Are You My Cousin? « Page 2 of 56 « Discovering My Ancestors

My Ancestor Did That?! The Ladies’ Turn

I had a lot of fun with the recent post My Ancestor Did That?!! . It was a fun way to think about my ancestors’ lives.

Now it’s time for the Ladies’ Turn at My Ancestor Did That?!! The list is shorter this time around. Information about the women in the family tree is harder to come by. Women just did not generate as many records. Still, there was information “out there” to be found on the females in my tree.

If you are a cousin, put your thinking caps own. Did you know who did what?

(Answers in the April 1st post.)

Great Grandmothers

One was quite the letter writer. (That’s an easy one!)
One always seemed to have a dog.
One played the guitar and banjo.
Two (at least) were a marvelous seamstresses.
One ran a small grocery/general store.
Two died young leaving behind small children.
One relegated her new electric stove to the back porch in favor of her wood stove.

Great Great Grandmothers

One was bedridden in her later years.
One was widowed as a mother with 6 children – the youngest a year old.
One loved chewing gum – and shared it with her grandchildren.
One received a Civil War pension as a widow.
One was illegitimate.

Great Great Great Grandmothers

One was born in Ireland.
One never married.
One died within a couple of weeks of her son.
One was an invalid after the birth of her youngest child.
One was very active in the women’s activities of her church.

So, who is in your family tree?!

My Etsy Story

This post isn’t so much about my ancestors’ stories.

It’s about how I combined my interests of genealogy and crafts.

I’m telling my Etsy story over on my shop’s blog Esther’s Place.

Click on over “read all about it”.

The Blog

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Tenth Installment

Welcome to the tenth installment of Cecile’s Scrapbook – the 1930′s scrapbook of my grandmother Cecile White Howard of Surry County, NC. Missed the earlier posts in this series? Catch up here: first installment, second installment, third installment, fourth installment, fifth installment, sixth installment, seventh installment, eighth installment, and ninth installment.

The page below features newspaper clippings from what I assume was the local paper for Dobson and/or Surry County, NC. The wedding announcement is that of Cecile’s cousin Thomas Holyfield. Many great Surry County names are found in the sports articles.

The commencement exercises for Dobson School of 1935.

Individual graduate cards include the following names: Pauline Martin, Mr and Mrs W Lewellyn Reece [perhaps teachers?],Mr and Mrs Sparger [?teachers], Effie Venable, Eva Collins, Jim Dan Hemmings. I love the squashed cup on the bottom of the page from Ford Snow at the senior picnic.

Enjoy!

My Etsy Story

Just how did I come to open my Etsy store Esther’s Place? I’m blogging about just that topic today on one of my companion blogs Esther’s P lace. Click the link and read how started my Etsy store.

Wordless Wednesday – You Know You Are A Genealogist If…..

…..you find this in your purse.

A plastic bag of quarters for the microfilm machine! (Looks like I need to replenish my supply.)

Common Themes in Letters and Postcards

1912 Postcard

Over at my companion blog Dearest Esther, I post the postcards and letters of my great grandmother Esther Lee Richardson. I am attempting to post her correspondence in chronological order. These letters and postcards give a wonderful snapshot of teenage life in the 1910′s.

I have now posted Esther’s correspondence from 1909-1912. I have noticed certain common themes run through much of the correspondence.

Weather – Many letters/postcards ask about the weather.
“How are you? I am fine.” or a variation of this.
“Write soon”
Saw ______(fill in the name) recently
Health – asking after the health of others

The postcards have a small writing area, and I’m surprised how much space the writer uses for the mundane comments on the weather and “How are you?” comments. But then again, maybe the purpose of the letter is not to impart knowledge, but simply to connect. Connect to a friend or family member. To let the recipient know they are remembered. The letters are obviously longer, but continue along the same themes.

My favorite are the letters between Esther and her friend Nannie Lee Farson. Nannie Lee writes wonderful detailed letters about what is going on in her life and the lives of the mutual friends. She has an easy to read handwriting as well!

What did Your ancestors write about?

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Ninth Installment

Welcome to the ninth installment of Cecile’s Scrapbook – the 1930′s scrapbook of my grandmother Cecile White Howard of Surry County, NC. Missed the earlier posts in this series? Catch up here: first installment, second installment, third installment, fourth installment, fifth installment, sixth installment, seventh installment, and eighth installment.

The pages below are from my grandmother’s keepsakes from the Jr-Sr Banquet of Dobson High. The theme appears to have been “Success”. One of the great things the scrapbook does is gives us a snapshot of who lived in Dobson in 1934. The white cards on the pages below are what I believe to be the little graduation cards that go in graduation invitations.

William Dale Monday, Charles C Monday

Eva F. Alberty, Margaret Beamer, Eva Collins, Elizabeth Willis Freeman

Mattie Ruth Wilmoth, Launa Mae Cave, Ethel Viola Wood, Eva Collins, Victoria Holt, Sylvia Ellis Blue,Lois Folger, Buck White

If you recognize a name(s), please leave a comment. I’m interested in learning more about my grandmother’s friends!

