A Journey Through Time
The Legacy of John and Amelia Staples
READ the first volume written by Douglas Edwin Lee Sr.
John Staples is the earliest documented relative that can be directly traced to our bloodline that has survived the centuries.
John Preston Staples was born in June 1871 in Columbus AFB, Lowndes, Mississippi, USA. He was also known as Pet. John Preston died in Columbus AFB actual date unknown. No information has been documented on him after 1910 census records. John Preston married Amelia Leigh on Saturday, October 14, 1882, in Lowndes. They had six children: Nathaniel (1888–1952), John (1894–1974), Sallie (1896–1971), Julia (1901–1982), Virginia (1905–1990) and Annie (1911–1997). Amelia Leigh was born in Columbus AFB, Lowndes, about 1873. Amelia died in Columbus AFB.Born Amelia Leigh in 1873, She became Amelia Staples on Saturday, October 14, 1882, in Lowndes MS. She was the mother was the mother of six children. No information has been located of her family's history. Amelia Leigh was born in Columbus AFB, Lowndes, about 1873. Amelia died in Columbus AFB date unknown. No information has been documented on him after 1910 census records.
Those who have gone before cry out to us: Tell our story. So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors, You have a wonderful family; you would be proud of us. How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting facts. It goes to who I am, and why I do the things I do.
The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to deep pride that the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a family.
It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. It is of equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give us birth, without them we could not exist, and so we love each one, as far back as we can reach. That we might be born who we are. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are they and they are the sum of who we are. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place in the long line of family storytellers.
m I. Nathaniel1 Staples was born in Columbus on September 18, 1888. He died in Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, on February 28, 1952, at the age of 63.
m II. John Staples was born in Columbus AFB, Lowndes, on May 10, 1894. He died on January 1, 1974, at the age of 79.
f III. Sallie Staples was born in Columbus AFB on August 18, 1896. She died in Artesia, Lowndes, Mississippi, on April 15, 1971, at the age of 74.
f IV. Julia S Staples was born in Columbus AFB on October 7, 1901. She died in Salem City, Virginia, in November 1982 at the age of 81.
f V. Virginia Staples was born in Columbus AFB on February 22, 1905. She was also known as Aunt Nin. Virginia died on September 27, 1990, at the age of 85.
f VI. Annie Liza Staples was born in Columbus AFB on March 1, 1911. She died in Memphis, Shelby, Tennessee, on January 17, 1997, at the age of 85.
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Our family's journals starts here in the Staples Family Library, where our memories and histories are preserved and documented in many books to comemorate that which our family has taken to get this far through time. Our library will grow through your contributions as we write and tell the stories our ancestors want to hear us tell.
Preserving the MemoriesImagine for a moment what it would be like for our children two or three generations hence, assuming of course if we haven’t blown ourselves back into the stone age and that someone could still figure out what format everything was in, assuming all that. Our great, great grandchildren will know more about us than any generation in the world has ever known about its ancestors. There will be photographs of course; black, white, and color, audio cassettes, and in a few families 16mm and 18mm films, letters, gifts, and there will be thousands upon thousands of miles of video tape on which we will have recorded everything that struck us as interesting, or funny, or important about the milestones of our lives and those of our friends and family. They will be able to see and hear us long after we are dead. Imagine if we could only do the same. If we could bring back those voices, images, and most importantly of all the memories of those who lived one hundred or more years ago.
We've been researching this family name for over 30 years. I found lots of information in the Archives, but once the internet exploded with genealogy, many more doors have been opened for me to research.
If you have something you would like to add or if you would like to submit documents for inclusion on this web, please let me know.
We make every effort to document our research. If you have something you would like to add, please contact us.
John Preston (Pet) Staples
Amelia Staples
