Ratliff (Radley, Radily, Radliff, Ratcliff and Radcliff) Legacy
Originally written by Andrea Wilson Hillard for the 2000 Reunion which had as a focus Elihu Handy Elmore and Nellie ratliff. It is modified in brackets with bold text where new information has been discovered via the census and other documents, by Sheena W. Coleman.
Our family is related by blood to the Zeno family, a rich, white family in Louisiana. Mr. Zeno shared this "secret" with Maggie Donahue Nabaun's dad. There was a slaved name Charity.
Charity gave birth to Emmaline [Emeline] [Moore] (1842). Emmaline, like her mom, grew up in Patterson, Louisiana and worked in the fields. Samuel Ratliff [abt 1850] came to Patterson from Kentucky and eventually bought property there. He was one of the founders of St. Luke Baptist Church in Patterson. He and Emmaline married on December 22, 1871. [Emmaline had 15 children] of which 5 lived. They were Mary (1871), Anna (1873), Nellie (1875), Corilla (1877), and Samuel Jr. (1881). Samuel had a brother named Wesley who was married to Mary.
[It is unclear but is believed that Mary had four children.]
Anna Ratliff married Valry Paul and they had a son, Jesse. Later, Jesse's son, Jesse Paul, Jr., became a sheriff in Patterson.
Corilla had 2 children of which one lived. Her named was Eva Berry. They lived with Samuel and Emmaline [Emeline].
Samuel Ratliff Jr. married Ida and lived and died in Houston, Texas. They had no children. He was a visionary, for he always ended his letters to his niece, Sadie, with these words, "The world is calling for educated black boys and girls for the future." He was affectionately called "Uncle Buddy".
Nellie Ratliff married the very tall, very dark and very handsome Elihu Handy Elmore and they had ten: Emily, Amanda, Arthur, Mary Nell, Steven, Ada, Sadie, Wesley, Chanie, and Ida Belle. Handy also believed in education because he personally taught his ten children how to read, write and do their numbers each day after he came home from working 12 hours in the field.
Emily (nicknamed Cushoo) married John Perry, and they had eight children: Nellie, Maude, John, McKinley, Emily Louise, Clifton, Lorraine and John Faye. Amanda (Mandy) married Lawrence Wilson and they had two sons , Paul Lawrence and Gillis Rudolph (GR). And, a set of twin girls who died shortly after birth. After Lawrence died, she later married Willie Wilson. Arthur married Josephine Olivier and they had no children. Arthur was also called "Uncle Bud" or "Uncle Long Arm" by all of his nieces and nephews. Mary Nell (called "Massey" or "Mattee") had two sons Prince Wren and Delmas Green. She later married Brandon. Steve married Rosa Mae Schexnyder and they had no children. Arthur and Steve both served in the U.S. Army. Ada married Joseph Montgomery and had a daughter, Yvonne. Wesley drowned at age 29 before marrying. Chanie married Vernette Wilson and later had four children: Frankie Jo, Steve Allen, Renee Olga (Nay-Poo), and Calvin Wesley. Ida Belle married Ernest Cooper and gave birth to one son, Arnold Joseph Cooper, who later died of pneumonia at age 3. She later married Larry Clemons and adopted Ruthie Mae and Tashandra. Sadie married Ernest Wilson and they had seven children: Beverly, Ernest, III (Nick or Brother), Deborah (La-La), Cynthia, Karen, Eric and Sadie (Dote).
Our family is related by blood to the Zeno family, a rich, white family in Louisiana. Mr. Zeno shared this "secret" with Maggie Donahue Nabaun's dad. There was a slaved name Charity.
Charity gave birth to Emmaline [Emeline] [Moore] (1842). Emmaline, like her mom, grew up in Patterson, Louisiana and worked in the fields. Samuel Ratliff [abt 1850] came to Patterson from Kentucky and eventually bought property there. He was one of the founders of St. Luke Baptist Church in Patterson. He and Emmaline married on December 22, 1871. [Emmaline had 15 children] of which 5 lived. They were Mary (1871), Anna (1873), Nellie (1875), Corilla (1877), and Samuel Jr. (1881). Samuel had a brother named Wesley who was married to Mary.
[It is unclear but is believed that Mary had four children.]
Anna Ratliff married Valry Paul and they had a son, Jesse. Later, Jesse's son, Jesse Paul, Jr., became a sheriff in Patterson.
Corilla had 2 children of which one lived. Her named was Eva Berry. They lived with Samuel and Emmaline [Emeline].
Samuel Ratliff Jr. married Ida and lived and died in Houston, Texas. They had no children. He was a visionary, for he always ended his letters to his niece, Sadie, with these words, "The world is calling for educated black boys and girls for the future." He was affectionately called "Uncle Buddy".
Nellie Ratliff married the very tall, very dark and very handsome Elihu Handy Elmore and they had ten: Emily, Amanda, Arthur, Mary Nell, Steven, Ada, Sadie, Wesley, Chanie, and Ida Belle. Handy also believed in education because he personally taught his ten children how to read, write and do their numbers each day after he came home from working 12 hours in the field.
Emily (nicknamed Cushoo) married John Perry, and they had eight children: Nellie, Maude, John, McKinley, Emily Louise, Clifton, Lorraine and John Faye. Amanda (Mandy) married Lawrence Wilson and they had two sons , Paul Lawrence and Gillis Rudolph (GR). And, a set of twin girls who died shortly after birth. After Lawrence died, she later married Willie Wilson. Arthur married Josephine Olivier and they had no children. Arthur was also called "Uncle Bud" or "Uncle Long Arm" by all of his nieces and nephews. Mary Nell (called "Massey" or "Mattee") had two sons Prince Wren and Delmas Green. She later married Brandon. Steve married Rosa Mae Schexnyder and they had no children. Arthur and Steve both served in the U.S. Army. Ada married Joseph Montgomery and had a daughter, Yvonne. Wesley drowned at age 29 before marrying. Chanie married Vernette Wilson and later had four children: Frankie Jo, Steve Allen, Renee Olga (Nay-Poo), and Calvin Wesley. Ida Belle married Ernest Cooper and gave birth to one son, Arnold Joseph Cooper, who later died of pneumonia at age 3. She later married Larry Clemons and adopted Ruthie Mae and Tashandra. Sadie married Ernest Wilson and they had seven children: Beverly, Ernest, III (Nick or Brother), Deborah (La-La), Cynthia, Karen, Eric and Sadie (Dote).