In the frame are 300 photos. I may add more, these are favorites. The group photo was made Dec 2019, a combination of Webbs and Eldens. A great group that truly appreciate and love each other.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Wonderful Digital Frame
28 February 2020 Sitting on my kitchen counter is a new Digital Frame. In this frame are photos of our wedding and photographic history of our 57 years together. We are both enjoying. Thought I'd post a few here:
Monday, February 10, 2020
One edition of my DNA Story
10 February 2020 No photo today. Someone on Face Book, on one of the genealogical sites, ask how many DNA matches we have. Thought I'd make a record here as well: I have 178,354 matches; starting with Scott as son and Spencer as grandson; next comes 2 first cousins, Susan and Mike (on my maternal side), none on paternal side. I have 68 matches (counting both sides) that have 100 cMs or higher. Of those 68 only 25 matches have Trees public and large enough to use.
In these close matches I found No genetic surprises. They may be there, but I have not found and no one has sought help. One match has an adopted mother, the daughter is seeking to make contact with family for health reasons.
While counting my shared matches I also counted my First Cousins. My Jackson-Holt grandparents had 6 children that grew to maturity and had children. From these 6 there were 23 grandchildren. Their oldest child, a son, had three wives and a total of 7 children. The second child, a daughter, had 5 children; with the remaining having 4, 3 and 2, 2. Out of the 26 grandchildren, four remain.
From the David and Eunice White McCleskeys (paternal), there were 10 children to live to maturity. My grandfather's first wife died leaving one child. She had 6 children making them Half 1Cs. From my grandmother's children, there were 20 full First Cousins, only five remain and non from the Half Aunt.
My mother had two husbands and 2 children by each. Of the 4, only my full brother and I remain. My grandparents and my mother are a microcosm of how fast DNA can expand and change.
I have been researching my family tree since 1986. When I started it was pencil, paper, microfilm, microfilm readers, books and records in the Georgia Archives and County Court Houses and county historical societies. I was fortunate for I could combine visits with my Mother with research. It was 915 miles one way from my home in Texas to Georgia and her home. She was huge help. As I have aged, it is now fun to research on-line. Family members are so generous and so helpful...those that are interested. Now, after thirty four years, my tree is well researched and most ancestors verified. Still remaining are two great-great grandmothers. One, we do not know her correct sir name and the other, her parents need proving. With time and more DNA testing let's hope we prove more generations. By the age of 10, I was wanting to know who I was and where did my families come from.
That brings me to my Ethnicity Estimate. The emphasis on Estimate. Today, I am: 72% England, Wales & Northwestern Europe; 17 % Ireland & Scotland; 7% Germanic Europe; 3% Norway and 1% European Jewish. I have known for a long time that McCleskey is an Irish name and expected my Irish DNA to be higher. When I found that I had a great great grandmother named Stalnaker it was a complete surprise. The Norway percentage is low and in our travels to Ireland I knew about the Norse men coming south, fighting, capturing and mingling with the natives of these areas: Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. The Jewish 1 % falls in the +/- of mistake, but it can be correct...or wrong. The Ethnicity Estimates will change as more and more people test. Most people have a hobby or two, some fish, some fly, others enjoy their work so much it fills their time. I have two hobbies; genealogy and crafting. At first it was scrapbooking, now it is making and decorating chipboard boxes ( you can see lots of examples in previous post. With DNA clues, I am hoping to solve my two closets Brick Walls and continue on as far as I can. JMW
In these close matches I found No genetic surprises. They may be there, but I have not found and no one has sought help. One match has an adopted mother, the daughter is seeking to make contact with family for health reasons.
While counting my shared matches I also counted my First Cousins. My Jackson-Holt grandparents had 6 children that grew to maturity and had children. From these 6 there were 23 grandchildren. Their oldest child, a son, had three wives and a total of 7 children. The second child, a daughter, had 5 children; with the remaining having 4, 3 and 2, 2. Out of the 26 grandchildren, four remain.
From the David and Eunice White McCleskeys (paternal), there were 10 children to live to maturity. My grandfather's first wife died leaving one child. She had 6 children making them Half 1Cs. From my grandmother's children, there were 20 full First Cousins, only five remain and non from the Half Aunt.
