FAMILY REUNIONS

Coleman Family Reunion, Strickland's Landing, Kingsley Lake, FL, 1976

Pictured above are Ned and Lois Coleman, their children, their children's spouses and their grandchildren.

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Michael Stern

The Coleman Family Reunions were great occasions.  Each year the whole family gathered at Strickland's Landing, Kingsley Lake, FL.  There was a cookout, swimming and games for the whole family.  By "whole family" I mean my grandfather and all his siblings who were still living, their children and their grandchildren.  There were dozens of people there - all part of the same family.  The picture above only shows one of the original siblings with his family.  There were several others there also. 

Your humble author, Paul Coleman, is the red-haired boy, standing behind the boys kneeling in the front row.  

J. F. AND VINNIE STRICKLAND

Rev. J. F. Strickland, Jr. was a resident of Georgia.  He was the maternal grandfather of Lois Coleman.  He officiated the wedding of Ned and Lois Coleman.  He married Vinnie Douglas.  Vinnie was born in 1877 and died in 1954.  J. F. and Vinnie were the parents of Della Harper.

Rev. J. F. and Vinnie  Strickland are paternal great-great grandparents of Paul Coleman.

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Vinnie Douglas Strickland
Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Alyssa Shaddeau

Note J.F. Strickland, Jr.'s signature on the lower right corner of Ned and Lois Coleman's marriage license.

MORGAN AND DELLA HARPER

Morgan Harper was born June 20, 1893 and died February 12, 1964.  It was said that Morgan went blind from diabetes, but taught himself to read braille.  He married Della Strickland.  Della was born April 25, 1895 and died June 14, 1990.  Della was the daughter of Rev. J. F. Strickland, Jr.  Della was personally known to Paul Coleman.  She made her own clothes and always wore her hair up in a bun.  She was known as "Granny Harper."  No one, not even her children, could ever remember her saying anything ill about anyone.  She had a parakeet named Richie, whom she taught to say, "Richie's a pretty bird."  Morgan and Della were the parents of Lois Coleman.

Morgan and Della Harper are paternal great-grandparents of Paul Coleman.

Della and Morgan Harper

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Lois and Della Harper

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Lois Harper Coleman with her children, siblings, parents and others

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Headstone for Morgan and Della Harper

Kingsley Lake Baptist Church Cemetery

Starke, FL

JAMES AND LILLY LAVENDER

James Levin Lavender was born November 3, 1886 and died August 20, 1957.  He married Lilly Edna.  Lilly Edna was born January 22, 1887 and died July 2, 1976.  James and Lilly are the parents of James F. Lavender.

James and Lilly are maternal great-grandparents of  Paul Coleman.

Headstone for James and Lilly Lavender

Dekle Cemetery, Lake Butler, FL

James Lavender's photo on his headstone

Lilly Edna Lavender's photo from her headstone

JAMES AND AZIEL LAVENDER

James F. Lavender was born November 26, 1915 and died May 24, 1992.  He was the son of James Levin and Lilly Edna Lavender.  He married Aziel Jackson April 30, 1940.  Aziel was born February 24, 1924 and died July 24, 2015.  They had five children: Pearl, James, Deborah, Sharon and Gail.  

James and Aziel are the maternal grandparents of Paul Coleman; Deborah is his mother.  

Headstone for James and Aziel Lavender

Dekle Cemetery, Lake Butler, FL

Wedding photo of James and Aziel Lavender

NED AND LOIS COLEMAN

According to family records:
Ned Carrol Coleman was born on 7-19-1903. His parents were Eligia Mose and Seleta Coleman (see post). He died on 2-14-1982. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the European Theater of the war. He served over 20 years in the US Army, attaining the rank of Master Sergeant, then worked as a strawberry farmer in Bradford Co. Florida.  His wife, Lois Harper Coleman, was born on 9-27-1915. Her parents were Morgan and Della Harper (see post). She was raised in Blackshear, GA.  She died on 12-6-1999. They are buried at the cemetery at Kingsley Lake Baptist Church, Starke, FL.  Lois told me that they met when Ned went to GA to visit his cousins.  Lois was a friend of one of Ned's cousins.  They met and later married.  Ned and Lois were married on 10-2-1937. Lois told me that her grandfather, Rev. J.F. Strickland, solemnized their wedding.  Their children are: Elisha Nolan Coleman, Amelia Coleman Felter, Virginia Coleman Chambers, Gail Coleman Walker, Knute Coleman, Charles Wadsworth Coleman.

The family records were compiled by my grandfather, Ned Coleman, listed above.

The birth dates of living relatives have been omitted.

Ned and Lois are the paternal grandparents of Paul Coleman; Knute is his father.

Ned and Lois Coleman 1947

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Headstone for Ned and Lois Coleman

Kingsley Lake Baptist Church Cemetery
Starke, FL

Ned and Lois' marriage license

Ned Coleman

c. 1947
Picture courtesy of Knute Coleman

A very young Ned Coleman in the US Navy, 1918
Ned's discharge papers from the Army in 1948 record that he had served just over 20 years.  He would have been 25 when he began his Army career.  Evidently, he served in the Navy for a short time earlier in life.
Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Lois Coleman with Elisha Nolan and Amelia Coleman

Ned and Lois' children
(left to right) Gail, Amelia, Virginia, Charles, Knute, Elisha Nolan

ELIGIA MOSE AND SELETA COLEMAN

According to family records:

Eligia Mose Coleman was born on 3-11-1863. [His headstone lists his birth date as 3-11-1862, which is most likely the correct date - 1863 being a typo.]  His parents were Moses and Louisa Coleman (see post). He died on 10-4-1925. His wife, Seleta Varnes Coleman, was born on 9-3-1872. She died on 3-31-1962. Mose and Seleta were married on 6-5-1892. They are both buried in the cemetery at Kingsley Lake Baptist Church, Starke, FL. Their children are: Minnie I. Coleman Cain (b. 8-13-1893), Eligia Newton Coleman (b. 9-23-1894), Ava Coleman Keene (b. 2-23-1896), Sarah Jane Coleman Moore (b. 9-7-1897), Leona Coleman Stern (b. 2-24-1899), Cornellia Coleman Fowler (b. 9-3-1901), Ned Carrol Coleman (b. 7-19-1903), Mary Coleman (b. 1905, d. 10-4-1914), Frank Robert Coleman (b. 6-23-1908), and Grace Thelma Coleman Knighton (b. 1-16-1911).

Seleta was the first to begin to record our family history.  She wrote births, deaths and marriages in the old family Bible.  Ned Coleman continued recording and updating the family history during his lifetime and left the records to his descendants.

Eligia Mose and Seleta Coleman are paternal great-grandparents of Paul Coleman.

Eligia Mose Coleman and Seleta Varnes Coleman

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Seleta Varnes Coleman surrounded by her children: (clockwise from lower left corner) Ned, Ava, Eligia, Minnie, Nella, Grace, Sarah, Frank and Leona

Picture courtesy of Karen Coleman Shaddeau and Sandy Coleman Hall

Headstone for Eligia and Seleta Coleman

Kingley Lake Baptist Church Cemetery

Starke, FL