Do you believe the Ancestors assist us with connecting the dots to who they were & how they lived?
Hmmmm…
A few years ago, I got the notion that I wanted to live in my original hometown of Washington, GA - a beautiful, country town approx. 1.5 hours east of Atlanta. Although the “big city” eventually baited me back, I loved living in Washington-Wilkes! The feeling of knowing that you’re walking where your ancestors walked is like nothing else - it’s fortifying.
One afternoon, while driving my Mom home from a doctor’s appointment, I noticed a little white church on the side of the road. Just as I passed the church, I read the sign “The Smyrna Methodist Church“.
I slammed on the brakes realizing that this was THE Smyrna Church my 4th Grandmother Katie Dickey Wingfield had attended as a child in 1861 when her owner, the Rev. James Madison Dickey, was sent there to oversee the church’s renovation.
There was no way I could not stop to look around, right? So I hit a u-turn & pulled in front of the church - no cars & the front door was closed.
I & my Mom walked around the back, with me calling to see if anyone was around who could let me in the church - nothing - not a soul.
BUT when we walked around the front of the church, the door that had been closed was now wide-open! Thinking that it must have already been open or that someone inside heard my call, we walked in.
Now, here I stood - in the same building that my Katie had stood in as a young girl. And I could see the slave galley, where she had to sit with other slaves, away from the congregation. I wondered how she felt - so young, in a new place & taken away from her Family in Warren County. She must have been afraid. The thought made me sad.
I walked around a bit more & called for whoever had opened the door - nothing.
We marveled at how phenomenal this was - 3 generations of Katie’s kids {my Mom, myself & my Son} being able to see where she had spent so much time.
On our way out, I picked-up a church program with the intent of contacting the church to see if any records remained from the 1860 reconstruction.
Later that evening I called the program number which rang through to the Church’s Pastor. After I explained who I was & the nature of my call, I told the Pastor about our earlier visit to the church.
She was friendly & curious about my research but remarked that I would need to make an appointment to visit the church, as during the weekdays, the church ALWAYS remained locked with a security system turned-on. Also to note, the Pastor informed me that no one had been in the church on that particular day!
Now, I don’t know about you, but I believe my Katie wanted us to see the Smyrna Church!:-)
The next time, I’ll tell you about the time Grandpa James Wingfield {Katie’s first husband} led me to find the Deed of Trust that divided his Family in half…
cousin mechie
Today I chatted with my 88 year old Aunt Hannah {My Grandfather Willie C. Barwick’s younger Sister}. Aunt Hannah & my Cousin Jamye {Daughter of Hannah & Willie’s younger Brother, James} rode the train from Cincinnati to visit my Sister Gina in Washington, DC.
What a true blessing it is for us to have an Aunt Hannah among us! While the young have to learn much about their phenomenal lineage by way of oral history & images, they have the blessing of enjoying Aunt Hannah NOW - right here in living color!
Talking with her reminded me of the opportunity in capturing “the now”… hearing her words & sharing with her my memories of her Brother & how deeply his presence affected our Family.
Today I committed to pack myself, kids & scanner {I go NOWHERE without it!} up for a long-overdue visit to Cincinnati, very VERY, soon!
Let us never take for granted the blessing of the living nor neglect to remember those loved ones who have crossed over.
In the words of George Geder, let us be “Guided by the Ancestors“!
Cousin Mechie
P.S. Jamye - Cousin, don’t make me have to hunt you down for those pictures of Uncle James & Willie C.!:-)
I’ve been doing Genealogy research for 10+ years now & there are mysteries present from the start that still go unanswered today! Arghhhhhhh!
So I’ve decided to list my Top 10 Family Mysteries in the hope that one of my friendly {emphasis on FRIENDLY} Ancestors and/or Guardian Angels strolling by might read this blog & decide to toss me a lead.
OGR Top 10 Family Mysteries:
- Which CODY from Warren County, GA owned Grandma Catie & her Sister “Allie”?
- Is Allie DANLEY who married Arthur DANLEY of Warren County, “our” long-lost Allie?
- How did Minister James Madison DICKEY purchase Grandma Catie & what did he do with Catie when he left Wilkes County in 1861-62?
- Where is the information that will prove Grandpa James WINGFIELD was Brother to Cyrus & Jack Jr. WINGFIELD & son to Jack Sr. WINGFIELD?
- Where were the WINGFIELD & CARTER families on the 1870 Census & why don’t they appear in Wilkes County {or anywhere else!}.
