Sentimental Sunday - Please join in!

I'm honored to announce that the theme, Sentimental Sunday, which I introduced back in November, is now being adopted by Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers as an "official" weekly blogging theme!  Although several folks have already been participating in Sentimental Sunday, I'm thrilled and excited that through Geneabloggers, over 800 bloggers, and even more readers will be encouraged to reflect on some of the their more memorable family moments and/or experiences as researchers. 

The idea of Sentimental Sunday was actually born out of the emotions I experienced after reading the posts of two of my genea-friends, and realizing how very powerful a vehicle these blogs can be.  Through our writings, we often connect with each other - total strangers, in most cases - in ways that can be difficult to express to our own family members and friends, who may not be engaged or involved in the work of genealogy research.  We hail from a variety of cultural, racial, economical, and professional backgrounds; some from well-established, completely-connected families, and others from tribes of folk who don't even know each other exists.  But our common factor is the work that we do to discover the history of our respective families, and to create a bridge that links that history to our present-day life, and leaves a gift of knowledge for generations to come.

In that light, I hope that as many members of the Genea-bloggers community as possible will join in and participate often in Sentimental Sunday.  Any memory or story you might tell that pulls on your own heart-strings and might inspire the emotions of others, should qualify.  Whether it's a memorable family moment, a tribute to an ancestor or family member, or even a recollection of something touching that occured here in the blogosphere, I hope you'll share it with us all on Sentimental Sunday!

Renate

Click here to read my very first Sentimental Sunday post, which inspired all of this. :)

A New Year - New Discoveries!

This first day of the new year has brought several nice surprises for this worn-out researcher.  The morning began with a bit of frustration in the wee hours, as I discovered that my subscription to the North Carolina Genealogy Society was not yet activated.  I'd placed my order back in November, but had to wait until January 1st in order to have access to the members area.  I'd looked forward to entertaining myself with this resource as soon as the clock struck 12, but that was not to be.  So, I went to sleep.

Back awake, and restless at about 4:30 a.m., I decided to get back on the computer and continue my ever-lasting search for any mention of my paternal ancestors in any document that I haven't already discovered.  I started to look in the usual places, then tried to think of some new and unique terms to put into a google search that might lead me to something new.  Nothing worked.  I'd seen it all. So...

.... then I did it.  I decided that I would put some time and energy into trying to further my knowledge about my maternal ancestors.  After all, I knew their names all the way to my gg-grandparents, but I'd never really tried to go any further back than that.  The reason?  Mainly because the people on that side would only be names to me, and not only that, since my mother and her siblings know even less than I do about their ancestors, there wouldn't really be anyone with whom I could check or verify any information I might find.  There are no family stories at all to lead me in any direction on anything.  As a matter of fact, it was me who informed them of their own great-grandparents names just a couple of years ago.  And neither my mother nor her siblings had any idea that their own mother, Mary Davis, had ever had a sibling, Samuel.  They all knew their mother to be an only child, so I guess her brother must've died as a youngster.  Anyway, wide awake on the first morning of 2010, and trying not to be too upset about my lack of access to the NCGS Journal archives, I decided to take another look at the BROWNS and DAVISES of Littleton, NC.

I started by trekking backward on my tree at Ancestry.com, starting with my mother and going back to her great-grandparents, Acy and Louvenia BROWN.  I've come back a few times over the years and tried to search for Ace (name varies) and the family sometime other than where I'd previously found them (in the 1900 Census).  Though I found a few potential "suspects", none could be proven, so shoeboxed them and decided to focus on Louvenia, his wife.  I'd never even tried to find her family of origin, even though I had her maiden name, Ross, from an earlier document.  A quick search took me right to Luvenia's birth family, and with that, an exciting discovery!  Not only did I find the names of Louvenia's parents and siblings, but right away I learned something else.  My mother's grandmother, Minerva DAVIS, with whom my mother was very close and deeply connected, was actually named after her grandmother, Minerva ROSS!  That's right - my 4th great-grandparents were Everett and Minerva ROSS, and they were right there in Littleton, NC.  They'd had seven children, of whom my 3rd-great grandmother, Louvenia, was the oldest.  Louvenia's oldest child was my great-grandmother, Minerva, whose second child was my grandmother, Mary, whose second child was my mother!  Whew!

