It's been one of those amazing weeks! New cousin connections popping up left and right. Kind of leaving me in a state of wonder. Where is this genealogy journey going to take me to next? 

If you weren't aware of it, Ancestry.com has released a new collection, U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index 1936--2007. Check out the Ancestry blog here  for more details. I was checking to see if I could learn anything new about some of my Morehead City, NC ancestors and found a wonderful detail that had eluded me until now. My great grandmother Ophelia Jones Bryant, I've written about quite a bit on this blog. Her photograph is what inspired me to learn more about my ancestors. Anyway, there's this thing that had been bothering me for a long time that I did not know about her. Image courtesy of Ancestry.com "T" was all I knew of Ophelia's middle name.  Until now... Image courtesy of Ancestry.com Her middle name was Thomson/Thompson! What's cool about this find is that I know now why my grand aunt Eloise Thompson Bryant Grigsby's middle name was Thompson. I then asked myself the question, why did Rosa Mitchel

Amy Johnson Crow, the author of the blog No Story Too Small, is the host of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blog Prompt series. If you are not familiar with the project please click on the following link:   Announcing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition. Week 29 (July 16-22) – Musical: There seems to be a musician in every family. Who is the one in yours? Don’t have a musician? Which ancestor has a lyrical name or reminds you of a song? Frank Mitchell Bryant was the eldest child of my great grandparents Frank L. Bryant and Ophelia Jones Bryant of Morehead City, NC. He was born on March 6, 1912.  Music played an important role in the lives of my Bryant and Jones ancestors. It brought the family together. The piano was the instrument of choice for most who lived at my maternal great grandparent's home at 1400 Fisher Street in Morehead City. In my post, "Where is Church? I say it is in the Heart," I wrote about an "A-ha moment" I had when I realized wher

You could say I am a bit late getting these out. We visited Cape Cod at the end of June and here are some more pictures from that trip. I love beach photos. They always put me in a happy place. My son loves getting buried in sand. Just look at that smiling face.

Amy Johnson Crow, the author of the blog No Story Too Small, is the host of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Blog Prompt series. If you are not familiar with the project please click on the following link:    Announcing 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: 2015 Edition. Lovie Ann Jones Watson was my maternal great grand aunt.  She was born in Morehead City, NC with her birth date being most likely January 14, 1883. Based on the records I've found thus far, she appears to have been the eldest child of my great grandparents Alexander Hamilton Jones and Rosa Mitchell Jones.   Here's Lovie listed with her family in the 1900 Federal Census. Source Information Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line].  Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Source Citation Year: 1900;  Census Place: Morehead, Carteret, North Carolina; Roll: 1186; Page: 14A;  Enumeration District: 0022; FHL microfilm: 1241186 Lovie's two younger sisters Mary Jo

On my last post, I featured a few of the pictures I took while visiting Marconi Beach on Cape Cod. If you missed that post, here's the link:   Wordless Wednesday: Cape Cod 2015 Pictures --Marconi Beach . Here's a few more pictures that were taken on the same day as the others.  If you look carefully you'll see a couple quite possibly a woman and a man walking in the distance. They gradually emerge from the mist. This is how I view my ancestors who I have yet to discover. They are out there waiting in the mist. They are waiting for me to find them and to acknowledge them. I think they wish to catch a glimpse of me as well. They want to know that their struggle was not in vain.

It definitely wasn't a day for swimming but it was a beautiful day to be on the beach. Kids had fun getting their feet wet and digging in the sand. I love observing them, the scenery, and everything in between. These pictures were taken at Marconi Beach on Cape Cod. The waves were pretty crazy that day. Angry seas...happy man.

If you missed parts one and two, here are the links:   52 Ancestors 2015 Edition: #26 Sylvia Sheppard Bryant's Story --Part one Sylvia Sheppard Bryant's Story --Part two: A Father Did The Best He Could. I left off on part two mentioning that I believe Ethel French had quite the impact on my step grandmother Sylvia Sheppard's life. I came across the picture I have featured above and could imagine that little girl who had recently lost her mother writing something like this for the woman who took her in.  A young girl needs a mother figure. She needs someone to emulate. Well, Sylvia Sheppard went on to become a school teacher when she grew up. I think she was inspired by someone truly special. That person was Ethel French. What a surprise to come across an article such as this. The Free Lance Star, July 13, 1979, Pg 19. Did you happen to catch Mrs. Ora Churchill's memory of Ethel French. "She recalls that Mrs. French