From Generation to Generation

The Passing of the Grandchildren of Ulyss and Pearl Caine Holliman by Glenn N. Holliman

It is said that funerals become a time for family reunions, and so it was recently with the passing of a gentle, vibrant soul, Jean Holliman, the fourth of six children of Euhal and Edna Westbrook Holliman.  Sadly, Jean's death was the most recent of the loss of four other grandchildren of Ulyss and Pearl Caine Holliman in the past few years.

                 Euhal, Edna and Jean, 1985

 Since 2023, we have lost cousins Terry Holliman, Nancy Carol Cornelius Morton,  Mary Daly Herrin and Robert W. Daly, Jr.

To refresh memories there were nineteen children born to the seven children of Ulyss (1884-1965) and Pearl Caine Holliman (1888-1955) of Fayette County and later in life, Irondale, Alabama.  The seven children in chonological birth order are Melton (1908-1958), Vena (1909-1990), Euhal (1912-1989), Loudell (1914-1998), Bishop (1919-2018), Virginia (1922-2011) and Ralph (1924-2017).

Nineteen grandchildren of Ulyss and Pearl were born between 1931 and 1956. Thirteen survive as of this writing.

Attending Jean's funeral in Trussville, Alabama were left to right Jean's brother Bill, his family Kathryn Holliman Woods, Kyle Finley (Joey's husband). Rossi Arnold (Bill's grand daughter), Joey Holliman (Rossi's mother), then Bill's wife Beverly Holliman and Bill's brother-in-law Wally Allen, husband of Tommie Holliman.

Also present left to right, this writer, Glenn N. Holliman, Wally Allen next to his daughter Holly, Tommie Holliman Allen, Brian Allen, Linda Herrin Bradley, David Herrin and Alice Holliman Murphy.  Other family members, Nancy Holliman Justice and her husband Bobby were present but out of camera range.  Nancy lives in Southaven MS about a 5 minute drive from her mother Ann, the third born child of Euhal and Edna.  Nancy's two sons Michael and Jeffery live in Dothan, Alabama.

The family of Euhal and Edna had lost Jerry Holliman in 2003 and his twin, Terry Holliman on December 28, 2023.  Bill Holliman emailed me the following on Terry's life.

"Terry passed on Dec 28, 2023 at his home in Green Valley AZ. He joined the Anchorage, Alaska Fire Department as a volunteer while serving in the Army. His duty station in the Army was in the Federal Building in downtown Anchorage. The fire station was across the street from the Federal Building. He retired from the fire department with the rank of assistant fire chief.  He had four children with Georgi Hercha, his first wife.  Terry Ann died at birth, and three who survive him, Bronwyn, Jodi and Jason. His second wife Deborah had a child, Samantha, from a previous marrieage that Terry adopted."  Picture right are Debbie and Terry in 2001.

Like Terry and Jerry, their brother Bill was attracted to Alaska, going to college there and working in the airline industry. He returned to Birmingham to the employment of another airline and over twenty-five years was stationed at five different airports. His next career move led to being a freight customs broker, and then a position with the Customs and Border Protection agency in Memphis, finally retiring for good in 2019.

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The picture left is of Jerry Holliman with his nephew Brian Allen in 2002.

Terry's twin brother Jerry had entered the Army at the same time as Terry, only he was sent to Germany.  When Jerry left the Army, he joined Terry in Anchorage.  As noted, Jerry died July 16, 2003 while employed as a supervisor with Alaska Airline."

This writer, who spent the first two weeks of his life at the Ulyss and Pearl Caine Holliman home on 3rd Avenue in Irondale in 1946, remembered a time in the early 1960s when Jean joined me on a walk on the property pointing out where Grandmother Holliman had located her chicken house. There was Christmas 1960 when Bobby Daly and I played touch football with Jerry and Terry on the Daly lawn in Irondale.  Such memories of cousins, the aunts and uncles, form the fabric of a person's life.