I was so excited, but I had no one to tell!  My mother no longer answers her phone when it rings; my oldest daugther is vacationing in Egypt, my youngest daughter had gone to Richmond and was staying with friends, so I didn't dare ring her phone at that hour... well you get the picture.  So, what did I do?  I tweeted my news!! :)

Well, the morning, and then the day just got better and better.  First, I took the time to fill out family group sheets (like a good little researcher) on the Ross and Brown households, taking care to stay true to my goal for the new year of documenting my sources for each little thing.  I found the Rosses in two more censuses, and also found them to be surrounded by other Ross families on both sides.  I shoeboxed all the extra Rosses, since I don't yet know their relationships.  Oh, and since neither Everett nor Minerva appear before 1870, I can reasonably assume that they were enslaved.  I will look for a cohabitation record for them on my next trip to the Archives. Oh, and by finding the widowed Louvenia in the 1910 Census (with son, Wesley now as HOH), I was able to determine that Ace/Acy died sometime between 1900 and 1910.

Once I did as much as I felt I could on these two families, I finally got up to fix coffee and attend to my persistent hunger pains.  When I got back to the computer, my day was made even better because I'd finally been granted access to the member area of the NCGS site!  As a member, I have access to the NCGS Journals from 1975 to 2007! Of course, I dug right into this wonderful resource, and already I've found several items of interest. nd now, I have something new to keep me busy during those "down" times, when I just can't think of another way to search for my ancestors.:)

Looks like 2010 is off to a fruitful and interesting start!

Renate

2010 - Here WE Come!

As the year 2009 comes to a close, I find myself in almost continuous reflection about the state of my genealogy research. One thing that I’ve realized is that 2009 has truly been a year of transition for me with respect to my work. Though passionate from the start, it has been during this last 12 months that I’ve become truly driven in my quest to uncover the mysteries of my family history. This drive, which was once simply innate, has now become one with inherent expectations and shared support from others; my extended family members, who now receive a monthly (electronic) newsletter from me, updating them on the progress of my work, and from my blog-family, a support system of like-minded individuals that I never even dreamed was out there. I now feel accountable to both parties as I continue my quest to learn as much as I can about my family history, and to bring my findings into the light of the 21st Century.
My research journey has been filled with highs and lows. Not one, not two, but ALL of my family lines, paternal and maternal are hidden in the darkness of obscurity, and all for different reasons. Beyond my two grandmothers, I knew nothing of my ancestors before I started this work, and once I began asking questions, I quickly found that either my relatives didn’t know the answers, or if they did, they didn’t want to share them. Because of this, every discovery, for me, is truly a triumph, and is never taken lightly.

I, like many of my genea-friends, truly believe that my ancestors want me to find them, so the time I’ve spent in quiet libraries, dusty court-house basements, sterile file rooms (Register of Deeds), prowling through cemeteries, interviewing relatives, building websites, blogging, and putting in thousands of hours of online research has all been for and about those YARBOROUGHS, GREENS, DUNSTANS, HAWKINSES HILLS, BROWNS, and other individuals, yet unknown, who came before me and made me, ME.

In honor of those ancestors, I submit the following genea-goals for the year 2010.

1. To discover the parental roots of my great-great grandfather, Calvin YARBOROUGH, and his wife, Precilla SHAW. I’ve recently received less than encouraging results from the DNA testing, that lead me to believe that I may never be able to find Calvin’s actual parents, and that perhaps he never even knew them himself. It’s beginning to look more and more like ours might have been one of those unfortunate families whose children were separated from the parents, or perhaps who were parented by some “stranger”. More will come on this in 2010…
I’d also like to find out more about Calvin and Precilla’s lives as members of the Franklin County/Louisburg community, and specifically Calvin’s involvement as a trustee at Saint Paul’s Presbyterian Church.

2. To verify the actual name and origin of my gg-grandmother, Anna GREEN, and to find something – anything that corroborates the family stories about her relationship with my gg-grandfather, Nathaniel HAWKINS. I’d also like to find out when and where she died.

