| Sources |
- [S83] Willis LaRue Funeral Home Records, (Cocke County, Tennessee), 105, 30 Jan 1926.
Thomas N. Bryant obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 6 Jan 2008.
Edwin remembers Normandy Beach
(c)2008 NPT PHOTO BY DAVID POPIEL Danny Bryant, owner of A-Z Rental, stands behind his father, Edwin Bryant, a veteran or World War II and a man who has witnessed much in his 85 years.
By: DAVID POPIEL
Source: The Newport Plain Talk
01-06-2008
The New Year arrived on the back of a cold front that brought the lowest temperatures of the winter in our hometown, enough to make even the shadows shivered. As he looks back on the past 85 years, Edwin Bryant, of Newport, probably has seen more than most and will celebrate his birthday on January 9 with family in a quiet and predictable way. His early years were far from that, as a child of the Hoover years ushering in the Great Depression. His parents, Thomas Bryant and the former Francis Allen, led a hard life as many did. Edwin said he remembers people lining up in town during the lean years waiting for someone to bring some 'possums and carp to eat. He repeats stories of men making 25 cents for jumping on freight trains and throwing coal off to waiting people needing fuel for heat. By the time he was seven both parents were dead. Edwin was three when his father died of double pneumonia; several years later his mother died from a blocked colon, so he went to live with his older brother, Bartley and wife, Hassie, of Lower English Creek. Until he was 18 he grew up with their children, who included my neighbor, Lloyd Bryant. Few of us can conceive of how harsh these times were compared to our standards. As Edwin said, the remedy for pneumonia was putting fried onions on your chest and covering with a cloth. Among his first jobs were breaking the ends off beans for a quarter and getting cash, 75 cents a day, cutting timber for Jim Breeden. Later he got a job at the tannery making $26 a week, six-days straight with no vacations. His boss was Ulys Burnett. Maybe going overseas for four years during World War II was easy compared to surviving the Depression. He was in his early 20s when he went into the Army, got some training, took a train to New York, then a ferry, and a freighter to England. It took 11 days and 11 nights. The food was not good but he held up better than most. That year was one of preparation for something big. He said they spent a lot of time waterproofing equipment. Most men did not know they were preparing for one of the largest invasions ever, at Normandy. Frank Strickler, of Newport, was with Edwin on the tug that crossed the English Channel after the initial invasion. They were in an engineering unit. Of about 30 men on that English boat, he believes only four survive today. When they landed at the beachhead, he saw many green helmets either on the beach sand or being washed about by the water. Many helmets had holes in them. General Bradley was motioning for them and others to get off the boats and keep moving. Their first job was building an airstrip using "chicken wire and tarpaper" for fighter planes. They moved into France and built bridges for tank and transport units. This involved scouting the rivers, taking measurements, returning to get prefabricated units and then moving these to the front lines. At all times he carried a 30-caliber carbine but never got into combat nor was he injured. The weeks ahead were intense and took him all the way to the Battle of the Bulge and ultimate victory over the Germans. After the war officially ended, he was again able to go to Paris where he visited the Eiffel Tower. During the war, he was able to go to Paris several times. He and his company made their way through France, into Belgium and ultimately were in Germany. The closest he got to the enemy was guarding groups of German prisoners who often cooked for the US troops. "They had had enough of the war," he said. The only thing in Newport that changed since 1941 was people had less of everything. Edwin returned to a hard-working life and married the former Thella Fine in 1947. She grew up in the area near the current Wal-Mart, the daughter of Dempsey Fine, who married Bonnie Finchum and had seven children. Thella said that only Norita Curbow and Lloyd Nease Fine survive. The other close relative of Edwin's is his older sister, Seattle, who lives in North Carolina. Edwin and Thella's son, Danny, has been operating the A-Z Rental off Cosby Highway since 1976 and has been most influenced by his Father's honesty and credibility. Danny has a daughter, Farrah Adkins, who also has two children. In plain talk, we can only imagine and never know the life-altering experiences of our seniors who lived through the Great Depression and WW II.
- [S112] Census, 1930.
Name: Edwin Bryant
Event: Census
Event Date: 1930
Event Place: Newport, Cocke, Tennessee
Gender: Male
Age: 7
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1923
Immigration Year:
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Enumeration District Number: 0012
Family Number: 310
Sheet Number and Letter: 13A
Line Number: 32
NARA Publication: T626, roll 2238
Film Number: 2341972
Digital Folder Number: 4548152
Image Number: 00253
Household Gender Age
Parent Dollie Gray F 45
Bulah Bryant F 19
Seeatle Bryant F 16
Anna L Bryant F 13
James Bryant M 9
Edwin Bryant M 7
Junior Gray M 1
- [S112] Census, 1940.
Name: Edwin Bryant
Titles & Terms:
Event: Census
Event Year: 1940
Event Place: Civil District 5, Cocke, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Marital Status: Single
Race (Original): White
Race (Standardized): White
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Brother
Relationship to Head of Household (Standardized): Brother
Birthplace: Tennessee
Estimated Birth Year: 1923
Residence in 1935: Same House
Enumeration District Number: 15-10
Family Number: 93
Sheet Number and Letter: 6B
Line Number: 50
NARA Publication Number: T627
NARA Roll Number: 3881
Digital Folder Number: 005461287
Image Number: 00278
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Bart Bryant M 34 Tennessee
Wife Hassie J Bryant F 28 Tennessee
Daughter Hellan Bryant F 11 Tennessee
Son Loyed Bryant M 8 Tennessee
Brother James Bryant M 19 Tennessee
Brother Edwin Bryant M 17 Tennessee
- [S113] Manes Funeral Home, (http://www.manesfuneralhome.com), 18 Jul 2011.
(January 9, 1923 - July 18, 2011)
U.S. Veteran Edwin William Bryant age 88 passed away Monday, July 18, 2011 at Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown. He is preceded in death by his parents Thomas and Dolly Bryant and several brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife, Thella Bryant, son Danny Bryant; granddaughter, Farrah Adkins; great-grandchildren, Landon Adkins and Layna Adkins and several nieces and nephews. Special thanks to Norrettus Curbow, Curtis Pack and all of his friends at Hardees and a special thanks to Dr. Williams and staff. Funeral Service will be held at 8:00 pm, Thursday, July 21, 2011 at Manes Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Doug Messer officiating Burial will be at 2:00 pm Friday July 22, 2011 at Union Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 pm Thursday, July 21, 2011 prior to funeral service. Family and friends may sign the guest register online at www.manesfuneralhome.com. Manes Funeral Home in charge.
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Groom's Name: T. N. Bryant
Groom's Birth Date:
Groom's Birthplace:
Groom's Age:
Bride's Name: Dollie Allen
Bride's Birth Date:
Bride's Birthplace:
Bride's Age:
Marriage Date: 28 Aug 1904
Marriage Place: Tennessee
Groom's Father's Name:
Groom's Mother's Name:
Bride's Father's Name:
Bride's Mother's Name:
Groom's Race:
Groom's Marital Status:
Groom's Previous Wife's Name:
Bride's Race:
Bride's Marital Status:
Bride's Previous Husband's Name:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I03274-0
System Origin: Tennessee-EASy
Source Film Number: 1928642
Reference Number: 163
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