Apoline
McKneely- Lelia Apoline McKneely was born Dec. 15, 1854 in Fordoche, Point Coupee Parish LA to Alexander Tresvant McKneely and Martha Pipes Skipwith. She was one of four siblings in this family. She married in Point Coupee Parish March 3, 1874 to William Cobb Germany. She died Nov. 27, 1929 in Baton Rouge, LA.
- Apoline and William Cobb Germany first lived in Bayou Poydras in Erwinville, LA where he ran a post office and a small store. He gave land for a church to be built along the bayou across the street. They later moved to Baton Rouge and lived on St. Joseph Street in what was called Beauregard Town. They had at least 4 known children.
- Ida Apoline Germany, b. Jan. 8, 1876 in Stirling, LA who married S. Price Flynn in 1891. They lived next door to the Germany's on St. Joseph St. in Baton Rouge. They had 7 children who are all buried in a graveyard on North St. in Baton Rouge, except Albert "Pokey" Flynn who chose to be cremated with his ashes scattered over the Gulf of Mexico. (He was a doctor in Gulfport who never married.) "Pokey" was my Godfather.
- Henry Germany, the second child, married Ethel and lived on Main St. in Baton Rouge. He was choking and thrashing in old age, so 6 men held him down. He died. John Thomas Denny witnessed this event and told my dad, LaDell, never to hold him down if he choked or thrashed--he had a real fear of that.
- Howard Germany, the third child, never married. It was said that he would drink a lot and frequent "ladies of the evening." His actions were not acceptable to the family. He was eventually run over by a train and was buried in the Denny plot in Magnolia Cemetery in Baton Rouge. The family did not buy a tombstone for his grave. Howard died Fe. 15, 1923.
- Mary Lemon "Aunt Love" Germany, was born Dec. 4, 1882. She married first to Joseph Barnhardt and second to James Buck Guy (b. June 12, 1885, d. Sept. 12, 1932). She was widowed the whole time I knew her. She was a real character! She would tell stories of her younger days. When I knew her she had a large house with many rooms. She ran a boarding house for girls. (This was before apartments.) She would watch those girls like a hawk. She had already tried all the tricks and knew what to look for in those girls. She smoked an awful lot. Her voice was hoarse because of it. In her later years, she was in a nursing home and complained of the nurses stealing her cigarettes. Dad and I would visit and Dad would bring her cigarettes. I think Dad favored her among all of his aunts. However, he was good about visiting all of his relatives. "Aunt Love" died Sept. 15, 1974 in Baton Rouge and is buried in Magnolia Cemetery. She never had any children.
- Margaret Ann Germany, my grandmother, was born Mar. 3, 1887 in Erwinville (West Baton Rouge Parish), LA. She married John Thomas Denny Sept. 12, 1907 in Pt. Coupee parish, LA at The Holy Trinity Church in Lakeland. They had 7 children. She died Sept. 24, 1952 in Baton Rouge and is buried at Magnolia Cemetery there.
- Lelia Apoline Germany was the last child, born Nov. 12, 1894. Everyone called her "Aunt Babe." She was unmarried and had a rather mysterious life. She lived in Fordoche, LA then in Jackson, LA. Dad, LaDell Denny, told me a lot about her. In 1982, he told me that Grandma and Grandpa Germany's house in Erwinville was 3 feet off the ground. Aunt Babe fell off the porch and was hurt pretty badly. Her mother spent a lot of time taking care of her. Dad also told me that she was in love with a man of which her parents did not approve. Her mother made them break up. (It was rumored that her mother wanted to keep Babe at home to care for her in her old age.) Aunt Babe had a nervous breakdown and went to Jackson Mental Hospital. According to Melrose Denny Willie, she was "cured" but was uncomfortable living "on the outside" so went back in the hospital to finish her life in the institution. Melrose said that she and her sister, Leola Denny Miller would go get Aunt Babe and she would be normal. But if any mention was made of her staying on the outside, she would start acting crazy again. I visit her with Dad as a small child. I remember the place was very staunch and boring. No plants or anything. Just a big building with lots of rooms. In 1992 I was curious about all of this and ordered the hospital records on Aunt Babe. They are in my notebook and cause even more questions about the woman and her unusual life.
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