A Month Without Blogging

During the last month genealogy was not put aside. Instead it was very much front and center in my life. 

Because of DNA I have made personal connections to other descendants of Thomas West and Mildred Currin as well as James H. Radford and Martha Cary Denton. This blog led me to a descendant of  the Guptons. Wonderful opportunities. 

I also got to make my first trip (driving) since my accident, visited family and hung out with my favorite genealogist! I scanned documents again that were not clear when we tried to scan them last year during a family reunion. This time the letters turned out pretty clear and include letters written by Confederate soldiers to family and friends. In the collection of letters there are letters that tell the tale of a broken marriage, he grabbed his children and went to Arkansas. He was a cousin of my great great grandmother. 

While I was in North Carolina I called my aunt and asked her for two favors. I knew she wanted to do a DNA test and I had one in my bag. When she came up to my mother's house, I asked her to bring family pictures...She grabbed some albums and came by the house. Her DNA test is at Ancestry now, just waiting for results. In one of the older albums was a large manila envelope with stuff inside. What a gold mine that envelope became! In the envelope was a love letter written by my grandfather to my grandmother before they married, priceless!! Another album held pictures of grandma's sisters and brothers when they were young. Not all of her siblings were in the album, she was one of 14 children and I imagine it would have been hard to get pictures of them all - or that they would have not gotten lost over time. Finding pictures of my daddy when he was a baby, awesome!

William Earl

Before making the trip, I had to have my vehicle serviced. So instead of waiting at the shop I went to the Roanoke City library's genealogy room. I had no idea that it was so large and would borrow microfilm from the Virginia Library in Richmond. There are a few chancery records I would love to get my hands on! So this is something I will check into some time this summer. While at the library, I found the book, The Neale's of Beaver Pond. I was hoping that it would clear up that line for me a bit. But no such luck.  I did however find some mentions of the Leonard family in Prince George County. I am hoping that this discovery will turn into another generation back for me with that line.

This past weekend I finally figured out my relationship to my cousin George. It felt like an Ancestry commercial! It is through the Neal line, John Neal married Susanna Smith in 1769. Turns out her mama was Elizabeth Washington....So George and I are second cousins seven times removed! And DNA seems to support it!

Cousin George

Not quite so famous people have been found and extended several family lines back further into the early 1700s and some further. You will be hearing about all these discoveries over the next few weeks! I just don't know where to start! 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Pattie