SAVE!!! Mooring Cemetery, Mooring Rd, Lake Co, TN

TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: SURNAMES MOORING, NEEDHAM, RICE, ALGEE, HARRIS, HAYLEY, GRAY,

I recently visited Lake County, Tenn. Although unmarked and unpopulated I was able to locate the Mooring cemetery, or rather what is left it.

What I witnessed September 2010:

I clearly saw Wyatt and Martha with baby boy Henry age 2 but their headstones were broken up. There were bits of headstones buried and the farming machine tracks were certainly closer than allowed to be there.


I am asking if anyone is interested in helping me try to perserve this piece of AMERICAN HISTORY.

In Lake County --- it is not only the Mooring Cemetery in danger but all these cemetaries;

Burrus Chapel

Cronanville Cemetery (Jones)

Crockett Chapel Cemetery

Davis Cemetery

Haynes Memorial Cemetery

Hornridge Cemetery

Jones Cemetery (Cronanville)

Mooring Cemetery

New Haven Cemetery

No Name Cemetery

Old Madie Cemetery

Parks Cemetery

The librarians and historians seemed helpless to know what to do about the situation.

The cemetaries are located in acres and acres of farmed land. Huge farming machinery tills the land in preparation of growing crops.

Although my heart truely goes out to the farmers of America, there must be something we can do to accomodate both interests.

Tennessee law protects these cemetaries; But it is up to us to alert the proper authorities as to the destruction of these cemeteries.

We have several East Tennessee Genealogical and History Societies to appeal our case.

b) Real property which has a deed that reflects the presence of human remains on the property is protected from disturbance or development as follows:
(1) A gravesite may not be disturbed in the area of ten feet (10") surrounding the perimeter of the gravesite; and
(2) A crypt may not be disturbed in the area of five feet (5') surrounding the perimeter of the crypt.

Why is it important NOW: because while there is "no statutes of limitations" that only holds true as long as there are still markers!

Cemeteries. Land... Descendants... Purchaser... Burial ground rights are not barred by statutes of limitations so long as graves are marked by monuments, gravestones, or otherwise.
The right to use a private burial ground as such is not barred by the statute of limitations, so long as it is kept inclosed ; or, if uninclosed, so long as the monuments and gravestones marking the graves are there, or other attention is given to the graves, so as to show and perpetuate the sacred object and purpose to which the land has been devoted; for possession by the living is not required, in such case, to prevent the acquirement of title by the adverse possession of the owner of the fee, so long as the dead are there buried, their graves are marked, and any acts are done tending to preserve their memory and mark their last resting place

Cemeteries. Desecration of private burial ground and graves therein, and wrongful obstruction of way thereto, are misdemeanors. The desecration of a private burial ground, and graves therein, and the wrongful obstruction of the easement of a right of way from the public road thereto, as against those entitled to use it, are misdemeanors, subject to punishment under the statutes applicable to offenses of that character.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

WE MUST NOTIFY THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT>

Also we need to contact an attorney in the area that is up to date on the laws:

It is the responsibility of law enforcement personnel with jurisdiction over the location of the cemetery to enforce these laws.
If you are aware of any violations, you should immediately contact local law enforcement authorities for action. If law enforcement personnel do not handle the situation to your satisfaction, you should contact the state's chief archaeologist in care of the Department of Environmental Conservation in Nashville.

Mooring Cemetery, Mooring Rd, Lake Co, TN

List of people buried here:


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This list was provided by Ruth Lee Wheatley Stover who was born in the Mooring Community and has done research on the Mooring Cemetery

Wyatt M. Mooring, b. Aug. 16, 1805, d. May 29, 1874

Henry Lewis Mooring, b. Dec. 13, 1826 - d. Dec. 24, 1873

Caroline Mooring Gray, b. Feb. 8, 1828 - d. Nov. 4, 1886

Jessie Gray, b. Dec. 20, 1812 - d. July 22, 1879

Eliza Jane Mooring Haleyworks, b. Nov. 27, 1829 - d. April 1905

Elizabeth Mooring Coats, b. Aug. 3, 1833 - d. Sept. 27, 1876

Timothy Christopher "Kit" Mooring, b. Dec. 1844 - d. Mar. 8, 1874

Wyatt Lee Mooring, b. Dec. 8, 1863 - d. Oct. 8, 1865

T. C. Mooring, b. March 4, 1801 - d. September 30, 1880

Phillip E. (or C.) Rice, b. 1853 - d. 1892/3

Martha "Mattie" Lewis Gray DeBerry, b. Sept. 9, 1848 - d. Feb. 22, 1901

Harriet A. Jones - b. June 13, 1871 - d. Jan. 28, 1876

Guy Gray - b. 1889 - d. 1902

Wyatt A. Haley, b. Aug. 20, 1857 - d. Dec. 26, 1867

Josephine Haley, b. Mar. 22, 1860 - d. Nov. 9, 1868

Cullen Edmondson, b. July 17, 1775 - d. June 14, 1836


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James W. Algee, b. May 8, 1862 - d. May 22, 1863

Children of James W. Algee:

Robert Merwin Algee, b. Sept. 5, 1896 - d. Jan. 19, 1897

Infant son Algee, b. Oct. 22, 1899 - d. Oct. 23, 1899

Wyatt Algee, b & d Sept. 1, 1901

Howard Leduke Algee, b. Sept. 13, 1902 - d. Oct. 30, 1902

Thelma Algee, b & d Aug. 1905

Robert Clark Algee, b. Sept. 4, 1832 - d. Mar. 3, 1870




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Martha A. Shadding, b. Oct. 20, 1824 - d. Dec. 30, 1874

Henry A. Algee, b. Oct. 22 - d. Nov. 24, 1882

Margaret C. Wall, b. Feb. 5, 1855 - d. Feb 5, 1873

Mollie W. Capps - no further information

Sarah Sue Baker, b. June 9, 1942 - d. June 10, 1942 (Curry Funeral Home)


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These are all the stones that are left standing
Transcribed by William & Gay Mathis (11/03/01)
lgm2002@bellsouth.net

Mattie Lewis (wife of Dr. W. H. Deberry) 9/9/1848—2/22/1901 Age 52yrs, 5 mos, 13 days

Samuel R. Allen 6/22/1847—12/18/1895

Martha Mooring (wife of Wyatt, Mooring, Sr) 9/25/1870 (Death date only) Age 67 yrs, 7 mos, 20 days

Wyatt Mooring, Sr. 8/16/1805—5/29/1874

(No Name –Stone broken) 9/4/1834—3/3/1870 Age 35 yrs, 5mos, 29 days


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Information provided by Isabelle Algee at ialgee@bellsouth.net


HARRIS, Stonewall [no dates or stone; twin of Verzall (or Verzalia or Berzalia). Died at almost 3 years of age after having been bitten by a rabid dog. They were sons of Daniel Harris and Martha Adkins Harris. Info per records of Winnie Mooney Hood]

HARRIS, Verzall, or Verzalia, or Berzalia. [no stone, no dates; twin of Stonewall Harris. His given name is believed to be an Indian name, but there is no proof of this. Died at almost 3 years of age after having been bitten by a rabid dog. They were sons of Daniel Harris and Martha Adkins Harris. Info per records of Winnie Mooney Hood]

Intentional Act of Genealogical Terrorism with an Accomplice

MY ACCOMPICE: Vandy Ann is my cousin I stayed with in KANSAS while doing genealogy work, September 2010. Vandy Ann is also interested in genealogy.


