Thinking About My Ancestors Through Photos

It would have been my mother's father, Leo Lankford Sr's 127th birthday. He was born in Canton, MO on May 30, 1884. I've found a lot more information about my ancestors on my mother's side. I found more this week!

Leo Lankford Sr.
(1884- 1954)

Over the years of research on my family history, I've been thinking about my ancestors as I'm looking through some photographs. It's interesting to see these photos. A picture can say a thousand words.

I have thought...the more that I can piece together what some of my ancestors did, their lives become more real. When I look a my family's pedigree chart, I can see how some things are connected. It's good to know where our kin folks came from.

It's not just that they lived in an era before I did. It's that they went through life with different and similar issues I have faced in life.

I am on the other side of what majority of my ancestors wanted. I'm living their dream of freedom from bondage. They were human beings too.

Yeah, I've been looking at old photographs. It makes my mind wander. How they lived in the time that they did. They had less opportunities to do a lot of things.

But there was something that they had, that is offered to all generation even behind today. They had their life that was given to them by the grace of God. Some believed on Jesus as their LORD and Savior.

Jesus was in their days too. Just think, we all have or had the opportunity to serve the same God but in different time periods. How awesome!

I am thankful that some of our ancestors took time to pose in from of a camera. I've been looking at how my ancestors dressed. They choose nice cloting for the photos. It's like they had on their Sunday's best.


It gives me the assumption that they cared so much about how they would look. They thought about being in their best outfit. They were sending a message to the viewers.

I wander how they thought about issues that they faced? I could image how some who never saw freedom from slavery could have wanted so much to be free. The dreams of what they could never see because of their skin color.

This photo was found in my Grandpa Mary's house. She was married to Grandpa Leo. I don't know when my Grandparents were married around 1908.

But the people in this photo were believed to be relatives. Perhaps a husband and wife with their four daughters. The elderly lady could have been an in law or mother of the man or woman.

I notice in most of the photo that I was looking at, the people were dressed up. They rarely a smile on their faces. In two of the photos, some one had a book in a person's hand. It must have meant something.

Most of my slavery ancestors learned how to read and write. Most of them were farmers. They had and came from large families. Grandpa Leo was one of about 12. Grandma Mary was one of three children. She had a half brother and half sister.

As for me, my parents came from large families. My parents had 19 kids together. I got interest in my family history about 30+ years ago.

I am finding more information as the years past by. I am putting together some things. There were things that I have not thought of. But through the years, some things are clarified.

I am recording things for the future generations. I have no off springs, but I do think about the future generations. Wonder what they will ask? Wonder about the ones before them?

Staying On The Family History Journey,
Susan

The Chronicles of Susan

On My Journey Of Transformation

Thinking About My Ancestors Through Photos

What an after thought!

We will get to meet some of our ancestors after the resurrection of our bodies.

Psalm 150:1

Let everything that lives sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Making New Discoveries On The Familly Tree

I've been adding information to the family tree. I think I found some things on Uncle "Willie" William Farmer. He married Aunt Leola (Lankford) Farmer.

I first come across a William Farmer on the 1930 Census for Omaha, Nebraska. I have heard that was where William was from. I back tracked to 1920 and 1910.

I came up with William Farmer listed as the son of William Farmer, born in Texas about 1877. William Jr.'s mother was Mamie ? Farmer Ohio born about 1877.

I believe that William Farmer was the son of William Farmer from Texas and Mamie ? Flemming from Ohio. Mamie's mother was Jane Flemming. Jane was a widow on the 1920 census. Jane was VA born about 1854.

William Farmer Jr. was said to have had a brother named Jack Farmer. Can't find him on census records. However, on the 1930 census record, I came across a William Farmer listed with a Jack Spencer born in TX. Perhaps that was his brother.

Here is the list of William Farmer Jr's brothers and sisters.

Edgar T. Farmer              Neb born about 1903
Herbert Farmer                Neb born about 1904
Arthur Farmer                  Neb born about 1906
Lola Farmer                     Neb born about 1909
Frank Farmer                   Neb born about 1910
Bertie May Farmer            OK born about 1916

On the 1910 census Mamie Farmer was listed having 6 children. One of the children wasn't listed. Perhaps the child was Jack Spencer. William Sr. and Mamie were married about 1903. It appears that their daughter Bertie was born in Oklahoma about 1916. Wonder why the move from Nebraska?

Thanks for reading.
Making New Discovering On The Family Tree.
The Journey Continues,
Susan

I need to find a photo of Uncle "Willie".

LBJ Street

Leo and Mary Lankford Sr. with son, Frederick Lankford.

That was the name that we called our street when we were growing up. Most of the people on our block were kinfolks around the 1900s to 1990's. Lankford, Blakley Johnson families lived on this long block. My Mother's parents' lived there.

My Mother, Lula was born in her parents' house. She grew up on this street. A few years after she married my Father, David, they moved back in the neighborhood in the house on the hill. My Father's parents lived not to far from my Mother's parents.

My Mother told me that her Mother, Mary and my Father's Mother, Jennie were best friends. There were a lot of kids on this two block street. When I was growing up, I remember that there were a lot of dogs on our block too. 

Leo and Mary Lankford's Home
The place where some of their children were born and married.

My Mother's Father, Leo Lankford thought the world of my Father. My Mother told me that her Father would put out the flag on the flag pole on my Father's birthday. That was on November 13th. My Father's brother, Isaac married my Mother's sister, Anna. Yeah, my double Uncle, my double Auntie and my double cousins.

Another view of L.B.J. Street. This was about 1984.

Some of us kids at times would played baseball in the road. There was a hill at the top. It we called the "dirt road"; with small rocks. We made the three sewers bases. We had to make a second base.

Yes, we had to stop when cars came by. It would be real dusty at times when cars came over the road. Also at times we kids played ball with the neighbor kids on top on the dirt road. It was a real street that we played on.

Then we played basketball across the street. There was our Father's red truck bed. We made that area out to be a basketball court. We would watch others play basketball.

When the winter times came (with the snow), some of us would sled ride from the hill of the dirt road and turn to go down the other street. It was fun! Yes, we had a look-out-person for when cars would come.

Yeah, we played "Hide in Seek". We played "Simon Says" and "Red Light Green Light" in the middle of the street. When the 4th of July came around, we shot off our fire works in the street too. We cleaned up as we went along.

What I am aware of on my journey of transformation.
As I have been reflecting back over my up bringing, I did not realized some things. It has been as I am growing in years that I can see things in a new way. There are some memories of the past that are alive in my heart.

When I was growing up I was a tom-boy. I have a lot of scares on my knee. I can look back and see how what we did as kids was pass down to the next generations who either grew up there or came on LBJ Street. My parents' children's children came to play as where we once did.

I don't know who thought to name our street LBJ. Perhaps that was the time when our U.S. President L.B. Johnson was in office. But now there are a very few of us who are related left on LBJ Street.

Many relatives have pass on while others have moved. But in all, many who have moved away do return to LBJ Street. Some bring their spouse and off springs with them.

LBJ Street was where us kids grew up. You know what, the basketball goal is still there. But there are something new. There are a lot of Stray Cats in our neighborhood.
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From my Book of Thanks and Blessings. Father God, I am so thankful for the gift of FAITH that is in me to grow. I am thankful for memories that are alive in my heart. I am so thankful that I grow up around some of my relatives. I am so thankful for the DOOR of HOPE that is in my heart. I am so thankful for my SALVATION in Jesus Christ, the LORD of my LIFE. I am thankful for New Insights as I am going about my days in Jesus' name Amen!

Be Hopeful,
Staying On The Journey,
Susan