57Margaret in a photograph probably taken circa 1903 (judging by the apparent ages of the children).1 Cropped from a larger portrait. I've colorized and enhanced the image; use the slider to see the image in its more original appearance, or see my unedited scan of the full portrait or the scan juxtaposed with a colorized enhancement.
57Margaret Ada Hanes
Key Facts
Snapshot:preacher's wife
Parents:114John Wesley Hanes
115Margaret ___
Born:19 August 1866
Cleburne County, Alabama
Died:28 May 1956 at 10 PM
Jefferson County, Alabama
Buried:Antioch Cemetery, Cleburne County, Alabama
Coordinates: N33.6402 W85.3966

57Margaret in a photograph probably taken circa 1903 (judging by the apparent ages of the children).1 Cropped from a larger portrait. I've colorized and enhanced the image; use the slider to see the image in its more original appearance, or see my unedited scan of the full portrait or the scan juxtaposed with a colorized enhancement.


57Margaret in a photograph probably taken circa 1903 (judging by the apparent ages of the children).1 Cropped from a larger portrait; see my unedited scan of the full portrait.

57Margaret was born in Cleburne County, Alabama2,3 on 19 August 18662,4 to parents 114Wesley Hanes2,6 and 115Margaret ___.5

The 1870 and 1880 censuses show her with her family in Cleburne County.5


1870: 57Margaret's family in Cleburne County, Alabama. Full page.5


1880: 57Margaret's family still in Cleburne County. Full page.6

In December 1881 she married 56Henry O. Brown.7 For more information on their marriage, their lives together, etc., see his profile since that information won't be repeated here.

Her husband died in 1909,8 but 57Margaret survived by him by almost a half-century. She never re-married. The 1910 and 1920 censuses show her still in Cleburne County, but she later relocated, apparently to be closer to family.


1910: 57Margaret's family in Cleburne County, Alabama. Full page.9


1920: 57Margaret's family still in Cleburne County. Full page.10


1930: 57Margaret's family in Lawrence County, Tennessee. Full page.11


1940: 57Margaret's household in Cleburne County, Alabama. Full page.12

In addition to the photo at the top of this page, I've found four other images that include 57Ada, apparently much later in life.13-16 Clicking each of the photos below will take you to a separate page with a colorized, enhanced version of the photo.


57Ada is the woman holding the baby in her lap.13


57Ada is on the left.15


57Ada is the woman holding the baby in her lap.13



57Ada is on the left.15


57Margaret had a heart attack and died at 10 PM on 28 May 1956. Her death certificate is below.2 The residential address provided (8612 7th Avenue North) is in a mostly uninhabited area northeast of Birmingham; I'm not convinced 57Margaret actually lived there, especially since her obituary gives a different address (see below).


Her obituary3 and tombstone4 are shown below. Despite peculiarities in the obituary (namely, 57Margaret's name is reported as "Martha," and her age as 39 rather than 89), I'm convinced it's the correct obituary since it is otherwise consistent with numerous other records. 57Margaret's address (1118 44th Place North, Birmingham, Alabama) is on the master map.

Sources Cited:

1: Photograph of 56Henry O. Brown, 57Margaret Ada Hanes, 28Hiram W. Brown, 29Mary Lee Parlier, and others. Copy provided to me by 7Carolyn Jean Brown, granddaughter of 28Hiram W. Brown. You can see my unedited scan and a description of who's who.

2: Alabama death certificates, volume 20, roll 5, certificate 9960 for Margaret Brown, who died in Jefferson County on 28 May 1956.

3: "Mrs. Martha Brown rites are tomorrow," The Birmingham News (Birmingham, Alabama), 30 May 1956, page 29, column 7, halfway down the page.

4: Tombstone of Margaret Ada Brown (19 August 1866 - 28 May 1956), Antioch Cemetery, Cleburne County, Alabama, coordinates N33.6402 W85.3966. Photograph taken by 1Bryant Knight on 6 February 2021.

5: 1870 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Township 17 Range 11, Cleburne County, Alabama. Page 374, dwelling 17, family 17, Wesley Haynes household. NARA microfilm publication M593, roll 9. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-6QT9-Z3Z?i=2&cc=1438024&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMHV1-S3W>, accessed 21 February 2021.