Answers to “My Ancestor Did That?!”

Here are the answers to the last post My Ancestors Did That?!

How many did you get right?

Great grandfathers:

One was good with numbers. – Silas Baker Carr

One couldn’t hold a job. – Silas Baker Carr

One was a horse trader. – James Abe White

One never left the farm. – Bossy Talbott

One lost an eye in a bar room fight. – Connie Howard

One worked road construction in the off season of farming. – James Abe White

GG Grandfathers:

One couldn’t read. – Joseph M Talbott

One was a bootlegger. – Daniel Thomas Richardson

One was well off (or his home is preserved). – Robert T. Carr

One worked on a plantation. – William Haley

One ran a saw mill. – Allen Suggs Howard

One died a young man. – James Tarleton Maddox

GGG Grandfathers:

One was a Baptist minister. – Caswell Suggs Howard (Harward)

One had a long white beard. – John B Talbott

Four fought in the Civil War. – John B Talbott, Stephen C Haley, George Richardson, Branch Holt

One applied to be released from the call to fight in the Civil War. – Stephen Haley (He was denied.)

One was a doctor. – James L Shepard

IN Just One Family Line

One brought cannon balls back from the civil war. – John B Talbott

One had two wives – at the same time. – Langley Talbott

One asked George Washington for help with the Indian problem while living in the frontier of VA. – Matthew Talbott

My Ancestor Did That? !

I spend a lot of time gathering the factual information on my ancestors. Birth dates, death dates, marriage dates, lists of children, etc all make a this genealogist a happy camper.

But as we all know, our ancestors were people, too. Turns out pretty interesting people at that.

Below is a list of some of the interesting facts I have uncovered in my research.

If you are a cousin, put on your thinking caps. Do you know which ancestor belongs to which statement? Hint: Ancestors may have one than one statement written about them. (Answers will follow in the next post.)

Reader, if you are not a cousin, what interesting things have you learned about your ancestors?

Great grandfathers:

One was good with numbers.

One couldn’t hold a job.

One was a horse trader.

One never left the farm.

One lost an eye in a bar room fight.

One worked road construction in the off season of farming.

GG Grandfathers:

One couldn’t read.

One was a bootlegger.

One was well off (or his home is preserved).

One worked on a plantation.

One ran a saw mill.

One died a young man.

GGG Grandfathers:

One was a Baptist minister.

One had a long white beard.

Four fought in the Civil War.

One died a young man (not in the Civil War).

One applied to be released from the call to fight in the Civil War.

One was a doctor.

IN Just One Family Line

One brought cannon balls back from the civil war.

One had two wives – at the same time.

One asked George Washington for help with the Indian problem while living in the frontier of VA.

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Eighth Installment

Welcome to the eighth installment of Cecile’s Scrapbook – the 1930′s scrapbook of my grandmother Cecile White Howard of Surry County, NC. Missed the earlier posts in this series? Catch up here: first installment, second installment, third installment, fourth installment, fifth installment, sixth installment and seventh installment.

Th next pages in Cecile’s scrapbook have a variety of items included. On the page below is a letter dated 18 Dec 1934 to Cecile and and her sister Violet. On the bottom left is a handkerchief form “Eva”. I do not know who Eva was a friend or relation. [White Family Cousins - Does anyone recognize the name?]

The picture of the electric chair? It seems an unusual photo to be in a teenage girl’s scrapbook. [Again. Cousins, can anyone help me out on that?]

The next page has two envelopes that at one contained letters I’m sure. The top one was from Miss Bingham who was the girls basketball coach at the Dobson high school. Since the postcard is postmarked Dec 24, 1934, this was most likely a Christmas card. The bottom envelope was addressed to the whole family and postmarked Winston-Salem, NC. Below that are two tickets to the Dobson High School senior play entitled Dottie S Daffy. I’ve got to wonder what that was about.

Unfortunately the photographs of Ralph Greenwood and Dorsie Jennings have fallen out or perhaps taken out. Those names do not appear in the family tree, so I expect they were friends. The wedding announcement of Mary Kilpatrick and Wayne Roach shows that Mary was a friend of Cecile’s.

I love the bottom announcement about the dinner hosted by Mr. and Mrs. C W Fowler. “…a tempting menu was served by Misses Cecil White and Cassie Simpson.” Growing up I was served many “tempting menus” by my grandmother! The Fowlers were Cecile’s aunt and uncle with Blanche Fowler being the sister of Cecile’s mother Stella Holyfield White. Cassie Simpson was a friend.

I hope you enjoyed another installment of Cecile’s Scrapbook!

My Ancestor Did That?! The Ladies’ Turn

My Etsy Story

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Tenth Installment

My Etsy Story

Wordless Wednesday – You Know You Are A Genealogist If…..

Common Themes in Letters and Postcards

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Ninth Installment

Answers to “My Ancestor Did That?!”

My Ancestor Did That? !

Cecile’s Scrapbook – Eighth Installment

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