Ran Away With The Dish and The Spoon

I know, I know....it's been ages since I updated this blog. But I guess if I am admitting that then I have to admit that it has been ages since I've done any real genealogy work. Allow me to explain.

I started taking a few graphic design classes and between that and normal life it seems that genealogy kinda fell through the cracks. But I am ready to get back on the horse so to speak and the opportunity to do it might be just around the corner.

My family is planning a trip to Chicago in the next month just as a get together of sorts but the great part is that I have a few relatives in Chicago that I am looking forward to contacting. I am hoping that they will remember some of the names that I have for the Sprolls side of the family and let me know if I am on the right trail and if they have pictures will that would just be an added bonus.

Also I don't know if you remember my great trip to Mississippi but we might have a reason to go back and if we do then I am going to try and see if Arkansas is not to far away and maybe we can make a stop there also so that I can look up some other family.

Until then, I do have some research that I have to find here in good ol' Missouri but I need the money and the time for a trip downtown to the records office and hopefully I will be back on track.

So I just wanted to give a small update on where I'm at and let you know that I haven't given up and that there is more information to come. Talk soon.

Relive History

Most of us will admit that we weren't around when the Mayflower landed, the Civil War broke out, or Women earned the right to vote. We might have family that were came over on the Mayflower or fought in the Civil War. Some might have family that were alive when women won the vote but most of us weren't there or at least I know that I wasn't. This is why I was so excited today to find a new series on the History Channel entitled, "America: The Story of Us" which airs Sunday evenings at 9/8c.

Now it looks like I missed the first two episodes but I was able to catch up on at least part of one and all of the other during their recap today. Basically, this is the history of our country from the first settlers until now and narrated by Liev Schreiber. Starting with the Mayflower, from what I saw went until the beginning of the Revolutionary war and the next episode dealt with said war. The episode that aired tonight took us through slavery and into the beginning of the Civil War and next weeks episode looks to cover that.

I was really impressed with the way this is being told. Firstly, I happen to love the History Channel seeing as how I love history as I would guess most of us do being as we are researching our personal history. In saying that I have watched many different shows and documentaries that they have featured and expect nothing short of excellence from them and this is no exception.

Not only do they have Liev narrating but a host of others sharing their thought on the history being discussed. Everyone from former Navy Seals to General Colin Powell. There are historians, professors, politicians and even Henry Louis Gates who is a well known and respected genealogist. They also have entertainers such as Sheryl Crow and John Legend. Trust me you will recognized many faces as they share what they know and feel of US history and the path that has lead us to this point.

I highly recommend this series to anyone interested especially with "Who Do You Think You Are" completing their series on Friday. This will be a welcomed place holder. Sure it isn't focused directly on genealogy but I believe it will give you some extra insight into the times when our ancestors lived. An added bonus is that there are re-enactments and during those they have letters, transcriptions and other source material that almost make you feel as if you are right there in the action. I personally just learned that during the time right before the Civil War some freed black men or run-away slaves worked on whaling ships because it was a way to stay clear of those searching for them and to make money to send back to their families. They even had a note from one such man that was read as they were showing a ship battling against a whale to harvest it's oil for lamps of that time.

This would also be a great series to gather the family for if you have small children. My younger cousin who is ten was here for part of the time I was watching it and she mentioned that how she knew that Sacagawea was married when she was sixteen. She then asked why would anyone get married so young. When I started to explain that the life expectancy of that time frame was so short her eyes got really wide. No one had ever explained to her about the dangers of pioneer life.

If you, like myself, missed any of the first few episodes they are available for download on iTunes as well as you can watch them online by clicking here. They also have the whole series available for pre-order and the first episode on DVD for purchase.

In short if you have the opportunity I strongly encourage you to to take a couple of hours out of your Sunday evening and travel through the history of America. It is well worth the trip.

Why Can't I Find Henry?

Alright I have been looking for all things Henry as you all know so well. I have looked high and low for this man and he is just not cooperating.

I now know that he died in Missouri but I am thinking that it would help to have at least a year before I try to find going to the records department. I'm not sure if I will find someone willing to look through every death certificate for a decade.

Anyway, I finally found a website called kindredkonnections.com that had a great list of Social Security death indexes. On it I found his wife's death index, my grandfather's death index, my great grandfather's death index but not his and there were close to fifty Henry's that died during the 1960's.

I completely don't understand. You would think that it wouldn't be this hard to find information about him in my own state. In Mississippi I was finding things left and right and now that I'm back it's like he had dissappeared again. I simply don't understand.

I know that he was a black man living in the middle of the end of slavery, segregation, and the freedom movement but you would think that if I can find information on his wife, who was a black woman living through the same things, than I could find something about him.

Tell Me A Story

I have always loved to read. I love mysteries and true life stories among the many different genres I frequent. Maybe that is why genealogy appeals to me. It is like the ultimate mystery and it's been written so long ago. Take my great, great grandparents for instance. I know that they have been the subject of many a blog but they are who I am currently researching.

Henry own quite a bit of land in Mississippi if the records that I have found are truly him. It would have been considered significant back then (1899-1910) for anyone but especially for a black man and especially in the south. He marries had three girls and lives on this land for at least ten to twelve years. Yet somewhere between 1910 to 1930 he leaves his land and moves to Arkansas. Why would he do that? What happened that was so significant or even insignificant that prompted such an act?

I know that many black people during that time moved a lot for better jobs, opportunity, or to avoid lynchings but generally they moved north. They didn't move a couple of states over. Yet that is what my ancestor did. He didn't leave the south until he was sick and that was at the urging of his daughters that brought him to Missouri, if my information is correct.

This is a real mystery to me and one I might never solve. It's not like I can call him up and ask and my great grandmother who might have known the answer passed away years ago. I feel like I can research and research but census records won't tell me the why of the move they will just help me pinpoint a date or timeframe.

I love a good story but sometimes the story is too good. When you have a mystery infront of you and no answer in sight then what do you do?