How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey

Yesterday was one of those days when you get a surprise and you are just floored and excited all at the same time. I was having my morning coffee and checking into Facebook, reading my news feed when I noticed I had a new friend request. I didn't recognize the name but noticed we had a friend in common and they were from North Carolina so I accepted his request. A couple of minutes go by and then. Bam! There it was. I gasped and my hand went to cover my mouth as I stared in awe at two wonderful faces. Faces I've waited so long to see and there they were. There they were! These ladies were two of the children of David Sampson and Mary Jane Mitchell Sampson. This is how I am connected to them. My 2nd great grandmother Rosa Mitchell Jones was their mother's sister. I have to send out a huge thanks to a gentleman by the name of Michael Grushinski who had this wonderful picture of my 1st cousins 3x removed.  Thank you for sharing your memories of them with me. This picture ...

Lisa Alzo of the blog  The Accidental Genealogist  is back for the fifth year in a row with her list of 31 blogging prompts to celebrate the "fearless females" in our family trees in honor of Women's History Month. If you are not familiar with Lisa's blog or her prompts be sure to click on the link. March 29 — Create a free Fold3 Memorial Page or a Genealogy Trading Card at Big Huge Labs for a female ancestor. Some of you may have created your own card back in September 2009 following Sheri Fenley’s post over at The Educated Genealogist. This time, the card is for your female ancestor. Tell us about who you’ve selected and why and then post a link to what you’ve created. Last year I created a Genealogy Trading Card for this lady's daughter, Ophelia Bryant . I felt it only fitting to make one for Rosa Mitchell Jones, especially since I just did a post on her this past week. If you missed that post, here's the link:  52 Ancestors: #9 --Rosa Mitchell Jones . ...

It's been awhile since I've done a Something About Me Saturday  post so I thought I would put one out there. This whole motherhood thing has a way of making time fly. Today, I did a little reminiscing. I found an album that a lovely lady who used to watch my kids made. Initially, "Ms. Betsy" was my son's pre-school teacher when he was three. The summer before my son started kindergarten, Ms. Betsy was such a wonderful help. She watched my kids for me for part of the day so I could run my mommy errands and get a break. At the end of that summer she surprised me with a small album of photos. It amazes me how much they have grown since these pictures were taken.  November 2013

I am participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge put forth by Amy Johnson Crow of the blog  No Story Too Small . If you aren't familiar with the challenge be sure to check out her blog. When I think of my 2nd great grandmother Rosa Mitchell Jones, the Nike slogan, "Just do it," comes to mind.  I believe she was someone who if she put her mind towards doing something, she did it. I think that early on Rosa had big dreams. I think she wanted something different from what her parents had. She wanted to be out of the woods and near the ocean. Her ambitious spirit was longing to see more sky. I think she may have also had an eye for nice things. She would need to go where there was opportunity.  As soon as she knew of the place, I bet she had eyes on Morehead City. That would be the place where she would create her new life. Rosa Mitchell was born sometime around 1860 or 1861 to a Mortimer Mitchell and Annie Taylor of Riverdale, North Carolina. R...

Image courtesy of  ammer Stock Image - image ID: 100166798  / FreeDigitalPhotos.net If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html . This week's prompt is - Cars and Transport Did you have a car in your family while you were growing up? What methods of transport were there? And what did you & your family typically use? Your Driving Test Where Did you learn? - Can you drive? Your first car? Your Favourite Car? Do you name your cars? Can you remember the registration details?  1) Did you have a car in your family while you were growing up? Yes, our family had a car while I was growing up. I remember vaguely, my parent's first car. It was an early 1970's gold two door Chevrolet Impala. I remember being fascinated with the fact it only had two doors and that you had to fold the front seat fo...

Okay, I am an idiot because I should have realized this sooner. What's this you may ask? The this I am talking about is that I am old enough to have a grown-ass child! Why didn't I realize this sooner? I actually had this realization about a month ago when I was shopping at the grocery store. While I was waiting on line to pay, my ears couldn't help but pick up on the conversation taking place in front of me. A very nice older woman (well...older than I) was talking with the cashier.  The cashier looked to me to be about college-aged and as the two were chatting away about the day's events it soon came out that in fact, she was 19. She's adorable, petite, brown hair with big innocent eyes talking about how she'll speak to anyone. She was just brought up that way. Young or old it didn't matter. She found people interesting and liked to know what was on their minds. Well anyway, this sweet cashier continued talking and I am looking at her and that's ...

I am participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge put forth by Amy Johnson Crow of the blog  No Story Too Small .  If you aren't familiar with the challenge be sure to check out her blog. This week's post is regarding my maternal 2nd great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton Jones. He was one of the 6 children of  Cesar Jones  and  Mary H Mitchel Jones . Born in Swansboro, Onslow County, NC on or about March 5, 1852, he moved with the other members of the Jones family to Morehead City, NC by 1880. Although, I haven't been able to locate the family group on the 1870 Federal Census, I suspect that the Jones clan was living in or around the Riverdale, North Carolina area during this time.  This suspicion is based on the fact that he went on to marry my 2nd great grandmother Rosa Mitchell of that town on June 4, 1880.  "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/...

Vadnie Randolph Sutton Harrison (March 17, 1924--January 27, 1998) Happy Birthday in Heaven Grandma! You can read more about my grandma Vadnie on the following posts: And Then...That Was When I Felt It Thankful Thursday: My Step-Grandmother --Vadnie Harrison Not So Wordless Wednesday: Their Hero Killed In Action In Korea

First flight, 120 feet in 12 seconds, 10:35 a.m.; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina,  First flight, December 17, 1903 Image courtesy of the Library of Congress. If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html This week's prompt is - Technology What technology changes did your ancestors see? What technology changes have you seen? Did your family own one of those early changes? - such as television Do you like or dislike technology? What do you think has been the best technological change in your lifetime and historically? What technology changes did your ancestors see? So much has changed in regards to technology through the years that it seems almost impossible to talk about it all. I am going to use my paternal grandfather Harold Murrell as an example for this exercise. He was born on August 16, 1903 in...