I shared with Vandy my data regarding my Kansas ancestors. By the way, these are not relatives my cousin and I share. I have a death certificate of John Christopher Hayley. The death certificate included his birth place, father's name and mother's maiden name. The death certificate was obtained on-line by a distant cousin Martha Jane Good Caswell of New Mexico. This is an excellent find and helped confirm my direct lineage with this family.


Although this was an excellent document, it included data about John Christopher's health that was "frankly" disturbing. Doctor put in a contributing cause of death that made some living relatives uncomfortable. So we just kind of altered (by deletion) the additional unverified data from the certificate.

Unverified because I do not have blood samples or blood analysis from three separate sources. I watch a lot of court tv. lol

Our reasoning?
1.----The doctor could have been wrong. lol
2.----I used the certificate to introduce myself to historians of his hometown and did not want to give "confusing" data.
3.----I could have not expected much cooperation from my dad if I was showing the document as is.
4.----Vandy Ann had all the office supplies and even straight edge to do a professional job.
5.----Vandy and I classified the data as TMI Too Much Information.


TMI is data that is not essential to the understanding of the purpose of the document. form, application but can delay and confuse the reader.
Examples:
a) when a person is applying for a loan sometimes the perspective buyer would add data (my ex-husband is not paying his child support) that would only delay and confuse the lender.
b) adding on a job application that your last boss had serious mental health issues.

Could be true but TMI......

My Plea: Guilty with explanation:

So I am including my deception in all my writings and correspondences so everyone is aware of what, how and why this was done.

The original certificate, depository and references are included in my resource log. I added a note regarding my Intentional Act of Genealogical Terrorism.


The final verdict:
This phraseology was given to me in my judgement from THE HIGH GENEALOGY COURT OF ALL THINGS HOLY IN THE AREA OF GENEALOGY RESEARCH --- (aka Randy Seaver, a beloved mentor and friend of mine).

So I fall on the merciful judgement of the court. Admit my guilt, give a very feeble and disgusting excuse for my actions, and stand accused and found guilty.

Added sarcasm here---just kidding!
But as "everyone knows" with the struggle of living in a judgemental, archaic world --- sometimes manipulation, discretion, and "little white lies" are needed to survive or get the cooperation of others.



Side issue: Did you ever notice when people are trying to get away with stuff they know to be wrong --- they start making up theories and phrases to explain them self away such as TMI and "little white lies"?

319 East Eighth Street, Hutchinson Kansas

This is the house recorded as being the residence of my grandfather John Christopher Hayley, his wife and 5 children on the 1920 census. The census indicated the house was owned and "f" free of mortgage debt. According to the Gazetteer my grandfather had excellent credit.



Ruth took a picture of the front porch.



Here I am standing under the house numbers. My parents were married in 1923 in this house. We are checking the records if this is the place I was born.



The census indicated my grandfather was a carpenter in 1920.

606 East Ninth Street. Hutchinson, Kansas

606 East Ninth Street is where Claude William Hayley (my father) lived when he was 12years old in 1917.

According to the city directory at the time, His father John Christopher Hayley worked in the lab of the Morton Salt Company in Hutchinson, Kansas.

Ruth jumped out of the car when she saw the house and asked me to stand here under the house numbers to take a picture. I was surprised when we saw the house still standing.

Your Great Grandfather Claude lived there with his parents, his three older sisters and a younger brother, Dennis Hazelwood Hayley.

The house seemed to be quite spacious and surrounded by mighty large trees.

The family was quite established in the town. Yoly, my current wife, was impressed with all the newspaper write ups of the families activities like entertaining, visitors from out of town and trips made by the family. Yoly said the sisters must have been real socialites.








We are having a good time. Ruth is finding lots of information about the family at the library and the court houses.

We are staying at our niece's home, Vandy Ann Peddicord Napier in Great Bend, Hutchinson.

Editorial note: this post was dictated by WILD BILL HAYLEY as a guest writer.

More reminiscing about Life in San Diego in the 1930s

More reminiscing about Life in San Diego in the 1930s. My dad came to San Diego in 1932 for a job Jack Story Chrysler Plymouth Dealership, In addition my father owned the 5th Street Auto Repair and Storage shop and his Auto Shop on El Cajon near Texas Street. My mother gave birth to a baby girl in 1936 and about two years later we moved to Anaheim, California. Driving around today, the names of the streets looked familiar but not all the buildings and changes.

I remembered in particular a black man that stored his limousine at the 5th Auto Storage Shop. I was 10-11 years old but many times I had to stay watch over the auto storage shop. This black man would come in often to wash and wax his limousine. This man would whistle in two different tones at the same time. Although I asked often, the man would never tell him how he could whistle in two different tones at the same time.

Today we went to Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. My wife Yoly enjoyed the Aquarium very much. Of special interest was the various species of SEAHORSES. There was a Dragon Sea Horse exhibit and it truly looked like small 5-6 inch dragons flying in the water. Another large collection of species was the jelly fish. Many size, colors, and shapes of Jelly fish.

We then went to Coronado Hotel for treats and cold drinks. Then Yoly and Ruth went for a walk on the beach. The ladies lost their beginning spot for their walk and got lost on the beach. I started to get worried about them and was very pleased when they finally showed up.

Tony and Ruth has never set up a Web cam on their computer after all these years. So I stopped by the store and purchased a Web cam for them and installed it on their computer.

I have to get up early to catch a 8 am plane to Kansas City--- so good night


WILD BILL

Wednesday September 8, 2010 --- Guest Blog by Wild Bill

6:30 pm and I just finished a great dinner cooked by my daughter, Ruth. Ruth peeled carrots and potatoes and added to the slow cooker along with a cross rib beef roast. We left the house 10 minutes to 12 noon for a genealogical meeting, sightseeing, and returned home at 5 pm to this delicious food.





I guess I found something Randy Seaver shared with the genealogical group very funny.



