Reflections as I View My Ancestral Painting From 23AndMe

Well, there it is. 

My ancestral painting as reflected by the DNA company 23AndMe.com It is an image reflecting a geographic and ethnic source from which my 23 chromosomes are from.

The green segments reflect African sources, the blue segments reflect European and the orange segments reflect Asian/Native American.  (Note---since DNA companies do not distinguish Asian DNA markers from Native American markers it should be understood that the "Asian" in my case is most likely Native, especially in light of my documented ties to the Choctaw Nation.)

The Percentages:

Geographic Origin of my DNA markers

When asked about how I feel about having the non-African markers----well I feel the same way I have always felt---like me! 

The European markers I knew were there and the Native (or Asian) markers I knew were also there--but I could have never said how much, and of course none of this provides names that would tell the stories that I want to hear.

I have tested with DNA companies before---African Ancestry, FamilyTreeDNA and the National Genographic Project.  I am fully aware of the ties to Nigeria on one line and to the ties to Guinea Bissau on another line. I am thrilled to know so much of this. 

Yet does this knowledge change me or my feelings about my ancestry?  Does this knowledge affect the way I review myself having non-African ancestry? Is there any closer sense of ties to the non-African side? Understanding that 30% of the markers that I have come from a non-African source is there a new feeling or an enlightened feeling about the past?

Actually, the non-African lines have been understood all along. As a descendant of many people who were enslaved  and as a descendant of women who were mixed who also had children that were fathered by men who were not of African ancestry is information that was known ahead of time and that has been documented, as well.

And the reality of slavery as it occurred in America, is what it is. It happened, and many families have histories similar to mine and have ancestors who have a similar past.

Now this information does confirm the likelihood that there were more than one, two or perhaps even three lines from whom these non-African lines come. 

But I already knew of two of these lines from my own documentation. Does this ancestral painting mean that there are more?  Perhaps so. And it makes the genealogical process more complex, no question.

But from a culturally and experiential perspective, I come form my mid 20th century life and experience, from an African American cultural context into which I was born and in which I live. I married into a family from Ghana and Nigeria, which makes my own life stories fascinating and richly seasoned with wonderful experiences.

All of the other lines--the documented Choctaw gr. gr. grandmother, Sallie and her mother who was  enslaved in the same Choctaw Nation community are as much of my history as my gr. gr. grandfather Patrick Drennan of Van Buren Arkansas, and his white father. And they are as much of my history as my slave ancestor Martha, born in the 1790s in Virginia, to an unknown African slave woman.  All of them are mine, 

And yes, this includes the Choctaw slave owner, the white slave owner, both of whom are also 3rd gr. grandfathers.  Like the many Africans who are part of my ancestral cirle--they all are part of who I am. And I face the world with a proud African American imprint from my life imprinted and put upon my by two wonderful and loving parents---and it is their strength and guidance with which I face the world.  

Now having this ancestral  painting to ad to my knowledge of self is a good thing. And yes, I might wonder as glance at my gr.grandmother, if I see her African mother or her Choctaw father. I look at my mother's image and wonder, if I am seeing an ancestral Fulani/Yoruba smile from the old  photos, or is there another ancestor from another line smiling through?  And other ancestors do make me wonder if there is some trait from the European ancestor as well showing through.  Does it change who I am inside and who I am as a person?  No.

I am glad to know just a little bit more through this ancestral painting, and now with that information, 

I can say that it is all good.  

It is who I am.

My Ancestors' Geneameme

Old Family Bible Belonging to my Gr. Grandfather Samuel Walton

I have decided to join the fun with a Geneameme. I saw a post on Twitter  where a number of genealogy bloggers are typing things about themselves by making 40 statements about their genealogy and their genealogical research. I am not sure who started the Geneameme but it looks like fun, so I decided to join in as well. And I decided to enhance my list a little bit with a few images.

The Ancestors' Geneameme:

The list has been annotated in the following manner:

Things I have already done or found: bold face type
Things I would like to do or find: italicize (colour optional)
Things I haven’t done or found and don’t care to: plain type-not bolded [Comments are placed in brackets after each item ]

Which of these apply to you?

1. Can name my 16 great-great-grandparents [Ok, I can't do that, but I can name six--all of whom were slaves in the early 1800s, so that's not bad.] 
2. Can name over 50 direct ancestors [Yes]
3. Have photographs or portraits of my 8 great-grandparents [Don't have 8, but I do have photos of 4 of them.]

