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We all have a story to tell. Some speak louder than others. Listen closely to hear the stories of our ancestors echoing under our footsteps. They are the authors. We are the keepers.

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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: Ida Lois (Elderkin) Warren (c1914-1925)




Ida Lois (Elderkin) Warren. Photograph. c1914-1925. Privately Held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2010

Ida is my great great grandmother. This photo may have been taken in Fort Worth, Texas when her youngest daughter, Lois Warren Judson married in Dec of 1914. 

Related Posts:

Wordless Wednesday: Ida Lois (Elderkin) Warren

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - Cox Family, Fairfield Cemetery, Fairborn, Ohio




View of Fairfield Cemetery, Fairborn, Ohio next to Wright-Patterson AFB. Photograph by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2007 [William Cox family: wife Mary Elizabeth (Judson), Charles, and Harriet]


William Cox Family Headstones, Fairborn, Ohio next to Wright-Patterson AFB. Photograph by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2007 [William Cox, wife Mary Elizabeth (Judson), son Charles, and daughter Harriet]

Buried next to Mary's mother Susan (Raymond) Judson

Tombstone Tuesday - Susan (Raymond) Judson (1822-1872)





Monday, March 29, 2010

Judson Family Album (c1903-1910), Page 8



Page Eight in Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson's Family Album, 1903-1910. Privately held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2009 [inherited from Lois Jacqueline (Judson) Wells, through her father William Levis Judson son of Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson of Dayton and Toledo, Ohio]

Top Left Photo: Unknown (might be Lewis Raymond Judson)

Top Right Photo: Lewis Raymond Judson

Bottom Photo: Unknown


Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: MH Warren, Waters-Pierce Oil Co., Mexico (c1909)




Murray Heller Warren, Waters-Pierce Oil Company, Mexico, c1909. Photograph. Privately Held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2010

Related Post: 

From the Shoebox: Life of a Pioneer Oilman


They say pictures can tell a thousand words. Here are some of the interesting things I noticed in this picture:
  1. The framed aerial photo on the wall is of the Gulf Oil Refining Company in Port Arthur, Texas of which Murray was Superintendent from 1901 (Spindletop) to 1907. 
  2. The pin he is wearing is an elk pin. He was a long time member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks
  3. The calendar on the wall is in Spanish. He left Texas in March 1907 to work for the then Waters-Pierce Oil Company in Mexico. August 3rd fell on a Tuesday (Martes) in 1909 hence the approximate date of the photo. 


Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - Mary and Vernon Massey (1974, 1970)




Headstone: Mary and Vernon M. MasseyFitzhugh Cemetery, Forest Grove Christian Church, Lucas City, Collin County, Texas. Photograph by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. c2001

Mary Lee Creel m. Vernon Morris Massey 
6 Oct 1923 Hunt County, Texas

Mary, daughter of Joseph Cager Creel and Alice Louise (Lynch) Creel, was born 28 Feb 1903 in Texas probably in Collin County. She died 3 Nov 1974 in Dallas, Texas. 

Vernon, son of Robert E. Lee Massey and Mary Nancy (McCaskill) Massey, was born 03 Dec 1902 in Texas. He died 12 May 1970 in Wiley, Dallas County, Texas. 


Monday, March 22, 2010

Judson Family Album (c1903-1910), Page 7




Page Seven in Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson's Family Album, 1903-1910. Privately held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2009 [inherited from Lois Jacqueline (Judson) Wells, through her father William Levis Judson son of Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson of Dayton and Toledo, Ohio]

Top Photo: Bertha J. (Judson) with husband William Reid

Middle Photo: Clockwise - 1. Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson; 2. Margaret Louise (Judson) Wilson; 3. Bertha J. (Judson) Reid; 4. William Reid; 5. Lewis Raymond Judson

Bottom Photo: 1. Margaret Louise (Judson) Wilson; 2. William Reid; 3. Bertha J. (Judson) Reid



Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Wordless Wednesday: MH Warren Family, Port Arthur, TX (c1905)




Murray Heller Warren Family, Port Arthur, Texas, c1905. Photograph in "Grandmother Remembers" scrapebook compiled by Lois Jaqueline (Judson) Wells. Privately held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2010



Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Tombstone Tuesday - Lynch Family, Nelson Grove Cemetery, Cooke Co. TX




Lynch Family, Nelson Grove Cemetery, Woodbine, Cooke County, Texas. Photograph by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2007 [John and Elinor Lynch; Grandma Lynch]

John Lynch b. 1778 SC d. 1863 TX

Elinor Lynch b. 1787 SC d. 1873 TX

Grandma Lynch [Mary]


Monday, March 15, 2010

Judson Family Album (c1903-1910), Page 6




Page Six in Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson's Family Album, 1903-1910. Privately held by Herstoryan, Houston, Texas. 2009 [inherited from Lois Jacqueline (Judson) Wells, through her father William Levis Judson son of Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson of Dayton and Toledo, Ohio]

Left Photo: From left to right - 1. Margaret (Judson) Wilson; 2. Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson; 3. Lewis Raymond Judson

Right Photo: From left to right - 1. Helen Julia (Hogue) Judson; 2. Unidentified (Hogue) Sister; 3. Virginia (Hogue) Dunn

