BESSIE (MAMMA)(VANHOOSE) RATLIFF NOTES

Married: Garland (Big Daddy) RATLIFF on February 2, 1915 - Divorced in 1942

Updated:  7/9/1999

This story was told by my Aunt Garnet Mae Ratliff Mullins oldest daughter of my grand-mother Bessie (VanHoose) Ratliff.  There is quit a lot of confusion about what really happened because no one was there, that is still alive.

My Grandmother Bessie told the story that James VanHoose, her father raped Loutina (Tiny) Music, while her sister Sarah Music, James's wife, was in bed with child of James.  Loutina was staying with them to take care of and help Sarah while she was having the child.  I am not sure which child she was having, but I am researching that.  There is another possibility to this story, and that is that they were having an affair and when she got pregnant she said James raped her. Things like this back in those times was not well known or made public.  They were kept very quiet and sometimes the family was not even told what happened.  

Bessie was born to Loutina Music and stayed with Loutina..   James was married to Sarah, Loutina's sister and they had four children, Lydia, May, Virgil and Lilly Mae.  Bessie never had any full brothers or sisters, only 1/2 brothers and sisters on the VanHoose and the Music side of her family.  She was a lone child of an illegitimate or illegal action of James and Loutina.  James was not charged with rape or even arrested for what happened.  I don't think it was even reported.  Bessie later went to stay with James & Sarah, and they raised her.  I was told that Bessie went to stay with James when she was about 12 years old,  I can not confirm that at this time.

Loutina married John B. Castle and they had four children, Laura, Garret (Big Boy), and Twins that died at birth.  Loutina died later from (Quick Consumption) TB..  

Bessie married Garland Ratliff S/o Jordan and Elisa Maynard Ratliff on 2/2/1915 and they had five children Garnet Mae, James Emerald, Randall Amethyst, Aletta (Alleada) Jean, and Manuel (Glen).  They were married for 27 years before getting a divorce.  Garland was cheating on Bessie.  He was seeing another woman and when that didn't work out he started seeing Eliza.  After the divorce Garland married Eliza Castle and had three children.  Geraldine, Eugene, and Garland Jr.

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