Edward Bowlin Maupin II (May 26, 1914-April 27, 1971)

A father-daughter relationship can sometimes be complicated.  My dad, Kenneth Wayne Moats I, was and remains a wonderful father, and I am very blessed to have had him as a role model growing up.  However, I never truly bonded with him until later in life, when I was nearly in my thirties.  I can recall the profound moment I stopped considering my dad as some authoritarian figure in my life and instead started thinking of him as a friend.   It occurred in 1998 when my parents visited me in Gardendale, Alabama, where I escaped after my divorce.  One night, as I often did alone, my parents and I walked to a restaurant only two miles from my apartment for dinner.  Afterward, we grabbed a six-pack of wine coolers to drink while sauntering home underneath the stars on a crisp, perfect night.   As we leisurely strolled, the three of us easily engaged in conversation that altered back and forth from humorous to significant, inconsequential to relative, while sometimes laughing and at others talking.  Occasionally, we just walked in silence, enveloped deep within our thoughts.    During our memorable walk that night, my father had stopped being just my dad, and somehow, along those two miles, he had metamorphosed into a friend.  I will never forget that night!    However, despite the relationship that grew that night between us, the relationship between my brother and father was significantly different.  My dad has always boasted that he didn't just get a son upon my brother's arrival, but he also gained a best friend!  However, my brother, Kenneth Wayne Moats II, and my father's relationship isn't unique nor uncommon.   Every male enjoys seeing the continuation of themselves in another human being.  The bond between a father and a son is inexplicable.  Numerous commonalities existed between my brother and father.  I'm sure it is the bond of shared DNA.  A thread that signifies my dad's existence continues.  A similar link existed between my distant cousins Edward Bowlin Maupin Jr. and Edward Bowlin Maupin Sr.   Here is Jr.'s story.  A reflection of his dad's. 

Edward Bowlin Maupin, Jr. was born on May 26, 1914, in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee [1-10].   He was the oldest child of two, blessed to prominent society members Edward Bowlin Maupin, Sr., and Mary Mabry Kennedy [9-25].  Besides Edward, the couple also had Samuel Kennedy Maupin (August 31, 1924-March 24, 1992) [9-25].   As a child, Edward spent his youth growing up on their vast family farm of 300 acres of land handed down from generation to generation [26-28].    And like his father, it is where he learned to respect the land, understand responsibility, and how to tend to and take care of animals [29-31].  Following his father's footprints and family tradition, Edward attended and, in 1937, graduated from Webb School, a private college preparatory school in Bell Buckle, Tennessee [32-33, 70].   Continuing the family tradition, Edward attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville, graduating in 1935 with his Bachelor of Arts [32, 34-37].  While a student at Vanderbilt, Edward was a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon, which his father was also a member of during his attendance [34-37].  He was also a member of the Eta Sigma Phi fraternity [34-36]. 

1934, June 17, The Tennessean,
 Nashville, Tennessee, Page 30

With the nearing of the end of his school years approaching and a secure position at The Third National Bank of Nashville, Edward decidedly moved on to the next stage of his life [32, 38-39].  And so, on June 3, 1934, in Franklin, Simpson County, Kentucky, he married his life-long mate (also a Mary), Mary Ruth McLean [32, 38-99].  Born on August 23, 1913, in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, a graduate of Wartrace High School, Mary is the daughter of Edgar Oscar McLean and Stella Gant and was a teacher of expression for the Shelbyville grammar school [3-4, 17, 38-44[.  Nearly six years later, on February 7, 1940, in Bedford County, Tennessee, the two of them welcomed their one and only child, a son, Edward Bowlin Maupin III, into their world, continuing his grandfather and father's name [14-17, 46-49].

In numerous ways, throughout Edward's life, he illustrated profound respect for his father, as seen in his mimicking of his father's choices.   Edward's dad was the President of Peoples National Bank upon his sudden death in 1942, but he was already grooming his son for his replacement [14-15].   By the time of Edward Sr.'s demise, Edward Jr. was already playing a pivotal role within the company as the Cashier and eventually as a member of the Board of Directors and an Executive Vice President [50-54].  His feet may have been following his father's pathway, but Edward was making his mark within his professional realm and community, earning respect from his peers.

