How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey

I am still 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 am a bit behind on this prompt but I figure, I will just keep doing the best I can about getting these posts out there. I wish I knew as much about my 2nd great grandmother, Mary Jane Williams Harrison, as I know about her husband Thomas Duke Harrison . Someone out there in the cyber-universe may know something so that's why I wrote this post. Maybe my words might find them. First, let me tell you I had a bit of  luck with Mary, when the 1940 Federal Census was released. My ancestor was one of the people chosen to answer the supplementary questions. Here's a copy of the form: Source Information:  Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.  Source Citation: Year: 1940; Censu...

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 - Hairstyles Go on share your hairstyles over the years! Do you have regular hairdresser habits? Colour? Do you dye it? (your secret is safe with us!) Here's a collage of the different ways I've worn my hair over the years. This is not an all inclusive list of the styles I've worn but rather a good summation of my hair history.  For about a year and a half I've been wearing my hair in "Marley/Havana twists" that I do myself. 

Kids are having a blast this summer with swim lessons. They both can now swim better than me. I love this shot with the two of them and how my ladybug is stealing a glance back at me. 

West Street Graded School From "The Planet" 1915, Vol. 1 No. 1 Image courtesy of the New Bern-Craven Public Library I have to send a huge shout out and thanks to Victori Bass of the Griot Gram Family History Group on Facebook for coming up with the "Ole' School" blog challenge this month. The idea was to choose an ancestor and find out where they obtained their education. Well, by signing up for this challenge and researching information regarding the school where some of my Whitney and Harrison ancestors went to school in New Bern, NC, I made an amazing discovery. So you know I did some Googling and came across some helpful information. First, here's a little bit about the West Street Graded School that I found in an article that was written by Arabelle Bryant and was featured in the April 17, 2010 edition of the New Bern Sun Journal. Prior to 1905 there was a wooden structure on West Street which was the school for black students. This struc...

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 . Prompt 43: Emigration, Migration, and Immigration This week’s prompt is – Emigration, Migration, and Immigration Have you ever lived overseas from your place of birth? Would you want to? Could you? Did your ancestors or even a more recent generation? Do you feel akin to another Country from that in which you were born? If so have you found any ancestral links in your research that perhaps explains those feelings? As always share (or not) examples, photographs and perhaps events or rationale I have never lived overseas. I have to be honest, I don't really think I would want to. I would get too homesick. That's not to say that I wouldn't mind visiting someplace perhaps for two or three weeks.  My paternal grandfather, Harold Murrell, immigrated to the Un...

I love Ebay finds! While I was vacationing on Cape Cod a couple of weeks ago, I purchased these two photographs which show the city of New Bern, NC circa 1895. Many of my Harrison and Whitney ancestors would have seen these views. It's pretty cool being able to see the city as they would have seen it. There was a third photograph I wanted to purchase but unfortunately it went for way more than I wanted to spend. It was a picture of the Masonic Theater in New Bern from around 1895.  Oh well, at least I have these two. 

It's been awhile, but yes I am still 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 am a bit behind on this prompt but I figure, I will just keep doing the best I can about getting these posts out there. It's summertime and it's been challenging to carve out time during the day to blog. This particular post I have had sitting in my draft section in Blogger going on two weeks. Finally, I said to myself enough is enough. Let me just get this thing out there.  What did church mean for Thomas Duke Harrison? I have often wondered about this. What church means to me is spirituality and connection to those around me.  For him, it had to mean so much more though.  According to his death certificate, he was born December 25, 1880 but based on information provided on Thomas's marriage license to a Mar...