Chula Vista Genealogical Society President Gary Brock shared lots of information with the group.

We visited a Memorial Park dedicated to Bob Hope.

Yoly enjoyed a lovely lunch at the Fish Market

After a last quick goodbye to Bob Hope -- we went to visit the area I lived in when I was in Fifth grade. I attended Horace Mann Junior High School at the end of El Cajon Boulevard. We drove down El Cajon to just past Texas Street where my father had an Automobile Shop. I remembered the streets lined with eucalyptus trees and the trees were still there. A second address we lived at was on 30th Street. The move to 30th Street reminded me of a terrible memory of my childhood.


We had taken a load of furniture to a house on 30th st. A new home we were moving into. We were heading to the home we were moving from to spend the night and finish moving the next day. I was riding my bike and my father told me to grab the door handle of his car and I wouldn't have to pump the bike. I said no because that was dangerous and he said he would give me a beating when we got home if I refused. So I grabbed the door handle and away we went for maybe about a half mile and he move the car up and around a streetcar loading stop. When he did my front wheel got caught in the streetcar track. When it came loose it was turned toward the curb which I hit and bounce into a palm tree. As the bicycle had long horn handlebars, when it hit the tree the handlebars turned and my chest hit the end of the handlebars against the tree. As it hit my chest right at the v of my chest it Damaged my esophagus as it enters my stomach giving me a hyatal hernia. It also bruised my Aorta and I ended up having an Aortic anyuerism where I finally had have 2 Stints put in and a 3 stint in my crotch because they tore the aorta when they entered there to put the upper stints in. Since I have to eat at least 4 hrs before I go to bed , otherwise When I lay down to go to sleep and there is any food in my stomach it will come into my throat because of the injury to my esauphogus. Maybe that was more information than you wanted. But Ruth says this is first person narrative and useful for her genealogy.

After all that I am tired and going to bed. Good night until tomorrow.

WILD BILL aka HP

HAYLEY Blogger introduces a GUEST BLOGGER

THIS BLOG SPOT IS PROUD TO ANSWER A GUEST BLOGGER

WILD BILL HAYLEY will be the guest blogger for the month of September.

Yoly and I arrived in San Diego this evening. The plane had a full hour delay in San Jose. I will be posting what we do each day as we travel. We are going to Branson Mossouri and also be doing some genealogy work.

Speaking of that;
Last Saturday Yoly and I had dinner with my youngest sister, Doris.
My other sister, Kathy and her husband Don Hancock, also were at dinner as was Doris' son, Jeffery. Jeffery presented everyone with a narrative of the Hayley Lineage.

Well, as conversation went to family lineage the fact that we were related to the Carters of Texas was mentioned. Grandma Cecil Carter was the cousin of a known Gospel Singer Maybelle Carter and her family. Well, I about fell over when Don Hancock, my sister Kathy's second husband, told us his first wife was May Belle's daughter, Reba Carter. Don talked about get-togethers with Reba, June, Johnny Cash and himself.

Kathy and Don met and married after their first spouses died and have been happily married for many years now. It just goes to show how small the world can be sometimes.

WILD BILL HAYLEY
also known as HP.

Mooring Bible Record

Mooring Bible Record

From Family Findings, Vol. III, No. 2, April 1971, pp. 65-66

MOORING BIBLE RECORD. The following records also submitted by Mrs. Abigail Rice Hyde of Ridgely, Tenn. are taken from the original Wyatt Mooring, Sr., Bible which is in the possession of Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Mooring of Tiptonville, Tenn. Mr. Mooring is a great grandson of Wyatt Mooring. The Bible has been rebound and looks perfect.

Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments: Translated out of the original tongues and with the former translations diligently compared and revised with Canne' s Marginal Notes and References together with The Apocrypha to which are added An Index and an alphabetical table of all the names in the Old and New Testaments, with their Significations also Tables of Scripture Weights, Measures and Coins. Stereotyped by B. & J. Collins, Boston, Published by C. Ewer, T. Bedlington, and J. H. A. Frost. 1828.

Written on a space under a picture:
Oct. 14, 1917, Maggie A. Murray, Fannie & John Mathis, Bob Algee & sons, Snow & Ted, Mona Algee, Emma Jones

Note on edge torn: (Saydee M. Ganske & son Carl, Kate C. Mooring) Visited Aunt Katie Porter Mother at Newbern/ a sweet visit it was to all — a reunion

Marriages
Wyatt Mooring and Martha Mooring his wife was married the 10th day of November in the year of our Lord 1825
Jesse Gray and Caroline his wife was married 28th Oct. A.D. 1847

John Haley and Eliza Jane his wife was married ___ day April A.D. 1850

added by Ruth Himan ------ above are the parents of John Christopher Hayley. John Christopher Hayley is Claude William Hayley Senior's father!!


James S. Coats and Elizabeth his wife was married 11th Novm. 1852
Robert C. Algee & Margarett C. his wife was married 27th Decr. 1855
Wyatt Mooring Jr. & Katie his wife was married in 1867
John W. Mooring & Mollie his wife was married Nov. 1865
Wyatt Mooring Snr & Kate his wife was married 10th Dec. 1871
J. D. Mooring & his wife Mollie were married Nov. 1873

Births
Wyatt Mooring was Born the 16th day of August in the year of our Lord 1805!
Martha Mooring was born the 5th day of February A.D. 1803
Henry Lewis Mooring was born the 13th day of December A.D. 1826
Caroline Mooring was born the 8th day of February A.D. 1828
Eliza Jane Mooring was born the 27th day of November in the year of our Lord 1829
John Wesley Mooring was born the 24th July in the year of our Lord 1831
Elizabeth Mooring was born the 3rd day of August in the year 1833
Margarett Connivan Mooring was born the 20th of February 1835
William Benj. Franklin Mooring was born 14th day August 1837
Wyatt Mooring Junr was born the 2nd day of June A.D. 1840 (Written in ink: "My Dear Old Dad, Saydee M. G.")
James D. McClellan Mooring was born the 15th day of June A.D. 1842 (Notation in ink: "My Dad Forrest N.")
Timothy C. Mooring was born 22nd day of December A.D. 1844
Katie Mooring was born 11th Jany 1873

Deaths
Cullen Edmundson departed this life ___ of June A.D. 1836 (Timothy Mooring Bible gives date 14 June 1836)
Peggy Edmundson his wife died the 31st of October A.D. 1836
William B. F. Mooring departed this life 5th day of March A.D. 1846
Martha Mooring wife of Wyatt Mooring departed this life Sept. 26th 1870
H. L. Mooring Died 24th December 1873
T. C. Mooring Died 8th March 1874
Wyatt Mooring Senr. died 29th May 1874
Elizabeth Coats daughter of Wyatt and Martha Mooring died 27th Sept. 1876
Caroline Gray daughter of Wyatt & Martha Mooring died Nov. 4th 1887
Wyatt Mooring Jun. departed this life Aug. 27th 1891
Eliza Jane Works daughter of Wyatt and Martha Mooring died in April 1905
Margaret C. Jordan daughter of Wyatt & Martha Mooring died Sept. 9th 1906
James D. Mooring died 11 7 08
John W. Mooring died 1908

I have an appointment with the MOORING BIBLE

I called this morning and introduced myself to Mrs. Abigail Rice Hyde of Ridgely, Tenn. (93 YEARS OLD) but as the lady of City Hall said------she is as mentally sharp as a tack. Mrs. Hyde has graciously invited my father and me to her home while we are in Tennessee next month. She has the original Wyatt Mooring, Sr., Bible which is in her possession. The Bible has been rebound and said to look perfect. This is going to be a good trip!!!