In my next articles, will celebrate the lives of departed cousins Mary Daly Herrin, Robert W. Daly, Jr. and Nancy Carol Cornelius Morton.

The Passing of Clayton Herrin, 1953-2021

 by Glenn N. Holliman

He was born Elliott Clayton Herrin III, the eldest child of E.C. and Mary Daly Herrin of Irondale, Alabama, February 1953.  After several years of declining health, Clayton passed away the morning of August 27, 2021, age 68.  These are a few pictures in my family album of Clayton and others through the years.

Five Generations in 1953

When he was three months old, he had his picture taken at his great grandmother's home in Irondale.  Pearl Caine Holliman, 1887-1955, is on the far left.  In the dark dress is Clayton's grandmother, Vena Holliman Daly, 1909-1990, standing next to her daughter, Mary Daly Herrin, b. 1931.  Holding the new generation is the great, great grandmother, Lula Hocutt Caine, 1861-1957.

Later that year the Herrin/Daly family came to visit our family in Johnson City, Tennessee.  I was 7 years old and remember Clayton as a baby, nestled by Mary.  Unfortunately no  photographs were taken.

A baby sister, Linda, came along in 1956.  This Christmas picture is probably from 1962,

Clayton graduated from Shades Valley High School in 1971.  Below reflecting the hair styles of the era, he sits with his mother, Mary, at Becky Holliman's wedding December 31, 1971.  Becky is the daughter of Bishop Holliman, Mary's uncle.

Also attending that party a half century ago were siblings, Suzanne

 and David Herrin. 

And then there was Clayton's 21st birthday in 1974,

 wearing a snazzy bow tie!

In 1989 another birthday party for his Grandmother Vena surrounded by Daly cousins and his siblings.

Though the decades Clayton matriculated at Montevalo and Samford Universities and was a banker before health issues slowed him up.  He married Phylis Thoni of Birmingham in 1975.  Tragically, they lost an infant child.  Elliott Clayton Herrin IV survives, an expert in the mechanics of the entertainment industry. 

Clayton was affable, kind, interested in trains and family history and a great help to his parents as they aged.  After my retirement, I was able to get back to Birmingham more often to enjoy visits with all my cousins.  Clayton once showed my father, Bishop, and me around Irondale to see how it had changed or in some cases had not changed.  

  

With his mother, Mary, Clayton waves goodbye after a visit of my father and me.

I shall miss Clayton, and I am sure I am not the only one to feel that way.

A Gathering at Mary Daly Herrin's Home

by Glenn N. Holliman

Several weeks ago, my father, Bishop Holliman, b. December 17, 1919, in Irondale, Alabama, returned to his childhood home to visit his niece, Mary Daly Herrin.  Dad now lives in Avilla, Indiana, just north of Fort Wayne.  That is the childhood home of his wife, Ellen Parks Cox Holliman. They have been married for sixteen years.

While I posted photographs that Mary's son David had emailed me, David's sister, Linda Herrin Bradley sent several more.  Taken together, these deserve a more permanent place on this blog.

On the left, right to left, Ellen, Bishop, Patti Holliman Hairston and Linda Herrin Bradley. 

Patti is the daughter of Melton (1908-1958) and Ida Hughes Holliman (1905-1995) and Linda, the daughter of  E.C. (1930-2015) and Mary Daly Herrin. Mary is far right in the right picture.


Patti and Mary are first cousins, both with numerous grandchildren. Mary, a matriarch of the extended family, is the daughter of Robert W. and Vena Holliman Daly. She is the first born grandchild of Ulyss (1884-1965) and Pearl Caine Holliman (1888-1955). Ulyss and Pearl were born in Fayette County, Alabama, married there in 1906, farmed and around 1917 moved to Irondale, Alabama.