My mother had two husbands and 2 children by each. Of the 4, only my full brother and I remain. My grandparents and my mother are a microcosm of how fast DNA can expand and change.
I have been researching my family tree since 1986. When I started it was pencil, paper, microfilm, microfilm readers, books and records in the Georgia Archives and County Court Houses and county historical societies. I was fortunate for I could combine visits with my Mother with research. It was 915 miles one way from my home in Texas to Georgia and her home. She was huge help. As I have aged, it is now fun to research on-line. Family members are so generous and so helpful...those that are interested. Now, after thirty four years, my tree is well researched and most ancestors verified. Still remaining are two great-great grandmothers. One, we do not know her correct sir name and the other, her parents need proving. With time and more DNA testing let's hope we prove more generations. By the age of 10, I was wanting to know who I was and where did my families come from.
That brings me to my Ethnicity Estimate. The emphasis on Estimate. Today, I am: 72% England, Wales & Northwestern Europe; 17 % Ireland & Scotland; 7% Germanic Europe; 3% Norway and 1% European Jewish. I have known for a long time that McCleskey is an Irish name and expected my Irish DNA to be higher. When I found that I had a great great grandmother named Stalnaker it was a complete surprise. The Norway percentage is low and in our travels to Ireland I knew about the Norse men coming south, fighting, capturing and mingling with the natives of these areas: Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. The Jewish 1 % falls in the +/- of mistake, but it can be correct...or wrong. The Ethnicity Estimates will change as more and more people test. Most people have a hobby or two, some fish, some fly, others enjoy their work so much it fills their time. I have two hobbies; genealogy and crafting. At first it was scrapbooking, now it is making and decorating chipboard boxes ( you can see lots of examples in previous post. With DNA clues, I am hoping to solve my two closets Brick Walls and continue on as far as I can. JMW
Monday, January 27, 2020
Battle Born Anna of Clayton Co, Georgia
27 January 2020
This is my Great Aunt, her story was very popular in our Holt family. I remember meeting her when I was very young. Not until I started researching my family history and networking with others did I learn the other side of this story.
Anna, her younger brother Tom (my grandfather) and the other siblings grew up in Clayton and Fayette counties, GA. If you are familiar with Gone With the Wind. It was that time frame and that very area.
The General in Anna's story was not Sherman but Gen John A Logan of the 15th Corps. His story of Anna's birth was published first on the front page of the National Tribune, (Washington, DC) Jul 10, 1884. by a unnamed doctor that was present and assisted in Anna's birth. Logan was campaigning, to be a candidate on the Democratic ticket for President of US. He was selected as a VP candidate and lost to Grover Cleveland.
Logan came along the road, shortly after her birth and the doctors pressed him into being her God Father. The family was of the Baptist faith and probably knew little about infant christening and perhaps she never knew of the ceremony or of the $5.00 gold piece he left as a gift. The story was secondly printed in a personal history of his life and can be found as "Life and Services. Gen. John A. Logan, as Soldier and Statesman" by George Francis Dawson. 1887. His version can be Searched on-line and you can read the entire article.
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Christmas Photo 2019
Darcy, Scott(younger son) and Spencer behind John and Judy Webb. Barbara Shaw, m/Molly. David Webb with grandson Max, David (s/David) w/d Kate and Molly Shaw Webb, her father behind, Robert. The Bundscho and Elden Families: Danica and Nealy Elden with Grandparents Joe and Linda Elden Bundscho, Cynthia and Neal Elden with Aunt Biddie Elden Webb (g/m of Max and Kate).
25 December 2019 at Bundscho residence, Houston. Much Fun and Memories made by All.
Normal Wonderful Christmas time.
Monday, December 9, 2019
Solving a Family Mystery
9 Demember 2019
Received Saturday 7 Dec 2019 a Death Certificate that was ordered for my Great Aunt Henrietta Cleveland, born 1861, Henry Co, Georgia. Her parents are James H and Frances Fanny Jackson Cleveland.
