BAY MINETTE, Alabama — Mary Susanna Blake Francis,  who celebrated her 100th Birthday Oct. 27, had her birthday wish granted — a visit to Montgomery Hill Baptist Church in Tensaw.

 ‘Aunt Mary’ had searched for many years for the church her grandfather John Blake had built in 1854. In an email from a friend to her niece about the church, the mystery was solved and a birthday trip was planned by the family to visit the church, as well as Fort Mims, in the Tensaw community of north Baldwin County.

The ‘Old Blake Field’, as the homesite was known, and graveyard were also visited, thanks to a local landowner in Blacksher. To add to this remarkable story, on Aug. 30, 1813, Mary's great grandfather Edward Steadham escaped from the fury of the tragic attack at Fort Mims bearing many injuries sustained during the fight with the warring Redstick Creek Indians. (Her line of descent is through Steadham's daughter, Elizabeth who married John Blake.)

In August of 2011 during the 198th Anniversary of Ft Mims and re-enactment weekend, the family of Mary Blake Francis honored her with the sponsorship of eight logs for the proposed early 1800's-type blockhouse at Ft Mims.

 During this present visit, Mary is shown at Fort Mims, proudly standing in front of ‘her wall’ of logs.  Along with many other families from across the country, these descendants of a Ft Mims survivor plan to attend the 200th Anniversary at Fort Mims on Aug. 30-Sept 1.

 If you are a descendant of a survivor, descendant of someone who died at Ft Mims, in any way connected  to this event, or just interested in the history of this area, please make your plans to attend this amazing commemorative event.

Visit fortmims.org for more information.