I am trying to trace the surname Chess. Most of my family still lives in Pine Grove, AL. I have been able to determine that they came from the Oakchia Plantaion, but what I want to know is where the last name Chess came from. If anyone knows of Ida Mae Chess, please respond.

Also if anyone knows of the burial place that my elders call the "home place" (which I believe to be the slave cemetary on the Oakchia Plantation) that would be helpful too.

Lastly, Edna Mission A.M.E.Zion Church, does this ring out to anyone?

1880 jefferson,marengo co.alabama census
john chess farmer mu 49 born nc father nc mother nc
elyzabeth chess wife b 35 al fathernc mother tn
chapman chess son b 21 al
harriett chess daughter-in-law b 18 al
raphe chess son b 14 al*
john chess son b 4 al**
milly york other b 31 al father va mother ----
kate york other b 5 al (daughter of milly)
binkie rembert other b 18 al (female)***
aleck rembert other b 3mos al (son of binkie)
*rafe chess married mary simmons july 9,1888 marengo co.al
**john chess march 2,1876-oct.1967 pennington,choctaw co.al
***binkie york married george williams dec.5,1895 marengo co. al

Did you get this information off of the 1880 census?

I am 64 years old and I was born in Edna,my Grandfather gave them the land for that Church. I have a book that has something in it about the Church.WhenI was young I can remember 4 young boys coming up the rosd (from where yhey lived ?) on Horses and that were big beautiful horses and Mama said they are the Chess Boys.I will ask my older Sister Where they lived? I will let you know what she says.Graves were on internet of Cemetery, Let me check
Sue
sueh_1944@yahoo.com

Thank you very much ma'am. So do you know if the church is still standing down there? Or if my mother and I would be able to look around the grave yard. Or if someone has records of the people that are buried there?

Ma'am,

I do ahave a few more questions. No disrespect, but are you black or white? Also the book that you speak of, is it a book that your family recorded information in or is it something that I could purchase in a store. Do you still livein Edna? Would you happen to know any member of the Chess, Whiterspoon, Ezell, Austin, Chaney, or Capers family that came from Ochia/Edna? Would you know anything about Ochia?

Ok Let me start over,I talked ro my Sister which is 79 years old.The man I remembered was Ucky not lucky,I still my be spelling it wrong. His father was Elex Chess and he could not use his legs. He always rode on a wagon pulled by a horse.They lived down the rode from Edna and off to the right of where the Church was then.Not on Oakchie. Unless it was before 1900 or so. The grave yard is and always was up by the white grave yard, before you get to Edna. Mary James always kept both cleaned,but she died afew years ago and I don't know if anyone is now. Not much left of Edna.I am changing over mail Internet and having getting mail for some reason Please send me your address and I will tell you all I know. This will work for now
sueh_1944@yahoo.com

Hello, I just went down to AL, on a root-finding mission. I visited a cousin in York. She showed me a picture of a Kate Chess, and said her mom told her that she and the rest of the Chesses were family. There are Capers, Chaneys, and Alstons in our family, and our root town is Oakchia, Choctaw County also. Mine and hers grandmothers were sisters, daughters of Dan Cost Sr. and Georgia Belle Mann. Their grandfather was Willis Mann, old timers would remember him as one of the Choctaw Indians there long ago (1849-1952, Oakchi Landing West nextdoor was an Indian Settlement). He married Angeline Williams-Fields, and they ended up living in Black Bluff, Sumter County. Angeline's stepmother was a Rhoda Cheney, father was Washington Fields Jr, real mother was Dolly Williams. Angeline and Willis had a daughter, Idanet (Ida), who married a Robert Alston. They had a son Robert(his grandchildren hang-up on me if I try to reach him). Willis and Angeline had another daughter, Brunette (Tobe) who married a Capers. Another head of my direct line was under the name Junior. My great-grandfather Albert Junior I, son of George and Rose Junior, married a Maggie Sampson-Chaney. Albert Junior I died, and Maggie married a Capers(Long Tom is the name I know for him). Also, George and Rose had a daughter who married a Capers. How the Chesses are related my cousin did not know, her mom didn't tell her. For Capers, Chaney, and Alston this is what I have found so far.

Albert Junior I's son, Eddie Junior, and Albert's sister's son, D.W. were first cousins. I'm looking at my notes from D.W.'s wife; George Junior's wife was a Capers before she married George. D.W.'s father was a Hickson Capers. I see an Aunt Lucy Chaney written, but my notes are hazy there.

I just found that one of Willis Mann's sons, Sam(John Henry) married a Pleasant Chess. Their children are alive today, although much older now.