The Book Of Me: Prompt 14 Special People --Dinner Party

Image courtesy of Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For details about The Book Of Me, Written By You project created by Julie Goucher, of the Anglers Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html

This week’s prompt is – Special People and is a follow on from last week.

If you had to hold a dinner party and could invite a maximum of 12 special people who would you invite?
           
You CAN include family in this time. Perhaps they are ancestors you have never met or people that you know/knew

What meals would you serve and why.

Perhaps include the recipe or a photo if you decided to actually cook the items!


Okay, so now that I can invite family to this dinner party, it is on!

Let's start with Bryant family line.

I would invite my maternal grandmother's brothers since I never knew them. I grew up with my grandmother's sisters and saw them often as a child. I loved watching the interaction that would take place when they all were in the same room.


Loris, my grandmother Mary, Rosa, and Eloise

I have often wondered if that same magic existed between my grandmother Mary's brothers. 

Ray, Linwood, and Frank

It was probably a different dynamic between them since Frank grew up in the house next door with their grandmother. He referred to my great great grandmother Rosa Jones as "Momma."

I would love for their mother, my great grandmother Ophelia Jones Bryant to attend this dinner. After all, her picture is what inspired me to begin this genealogy journey in the first place.


My maternal great grandmother Ophelia Jones Bryant 
with my grandmother Mary in her lap.
Ophelia Jones Bryant (b. 1894--d.1939)

I would invite Ophelia's mother Rosa Mitchell Jones too. I would want to see the mannerisms of these two ladies in the flesh. What was the relationship like between them?

My great great grandmother Rosa Mitchell Jones
(b.1861--d.1931)

That brings me to Rosa's parents Mortimer Mitchell and Annie Taylor Mitchell. This is where the trail ends with my Mitchell family branch. I would like to know what my 3rd great grandparents looked like of course. I know that they settled in Riverdale, NC after the Civil War and that they lived out the rest of their lives there. What did they know of those who came before them?

With Rosa Mitchell Jones coming to the party then I would think it would only be fair to include her husband Alexander Hamilton Jones. This way I could see what facial features their daughter Ophelia received from each parent.

There's a couple more from my mother's side of the family that I would invite and it is for the same reasons that I invited Mortimer and Annie Mitchell. I want to know more about those who came before them.  

Thomas Whitney and Margaret Merritt Whitney of Lake Comfort, Hyde, NC would be attending.They were the grandparents of my great grandmother Carrie Whitney Harrison.  

Up to eight so far.  The other four would definitely be from my father's side of the family.

I would invite my paternal great grandmother Ella Carr/Smith/Dixon or whatever her true name was. She was the mother of my grandmother Ethel Smith Murrell.  So many questions I would have for her because I don't know much about her at all. Most importantly, what became of her. When did she die and where she was layed to rest?  Was she running away from something or someone? Or perhaps it was her own demons? We would have a big chat me and her.

So with three invites left I think I would choose my grandfather Harold Murrell and his parents, Frederica Augusta Inniss and George Murrell. My grandfather and his family were from St. Philip Parish, Barbados, so access to records has not been easy. As a child, I never asked my grandfather what it was like growing up in Marley Vale, the little area in which his family resided. Oh how I have regretted that so much as the years have gone by but you know how it is. Children weren't suppose to ask questions such as that to their elders. Plus, to be honest it wasn't in my head at the time. I was much more interested in playing checkers with grandpa or showing him the pictures I had just drawn. Those things too were important so I won't beat myself up too much. 

Harold Murrell --my paternal grandfather.
(b.1903--d.1996)

Some of the questions I would ask:

1) What's your earliest memory?
2) What's your favorite thing to do in your spare time?
3) What's your happiest memory? Saddest?
4) How would you describe your parents?
5) How would you answer the question, "Who are you?"

For the meal, I would like to cook something with Ophelia and Rosa. What a kick that would be to work side by side with my great great grandmother and my great grandmother. They could pick their favorites and I would gladly take direction from them. 

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