Longevity On The Family Lineage

I was noticing some of the lives of my ancestors.
I mean their ages and how long they lived.
Some had long lives.
While many had lives too short.

My father, David lived to be 76 in 1989.
My mother, Lula lived to be almost 80 in 2000.

My father's father, John lived to be about 47 in 1918.
My father's mother, Jennie lived to be about 42 in 1926.
My mother's father, Leo lived to be about 70 in 1954.
My mother's mother, Mary lived to be about 86 in 1975.

My mother's mother's mother, Anna Laura lived to be about 80 in 1947.

These Ancestors Were Former Slaves:
My father's father's father, Isaac lived to be about 72 in 1917.
My father's father's mother, Martha lived to be about 24 in 1871.
My mother's father's father, Robert lived to be about 67 in 1919
My mother's father's mother, Charlotta lived to be about 72 in 1924.

My father's mother's mother, Harriette lived to be about 60 in 1909.

There were a wide range of ages.
My ancestors had longevity in their blood.
The following ones were former slaves:

I came across my 2nd Great Grandma Juila at 60, my 3rd Great Grandma Lillie at 93, and my 4th Great Grandma Hannah at 115 on 1880 Census. Than there was my 2nd Great Grandma Frances at 100 on the 1900 census. I don't know how long these women lived.

Thank God for good health and longevity.
May the LORD bless each generation.
May we live long and healthy.

On The Journey: Longevity On The Family Lineage

Julia was my father's father's father's mother.
Lillie was my mother's mother's mother's mother's Grandma.
Hannah was my father's mother's Grandma.
Frances was my mother's father's mother's mother.

Abiding Memories

I was trying to find more names to add to the family tree on August 13, 2009. I thought to look at my parents funeral record booklets. As I was looking for names, I noticed some things.

I didn't find some names to add to our family tree. I got to see who signed the books. I saw some of our relatives signature. Especially my siblings and their children and so forth.

I notice how we write our last names. Some of us printed well, others actually signed the book. I notice how we make our K's. Some of us made our k's big. The l's were different too. It was like one line with out the loop.

It was interesting to see who came and paid their respect when my parents passed on. There were many who signed both books. There were names of people I didn't know.

In all I got to see who came and how people signed their names. Our signatures do speak of some things. It's nice to see how others write their names.

On The Journey...
Abiding Memories

Memories can bring things into the light.
Thank God for those who care enough to sign their names to guest books.

Blessings,
Susan

Family History Update: Mystery

I find this very strange. I've been searching for my mother's parents' Leo and Mary, my mother grand parents Robert and Charlotta and Great grandparents William and Susan on the 1900 census. I can't locate them any where.

I believe that they all lived in St. Joseph, Mo. They were listed on the 1880, 1910 and 1920 census in St. Joseph, MO. I don't see why they would have moved.

I am thinking that their surnames were spell incorrectly. I don't know what else it could be. Well, they could all have been not been counted on the census. But I find that odd too.

I will continue to search the census. I won't give up on the search. I can't want for the 1940 census to come out in April 1, 2012.

May this journey of family history search continue. May new lead follow. May those who search for information don't grow weary during the search.

On The Journey: Family History Update: Mystery

I believe that there is more out there.
But where?

What Month Was My Father Born?

Was it in November or September 1913? I came across some solution to that question. Some time during the 1980's my father, David told me that he wasn't born in November. I can't recall how we got on this subject. He just shared that with me.

Than I came across this discovery in the 1990's. Some one sent me a copy of the 1920 census record. According to that census my father was 6 years and 4 months old. The census was dated January 11, 1920.

So that's September not November. So Uncle Ike was right. Uncle Ike was my father's brother, Isaac. Uncle Ike was the one who told my father he wasn't born in November of 1913. It wasn't cold and there wasn't any snow on the ground.

My father was told that his birthday was on November 13, 1913. His father John passed away when my father was about 5. My father's mother Jennie passed when my father was about 13. My father was raised by his brothers and sisters. My father did have a step father.

However, my father celebrated his birthday on November 13. We did too. My father passed on October 7, 1989. That would have made him 76. Not 75 at his passing.

It's nice to come across information that others share with us. It's something to see what they share turns out to be the truth in some cases. So may we remember those small things that others share with us. Each little clue helps out when we are searching for things.

