Charles, Ted And A Pocket Full Of Dimes

I remember one year that I went to Marshall to visit. I was not in high school at the time and loved going to Marshall.
Charles came by my aunt's house, picked me up and walked back to his house on Wilson Street.

Aunt Sedalia was there making hats and I of course was fascinated with that because she had several beautiful ones that she had finished.

All Charles  talked about was wanting me to stay in Marshall and go to school. I actually was fascinated by the thought of staying and going to H.B. Pemberton.

Charles took me to a football game that week-end where I fell in love with their marching band.

I was amazed with the way they danced and  marched to the tune of "Hit The Road Jack" a song that Ray Charles had sung.

We did not have that high speed marching band in Phoenix where I lived.

Speaking of songs:

 Charles took me to a cafe where we got a Dr Pepper and sat down at one of the booths . He reached in his pocket and pulled out a huge handful of dimes.

I don't remember if anyone else was in the cafe but I do remember that he put a whole lot of dimes in the Jukebox and played the same song over and over.

The song sung by Ted Taylor was called Be Ever Wonderful.

 I think cousin Charles thought he was Ted Taylor because he sang right along with it.  Not to mention they shared the same last name.😀

I was in awe of my cousin who was one of the most caring people persons in the world that I knew and one of the funniest who kept you laughing.

Over the years whenever I heard that song, I thought about Charles and  laughed about him having all those dimes just to play that song.

Be ever Wonderful, Stay as you are
Be ever Heavens, gift my guiding star
You are the only one who can break my heart
You are the only one who can tear us apart

I now believe that Charles was singing that song to an unknown love who came into his life years later in the form of Vivian Brown the love of his life.  I can say with certainty that he loved him some Vivian.
He stayed with me in Phoenix for a couple weeks and told me he was going to marry the girl of his dreams from Daingerfield.

Stay sweet and true
Be ever loving me as I love you
Darling please take my heart
Til the end of time

Well Cousin you are Heavens gift, and God's shining star. Those dimes, they are the twinkling stars that light up the night.  Rest well Cousin, rest well.

I Know Why The Caged Ants Sting!

I think I mentioned several years ago in a blog I wrote as well as telling others about my trip to Marshall Texas; My cousins Lorraine, Bernadine and Carol drove me up from Houston to go to St John’s Baptist Church Cemetery and for that I am eternally grateful. We had a fun ride, and the weather was really nice. 

I had identified the area where my great grandfather’s grave was supposed to be.  Right in back of the church near the fence I was told.  I went through the fence and walked to the other side of the cemetery until I spotted a headstone. Aha, as I bent over, this had to be it!  Faintly I saw Joseph Taylor etched in the stone.

I took out my camera and took a picture.

I looked over to the next headstone and wondered if that was my great grandmother Francis. The headstones were so faded and I had nothing to clean them with. They looked like old moldy grass and other elements over time.

I looked over to my left and saw two broken stones. 

Gosh, have I stumbled upon Mariah’s grave?????

I was swelling with emotion and stood there for a bit until I felt a tingling. Hmmm maybe in my excitement I was tingling from head to toe.

Then it hit me. I looked down and saw a dirt mound. Then another mound and what looked like a million ants. 

Now on to my ant drama!

They were everywhere………………Everywhere on both feet, all through my toes and traveling up my calves.

My feet were covered! I started to jump, stomp, slap and run……

Did I cuss? Oh yeah I did. You should have seen me, heard me and prayed for me. 

Those ants tore me up!!!

I guess I ran out of there so fast that the stings did not have time to turn into a hospital visit. My cousins I know felt sorry for me underneath their giggles.

Time to head out but I promised myself I would be back one day armed with boots, ant spray and something to clean the headstones with. 

When I left Texas I looked at the picture I had taken of the headstone. It was fuzzy and I could not make out the writing on it. I expanded the picture to see if I could get a glimpse but still nada.  I was rather sad and promised myself again that I would come back to Texas and take another picture.

Speed up the years:  The Ladies

A couple friends and I have a unique bond even though we are miles and miles apart. I was thinking about how the three of us are looking for our ancestors and jokingly we figure they are hiding out together and don’t want to be found. 

I have only found my elusive Mariah in the 1900 and 1910 census; Cecelia is looking for her Mozelle and Shelley, her Nellie.