L to R: Georgia Ann Houston Bass, Louis Mitchell Bass, Sallie Anchatubbe Walton, Samuel Walton

4. Have an ancestor who was married more than three times [Not more than three---but Gr. Grandpa Samuel Walton did make my gr. grandmother Sallie his third wife.]
5. Have an ancestor who was a bigamist [not found one yet]
6. Met all four of my grandparents [Only had my one grandparent--my dad's mother]
7. Met one or more of my great-grandparents [Yes, Sallie--we called her Nannie, was my heart.]
8. Named a child after an ancestor.
9. Bear an ancestor's given names.
10. Have an ancestor from Great Britain or Ireland [Well according to 23andMe DNA company, I have 25% European ancestry (who knew?) but the several 3rd to distant cousins showing up on the family finder appear to be quite German. (again---who knew?) ]

11. Have an ancestor from Asia [Well 23andMe DNA---says I have 8% Asian. But it is probably the native ancestor showing up as DNA companies do not make a distinction between Asian and Native Am.]

12. Have an ancestor from Continental Europe [According to 23andMe I do]

13. Have an ancestor from Africa [Indeed, and from Nigeria/Niger according to three DNA tests] 

14. Have an ancestor who had large land holdings [Gr. Grandpa Mitchell Bass and son Irving had over 200 acres of land in SW Arkansas.]

Land Patent of Irving Bass

15. Have an ancestor who was an agricultural laborer [doesn't everybody?]
16. Have an ancestor who was a holy man--minister, priest, rabbi. [Two gr. grandfathers Louis Mitchel Bass and Samuel Walton were both ministers]
17.Have an ancestor who was a midwife. (Sallie Walton was a midwife in Skullyville, Ind. Territory)
18.Have an ancestor who was an author.
19.Have an ancestor with the surname Smith, Murphy or Jones
20.Have an ancestor with the surname Wong, Kim, Suzuki or Ng (Not that I am aware of.)
21.Have an ancestor with a surname beginning with X (None)
22.Have an ancestor with a forename beginnining with Z [None]
23.Have an ancestor born on 25th December [But I was born 4 days after.]
24.Have an ancestor born on New Year's Day [none]
25.Have blue blood in your family lines [Not to my knowledge]
26. Have a parent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [No]
27. Have a grandparent who was born in a country different from my country of birth [Does the Choctaw Nation count? My Grandfather Samuel was born in Ind. Territory before Oklahoma statehood]
28. Can trace a direct family line back to the eighteenth century [Yes two were born in Virginia in the 1790s.]
29. Can trace a direct family line back to the seventeenth century or earlier [uh, no]
30. Have seen copies of the signatures of some of my great-grandparents [Gr. Grandpa Samuel, Gr. Gr. Uncle Sephus Bass, and several X signatures of others.]
31. Have ancestors who signed their marriage certificate with an X [Yes]
32. Have a grandparent or earlier ancestor who went to university. [Yes an ancestor who graduated from Meharry Medical College in 1878. Another who graduated from Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical & Normal in the 1890s.
33. Have an ancestor who was convicted of a criminal offence [Yes, Jackson Crow my g[r. gr. uncle was an outlaw from the Choctaw Nation, who was tried in front of Judge Parker -the hanging judge. Sigh... he lost his case.]

34. Have shared an ancestor's story online or in a magazine [Yes--See Finding Uncle Sephus]
35. Have an ancestor who was a victim of crime [Jackson Crow took the rap!]
36. Have published a family history online or in print [Black Indian Genealogy Research]
37. Have visited an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries [See:  In Honor of Patrick]
38. Still have an ancestor's home from the 19th or earlier centuries in the family [No]
39. Have a family bible from the 19th Century [Yes, I have Samuel Walton's Bible]

19th Century Family Bible

40. Have a pre-19th century family bible. (No)

Reflections on the 2011 AAHGS Conference, Little Rock Arkansas

Last week the 32nd Annual Conference of the African American Historical Genealogical Society took place in Little Rock Arkansas. The theme of the conference was "The Ties That Bind. Honoring Our Ancestors".

On Thursday evening, Mr. Charles Howard, national president opened the conference with the State of the Society Address.  He spoke to the current issues facing the organization and also announced that next year the conference will be taken to Greensboro, North Carolina. This is the first time the annual conference will convene in that state.

Charles Howard addresses AAHGS members at Annual Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Attendees, listening to State of Society Address

On Friday morning sessions got underway. There were also a number of exhibits and vendors on hand as well.