- Why wasn’t Grandma Annie FAVER CARTER included with her Family on the 1880 Wilkes County Census?
- Which Wilkes County FAVER/FAVOR owned Grandma Annie FAVER?
- Which Wilkes County CARTER owned Grandpa Phillip CARTER?
- Who was the Father of Anna WRIGHT, Annie’s Daughter who was 2 years-old when she married Phillip in 1869?
- Who was LM HEARD’s {Son of Marrie WINGFIELD CARTER} Father & when/where did he die?
Need alil Ancestral ‘nudge‘ too? Feel free to make your request known!:-)
Cousin Mechie
Friends & Family, I received my COBB Family Bible! Let me tell you who I am…
My Father is Don Ameche DANIELS. He is the only child born to William & Lovella {COBB} DANIELS {both deceased}.
Lovella was Daughter to Williard Leroy & Myrtle {PERRY} COBB. Myrtle was Daughter to Richard & Charlotte PERRY. Williard was Son to George & Mary {SMITH} COBB.
Checkout the Daniels & Cobb Image Gallery I’ve started!
From what I can tell all Families were originally from Kentucky & migrated across the bridge into Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cobbs were/are members of Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in the Madisonville community.
My Daniels Sisters & Brothers listed in the Bible are - Harry {the oldest}, Newana, Marcia, Dante Ameche & Raegan Lenora.
Today, after I told him my story, the Pastor of Trinity Missionary gave me the phone number of my Sisters {Newana & Marcia}, Mother - Margaret. Although afraid of the response, I could not resist calling.
I spoke to my Sisters Aunt who, given the circumstances, was very gracious & patient with me. Without knowing me, I could hear compassion in her voice & that alone put me at ease. She explained some of the mysteries surrounding my Father & Family and provided a few names of others she thought could help explain more.
She told me of how my Sisters, like me, are Mothers. One even a Grandmother! She also agreed to give my number to my Sisters, in the event they wanted to be in touch.
This evening when I arrived home, I had a voicemail FROM MY SISTER MARCIA! My Sister! Her message said that she’d received my number from her Aunt & that it was beautiful that I wanted to meet them! I’ll be on the phone with her first thing tomorrow morning! Hope I can sleep tonight!:-)
Through the Creator’s grace & one Act of Kindness (http://ourgeorgiaroots.com/?p=103), I am healing a void that I had long since believed healed.
Thanks to everyone who has offered me encouragement & support since this “journey” began just over 2 weeks ago.
I don’t know by what miracle I arrived here & where the journey will travel next. I just know there is peace & I am blessed.
Cousin Mechie
Happy Monday Friends & Fam!
Most of you do not know that by day {and most nights} I sport a ‘Techie’ hat as a Technical IT Project Manager.
One clear benefit of this for me is that over the years being a ‘webbie’ has afforded me the opportunity to spread my message across the Internet {my natural habitat} easily - heck, I can craft a website in a matter of hours!
The downside is that with corporate work, personal projects & kids, I rarely have free time to assist others with their web projects - SORRY!:-)
BUT never fear - the NING Social Media platform can!
Ning is a super-innovative & EASY {really - I promise} to use platform that allows ANYONE {not just Techies} to start their very own Social Network! Think Facebook with your very own personal style & design - that’s Ning!
Oh & MOST IMPORTANTLY - it’s 100% FREE for the basic personal network!
I was testing the Ning environment for my newest Internet venture & was so impressed, I decided to setup my OurAlabamaRoots.com site there too!
Even my GFF {Genealogy Favorite Friend} ‘A’ is establishing a space for her Spence-Lowry research!
Having a website where Genealogists & Family can go to see the data & images I’ve collected over the years is hands down the #1 reason we were able to acquire so much information over a short period of time.
So give your research a jump-start & take advantage of the technology tools available that make this effort of finding your roots so much easier than it use to be.
Oh & don’t forget to join the OurAlabamaRoots & Spence-Lowry communities because as always, we have MANY more roots to dig up!:-)
Cousin Mechie
Today was just another ordinary Saturday. I worked most of the day online {always working!} & then paused to take the kids out for afternoon errands.
We were in the truck, talking as usual, when I spotted an accident ahead. No ambulance or fire truck {yet} - just an accident - a SUV blocking the road. But as I neared, I could see more.
An SUV & a motorcycle had somehow collided. The motorcycle’s rider was on the pavement, lying motionless with an obvious severe head trauma {his helmet knocked off on impact} & his body contorted in a completely unnatural position.
