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Tag Archives: family
Family History Trip
I have long awaited a trip out west, to finally locate the graves of ancestors.
We first started in Arkansas after leaving Alabama. I was in search of the location for William H Pickens, 3rd great grandfather. Who, ironically, moved from Alabama headed west with family. The circle of life.
We managed to find the cemetery, just an hour or so before sundown. There was a beautiful church across the street. Calvary church. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery, Bradley Arkanas. We looked through the cemetery, so many markers were illegible. I only hoped I could find his, but, did not. Just as we were getting in the car to leave, I snapped this beautiful picture of the cemetery where he was laid to rest in 1860.
He died taking his family to a better life out west. Leaving his wife to carry onward alone, with seven children. Some I was able to locate on this trip and have recorded photos. Julia must have been an icredibly determined and strong woman to finish this journey. At the age of 37, she had these children in tow. Mary, james , Harvey, Leonidas, Jane , Josephine and William.
After leaving the cemetery , we headed west to visit some beautiful courthouses, and yes, more cemeteries!!
If you ever are in north Texas, yes, I know it is a big state. Please be sure to visit the courthouse of Hopkins County, in Sulphur Springs. I love courthouses and will photograph them in all the county seats I visit. This probably started on a trip I made to Georgia in 2012. Growing up in Florida, our architecture did not have a great deal of history. And knowing many courthouses had burned during the civil war and after, I knew I needed to record these beautiful structures when I could see them for myself. So, thereafter, I was hooked!
Hopkins county courthouse, so far, is the most beautiful. It was built from 1894-1895, comprised of sandstone and pink granite.
After visiting this lovely piece of history, onward a bit more north, to Honey Grove, Fannin County Texas. Here is where Julia A Pickens was buried. I had known the location of the cemetery. Knwoing the family history, I also knew she had children buried in the same location. We pulled up to the cemetery and did not know where to start. Divine intervention told my boyfriend David, to look to the right. I could not believe, we went directly to it.
This smile indicate just how happy I was to locate it so quickly. Leonidas, James and Josie were all buried with thier mother . A family that had true devotion to their mom, who had endured so much. I was truly thrilled to find this treasure.
Next up, another side of the family who married into Pickens. This plays into the story below of Alice LIndell Davidson, who married long lost James Harvey Pickens. Her mother was Mary Lumley Sullivan of the William Dunklin Sullivan family. She married Hiram Isaac Davidson, who was born in, ALABAMA! Once again, the circle of life. They married n 1875, Leon County Texas, she was just 16. They had ten children together , he died in 1926. I found info, that she later remarried. A widowed Mr Cearley. I have not found a valid record of marriage or a death certificate to authenticate this.
We located the four corners in Sanger, where her address was listed. I could not see but one house that could have belonged to her. I continued to search for information on a death certificate or marriage and still not luck.
She was buried with her first husband with whom she bore ten children.
Story below is long awaited satisfaction of a story untold.
James Harvey Pickens with Alice Lindell Davidosn, my grandfather Harvey Hershel and sister Velma Ruth , taken about 1908
My dad’s grandfather was never mentioned by his father. We only knew he left the family sometime before the trip to Florida. in Florida, my father was born to Harvey Hershel Pickens and Mamie Christine McCall. Harvey’s dad was married to Alice Lindell Davidson. See above picture. They were married in Texas. Years ago, I was able to locate their marriage certificate. It was here in this courthouse, I kind lady mailed me the certificate. It had never been picked up, so now, it is gracefully framed. A memory to them, a mystery to me.
Below is the visit to Hillside Cemetery in Purcell Oklahoma.
James Harvey is buried with his parents. Harvey H Pickens and Sarah F Smith . Their daughter married the local undertaker and they are all in one location in the cemetery. I had found the records of burial years ago, but, there is nothing as rewarding as the real visit. Tommie, the sister married B H Rackley, local man of Purcell Oklahoma.
We drove around the very small town to see where my great granfather may have lived, I had the last census record. Best we could tell, it was an apartment/ boarding house in town.
Brother in law BH Rackley
We visited several other location on this trip through Texas. Seeing a great deal of beautiful places and history.
Now, on to California!!
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PATIENTLY WAITING ON A RESPONSE
I late fall 2013, I attended my first DAR meeting. I met two ladies at McDonald’s one afternoon. They were planning the Good Citizen awards for the local chapter. They needed a calendar, I provided an iPhone. I had been listening for some time, and deduced from their discussion they were DAR members. We sat for a while and talked about local history and our ancestors.
In October of 2000, my Mom and I travelled to Pennsylvania to do some investigative work on her side. That would be the descendants of Alexander Ewing, Patriot. We went to several court houses on our travels, Butler county, Lawrence and Venango, all placed some had lived in the 1700-1800’s. We were able to locate his grave in Plain Grove cemetery in Lawrence county cemetery. It took quite a bit of walking too!
