Yankton, South List Of Gravesites

John And Jennie (Bartlett) Blakley: The Two Became One: But, What Were Their Surnames When They married?

My father's parents, John and Jennie Blakley were married on July 28, 1902 in Excelsior Springs, Clay County in Missouri. However, it wasn't until the latter part of May of 2009 when I solved this family mystery. But, once I stumbled across this info, it led me to more questions.

I always thought that my Grandpa John's surname was BLAKLEY.  But, through the years, I found out it was BLAKEY. However, on the marriage record it was spelled BLAKYE. As for my Grandma Jennie, her surname was BARTLETT, but it was spelled BARTEL on the record.  I could assume that the E and the Y were turned around for BLAKEY. But for Bartel, it makes me wonder.

According to this record, John was from Carrolton, Carroll County Missouri. Jennie was listed from St. Joseph, Buchanan County Missouri. I can assume that John married with the Blakey surname. But, the mystery remains. Why did John change his name to BLAKLEY?

I searched the birth records of the BLAKLEY or BLAKEY children born in St. Joseph MO. Out of all the children listed there were two with the BLAKEY surname and the others were BLAKLEY. The surname was changed after John and Jennie married July of 1902. I can't pin point the year.

As for the BLAKLEY surname: The story goes that there were a lot of John BLAKEYs relatives. Perhaps there was confusion and was one of the reason why my Grandfather John changed his last name. John's descendants carried the surname of BLAKLEY.

Whatever the case may have been, the surname was changed from Blakey to Blakley. My father and his siblings were taught to spell our surname the way I spell mine. My name has been established. I have no reason to change the spelling now.

But, still I wonder about my Grandma Jennie's surname on the marriage license. Could the family surname had been Bartle? Or was it changed to Bartlett?  This marriage record was the only record with that spelling. This remains a mystery.

My Grandfather full name was John BLAKEY / BLAKLEY Sr.  When he passed in 1918, his siblings recorded John's surname as BLAKEY. My Grandmother's full name was Jennie BARTLETT  BLAKEY / BLAKLEY LYLE. She passed with the surname LYLE.

Thanks for reading.
God Bless you.
Susan

A Piece Of History: My Family Connections

One Hundred years ago, Isaac Blakey's children was recorded on a list.
Below is the twins he had with Martha Scott Blakey.
Isaac's other children will be posted on the next blog.

Photo was taken by Bernice Bennett in June of 2015.
Used with permission.
Thanks, cousin!

 

I was amazed when I saw this page.

The seal was in color.
John Blakey was my Grandfather.
It was an honor to see his name on this page.
I didn't know he was a twin until I read this paper in the early 1980s
The copy that I have is in black and white.

Thanks for reading.
S.A. Blakley

In Remembrance of John Blakey / Blakley

John Blakey was born on June 21, 1871 in Woodville, Mississippi. John was the husband of  Jennie (Bartlett) Blakley Lyle.  John and Jennie changed their surname sometime after they married in 1902.

John passed on July 10, 1918 in a covered wagon in Yankton, South Dakota. He was the son of Isaac Blakey and Martha Scott Blakey. John was the twin of Andrew Blakey.

I was wondering; what my grandfather John Blakey / Blakley could have looked like? I wish that there was a photo of him.  I was told that John looked like his brother, Spencer.

I believe that a child can looked just like one of  their parents. I wonder which one of  the Blakley children did.  I see the resemblance in the siblings. Here are some photos of John's children by his wife, my grandmother Jennie.

Thanks for reading.
S.A. Blakley



John's and Jennie's son Pastor / Elder John Jr.



John's and Jennie's son Isaac

 .








John's and Jennie's daughter, Mary.



John's and Jennie's son Rev. O. Pierson 



John's and Jennie's daughter, Hazel.



John's and Jennie's son, Paul

John's and Jennie's son, Rev O. Pierson

 

John's and Jennie's, son David



My father and his Grandfather, Private Isaac Blakey who was John Blakey / Blakley's father.