I was thinking how we have been searching and searching and jotted down a few words that turned into a full blown half Ode, half poem and half plea.

Here is a short excerpt:

ODE A’LA Mariah, Mozelle and Nellie:

 Forget about setting music to this ode

The songs that are sung are pages we unfold

Gently taking care looking line by line

The rhymes we are settling for

Are taking its time

Mariah and Mozelle are Texan born we think

But are they?

No singing about the Yellow Rose

Nellie is on the run

Having fun

Catching up with Mariah and Mozelle

Down by the old Mill Stream

Or so it seems

The next day, I got an email from Lynda, my long time Mentor. I latched on to her years and years ago whether she approved or not. Her help and advice to me has been immeasurable.

Her email started, “I was just browsing some records in Harrison County and found a tombstone”   Whoa now wait a minute, a tombstone! Then a follow up email with Oops, I forgot the link!

When I clicked on that link I almost spilled every tear in the universe and made my own private ocean.

There plain as day was my elusive Mariah's tombstone. 

Mariah Taylor, wife of Lawrence Taylor

Born Dec 18, 1854

Died Jan 29, 1916

and also the tombstone of her husband Lawrence.

Lawrence Taylor

Illegible birth date and day of death

Year 1923 

Ok now I have Joseph my great grandfather’s tombstone. All I need is my great grandmothers.

So the first thing I did after composing myself is to look for Frances Dickerson Taylor and I would be complete.

I found it with a write up that I had written somewhere else but had not put it on this site. I had never ever seen this tombstone!

But my Jesus that was alright with me.

Looking on the page was another picture. Now wait a minute, there was another tombstone right next to hers. Who in the world could it be?

I tried several other Taylor’s until I clicked on Joseph’s name and there plain as day was the same tombstone as the other picture, along with a single one.

My great grandfather’s tombstone!

Holy Smokes, wait a second. Whose tombstone was that I have for Joseph? I swear when I took that picture years ago and clicked that camera it said Joseph Taylor.

That’s when I got attacked by the ants. I was in the wrong freaking spot.

You told me Mariah, you told me in your own unique way.  I forgive you for sic’ing the ants on me, and thanks for the nudge you gave Lynda to browse around.

Now, whose tombstone was that I was taking pictures of?

I do have a request though and I hope Mariah hears me.

Be gentle when I find you in the 1870 and 1880 Federal Census please. No more ant tricks and I promise I will only cry a small river.

Lucky Me, Lucky You, Lucky As Can Be!

I attended an event sponsored by the PBS Station in Arizona along with the Arizona Informant and others that showcased African Americans:  Many Rivers to Cross soon to be released in a six part series October 22 2013. 

I was fortunate to win in a raffle the two discs set by the same name, and as soon as it is ready I will receive it in the mail.

I posted on Face book what a good time I had. One of the comments I got was from Selma, a genealogy friend of mine via AfriGeneas, the mother of all the African American Genealogy sites.   She said,” Lucky you Vicky." !

I do agree with Selma, mainly because the luck I have been having lately is making it to the little room down the hall in time and my past track feats kicked in at an older age.  I am blessed though that I am getting up each and every morning. Thanks to God that I am wide eyed the entire day.  

Selma got me to thinking about " Lucky You"; I don’t know any You’s or Youse’s  but I sure know some Lucky’s, Luckey’s and Luckie’s.

In Phoenix I knew Charles Luckie, Gloria Lucky, and David Luckey

I went to school and also worked with David at Western Electric. 

All three of these people may have known each other and all three surnames were spelled different from each other.

I even have some lucky numbers; 123….635….524 and on and on and on. I just wish they would get lucky one of these days on the Pick 3

I am lucky to have forged long time friendships, some sight unseen, like Selma who unselfishly gives her genealogy wisdom to others and to Valencia King Nelson who is the rock of AfriGeneas.  Not to mention Arthur Thomas and Angela Walton Raji who I have met, and did not run in the other direction when they saw me grinning.

For the jazz enthusiast back in the swing era days, Lucky and his Mills Blue Rhythm Band entertained all over Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He was the toast of clubs like The Cotton Club and the Savoy. Joining up with the likes of Ella the great Fitzgerald , Bill Doggett and Dizzy Gillespie and others.

