The Surnames: Blakey - White

Family History---The Surnames On My Father's Side

"This is the day which the Lord had made; we will be full of joy and delight in it." The Bible In Basic English
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You know that I am on this journey of my family history. I want to share a little bit more on my Great Grandpa Isaac BLAKEY. a.k.a. as Private Isaac BLAKER.
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As I have been sharing some of my family history with you, I have told you that there were name changes through the generations. As I dug deeper into this "quest", I had come across many different spelling of our surname.

In May of 1989, I wrote a letter to a MO library. In June of that year I received a copy of a newspaper clipping that was date on February 25, 1858. I did not know that this existed... A worker at the library found it for me. He was so happy to share it with me. I am forever thankful that he did.

We all know through American History that slaves were "property". The were bought and sold as merchandise... Well, this article was the notice of "Public Sale of Negroes"... the sell of 9 slaves by W.C Harvey. I know that this sounds horrible. It's apart of history.

As I dug a little deeper into my family history, I came across that W.C. Harvey was Frances Blakey's son in law. Frances owned my ancestors. With the HELP from another person on this journey, I found even more information that I did not know.

As I have been re reading some of my old letters from my cousins and others who have came across my path, I am discovering more and more. My mind is wondering...why did not I see that before.

Here is an example... I told you that I thought that our Great Grandpa was John BLAKEY. We found out that his first name was Isaac. Two days ago a revelation hit me. My Great Grandpa had a "full" brother named John. [I believe that they had the same mother and father.]

I knew that my Great Grandpa had a brother named John but I didn't realized something. I thought that John's last name was BLAKEY. His last name was WHITE. That's the other name that is in our family. Our Great Grandpa Isaac was the only known person in his family with the Blakey surname. [His family= parents and siblings]

Here is a bit of our oral history from our family reunion booklets. " The White-Blakey-Blakley Family traces their generations back to the year 1843. After arriving in New Orleans, from Africa on a slave ship, a mother and her three sons and a daughter were sold at a slave auction and given a bill of sale.

Nothing was ever mentioned of the father, but this happened in many slavery cases. The two oldest Isaac 12 and John 10 were sold to a man by the name Blakey and he took them to Forest Green, Mo.

John remained there but Isaac at the age of 16 ran away and joined the Union Army. He fought for three years and nine months until the Civil War ended and the emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln and Slavery was abolished.

Isaac then returned to New Orleans to find the rest of his family who had not been sold with him. He was told that his mother and brothers, Spencer and Dick and his sister, Matt had been sold to a slave holder named White and shipped to Natchez, MS.

He went there and located them easily. He convinced them that Forest Green, MO was a better place to live, so they moved there were where John [Blakey] was still living there...."

I came across more discoveries on this leading. That article that I mention...."Slavery Descendants To Have First Reunion" took place in the early 1970's in Sioux City Iowa. That article confused me some.
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Cousin Leslie and his mother Willie. Cousin Willie was the oldest and last member of the descendant of Richard White who was my Great Grandpa Isaac's brother. [Willie was one of my 2nd Great Uncle Richard's daughters.]

Both Willie and Leslie are in heaven. I have been re reading some of their letters. They wrote so much about our family history in the letters that they sent me.

They were so eagerly wanting to reunite the "family" together with reunions. They had a hunger to learn more about our family history. The wanted to have a REUNION to JOIN together the Blakeys, the Whites and the Blakleys as one. [Our common ancestors= the father and the mother to the very first generation ---The father and mother from Africa.]

Mrs. Willie was one of the person who had the first reunions in Sioux City Iowa. As I have been re reading her letters. I have been reminded of the "joy" that I had in finding out what I did not know. I believe that God led me to keep searching for more... Others who HELPED me on this journey encouraged me to not give up.
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What am I thankful for ? I am thankful for the covenant blessings of HELP, STRENGTH, and JOY that God has upon my life. I am thankful that God leads my path when I don't know which way to go.
I am thankful that God brings helpers into our daily lives so that they can "lighten" our loads from our troubles. I am thankful that others are encouraging one another. It's an honor to be honored when honor is due. I thank God for honor.

I am thankful for that God leads me to strength to strength as the joy of the Lord is my strength of all my days. I am thankful for the Help that is there from God in times when I am high, higher than a kite or when I am feeling down, way down "lower than dirt". God is so faithful. He knows what I need more than I do. He brings me through whatever.
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Whatever day you are reading is entry, Have An Adventurous Day!
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It's A New Day Dawning! The Quest Continues...~Susie~
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"Spiritual grit is what we need." Oswald Chambers