The Tree And The Wide Open Spaces

When folks say that we all have a story to tell, that it so true. I know now that it

doesn't matter how small the story is but what we take away from it.

Today I was looking on Facebook when I ran across my friend Regina's comment. She basically

stated all that is needed is open space and a tree, and referred back to her tree

climbing days. I smiled and mentally went back to my tree climbing days. Thank you Regina

for this memory that took me back to that open space in my mind so very long ago.


I guess I was considered a tom-boy back in the day because I climbed trees with my

brothers, swung across canals from a tree stationed on one side, and laughed and ran just

as hard as they did. We made swings with tires and planks or boards too. Its a wonder that

we made anything work cause we sure did not know what we were doing.

On this one particular tree climbing experience, we would race to the tree to get the best

spot to sit down on.

Our next door neighbors, the Peterson's, had a tree in their front yard that was strong and

steady. The limbs on that tree were rather thick. I can't tell you what type of tree is was

but it bore large green leaves. Whoever got to the tree first would pick the best limb to

sit on because it could handle us kids for hours at a time.

The racing part actually came in handy when Richard Peterson's Doberman Pincher got out of

the back yard and chased us up the tree. That dog was almost as tall as I am now because it

seemed all I could see was paws and teeth as we climbed further up the tree. He must have

growled and barked at least ten minutes until Mrs Peterson came out and told her son to put

him back in side the gate.

To this day, I know I heard Richard under his breath say 'sic um'.

The tree in our yard was a Chinaberry.

The only things good about that was two fold. When the berries turned slightly red, we

would chew them up to get the ripeness from the juice and then spit them out. (We found out

later that they were not supposed to be eaten and that they could be toxic.) I can hear my

mother now saying "if you don't get them chinaberry's out of your mouth, you will wish you

had" or "If I have to tell you one more time" as her finger was shaking up and down

rapidly.

The other thing the berries were good for was to throw them on your unsuspecting friend and

the fight was on.

When the seasons turned and the Chinaberry's dropped on the ground and cluttered up the

yard, that was what I would call a "no good" thing.

All you could hear was muttering under the kids breath when they had to rake up all the

chinaberry's. Those berries did not stay in one spot when they fell either. Try taking the

chinaberry's off the bottom of your shoes...


Now the Tamarick Tree is another story: Someone named that particular piece of land

The Tamarick Inn

The older men used to sit under this huge tree on Buckeye Road on the Weekends. Most of

these men had spent their younger days in the clubs and to keep in contact with each other

in the their later years they met under the Tamerick Tree.

Most times the wives would give them a slab of ribs to bar-b-que while they were there and

bring it home in time for dinner. Well, the word got around that the pit was hot and others

starting bringing their meat. It was a small price to pay for them to fire up the grill

and make a couple bucks on the side. The next thing you know they had a table, a box of

Domino's, and a call for who has the winners.

These days, that same call happened on the home front with grills like these used by cousin

Roc in Texas when he threw everything from brats to chicken to slabs of ribs on the grill.

He also can be seen sitting next to a strong tree trunk showing off his Rough Rider helmet.

Some people take the plunge to a higher level by saying their vows in a tree: Take these

two people in Kansas found in 1900 by way of the Daily American Citizen Newspaper.

Happiness is truly what you make it.

In 1932 Mrs Mary Swanson posed for the camera for her birthday. She stated that she enjoyed

the beauty of trees. Personally I think she is a real beauty. It's remarkable looking at

this picture and knowing that she was once sold on the Auction Block.

Curious,I went to the 1920 census to see if I could find Mrs Swanson along with the

treasure trunk of leaves she may have started with a legacy rooted through-out her long

years. Here she is with daughter Winnie and son in law. (click on image for better view)

The 1925 Kansas Census shows Ms Swanson in the household with her daughter Winnie and son

in law Frank Maddox. Listed on line 3 her age is 85 born in Va but came to Kansas from

Alabama. (click on image for better view)

In 1930 Mrs Swanson is with son and family. She is a widow with 100 years attributed to

her by God's Grace. (click on image for better view)

And finally the tree where my ancestors are resting peacefully is situated at Little Flock

Cemetery in Navasota Texas under the shade of this beautiful tree. R.I.P.

--

Az Cards Draft Picks vs My Genealogy Draft Picks

The Arizona Cardinals 2012 Football Draft Picks Vs My Genealogy Picks As I Know And Want Them:

Now why in the world could this happen; I was minding my own business looking for ancestors on the computer when the 2012 Draft came on.