Among the Exhibitors were the Black History Commission of Arkansas

The Arkansas History Commission Display

Preservation of African American Cemeteries had an impressive Display

AfriGeneas Items on Display

I was excited to see a workshop that addressed the history of the US Colored Troops. Bob O'Connor author of the book, "The US Colored Troops at Andersonville Prison" gave an interesting presentation on the fate of the little known black soldiers imprisoned at the notorious civil war prison.

Bob O'Connor Spoke about Andersonville Prison and US Colored Troops

I was excited to attend a session on African American Memorabilia, presented by Archie Moore. This session interested me particularly because the items shared were from Arkansas.

Archive Moore Collection

Mr. Moore who also sits on the Arknasas Civil War Commission, is well known in Arkansas as a collector of African American historical artifacts.

Archie Moore introduced his Arkansas collection

His collection included Civil War documents, rare books and pamphlets and items used by well known Arkansas residents. He even shared with the group booklets describing persons no longer known in the area, but who had published books and were once well known in the community.

Of course, no conference is complete without the wonderful opportunities to meet old friends and make new friends.  Arkansas residents were on hand as were persons from California, Utah, Flordia, Minnesota, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC, and many more places.

Angela Walton-Raji (Maryland)  Dr. Patricia "M'Pata"McGraw (Arkansas), Callie Riser (Minnesota)

The author's luncheon's allowed participants to mingle as well as hear presentation by a number of selected authors.

Author's Luncheon

The closing banquet was enjoyed as a new AAHGS Chapter from Topeka Kansas received their charter, and awards were given to specific honorees.

The Topeka Kansas Chapter received its official charter at the closing banquet 

 

Charter for the  new Topeka Kansas Chapter

Alice Harris, President of the Central MD Chapter Received

the special President's Award

Special Thanks was given to Tamela Tenpenny-Lewis 

who was a key person in bringing the conference to Arkansas for a second time.

The conference ended smoothly, with new friendships formed, old friendships renewed and dozens left with new ideas and inspiration to get back to research projects with new vigor.  

Next year---all eyes will be on Greensboro, North Carolina.

In Memory of September 11th 2001

On that fateful day--we were all one America.

"The Help" From My Family Stories

Last week, I read the popular book, "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. My plans are to see the film in the next several days.  Although the story is fiction, I do appreciate the fact that the African American women in this novel were depicted as having feelings, emotions, and a sense of self.

The stories were realistic, because many families have women who at one time worked and toiled as "The Help". And of course, historically until the mid 1800s--we were "the help" with no recourse, or ability to leave if the situation was not pleasant.

However, I began to think of stories that I heard as a child, how the women in the family worked an struggled to contribute to the family and to assist their husbands with supporting their families.

In different generations stories abound--some of the stories simply addressed the long tedious hours in the homes of others, while their own children were not always so privileged to have their mother close by. One of my ancestors chose not to work in the homes of others, and she chose to take in laundry instead.

As a genealogist, of course I first ran into "the help" when I was looking for my gr. grandmother Harriet Young.  I knew she and her mother Amanda Young, lived in Ripley Mississippi.  I went looking for Harriet, her sister Violet and Amanda, and found them---but with a different surname---Barr.  After learning that Gr. Grandma Amanda remarried after the Civil War--- so, I went looking for her daughters Harriet and Violet Young (or Barr)  Sure enough, I found them---the were living as "The Help" in the home of Dr. John Murray of Riley Mississippi.

Year: 1870; Census Place: Ripley, Tippah, Mississippi; Roll: M593_750; Page: 151A; Image: 309; Family History Library Film: 552249

Harriet and her sister Violette were living in the Murry home in 1870 and were enumerated with them. In the Civil War deposition for her mother Amanda Young Barr, she mentioned that she lived away from her family and was hired out as a young girl.

From Civil War Deposition of Harriet Martin, daughter of Amanda Young Barr.

The Years in Ripley after the Civil War

Home of Dr. John Murry, Ripley, Mississipppi.

Image: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstippah/Falkners-Ripley.html

Harriet's mother was Amanda Young, who was a slave of Wm. Tandy Young. In 1864, her husband, Berry, as well as her father and son left the Tandy Young estate, right behind the Union troops, and she never saw any of them ever again. He went to join the Union Army with so many young men who seized their freedom. She waited, but Berry never came back. He died someplace on an unknown battlefield.

