"Mr. Ab," as he was known, sired seven sons and a daughter. Of those sons, my grandfather Jupe was the youngest.
We had the pleasure of lodging in Marine Corps rentals on Onslow Beach itself, the site where Jupe’s father-in-law, Jere Wilson Fountain Sr., was killed in 1936 by a shark attack while fishing. Of course, this family statistic was a source of some personal pride growing up, and I’ve made sure to let all the kids know that their great-great-grandfather on their fathers father’s mother’s side was a proud fisherman despite an abruptly truncated life at age 39.
Jere’s father was a Civil War vet and served with the Ninth North Carolina Infantry. Somehow I did not know this.