3. To find mention of Nathaniel HAWKINS (and hopefully his relationship with Anna) in the family papers at UNC Library. Also, to learn more about his work as a slave trader, and perhaps to find out how he and Anna ended up together. I would also like to find evidence of his cause of death in 1879 and locate his grave.

4. To secure the remaining funding from my GREEN relatives so that we can do the DNA testing that will prove us descendants of Nathaniel Hawkins.

5. To obtain the death certificate for William GREEN, who moved to New York and lived as White. I’d like to find out if he had any children, and if so, to attempt to discover and contact any descendants who may be alive today.

6. To discover the whereabouts of my maternal grandfather, Daniel Webster HILL, who abandoned his wife and family when my mother was just four years old, and was never heard from again.

7. To begin to learn more about my maternal ancestors, Walter and Minerva BROWN, who originated in Littleton, NC, but migrated to Norfolk, VA. I’ve done no more than pull census info on them and their families, since most of my work has been focused on my paternal side for the past 13 years.

8. To better organize my existing research, and to begin the tedious job of going back through it and properly sourcing everything that I already have.

9. To give back to the genealogy community by sharing more of my findings and continuing to volunteer as a keyer for various projects. I also hope to index the hundreds of funeral programs that I found at my aunt’s house in Louisburg, for the NC GenWeb, and then convince her to donate them to either the county library or the State Archives.

Yes, these are lofty goals, but it never hurts to dream big! So, 2010, here I come – and I’m bringing my ancestors with me!

Advent Calendar: Fruitcake - Friend or Foe?

FOE!!!!!

This will be short, but just seeing the word, "fruitcake" dredges up memories for me that make me want to gag and barf! For some ungodly reason, my parents used to try to force my brother and me to eat this ghastly invention (lol) a couple of times each year, which I'm assuming now were probably around the holidays. Some of the memories of the struggles this instigated are too unpleasant to even recount, but as usual, Arthur and I found our way around having to sit at the table all night until we'd eaten it. All I'll say is this -- when my parents finally decided to get a new kitchen table, and turned the old one upside down to move it, I know they got a very "fruity" surprise!

The Nicest Thing!

A while back we were encouraged to post about the nicest thing another blogger had done for us. At the time, I didn't submit a post - not because I haven't been the recipient of any kind gestures her in the blogosphere, because I have - but simply because at that time, I was having a hard time recalling each and every incident of kindness that had been shown me, and I didn't want to slight anyone by just posting about what I could recall. However, today another blogger has gone the extra mile for me, by reaching out to assist me in overcoming a technical difficulty that I just happened to mention in a comment I made on her blog, so I've decided to thank her, publicly!

A few days ago, I visited Before My Time. I don't remember how or why I came across this blog, but while there, I noticed that the writer, "TK", was using Blogger, and that her wonderful video tributes to her Auntie Marceline were posted directly on her blog, something I had tried every which way (except the right way...lol) to do a couple of weeks ago when I posted my Sentimental Sunday - A Musical Tribute. Well, just as a result of my mentioning that I'd tried to do that, TK went out on an limb and sent me a private email with her phone number and an offer to explain to me just how she'd done it. She even offered to make the long distance call herself, if I wanted to send her my number. Wasn't that nice?

I received this email from TK earlier today, just as I was about to go out, so I wrote back and told her I'd give it one more try later in the day, and if it didn't work, I'd call her. So, that's exactly what I did. Needless to say, my attempts to post the video still didn't work, so I called TK, and within just a few quick minutes, she'd walked me through the necessary steps, and the video was on my blog!

The solution was a simple one, but it was one of those things you just had to "know" how to do. :) So, KUDOS, to TK for being a great new blog-friend, and THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

(And just to show off my new skills, here it is again!)

Wordless Wednesday - On The Farm

That's my daddy, Arthur P. Yarborough (behind the cow) and his first-cousin, George R. Greene. My dad lived with George's family during his teen years in Nash County, NC.

Sentimental Sunday - Holiday Blues

Here I am with my (ex)husband and daughters on one of our holiday visits to my Aunt Sue, in NC.