I was intense in my thoughts when my mind started to drift from one to another. The next thing I knew they announced the first pick for the Arizona Cardinals.

When I found out the pick was from out of Indiana my mind went to the time I was there a couple years ago. As the picks went, I started to weave and weave and weave.

These are my findings as strange as it seems to those who don't understand the mind of a genealogist. Chuckles to those whose minds are quirky like mine.

Football 1st selection: Michael Floyd: Notre Dame in Indiana: Home State W Va

Genealogy: My first teeth chattering experience was in Indiana at the National Black Genealogy Summit held in Ft Wayne.
My maternal 4th Gr Grandfather Joseph Tolbert according to the 1870 Harrison County Texas Census was from Indiana. Joseph was married to Lucy Tolbert the parents of my 3rd great grandmother Elizabeth.

Football 2nd selection: Jamell Fleming: Oklahoma: Home state Texas

Genealogy: Wright Cuney Daviss principal of Lincoln HS in Altus Oklahoma and avid Sooner was my uncle and my father Theodore's brother.
I also lived in Okla for a time.(WC aka Prof Daviss and I are Texans.

My search went to Creek County,Bristow Oklahoma where I found William E and lilaBelle Holmes who are the Gr-Grands of my daughter.

Football 3rd Selection: Bobby Massie: Ole Miss in Mississippi: Home state Va

Genealogy: Lydia Cooper Zephyr my paternal great aunt, daughter of Louis and Mary White Cooper married Isom Zephyr from Mississippi; (my genealogy buddy Selma Stewart swears by maps and says all roads lead to Va)

Football 4th Selection: Senio Kelemete: Univ of Washington: Home State Washington

Genealogy: Lloyd Williams son of Darling and Mary lived in Seattle and well as June Williams Petersen daughter of Frank and Zepher Williams who lived in Federal Way. The strong Williams lines are in San Jacinto County Texas by way of louisiana,Tennessee and Virginia.

Football 5th Selection: Justin Bethel: Presbyterian College South Carolina
Home State South Carolina

Genealogy: Augusta (Gusta)Spann Howard 2nd Gr-Grandmother and mother to Wade Spann was from South Carolina according to the 1870 Harrison County Texas census.

Football 6th Selection: Ryan Lindley: San Diego State: Home State California

Genealogy: I was married in Los Angeles at the home of Charlie and Lula Taylor. Charlie is the grandson of JP and Frances Dickerson Taylor of Harrison County Texas and the son of Charlie Louis and Elizabeth Stenson Taylor.

My daughter Latisha was also born in California as well as her cousins Trinya,Tracy,Anthony and Bryan.

Football 7th Selection: Nate Potter Boise State: Home State Idaho

Genealogy: I am thinking very hard about Boise.

I did not come up with a connection so when I take a trip to the Louvre after winning the lottery, I will leave a note at the statue Louvre,the Woman Thinker. After all she thinks harder than I do. I can tell that by the lack of clothes.

My Short View of Longview Texas Memories

I am getting more excited lately hearing that people in my genealogy world have made connections with cousins. Linked those cousins through research, and coupled it up when they took DNA tests.

One person by the name of Mel Collier, a wonderful researcher and author comes to mind as I think about the prospects of tying my ancestors to another ancestor as he has done.

Mel's second book is 150 Years Later; Broken Ties Mended.

Allie Jackson and one of my brothers matched up as DNA cousins on the site 23&Me through the Relative Finder portion. I just happen to manage my brothers account and since I am a big genealogy fan I was anxious to see where and who we match up to.

After conversing back and forth, Allie shared with me that her grandmother was born in Marshall Texas,the same place as my folks. Allie's grandmother was born a Carlisle. She also shared that she was going to Texas, visit relatives, and hopefully do some research at the courthouse. Allie's first stop would be Longview.

When thinking of Longview I have to think about my uncle Leslie and Aunt Beulah who lived at 445 So High Street. That address has stuck in my mind for eons of years. I am glad I remembered because that may help me locate them after finding the Enumeration Districts for the 1940 census when it comes out.

Someone told me he was my great uncle, and others say he is my grand uncle because he is my grandmothers brother. However,for the sake of me not scratching my head and running though looking for a multitude of charts I will stick to just plain uncle. Besides I never remember running up to him as a young child saying " Hi great Uncle Leslie" or "Grand Uncle Leslie, can I have this last cookie"...... nope sure didn't!

