Person:Lafayette Hurst (2)

According to Mellie's and Winnie's remembrance of the story, great- great grandmother Hurst, (Lafayette's mother) was pregnant with him. His father left, but promised to come back and marry her. She never heard from him again. She must have placed Lafayette in the bushes, and didn't just happen to come back and get him. Lafayette was a most wonderful man. He went by his mother's maiden name. Winnie Bell Drummond thought it in order to use "Hurst" for the family tree name. Uncle Jim Hurst was a half brother or a cousin and he & Lafayette were very much alike, with the same build and very good looking.

Personal History of Lafayette Hurst

as written by Gladys Claypool to Mitzi Lucille Harris:

In the 1800's, a young couple was driving their team of horses down a country road in Missouri, when they heard cries coming from the side of the road. They stopped to investigate and in the bushes, found a baby boy wrapped in newspaper. They took the baby to the authorities and were given permission to keep him. They never knew where he came from. They raised him and he became Grandpa Hurst. Grandpa Hurst grew into a tall fine looking man. He was a wonderful Christian man and student of the Bible. he was an excellent Sunday School teacher.

He had eight daughters (no sons).  His little girls were crossing 

the farm fields one day and came to a rail fence. As they crossed, the top rail fell on the youngest one (age3) and killed her outright. The other six girls (on died when you of a fever) grew into strong good women of whom Amanda Evelyn was your great-great- great-grandmother. Ora Ann Hurst Dickenson was the church pump organist and a fine musician on the piano. (She was a sister of Amanda Evelyn Hurst)

1. ↑ Another account of Lafeyette's young life: In the 1800's, a couple
   was driving their team of horeses down a country road in Missouri,
   when they heard cries coming from the side of the road. They stopped
   to investigate and in the bushes, found a baby boy wrapped in
   newspaper. They took the baby to the authorities and were given
   permission to keep him. They never knew where he came from. They
   raised him and he became Lafayette Hurst. He grew into a tall, fine
   looking man. He was wonderful Christian man and a student of the
   Bible. He was an excellent Sunday School Teacher. He had eight
   daughters, (one daughter died of a fever when she was very young), no
   sons. His little girls were crossing the farm fields one day and
   came to a rail fence. As they crossed, the top rail fell on the
   youngest one (age 3) and killed her outright. The other six girls
   grew into strong, good women.