The Fraterville Mine Disaster of 1902 is a story that has fascinated me since finding letters among my Grandmother, Ollie Massengill Fritts' photographs. I am always looking for more information on the Fraterville Disaster and the life and times of my ancestors, the coal miners and farmers who settled in Anderson County, Tennessee. Check it out.

FRATERVILLE MINE DISASTER OF 1902

This is the story of my father-in-law's World War II Army Unit, COMPANY F 172nd Infantry, 43rd Division, COMPANY F, 4TH Platoon. It is our way of saying thanks to the men and women veterans who fought and died to give us the freedom we enjoy today. Also, it is dedicated to active duty military personell and their families around the world who keep our country secure. I would especially like to hear from relatives of any soldiers who served in Company F at any time during WWII.
COMPANY F

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There is a fascinating photo of the first purchase of land by the Tennessee Valley Authority for the construction of Norris Dam back in 1933. It happens that the sellers were my grandparents, Sam and Ollie Fritts. I have scanned this photo along with the caption that was in the newspaper at the time. It is a large black and white photo so please give it time to load.

DEED PURCHASE

Primary family names are Fritts/Fritz, Massengill, Miller & Carden. Beginning with only the information taken from the Fritts Family Bible and family knowledge, my genealogy page has really grown thanks to information from readers. These pages are written to be shared with other family members and to record and preserve this information for the ages. It is hoped that other cousins, aunts and uncles will see these pages and respond with more information to fill in the missing gaps.

OLE' CARL'S GENEALOGY

There is a separate page: The Fritts Line which has been developed to present the information gained from readers who have responded.

My friend, Dr. Bailey Francis, has posted his great-grandfather's autobiography on his webside at SEVENTY YEARS IN THE COAL MINES. I found this to be a fascinating story of how life was in the last last half of the 19th century and early 20th. As it turns out, Philip Francis was the leader of a group who went into the Fraterville and Cross Mountain Mines to remove casualties. You will find his account of this on pages 136-143. Bailey has researched and annotated additional iformation to many of the persons, places and events mentioned in the autobiography. I highly recommend reading the whole work from beginning to end.

If you are a history buff, you will enjoy three books written by Rosemary L. Neidel and Evelyn M. Monahan.

Their most recent book, published in 2003, is AND IF I PERISH.

This book looks at the European theater of World War II from the prospective of Army nurses and the hospitals that followed not far behind and sometimes along with the fighting soldiers. I do not know exactly why but I learned so much about World War II that I did not know before. Perhaps it is because I identified with the hospital and medical environment. I spent my whole career working in hospital maintenance and operations. I came to admire nurses in the Veterans Administration Medical Centers for their knowledge and resorcefulness and common sense. After reading this book, my admiration for the nursing profession has increased even more. The book follows the lives of several nurses and also gives a very enlightning overview of the whole war. The book is based on completely footnoted research. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in history or the medical and nursing profession. This book provides recognition for the vital and very dangerous part nurses contributed to our winning World War II.

Their first book, published in 1999, was ALBANIAN ESCAPE.

It is a gripping bookfilled with tension as a group of nurses bound for Italy in World War II in November of1943 and crash land in Nazi-occupied Albania. From the time they take off from Catania,Sicily until their eventual rescue almost three months later, the story is filled withsuspense and excitement. This true story provides insight into what life was like in the Balkans during the war and provides a good history lesson for understanding the situation there today.

Their second book, published in 2000, was ALL THIS HELL.

It is the story of U.S. Army and Navy nurses captured at the beginning of WWII immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

I thought I knew about Bataan and Corregidor before I read ALL THIS HELL. I thought I knew what it meant to be civilized. I thought I knew the meaning of the words depravity and atrocity. I thought I knew the meaning of the words courage, bravery and heroism. I thought I knew the meaning of the word, Hell. But there is the Hell you see, the Hell you may be able to escape and the Hell that has to be survived. This book should be mandatory reading for all human beings who consider themselves civilized as well all Americans who appreciate our freedom. If you do not appreciate it now, you certainly will after reading ALL THIS HELL. After reading this book, when I hear the word, "Veterans", I will always think of women as well as men.

Rosemary L. Neidel is a long time friend and co-worker at the V. A. Medical Center in Atlanta, Ga. whom I knew by her married name, Lynn Greenlee. Congratulations Lynn on writing such a great book!

This page was was originally created on Aug. 3, 1997.
Last updated Jan. 4, 2007 at 6:01 A.M.
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