Stirling Chesterfield Merrimon, son of Mary Evelyn Paxton and the Rev. Branch Hamlin Merrimon, was born about 1835 in Asheville, North Carolina.

On September 18, 1860, in Laurens, South Carolina, Stirling married Letitia Antoinette Downey, daughter of Mary Hamilton and Samuel Downey.  Letitia was born in 1842 in Laurens, South Carolina, and was reared by relatives, Martha and James Dorroh.  On October 30, 1864, Letitia and Stirling were living in Asheville, North Carolina.  However, they later moved to Cokesbury, South Carolina.

Stirling and his brother-in-law, James Downey, bought Boyd's Mill and operated it for a number of years.

According to the 1870 Census of Cokesbury Township in Laurens County, South Carolina, Stirling was a farmer.  His real estate was valued at $10,000 and his personal property at $2,500.

The 1880 census of Cokesbury Township indicates that Sterling was a farmer.  According to this census, Letitia (age 16), Minnie (age 14) and Estelle (age 11) were in school.

Letitia Downey Merrimon died at Cokesbury, South Carolina, on October 6, 1893, and Stirling died there on March 6, 1907. Letitia and Stirling are buried in the cemetery at Hodges, South Carolina.

Issue:

1.  Letitia Antoinette (Todie) Merrimon was born in North Carolina at 5:15 a.m. on July 27, 1863.  She taught school but later became blind.  She lived for a time in Sumter with her sister, Evelyn.  She died May 30, 1956, at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and was buried in Sumter Cemetery in Sumter, South Carolina.

2.  Minnie Lee Merrimon was born in South Carolina at 10:00 a.m. on August 8, 1865.  She was a graduate of the Lawrenceville Female College and the Southern Business College at Asheville, North Carolina.  She worked for a time in New York City.  Minnie taught stenography at Cokesbury during the 1897-1898 school year.  The 1910-1911 Cokesbury catalog indicates that Minnie was teaching in the Commercial Department of the school.  According to the 1912 Sumter City Directory, Minnie was living at 307 North Main Street with her sister Evelyn. A Rutherford College catalog for the 1916-1917 term lists Minnie as a teacher of shorthand and typewriting.  While at Rutherford College, Minnie became ill and died at 11:00 p.m. on February 17, 1922.  Minnie's will was dated November 13, 1917.  The executor was Letitia A. Merrimon (sister).
 

The witnesses were J. R. White, Evelyn M. Epps and R. D. Epps.  Minnie was buried in Sumter Cemetery on February 20, 1922.

3.  Carroll Merrimon was born at 10:15 a.m. on June 15, 1867, and died August 7, 1868.  He lived 13 months and 23 days.

4.  Eugenia Estella Merrimon was born at 2:00 a.m. on March 9, 1869, at Cokesbury, South Carolina and died October 19, 1889.  She was buried in the cemetery at Hodges, South Carolina.

5.  Willie Merrimon was born at 12:20 a.m. on November 1, 1871, and died on January 8, 1873.  He lived 14 months and 7 days.

6.  Evelyn Paxton Merrimon was born on October 31, 1873, at Pigeon River in Haywood County, North Carolina.  She supervised the library at the Cokesbury Methodist Conference School during the 1897-98 term.  During this time she got to know Ralph D. Epps who was also on the faculty teaching mathematics, science, French and German.  Ralph was the son of Charlotte Susan Dickson and Isaac Epps.  He was born on October 12, 1876.  On January 28, 1900, Evelyn and Ralph were married.  According to the 1912 Sumter City Directory he and Evelyn lived at 307 North Main Street and his law office was at 124 1/2 North Main Street.  He served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1912 to 1914, the South Carolina Senate from 1914 to 1918 and as Mayor of Sumter from 1914 to 1918 and from 1934 to 1938.  Evelyn died on April 30, 1961, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  She was buried in the Sumter Cemetery.

7.  Raphael DeKalb (Raph) Merrimon was born at 9:00 a.m. on March 28, 1876, in Greenville, South Carolina.  He was a druggist by trade.  He died in Sumter, South Carolina, on October 27, 1917, and was buried in the Sumter Cemetery.

8.  Jeanette (Jena) Merrimon was born at 4:30 a.m. on August 3, 1878, at Walnut Grove, Abbeville County, South Carolina.  She was listed on the honor roll at Cokesbury during the 1897-98 term.  She Married Lambert Whitfield Jones (1855-1948).  Lambert had previously been married to Jeannie Lou Herndon (1860-1895).  Jena and Lambert are buried in Rosemont Cemetery in Newberry, South Carolina. Jeanette died on June 29, 1948.

9.  Maude Vivian (Gooda) Merrimon was born at 6:20 p.m. on April 4, 1881, in Abbeville County, South Carolina.  She married the Rev. William Thomas Usry in Rockingham, North Carolina on March 1, 1905.  She died on March 20, 1975, in Sumter, South Carolina and was buried at Banks Methodist Church in Oxford, North Carolina, on March 22, 1975.
 
 

Published sources:

Mount Ariel - Cokesbury, South Carolina, by E. Don Herd, Jr.

Newberry County, South Carolina, Cemeteries, Volume Two, sponsored by The Newberry County Historical Society, 1985.

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