As we rode approx. 5 ft from his body, it was clear he was deceased & as quick as I could say “J please don’t look” - he’d already looked. As we approached the next traffic light, we saw the ambulance pass us & a fire truck pull out of its station to the accident less than 1 block away.
We tried to carry on with our afternoon but we were shaken. We still are.
Witnessing that today made me conscious of how blessed we are to be in the moment. Nobody leaves out of his or her door expecting not to return home later in the evening or not to lay eyes on their children or loved ones again.
How blessed we are to return home, intact, with kids in hand.
With all that is swirling in my world these days {back to school, back to work, website launches, project bumps & no ME time!}, I will make an effort to recognize the blessing in this moment.
For as long as I have breath, I have opportunity. Opportunity to do what? Any & EVERYTHING!
May I & you take advantage of the moment - and may that fellow’s spirit from this afternoon flow with ease as he moves on to the next.
mechie
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| The Barwicks :: They Are Legend |
Willie C. & Fannie Louella Jackson Barwick, my Maternal Grandparents, ARE legend to my Family.
“E” was an “Entrepreneur” BEFORE the word became common, during a time period when a Black man owning & operating several businesses at a time, was all but unheard of.
He was the most meticulously dressed man I have EVER known, super-savvy, smart & ambitious. He was a born sportsman - football, baseball, fishing - with a physique my Mom describes as “Hercules-like”.
He was courageous - persevering through a childhood of poverty, to become a man who believed in the pursuit of dreams.
Fannie Louella was his match in EVERY way - Sharp as a tack & shapely, there was NOTHING “Anbownes” could not do!
Recently I laughed with my Son about how as a child I took credit for a school project that Anbownes actually built - a little sod house. The model was so well made, the school placed it in our local newspaper! I grinned & grinned but the truth is - all that genius came from her!
She was dignified, loyal & honorable - a woman respected for speaking her mind with diplomacy & fairness.
Today Allum & Jeanna really made me pause to appreciate the many images of these dynamic & much loved Ancestors I have to share with my children & the young people in my Family.
I think like I think & do what I do because of them. And when I can see their faces {if even by picture}, it helps to ease the sting of their absence - just a bit.
They are legend.
Cousin Mechie
27 years ago this month my Family experienced the unthinkable - following a weekend of Family events in Atlanta, while returning home to Lima Ohio, my Uncle Jake {Ronald Jackson Sr.} and his children - Rhonda {17}, Angie {15} & Ronnie {11} were in a horrible car accident.
Uncle Jake & Rhonda did not survive the accident. Angie & Ronnie were hospitalized and my Family was devastated.
There are no words to sum up the void left by these two people. Uncle Jake was a fun-loving, jolly, AME Pastor, with a love for fishing & a smile that NEVER left his face. Rhonda was gentle, sweet & loving - a born nurturer.
It has been 27 years since anyone in my Family would think of suggesting a Family Reunion, but it is now time.
We need an opportunity to heal & move forward. A time for Elders, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins & Friends to come together to break bread & share a laugh. We need each other & our children MUST know that they are not alone - they have a Family.
That said, I have begun planning the Wilkes Co. Family Meet Up for May 7-10 2009.
What better way to heal is there than to go home? Yep, back to the start - Washington Wilkes, Georgia!
We’ll gather Wingfields, Dorseys & ALL extended Family & Friends for a weekend of non-stop CELEBRATING!
So please, mark your calendars & check our Wilkes Co. Family Meet Up pages for frequent updates as the plans becomes clearer & the date draws near!
Also, I am creating a Master Email list. If you’d like to be added please email your Name, Contact Number(s) & Email Address to OurGeorgiaRoots@gmail.com.
I cannot wait to see you Family!:-)
Cousin Mechie
Greetings Family!
A few days ago I posted about a series of events that led to my finding a 5 YEAR OLD forum post online re: a Family Bible belonging to my Father’s Maternal Grandmother {http://ourgeorgiaroots.com/?p=103}.
Well today the original poster, “Debbie” contacted me & is mailing me the COBB & DANIELS Family Bible! Can you believe this?!
This is the side of my Family that I never knew & had given up hope of knowing anything about.
Amazing! My [unknown] Brothers & Sisters have also been noted in the bible!
This is a God-given opportunity & I will NOT take it for granted. There are no words to sum up the feeling, so I will just say I am thankful!:-)
Cousin Mechie