Jackie E. Johnson
The information collected is a summary of years spent
researching one branch of my family tree. Those years include a
childhood of being seen and not heard in adult conversations.
Uncle Richard is the relative that started me on my genealogy
journey.
In the seventies my mother moved to California. She stayed with
several relatives and eventually ended up renting two rooms from Uncle
Richard. I was curious about how Uncle Richard was everybody's uncle.
He was address as Uncle so much that his friend started calling him
"Unc"
for short. When I was about fourteen, I asked my mother how is Uncle
Richard my uncle, your
uncle and your momma uncle. She said, "He's momma's mother's brother."
Well that answer really explained everything. I
forgot the whole matter for about fifteen years.
In 1989 I
took my first step in actively researching my family's history. My
first step was a mother daughter trip to my childhood home of Alto,
Louisiana. Since our first trip we've traveled from New York to
California in search of family. On those trips I met some cousin for
the first time and became reacquainted with others I've known my whole
life.
In Grand Rapids,
Michigan I met my cousins Mariah, Ernestine, their children and
grandchildren. My cousins Richard, Tate, Willie James, and other I
can't remember live in Toledo, Ohio with their families. While visiting
my Uncle Richard in California, I met Howard, a cousin who came
into the fold when his father died. He spent fifty years not knowing
hundreds of paternal family member.
I went to Texas to see my paternal grandmother, who I've seen about
five times in forty years. Like most southern grandmothers she believes
in feeding you. She cooked a full course meal with a chocolate pudding
pie for dessert. If you grew up in the south, you know I have to taste everything. While there I saw my Aunt Ella and Uncle Tommy and
host of other family member.
My best cousin find has to be a group of second cousins. They are my
Uncle Dan's children, or my grandmother's brother's children. In a
conversation with my mother she mentioned that her Uncle Dan had about
four children by his first wife. She said that she spent the night and
played with them when they were younger. She said that she thought they
moved to Texas. After using several people search web sites and making
lots of dead-end phone calls, I tried teldir.com. I checked each name
and found four cousins Albert, Dan, Helen and Monroe living in Houston.
Later that year I got a copy of Uncle Dan's death certificate and was
able to find his widow. I found her phone number and was able to talk
to Wayne Anthony who informed me of his mother's death about three
months prior to our conversation. He also told me about his sister
Teresa, who lived in Florida.
My research book was stolen in November 2001. It contained recordings, maps, everything, it was my "holy grail." It has taken me a
while to get back into the genealogy routine. I felt lost and questioned why for about 4 years. As easily as it was taken, I came back refreshed and focused. I had to stop thinking about the book and what it contained and concentrate on the memories that filled the book. I had the memories of what I collected, and the family connection was still there. I'm ready to try and tie the past to present and leave something to ease the hunt for future
family tree diggers. I'm having lots of fun digging through the 1930 census information.
My cousin Richard bribed me into visiting him in Toledo by using the fact that he had
our great grand ancestors bible. I went to visit him and his family
over the 2005 Memorial Day holiday. The bible was from the late 1800's and
in fair condition. The family documented information was minimal. It
was a pictorial bible, with lots of black & white and full color
sketches. I thought the "Family Temperance
Pledge" was interesting. It stated that "Both science and
experience prove that even moderate drinking is injurious to
health" and "The pledge protects us from the solicitation of friends
and removes us from the temptation of the saloon" All family member
were instructed to sign... unfortunately no family members signed. Also
wedged between the pages was a property tax
receipt from 1899 and The Apple Man
flyer.
I never mention our family reunions or the fact that we have a open date Thanksgiving homecoming. The reunions float from state to state every two years. I started attending the yearly homecomings around 1994. I attended my first Hill, Badger, Riley Family 2005 Reunion in Monroe, Louisiana (our mecca). I enjoyed it so much. For the 2007 reunion in Toledo, I was asked to do a family tree. I was hesitant, I thought about the skeletons in the room and how the family might handle them. I almost shoved it under the rug, but my cousin-in-law Lois Hill prodded/insisted, and it was done. It contained five generation dating back to the late 1700. Due to the size of our family, I had to limit it to persons born before 1960. At the presentation the family tree was placed on two eight foot tables. I extracted and enlarged census, birth, marriage, death and other timeline information for key ancestors and enlarged the copies. Attendee were given pedigree charts and placed at a round table with an elder. The attendees were asked to fill in their pedigree chart. If they got stalled, they were told to talk to an elder, then lastly go to the family tree and I helped them complete the chart. I also gave participants the chance to correct spelling or change dates on the large family tree chart. It was a great mixer. It brought the generations together and generated heated conversations and sparked a genealogy interest in young and old. The most quoted feedback "Thank you!" "This looks like hard work." "I didn't know that!" and "Are we doing this next time?" Yes, I'll do it again. HOUSTON, TEXAS 2009 (9-09-07, to be continued)
I got so much inspiration from African American Lives (12 Feb 2006), a genealogy journey into the past hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. If you missed it, find a friend who recorded it or buy it. Take a genealogy course. If you can afford to hire a genealogist, hire one. I prefer to do the hunting myself, it time consuming and frustrating but I love it. Find your family's history and pass it on.
If you're interested in researching your family history, start by compiling your oral history. Talk to your grand parents and other elders in your family. Try this site
"How to Start Your Family History" as a quick reference to getting
started. Thank you for visiting my site.
photo taken July 2006
[ Meet My Father | Meet My Mother ]
[ Ancestorial Timeline | Growing
Up In Alto | Return
To Main History ]
Send me an e-mail message.