6: 1880 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Township 17 Range 11, Cleburne County, Alabama. Enumeration district 47, page 243, dwelling 6, family 6, John W Hames household. NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 8. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYYJ-32R?cc=1417683&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AM4JC-438>, accessed 21 February 2021.

7: Cleburne County, Alabama. Marriage book C, page 41. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939Z-YY99-PY?i=483&cc=1743384&cat=37923>, accessed 12 February 2021.

8: Tombstone of Rev. H. O. Brown (2 January 1861 - 6 September 1909), Antioch Cemetery, Cleburne County, Alabama, coordinates N33.6402 W85.3966. Photograph taken by Bryant Knight on 6 February 2021.

9: 1910 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Precinct 8 Abernathy, Cleburne County, Alabama. Enumeration district 57, sheet 7A, dwelling 116, family 116, Margaret A. Brown household. NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 7. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRK9-DFR?i=8&cc=1727033&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMKQS-ZSX>, accessed 25 February 2021.

10: 1920 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Precinct 8, Cleburne County, Alabama. Enumeration district 62, sheet 11A, dwelling 187, family 187, Mrs. Marget A. Brown household. NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 7. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRJM-68?i=20&cc=1488411&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AMXZS-29W>, accessed 25 February 2021.

11: 1930 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). District 10, Lawrence County, Tennessee. Enumeration district 17, sheet 11A, dwelling 223, family 228, Archie J. Brown household. NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 2261. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RZZ-QM9?i=21&wc=QZFW-3KF%3A648806201%2C649951601%2C648839001%2C1589282389&cc=1810731>, accessed 25 February 2021.

12: 1940 U.S. Federal Census (Population Schedule). Jasper, Walker County, Alabama. Enumeration district 64-2, sheet 24A, family 479, Margaret A. Brown household. FamilySearch, <https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-89MT-M7CS?i=47&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AV15X-TMZ>, accessed 25 February 2021.

13: An image titled "Brown Family Gathering" on Ancestry.com (<https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/18860875/person/727944284/media/7df39021-c724-43cb-950b-e4a2d6edbf96?_phsrc=ocC315&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=5&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=727944284&sort=-created>), uploaded by user TonyaMichelleShireyWertenberger on 1 February 2012, accessed 21 February 2024. Tonya noted that the photo was taken in Tallapoosa, Georgia and provided the following description: "Aunt Ginny, Dell, mawmaw (Ruby), & unknown on the back row. PaPa's mother (Margaret Ada Hanes Brown) holding Bobby Brown, mawmaw's mother (Mary Mame West Brown)."

14: An image titled "Grandma Ada" on Ancestry.com (<https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/18860875/person/727944284/media/382dbeba-32df-4119-9eaf-643fcb8981f4?_phsrc=ocC323&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=4&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=727944284&sort=-created>), uploaded by user TonyaMichelleShireyWertenberger on 13 June 2012, accessed 21 February 2024. Tonya provided the following description: "Grandma sitting in a wheel chair."

15: An image titled "ada" on Ancestry.com (<https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/18860875/person/727944284/media/d25eb7e0-40e1-401f-a47d-c64c784e8450?_phsrc=ocC319&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=3&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=727944284&sort=-created>), uploaded by user TonyaMichelleShireyWertenberger on 13 June 2012, accessed 21 February 2024. Tonya provided the following description: "Grandma in her bonnet."

16: An image titled "Margaret Ada & Mary 'Mame' Brown" on Ancestry.com (<https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/18860875/person/727944284/media/8e8e3ac1-0815-461f-a013-dff6deb6dee3?_phsrc=ocC325&usePUBJs=true&galleryindex=1&albums=pg&showGalleryAlbums=true&tab=0&pid=727944284&sort=-created>), uploaded by user TonyaMichelleShireyWertenberger on 13 June 2012, accessed 21 February 2024. Tonya provided the following description: "Don't know the date of photo, but it was taken @ my grandmothers house 15 William St, Tallapoosa GA."