Search for Garners

When I tried to locate information about my great great grandmother, Hope Foreman, I ended up searching for the Garner family. I've had mixed results from that search. I have known Garners in Cortez but as far as I can tell they are not related to this Garner family.

Hope's first husband, William Adams died around 1880 and she married Elijah Garner on January 12, 1882 in Carteret County North Carolina. A few years later they moved to Manatee County Florida. Elijah Garner was around 55 years old and had three wives and at least 8 children before he married Hope but he apparently wanted more kids so they had two more. Owen Dewitt Garner was born in October 1882 and his sister Luddie was born in 1885.

Both Elijah and Hope were dead by 1890. Some stories said they came down with consumption but I've never located any documentation of when or how they died or where they were buried. The 1890 US census was destroyed in a fire and the 1895 Florida census does not list them.

I found their children, Owen and Luddie listed as orphans, living with Captain John Fogarty and his wife on the 1895 and 1900 Census for Manatee County.

I was able to trace both Luddie and Owen through the years and even located Owen's grandson living in Oregon but couldn't find anyone who knew anything about what happened to Elijah and Hope.

This picture of Owen holding the reins of a small wagon was taken around 1910. It is the only picture of either of the kids I ever found. The Manatee County library had it in their collection.