When her husband never returned, she remarried a man who had earlier been enslaved by James Giles.  Pleasant was his name--Pleasant Barr. Pleas had his own story of sorrow. He was originally from So. Carolina, and he was taken away from his loved ones, and taken to Ripley Mississippi, and would never see his wife or children again. (The recent book 150 Years Later by Melvin Collier describes the fateful day when Pleas stood on the wagon as his family disappeared from his sight. He had been sold to a man called Giles and was now on his way to Mississippi.)

 Amanda married Pleas after the Civil War and together they made a life in Ripley, now that freedom had brought some order into their lives, at last. Pleasant Barr joined other men and helped to establish a church--St. Paul's Methodist Church which still stands to this day. (But sadly, Pleas never got to see his family anymore in So. Carolina, where he once had a wife and children. This was the fate of so many who were enslaved--families ripped apart forever, upon the decision and sometimes whim of the owner.) In spite of the separation, from family and life with Giles, Pleas did choose not to retain the name of Giles after freedom. Clearly his identity was with Barr name for that was the only tie he had left to his family left behind.  Pleas died in the 1880s and Amanda had to work out of her home once again.

In the 1890s, Amanda also began her efforts to try to obtain a pension from her first husband Berry, who had joined the Union Army.  She gave many depositions in that process.  From one of her depositions I learned that after Pleas died, she worked as a cook for Col. Faulkner. I also learned where she and husband Pleas Barr lived in those years in Ripley.

Home of Col. Falkner, Ripley Mississippi, where Amanda worked and "never missed a day."

Source of Photo: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstippah/Falkners-Ripley.html

Home of R.J. Thurmond, where Amanda also lived, presumably as"the help"

Source of image: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mstippah/Falkners-Ripley.html

20th Century

Viola Wynn, Daughter of Harriet, Granddaughter of Amanda Young Barr

Harriet Young married Council Martin and they moved to Arkansas from Ripley.  Viola was Harriet's daughter, and she also had to work. She however, preferred not to do day's work in the homes of others, but she "took in" laundry where she washed and ironed clothes and then returned the fresh clothes back to the homes of her employers.  She wanted to avoid some of the situations in which others in Little Rock had to endure working in homes away from their own families. She would be the last in that line to work as a domestic worker.

A Pleasant Story

Susan Bass Clardy, of Phoenix Arizona

On a different side of the family, a distant cousin, Susan Bass Clardy worked as "The Help" for the Robb family of Phoenix, Arizona. She helped to raise Charles Robb, until he was 8 years old. Thankfully, her experience was a positive one, and she had very strong feelings for the Robbs, and this feeling was also shared by them towards her. She was treated with respect and dignity and she spoke with strong feelings about the Robb family continually.

A highlight for her occurred in 1967, when she was invited to be among 500 guests at the White House for the wedding of Lynda Byrd Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, to Charles R. Robb. The Robb family wanted her to be there, when their son Charles married, and she accepted their invitation to attend.  I was a child at the time, but I remember when our family got phone calls from cousins in Arizona, because cousin Susie was going to be on the evening news. Sure enough, she was interviewed and had her 5 minutes of fame on national television!

Since this story did get the attention of the media, even briefly, it was suggested that I see if she was mentioned in the black press. So, of course I had to check the one weekly publication that might mention her experience--- I decided to see if there was a mention in Jet Magazine.  For decades Jet has covered news events of interest to the black community. So, I pulled up some back issues on GoogleBooks, from 1967, and sure enough Cousin Susie was mentioned!  On the December 28 issue of Jet her trip to Washington was mentioned.

Jet Magazine, December 28, 1967, page 38

After reading The Help I am appreciative of the fact that the women were treated with dignity, and as persons with thoughts, feelings and lives.  So many domestic workers, cooks, maids, suffered many indignities and they had no choice but to endure them. Thankfully, those in my family did what they did to survive, and they worked hard at what they did so that generations that followed had lives with more choices.

I am glad that the stories about these women and what they  endured are being told.  They bear the shoulders upon whom so many of us now stand.

These were the women who raised a nation that sometimes did not respect them---but yet, they endured.

I am proud of all of my ancestors, especially those who were "The Help" at a time, when legally they had no other choice.

May more of their stories be told!

Mappy Monday - The Mystery of an old "Negro Settlement"

US General Land Office Map - 1879

Several months ago on another blog, I posted a story about a community that had no name----it was only known for almost three decades as simply Negro Settlement.

For 30 years, this simall and mysterious black community lived in Indian Territory, just north of the Chickasaw Nation.  They were not transients because a number of cartographers documented them for more than three decades. Then they vanished----with no trace, and no local knowledge of who they were.  And what was this settlement really called?  Surely those who lived there called it something---but what?  Who were the people?