(this is one of the charts that explain relationships by Ellen Picard)


Leslie R Taylor son of Joseph and Francis Dickerson Taylor was born in Marshall Texas on February 11, 1911 and is buried in Marshall at the St. Johns Baptist Church Cemetery.
Here is a 1910 census in Harrison County showing Uncle Leslie as an 8 year old with his parents and other siblings. (click on image to enlarge.

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Justice Precinct 7, Harrison, Texas; Roll: T624_1561; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0058; Image: 1078; FHL microfilm: 1375574.
He was a minister and pastored at many churches throughout Texas. One comes to mind is a church in Longview by the name of Red Oak Baptist Church.


The same goes for Aunt Beulah his wife. Hmmmm, so since she was his second wife and Sally was his first wife, should I say Grand Aunt Sally 1 and Great Aunt Beulah 2.
The next thing you know their email account if they were alive would be GreatAunt1 at aol dot com or GrandUncle2 at yahoo dot net.
(why do I feel heat on the back of my neck as if I am going to trip over something that is not there?)

I wish I had a picture of Aunt Beulah who was born to the parents of Aaron and Sarah Caleb Mays Sr on October 15, 1905 in Sparta Louisiana. Aunt Beulah must have been visiting her daughter by a prior marriage in Houston Texas because that was where she expired. She is buried in Longview at the Grace Hill Cemetery.

I did find her as a 10 year old in the 1900 Gregg County Texas with her parents and siblings. Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Longview, Gregg, Texas; Roll: 1641; Page: 28B; Enumeration District: 32; FHL microfilm: 1241641.
Name Age
Aaron Mays 56
Sarah Mays 50
Walter Mays 29
John Mays 25
Aaron Mays 18
Willie Mays 16
Henry Mays 14
Daniel Mays 12
Beulah Mays 10
Linden Mays 8

*** I chose the index instead of the actual image because Aunt Beulah is on the second page of the census

My Longview Experience:

My Longview family Reverend Leslie R and Beulah Mays Taylor lived at 445 South High Street. I remember going to visit with my mother on several occasions when we went to Texas. They had a really nice piano in the living room. I remember thinking how dark that room was and the heavy dark velvet looking drapes were closed keeping out the sun light.


I wanted to tinker with the piano but I had it in my mind that I would need a flashlight to look at the keys and I was afraid to ask Aunt Beulah to open up her drapes.


After all her stance was enough for me not to ask. She seemed tall to me at the time and looking up at her I could see her with her arms crossed looking at me. Just waiting for me to touch something. But I fooled her, I kept my hands to myself.

Years later my mom and I went again to see Uncle Leslie. By then Aunt Beulah had passed away and he was living alone. There were apartments in the back of the house, and one of the tenants, a lady would clean and cook for him.

This particular time I looked out the back door and saw a huge billow of what looked like smoke coming from the lady's house. I ran out and saw that her front door was open and called out' Are you in here, Are you Okay". "In here", she called out. The room was filled with light foggy smoke. She came out into the front room, apron on and a big spoon in one hand and a egg turner in the other. She replied, "I'm fine, I was just in the kitchen cooking corn bread."

I went in that kitchen and that woman had the biggest platter of golden brown hot water corn bread I had ever seen in my life. And she wasn't through!
The smoke was coming from this huge black iron skillet as she was frying her bread. She must have felt my smoke filled eyes looking at the bread because she asked if I wanted to try one.
Greedy me said yes and that was the most delicious tasting bread that I have ever had.
As she was cooking she told me what and how to make them myself.


She bought over my uncles dinner which consisted of a plate of hot-water corn bread, collard greens, potato salad and some fried chicken. She also had a peach cobbler with the prettiest topping.


Over the years I have cooked hot-water cornbread but never perfected them the way she did. I tell myself that maybe its because I did not have a kitchen full of smoke and the iron skillet was nothing like the one she had. I also use Canola Oil, and back in the day they cooked with lard.


I wish I could remember her name and to this day I have tried to tap my memory bank. I would love to thank her and I know my kids would like to thank her also. In fact I think they believe they never get a full meal until I cook cornbread. Hot water that is! Yummy!!

Henderson's Everywhere: The Henderson Trail

Not to long ago my daughters next door neighbor Lorie, born a Henderson was driving through New Mexico when she encountered snowy conditions. They did not have snow tires on the car and was concerned about being stuck on the side of the road.

She sent a text and asked for our prayers that they get though the storm and home safely. They had earlier that day left Oklahoma from attending the Home-going Celebration of her aunt LaFay "Tootie" Henderson McClendon. R.I.P. Ms Tootie.