He later moved towards what they called Rhythm and Blues.  A couple of his songs were Shorty's Got to Go, Sweet Slumber and Waiting Just for you.

Oh,  did I mention he was born in Anniston, Alabama in 1910 as Luscious Leroy Millander. 

Luscious and Lucky!  Now how lucky is that combination. Judging by his picture he was quite a good looking man. 

My thought triggered by Selma:

In my research I came across a Lucky Singleton who was from Marshall Texas and lived not that far from my Ancestors. Lucky had a son Major Singleton who lived here in Phoenix and who also had a son he surely named after his father.                                                                                                           Unfortunately Major’s son passed away at the age of 15.

Then there was a Lucky Singleton Jr who married a Roberta Choyce from Marshall Texas. 

                 here is the excerpt of  Lucky Jr and Roberta Singleton  

Lucky, the senior’s un - lucky trip:

Lucky, the Senior, wife  and a few of his family members and neighbors  heard about a plan to go to Liberia for a fee of ten dollars down for each person and the rest within six months after arriving.

 According to the Sunday Edition on February 8^th 1880, The New York Daily Tribune had an article stating that a group of twenty one people arrived in New York.

 Among this group was lucky, his wife and two children, Augustus Singleton, Willie Daniels, Lemuel Manyweather, his wife and child, Lawson Silas, his wife and two children, and Thomas Larkins along with his wife and six children. 

Thomas Larkins actually got the idea of going to Liberia from his brother in law, a chap by the name of Mathews.  He had been in Liberia over two years and sent glowing reports home and suggested that they take the trip as well.  They were surprised when they got to New York that the person who was to have engineered the way from there was nowhere to be found. 

They ended up asking for assistance from the Charities of  Commissioners and Charities who sent them to the King County Alms House as paupers of the state.

They were very poorly nourished and without funds to take care of themselves.

 What terrible luck they were having:   

                                                                                                                       Larkins daughter was left in New Jersey because she had given birth and needed care. Larkins wife died of Pneumonia after they reached the Alms house. 

They were described as from the south, truthful but unsophisticated 

Harrison County Texas must have been a hot bed for emigrating to Liberia. Mathews has another brother who is very instrumental in recruiting people from there. Another group of thirty was supposed to leave from Marshall at   the end of February 1880 and another contingent in March of the same year.

Even though they told the reporter that they had no complaints from bad treatment from whites or lack of work, I find that hard to believe, especially in 1880.

They stated that Liberia was the Promised Land for them and others and wished for a new life in a new home.

After much ado and facts as the folks at the Alms House had given them, the party with much hesitation decided to return back to Marshall. The article does not say when lucky and his family returned to Marshall but they all were assured help getting back home instead of help to Liberia.

Lucky and his family made it back home to Texas where he and his family were seen listed in the 1900 census.

I can imagine for those who research and can’t find their families around this time, chances are, they may have been some of those who actually made it to what they called their promise land.

   

I would hope that Lucky, Mr Larkins and family found their true niche in Marshall Texas and perhaps they even knew my family.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

                                                                                             

Big Time Texan Sticking To The Story

Curses Foiled Again Or That's My Story And I'am Sticking To It

I had barely gotten to bed . The clock read 3:45 A.M. and only one eye felt drowsy enough to let me drift off.


With a start I jumped up, looked around and saw my daughter looking at me. My first question to her was, What time is it?

I had fallen asleep on the couch and she was sitting on the love seat reading the paper and sipping coffee. I keep saying "she" but my daughter's name is Latisha.

Anyway, she told me it was 9:30 A.M, took another sip of her coffee, and looked back down again at the paper.

Since I was still groggy I asked her if she had a pen. She reached down in her purse, pulled out a pen and tossed it to me.

I wrote down 147 then headed to the little room to get ready for the rest of the day.
I didn't want to seem so excited so I casually went to the computer, turned it on and waited for the AfriGeneas chat room to open.


Wondering If I made a mistake I went back to where I had placed the note that had the number 147 on it and expanded it to 149.

Finally, Art Thomas, Angela Walton Raji, Selma, Valencia, Seventies Soulchild and a few others came in. We started talking about topics like DNA, US Colored Troops, current research finds, All roads lead to Virginia with a few laughs thrown in.