She also alerted me to a "cousin" related through the brother of Wyatt Mooring Seniors. This cousin was partially blinded and spent a great deal of his life doing genealogy. She has their correspondences from the 1930s and 1940s. He went to England to study the family genealogy. She said the day she finally went to see him in Sheversport LA, was the day of his funeral.

But she has seen his collection of data that was donated to the University of Louisiana. This distant cousin's name was Beckham Christian. ARGGGGG another clue!!

She also helped me with my pronunciation with the cities and names. I had always pronounced the name Eliza ( with a short "a" sound --- ahhh) she corrected me and said Eliza's family called her Eliz--A with a hard long A sound. I am going to have trouble with these pronunciations!! Wish me luck!

Family History or Genealogy ??

Car racing is a part of my Family History, I am finding writting about the races and my families participation in auto racing to be good family attention bait. One nephew already printed and framed my blog on Wild Bill.

see http://genealogyisruthlesswithoutme.blogspot.com/2010/08/shareing-family-history-at-research.html

Interesting observation I had the other day -- someone mentioned my write ups on this subject as "excellent work on family history". So I reflected what could be the difference between genealogy and family history?

And this what I concluded (for the time being, until I change my mind.

Family History is stories of your family. Genealogy follows the "genes" of that family. Therefore whereas Car Racing can and is catagorized a "Family History" the fact that my father's IRISH gene of being a little (cough cough) hard headed and being suspended from a racetrack is the Genealogy of the sharing of these newspaper clippings.

Curtis

I saw Curt this last week end!!! He is living in a houseboat just down the road from brother. Curt would love a visit from brother. I figured he and his wife might take a ride on their motorcycle to see Curt. The road is great for a ride.Very open and paved. He is docked off a lovely resort. It reminded me so much of the area we summered at each year. Curt indicated it reminded him of our old camping grounds. Curt explained how he drove his speed boat to shop about once a month in one of the big towns near by. Curt can drive his speed boat almost to dad's place.

Curt looked well. Slim as always, fit and active. His manner was jovial and charming as always. He spoke alot about family and how he wished we could all come visit soon. I was thinking it might be fun to have a family outing there in the fall. With Chris and family in that area, Ken not far away, a group could come from San Jose and we could have a great picnic. The resort was very well kept, just down the way there were cottages to rent, people were fishing all over the place. The fact that children were fishing off the road, and kids playing in camp grounds was very alarming to Jim and Maria. Boating, water skiing, campfires, It did not help that I kept repeating, "this reminds me of my childhood", "we went to a place just like this each summer".

We arrived just about sunset. Jim, Maria, their 4 kids and myself boarded Curt's three story houseboat. The kids were making us nervous because they were enjoying it almost too much!! Bryan thought it was great that he could make the entire boat rock.

Well as far as I can remember it was the summer of 1994 when I last heard from Curtis. Evidently, his wife had a long and painful death. He mentioned a number of illnesses that she suffered. It is very strange that after all he has been through, all the places, all over the world he has lived, he ended up where we all had such fond memories.

Jim explained to Curt the pilgrimages that we took sometimes to look him up, explaining we found land deeds with his name, and county records and tried to trace him. Curt's reply was "You can not find me, if I do not want to be found." When we went out this time to see Curt, 9 year old Bryan said oh no grandma we have looked for him before for days and could not find him. Bryan thought this was going to be another failed trip.

But Curt is found, and I encourage everyone to go see him. Please pass the blog along and let's see if we can not get a day planned soon!

Did I mention my grandkids were here a couple of days? When I get my scanner working again I will add a picture of Curt.

-------------Introducing cousin-----------------------------Martha Jane Good Caswell--------------

My great grandmother Celia Melinda Carter Hayley penciled handwriting throughout her hand held Bible. From these handwriting notes I have been able to piece together some validation and verification to other vital statistcal information to collarborate the death certificate, and other documents are indeed the correct person to the correct name, place and time. Not long ago I started adding this verified handwritten data to the internet.
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A small sample of Great Grandma Celia Carter Hayley's handwritten notes found in her Bible.

SNFG Using a relationship calculator decide how two people are related in your family tree.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver - your Relationship Calculator
Hey genealogy buffs - it's Saturday Night, time for more Genealogy Fun!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (come on, don't be a party pooper...) is: (NOTE FROM RUTH Randy is not shy to call us names if we do not join in this work, oops I meant to say fun......

1) Open up the genealogy software program of your choice.

2) Think about two special people in your family tree (your parents? your spouse? a famous person? a distant cousin? yourself?).

3) Use the Relationship Calculator in the software to determine the relationship between the two special people. If you don't know where to find the Relationship Calculator, go to the Help button and find out. Follow the directions!

** ANOTHER NOTE FROM RUTH (Typical ultra engineer instructions from Engineer Randy "go to the Help button and find out" LOL )

4) Tell us about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a comment to this post on my blog, or in a Note or comment on Facebook.

I have a new friend/cousin/facebook friend whom is an absolute genealogical gem.

Martha Jane Good Caswell

Third cousins twice removed with common ancestors John L White and Elizabeth Roberts and Fifth Cousins once removed with Leslie Wesley Needham and Amy Roselle as our most common ancestors.

We are double cousins. Because Amey Needham is John White's mother, and John White's daughter, Elizabeth Jane White is my father's father's mother's mother. Amey's sister Martha Needham married Wyatt Mooring who's daughter, Eliza Jane Mooring is John Christopher Hayley's mother.

So when I compared Amey and Martha --- the relationship calculator said sisters. But when I extended our trees to include Martha Jane Good Caswell and myself --- we are third and fifth cousins.

