Note: Mary Gray Searcy, daughter of Dovey Mae Phillips Gray of Carroll County, GA, found an old Bible when she was going through Aunt Dovey’s things after she died. Dovey Mae Phillips Gray was my “Aunt Dovey”, and my Dad’s sister. She was a daughter of As Berry Phillips and Araminta Lucretia Lewis. Because all the names recorded are predominantly Lewis’, I suspect Aunt Dovey obtained the Bible from her mother, Minta Lewis Phillips, and that Minta obtained it from her mother, Harriett M. Veasey Lewis. The cover of the old Bible was completely missing, and it was quite old. It was wrapped in newspaper, and tied with twine. The section of the Bible containing births, deaths, etc., appears to have been written with a quill pen. In December of 1985, Mary sent me copies of the Bible pages along with her notes. I transcribed the four pages below. As you will note, the first names written are that of Elijah H. Lewis and Harriett Veasey Lewis, Aunt Dovey’s grandparents - and my great grandparents.
The Bible was in the possession of my cousin, Mary Gray Searcy, daughter of Dovey May Phillips Gray, of Carrollton, Carroll Co., Georgia.
Rodric M. Phillips, Sr.
PAGE 1 OF 4
Elijah H. Lewis was born August the 14th, 1823
Harriett M. Lewis was born November 24th, 1834
Benjamin F. Lewis was born July the 8th, 1855
Sarah J. Lewis was born April the 25th, 1857
Mary C. R. Lewis was born March 31st, 1859
Araminta Lucretia Lewis was born January 25, 1861
a
PAGE 2 OF 4
E. H. Lewis and H. M. Lewis was married Oct the 30th, 1851
B. F. Lewis and M. J. Lewis was married Jan the 10th, 1878
R. Willson and M. C. Willson was married Dec 20th, 1873
PAGE 3 OF 4
James Lewis was born Sep 23rd, 1779
Nancy Lewis was born Oct 27th, 1783
Mary E. Phillips was born Apr 20th 1879b
Wylie Lee Willson was born Sep 18th, 1879
J. T. Willson was born.....................
E. V. Willson was born August........
Elijah A. Lewis was born December 21st, 1878
Charley F. Lewis was born September 11, 1880
Zella A. Lewis was born Oct the 21, 1885
Artentious F. Lewis was born Apr 9, 1886
PAGE 4 OF 4
Elijah H. Lewis was shot dead May the 12th, 1864
c
M. J. Lewis died June 23rd, 1901
M. C. Willson died Feb 18th, 1903
aAraminta Lucretia Lewis married As Berry Phillips 7 Jul 1878 in Paulding Co. Georgia
bMary E. "Ella" Phillips was the oldest child of As Berry & Araminta Phillips.
cFamily tradition says Elijah H. Lewis went north to fight for the Union when the Civil War began. When near home for the Atlanta campaign, he went home to check on his family, was seen, and was shot and killed by the Home Guard on May 12, 1864. Thus the cryptic entry in his wife’s Bible – because he was killed in front of his family.
