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| Pisgah Baptist Church ,Sumter County, South Carolina |
The William A. McManus family were members of the Pisgah Baptist Church in Sumter County,SC for many years. Several of the family are buried in the church cemetery. I was excited when my parents took a trip to take pictures of the headstones for me.
I received the pictures and was surprised to find a picture of the headstone of a child named Bessie McManus. I had never heard of Bessie. She was not in any family record that I had seen. She was not recorded in the family Bible. I asked my Grandmother and her older sister Mildred if they knew anything about her, but neither had any memories of a child named Bessie in their McManus line. Growing up they had heard that the McManus' were kind and generous. They were known to "take in children". Their own mother, Loretta, is said to have been adopted by William and Fannie.so they were not surprised to see evidence of this "adopted " daughter.
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Headstone of Bessie McManus
Pisgah Church Cemetery, Sumter County, SC |
Bessie,
Adopted daughter
of of
W.A, & Fannie
McManus
Born Dec. 10, 1887
Died Mar. 31, 1892
So far a search of court, church and vital records have not shed any light on this little girl. She lived for such a short time-just a little over 4 years. I can't imagine how hard Bessie's death must of been for my Great Great Grandparents. This was not the first loss of a child William and Fannie had suffered. Years earlier they endured the pain of losing their first born twin girls. Hattie and Lula McManus died just days apart at only 3 months old.
Bessie McManus is now found and she will not be forgotten. Her life story will be researched and added to the family who loved and cared for her.