Irondale was a growing suburb of Birmingham, a city then exploding in population due to its steel industry and World War I. Ulyss, who had wood working experience, went to work for the Birmingham Electric Company which ran the street car lines.  The trolleys were then wood frame with wooden benches.  In 1921, a large family house was constructed at 2300 3rd Avenue North in Irondale sans painting and running water. There tw0 children were born and seven grew to adulthood.  This writer in 1946 spent the first two weeks of his life in the house with Grandmother Holliman teaching my mother, Geraldine Stansbery Holliman Feick (1923-2015) how to be take care of a wiggly, loud infant.

The day before the above pictures were taken, Ralph Holliman (b 1924) and his wife, Laura, living in Gulf Shores, Alabama drove up to Birmingham for the reunion.  Bishop and Ralph are pictured below.  The ladies left to right are Ellen, Bishop's wife, Mary and Laura Mills Holliman, Ralph's wife.

In the picture below, Mary's two sons - David (b 1964), left, and Clayton Herrin (b 1953), far right, join their great uncles in group pose.

Bishop and Ralph are the two surviving children of Ulyss and Pearl who had seven children between 1908 and 1924.  The children who have passed away are Melton, Vena (1909-1990), Euhal (1912-1989), Loudelle (1914-1998) and Virginia (1922-2011).

Writers have called the generation of these seven children 'The Greatest Generation' because they survived the Great Depression, fought World War II and helped build the largest economy in the world.  To all my aunts and uncles, I tip my hat and thank them for raising the 18 grandchildren of Ulyss and Pearl!

E.C. Herrin, Jr., a Celebration in Words

by Glenn N. Holliman

Alabama and this family lost a good man last week.  Elliott Clayton (E.C.) Herrin, Jr. (1930-2015) who married my first cousin, Mary Daly in 1951, served his community, church and family as would become a Southern gentlemen.  He died of complications of heart disease and aging.

In 2010, with my retirement, I was able to sit down with Mary and E.C. in their home, and discuss family history, picking their memories of their growing up in a different Alabama, and learning more about Irondale, my aunts and uncles and their own stories. Later I posted an article on E.C. at http://hollimanfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/, a May 16, 2011 article.

 Below, the 1951 wedding of Mary Daly and E.C.Herrin

E.C. was always kind and patient with me, perhaps because we could talk politics, books and history.  E.C. and my Father, Bishop Holliman, had a teasing relationship, kidding about this or that and bringing forth the humorous, dry humor both had in abundance.

 Left, E.C. and Bishop Holliman share a beverage and jests in 1989 while on a trip to Ireland  with Mary and Virginia Cornelius.
 



Right, E.C. in 1972 at one of many wedding receptions.

The picture below I took in 1970 at a family reunion at Mary and E.C.'s home, a home they opened countless times to Dalys, Herrins, Hollimans, Ferrells, Cornelius and other associated families.  This is one of my favorite photos of E.C., catching a bit of bemusement and wisdom in his expression.

At his funeral on April 14, 2015, his four children spoke, all eloquently - Clayton, Linda, Suzanne and David.  I will let Linda Herrin Bradley's loving biography of her Father speak for all of them.

"Daddy was an amazing man. His parents were hard workers in the 1930’s and he learned well from them. When he was 12 years old, his Mother died from breast cancer. Since Daddy had no brothers or sisters, his Father took him to live temporarily with his Mother’s sister and their 5 children, but 3 months later his Father was killed in a car accident. 

After that Daddy always worked to support himself – starting with a paper route on his bicycle, and later at Sears Roebuck as he put himself through college. He was working for TCI when they told he would be transferred to Pittsburgh, and he needed to take metallurgy classes. Daddy said if he was going back to school it would be law school, so he did. His cousin, our Aunt Lola, gave him $100 to start his tuition, because his Mother had given her $100 years before so she could go to business school. So for 5 years Daddy worked all day, then went to law school at night, with 3 children and 1 on the way. But he never complained and he loved every minute of his work, for 50 years, as a lawyer and a municipal judge.