Finding Martha Jane Good Caswell has been a big plus for my research. My Elizabeth Jane White was the last of several children born to John L White and Elizabeth Roberts. Elizabeth Roberts dies shortly after giving birth to Elizabeth Jane. All the children were separated shortly after.

Just one day after having this information for at least 40 years I put Elizabeth Jane White's data on the Internet. I started receiving a rapid fire of emails from Martha Jane Good Caswell. She explained to me how for over 20 years the family had searched for this lost baby that was removed from her siblings as an infant and was never heard from again.

These are the success stories we cherish. These are the endings that allow us to smile as we think of Elizabeth's siblings smiling down at Martha for finding their "lost baby sister".

Be careful of misleading documents....

orginal document on file in the Texas Land Office
Transcription of text in document
Georgia. By His Excellency Jared Irwin Governor, and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of this State, and of the Militia thereof: To all whom these Presents shall came, or whom the same may concern--greeting: Know Ye, That the bearer hereof, GEORGE P. DYKES, having been recommended to me by respectable inhabitants of Baldwin County, I have given him and his family my permission to travel through the Cherokee Nation, they taking special care to conduct themselves peaceably towards the Indians, and agreeably to the laws of the United States. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused to be affixed the Executive Seal of this State. Done at the State House in Millengeville, the 21st day of March in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and eight and of the American Independence the thirty second. James Bozeman, Georgia state comptroller general, 1808-24

This document presents many interesting information suggestions, plus a bit of history. Based on this document I will want to explore Baldwin(?) County, Georgia(??) for Dikes/Dykes. Well, this could have been misleading because I then downloaded the entire 4 page document from https://scandocs.glo.state.tx.us/webfiles/landgrants/pdfs/1/0/3/1/1031828.pdf

and found the citizens that vouched for George and his family were from Tuscumbia, Franklin County, Alabama


The following citizens of Tuscumbia, Franklin County, Alabama vouched for George Parker Dykes and his four sons:

(Levi B Dikes - Lovick Pinkham Dikes - Miles Granfield Dikes - Mark Washington Dikes)

Davis S Morton

Richard Ellis

John Haynie

James W faris

Leonard Jones

M W Payne

A Barton

Lewis Dickson

T R Cockrill

T H Doney

Leonard R Cary

John Wilington

M Tarver

John Sutherland Jr

B Merrill

Geo D Fant

Wm Cooper

James Davis

Berry Greens

UNCLE BUDDY and AUNT MARTY

My father's brother Uncle Buddy and his wife were ridiculously in love with each other!!! They had t-shirts made that said.

Want to see what a happy marriage looks like? and on the back it said LOOK AT US.

it was so cool and very inspiring. Uncle Buddy was an instructor of B52 fighter pilots stationed in Taiwan. Aunt Marty was active in helping Air Force wives deal with military life. They were an awesome team!

Both of them were very no nonsense people. Very Hayley!! Opinionated, steadfast, and decisive.

My own history with this couple was unfavorable. They had a poor opinion of me. There are reasons for that. But as we know Life is not Always Fair and some of us just allow that to be and go on with our lives the best we can under the circumstances.

On their anniversary, Uncle Bud ordered a beautiful ring for Aunt Marty. Aunt Marty was thrilled but as she started to get in their car to leave the jewelers, Aunt Marty had a (heart attack?, stroke?) I am unsure of the facts. Uncle Bud drove her to the hospital right away, yelling all the way "Don't you die on me! Don't you die on me?". Aunt Mardy passed away.

Since then Uncle Bud has remarried and is still living in Texas. If you look at our family tree. Uncle Buddy is the son of Claude William Hayley Sr. and Etta Mae Dikes and his name is Forrest Lee Hayley. Funny I just thought of it, unless you do the research it would be difficult for someone to figure out our tree because no one uses their "birth certificate" names. LOL

San Jose continues to honor Cesar Chavez

Judy Baca's archway placed at the San Jose State University has been well received by the San Jose public, staff and Students of SJSU

Quetzalcoatl Sculpture

Continuing on with my salute to the city of San Jose, California. I wish to introduce you to QUETZY.

Robert Graham's Quetzalcoatl ascends almost eight feet into the San Jose skyline. The original design called for a three-story edifice of gleaming cast-bronze - it was discarded as being too expensive. The bronze would have echoed the plumage of a Quetzal, as well as the association Quetzalcoatl had with corn.

The statue was commissioned by the city of San Jose in honor of Cesar Chavez. No one was to see the statue before the unveiling. But oh my when the staue was unvieled there was an uproar from the San Jose public.

As Blogged BY: gsingh
Quetzalcoatl Sculpture
by gsingh
April 10, 2002
From journal People-watching in Downtown San Jose

At the South end of Cesar Chavez Plaza sits a sculpture that enraged folks even before it was erected. The city of San Jose spent $500,000 on a sculpture of Quetzalcoatl (pronounced Ketz-ul-KWAT-il), an ancient Meso-American god/figure of creativity and fertility dating back to pre-Aztec times, in order to honor the city’s Hispanic culture and heritage. However, fundamentalist right-wing Christians took offense and began to distribute apocrypha claiming that Quetzalcoatl is a deity devoted to bloody pagan sacrifice and that the sculpture violated California's constitutional guarantees against state-promotion of one religion over another.


They filed a lawsuit which was subsequently thrown out of court, the judge deciding that the sculpture was a work of art and a cultural artifact, not a religious token.


But the ire continues, even among secular San Joseans, many of whom consider the coiled snake-like sculpture to resemble a gigantic dog turd.

Cost of Quetzy: $500,000. A bit much for an uninspiring pile of composite cement resembling a cowpie.

It is planted across the street from the Fairmont Hotel in a far corner of the Plaza de Cesar E. Chavez - on a tiny disheveled traffic island. The statue is surrounded by Port-a-Potties during the Christmas in the Park Celebration.

Quetzy was constructed by William Kreysler & Associates. Graham provided them with an 8-inch model to work from. The finished snake is charcoal gray and cast in artificial stone - composite artificial cement. Something appears to have gone awry in the construction process - accounting for jagged "lines" and poorly fitting "pieces." The 8-inch model doesn't appear to be flawed.

Infrared Quetzy ala Porta - Potties
Mano-A-Snako with Quetzy
Snake up behind Quetzy

Cesar Chavez

Today I have the day off for Cesar Chavez Day. I do include in many of my genealogy stories pertaining to history, cities and towns. I would be amiss having been born and raised in San Jose, California not to talk about the impact of Cesar Chavez on 1960s San Jose California.
Chevez's family lost their farm in the depression of 1930s in Arizona because they could not pay their taxes.


