I start by thanking Rusty Kleine for the research she has done on Reuben Lovell and his son Thomas Jefferson Lovell. (see Lovell Family) and to my parents, Haskel and Laura Perdue, for the memories that they have shared with me about my Lovell /Roberts Family.

Thomas Jefferson Lovell was born 16 June 1855 in IL, died 31 January 1936 in Sumner Co. TN. Thomas married Eliza Barnard on September 24, 1873 in Sumner Co. TN. Born of this union was Eddie, Omittie and Sallie. The 1880 census records for Sumner county lists: Thomas Lovell age 25, Eliza age 31, Eddie age 5, Omie age 2 and Sally age 1/12. Thomas had another daughter, Flora, but it is not clear if she was born to Eliza or second wife Louiza. I believe by my research that she was also Eliza's child born after 1880. By 1890 Eliza Barnard Lovell had died as Thomas married Louiza Lambert Bradley in April 1890. Louiza apparently was a great influence in the raising of Eliza and Thomas' children after Eliza's death.

Thomas Lovell's second child, Omittie ("Oma/Omie"), was my great grandmother. She was born June 1, 1878. Oma was married August 11, 1892 to Joseph Lee Roberts son of Greene Duncan Roberts and Sarah Elizabeth Perdue, daughter of Lee Perdue and Mary (Polly) Wyatt Benson. (see Lee Perdue Family). Oma was barely 14 when they married and exactly one year later, August 11, 1893, at the age of 15 she gave birth to her first child Oather. (see Joseph and Omittie Roberts photo). Seven other children were born of this marriage including my grandmother, Ada Pattie Perdue. As of this writing two daughters are still living, Orbia Barber and Marjorie Calvert.

I remember my granny Oma as a short little woman with a pleasant smile. As a young woman she lost her hearing and I recall being told that she got too hot helping haul hay which caused her hearing loss. She was very good at reading lips especially those of her youngest daughter Marjorie. She lived with Aunt Marjorie and Uncle Dale Calvert. I remember her playing with me the age old game of guessing which hand she had something hid in. She always seemed to love it when us kids were around. Her hair was always in a bun. In her lifetime she had never had her hair cut, but I recall hearing that her hair had fallen out one time when she had the fever. Sometimes when we would visit, Aunt Marjorie would take granny's hair down and comb it. I remember being in awe of that long hair that reached the floor. In her 90's she went to the beauty shop for the first time in her life and had her hair washed and put back in that familiar bun. In her older years she fell and broke her hip and spent the remainder of her life in her rocking chair or wheel chair. Oma outlived 3 of her children, Vollie May who died in infancy, Oather who died in 1964 at the age of 71 and Ada Pattie who died in 1971 at the age of 70. Oma died July 23, 1973 at the age of 95 and is buried in Boiling Springs Cemetery. She was a member of Boiling Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Joseph Lee Roberts, husband of Omittie Lovell, was born February 5, 1867 and died February 3, 1940 at the age of 73, He died 9 years before I was born. Because of this I do not have any memories of him. I do however through research and stories that my dad & mom told me have some information on him. One story being that when my dad was just a young man he was making a trip to Nashville to take a load of scrap metal off. Grandpa Joe decided to go with him. When they got closer to Gallatin dad noticed grandpa was studying about something. Grandpa asked dad if they had to cross the river to get to where they were going. Dad told him yes that they had to cross the Cumberland River before they got to Nashville to which grandpa Joe answered, "Gone if I don't think I'll just wait in Gallatin until you come back through. I've never crossed a river in my life". So dad let him out in Gallatin and picked him up on his way back home. Joseph Robert's obituary states that he died 2 days after he was stricken with a stroke. He was one of twelve children of Green and Elizabeth Roberts. He was a member of Boiling Springs Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he served as a ruling elder for more than 20 years. His funeral was held at the church. He is buried in Boiling Springs Cemetery. Joseph was buried 3 days after Eddie Lovell, his brother-in-law, Oma's brother. Eddie's funeral was also at Boiling Springs Church where he was a member and served as a ruling elder for more than 30 years. Eddie was buried in Round Pond Cemetery. Joseph & Eddie's obituaries were in the same newspaper side by side.

Thomas Lovell b. 16 June 1855, d. 31 Jan 1936
m. 24 Sept 1873 Eliza Barnard b. 1847, d. by 1890, buried Barnard-Bush Cemetery

Children of Thomas Lovell and Eliza Barnard:

1. Eddie b. 1875, d. Jan. 1940, buried Round Pond Cemetery
   m. Effie?
2. Omittie b. 1 June 1878, d. 23 July 1973, buried Boiling Springs Cemetery
   m.. 11 Aug 1892 Joseph Lee Roberts b. 5 Feb 1867, d. 3 Feb 1940, buried Boiling Springs Cemetery.
3. Sally b. 1880, d. 1953 (Dad called her "Aunt Sad"), buried Boiling Springs Cemetery
   never married
4. Flora b. ?, d.
   m. Charlie Dison

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