On my post,  The Book Of Me: Prompt 23 --Memory Board , I shared my first virtual memory board that featured my ancestors with ties to Morehead City, NC.  Last night while watching TV with the family I made this one which channels my Murrell family line. (Left to right  -Top row:  Me and my paternal grandmother, Ethel Smith Murrell, My dad's sister Janice Murrell and my dad, pair of cats that used to sit on the fireplace mantle at my grandparents house, my grandma again with my brother. 2nd row:  My brother and my paternal grandpa, Harold Murrell, aunt Janice and my dad, my grandparents on their wedding day, them again a bit older, Janice and dad again.  Bottom row:  Harold Murrell with his brother Rupert Murrell, Me, my dad and my brother sitting together at our house in Cambria Heights, My grandpa Harold with aunt Janice as a baby, grandpa again dressed in a suit, father and son (grandpa and dad), grandma Ethel and me as a baby.) What do ...

Janice Murrell when she was about 7 years old. Janice was my aunt and father's sister. What a cutie!

I am participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge put forth by Amy Johnson Crow of the blog  No Story Too Small . If you aren't familiar with the challenge be sure to check out her blog. This week I've decided to continue on with my Jones family line and do a post on my 3rd great grandmother, Mary H Mitchel Jones. I remember the first time I ever came across her name was on the death certificate for her son, my 2nd great grandfather, Alexander Hamilton Jones.  What a great moment to have at last a name. I wanted her to grow and become so much more to me, so I continued digging. Source Information:   Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Death Certificates, 1909-1975 [database on-line].  Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. I have often wondered if this entry from the North Carolina County Marriage Index is for my 3rd great grandparents. Source Information:   Ancestry.com. North Carolina, Marriage Collection, 1741-2004 ...

**This post was originally featured here on this blog on March 11, 2013. Lisa Alzo of the blog  The Accidental Genealogist  is back for the fifth year in a row with her list of 31 blogging prompts to celebrate the "fearless females" in our family trees in honor of Women's History Month. If you are not familiar with Lisa's blog or her prompts be sure to click on the link. March 11 — Did you have any female ancestors who died young or from tragic or unexpected circumstances? Describe and how did this affect the family? Ophelia Jones Bryant November 20, 1894--February 20, 1939 Age at time of death:  44 Carrie Whitney Harrison October 11, 1897--August 1, 1939 Age when she died:  41 Both of my maternal great grandmothers died before my mother was born so sadly she didn't get the opportunity to know them. When they passed away, they left children who still needed rearing. The ages of Ophelia Bryant's three youngest were 16, 13, and 11....

If you are not familiar with this wonderful project that was created by Julie Goucher of the Angler's Rest blog, please refer to this link: http://www.anglers-rest.net/book-of-me-written-by-you.html . This week’s prompt is Love Love comes in varying shapes and sizes I love you I love ice cream I love the smell of rain, Spring, toast I love my (insert your family member, pet etc) There is no right or wrong way to love….or is there? Define what love means to you. This week's prompt I've decided to tackle by just letting my mind babble out what first comes to mind when I think of love. What does love mean to you? Love is what makes this thing called life all worth it.  It's the glue that keeps families together. It's what a mother feels as she smells the top of her newborn baby's head. It's the hug and comfort a crying child needs. It's roses presented to the man or woman you love. It's a declaration. It's devotion. It'...

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Yesterday was one of those days for me when simply there's just not enough time in the day to get everything you want done accomplished. So here we go folks with Wedding Wednesday on Thursday!  (Smile) Last year I shared on my post called  Fearless Females --Marriage Records --Ethel Smith and Harold Murrell , a little about the wedding of my paternal grandparents. When I wrote that piece, I had not obtained yet a copy of their marriage record from the New York City Department of Records/Municipal Archives.  Well this past December I decided to remedy this and sent off a request for the document. Guess what came in the mail last week? That's right and I found a nice surprise when I opened the envelope. (front) (back) I learned from my father a few years ago that Adam Clayton Powell Sr. had married his parents Harold Murrell and Ethel Smith at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, N...

Cesar Jones (Born about 1814--1821--died August 14, 1899) My 3rd great grandfather Bayview Cemetery, Morehead City, NC I am participating in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge put forth by Amy Johnson Crow of the blog  No Story Too Small . If you aren't familiar with the challenge be sure to check out her blog. I've decided for this week to highlight a different branch of my family tree. This ancestor is from Jones family line. His name was Cesar Jones and he was my 3rd great grandfather. This is what I know of his life. From the 1880 Federal Census it was noted that he was born in Onslow County, North Carolina sometime around 1814.   According to his son Alexander Hamilton Jones's death certificate he was born in Swansboro. I believe he was a slave of one of the wealthy Jones families, of that county prior to the Civil War.   Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-l...

Lisa Alzo of the blog  The Accidental Genealogist  is back for the fifth year in a row with her list of 31 blogging prompts to celebrate the "fearless females" in our family trees in honor of Women's History Month. If you are not familiar with Lisa's blog or her prompts be sure to click on the link. March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you've come across in your family tree. I don't share a first name with any of my female ancestors. At least that's what it looks like as of now. The name Andrea was just a name that both my parents liked. On my family tree there are a couple of woman who have unique first names. Two in particular stand out in my head.  The first name that I think of as being a bit unusual would be my the name of my maternal 2nd gr...