Then in 1989, Daddy started losing his eyesight to macular degeneration. Gone were the books he so loved to read, but thankfully he had books on tape to help. Mother became his eyes – driving, reading, writing, and sitting by him as a judge – so justice truly was blind. Most people didn’t know he couldn’t see, because he managed and again, never complained. 

Mother and Daddy married 64 years ago this June, and Daddy would always say they were still trying to work it out. When Mother went to work for him in 1972, we thought divorce was eminent! But Daddy said they couldn’t divorce because they couldn’t agree on who had take the kids. Daddy would grin and say his list started with his books, hunting rifles, the dog, the car – he laughed and said we were way down on his list!

In the past few years, Daddy’s health really started to decline. But still, even to the end, he managed and he never complained. 

I used to get upset when I was growing up about whatever little stuff was happening to me, and I would tell Daddy “it’s not fair.” Daddy would always say, “I can promise you a lot of things, but I never promised you fair.” Certainly a lot of things in his life weren’t fair, but he never complained and you would never know about it.

Daddy has always been there, to encourage us, to help us learn from our mistakes, to wipe away our tears, to tell us to be careful when we would leave, and to tell us he loved us and how proud he was of us. His only regret was that his parents were not able to know us. He slept well every night – because he said he had a 'clear conscience'.  And he did." - Linda Herrin Bradley

May Mary, their children and grandchildren be comforted by the example E.C. Herrin's life has set for us all. - GNH

My Grandmother's Wall Photographs, Part 6

by Glenn N. Holliman

We continue our tour of my grandmother's, Pearl Caine Holliman, collage of photographs in the late 1940s.  Until her death in May 1955, this collection hung on her wall in Irondale, Alabama.  Today it hangs in the home of Mary and E.C. Herrin.  We begin again with #17.

17.  In 1944, the family of Robert W. Daly, Sr. posed on the steps of the Ulyss family home at  2300 N. 3^rd Street.  Left to right, Robert W. Daly, Jr. (b 1943), Mary Daly Herrin (b 1931), Vena and Robert Daly.  Their home is in the background.  Even before he and Vena married in 1928, Robert Daly, Sr. had become a beloved mentor to the 'second generation' of the children of Ulyss and Pearl Holliman - Bishop, Virginia and Ralph Holliman.  His benevolent influence on the whole Holliman family of that generation is incalculable.

18.  A snapshot of Ralph Holliman evidently taken while in high school at Shades Cahaba.

 As with his sister, Virginia, two years older, Ralph graduated with honors.  However,

 the lack of family financial resources and the all-consuming World War II delayed his

 entry to Birmingham-Southern College until 1945.  Ralph went to work, considered

 his military options and courted Motie Chisom, his high school sweetheart.  They

 married in winter 1943, and a month later the draft swept him into the U.S. Army.

19.   Glenn Holliman (b 1946) in the stroller with his young mother, Gerry Stansbery Holliman (b 1923) beside him in 1947.  This war time marriage resulted in two other children besides Glenn.  Rebecca Louise Holliman Payne was born in 1950 and Alice Lynn Holliman Murphy in 1956. 

20.  Melton, wife Ida Hughes Holliman (1905 – 1995) and Pati, probably taken in February 1944 during a short leave Melton had before being shipped to England and France.  Drafted at age 35 into the U.S. Army, the 3rd son of Uylss and Pearl to go to war, Melton already had been married for 12 years.  Pati had entered their lives only three months before he put on his uniform in August 1943. 

21.     Mary Daly Herrin was the first born of the 19 first cousins of this generation.  To her aunt and uncles - Virginia, Bishop and Ralph - whom she was close to in age, she was more a kid sister than a niece. 

22.  Mary Daly Herrin in 1940, Irondale, Alabama, would marry E.C. Herrin in 1951.  This generous couple by the late 1960s made their Irondale homes the gathering place for her aunts, uncles, cousins and all their children during the many family gatherings into the early 2000s.  Today, their daughter, Linda Herrin Bradley and her husband, Al, continue this tradition by opening their Alabama beach home to family and many cousins.

More of the pictures next posting....