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  • Members of Norma Vivian Smith’s family display a certificate issued to her by the Joe Wheeler 291 Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Seated is her son Sanford Smith. Standing, from left , are daughter Linda Walmsley, brother Tyus Denney, and daughter Barbara Jenkins. ASHLEY GRAVES

    Last ‘daughter of the Confederacy’ dies

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January 10, 2012

Last ‘daughter of the Confederacy’ dies

Organization officials attend funeral Monday

By Ashley Graves The Cullman Times

CULLMAN — It was a known fact among those who knew Norma Vivian Smith that if you ever went to visit her at her home, you better go with an empty stomach because you weren’t leaving hungry.

There was never a shortage of goodies around.

Cherry pie, pecan pie, chocolate pudding topped with peaches, the ever popular peanut fudge candy; the list goes on and on.

Smith, who was the last real daughter of the Confederacy living in Alabama, died Saturday at her residence at the age of 89, and was buried Monday.

Bettye Moore, president of the Joe Wheeler 291 Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, along with other members of the organization attended Smith’s service.

“When she knew we were coming to visit, she always wanted us to come at lunch,” Moore said. “We couldn’t leave until she fed us, and that’s the way she was with everyone. She always wanted to feed you.”

Smith’s father, Thomas Jefferson Denney, fought as a Confederate solider 150 years ago as part of Company H in the 31st Alabama Infantry regiment. He was captured by Union forces on June 15, 1864, near Marietta, Ga., and held prisoner at Rock Island Barracks, Ill., where he signed an oath of allegiance to the United States upon release on June, 18, 1865.

Smith’s brother, Tyus K. Denney, who will be 91 in May, is the last living real Sons of Confederate Veterans, and was made a lifetime member of the   organization in 1986. The current 1442 chapter in Cullman is named after their father.  However, it wasn’t up until within the last five years, when Tyus, Smith and other family members attended a ceremony at the Cullman County Courthouse, that Smith was discovered to be the last real daughter of the confederacy.

“One of the sons discovered her (Vivian) at one of their gatherings we went to in Cullman,” Smith’s daughter Barbara Jenkins said. “Nobody knew Tyus still had a sister that was living.

After being put in touch with someone associated with the Daughters of Confederate Veterans, the Joe Wheeler 291 Chapter presented Smith with a certificate and ribbon at the Fairview Bluegrass Festival on July 17, 2010.

“She was very proud of that certificate,” Jenkins said. “Up until she got real sick, she talked about her daddy a lot. She was very proud of what he did.”

Smith  was survived by her son, Sanford Smith, and wife, Martha; two daughters, Jenkins, and Linda Walmsley and husband, Dwight; 11 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

* Ashley Graves can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131, ext. 225 or by email at agraves@cullmantimes.com

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