Hey Cheryl:

Doug McNeer was my grandfather Robert Thompson's "runnin' buddy." Together, they commercially fished and peddled their catch, they drank, and they just basically hung out together and raised hell.

Funny story: My grandfather said that one day, he and Doug went peddling some buffalo fish that they had caught. They arrived at one black man's house, opened their car trunk, and showed the man their catch, which was lying in a wash tub. "How much is dey?" The man asked them, as he leaned over and studied the gasping critters. "50 cents apiece," said Doug. "Naw, suh, dat's too much," the man replied, shaking his head. "Tell you what," said Doug. "Since you're such a good customer, we'll let you have TWO of them for a dollar." The man, proud of having finagled a good deal for himself, said, "Now, THAT sounds better," as he forked over the buck and picked out his two "bargain" fish. lol

My grandfather's wife (my grandmother) was Addie Beaty, the daughter of Edward Jutson Beaty and Linnie Tingle. That would make my grandmother the niece of your ggrandmother Jennie...and would make my grandmother and Doug McNeer first cousins, and you and I 3rd cousins, I believe.

Additionally, my grandfather Robert Thompson's mother was Willie Catherine Beaty, who was Edward Justson Beaty's (and Jennie's) sister (thus, making my grandparents first cousins).

I didn't know that Annie McNeer was a Beaty. I guess that she was my grandparents's first cousin. I know Mike McNeer (Annie's grandson), and was never aware that he was my 3rd cousin. (I am trying to keep all of this straight).

I knew a "Bourbon (sp?) Berry" from Leflore. He died years ago, and would be over 100 y-o today, if he were still alive. He was also a good friend of my grandfather. One of his daughters, Nita (sp?), married J.W. Bush (now deceased) of Greenwood, who was a friend of my parents. Their son Daryl lives in Greenwood and has notorious annual Superbowl bar-b-ques at his home. Another of Bourbon's daughters married an Italian guy (Calvechio, Carravechio, or something like that) in Greenwood. My parents, btw, owned and operated the Bowie Lane Fish Market in Greenwood.

Somehow, an old man by the name of Mr. Massey fits into the family saga. We used to visit him at his home in Leflore when I was a kid in the early 70s. He was married to a woman named "Miss Lillian." He was nearly 100 at that time, having been born in the 1870s. He died shortly thereafter. I asked him about his father, who had fought in the Civil War. Imagine that.

One question: Are we related to the William Beatty who founded the small town of Beatty, Mississippi (just south of Vaiden)? The town may be extinct now.

Mark Adkins