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This week's Passing Parade picture was made one year at a Thanksgiving dinner at Nancy Bains' old home place. Those in the photo include, in front, Mrs. Oma Gray, Gloria Gray, Nell Gray Hereford and Josephine Gray. Nancy Bains left North Carolina in 1824 to come to Stewart Creek to live with her parents, sisters and brother (Riley Bains). They found the Liberty area all in cane breaks. They first settled in the Oscar Patrick area, which is now called Upper Koonce Lane. In fact, there is a noted hill where they settled that is still called Bains Hill. The men watched over the women while they milked the cows. The wild animals about were very dangerous. |
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Their son, Riley Bains, was a boxer. He moved north due to his great skill. These people are believed to be named after Riley Bains, the prizefighter: Riley Gray, William Riley Smith, James Riley Gray, W. Riley Matsler.
Nancy Bains married John Nicholas Smith. He was postmaster of Cordova Post Office. They had three children, William Riley Smith, Delaney Smith and Margaret Smith. William Riley Smith married Martha Elizabeth Koonce, ancestor of Bob Allen Gray. Delaney Smith married Ingles Grills and they are buried in the Grills Cemetery on the Alice Duncan farm on Koonce Lane. William Riley Smith was stated to be the biggest taxpayer in Lincoln County. He owned a big farm in the Wells Hill area and owned a lot of business buildings on the square and elsewhere in Fayetteville. He owned the West Side Barber Shop where I got my hair cut. Kenneth McBay's brother-in-law was the last barber there.
Getting back to Delaney Smith. She married Ingles Grills. One day Delaney Grills was seen running out of her house. She was on fire and died. A lot of the Grills family members were well known. Boone Grills was postmaster at Renegar Post Office on Stewart Creek. He and his brother, Boss Grills, played with the famous Ham Eater Band, which came on the Grand Ole Opry in the 1920's.
Barbre Grills visited our family in 1943. He was living in Memphis. Lizzie Grills married into the Claxton family. Floyd Koonce took me to see the Claxton family in Norman, OK. Floyd Koonce's mother was Elora Claxton who married Polk Koonce.
Nancy Bains' husband, John Nicholas Smith, was once Schmidt. The family came to America in 1790 and settled in Georgia. They came from near Dresden, Germany. Some of the descendants of Nancy Bains were Dr. Alan Pamplin, Mrs. Nannie Cook RN, Riley Gray, Martha Armstrong LPN, Nell Gray Hereford LPN, Bob Allen Gray LPN, Boone Grills, Edwin Gray, Floyd Koonce, Doris Decker, William Koonce, Elizabeth Smiley, Lizzie Grills, Ken Hereford, Leland Gray, Brenda Cole, Mrs. O.P. Gray, Patsy H. Webb, and Ruby Wallace.
