When I began researching my family history in 1993, one of the first major discoveries I made was locating the death certificate of my mother’s maternal great-grandmother, Lucy Milam Davis of Panola County (Como), Mississippi, at the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. Lucy died on November 17, 1927, at approximately 80 years of age. …
Continue reading Another Huge Discovery with FamilySearch’s Full Text Tool
My father’s great-grandmother, Jane Parrott Ealy of Leake County, Mississippi, was born around 1829 in Lunenburg County, Virginia. Her enslaver, Rev. William Parrott, transported Jane, along with her parents and siblings, to Mississippi shortly before 1840. While researching the court records of William Parrott and those of his wife’s family—Elizabeth Johnson Parrott—I discovered that Jane’s …
Over five years ago, I noticed something both intriguing and unexpected: my family shared DNA with people with immediate roots from Washington County, Alabama—despite my family having no known genealogical ties to that area. Initial research revealed that many of their ancestors were classified as “mulatto” in the 1850 and 1860 censuses, indicating they were …
I am deeply grateful for the many thoughtful reviews my new book, From Fragments to Foundation: Uncovering a Buried History of Tragedy and Triumph, has received so far. Each one means a great deal to me, but this particular review from Lori Herbison, posted on Amazon, was especially meaningful. She titled it “10 of 10” …
I have never stopped researching the roots of my mother’s paternal grandfather, William “Bill” Reed of Tate County, Mississippi, known in the family as “Grandpa Bill.” Born around 1846 in Abbeville County, South Carolina, he, his sister Mary, and others joined a wagon train bound for Panola County, Mississippi around 1866. According to family oral …
Continue reading The Power of DNA: From Speculation toward Confirmation
Recently, an eye-opening DNA cousin appeared among my mother’s matches on Ancestry.com. She shares 23 cM with my mother and shares even more DNA with my mother’s sister and brother – 36 cM and 43 cM, respectively. These are not insignificant amounts of shared DNA, giving me confidence that I could potentially determine how she …
Continue reading Building a Genealogical Case with DNA: Samuel Tanner of Texas
In Season 12, Episode 5 of Finding Your Roots, which aired this past Tuesday night on PBS, Henry Louis Gates Jr. explored the ancestry of basketball stars Brittney Griner and Chris Paul. I was stunned when Chris Paul’s family history revealed the identity of one of his ancestors, Zachariah Clinkscales of Anderson County, South Carolina. …
In 1996, I learned that my mother’s great-grandfather, Edward Danner of Panola County, Mississippi, was a Civil War veteran who served in the 59th Infantry of the United States Colored Troops. Edward was born about 1835 in South Carolina and died on 15 September 1878, leaving behind his widow, Louisa “Lue” Bobo Danner, with ten …
Continue reading Was Matilda—the Ancestor of Appalachian Coal Miners—My Ancestor’s Long-Lost Sister?
Genealogy requires diligence, patience, persistence, strategy, and above all, hope. For many family lines, answers do not appear quickly or easily. They rarely come from a few computer clicks, and they certainly don’t leap off a screen. Instead, the truth reveals itself over time, often after we return to the same puzzles again and again …
Continue reading Never Giving Up: The Power of Persistence in Genealogy
I am incredibly honored, grateful, and humbled for this wonderful book review of From Fragments to Foundation by lecturer, genealogist and blogger, Robyn Smith. She graciously titled it "A Master Class in Genealogy." Robyn shared, “I finished the book in two days, which was a testament to how superb it was: I rarely finish any …
Continue reading Interview & Book Review: A Master Class in Genealogy
Roots Revealed 