Family Friends Friday

I grew up in a small neighborhood, in a small town, in the 70's & 80's. The road we lived on created a circle of sorts, coming in off of the larger road and going around to exit back onto the same road just a short way down. Until my junior year in High School it was a dirt road, with a clay base.

The picture above is from Google Earth and shows the area as it looks now. I think there were about 10 homes total in the whole neighborhood during the time I was growing up. I'm kind of guessing, memory not to clear on the exact number. Everyone knew each other. We didn't lock our doors during the day, except for the front door; all family and friends knew to come to the back door anyway! In fact, most times we would call out "knock, knock" and walk right in.

Our little neighborhood was surrounded by woods then, which made for great summer time play. My sister and I grew up playing with the 3 boys next door. Many a summer game of hide and seek, Red Light - Green Light, climbing trees, and riding bikes.

Neighborhood cookouts held at one family or the others back yard. Papa Joe's BBQ, Mr. Whitfield's catfish stew, churned ice cream, card games, playing in sprinklers, and sometimes music provided by The Mills' family musicians. Many a happy memory of times gone by. Holidays & Birthdays celebrated together and enjoyed by all. July 4th always at Papa Joe & Gigi's house, because it was also Gigi's birthday! On Christmas morning we were back and forth between houses seeing what each had gotten and exchanging gifts. Easter Sundays, dressing up and going to church and then coming home to hunt Easter eggs.

Mathews & Whitfield Family Easter Picture

probably between 1974 - 1976

Some of those neighbors have passed away now, some have moved (after my sister and I married Mama sold the house and moved also), us kids have grown up and have our own family's now but the memories remain. And the special place in my heart that each of those childhood neighbors and friends hold will ensure that they will always be carried with me.

~Michelle
© Michelle Deal 2014 All Rights Reserved

Military Monday

Last Friday was the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Which got me to thinking about WWII, and I knew from family lore ( is there any other way to say memories spoken to me by a family member?) that my Dad and my Mother's Father were both in the Navy during WWII.

So I went searching on Fold3 to see if I could find out where they were around June 6th 1944.

First I searched for my Grandfather
Lloyd Angevine Cole (1912-1981)
I was able to find a Navy Muster Roll that placed him on the USS Frybarger (DE705), 26 May 1944. This Roll also shows that he came aboard on 18 May 1944 , he would have been 32 at that time, and  enlisted 4 Dec 1943.

Further research states that the Frybarger made two convoy escort voyages to Bizerete until November 1944 and afterwards began escort duty in the Pacific.

Then I looked for my Dad.
Charles Aaron Mathews (1926-1974)
The first Muster Roll I found him on was for the USS Hollis (DE-794) 24 Jan 1944. This Roll shows his enlistment date as 11 March 1943. He was still serving on the USS Hollis for the quarter ending 30 June 1944, he would have been 18 at that time.

Further research states that the Hollis made two escort voyages along the East Coast and then reported to Quonset Point RI to assist in sonic research to find countermeasures for German acoustic torpedos. She remained in that research until 28 May, when she sailed to Casablanca in an aircraft carrier screen.

It was very interesting, to me, to find that both my Father and Grandfather were traveling some of the same waters (per se), at the same time, defending this great country of ours. It makes me proud that they are part of my Family History.

Sources used - Ancestry.com, Fold3, Wikipedia

~ Michelle
© Michelle Deal 2014 All Rights Reserved

Thursday Q&A

Today I'm doing Q & A. With myself !

Q: When did you get interested in genealogy?
A: About 2009, so not that long ago.

Q: Why did you get interested in genealogy?
A: Lots of reasons actually. The main  reason was to trace or find my Dad's ancestors, and find out more about his life and family. My Dad died when I was 6, so I didn't get the chance to know him very much. He was 20 years older than my Mama so almost, if not a whole, generation between them. His Father had died many years before I was born, through genealogy I found out 1948. His Mother died when I was 18, at the age of 84, long before I was interested in anything as dusty and old as genealogy. I knew of no local family so genealogy was the way I felt I could find more information and learn about him as a grown man and child. Mama knew a few things, but Daddy nor his Mother were much for sharing personal stories.

Q: What did you know about genealogy when you started?
A: My Great Uncle, on my Mother's side of the family, had done a lot of genealogy research. So I asked him about his research and he mailed me the Lee Family History pamphlet that he had made up for family reunions. Wow, very confusing to me. Lots of pages with numbered people and copies of blurry not very legible forms of some kind. The numbering didn't make sense and the forms (now I know census records) were all but impossible for me to read no matter understand what they were telling me. Just finding my Mama & Daddy and me and my sister in all of that took a couple of hours! There was no information to help me at all with my Dad, in fact the whole thing was only tracing his Maternal side to the Lee Family. I was able to ask him a few questions at the next family reunion about how he researched, and he talked about visiting Courthouses and the National Registry in Atlanta GA. It seemed to me that genealogy was going to be very hard!

Q: So, what did you do?
A: At that time I was working full time, and extra time for trips to repositories and 3 hour rides to look for genealogy records just wasn't available. So I joined Ancstry.com. Hoping that I would be able to find some things and learn a little more. I was excited and jumped right in, connecting shaky leaves and adding information left and right. Not really understanding that I needed to verify that what I had was correct, after all it was there and the "right" name, so it must be. Right?! We'll as any of you seasoned genealogists know, I had a lot of misinformation and went in directions that were totally not my family.

Q: Are you still researching your ancestors today?
A: Yes! Even though I have mainly done all my research online and am only now trying to branch out and find genealogy societies and repositories to help fill in the gaps in my knowledge and family, I have learned a lot and understand the importance of genealogical proof. I do have a good bit of tangible correct information now, on my Dad's and Mama's sides of the family. And hope to find more.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: Filling in, or maybe filling out, the lives of the ancestors I have found. Getting information about where and how they lived so that I can understand more about them. I have a few walls that are still holding me back, but I am confident that in time and with help I will be able to answer my questions and find the family members that are "hiding" at this momenet.

I hope you have enjoyed reading just a little about me and my short journey in genealogy. I still have a lot to learn and a lot I want to learn, so join me in "Digging For Roots" and learning about genealogy.
If you would like, take my questions and answer them for yourself. I know that I would enjoy hearing your stories about your foray into the Land of cemeteries, dusty books, and historical markers.

~ Michelle

© Michelle Deal 2014 All Rights Reserved

Sunday Snapshots

Snapshots I took of the pretty flower bouquets Barb brought home this morning.

~ Michelle