.

Timeline of Ticyann and Jane Berdy Joplin

December 14, 1845: Ticy’s birth date source: death certificate

December 16, 1845: Marriage of Eli Wesley Joplin (father) and Aryanne Lowery (mother) source: marriage certificate

1846: Birth year of Ticy source: 1910 census

1847: Birth year of Jane Berdy Joplin source: 1850 census

1848: Birth year of Ticy source: 1870 census

1849: Birth year of Ticy source: 1900 census

1850 Census—New Light Township p. 9 (Note: Ticy is not named in this census)

Household Members Eli W. Joplin (29) Ariana Joplin (20) Berdy Joplin (3/f) Azariah Joplin (2/m) William L. Joplin (6mths/m)

1860 Census—Forestville Township p.113 (Note: Ticy is not named in this census and this is the last record of Jane Berdy Joplin) Household Members Wesley Choplin (38) Ann(34) Jane (13) James (11) William (9) Betsey (7) Ransom (5) Mary (4) Susan (3)

Have a theory about Ticy? Or a similar story in your family tree? Leave a comment—I’d love to hear from others chasing ghosts in the archives!