Resources on Wingard Family
Wingards came to Alabama sometime around 1820. Leaving South Carolina, they settled in Pike County, west of Troy, Alabama. Look at a good map and you’ll be able to locate Wingard, Alabama. My great grandfather, George Franklin Wingard, married into the Moore family. The Moore-Wingard family farm, called Elmdale, was located on the Pike County and Montgomery County line. It was sold to a paper company in the early 1950s. Montgomery County is where my Dad (George), Uncle John, and Aunt Martha did a good part of their growing up. I love these photos. How different was Depression era Alabama! (l-r: Uncle John, Aunt Martha, Dad) One thing you’ll notice in several of these pictures is the bright Alabama sun…
Read MoreI am trying to identify the people in this picture of Centerpoint School in southern Montgomery County, Alabama. It was near Elmdale, the Moore-Wingard farm. I understand that at various times some of the teachers lived with the Wingards. If anyone can supply additional information about the history of Centerpoint school and these students, please contact me. If someone has an exact date for the picture, I would appreciate that, too, and the year the school was torn down. Back row (left to right): Molly Lee Curry, Sophronia Brooks, Julia Lawson Brooks (later married Charlie Jackson), and William Jackson and Lula Missildine (Murray Norman’s grandparents) 2nd row: Ethel Jackson (in front of her is her brother, Edgar Jackson), Coleman Wingard,…
Read More(I wrote this post three years ago after my father died. Today would have been his 90th birthday.) The most important thing I appreciate about my Dad is that, like his heavenly Father, he loved the orphan. He worked in Arkansas and Missouri orphanages, and midway through 1958 he and Mom took me into their home. Dad became the most influential person in my life – my father, pastor, adviser, and friend. So, I played no part in the process of the most important decision ever made about me – my adoption. A good truth for a future Presbyterian minister to keep in mind. I’ve often wondered what my life would have been like had I remained with my biological…
Read MoreAfter family and church, Scouting was the most significant influence in my young life. Forty years ago today I received the rank of Eagle Scout. I am grateful to my Dad, who encouraged me to join Troop 339, sponsored by his church in Smyrna, Tennessee. In 1974, I moved to Troop 120 in McMinnville, Tennessee. One of Scouting’s primary purposes, Dad said, was to teach young men wilderness survival skills. My Scoutmasters – Mr. Craig, Mr. Justice, and Mr. Van Cleve – led by example, and held me to high standards. They made a lasting investment in my life. I no longer have any formal association with Scouting. In 1973, my troop shared the same commitment to my moral and…
Read More(My dear Aunt Martha would have turned eighty-two today. The week she died I wrote these reflections in another forum. She was a godly aunt and gifted teacher.) While on vacation last week, I received word that my Aunt Martha died on Thursday, October 11. One of the great honors of my life came later in the day when my dad and uncle requested that I lead her funeral service in Memphis on Saturday morning and the subsequent interment service in Batesville, Arkansas. Aunt Martha was born October 25, 1931 in Montgomery, Alabama, the third and youngest child of Tom and Dorinda Wingard. She was remarkable; I can say without fear of objection from any who knew her that she…
Read MoreDepression Era Alabama
Wingards came to Alabama sometime around 1820. Leaving South Carolina, they settled in Pike County, west of Troy. Look at a detailed map and you’ll find Wingard, Alabama. My great grandfather, George Franklin Wingard, married into the Moore family. The Moore-Wingard family farm, called Elmdale, was situated on the Pike and Montgomery County line, and was sold to a paper company in the early 1950s. My Dad (George), Uncle John, and Aunt Martha did a good part of their growing up in Montgomery County. I love these photos. How different was Depression era Alabama! (l-r: Uncle John, Aunt Martha, Dad) One thing you’ll notice in several of these pictures is the bright Alabama sun – eyes are closed! I tended…
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