Week 25 – 52 Ancestor Challenge – Lost

When you have been researching for as long as I have, 46 years, you accumulate a lot of paper. Unfortunately, things sometimes get lost. Such was the case of the project I did in 8th grade History that was the beginning of my genealogical journey.

After years of searching, I found it a few weeks ago. Many happy memories came flooding back and a few things stood out, I misspelled Genealogical and cemetery and apparently, I thought I was still in the 7th grade.

What follows is what happens when you have to write an autobiography and fill out a pedigree chart and your older sister is extremely creative. I did the work, under her guidance, so no, Mrs. Cody, you can’t take that A+ back.

The Tale of the Beautiful Princess: Or Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Me, But Were Afraid to Ask

Once upon a time in merry old England lived the great-great-great-great-grandfather of the heroine of our story, “the beautiful princess”. He owned an estate near London called the “Grantham Courts”. His son came to “the colonies” about the turn of the nineteenth century, and his grandson served in the Civil War under Robert E. Lee. This ancestor came to Texas in 1875.

The princess’ Great-great-grandpa Driver and his son came to Graham and built the old Driver Hotel in 1923.

Now that we have established the general ancestry of our main character “The Beautiful Princess” (so named that this story won’t seem dull), we shall concentrate on the present.

The father of our princess, “King James I”, locally known as James Black, owner of The Graham Ice and Locker, was raised in Munday. Naturally he is married to Mary Grantham Black alias “Queen Mary” (not to be confused with the ship). She was born and raised in Graham.

The “prince” in our story, heir to the throne, a beat-up green recliner, is Thomas Benton Corbin, II (Buba), 29, he resides in Wichita Falls with his wife, Jerri, and their children, Thomas Brent, 7 and Ty Scotty, 2.

“Princess Linda”, our world traveler, is 26 years old. She has lived in Hawaii and has visited most of the fifty states. Her travels have taken her to Belgium and to our Mother County, England. After returning home, she was married to Ronnie Howard Pippin, of Jermyn. They now have one child, William Brian, who is four months old.

“Princess Rebecca”, who is 23, is the family scholar. She attended college at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is married to Samuel Louis Ribble, II, of Graham. They also have one child, Bradley Garrett, who is fourteen months old.

“Princess Jaime”, 22, is the family clown and her hobby is cooking. She lives in Brockton, Massachusetts.

And last, but not least, we come to your favorite and mine, “The Beautiful Princess”, Susan. She was born in Fort Worth at Northwest Hospital. She loves animals and music and is an active member at First Assembly of God Church, where she sings in the choir and is secretary of the youth group.

At times in her dreams, she can see the handsome prince charming that will come someday to take her away.

So, as we drift away from the quiet castle, you may be safely assured that everyone lived happily ever after.

THE END

View Original School Project – lots of after the fact scribbles

That which is not written, is lost forever

Whispers from the Past…..

Week 24 – 52 Ancestor Challenge – The Miracle of DNA

DNA – The hereditary material in humans

I remember when I first started hearing about DNA testing for genealogy purposes. That was well over 20 years ago and prohibitively expensive. By the time I took my first of six tests in 2012, the price was under $200, now you can test for as little as $49. In a few short weeks you can be viewing matches to your genetic make up from databases with tens of millions of testers.

It’s taken me ten years to get a decent handle on understanding the different tests and the results that I received. For years I wasn’t getting the most from my results, but that’s finally starting to change as I’ve taken classes and watched webinars that explain how I inherited 50% of Momma’s DNA and 50% of Daddy’s and how the same holds true for each of them and their parents, so with each generation certain genetics are lost.

There’s a saying that even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in awhile. Well, that’s kind of what happened in 2016.

Momma had passed before testing was readily available and affordable to the consumer, and I almost waited too long to get Daddy to do it. In April I had him do a 23andMe® test. We had a fun time collecting his spit sample since he had extreme dry mouth, but he was a trooper. We sent in the sample and waited. While we waited, he talked. Daddy had never been much to talk about family history. Any time I made a new discovery on his line he was politely interested and that was about it. Maybe the fact that he was dying made him open up, who knows. He told me about places he had lived, about his mother’s second husband and how they had “hoed cotton so she could divorce him” and how she remarried him five days later. We looked at the few pictures I have of his ancestors and discussed who looked alike and which ones we favored.

Finally, the results came in and I was puzzled and confused. Daddy got a “match” that he had a 1st cousin, what confused me is that I got the same match on my test, also as a first cousin.

So there’s a cool little tool that helps you figure out possible relationships based on the amount of DNA you share with a person.

Daddy	Susan
1064 cM	611 cM
Great-Grandparent Great-Aunt / Uncle Half Aunt / Uncle 1C Half Niece / Nephew Great-Niece / Nephew Great-Grandchild	Great-Great-Aunt / Uncle Half Great-Aunt / Uncle Half 1C 1C1R Half Great-Niece / Nephew Great-Great-Niece / Nephew

I thought I knew all of Daddy’s nieces and nephews and my first cousins, there weren’t that many, but here was a flashing neon sign saying I was wrong. So, I sent a message and waited for 13 LONG days for this reply, “I was surprised that we could be 1st cousin’s! I’m wondering if it could be from my dad’s side, of which I know nothing, as he was adopted.”