What a dreadful time to begin life, Georgia and Henry county felt the full brunt of war. Her father dies while she is a babe or toddler. The exact date of his death and location of burial is unknown. Henrietta is the eight child. Both James and Fanny's parents lived in the county and certainly helped. The James/Frances Cleveland family is not found in the 1870 Federal census and the 1880 census finds Henrietta age 19 the only child at home with her mother. The missing 1890 census and the lack of marriage records for the last three children leaves a lot unknown. For the first twenty years of my researching, many miles on my car, many cranks of microfilm readers and many books perused to find little information on Henrietta. Wonderfully one day Ancestry.com appeared online and later affordable DNA testing producing DNA Matches and methods to find missing kin.
In the summer of 2019 I began to think I am kin to everyone. My DNA Matches said I had over 170,000 cousin matches!! Of course, I would guess, about one-half have small to NO trees. Two first cousins on my maternal side tested making it easy to divide my Matches between Maternal and Paternal. The McCleskey Family in Georgia has a published book and my main concern is to work on Maternal side: Holt, Bustre, Cleveland, two different Jackson families,Kite, Shaw, Dodd, and a name very unusual to me, Stalnaker among others. It was fascinating to see interesting and unusual names that didn't seem to fit into what I thought Georgia names would be. One name Rooks seemed familiar but I couldn't remember what family it belonged. The more I sorted families and became familiar with Ancestry I realized I could Search my tree names. Typing in Rooks brought up Henrietta. Frances Fanny Jackson Cleveland died in 1909 leaving an estate. Her father John Jackson and her father-in-law Rice Cleveland both left money to Fanny and her descendants. In Fanny's probate Henrietta is listed as a Rooks. Thus, the connection to my new Rooks DNA cousins.
The DNA Rook cousins posted that they descend from Andrew Jackson Rooks and Etta Brantley Rooks. Certainly Etta is abbreviation for Henrietta and she could have had a first marriage to a Brantley. But, the dates did not mesh. The marriage record from Spalding co, Ga of the Rooks-Brantley marriage would indicate that if is Etta Cleveland, she would have been 8 years old marrying Jack Rooks and that was her second marriage. Applying for the DC was, what seemed like the last chance. Posted by these descendants is a photo of a tombstone saying Andrew Jackson died in 1914. Who would be informant for Henrietta. A J (Jack) and Henrietta (Etta) had only one child, Leroy R Rooks.
When I opened the envelope from California Public Health, it was a pleasant surprise to see the clear neat handwriting. The informant was Matron, County Hospital Riverside Co, CA. Given was Etta Rooks birth date (that was unknown) and both parents: James Cleveland, b SC; Fannie Jackson, b SC.
We now have the correct Etta but do we have the correct Andrew Jackson Rooks? In the beginning the name Rooks seemed strange and unusual. By the time I finished, I wonder why I had not encountered before! Even more interesting is the number of Andrew Jackson Rooks found and how many were in both Georgia and California. Since A J "Jack" Rooks is not in my direct line, I will leave him to his descendants or at least wait until I have time for him. Records on Ancestry does show that there is a Death Certificate for him or, at least, the one buried in Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside, CA.
One of the facts missing from Etta Rooks death certificates is the name of the cemetery where she is buried. The first word, Riverside is easy to read but the second word remains a mystery, Olep, as best as I can decipher. The only cemetery in Riverside county starting with an O is Olivewood. An e-mail query to Olivewood has been sent.
Henriette Cleveland left Georgia and must have had an adventurous trip to California! I do not know about the hardships she and her family encountered, but I am sure they had them. Henrietta Etta Cleveland Rooks is found during her lifetime in only three census, with her mother in 1880 Henry Co, GA. Next, 1900, with Andrew J Rooks 51 years, Etta 39 and the introduction of son Roy R Rooks 6 years. They are in Indian Territory, Choctaw Nation, So McAlister. It states they have been married 7 years. A J and Etta born in Georgia and Roy born in Alabama.
While doing research during the late 80s or early 90s, I made a notation that Henrietta was married to a Henry "Bud" Waldrop. This marriage seems probable because of ages. If she is 39 in 1900, married only 7 years, at her marriage to A J, she would have been about 32 years. A marriage to Bub Waldrop has been researched, no information found. The 1900 census points to Etta and A J living at least a time in Alabama. You find many Georgians living in Alabama either temporarily or permanently as the masses moved West after The War and as new lands were opened.