1954, March 8, Nashville Banner,
Nashville, Tennessee, Page 22

Besides his professional career, though, there were other ways that Edward's father's character and standards were the blueprints to his own, illustrating further how much of an influence he was to him.   Edward's active role in his community reflected his participation as the Treasurer of the Shelbyville Rotary Club [55-56].  But along with his involvement in the Rotary Club, he was the Bedford Chairman for the Bible Society and the American Red Cross [57-59].  Additionally, he was the Secretary for the Republican Party and had memberships in the Bedford County Pasture Committee, Disciples of Christ State Convention Program, and United Givers Fund [60-63].  However, the most profound contribution made by Edward was his service in the United States Army, serving between July 11, 1942, and November 4, 1945 [5-10]. 

On November 21, 1942, Edward's father died from coronary thrombosis [15, 64].  Perhaps driven by his dad's death, Edward became active in fundraisers for its prevention and funding, acting as a delegate and chairman for the Heart Counsel [65-66].  However, Edward was not the only active community member in the family.  Mary, Edward's wife, also served as a volunteer for her share of committees, acting as chairman to the Friends of the Library Committee and belonging to the Tennessee Association for the Preservation of Antiquities [67-68]. 

On April 27, 1971, Edward's service to his community, family, church, and nation ended with his death [1-8].   He, too, was fifty-six years old at the time of his passing [1-8].  Again, Edward had mimicked his father's life, although for the last time,  because his father had also passed away at age fifty-six [15-16].    Four years later, his lifelong mate, Mary, died on September 24, 1975 [2-8, 17, 69].  She was sixty-two years old at the time of her death [17].  Their internments are in the Jenkins Chapel Cemetery in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee [1, 17].  They were married for nearly thirty-seven years.

I have always jokingly teased my father that should my brother ever become lost to this world, it would be necessary for me to purchase in advance three cemetery plots.  However, although playful in its delivery, there is truth within that statement because I know my parents could never survive the loss of my brother, Ken.   That is especially true of my dad.  If it were possible to die literally of a broken heart, my father would be another example should my brother depart before him.  He loves his children equally, but his relationship with my brother is much deeper and different than that of his daughters.  Like Edward, my brother has numerous physical features and capabilities that resemble my dad's.   I'm uncertain whether or not Edward's choices came to him consciously or unconsciously or how much resulted from simple DNA and nurturing.   The same is true for my dad and brother's relationship.   Their nuances and subtleties of one another make it impossible to deny genealogy.  Perhaps that is part of what's at the root of my fascination with my own and the many reasons I continuously ponder the same question.   What makes us who we are?   It is a complex question for the black sheep of the family and the one who got thrown away. 

SOURCES:

