Family Card - Person Sheet
Family Card - Person Sheet
NameFranklin Lafayette Dunn 
Birth28 Jun 1859, Union County, NC
Death15 Aug 1938, Stanly County, NC (at the Lipe place, the home of Elizabeth)
BurialBear Creek PBC Cemetery, Stanly County, NC
FatherJames Madison Dunn (1826-1865)
MotherSelina L. James (1827-1900)
Spouses
Birth12 Feb 1868, Stanly County, NC
Death24 Oct 1892
BurialBear Creek PBC Cemetery, Stanly County, NC
FatherWilliam C. “Buck“ Lambert (1824-1897)
MotherTalitha Matildy “Tillie“ Herrin (1826-1900)
Marriage18 Nov 1888
ChildrenDorothy Jennelinn “Jennie“ (1889-1908)
Elizabeth Sophronia (1891-1971)
Grover Madison (1892-1979)
Notes for Franklin Lafayette Dunn
Franklin Lafayette Dunn
By Franklin and Mamie Page, March 1977
Edited by Nelson Page:
Franklin was born in Union County, NC, on 28 Jun 1859, the fifth of six children born to James Madison Dunn and Selina James. He was 5 ft 9 in tall, weighed about 140 lb, had blue eyes, and always wore a mustache.
"Although Franklin had little formal schooling he could read and his handwriting was attractive and neat." [MFP]
His first church affiliation came after age 60 when he joined Mission Baptist Church, Stanly County, NC.
[Franklin M. Page, grandson and namesake of Franklin L. Dunn, states in the video taped by Lavon Page on 5/18/81 {part 4, time 3:40} that Frank Dunn was 65 when he joined Mission Baptist Church.]
When his father left for the Civil War, he instructed little Franklin to eat at his place until he returned. James M. Dunn was killed at Hilton Head Island in Jan 1865. Thus Franklin grew to manhood eating at his father's place at the family dinner table.
On 18 Nov 1888 Franklin married Millia (Millie) Lambert, the ninth of ten children of William (Buck) and Tillie Lambert. Franklin and Millie had been married 3 weeks less than 4 years when she died of "child bed fever." Their last child Grover was 4 weeks old. The family of Franklin and Millie, his mother Selina, an unrelated orphan girl Liza Russell whom they had taken in, and their own children lived first on a rented farm near Oak Grove Methodist Church, and then on the small farm Franklin bought. It was the only real estate he ever owned, and financial problems after Millie's death forced him to sell it. Franklin never married again. His mother continued with the family and helped with the children until her death in 1900.
Franklin, his three children, and Liza spent three years at the "Eudy Place", then moved to the "Cal Plott Place" about a mile and a half from the farm Franklin had owned. Here all three children and Liza were married. Jennelind, already a widow, died leaving an 8 month old son, Richard Bass. Now at age 48 Franklin accepted the responsibility of raising his grandson.
The "Cody Place" near Misenheimer became Franklin's home in 1916. A center hall divided the house, and Franklin and Richard lived on one side while Grover and his wife lived on the other. Franklin and Richard attended part-time a nearby Methodist church.
Jan 1919 Franklin and Richard moved to the "Plyler Place", a tenant farm about 5 miles from Richfield. While here Franklin bought his first car, a 1924 T Model Ford Roadster. Franklin worked long hard hours. He got up at 3 am, milked two cows, fixed breakfast, and was ready for field work by sun-up. Some of the milk was sold for income.
In Nov 1926 Franklin at age 67 gave up farming, and he and Richard moved to Albemarle living as boarders with his nephew, Willie Dunn. [See the record below of a conversation with Jesse Page.] Franklin's job feeding cotton into hoppers at Wiscasset Cotton Mill was terminated in 1930 because of his age. He moved in with Grover near Plyler and helped on the farm. A Hatley family nearby offered Franklin a home in return for helping with the chores, and he lived with them until his stroke in Aug 1938. After a week with Elizabeth's family, Franklin Lafayette Dunn died at the Lipe Place on 15 Aug 1938.
"Gentle and kind by nature, Franklin was a diligent worker. Although he lost his wife four years after their wedding, he raised his own three children, one grandson, an orphan girl, a nephew, and took care of his mother until her death at age 73.
"Franklin was buried on a miserably hot, humid day at Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Stanly County, beside his wife, Millia, and his daughter, Jennelinn. The funeral rites were conducted by his grandson, Richard." [MFP]
-------------------
By Nelson Page from conversation with Jesse Page, 30 Jun 1996:
Frank Dunn got drunk every week-end but stayed sober through the week. Shortly before her death in June 1900, Frank's mother asked him to promise her one thing – that he would stop drinking. Otherwise, she said Grover would grow up to be like him. Frank promised and never had another drink. This story was told Jesse by his mother, Elizabeth, daughter of Frank Dunn.
There was no nearby high school for Richard to attend. Frank Dunn bought a Ford roadster for Richard to drive school. When Richard got home from school he would read until his grandfather came in from the fields, cared for the animals, and fixed supper. Then he would join Frank for supper.
Richard took a job at a mill in Albemarle but was unable to do the work. Frank Dunn asked for the job. The man in charge questioned whether someone his age could manage it, but Frank asked for and was given two weeks to show what he could do. The job required unloading bales of cotton and feeding them into a piece of machinery. Frank Dunn held the job until a rule was passed excluding from employment people over a certain age who did not live in mill housing. Frank's supervisor tried to get an exception for him but was unable to do so.