The next time Etta Rooks is found, 1920 Riverside Co, California, Roy is grown and on his own; Andrew Jackson Rooks is dead and Etta H (perhaps Henrietta) Rooks is living alone, age 59, Widow and working at Housework for a Private Family. She dies one year later in the Riverside County Hospital of a Brain Tumor (Cerebellum). E H Wood, signs the certificate as Chaplin. She has been in the hospital since 7 July 1921 and dies 24 September 1921. DC states she is 61 years, 7 months and 17 days and that she has lived in CA for 20 years.
I Honor Henrietta "Etta" with deep admiration. Even though I did not know her or the women of that era I know the many hardships they had. I can only hope she found happiness and comfort.
Judy McCleskey Webb, 2XGreat Niece. She was the youngest sister to my Great Grandmother.
Olivewood Cemetery responded to my request and says, Etta Rooks is buried in this cemetery. I failed to inquire if her grave site is next to A. J. Rooks.
Received Saturday 7 Dec 2019 a Death Certificate that was ordered for my Great Aunt Henrietta Cleveland, born 1861, Henry Co, Georgia. Her parents are James H and Frances Fanny Jackson Cleveland.
What a dreadful time to begin life, Georgia and Henry county felt the full brunt of war. Her father dies while she is a babe or toddler. The exact date of his death and location of burial is unknown. Henrietta is the eight child. Both James and Fanny's parents lived in the county and certainly helped. The James/Frances Cleveland family is not found in the 1870 Federal census and the 1880 census finds Henrietta age 19 the only child at home with her mother. The missing 1890 census and the lack of marriage records for the last three children leaves a lot unknown. For the first twenty years of my researching, many miles on my car, many cranks of microfilm readers and many books perused to find little information on Henrietta. Wonderfully one day Ancestry.com appeared online and later affordable DNA testing producing DNA Matches and methods to find missing kin.
In the summer of 2019 I began to think I am kin to everyone. My DNA Matches said I had over 170,000 cousin matches!! Of course, I would guess, about one-half have small to NO trees. Two first cousins on my maternal side tested making it easy to divide my Matches between Maternal and Paternal. The McCleskey Family in Georgia has a published book and my main concern is to work on Maternal side: Holt, Bustre, Cleveland, two different Jackson families,Kite, Shaw, Dodd, and a name very unusual to me, Stalnaker among others. It was fascinating to see interesting and unusual names that didn't seem to fit into what I thought Georgia names would be. One name Rooks seemed familiar but I couldn't remember what family it belonged. The more I sorted families and became familiar with Ancestry I realized I could Search my tree names. Typing in Rooks brought up Henrietta. Frances Fanny Jackson Cleveland died in 1909 leaving an estate. Her father John Jackson and her father-in-law Rice Cleveland both left money to Fanny and her descendants. In Fanny's probate Henrietta is listed as a Rooks. Thus, the connection to my new Rooks DNA cousins.
The DNA Rook cousins posted that they descend from Andrew Jackson Rooks and Etta Brantley Rooks. Certainly Etta is abbreviation for Henrietta and she could have had a first marriage to a Brantley. But, the dates did not mesh. The marriage record from Spalding co, Ga of the Rooks-Brantley marriage would indicate that if is Etta Cleveland, she would have been 8 years old marrying Jack Rooks and that was her second marriage. Applying for the DC was, what seemed like the last chance. Posted by these descendants is a photo of a tombstone saying Andrew Jackson died in 1914. Who would be informant for Henrietta. A J (Jack) and Henrietta (Etta) had only one child, Leroy R Rooks.
When I opened the envelope from California Public Health, it was a pleasant surprise to see the clear neat handwriting. The informant was Matron, County Hospital Riverside Co, CA. Given was Etta Rooks birth date (that was unknown) and both parents: James Cleveland, b SC; Fannie Jackson, b SC.
We now have the correct Etta but do we have the correct Andrew Jackson Rooks? In the beginning the name Rooks seemed strange and unusual. By the time I finished, I wonder why I had not encountered before! Even more interesting is the number of Andrew Jackson Rooks found and how many were in both Georgia and California. Since A J "Jack" Rooks is not in my direct line, I will leave him to his descendants or at least wait until I have time for him. Records on Ancestry does show that there is a Death Certificate for him or, at least, the one buried in Olivewood Cemetery in Riverside, CA.