I looked at the clock. Did I see a 145? Durn-it, I may have written down the number wrong again so back to my notes. I changed my number from 147 to 145.

After chat was over, I finally relaxed and went about my business of connecting my numbers to my jumbled thoughts. My jumping up out of my sleep was because of that number 147.

There was this book that I have by Vivian Lehman and Edith Smith called No Land,Only Slaves. Volume 4 Harrison, Hunt, and Kaufman County Texas. Deeds and conveyances are in in this particular book and I look at it quite often. This book was in my dream.


In my dream I saw the book opened and thrown out in the front yard all dirty and trampled on. This was not my front yard but a yard that was like a rolling hill with really green grass. I was heart broken and upset in this dream.


Looking around and screaming out, Who stole my book, Who in the ^%$^ stole my book?

I picked up the book and saw that half of the pages were torn out and the binding was ripped out in places.

Who tore out the pages in my book, I screamed!

I don't remember what happened next except there was a person who I had never seen before said something like " they left 147, see".


I looked down at the pages of the book,and that is when I woke up.


In my nervousness all I could think of at that point was Mariah, my elusive 3rd great grandmother. My brick wall Mariah, My Texas Wind Mariah, My Harrison County Grandmother the 3rd Mariah who loves to play jokes on me.

Was this the clue I had been looking for? Did I finally beat her at her own game? After all, I hear others say in this genealogy arena that the ancestors will speak to you when they are ready.

I started to stick out my chest because I now know that my dream was a sign. I am so Confident thatI think that was why I was taking my time to get my book and look at page 147.

It was quiet in the house as I slowly turned the page to 147.

The first thing I noticed when I turned the page was Book T. My heart started beating faster and faster because Mariah's last name was Taylor.
As I was scouring the pages there were no Mariah's that fit the bill. It was a good thing I expanded my page numbers because I read each and every entry up to page 149. I then went back down to page 145, then 144 all the way to page 140.

Nothing,zilch,nada which means I need another plan!

Now, I am looking at Book A : Starting with every H meaning Harrison County that has the number 140 - 149 in it until I get to the last book for this county.

Example:
Book A Har 145 2 Jan 1838 Hughes, Isaac of Johnson County Ark to his sister-in-law Kerzia Mason of Pope County Ark. Gift. Buck, m, 45; Hannah,F,45* for my love and affection. Wit. Walker,William and Rogers, Jacob of Johnson Co. ARK. Justice of the Peace for Johnson Co. Ark: Powers, Thomas (* Book A, Pages 162-163 Clarksville, Johnson Co. Ark)

Now that my eyes are tired and I need to take a break, I think I will bake some muffins. I just have to remember not to eat them all up in one sitting. Yummy!!


Next time I will go buy me a pick three lottery ticket, number 147.

Mondays Madness: Teshan Young, A Texas Turmoil For Me

I first became interested in Ms Young and her family when I saw that there was a Ida Dickerson listed in the household on the Harrison County Texas Census. I went on a search looking for who this Ida was because my great grandfather Charlie Dickerson/Dixon had a daughter named Ida. So the best way to do that was to see if I could follow the Youngs in case this would lead to a tie.
The next thing I came across was a Texas Slave Narrative where I found Ms Young. Here is a snip-it of that narrative:

Teshan Young , 86, was born a slave to Easkner Scott , who owned a plantation in Harrison County, Texas, and had over one hundred slaves, Teshaw married Moses Young in 1867 and lived near her old home until 1916, when she moved to Fort Worth. She lives in a negro settlement on the catskirts of Stop Six, a suburb of Fort Worth.

The rest of the narrative can be found listed here:

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ewyatt/_borders/Texas%20Slave%20Narratives/Texas%20Y/Young,%20Thesan.html

I then went in searching again and found a Death Certificate for Ms Young. The cause of her death caused my heart to sink. She died in a house fire!


I am now trying to find a newspaper article that may give more insite to what may have caused the fire and perhaps have some mention of the great aunt Ida Dickerson Anderson.

Wordless Wednesday: Wade Spann of Marshall Texas

Wade Spann born around 1849 somewhere in Alabama shows up in Marshall Texas when he registers to vote in 1867 according to the Harrison County Texas Voter Roll. He married Jane Norris. They were the parents of ten(10)children, one being my great grandmother Sallie Spann Burks.