Not long after coming home, Lorie who was born a Henderson got more news that her uncle Walter Henderson had joined the ancestors. Man I thought, these things do happen and sometimes in Succession. In talking with Lorie, who was born a Henderson stated that her father and the rest of the family was doing well and that is what is important.

After reeling from that bit of news I went on my computer and happened to click on some pictures that I had stored. There was a picture on my mother Zepher, my grandmother Essie, and what do you know Mr Turner a good friend of the family. Mr Turner was Henderson Turner.

I smiled to myself and thought of the Henderson's. All last names and here I come up with a name from the past but this time it was a first name.


The next morning I got a call to do Lorie who was born a Henderson a favor and take her son Goobi to school. On the way back the sun was rising and had a terrible glare in my eyes. I pulled down the visor and attached to the visor was a button touting the Dave Henderson Family Reunion 2011.


Ok, this Henderson thing is grabbing my attention now. I thought about my grandmother and her Henderson neighbors she had told me about as a child in Marshall Texas. Of course these Henderson's are no relation to Lorie, who was born a Henderson but I will tell the story anyway.

My grandmother was living with me at age 95. She had the stages of dementia but even before then she was very closed mouth when it came to her family. Even though I was her grand-daughter she did not trust me either. It was like pulling teeth from her to get any information.

One rare time in talking to my grandmother, she mentioned the name of her best friend as a child growing up. Her name was Laura. She said that they both attended Freedom Enterprise School.

I later found out that the school was Friend Enterprise a Rosenwald School and that was also the community in which it was located.

Friend Enterprise School



She also stated that Ms Mandy Henderson, the best friends mother, was her mother Frances best friend

I found Ms Mandy living next door according to the 1920 Harrison Co Texas Census. Actually you had to go down the road and make a sharp left to another road (The Joe Taylor Road) then go back up even with the Henderson's back yard.

I wanted to find Ms Mandy in more than one census so that I could verify what I was told. (click to enlarge all census images)

Elbert and Amanda Henderson 1900 Harrison Co Texas Census



When I got to the 1880 census I found Amanda and her husband Elbert living next door to Phoebe and Dave Henderson. This was not the Dave Henderson whose button Lorie, born a Henderson, had attached to her sun visor. Dave was the father of Elbert and father in law of Ms Mandy.

Amanda,Elbert,David and Phoebe Henderson 1880 Census



Phoebe was the same person who was listed in the Slave Narratives I had looked at so often.

This is a picture of Phoebe Henderson. She appeared to me to be a strong black woman. She had to be,she was one hundred and five (105)at the time of the interview. She and her husband went through slavery and persevered.

Phoebe Henderson



There was mention of Phoebe living in the Enterprise Friendship Community, and this matches what my grandmother stated about the school she attended.

Narrative of Phoebe Henderson


I have enjoyed going down the Henderson trail in this mind of mine. I would hope that its a testament of things that can maybe help not only myself but others who may have a story to tell.

Phoebe's story was told a long time ago and now perhaps she can be recognized once again to many others known and unknown.

As to Lorie who was born a Henderson, she's cool and I bet she has more than a few Henderson stories to tell.






see link for the rest of the Born In Slavery Narratives:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/snhtml/

Aunt Ponnie And Me; Altus Okla Made Three

When I was a kid I used to listen to the poem starting with T'was The Night Before Christmas And All Through The House

Well let me tell you this was not the night before Christmas!!!!!

It was March and the night before the big Western dance at the Wm H Patterson Elks Lodge and I just got stood up!


Thinking fast, should I pick up the telephone and call or should I forget it.

I wanted to clear out my mind. No need in saying any bad words because that would make me more angry. I had never ever been stood up before.

The worse thing that I could remember happening to me was when that little boy who lived three doors down from us at the Lackland Air Force Base asked me to be his girlfriend. The next day after I said ok, he took my umbrella and broke it. I think he also quit me but I was so busy crying about my broken umbrella that I did not hear him.



The first thing would be is to stop looking at the clock. It seemed like all I heard was tic, tic tic, tic tic tic. Then, I need to get away from that dog-gone window. No reason to keep looking, Its not going to change anything one bit.Tic, tic, tic,tic, tic tic tic.



(I don't know what sound is worse the constant ticking or the buzzing of a fly that circles and circles all around your ear.)


My Aunt Ponnie used to say all the time,''Honey, haven't you heard that a watch pot never boils" I could hear her saying that now as I backed away from the window. I suddenly realized that my date was no longer important. That the realization should be on a person who had more of an impact on my life and that was Aunt Ponnie.

Although our time together was short, it was very meaningful to me. She kept me from being lonely when I missed my family back home, and she loved me as if I were her own.