One of the facts missing from Etta Rooks death certificates is the name of the cemetery where she is buried. The first word, Riverside is easy to read but the second word remains a mystery, Olep, as best as I can decipher. The only cemetery in Riverside county starting with an O is Olivewood. An e-mail query to Olivewood has been sent.
Henriette Cleveland left Georgia and must have had an adventurous trip to California! I do not know about the hardships she and her family encountered, but I am sure they had them. Henrietta Etta Cleveland Rooks is found during her lifetime in only three census, with her mother in 1880 Henry Co, GA. Next, 1900, with Andrew J Rooks 51 years, Etta 39 and the introduction of son Roy R Rooks 6 years. They are in Indian Territory, Choctaw Nation, So McAlister. It states they have been married 7 years. A J and Etta born in Georgia and Roy born in Alabama.
While doing research during the late 80s or early 90s, I made a notation that Henrietta was married to a Henry "Bud" Waldrop. This marriage seems probable because of ages. If she is 39 in 1900, married only 7 years, at her marriage to A J, she would have been about 32 years. A marriage to Bub Waldrop has been researched, no information found. The 1900 census points to Etta and A J living at least a time in Alabama. You find many Georgians living in Alabama either temporarily or permanently as the masses moved West after The War and as new lands were opened.
The next time Etta Rooks is found, 1920 Riverside Co, California, Roy is grown and on his own; Andrew Jackson Rooks is dead and Etta H (perhaps Henrietta) Rooks is living alone, age 59, Widow and working at Housework for a Private Family. She dies one year later in the Riverside County Hospital of a Brain Tumor (Cerebellum). E H Wood, signs the certificate as Chaplin. She has been in the hospital since 7 July 1921 and dies 24 September 1921. DC states she is 61 years, 7 months and 17 days and that she has lived in CA for 20 years.
I Honor Henrietta "Etta" with deep admiration. Even though I did not know her or the women of that era I know the many hardships they had. I can only hope she found happiness and comfort.
Judy McCleskey Webb, 2XGreat Niece. She was the youngest sister to my Great Grandmother.
Olivewood Cemetery responded to my request and says, Etta Rooks is buried in this cemetery. I failed to inquire if her grave site is next to A. J. Rooks.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Some Family History
28 October 2019 For a while, I am changing direction of this blog. Actually, it has always been a Hodge-podge , guess that is what will continue, but in near future, it will lean towards Family History and my old family photos and photographs. I have been Googling how to add Categories or as Blogger calls them, Labels to my post so more people might see. I have several good stories and some wonderful photographs.
This is my mother and father when they were married in 1936. William E "Bill" and Estelle Holt McDaniel McCleskey. My mother brought two cute young boys into the marriage. This is Robert Lee and Harry Thomas McDaniel, Born 1930 and 1933. Bill raised them as his own with great love.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Holt Family Story written 8/20/2019
This is The Thomas Holt Family of Clayton Co, GA. The Family had gathered to Celebrate Thomas Holt's 70th Birthday. (Center with beard). His birthday was last day of May and was occasion to bring his large family together. But this story is about the Celebration of about 1918. I am repeating the story as told to me by my Mother (Estelle Holt). Her Mother Mary Jackson Holt is pregnant with her in this photo.
In the Spring of 1918 Thomas Holt and his second wife Fancina are living with his son JT Holt, Jr and their family on New Hope Rd, Fayette Co, Ga. His son (also called Tom) is building his father a small home for retirement in Fayetteville. They are preparing for the annual birthday gathering and Tom, SR request they roast a goat for the Celebration. The goat is secured and is being fattened up for the roast. He is tethered to a tree when a strong thunderstorm blows through; it blows a wash cloth off the clothes line and wind sends it straight for the goat, who in-turn eats it!! My Mother had great delight telling the story and laughing. It gives me pleasure to tell her story and remember how a simple life story can give you a smile and pleasure.
The idea of writing this story comes from a book I am reading by Blaine Bettinger. He tells about the stories we carry in our DNA. Yes, we might carry it in our DNA but unless we write them down they will not be heard. Write a happy story about your family today.
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