I know I've been a bit quiet lately. I've had a lot of my mind, and have conjoured up several potential posts there, but none have made it to the blog because I've realized that I'm not quite ready to divulge the entirety of my holiday-time misery - yet.

All my life I wanted a FAMILY. From the earliest years that I can remember - when I was about 4 or 5 - I used to question my parents about why we didn't have cousins and why I didn't have a sister (lol). As I got older, and noticed other families sharing the holidays with their relatives and having gatherings with tons of people who were all related to them, I began to realize that something was different about my family. Yes, I did know my two grandmothers, and my parents' siblings (each had a brother and a sister), but that was it. But, except for my paternal grandmother, with whom I had a close relationship, there didn't seem to be any ties that bound our little family of six to these other people. I constantly badgered my parents about this, even having full-out tantrums a couple of times because I wanted so much to experience the fun and joy that I noticed others enjoying when they were with their families. Not only that, but it was almost like my neighborhood friends belonged to some kind of secret society or something. I mean, why was it that whenever their cousins were over, they couldn't have company, or they didn't need me to play with anymore?

Anyway, to get to the point, one of my primary goals as a mother was to make sure that my children grew up in an environment rich with family, and steeped with traditions of togetherness and sharing that would stick with them forever. I began this quest before I ever even became a mother by reaching out to my siblings, aunts, and uncles from the time I was a teenager, traveling to visit with them and trying to make them a part of my life. When I did become a mother, I made sure that my children knew them, or knew of them. Their pictures were always displayed in our home, and we made sure to visit with those who lived nearby and make phone calls to those far away, on a regular basis, especially on the holidays. I guess I was trying to at least give my children a "sense" of family, if nothing else.

I got married,and during the years with my husband, it really seemed that we were creating that family-life that I'd longed for. Although we were distanced from his family in many ways, we seemed to become closer to mine, and we also had several friends whom we'd adopted as family, so our kids did have "cousins" and "aunties" and "uncles". We created and sustained a number of holiday traditions. Our children were thriving and happy, and so was I. But, in 1993, my husband decided that this was not what he wanted anymore, and he was gone. However, this did not stop me from continuing with the most of the traditions we'd created together. My famous sweet-potato casserole still was the hit of each Thanksgiving. My girls still snapped the beans and set the table. We still took our holiday light-ride. The girls still got to open one special gift on Christmas Eve (almost always new pajamas that they would sleep in that night) and I still read, "Twas the Night Before Christmas" while we all sipped on hot chocolate. Santa still came, and he (she) still sat up all night putting toys together,while munching on fresh-baked cookies that had been left out for him and his reindeer by my daughters. (Our Santa didn't drink milk, so usually there was some juice or a Coke to go along with the cookies.) And, we still took our holiday-time ride down to my father's birthplace in Louisburg, to visit with my aunt, who still lives there in the family home. Everything went on as it had before, sans the presence of a father/husband. But, for me, the dream had been busted. This wasn't the picture I'd had in my mind, and it never has been again. For a girl who'd grown up with Ward and June Cleaver and Mike and Carol Brady as my role models, my concept of "family" had been deeply disrupted.

Now, my days are spent quietly alone. Even though my daughters come home for the holidays, the preparation and aftermath tends to scream in silence without a spouse, sibling, or parent to share it with. The girls think it's silly that I wait for them to both get here (usually a day or two before Christmas) to put up the tree, but they always did it in the past, and I'm not quite ready for that to change. They put the tree up, I put the lights on, and then we decorated it together, while listening to Christmas music. That's the way it always was, and that's the way I want it to be - at least maybe until they have spouses and/or I have grandchildren.

This is not meant to be a sad story. My girls and I have had a blessed life together. However, the holidays are a challenging time for me, especially in these years since I've had my empty nest. Families are not like light bulbs. You can't just replace them when they "blow out". For whatever the reasons, most of my relatives have disconnected themselves from us since my mother became ill, choosing to go on with their lives, rather than to be a part of her care and support. Unfortunately, the timing of this coincided with the years that my daughters were graduating and leaving home, so it's left me a bit lonely, longing for the good old days, and wondering what might have been if so much hadn't changed.