Pauline was born November 30th 1899 to Joe and Nancy Cryor Mitchell in Hempstead County Arkansas. She grew up with two brothers Floyd and Wardell.

Here are two census records that reflect her and her family.

The first is a 1900 Census in Saline County Arkansas


The View:


Here is the 1910 census that depicts the brothers Floyd and Wardell Mitchell



The View:



Somewhere along the way Wardell ended up in Kansas City Kansas/Missouri area and Pauline and Floyd ended up in Altus Oklahoma. That's where I met her.



We spent hours and hours talking and laughing. Everyone called her Aunt Ponnie.
One thing about Aunt Ponnie was that she sure spoke her mind and 99.9 percent of the time it was the truth. She had her hands full with her grandson's Lawrence and Melvin who were just coming into their teens. Melvin was the outgoing one and Lawrence was more reserved.

I had driven down from Phoenix one year and stayed with them for about a month. I was on my way to Dallas but took a different route so that I could see them and also my Uncle Wright Cuney "Prof" Davis.

Every morning for about two weeks after getting up, I would go outside. The first thing that I saw was my car. It had been egged!


I was so upset. Number one because my car was egged and number two the paint on my car was being ruined. The boys Melvin and Lawrence and I tried to be look-outs for the culprits but to no avail.

Leave it to Aunt Ponnie, she found a way.

One night when everyone went to bed Aunt Ponnie got up, went to the refrigerator, took out all the eggs and carefully numbered them. She placed them back in the container upside down.


Well lo and behold the next morning, my car was egged. She called me and the boys in the living-room and told Melvin to get the eggs out of the refrigerator, and one by one read off the numbers. One number was missing.

Melvin confessed, saying that he was just playing pranks on me. All I could say was he had better be glad that he was not my child at that moment.

I think Melvin could not go out and play for about two days because he was put on punishment.
I asked Aunt Ponnie how she knew that it was Melvin. Well she said, " When it was lawrence's time to be the look-out, the next morning, no eggs!! When it was Melvin's turn, eggs !! That told me that one plus one equals two, so I got out the crayon."

Aunt Ponnie had a house with about four bedrooms. She rented out two of the rooms. One was to a soldier who was stationed at Altus Air Force base. His job on the base was a cook. So when he bought different things home from the base it was a welcome relief to Aunt Ponnie. There were big bags of flour and sugar, all kinds of fruits and veggies, spices and sweets.

One day I went over to her house and Aunt Ponnie was not really feeling that good. She was sitting on the couch and was a little out of breath. That did not stop her from puffing on those Pall Malls though. She asked me if I could finish cooking for her because her roomers would be home soon and that meals was a part of her contract with them.

Aunt Ponnie told me to look up under the cabinet and take out that big can of parsley that her roomer had bought home from the base and sprinkle some on the meat she was going to prepare.

I did so and opened the lid. Man oh man was I in for a shock. All I could smell was weed. That can was filled to the rim.

I was not a smoker of weed but being from the city I came from, I knew the smell.

I did not say a word to Aunt Ponnie. If I would have told her what she was unknowingly harboring I am sure her 65 years at that time would have been cut short by a heart attack.

Instead when the roomer soldier came home, I told him what I had found. He moved the next day. I think he may have told Aunt Ponnie that he was getting shipped out and had to leave for another assignment.

I learned several years later that he had been booted out of the service.

I moved back to Phoenix and called or wrote to Aunt Ponnie every chance I got.

One time she called me crying up a storm. She told me that someone was coming to take her refrigerator away and that she had to go to court. She begged me to come and go to the courthouse with her. Distraught, she said that she had no one else to go with her. Hating to hear that, I took time off my job, caught the bus and went back to Altus.

That following Monday we went down to the courthouse where we met with this lawyer who was in charge of her case. When he told me how much money her court case was over, I was too through. She was threatened with not only the loss of her refrigerator, but the threat that she could have her house taken away if she did not pay up.

They gave her a week or else.

She was in to them for a lousy eleven dollars. They had intimidated her with calls and threats that to her the eleven dollars seemed like eleven hundred dollars. I asked the lawyer what the total pay off was. With a smirk on his face, he told me thirty dollars which I promptly paid.

I asked him for a paid in full receipt and we left.

I know that Aunt Ponnie was relieved but she sure did try hard to get me to move back to Altus. God I loved that woman, but to live back there again, I just couldn't. Aunt Ponnie left this earth in 1979.......I drove down again for her home going celebration.

Rest In Peace Aunt Ponnie, Rest In Peace.