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1860 census, Gibson County TN, District 4, Post Office Quincy, household 446

Henry Babb, age 40, farmer, real estate value $4000, personal estate $2500, born NC

Sarah Babb, age 38, born TN

John Babb, age 14

Mary, age 13

Caroline, age 12

Martha, age 10

Manly, age 9

Roma age 7

Simpson, age 6

Martha, age 5

Frances (female) age 4

Emmerson, age 1

(household 441 is his maternal grandfather, BGHB Avery. Household 443 is her aunt Margaret Pate, household 444 is his materanl great-uncle Reuben T.S. Avery and maternal aunt Mary "Polly" Babb, and household 456 is his paternal grandfather GB/Green Berry Babb, household 523 is his aunt Emily Tatum)

Note the presence of two girls named Martha. Note also that ages may not be accurate, as they only vary by about 7 years from the 1850 census.

1870 census, Gibson District 4, post office Quincy, household 83

Henry Babb, age 53, farmer, real estate value $5000, personal estate 1500, born NC

Beetie Babb, age 37, born TN

Rowena Babb, age 18

Simpson Babb (male) age 16, farm labor

Frances Babb, age 14, at home

Etheridge Babb, age 12, farm labor

Stephen Babb, age 10, farm labor

household 48 (believe it's his brother, John)

JBG Babb, age 24, farmer 1300/250

Elizabeth, age 23, keeps house

Martha, age 4

(household 21 is his aunt Margaret Pate, household 82 is sister Emily Louise Caroline and her husband R.T. Smith, household 86 is his maternal great-uncle RTS Avery and maternal aunt Mary "Polly" Babb, and household 92 is his maternal grandfather, BGHB Avery, etc)

1880 census, Crockett County TN, District 3, Quincy, household 105

William S. Babb, age 25, farmer, born TN

wife Minervy, age 23

niece Asalu Spencer, age 11, laboring

(household 106=Jas Cates, possibly his wife's brother, household 104-J Simpson Babb & wife Nancy?)

11-7-1899 Crockett County Marriages: Vera Babb & J.C. McLean

1900 census, Crockett County, Civil Dist 7, Enum Dist 6, Foster, household 73/243

Nerva Babb, age 43, born Oct. 1856, widow, mother of 5, all living, farmer, TN-NC-NC

son Dorsey O, age 16, born Sept 1883, at school, born TN (ditto for other kids)

daughter Ethel, age 14, born Sept 1885

daughter Norma, age 11, born Oct 1888

daughter Alma, age 9, born Mar 1891

servant Robert Barnett, age 50, born May 1850, white, single, laborer

(household 70/240 is John Babb, widower, age 66--her late husband's brother)

7-8-1906 Crockett County mariages: D.O. Babb & Mary Tharp Foster Tharp (posting on Rootsweb's Babb message board by Diana Phillips in Aug. 2000 gave his name as Dorsey O'Conner Babb, born 1882, died 1955 Tehama Co, GA, father of Foster O'Conner Babb 1907-1957. Foster Babb married Juanita G. Mellon.)

1910 census, Crocket, Civil Dist 7, Enum Dist 6, household 2

Minerva Babb, age 53, widow, mother of 6, four of whom are living*, no income, TN-NC-NC

daughter Norma, age 20, single, teacher--day school, born TN

daughter Alma, age 18, no occupation, born TN

*Note that she is mother of 5 and widowed in 1900 and mother of 6 in 1910. Suspect 1900 is correct, mother of five, with Ethel dead.

2-1-1911 Crockett County marriages: Norma Babb & Edward Potts

1920 census, Crockett, Alamo District 7, Enum dist 8, household 11

Joseph G. McLean, age 45, farmer, TN-TN-TN

wife Neva G, age 39

daughter Fern, age 18

daughter Opal, age 12

daughter Jewell A, age 10

daughter Geneva, age 8

son Joseph W, age 2

son Loyd D, two months (taken in January)

mother-in-law Minerva F. Babb, age 62, widow

Crockett Co page of Rootsweb has undated newspaper clippings donated and transcribed by Tricia Griffith from "a shoebox of newspaper clippings passed down from my great grandmother, Jessie Claricy Byrd Roberts of near Alamo (buried Bells, TN)" which mention "Mrs Alma Pierce and little children, Martha and Billie, returned to their home at Lebanon, TN after a pleasant visit with relatives and friends here" (District 7) and  also, "Mrs. J.C. Roberts had as her guests Sunday her daughter, Mrs. L.J. Hall, and children, of Alamo, Mrs. J.C. McLean and son, Mrs. Alma Pierce and children, and Mrs. Babb."