Frank had always asked to be taken to the home of his daughter, Elizabeth, if he could not care for himself. In August 1938 he had a stroke and was taken by ambulance to the Lipe place where Elizabeth's family lived. Her son, Jesse Floyd, rode in the ambulance. The date was probably Monday, August 8. Frank shaved twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday. On Wednesday, though unable to speak, he indicated that he wanted to be shaved. Jesse volunteered for the task, his first shave as a barber. Frank Dunn died on Monday, August 15.
By Franklin and Mamie Page, March 1977
Edited by Nelson Page:
Franklin was born in Union County, NC, on 28 Jun 1859, the fifth of six children born to James Madison Dunn and Selina James. He was 5 ft 9 in tall, weighed about 140 lb, had blue eyes, and always wore a mustache.
"Although Franklin had little formal schooling he could read and his handwriting was attractive and neat." [MFP]
His first church affiliation came after age 60 when he joined Mission Baptist Church, Stanly County, NC.
[Franklin M. Page, grandson and namesake of Franklin L. Dunn, states in the video taped by Lavon Page on 5/18/81 {part 4, time 3:40} that Frank Dunn was 65 when he joined Mission Baptist Church.]
When his father left for the Civil War, he instructed little Franklin to eat at his place until he returned. James M. Dunn was killed at Hilton Head Island in Jan 1865. Thus Franklin grew to manhood eating at his father's place at the family dinner table.
On 18 Nov 1888 Franklin married Millia (Millie) Lambert, the ninth of ten children of William (Buck) and Tillie Lambert. Franklin and Millie had been married 3 weeks less than 4 years when she died of "child bed fever." Their last child Grover was 4 weeks old. The family of Franklin and Millie, his mother Selina, an unrelated orphan girl Liza Russell whom they had taken in, and their own children lived first on a rented farm near Oak Grove Methodist Church, and then on the small farm Franklin bought. It was the only real estate he ever owned, and financial problems after Millie's death forced him to sell it. Franklin never married again. His mother continued with the family and helped with the children until her death in 1900.
Franklin, his three children, and Liza spent three years at the "Eudy Place", then moved to the "Cal Plott Place" about a mile and a half from the farm Franklin had owned. Here all three children and Liza were married. Jennelind, already a widow, died leaving an 8 month old son, Richard Bass. Now at age 48 Franklin accepted the responsibility of raising his grandson.
The "Cody Place" near Misenheimer became Franklin's home in 1916. A center hall divided the house, and Franklin and Richard lived on one side while Grover and his wife lived on the other. Franklin and Richard attended part-time a nearby Methodist church.
Jan 1919 Franklin and Richard moved to the "Plyler Place", a tenant farm about 5 miles from Richfield. While here Franklin bought his first car, a 1924 T Model Ford Roadster. Franklin worked long hard hours. He got up at 3 am, milked two cows, fixed breakfast, and was ready for field work by sun-up. Some of the milk was sold for income.
In Nov 1926 Franklin at age 67 gave up farming, and he and Richard moved to Albemarle living as boarders with his nephew, Willie Dunn. [See the record below of a conversation with Jesse Page.] Franklin's job feeding cotton into hoppers at Wiscasset Cotton Mill was terminated in 1930 because of his age. He moved in with Grover near Plyler and helped on the farm. A Hatley family nearby offered Franklin a home in return for helping with the chores, and he lived with them until his stroke in Aug 1938. After a week with Elizabeth's family, Franklin Lafayette Dunn died at the Lipe Place on 15 Aug 1938.
"Gentle and kind by nature, Franklin was a diligent worker. Although he lost his wife four years after their wedding, he raised his own three children, one grandson, an orphan girl, a nephew, and took care of his mother until her death at age 73.
"Franklin was buried on a miserably hot, humid day at Bear Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Stanly County, beside his wife, Millia, and his daughter, Jennelinn. The funeral rites were conducted by his grandson, Richard." [MFP]
-------------------
By Nelson Page from conversation with Jesse Page, 30 Jun 1996:
Frank Dunn got drunk every week-end but stayed sober through the week. Shortly before her death in June 1900, Frank's mother asked him to promise her one thing – that he would stop drinking. Otherwise, she said Grover would grow up to be like him. Frank promised and never had another drink. This story was told Jesse by his mother, Elizabeth, daughter of Frank Dunn.
There was no nearby high school for Richard to attend. Frank Dunn bought a Ford roadster for Richard to drive school. When Richard got home from school he would read until his grandfather came in from the fields, cared for the animals, and fixed supper. Then he would join Frank for supper.
Richard took a job at a mill in Albemarle but was unable to do the work. Frank Dunn asked for the job. The man in charge questioned whether someone his age could manage it, but Frank asked for and was given two weeks to show what he could do. The job required unloading bales of cotton and feeding them into a piece of machinery. Frank Dunn held the job until a rule was passed excluding from employment people over a certain age who did not live in mill housing. Frank's supervisor tried to get an exception for him but was unable to do so.
Frank had always asked to be taken to the home of his daughter, Elizabeth, if he could not care for himself. In August 1938 he had a stroke and was taken by ambulance to the Lipe place where Elizabeth's family lived. Her son, Jesse Floyd, rode in the ambulance. The date was probably Monday, August 8. Frank shaved twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday. On Wednesday, though unable to speak, he indicated that he wanted to be shaved. Jesse volunteered for the task, his first shave as a barber. Frank Dunn died on Monday, August 15.