Oldest Blakey Who Lived? ~ Part 11

This article was written after April of 1971.

The oldest in this article:
John Blakey was the oldest of Isaac Blakey and Martha
Mary Blakey Green was the oldest of Isaac and Rachel's children.
Isaac Jr was the 3rd child of Isaac  and Rachel Blakey.

I wondered out of the known Isaac Blakey's children birth that died, who lived the longest? It may have been Isaac. Don't know when some of his siblings pasted away.

The Guyton Families are from the branch of Isaac and Rachel's Blakey descendants.

Blog continues...

Blakey / Blakley Descendants ~ Article Part 8

Blakey descendants
This wasnt' the John Blakey brother of Isaac BLAKEY.

There was some confusion with this part: This John wasn't the slave John BLAKEY, brother of Isaac BLAKEY. His John was the son of Isaac Blakey. John changed his surname to BLAKLEY. He was also known as John BLAKEY.

Isaac Blakey married twice. His first wife was Martha SCOTT. They married in Wilkinson County MS. They had twin sons; John and Andrew.

John , the son of Isaac and Martha (SCOTT) BLAKEY married Jennie (BARTLETT) in 1902 in MO. They had at least 15 children. John and Jennie resided in St. Joseph, MO. John's son Isaac BLAKLEY lived in St. Paul MN and was the son of Dick who was Richard and Bob who is Robert BLAKEY who played football at the University of MN around 1960.

This blog continues.

Back on This Day In 1871

On June 21, 1871 John BLAKEY and his twin brother Andrew BLAKEY were born to Isaac and Martha (SCOTT) BLAKEY in Woodville, MS. John passed away on July 10, 1918 in Yankton, SD. Andrew passed on as a child perhaps in MS.

Making Connections When Things Appear Lost

I had this idea come to me on August 6, 2009. I was thinking how certain things are know by people. How some seem to know things lost by others.

I continue to search for my family history. I remember that article about "Slavery Descendants To Have First Reunion." That article and reunion was in 1970 in Iowa.

It was then someone came to the reunion and added some things that those there don't know. There were some of us that spelled the surname another way. Most of the relatives didn't know about "the missing link."

My Grandpa John spelled the family name different than his cousins. I can assume that Grandpa John made the change after he married Jennie, my grandpa Bartlett. So that was between or around 1902 - 1910.

John kept in touch with his sibling while he was in Missouri and when he moved to South Dakota. I heard that John would come over to his siblings homes. The younger cousins called John, Uncle even though he was their cousin. It was a custom to call older members Uncle or Aunt...

Also I wonder how in the family reunions no one knew the name of the slave mother or slave father. It was lost in the years. I thought some one could have known.

It wasn't until 1980's. I came across my Great Grandpa Isaac's pension, military, death and other records that I made some discoveries about the family tree. The father's and mother's names where Andrew and Julia WHITE.

No one knew who the slave parents where. I thought that was odd. Many had the opportunity to hear from those who were alive. The early ones who lived when the ex slaves where around.

Perhaps ancestors didn't talk about who there parents were. Or perhaps they may not have known. But many people tend to name their children after their parents.

Any how, have you ever thought that some one may have to link to some one else's family history. This information may have been handed down and lost. But some one knows things the others have lost and are seeking.

May we keep in touch with what we know. May we connect with the correct link. May God bless us on the search for clues.

On The Journey
Making Connections When Things Appear Lost

Some one has the clues.
The connections are there.
I hope.

Blessings,
Susan

My Father's Father

John R. Blakey born in MS on June 21, 1871.
His life came to an end 90 years ago on July 10, 1918 at age 47.
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As I have been on my ancestral journey, I have learned more about my Grandpa John. Grandpa John left behind a wife, my Grandma Jennie who was 34 or 35 and their 7 children. One child was my father who was almost 5.