8-9-1951 Crockett Times (contributed to Rootsweb by Jean Cox Holden)

Pot Luck Luncheon--on August 4th a potluck luncheon was given in the home of Mrs Ora Hall of Alamo honoring Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey Babb and granddaughter, Miss Shirley Babb of Corning Calif,. who are visiting relatives and friends in Crockett County. Those attending were the honorees, Mr. and Mrs. Dorsey Babb and Miss Shirley Babb, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Potts and Mr. Ellison Potts of Cross Roads, Mrs. Lessie Lewis of Bells and grandson, Joe Lewis of Lexington, Mrs. Vera McLean, Mr. and Mrs. Allen Norville and Mr. and Mrs. Clell Roberts of Alamo, Mrs. Alma Pierce of Franklin, KY, Mrs. Jewel Leeper and little daughter, Lynda of Dyersburg. Conversation of the old days and singing of hymns and old love songs with piano accompaniment were enjoyed in the afternoon. (Note: Jewel Leeper daughter of Vera Babb McLean)

Vera Babb McLean obituary (contributed to Rootsweb by Joe Max Cates):

Feb. 1968 (from a Memphis or Jackson Newspaper "This clipping was found in the personal effects of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Parlow Conley):

Alamo--Services for Mrs. Vera Babb McLean, 87, will be at the First Christian Church here with the Rev. Robert Smith officiating. Burial will be in Alamo Cemetery with Ronk Funeral Home in charge.

        Mrs. McLean died Saturday morning at the Gibson County Hospital in Trenton.

        She was the widow of Joe McLean, former sheriff of Crockett County, who preceded her in death 36 years ago.

        She was born in Crockett County, daughter of the late Simeon and Minerva Cates Babb. Mrs. McLean was a member of the First Christian Church.

        She leaves two sons, Woodfen McLean of Washington DC, and Delfin McLean of Austin, TX; four daughters, Mrs. Ridley Mitchell of Humboldt, Mrs. Harry Dibrell of Oneida TN, Mrs. Francis Leeper of Trenton, and Miss Genrose McLean of Alamo; two sisters, Alma Pierce of Alamo and Mrs. Norma Potts of Bells, Route 2; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

There is a tombstone in the Avery Cemetery in Crockett County for

WS Babb

12-4-1854 to 12-20-1891

and for

Minerva Babb (his wife)

1856-1929

and their daughter

Ethel Babb (no dates)

Ronk Funeral Home records, contributed to Rootsweb by Tom Childers, include the following:

Alma Lurline Pierce, daughter of "William Simon Babb & Minervia" 3-3-1891 to 5-30-1981 burial Memorial Gardens

Norma Potts, daughter of "Wm Simeon Babb & Minerva" 10-6-1888 to 10-6-1982 burial Crossroads Cemetery (died on birthday?)

Vera McLean, daughter of "Simian Babb & Minerva F" 9-14-1880 to 2-3-1968 buried Alamo Cem (Social Security Death Index agrees)

Excerpts from undated clippings also contains the following, with the notation, "Doing the mat, I believe this article approx. 1915, however the following article indicates Dr. Babb was 84 years old--if born in 1841 and 84, it could 1925--then again, maybe they were two separate visits, with varying years--who knows?"

        Dr. Babb Preaches: (Alamo TN Aug 17--The congregation of the First Methodist Church, this city, had the pleasure of hearing two visiting ministers last Sunday...Rev. D.W. Babb of Corinth Miss....and Rev. W.P. Chalmers...of Gretna Florida...Dr. Babb is a retired minister of the M.E. Church, South, and by a strange incident was led to visit Alamo and Crockett County at this time. He was born in Corinth Miss, in 1841, but went to school in Alamo just before the outbreak of the Civil War, later joining the Confederacy where he served for 23 months being promoted to captain of his company. He was licensed to preach by the Methodist Church of Oct. 24, 1864, and joined the conference of the denomination in 1868 in which he has been continually a minister for 51 years in active service. During all these years of service in his church he had lost sight of his relatives in Crockett County. Soon after his superannuation by the Methodist Church he sought to get in touch with his relatives in and about Alamo, writing the postmaster at this place for such information as he could give. This letter was turned over to the sheriff of Crockett County, Joe McLean, who was married to Miss Vera Babb 27 years ago. Mrs. McLean replied to the letter of inquiry written by Dr. Babb and thus the relationship of these long lost years were reestablished. Dr. Babb made a special visit to Alamo to visit in the McLean home where he met many old friends of his boyhood days. After delivering a splendid sermon to a large congregation at the Methodist Church last Sunday morning, he left that afternoon for his home in Corinth, Miss... 

        2nd Clipping: Old Citizen Here: Those who attended services of the Methodist church last Sunday morning were delighted and highly edified by a sermon from Rev. D.W. Babb of Corinth, Miss., who was visiting relatives, a guest in the home of Sheriff and Mrs. J.C. McLean. For a man of his age, 84 years, he has a wonderful mind, as well as a body well preserved. Bro. Babb as a young man was a student in the Cageville School in 1861 when the Civil War broke out, and was boarding with his uncle, Maj. Babb, one of the pioneer settlers of the country near Quincy...