1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157860397/edward-bowlin-maupin
2. Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File
3. Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014.
4. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
5. Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
6. Original data: Beneficiary Identification Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) Death File. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
7. Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
8. Original data: Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007.
9. National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Draft Registration Cards for Tennessee, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 189
10. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
11. The Tennessean; Publication Date: 9 Nov 1991; Publication Place: Nashville, Tennessee, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/112487809/?article=c8b9c5cb-b8ef-4bd1-b14a-6c9f3f306e0e&focus=0.6519456,0.57372916,0.8103889,0.7875985&xid=3355
12. Ancestry.com. U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index, 1800s-current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2019.
13. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112249887/samuel-kennedy-maupin
14. Alabama Journal; Publication Date: 23 Nov 1942; Publication Place: Montgomery, Alabama, USA; URL: https://www.newspapers.com/image/415340977/?article=864292d6-8643-4c3a-8866-ee22b70bf24c&focus=0.24662969,0.5698835,0.364216,0.6613692&xid=3355
15. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92573447/edward-bowlin-maupin
16. “Mrs. E.B. Maupin,” 1977, February 21, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 47.
17. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/92575895/mary-mabry-maupin
18. Year: 1920; Census Place: Shelbyville, Bedford, Tennessee; Roll: T625_1728; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 9
19. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.
20. Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City).
21. Census 1920: Resided in Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA: Edward 33, Mary 32, Edward 5, Emma 54.
22. Year: 1930; Census Place: District 7, Bedford, Tennessee; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 0015; FHL microfilm: 2341967
23. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
24. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.
25. Census 1930: Resided in District 7, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA: Edward B. 43, Marty K. 42, Edward 3. 15, Samuel 5
26. Wills, 1861-1966; Wills and Inventories, 1863-1889, 1890-1929, 1937-1965; Author: Bedford County (Tennessee) County Court Clerk
27. Ancestry.com. Tennessee, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1779-2008 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
28. Original data: Tennessee County, District and Probate Courts.
29. “Shelbyville Races,” 1928, August 17, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 5.
30. “Winners In State Stock Judging Contest,” 1933, January 12, The Knoxville Journal, Knoxville, Tennessee, Page 2.
31. “Horse For $10,000 In War Bond Sale-It All Goes Into War Bonds In Bedford Auction,” 1942, May 14, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Page 11.
32. ‘Maupin-McLean,” 1934, June, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 30
33. “Webb School Alumni Hold Dinner Tonight,” 1940, February 12, Nashville, Tennessee, page 1.
34. Ancestry.com. U.S. School Yearbooks [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.
35. Original data: Various school yearbooks from across the United States.
36. "U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880-2012"; School Name: Vanderbilt University; Year: 1934
37. “Shelbyville,” 1932, May 13, The Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Page 5.
38. "Kentucky, County Marriages, 1797-1954," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2D4-NVCH : 22 July 2021),
39. “Maupin-McLean,” 1934, June 14, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Page 2.
40. Census 1920: Resided in Civil District 3, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA: Oscar 48, Stella 35, Mary Ruth 6, Vedora 4, Edker 2, William Medaris 22
41. Year: 1920; Census Place: Civil District 3, Bedford, Tennessee; Roll: T625_1728; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 3
42. Year: 1930; Census Place: District 3, Bedford, Tennessee; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0004; FHL microfilm: 2341967
43. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.
44. Census 1930: Resided in Civil District 3, Bedford County, Tennessee, USA: Edgar O 53, Stella G. 44, Mary Ruth 16, Vedora 14, Edgar 12
45. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157837509/edward-bowlin-maupin
46. Year: 1940; Census Place: Bedford, Tennessee; Roll: m-t0627-03872; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 2-15
47. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.
48. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
49. Census 1940: Resided in Bedford County, Tennessee, USA: Edward 25, Mary Ruth 26, Edward 1 month
50. “Shelbyville Bank To Mark 75th Year,” 1961, July 25, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 6.
51. “New Directors Named At Shelbyville,” 1957, January 11, Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Page 2.
52. “Photo,” 1961, July 26, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 30.
53. “Bankers To Meet At Shelbyville,” 1951, October 3, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 3.
54. “W.P. Cooper Heads Shelbyville Bank,” 1943, January 13, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 5.
55. “Shelbyville Rotary Club Elects Woosley,” 1944, March 10, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 14.
56. “Evan Lloyd Adamson,” 1940, April 26, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 28.
57. “Bible Society Names Bedford Chairman,” 1949, November 11, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 5.
58. “Bedford Plans For Red Cross Blood Unit Visit,” 1949, November 22, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 40.
59. “Red Cross-Bedford County Quota Increased to $900,” 1938, November 11, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 20.
60. “Porter Shofner Heads Bedford GOP,” 1956, March 13, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 20.
61. “Disciples of Christ State Convention Program Being Lined-Up,” 1960, February 8, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page Unknown.
62. “UGF Drive Set,” 1957, October 3, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, page 1.
63. “Members Of The Bedford County Pasture Committee,” 1954, March 8, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 22.
64. State of Tennessee, Department of Public Health, Certificate of Death#2208.
65. “Heart Fund Chairman,” 1956, February 4, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 6.
66. “Heart Campaign Raises,” 1958, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 3.
67. “Heads Library Group,” 1949, December 15, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, page 21.
68. “Mrs. Maupin Elected,” 1953, April 3, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 15.
69. “Mrs. Mary Maupin,” 1975, September 26, The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 17.
70. “Webb Graduates Hear F.M. Massey,” 1937, June 9, Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, Page 15