1887 Map Reflecting the same settlement

Chicago: Henry S. Stebbins, 1887; From Crams Universal Atlas of the World

1893 Rand McNally Map

Having taken a maps class, I hope to be able to pinpoint more accurately where this might be today.  Since writing the original post, I have heard from a gentleman who owns property near that site and he did agree that I was somewhat close to the community when I used google map images . He also went to the local courthouse and found a map that was created in the 1870s, reflecting the same community.  And he did state that the images that I used from Google Maps was fairly close to the area.

Possible site near Slaughterville Oklahoma where the old Negro Settlement thrived.

There is still today little activity along the banks of  Walnut Creek which is nearby, and also the railroad running close by.

My hope is that I might be able to locate also some of the narratives from the Indian Pioneer Papers---1930's era interviews conducted in Oklahoma that might make a reference to the old settlement.
The mystery continues but I am anxious to apply some mapping skills to learn much more.

Always Searching and Sometimes Finding

Page from Educable Children's List Tippah County Mississippi, 1878

Source: Family Search  Image 66 0f 135

A member of the AfriGeneas community recently shared information on the main Genealogy message board that the Educable Children's List from Mississippi was now online through Family Search.

I decided to take a look at the list for Tippah County. My gr. gr. grandmother Amanda Young Barr and her children lived there.  Amanda was now remarried to Mr.  Pleasant Barr after the Civil War when her husband Berry Young did not return.  She and Pleas had one child Elijah, and Pleas helped her raise her younger children as well. Well, several years ago I located Amanda and Pleas Barr and the family in the 1870 and 1880 census for the town of Ripley Mississippi. Today I decided to see if I could find any of Amanda's children, and if I could recognize any names that I knew from the family research.  The roster was simple with names of the children their ages and the race of the child.

The roster (in 1878) asks for Name, Age, Sex, and two columns for race

My first surprise came when I saw the name of my gr. gr. grandfather.  He was clearly one of the oldest students--but literacy must have been important to him.  There he was Counsulle Martin, (later it was written by the family as Council), and he was listed as 20 years old. This was five years before he married my gr. gr. grandmother Harriet Young.

Mr. gr. gr. grandfather Counsulle Martin's name appears on this  page.

Source:  Family Search page 60 - 135

I continued to look at the record and there on page 66 were three of the four names that I had hoped to find. There was Aunt Frances Young (her nickname was Frank and she was listed as Frank on the document), Aunt Violet Young, and there was Elijah Barr. Elijah was the son of Amanda and Pleasant Barr. I know that education was important to the family and the Barrs were fairly well known in the Ripley Mississippi community. (Elijah's father Pleasant was one of the founders of the St. Paul's Methodist Church which still exists in Ripley, to this day.)

Frank (Frances) Violet, and Elijah were listed together on this 1878 list.

I was also delighted to see another set of relatives, the children of Amanda's sister Nancy. She had married into the Gambell family and sure enough there were her children as well!

The Gambell cousins were also listed on the same list, in the town or Orizaba

I was disappointed that my gr. grandmother Harriet did not appear on the list. She would have appeared with 

her sisters Frank (Frances) and Violet Young, and her brother Elijah Barr. However,---finding the ancestors that I did find was a great treat and adds another dimension---they were clearly interested in learning and literacy was so important for former slaves. I know that education was strongly emphasized by Amanda and her husband and this interest in education carried forth into later generations from which several teachers and educators came.

I did not find my relatives in the 1885 list, but the find in 1878 was still a wonderful find. But 1892 was also interesting. My gr.gr. Aunt Frances (aka Frank) had a child by that time. The child's name was Cora, and this is truly a name unknown to me before! And Cora was listed next to a child whose name was G. May(?).  The parent was S.E  Bryant, and name I recognized, for S.E. Bryant (Sam Bryant)  was the man who married Alice Young---one of Amanda's daughters.  So in 1892---there are two additional names previously unknown to me.

In 1892, the name of the parent or guardian was listed first, followed by the name of the child. 

Two more finds from the same collection.

A small announcement on a message board took me to this collection, and visiting the site was truly worth the time. I pay attention to such announcements of new databases as they become available, and I always look to see if I can use it. 

Usually I continue with my efforts to document the community---but today's finds prove how if one is always searching----you will sometimes find a new data to add to the family file. 

 I am always searching and sometimes I find!