Encyclopedia of World Biographies explains Cesar Chevez young life as:

Chávez quit school while in the seventh grade to work full-time in the fields, but he was not really educated even to that level—he could barely read and write. In 1944 he joined the U.S. Navy and served for two years. Since he was never allowed to advance beyond low-level jobs, he continued as a farm worker in California upon completing his service. In 1948 he married Helen Fabela of Delano, California. Migrant farm workers at that time worked long hours in the fields for very little money. Sometimes their employers would not pay them at all, and there was nothing they could do—nowhere to turn. Many of the farm workers were not U.S. citizens.

Chávez was an outspoken believer in Gandhi's idea of social change through nonviolent means. In 1968, to prevent violence in the grape strike, he fasted (went without eating) for twenty-five days. The fast was broken at an outdoor mass attended by some four thousand people, including Senator Robert F. Kennedy (1925–1968). Chávez fasted on several other occasions, including twenty-four days in 1972 to protest antiunion laws in Arizona and for thirty-six days in 1988 to call attention to the continued poor treatment of vineyard workers. Chávez grew dangerously weak after this fast. Another protest involved Chávez leading a two-hundred-mile march from Delano to Sacramento, California, to call attention to the demands of the farm workers.

Read more: César Chávez Biography - family, children, parents, story, death, history, wife, school, information, born, time http://www.notablebiographies.com/Ch-Co/Ch-vez-C-sar.html#ixzz0jlflTAkQ

It was on one of his fasts to boycott pesticides on fruit that he died unexpectedly at the age of 66.

I remember vividly the boycotts of the grapes and later lettuce that had a huge impact on the economy of San Jose, a major producer of fruits and vegetables. The boycotts effected all employment in San Jose. The largest employer at the time was Del Monte Cannery.

As I continue to share OUR FAMILY HISTORY, it will astoning to learn how much the Cannery had to do with our family history. From the Himan's in Sunnyvale, to the Cancimillas of Santa Clara.

In the 1870s and 1880s, California became a major producer of fruits and vegetables. In 1886, the Del Monte name premiered, originally used in the 1880s by an Oakland, California, foods distributor to designate a premium blend of coffee prepared for the Hotel Del Monte on the Monterey peninsula. By 1892, the Del Monte brand was introduced when the firm expanded its business and selected Del Monte as the brand name for its new line of canned peaches. In 1898, the California Fruit Canners Association formed when 18 West Coast canning companies merged. The Del Monte brand was one of several brands marketed by the new company. In 1909 the Del Monte Shield was introduced.[1]

CFCA added two more canners and a food brokerage house, incorporated itself as California Packing Corporation, or Calpak, and began marketing its products under the Del Monte brand. The new company grew to operate more than 60 canneries. In 1917 it acquired pineapple lands and a cannery in Hawaii and, in the 1920s, added canneries in Florida and the Midwest, as well as in the Philippines. After WWII more facilities were constructed or purchased overseas. These multinational operations made the name California Packing Corporation obsolete, and in 1967 the name Del Monte Corporation was adopted.

Needless to say all this production needed fruit and vegetable pickers. The story continues in next blog.

Wordless Wednesday ---

It's someone's BIRTHDAY! WENDY!

MARCH 27 is Wendy's Birthday --- WHO IS WENDY?????? Wendy is my 12 year old granddaughter------this excerpt from this poem explains my feelings for Wendy----

--I carry your heart By E. E. Cummings

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart) i am never without it (anywhere i go you go,m...y dear..........

I even like the ways he wrote it, small case letters, blank spaces, pauses


;......................just that part of the poem ----- just that heart connection. There are some people in my life I give heart hugs. I tell them as we gently hug. I feel your heart with my heart and it is like our hearts are hugging. Wendy and I have heart hugs.

OH: Why it rains so much in March!!! Just in case you did not know why it rains so much in March.

Here is an abbreviated excerpt of Wendy's Book......

.......So God had a meeting of his littlest angels. “Hello angels”, he said, “I have a lovely lady married to a wonderful man. The wonderful husband wants to make the lovely lady very happy. The lady wants a baby. Yet this baby must have lots of love. This couple is very special and need a special baby to remind them of My love for them. I need a special baby to bring lots of love in their lives.”

The sweetest little angel of all the angels jumped right up and said, “I can love this couple. Please God send me. I will remind them of Your Love for them, God.
I will sing. I will smile. I will be kind and helpful. I will be there for them when they are sad, or hurt, or sick”

All the other angels were surprised. They did not want the sweetest angel to leave heaven. The sweetest angel always came to them when they were sad or hurt or sick.

God knew that this very special angel was the perfect angel for this couple. So it was decided the sweetest angel would become this couples first child born on earth. The time for the sweetest angel to be born was coming. The month was March when the baby was to be born. The angels started to cry as they said their good-byes to the sweetest angel. More and more angel came to say good-bye. More and more angels cried.


Pretty soon, there were too many angels crying. So God had another meeting with the angels. “ There is too much crying. It has caused the earth to have too much rain. If you would please stop crying, when the sweetest angel is born, I will place beautiful flowers on the earth. I will place flowers on vacant lots where no people live. I will place flowers along the roads for people to see. I will place flowers in very unusual places. So instead of crying, I want you to look for these special flowers. So please, I need you to stop crying.”

So every year when the angels remember the day the sweetest angel was born, they begin to cry. More and more angels cry. So every year God has to remind them of His promise. He will tell the angels, “Please stop crying. On the day of the sweetest angels birthday, I will place special flowers all over the world. These special flowers will be a surprise. They will grow in unexpected places. So to help you stop crying, I want you to look all around you to see where I have put these special sweetest angel flowers.”

So every year as God fulfills his convent to place the rainbows to be seen in the cloud, he also plants flowers in special places. He may scatter flower seeds all across a hill side and fill it with flowers. He likes to surprise vacant lots with flowers. Sometimes in well tended gardens--- up pops one of God’s special sweetest angel flowers.

Some may say it was birds or wind that blew the seeds there to grow. But for me and the angels, we know it is God’s promise.

God’s promise that for every good-bye we must say, he will plant special flowers for us to seek and find..........

Just in case you did not know why it rains so much in March.

Slave Records and Genealogy Research

INTRO
In my research of several of my Southern families, I am privy to a lot of dual lineage information. Much of my research is based on Last Testaments and Wills. When I, in the early 1960s, started sharing this Will information with my family --- my family was appalled. They were very surprised to realize there were slave owners in their ancestry.

This puzzled me because if you came from those states and owned land it was a common practice. My grandmother Etta May Dikes Hayley born in 1905 often talked about her father’s, and grandfather’s slaves of the Dikes. A lot of family folk lore and letters written between siblings and cousins have documented many of these family groups. Of course it is my responsibility, to the best of my ability, to verify and validate this data before sharing these narratives.

