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. …
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’m overjoyed to share that my new book, From Fragments to Foundation, is officially available! This project comes straight from my heart, mind, and soul. It’s a seven-generation odyssey that brings history to life through the lens of genealogy, resilience, and discovery. More than just my family’s story, it’s a teachable journey—revealing how to uncover …
Continue reading NOW AVAILABLE: From Fragments to Foundation
GREAT NEWS: This book is now available. Click HERE to order. I have exciting news! I am happy to announce that my new book, From Fragments to Foundation: Uncovering a Buried History of Tragedy and Triumph, will be released in late October. Ordering will be available soon. Stay tuned! Please see book details below for a …
You’ve traced your African American ancestry back to the 1870 U.S. Census, only to hit what genealogists often call the "1870 brick wall." You’ve read books and articles about slavery in America and now face the question: How do I research my family’s history beyond emancipation? How do I identify and document my enslaved ancestors? …
Continue reading Breaking Down that Ugly 1870 Brick Wall: Tracing Your Enslaved Ancestors
An incredible discovery surfaced when I found another genetic group (or genetic network) among my mother's sister's DNA matches. They were discovered when I saw that Cousin A below shares 21 cM over 2 segments with my aunt on her maternal side, per AncestryDNA. Among the shared DNA matches were four others who also had a Lomax …
Continue reading “They Were Born in Africa”: Was This Correct?
DNA continues to be a strong sledgehammer to pre-Civil War brick walls. This case underscores at least 23 research tips. They are in the conclusion below. Since 1993, I have researched the roots of my mother’s paternal grandfather, William “Bill” Reed (1846-1937) of Tate County, Mississippi. He migrated to northern Mississippi shortly after slavery from …
Continue reading There’s History in a Name: Connecting Dots to the 18th Century
In 2015, several research buddies and I journeyed to Richmond, Virginia to research at the Library of Virginia. As I often recommend, I devised a research plan of names and records to explore. My focus was the records of Rev. William Parrott and his family. He was the last enslaver of my great-great-grandmother, Jane Parrott …
Continue reading One of my Most Heartbreaking Genealogical Discoveries
Roots Revealed 