MY 4TH GREAT GRANDFATHER
I have been contacted by the local chapter director, I need a few more documents for authentication. I need to send my parents birth certificates and marriage record. That should be the final items to get my membership approved.
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MY FATHER’S LIFE A SCRAPBOOK HISTORY
Digital scrapbooking is really the way of the future. No more cutting, pasting, sticking slicing and choosing the right paper. This is all digital, and you can MAKE IT YOUR OWN. I have been working on a scrapbook for my dad the last couple of months. He is having memory issues, and I wanted to make something he could look at and maybe recount some good times throughout his life. I did a chronological story and added photos to go along with them. Different phases from childhood to marriage, military and good friends.
I have begun working as an Independent Publishing Consultant with Heritage Makers. You can make so many wonderful projects. Here are two pics of his album and a link to look a the rest of it. I hope he likes it.
If you are interested in making a similar project, or a story book such as I made my mom, please contact me. I can show you how with Heritage Makers. It is an easy system, no software to download. You simply go to their website, upload photos, store them in albums and ” Drag and Drop” them into a project. Add some embellishments and your own words, and that is it!!
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MY FAMILY TREE
I posted the template of the Family Tree on here the other day. Many people commented on the fact I posted it on Ancestry.com as well. A lot of likes. Was anyone interested in finding the HOW TO on it? On my site, it is template 93774 and 93775. It is an 8×20 canvas, but, you can easily make it a 11×14 poster to share with family.
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ON A SEARCH FOR DEATH RECORDS
I was happy to have in my mail on Wednesday, the death certificate for my great-grandfather, James Harvey Pickens. Here is a picture of James Harvey and family, about 1907.They were married in Cooke Texas 1900.
JAMES, HARVEY H , VIOLA RUTH AND ALICE LINDELL PICKENS
He was listed as divorced. His wife in Tampa Florida, was listed a s a widow. I do know he left the family somewhere between 1920 and 1930. Wife Alice, my grandfather Harvey H and siblings were in Tampa in 1930. We never knew what happened to James Harvey, except that he is buried with his parents Harvey H and Sarah F Smith Pickens in Hillside cemetery, Purcell Oklahoma. It was reassuring to see I had the right SMith family in the 1860’s in Oglethorpe county Georgia. James’ death certificate verified this.
James Harvey Pickens death certificate
The state of Oklahoma was unable to find the certificates for parents of James Harvey, but, I provided all the information I had , and resent it in hopes of success. James Harvey sister was Tommie Pickens who married undertaker B.H. Rackley. Someone of that family may know something too. I have also posted it to the Pickens and McClain county boards on Ancestry. I hope to put this family back together soon.
© FANNIESYOURAUNT
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DAVID JONES….BLIND MINISTER
I had always heard that my mom’s great-grandfather was a minister, and now , I have a photo of him and some colleagues. My mom’s cousin Mary was kind enough to go through some photos and found this one.
David Jones is on the far right, seated with the cane. The other fellows appear to have on clerical collars. I am guessing this is some sort of clerical meeting. It looks like a tent in the background. In all the census records I have found on David Jones, it lists him as blind. He was born in 1849 to William Jones and Mary Polly Boylan.  He was one of eight children, three brothers and four sisters. He names my great-grandmother after a sibling, Letitia. He married  Mary Catherine Steadman in about 1876 and were in the 1880 census living with David’s parents in Mercer county, Pennsylvania. In the 1860 census, the two families did not live a far distance from each other. He was still not a minister in 1870, so I assume it  was soon after he became ordained. I heard he was a traveling minister. In the 1870 census, the Jones family lived near Mary Catherine Steadman’s grandparents, the Boylans. Perhaps they met there, at a church social! They later moved to Venango county and then to Allegheny county. David E. Jones died in 1923 in the Mayfair community of Allegheny county. I have not found the death record or burial. I have also no record of his wife, or children except for my great-grandmother Ethel Letisia Jones. But, I have no idea where she obtained the information.
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HAPPY GRANDPARENTS DAY
I am not fortunate enough to still have my grandparents, but, as a tribute to both sets, here are photos of them.
Ruben and Blanche Ewing Dean, about 1940
Ruben and Blanche lived in Franklin Pennsylvania, where my mother Louise was born.When I was about 13, my other and I started visiting over the summer. Some of the best memories were going to their house on Myrtle  St. Baking with her, and walking around the town.
Harvey and Mamie McCall Pickens, about 1935
Harvey and Mamie first lived in Tampa, where I was born, and my father Hershel. We lived close to them, then we later moved to Bradenton, they soon followed. My memories are always of the beautiful lawn they had, cooking with Nana , in the vegetable garden with Papa picking the things he grew.Even later, even as I was a teen, visiting them was a joy. Most young people can not see the benefit of spending time with grandparents, I certainly did.
FANNIES YOUR AUNT 