Actually it is the Hayley lineage I have the most information to share regarding slave lineage. Even the court records are sometimes vague or inconclusive. “Or just plain tampered with”

I have been waiting for the correct and most respectful way to share data that tells of stories of the past. To this end, I joined a carnival

Restore My Name – Slave Records and Genealogy Research, will kick-off this

African-American Themed Carnival

intended to be a gathering place for the community to share and learn about African-American genealogy.

This first CoAAG theme will deal with how records of slave ownership are handled by the genealogy researcher. Contributors will be asked to write a blog post (at their own blogs) on one or more of the following aspects:

What responsibilities are involved on the part of the researcher when locating names of slaves in a record?

The way I have been handling names of slaves in my research is to develop a separate pedigree chart. This chart indicates the movement of the slaves, their siblings and children as ancestors passed away.

Does it matter if the record(s) are related to your ancestral lines or not?

No, my records indicate many court records, and documentation of movement which can track individuals throughout this nation. The nation grew fast, although there were efforts to document, so sharing of this data is very important.

As a descendant of slave owners, have you ever been pressured by family not to discuss or post about records containing slave names?

Only by myself, my fear is that I do not want to "assume" or speculate about these relationships. I think this research is too important. False leads may cause unnecessary delays and work in this area of identification. I fear for the "bandwagon" effect that may form. Where everyone becomes directly related to Lincoln.

As a descendant of slaves, have you been able to work with or even meet other researchers who are descendants of slave owners?

Have you ever performed a Random Act of Genealogical Kindness involving slave ownership records? Or were you on the receiving end of such kindness?

I have shared with many researchers through class introduction resources for people looking for slave records, ship records, court records. I have not met the correct family to share my specific data.

That is why, this Carnival is very important to me. I want to share these wonderful accounts of family life with descendents of my families "family and friends".

Trophy Girl

1950's San Jose California but actually I think this picture was taken at the Alviso Speedway. The camera is pointed east and the hills in the background are the Milpitas hills.
What I remember of this day. I was allowed to wear my tap shoes to the track. I was allowed to sit in the front seat of the brand new car (seen in background). My dad drove me out to the field after the heat. This gentleman is not my dad, he is the winner of the heats. Before the actual races begun. The heats were to set order of the hard top cars before the "main event". I was prompted to give the man a kiss (?!?) He was not my dad nor any of the drivers I knew. He was sweaty and I did not want to kiss him. I actually have other pictures of me as trophy girl. I even think Aunt Helen was trophy girl a couple of times. I should try to find those photos!!!

I bet her kids would get a kick out of that!

Aunt Doris, my mom, Aunt Helen and myself had our turns as Trophy Girls. We went to the field (pit)and presented the trophy, gave the winner a kiss, and had our pictures taken by the speedway professional photographer!

The photographer would take pictures all night long and sell them after the races. The next week we kids would go down and see if there were any pictures left over for the previous week and he would give us his throw aways.

Another thing I remembered about the races. If my grandmother was not available my parents took all four children to the races. The races were loud and always very long into the night. So I would make myself a bed on the bench of the grandstands. The grandstands were open and did not have sides. I remember getting very sleepy. I would lie down and wrap my arms around the bench and pray I did not fall through the benches if I was to roll in my sleep. I never did roll off. For which I am very grateful.
One thing that did happen often was women would drop their sweaters or purses under the grandstands. They would call to my brothers to go under the stands to fetch whatever they had dropped.

As I locate more pictures of the speedway, I have many stories to share about the speedway. I am positive my brother has even more stories to share. I will try to encourage him to share them with me so I can add them to OUR FAMILY HISTORY.

Until next time, Aunt Ruth

Aunt Josephines Notes and Where They Led Me.

Monday 26 Jan 2010-------I could wait no longer ---- it is 11 pm and I have been at it since 6 pm---I found some data that I had to research---just in case......and whala.....I did establish some headway on Etta May's father's father. I also followed up the lead to footnote.com. Military records found at footnote.com has some information for me --- so this week I need to sign up for footnote. --- I hope it is not a dead end. But frankly this is the third source that has led me to believe that William B, Dikes did in fact fight in the 19th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Burford’s Cavalry).

How did I get this far?? I know the data is not complete, not in order, but I have known her my entire life. I think I can decipher my aunt's writings. I am reviewing notes hand printed by Josephine Louise Hayley my intelligently handicap but surely not incapable aunt. I kept these notes in my folders because I know they were copied in love. Also they are samples of my aunt's handwriting that I have known and loved all my life.

I often since my Grandmother's death asked to look at my grandmother's Family Bible. It is chock full of names, dates, relationships, locations that I wanted to copy. It was never convenient for me to review the Bible. But because I had requested it a few times, my aunt with limited read and writing capabilities, on her own, decided to try to copy the writings in the Bible for me.

If you knew Aunt Josephine, you would know this is just what kind of thing she would do for anyone. My grandmother home schooled Josephine. Josephine needs assisted living arrangements. When Josephine puts her mind to do something --- she continues until she finishes her task. Taking these notes involved several days work and great concentration on her part. As you can see from Aunt Josephine's printing, Grandmother did an excellent job of teaching Josephine to take pride in her work and to do it to the best of her ability. Josephine also paints by number, knits and is just a very loving person.

Yes, they are different to read, but in the notes I see dates, towns, names; and I do know a little bit about how she (my aunt) puts things together. These notes has been the best hints yet...........and is allowing me to go one step further in my research. Truly I have had so called "non-challenged" relatives that has records just as difficult to put together.




To help translate this note ---it states Wife's Genealogy (meaning Etta May's Genealogy)




Mother's Name was Birdie Susan Parks born March 4, 1872 died March 7, 1923
Place mother dies was at Higgins, Texas


There is six pages of Aunt Josephine's handwritten notes. And where have they led me .......... well I have made quite a bit of headway on finding more documentation and clues as to where to look ...... an example of my research made possible by Aunt Josephine's notes see below

see : http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3003888773397329530&postID=1692173867619688086

Researching William Dikes leads to Texas History Lesson at Genealogy is Ruthless without Me Blog.