We quickly exchanged several more messages and then – “I’m scanning some newspaper clippings and found a letter that had my dad’s mother’s name listed…Edna Hamill. She was a cotton picker, 19 years old. Does that sound familiar?”

Twelve short days before he passed away, Daddy discovered he had an older brother. Nineteen year-old Edna Hamil, her mother and 14 year-old sister were picking cotton, 200 miles from home. Edna gave birth to George whom she gave the name, Ben Milam. Thirteen days later, Edna left her baby on a doorstep just 19 miles from where she lived with her family. Ninety-one years later, DNA revealed one of the many skeletons in my grandmother’s closet. Sadly, George had passed away eight years prior to me finding him.

Daddy was able to speak to his newly found niece, by phone, before he died and I got to meet my new cousin a couple of days later. The week after we discovered George was one of the most enlightening times of my life. For the first time since I had started researching his family, Daddy talked, a lot.

I believe that George was waiting to welcome his little brother when Daddy passed over. What a reunion that must have been.

I encourage anyone who is thinking about taking a DNA test to do so, quickly. Sure you may have unexpected results, but who cares. It’s all about finding out who you are and who else shares a part of that.

Unlike my Grandma Edna, my MamMaw was very open and willing to tell me everything she knew about the family. She always told me that it didn’t matter what anyone had done who came before, that wasn’t on me. I did however need to know all about my kinfolk because each and every one of them made me who I am.

No matter how hard you try to keep the door closed, sooner or later those “family skeletons” will come tumbling out of the closet. I’ve seen over and over where a “closely guarded” secret was actually a matter of public record.

Don’t miss out on opportunities to know your family. You may not have a single surprise, but then again, you may have a glorious adventure waiting just a “spit” away.

AncestryDNA® – my recommendation if you’re only going to take one

23andMe®

MyHeritage

FamlyTreeDNA – the only company that offers mtDNA (maternal) and Y-DNA (paternal) as well as atDNA (autosomal – your family DNA in general)

Week 22 – 52 Ancestor Challenge – So Far Away

“If there’s a downside, it’s that “time and tide wait for no man” and so opportunities have been lost as cousins have passed away. If I could offer only one piece of advice, it would be, make time to talk to your family, learn your family’s stories, ask the questions, share the memories, smile for the camera.”

Four months and 24 days from the day I wrote those words my world shattered. A routine doctor’s visit led to an MRI that revealed my husband had metastatic lung cancer. That day is burned into my brain. My best friend, my soulmate, the love of my life was dying and there wasn’t a thing in the world I could do to change that.

The next 16 weeks passed in fits and spurts, some moments are indelibly etched, others are foggy. One thing we all learned from this is that you can get another job, you can earn another dollar, you can start another project BUT, you can’t get more time.

Never in my life have I experienced grief like I have since the day we found out Jerrell was dying. It comes in waves and often threatens to suck me under with no way to reach the shore. I don’t carry my grief alone, my husband was well loved and we, as a family, are “there for each other” as we make this journey without him. ‘Without’ is now my most hated word because from the day he died until the day I join him, I will be without him. Memories are a comfort and a curse, pictures are a source of joy and tears.

Jerrell was always up for a visit to a cemetery or a courthouse. As a matter of fact, our first date we went to a cemetery, true love.

I begin researching his family not long after we got together and for years the progress was minimal. About six years ago I hit on one tiny piece of information that blew things wide open and fortunately we were able to travel to Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee as well as some places in Texas where his family was prominent in history. I always told him it wasn’t fair that I’d researched my family for over forty years and then overnight he had way cooler history just fall into my lap.

I haven’t been able to even think about researching again. I’ve dipped my toe in the waters a couple of times but so far it’s just not right. I have no doubt that with time I’ll pick up the threads again but it will never be the same ‘without’ my partner.

So, how does this relate to the title of “So Far Away”? Never are we so far away from the ones we love as we are in death.

“I have so much to say but you’re so far away.”

You can find anything at WalMart, even a husband

If my boys were here we could get it in the truck

“The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is grief – But the pain of grief is only a shadow when compared with the pain of never risking love.”

Hillary Stanton Zunin

Hoping you never have to be without or so far away…

Susan

Whispers form the Past…..

As another year comes to an end…..

Any new beginning is forged from the shards of the past, not from the abandonment of the past. Craig D. Lounsbrough

As 2018 comes to a close, I look back over what I’ve accomplished and what is still waiting for me to find time enough to do.

I started this year by participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, I made it to week 21 before another project became all encompassing and each week I would think, “Oh yeah, I need to write my blog.”, then I would go right back to working on my latest obsession – the Parks family.