Possibilities for the unknown sister: Margaret (Hogue) Mason, Mary A. (Hogue) Wright, Martha (hogue) Dunn, Johanna "Jo" or "Joey" (Hogue) Eden



Friday, March 12, 2010

Restore My Name: Slave Records and Genealogy Research, CoAAG, 1st Edition



I am very excited to participate in the 1st Edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy! Special thank you from the bottom of my heart goes out to Luckie, author of the Our Georgia Roots blog. It is through her passion and vision that I come to offer my contribution. Her insight and open dialog have brought me to a place of new understanding and has set me on a new path and mission. You can read my emotional response to her Open Letter to the Genealogy Community here


The theme for the first edition addresses how records of slave ownership are handled by the genealogy researcher. Before the open dialog on Luckie's blog I had no idea that the slave information I had in my files (minimal so I thought)  could very well be the missing piece of the puzzle for a fellow researcher. Even if that researcher never comes across it in my lifetime, what power I have to be able to honor a life, restore a name, and remember a soul. 


Here is my first act of genealogical kindness regarding slave documents. Though not random, I pray it has perfect timing!


~ A Friend of Friends


Last Will and Testament of Cager Creel


I Cager Creel of the County of Adair & State of Kentucky hereby make & publish this my last Will & Testament hereby revoking all other wills heretofore made by me, 1st I will & direct that all my past debts be paid and for the purpose of raising a fund for that purpose I direct my Executors herein after named to sell all of my personal estate not otherwise disposed of & if necessary my Slaves & my Lands, on Such terms as they may think best, 2nd I will & bequeath to my beloved wife Amanda A. Creel during her life or widowhood or until my youngest child becomes 20 years of age one third of my personal property consisting of horses cattle hogs farming tools [sc] also all my Negros and all my lands which are not herein otherwise disposed of to be used by her for the purpose of Supporting her & raising & educating my infant children (viz) Nancy J. Creel, Ann J. Creel, Eliza D. Creel, William T. Creel, & Timoleon C. Creel, and when my youngest child becomes 20 years of age I then direct that my wife Shall have one third of my lands & Slaves during her natural life or widowhood the other two thirds to be disposed of as herein after directed, but said property is to be under the controll of my executors to be used for the purposes aforesaid, 3rd If I Should survive my wife, I direct my Executors to Sell all my personal property as soon as it is advisable to do so, and I also direct that my Negros be hired out by my Executors (privately to good humane masters) and my land rented out by them until my youngest child arrives at the age of twenty years, 
5th I will & direct that my five infant children herein before named be educated out of my estate and also supported & clothed until they arrive to the age of twenty years or marry and I direct my Executors to use the interest on any money in their hands arising from the Sales of the personal estate hire of Slaves & rents of lands for this purpose if the interest in not sufficient then so much of the principal of said fund as may be necessary, 
6th I have heretofore given to my daughters Mary M. Grady & P E Atkins each a horse Saddle birdle [sc] and I hereby give & bequeath to my Son Thos Jefferson Creel my young gray mare a Saddle bridle & my watch and direct my executors to send him to school for twelve months & board & clothe him for that time which will make him equal with my two Said daughters and I direct that these three of my children Shall have nothing more out of my estate until my other children are made equal with them, 7th when my youngest child arrives at the age of twenty years I then direct my Executors to give to each of my five infant children (viz) Wm T Creel, Timoleon C. Creel, Nancy Jane Creel, Ann J. Creel & Eliza D. Creel, a horse Saddle bridle & cow each, 
I further direct that when my youngest child arrives at the age of twenty years my executors to sell all my property of every kind (except the third heretofore given to my wife) if she should then be alive & a widow, & if not alive and a widow to Sell all of my property) and after paying the Special devises herein before made, to divide the residue equally among all my children or their heirs, so as to make all my children equal in my estate. 
8th If it should be necessary to sell any of my negros to pay my debts. I direct that my negro boy Samuel be sold first my boy Creed next and my negro girl next & then my old negro man Solomon, I further direct that when my negro man Solomon is sold or hired that he be allowed to select his home if he can do so, 
9th I hereby direct my Executors that if any of my negros Should at any time become unruly or vicious to sell them if they think best to do so, 
10th I hereby authorize & empower my Executors to convey any of my property they may sell as herein directed by deed or otherwise and I further authorize and empower my Executors to convey any land I may have Sold and not conveyed, 
11th at the death of my wife if she does not die before my youngest child arrives at the age of twenty years I direct my Executors to sell the third of my estate herein given to her & dispose of it as I have herein directed the residue of my estate to be disposed of, 
12th If my Executors Shall at any time before my youngest child becomes twenty years of age think that it is best & to the interest of my estate to sell any or all of my Slaves I direct them to do so, & hold & dispose of the proceeds of the Sales as I have directed herein, 
13th I hereby make nominate constitute & appoint James Yates and James Garnett Executors of this my last will & testament and request them to see that the provisions of this will are fully carried out. 
Witnefs my hand this 3rd day of June 1863, 
                                                           Cager Creel.
Witnefs
William W. Yates
George Yates
Kentucky Adair County 


[produced in open court at the Courthouse in Columbia on Tuesday the 28th day of July 1863]