On The Journey ....
What Month Was My Father Born?

I believe that it was in September not November.

Peace,
Susan

Correct Name Spelling Matters

Yes, it does when searching for family history. I have come across that during my research. The surnames are spelled differently.

I have been trying to find my mother's mother and my mother's mother's mother marriage records and on the 1900 census. I have some breakthrough on my grandma's marriage records. It was a name thing.

My Grandma was born Mary ALLEN according to her birth record. Her mother was Anna Laura WASHINGTON. She with by Laura in some records.

What a mystery that I came across on May 27, 2009. I discovered that marriage records for Missouri were online on ancestry.com. So I started searching for my ancestors.

I typed in their names. I had no luck. So I typed in the name Mary WALTERS. Walters was Grandma Anna Laura's last surname. She had a step daughter named Mary WALTERS. Yeah, two Mary's. There other an ALLEN.

After I made the discovery that my Grandma Mary ALLEN was believed married with the name Mary WALTERS. I notice when I saw her husband Leo's sure name was spelled incorrectly. It appeared to be LAUKFORD. As for the actually record, I saw it as LANKFORD.

Things matched up as I did some more searching. I asked my aunt who is my Grandma Mary's daughter. She said that WALTERS was a name. My mother told me that her mother went by WALTERS as times. My mother did not know way.

Here is what I assume through the research that I have been doing.

Mary ALLEN aka Mary WALTERS was born on 21 December 1889 in St. Joseph, MO to a William ALLEN of Georgetown MO and an Anna Laura WASHINGTON of St. Joseph MO.

Mary's father is unknown. There is no record of his death. Not much was spoken about him. I assume that he died when Mary was young.

I found a marriage record of a Mary WALTERS married to a Leo LAUFORD on 16th April 1909. That's about the year that they were married according to the 1910 census.

It's the record on the top right hand corner.

I found their surname as LANGFORD. It's them. Mary's mother's name was Leona Nathan with children Mary, and Joseph Nathan. It was a miss print on the records behalf in typing.

As for Anna Laura WASHINGTON ALLEN WALTERS is was remarried between 1890 - 1900. Her second husband was Thornton WALTERS. He later drowned in August of 1903.

I can assume that Anna help raised Thornton's children because they were on the 1910 census. Mary WALTER was a widowed. Joseph WALTER died in 1937. He was listed as Anna's son.

So I can assume that between 1901 - 1909 my Grandma Mary was raised as an WALTERS. Her mother carried the WALTERS surname.

At the time of Anna Laura WALTERS' death, she was listed with one child Mary who later passed in November of 1975. Anna had a step brother Townsend WYNN and a step sister Ella BUCKNER.

There was no mention of other children nor first marriage. Only the marriage of Thornton WALTERS was mentioned.

I am still searching for my Grandma Mary and her mother Laura Anna  on the 1900 census. It could be that their names were misspelled. Perhaps they could in another State.

Correct name spelling matter. What names we use does make a different. I notice in my research that some of my ancestors used their middle names.

May we learn to correct people when they spell our name wrong. It will help in the long ran. Future generations will appreciate the correct spelling. Besides they can locate what they are searching easier.

On The Journey...
Correct Name Spelling Matters

It brings a lot of stress when searching for ancestors.
But when things click, things are better.

The Chronicles of Susan

Enjoying The Season Search Family History

I have been enjoying the time that we are in. I have been compiling family group sheets into a notebook. I finding out who's who so to speak.

It has been a chore to do. But I think that it's worth it. I can have on hand what I am looking for.

Also it's beginning to be more like fall weather. Some of the leaves have been changing. It's been a wonderful Summer. Time has slip by.

I'm still on the quest for more things on the family lineage. I hope to find out more. Where to search next? I don't know.

On The Journey
Enjoying The Season Searching Family History

Peace to you,
Susan

Family History Review

It was on June 28, 2008 that I discovered that my Great Grand Mother Julia White
was on the 1880 census. Something on the inside of me jumped for joy
when I saw her name on my computer screen. I said out loud, "Thank You, Jesus!"

I started singing and praising God. I keep looking at the screen.
I have located my ancestors. What an accomplishment.

