Update: Connie had a quintuple by-pass July 13th. She came through fine and was home  in 4 days! She is now up and around and doing very well.
 Thank you all for your prayers.

I have also added to this website a plea for my wife Connie, who needs a kidney/pancreas  transplant. Connie has been on dialysis for 6 years now. She has B+ blood type  but can accept type O. If anyone is willing to take on this burden and donate a kidney  to Connie, please contact me through this website and I will reply. Remember, there is  no monatery cost to the person who donates. God Bless You All.

This website is dedicated to the memory of my father, the late Dr. Rev. James R.  Wilson and my mother, Betty J. Bridgeman-Wilson and the many years of research they  both accomplished in an effort to make sure our family roots are never forgotten. My  father went on to be with the Lord on July 1 2004 after living a life dedicated to  his family and spreading the word of Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers.

My mother, Betty will be 77 years old in March of 2011 and still makes trips  with me and my wife Connie, to the Greenville and Spartanburg libraries for research  and to the many cemeteries in our area to document grave sites through photos.    
 This site is primarily for my direct blood-line relations (and distant cousins): Mother – Betty J. Bridgeman-Wilson

Brothers – Michael W. Wilson & James R. Wilson Jr.

First cousins - Barry Wilson, Angie Wilson, Ken Wilson, Johnny Wilson, Darin Wilson,  Vic Wilson, Doug McCreight, Eddie McCreight, Mark McCreight, Tim McCreight, Carol &  Phyllis Bryson (maiden) and Lance Bryson and their families.

Nephews – James R. Wilson III & Michael W. Wilson Jr. who has spent many hours at the  library and with online research.

Last but not least, my Uncle Gary R. Wilson, who is the last of my father’s (James  R. Wilson Sr.) siblings, and has contributed research and provided info on our family  history. Along with my mother, Uncle Gary is now my sounding board, as it were, for  my research and findings.

If any of you see any mistakes, errors, etc..., please don't hesitate to shoot me an  email to let me know. It WILL NOT hurt my feelings to be corrected. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------    I have to thank newly found cousins, Jerry Wilson and Linda (Wilson) Penwell  (decended from James J. Wilson/Nancy J. Wilson's brother) for sharing their  information and providing a "ram-rod" that enabled us to breakthrough an important  dead end wall with my Great-Great Grandmother, Nancy Jane Wilson. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
 BREAKING NEWS - 
 My latest exciting news is the discovery of Manning A. Wilson's obituary. After  searching for several months through about 5 years of Greenville News, I found an  obit titled "Funeral Old Soldier", which goes on the say that the remains of Mr. M. A.  Wilson (my GG-Grandfather) was laid to rest on December 18, 1912 near Conestee Mill  Village in the family burying ground. I was elated to say the least. Next will be  actually locating his grave which may prove as cumbersome as finding the obit. I  believe the cemetery he and possibly his wife, Nancy Jane Wilson may be buried in is  indeed near Conestee Mill Village at the fork of Fork Shoals Road and Conestee Road  and according to tax records is called, "Jenkinson/Hennon/Smith Cemetery". My Great- Great Grandmother, Nancy Jane Wilson's obit states that her interment took place at  the Hannon Plot (cemetery). I believe this to be a typo error and it should be Hennon  Plot. I have posted Manning A. & Nancy J. Wilson's obituaries as photos under each of  their names.
  My parents and Uncle Gary Wilson actually found the cemetery some years ago and I  visited it the first week of December 2008. Some of it is in disrepair as rotten  trees have fallen across headstones and underbrush has taken over in some areas. Uncle  Gary and I are tentatively planning a trip there to do a little treasure hunting.

January 2 2009
  I spoke with a Mr. Stephen Howell who lives just north of Columbia SC. Mr. Howell is  the keeper or trustee of the "Jenkinson/Hennon/Smith Cemetery" located on Fork Shoals  Rd near Conestee. After speaking with him for a while, I pulled my death certificates  and looked at Thomas Lafaytte Wilson's wife, Rosa Lee Smith-Wilson's certificate.  That's when it dawned on me that Rosa Lee's mother's maiden name was Hannon. Some  documents spell it as "Hennon" but Rosa Lee's death certificate spells it as Hannon  and so does her obituary. Now, if I go back to Nancy Jane Wilson's obituary and death  certificate, it states that she was buried in Hannon Plot. Manning A. Wilson's obit  states that he was laid to rest in the family burying ground, which I now believe to  be Hannon Plot also. This cemetery has had a long tradition of burying family members  and extended family members. The cemetery was actually the site of the Hennon farm  and homestead throughout the 1800's, and I believe Manning A. Wilson was a close,  respected, tried and true war veteran that the Smith/Hennon family would have been  proud to lay to rest in there family cemetery. After all, Manning's son Thomas had  married into the Smith-Hennon family. 
 One other thing; Mr. Howell gave me permission to clean up the cemetery or basically  do whatever I see fit to do in order to find our ancestors graves at the cemetery. We  Wilson's already have a few relatives buried there, but it would be wonderful to  uncover Manning or Nancy's graves!! If any of you would like to lend a hand at the  cemetery one day just let me know.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One other note:
 Source for Manning A. Wilson and his siblings / parents:

My source is a Mr. Dean McMakin and Mrs. Virginia E. Wilson of Pinehurst NC who  made up a short genealogy of the Wilson family which is mainly concerned with the  descendants of Manning’s brother, Peter Carr McMakins Wilson. She does not seem to  know much about the history of his other siblings or their descendants, but she did,  at one time, have access to the William Wilson family bible, and this is the source  of the names and birthdates for William Wilson, Nancy Nellie Atkins-Wilson and their  children.
    The Wilson family bible states that William Wilson and Nancy Nellie Atkins had  fifteen children. Yes, 15 children. Manning Atkins Wilson was the last born of the  fifteen children, born in 1838. Manning’s closest sibling was a sister named Easter  Jane Wilson, who is listed in the Spartanburg 1860 census along with her father and  mother, William and Nancy Nellie (Eleanor) and brother, Manning A. Wilson. In my  research, I have recently discovered estate papers of William Wilson (Manning's  father) which mentions some of Manning's early siblings along with William's father,  James Wilson. I will post digital copies of these asap.

January 17, 2009
 I went to the library this morning because I have a trail on Easter Jane Wilson  and her death date. I searched through about 6 months of newspapers and found nothing  so far. I do know that Easter died in 1908 and is buried at Zoar United Methodist  Church Cemetery with her husband, John Bryant Bass and her son, Manning Benjamin Bass.

February 17, 2009
 I received Manning B. Bass' death certificate from Linda Wilson-Penwell today. I also  have found John and Easter Bass' daughter (Lillie Ellender Bass) obituary from 1957.  More to come.

July 21, 2009
 While visiting the cemetery at Abner Creek Baptist Church this last Saturday, I  noticed an elderly gentleman across the road cutting grass on a riding mower. After  some time he made his way over to us and introduced his self as F. E. Hendrix. I told  him my name and alittle of my ancestry and he said, "Say hello to another cousin!" It  turns out he is my second cousin twice removed.

August 6, 2009
 I recieved an email from Patrick O'Shields, the great-grandson of Josie Elender Wilson- Riddle, sister of Manning A. Wilson.

Have a Great Day
 Scott