Lula Mae CAROTHERS is the daughter of Mary Louise "Mollie" CAROTHERS and for a long time an unknown father. She was born in North Carolina 1 Mar 18851. Since the 1890 census has been destroyed, the first census we have to look for her in is the 1900 census. In 1900 it looks like she is living with her grandparents, Joseph and Sarah CAROTHERS. In that census we see Joseph and Sarah with son, Ross H. age 29 born Oct 1871 in North Carolina and a daughter, Louvica [very hard to read], age 15, born in March 1885. It's hard to tell if her birthplace is North or South Carolina. It seems probable this is Mary Louise's daughter, Lula Mae, even though the name does not look like Lula Mae and the relationship is daughter, not grand-daughter. This "daughter" was born in March 1885 (same as Lula Mae). Also in that census we learn that Sarah is the mother of 6 with 6 still living. Sarah should be the mother of 7, with 6 living (Nancy CAROTHERS, that only showed in the 1870 census). If the Louvica was actually her "daughter" her number of children born would be higher not to mention there is a 14 year gap between the births of Ross and Lula Mae.
"Mollie" married William BRANDON about 1896 and in the 1900 census they had already had 2 children although Lula Mae is not with them. There is a note on Family Search by William ROACH that Lula Mae only stayed with the BRANDON family when she was young. And speaking of Family Search they have Lula Mae as daughter of William BRANDON and Lucy GLOVER (William's first wife), which is wrong! Ellen CHIO2 writes that "Ellen's mother told her that Ross helped raise one of his nices, and Carol COSTNER PITTMAN told Iris that her grandmother [Lula Mae CAROTHERS] was raised by Ross Hicklin CAROTHERS after Sarah CAROTHERS died".2
There is a Social Security application filed by Lula Mae that lists her mother as Molly CAROTHERS and father as Joe CAROTHERS. This is the only thing I have seen where there is actually a name for Lula Mae's father, but I am thinking the Joe CAROTHERS is her grandfather, Jospeh Addison CAROTHERS and not really her father.
23 Jan 1903 Lula Mae and William Franklen COSTNER marry in North Carolina. By 1910 they are living in Bethel, York Co., SC and have 4 children. Porter COSTNER, William's brother is living with them. In 1920 they are in Ebenezer, York Co., SC with 7 children and in 1930, 1940 and 1950 they are in Catawba, York Co., SC.
There is a 5 generation picture on ancestry from Butch COLDING of "Mollie", Lula Mae, Lillie Mae COSTNER ROACH, Lula Mae ROACH COLDING and Lula Mae COLDING's 2 sons.
Lula Mae died on 9 Jan 1971 at the age of 85 in Rock Hill, South Carolina and is buried in Laurel Wood Cemetery. Lula Mae's gravestone has her name as Lilly C. COSTNER.1
In 2022 it was determinded through Carol COSTNER PITTMAN'S DNA that Lula Mae's father is Burlie Franklin "Doc" GLOVER.

1Gravestone of Lula Mae
2F Chio

Bio written by Rita Lynn McKale