Grandpa John was born on Hew Davis Plantation in Woodville, MS on June 21, 1871. He had a twin brother named Andrew who later died with their mother, my Great Grandma Martha Scott ( 1847-1871)

Grandpa John's father, Isaac Blakey a.k.a. Isaac White was left to care for him. Isaac was an Ex-slave and Civil War MS Union Veteran' Private Isaac Blaker.

Great Grandpa Isaac later remarried and fathered Mary, Andrew, Charity, Isaac, Jordan, Julia, Frances, Henry, Beecher, Spencer, Lillie, Martha, Joe, Rosa , Edna, Ollie, Lawhorn, Annie and Archie. Their mother was Rachel Leftridge / Lew (1855 - 1916).

There were 18 or 19 children were born to this union of Great Grandpa Isaac and his 2nd wife Rachel between 1874 - 1906. Oral history states that Rachel had 18 children. Even the census records states 18 children.

I have come across at least one more child in 1880. If the census record is correct Great Grand pa had two sons named Andrew; one by each wife. The sons could have been named after Andrew White Isaac's father.

I found about 6 other names through the census records. I can assume that the names were nick names. Here are some examples. Susie = Lillie. Isaiah = Isaac Jr.

As I can see things from the material that I have gathered. I cannot find Grandpa John on the 1900 Census. I cannot locate Great Grandpa Isaac in 1870.

Both could have a different surname. Grandpa John had at least 6 surnames. Two of those names were John Ada and John White. The Blakey surname has at least 4 different spelling in Grandpa John's life time.

There was some point when my Grandpa John changed his last name. Oral history has it that there were many John Blakeys. That brought confusion.

I have not found a MO marriage record on my Grandparents. I assume that they married around 1902. I came across a record of one of their children who was still born child in November 10, 1902.

Grandma Jennie had relatives living in St. Joseph. Perhaps that is way they moved to St. Joseph. Grandpa John worked as a grader and perhaps other jobs to support his family. I have located him in city directors and census records.

I heard the story of Grandpa John having T.B. He was very sick. He moved to S.D. where some of his siblings resided.

Some time during the mid teens, Grandpa made the journey to Yankton S.D. Story has it, that he was trying to find a house here his family could live. He couldn't find a house.

Grandpa John didn't get to make that trip back to MO. His journey had ended. It was on July 10, 1918 when he passed away.

I thought about about this journey. I made the trip to Yanton, S.D. in October 1981 and July of 1995. I imagined how this journey could have been during the time of my Grandpa John.

I got the honor to learn some things about Grandpa John while in Yanton. There were some relatives who passed down the story to me. It was in 1981 when I met my 2nd Great Aunt Mary, the wife of Spencer.

Great Aunt Mary was my Grandpa John's sister in law. By the way Grandpa John had 3 sister in laws with the same first and last names.

There was a Mary, the wife of Grandpa's brothers Isaac, Henry and Spencer. Yes, that would be confusing. Two lived in the same city.

I noticed some thing unique as I was thinking about the time spand. My Grandpa John passed away 45 years before I was born. I met my 2nd Great Aunt Mary 63 years after my Grandpa's death. I thought that's some thing to know.

Back to the story:
This is what I have learn happened. Grandpa John was getting ready to make the journey back to MO. But he died in a covered wagon. He was buried in Yanton, SD with the Blakey surname. As for my Grandma Jennie. She was told of his death through a letter.

Grandma Jennie was ask to come to SD. She stayed with her family in MO. Grandma Jennie had siblings and friends in St. Joseph.

It was not until last month I made a new discovery. Three months before Grandpa John passed, one child died. at 11 months old. So he was the father of about 12 children. Seven children were living at the time of his death.

I'm amazed by what I have gathered over the years. I have been going back over information. I am rediscovering things that I have over looked. I am finding more to the puzzle on my family saga.

I am thankful that I can search for information on my family history. I pray that what I have come across will be preserved. Who knows, there might be a curious descendant looking for information. They may find it