I signed up for the 52/52 challenge again this year and hopefully I’ll finish out the other 31 weeks of prompts, if not, 2020 is still ahead.

This has actually been a successful and fulfilling year. I’ve been able to untangle a few mysteries through DNA. I’ve made some serious progress on my next series of books which will focus on the children of John Gray Parks and Elizabeth Head Morris. Huge strides were made in organizing and cataloging my research, all in all, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made this year.

If there’s a downside, it’s that “time and tide wait for no man” and so opportunities have been lost as cousins have passed away.

If I could offer only one piece of advice, it would be, make time to talk to your family, learn your families stories, ask the questions, share the memories, smile for the camera.

Until next time, here’s wishing you a wonderful new year!

Susan

Whispers from the Past…..

Week 6 – 52 Ancestor Challenge – Favorite Name – Weltha Josephine Owen Driver

“A name, of course is like a piece of clothing, isn’t it? It gives you an impression right away.” James Salter

I never knew my great-great-grandmother, Weltha Josephine Owen Driver. She was born 30 Sep 1851 in Alabama and passed away 17 Sep 1932 in Graham, Texas, 30 years before I was born. Wealthy, as she was known to her family, was the oldest daughter of Albert Owen and Martha Collinsworth.

She appears in the census as “Wittly”, “Wilsy”, “Weltha” and “Wealthy”. She was married to John Allen Driver on March 22, 1869 in the tiny community of Etoile in Nacogdoches County, Texas at the home of her parents.

I always thought she had the most interesting name, I mean who names their daughter Wealthy and why? There are 229 names that mean Wealthy however, I could never find the meaning of the name Wealthy. Eventually I did find out that her great-grandmother was named Wealthy so finally I knew “why”.

In 1875, Weltha, John and their sons, Albert and Henry migrated from Long Creek, near Weatherford, Texas to Young County. While laying in supplies for the trip, John saw some dress material in a store in Weatherford and bought a length for Weltha.

She was so proud of the new dress she made from that material, and even more pleased because John had taken the time to pick it out for her. Shortly after they began the trip to their new home, little Henry became ill and John and Weltha would take turn about carrying him as they walked along side the wagon. One night after making camp it began to rain. Weltha wanted to keep the cool air off Henry so she drew the wagon sheet up tight and hung her new dress up to block any air from coming in. In the morning, Weltha was heartbroken to find that during the night the cow had chewed her new dress.

I have often wondered if being named Wealthy or the incident with the cow influenced her personality. She was very “frugal”. Even though they were “well off” for the time, she would wear a dress until it was so worn out her daughter-in-law would intentionally get it hung in the washer ringer and would then tear the dress apart so Wealthy would have to start wearing a new dress.

#52ancestors

Whispers from the Past…..

Week 3 – 52 Ancestors Challenge – Longevity – A Long & Winding Road

Definition of Longevity

1 a : a long duration of individual life

b : length of life

2 : long continuance : permanence, durability

At some time during the 1980s, I was visiting with a cousin by phone. Madolyn was somewhat of a legend, a living History and Genealogy of the Williamson and Burnet County, Texas areas. She could pull info out of her memory like you would a computer. It turned out that Madolyn had rescued dozens of documents that were scheduled to be destroyed.

During the course of our conversation, Madolyn told me that she had several marriage licenses that I would be interested in. She named off some aunts and uncles and then mentioned my great-great-grandparents, Eb Smith and Sarah Jane Carroll. Naturally I wanted copies and asked if I paid for the copies, would she be able to make and send them to me.

When the mail arrived a couple of days later, I was excited to see an envelope from Madolyn. I had never once imagined what I would find in that package. There, among the original marriage licenses of several of my maternal great-great-aunts and uncles, was the handwritten license of Eb & Sarah Jane Smith and a note from Madolyn saying, “I kept this safe until I found the right person to give it to.”

On December 20, 1860, Ebenezer Smith married Sarah Jane Carroll, he was 20, she was 16. They were married for 26 years before she passed away. They had 17 children including three sets of twins and a set of quadruplets, who were born in 1876. Sarah was preceded in death by seven of her children.

I can’t imagine how difficult their lives were. I’ve often heard people say that “things were different back then” or that “death was just a part of living”.

At 157 years old, this document is the oldest original document I possess. To say it is prized, is an understatement. To me, this simple, piece of paper symbolizes a family, a father born in 1840, a mother born in 1844, a joining together in 1860 that resulted in a family that lived, loved, and died with their youngest daughter in 1967. How many families can claim to have spanned 127 years within the original family unit?

When I think of Sarah and Eb, I always think of how this family treasure came into my hands. From a courthouse in 1860 to a lover of History in the 1900s to a woman who had gazed at the faces of her great-great-grandparents while listening to their granddaughter, my grandmother, tell about their lives. I look at this simple piece of paper and I am reminded of the countless number who have come before me and those who are yet to be born. They are why I travel the road I do, they are why I am who I am. #52ancestors

That which is not written is lost forever…..

Whispers from the Past…..