I looked at the names that followed after my Great Grandmother.
Her son, my Great Grandpa Isaac with the White surname.
The other names were familiar too. I thought yes, I have found my ancestors.

I noticed some things about my ancestors lives by reading this census.
There were three generations living in one household. The family stayed together.

I had my heart's desire to find out who my ancestors were.
I am thankful for the leading of the Holy Spirit.
I had thought that my Great Grandmother had passed by 1880.
There were not family record of who my Great Grandfather's name was.
I thought the day was on August 7 , 2007. Mystery Solved.

I thank God for putting the desire in me to search for my family history
May I continue on this search for information by the grace of God.

P.S
I'm still making new discoveries. This past week I was searching.
I came across more information through death records and census returns.
My mind is wondering. I'm finding more pieces to the puzzle. My quest continues.

New Found Discoveries

When I was searching for my ancestors this summer, I came across things that I wasn't aware of. It brought amazement to me. There were some things that were recorded incorrectly.

Oral history states one things while the records state another. Mattie Mae White was one of my Great Grandpa Isaac Blakey's sister. There was little know about her.

She was stated to have never married. She has a daughter named. Bob Ella Bentley Carr 1882 -1923. She was married to Plez Willam Carr. They had a son Williard Carr. That's what I got from family reunion information.

As I began to search for Bob Ella, I had no luck. So I searched for her mother Mattie White. I had trouble locating her too. But something come to me.

On the 1910 Census there is a Mattie White born 1856 in MO. She had two daughters. One was ELLA White born 1886. The other daughter was Oressia born about 1902 in Mo.

There was another think That I didn't check when I first found this census record. Mattie was a widow. She had 5 children and 4 were living in 1910.

I assume that Mattie married a man with the surname of WHITE or she keep her maiden name. I have been searching for ELLA White who married Plez / William Carr. The surname BENTLEY is there too. Perhaps Ella married twice.

It's a mystery. How oral history can be changed as time comes along. I did find a Martha White listed on the 1880 census. She was listed with her mother, Julia WHITE.

Martha was listed with her siblings and some of their children. This Martha was born in 1862. She was a widow. Wonder if this was Mattie?

On The Journey: New Found Discoveries

Questions

Let us say 20 years from 1989 - 2009;

All the information written, photographs, video, tapes, etc...
about the BLAKEY /WHITE Family is in hands of some curious descendant.

The information that has been compiled may be questioned by the next generation(s).
They may notice some things that we did not see or take notes on...

1.) Where does so and so fit on the BLAKEY/WHITE lineage?

2.) Which John, Spencer, Isaac etc with the same names?

3.) What about some family resembles?

4.) What about the mulatto descendants? Half Blacks? Indian? Whites? and Etc?

5.) What about the BLAKEY/WHTIE descendants residences?

6.) Why BLAKEY? WHITE? and BLAKLEY?

7.) Why does the WHITE surname stand out?

8.) Where did each family member resided after being separated as slaves?

9.) When was the first "Reunion" of the BLAKEYs and WHITEs? Who decided to have such a gathering?

10.) How was Forest Green, MO the "HOME GROUND" for the earlier BLAKEY's and WHITE'?

11.) Who were the BLAKEY/WHITE children's: Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents and etc?

12.) When did the family reunite after slavery?

13.) How could Isaac(at age 12-16) run away in the Middle of MO to half way down to MS?

14.) Why did Isaac and maybe others keep the BLAKEY surname? And the others...the WHITE surname?

15.) How could Isaac not realize that his mother and family where in Natchez, MS around 1860 -1865? He was there in the area.

16.) What is the BLAKEY/WHITE Family History?

17.) What happened to the lost BLAKEYs/WHITEs that were forgotten? Spencer#1 , Mary and etc...

18.) What photographyy exit? Any of the Slaves? Their children etc?

19.) What about the reunions? Who held them? When? Where? Who attened? What's recorded/written from the reunions?

20.) Any famous relatives? Who made history?

21.) Where there any relatives that remained you of some another relative?

22.) Did Andrew WHITE have siblings with surname WHITE? Isaac, Spencer, Ben, Lydia, Linda, Mary or John?

23.) If the Mother was born 1819 -1823,could she have had other children before 1841?