We Love You Aunt Josephine, Your niece Ruth

Madness Monday's------William DIKES revisited

After another several hours of again researching Mr. Dikes, and because I wanted to vacuuming my back bedroom, I went over to file and arrange my research papers. It has been said before and needs to be said over and over again---- after one or two years no matter how detail complete you think you have been----review all your records. I found new data!!! By "New" I mean data I have had for at least 10 years, it is notes Josephine copied for me, I kept the notes because it is Josephines unmistakeable handprinting and just like everything she does---she did it in love. I thought I had copied all of Josephine's notes,in full, for any glimpse of a clue. I can tell the notes are not always in the best order but I found missing data!!!! I started feeling like a COLD CASE detective ---

I am excited to start my "new" research ---- but I had to make myself a promise to pace myself on Mr. Dikes-----If I do not discipline myself,I can spend days on him. So I have made weekly dates with Mr. Dikes. This finding the data was a test----- if I would drop everything and start plugging in data------but Mr Dikes must wait for his allotted time if I am to be professional in my research. I have other issues to research and must discipline myself to have a more effective and efficient genealogy journey! No; the room did not get vacuumed yet. But you know your room is out of control when your husband offers to help you put things away!!!!

I will try today again to finish cleaning the room and next Monday I will post about new data on Mr. Dikes---I am feeling very very optimistic about this-----but like I said I truly have other things to do right now----and this is just a test.....If I am following my ancestors-----My ancestors have a strange sense of humor!!!

Sentimental Sunday----My Parent's Anniversary

I write my blog for my family. I am, to the best of my ability, trying to record my memories from my perspective, my resources, and cite any documents, photos, or published works that support my data. As I continue my recording and piecing together our family history, I have joined several genealogy groups, sites, societies etc. Besides being excellent resources for information, encouragement to continue what is turning out to be rather challenging work, there is also great ideas to inspire to "write" my families story. Sunday was my parent's wedding anniversary. Although a day late----I am having a Sentimental Sunday on Monday Morning.

Here is Thomas MacEntree's suggestion for blogging:

Don't forget that today is Sentimental Sunday. If you have your own genealogy or family history related blog, you can participate in Sentimental Sunday. What is it?

Sentimental Sunday is a daily blogging theme used by many genealogy bloggers to help them post content on their sites.

To participate in Sentimental Sunday, simply create a post in which you discuss a sentimental story or memory about an ancestor, or maybe even a family tradition that touches you. You can read more about Sentimental Sunday here at gene@pedia.

My parent's anniversary was usually a special time of year. What made it so special was as a child it worked as a meter to understanding the family dynamics on any given year. Like most marriages my parents had high points, low points, and just in the middle points. But if the planets aligned, finances were solid, and family dramatics were not sucking the blood out of their veins, my parents would celebrate their wedding anniversary. Although each year added more surprises there was always a cometary about the celebration. A little background first:

My mother liked everything Oriental :(I use that word today because it was the word used in our household) Mom's favorite color was red. When my parents remodeled their bedroom, they did it in black lacquered furniture and a light switch plate that spelt Love in Chinese. Mom would say Japanese was her favorite everything:: although over 80% of her decorations were Chinese inspired.

Suzie Wong

was one of mom's favorite movies.
We lived very close to San Fransisco.
At the end of January, Grant Ave, San Francisco displayed one of the largest Chinese New Year's Parade in America.

My parents anniversary was many times celebrated at the Chinese New Year's Parade in San Francisco. To accommodate the working class, the holiday was always celebrated on a Saturday. My parents would leave early in the day and spend the day wondering all the shops on Grant Ave. I know this because more than once (not on an anniversary) I would wonder those same shops with my parents. Mother would be looking for interior decoration inspiration. Also presents would be purchased for all of us kids. In particular my present often was dried coconut candy covered in crystallized sugar and clam shells when opened in a glass of water that would open and display small tissue flowers that would unfold and expand upwards and wave in the water. Always a big favorite! I think the boys received firecrackers but my parents were very strict. The girls must not know about the firecrackers and they were to be lit in the confines of our huge backyard only after the girls (that means my sister and myself) were fast asleep. Sometimes "the girls" would find evidence the next morning in the form of ashes and bits of red tissue paper.

My parents had a favorite restaurant in Chinatown that they frequented each year during the early years. But later Dad employed a man, Mao, a very sweet hard working man. Mao respected my dad a great deal so in about 1968, my parents anniversary took on an evolution in that they were invited to spend the new years with Mao and his family each Chinese celebrated New Year's Day. Mao's home faced Grant Ave and they would sit on a balcony and watch the parade below. Dad and Mom would enjoy a special home-prepared feast and great company. Although the elders and even Mao and his wife had difficulty with the language barrier, the younger generations, seeing mom and dad there each year, helped mom and dad learn the traditions and culture. Mom and Dad just became one of the family. The friendship grew, Mao and his family often went to the lake after Dad retired. When Mom's or dad's health did not allow them to make the festivities, Mao would pack up his car and bring the special feast to mom and dad to the lake.

One year Mom and Dad came home so excited!!! Dad had taken Mom to a dressmaker and they were making Mom a dress like "Suzie Wong's" Rich silk, form fitting, frog attached collar and all. But there was a month of excitement and joy until Mom and Dad returned the next month to pick up the dress. I think it cost the un-godly much of 100 dollars to be made!!! it was definitely a reason to celebrate and honor such a dress. Later, I think granddaughters wore the dress if nothing else than to model for my parents and bring tears to their eyes in remembrance of a special time.

On January 17, 2010 I noticed on the church bulletin that no one had volunteered for the flowers for January 24, 2010. I approached the minister after the service and requested to bring flowers in honor of my parents wedding anniversary. I prepared a huge bouquet of 3 dozen long stem roses of yellow (mom's favorite flower), pink, and white roses in a huge vase. It had to be large enough to be seen from the pulpit. Several of the women knew why I made the bouquet and ohhhhed and ahhhhed over the display of roses.

Dear Family, Did any of you meet Mao at Dad's shop or at the lake??? Does anyone remember the heirloom dress or it's whereabouts now??? Did any of you go on those all day shopping trips with Mom and Dad through every shop on Grant Ave and the back alley shops??? I would love to hear your experiences.

Love Aunt Ruth

William DIKES born 1835/6 Texas -- 4 months later

Searching for William DIKES born 1835/6 Texas, father USA born via 1870 census. Part 2------- 4 months later

William Dikes

---
Grandma Etta Mae's father's father. To catch everyone up to what I am investigating:
I am researching my great great grandfather
my father's (Claude William Hayley Jr (b) 1924 Hutchinson Kansas)
mother's (Etta Mae Dikes (b) 1905 Little Rock, Arkansas)
father's (Charles Bell Dikes (b) 1870? LA. dies in 1940s Los Angelas California)father: William ? Dikes. See previous Blog for confirming data.

This is called a "brick wall", An elusive ancestor, or just a pain in the neck ---- literally.

Researching this guy on Internet, in books, in libraries, in cemeteries, newspaper articles, military records, land deeds, church records, and asking my dad, my aunt and my uncle what they remember being said about him. Not only researching him but researching his wife, his wife's family, his children, his neighbors, and anyone having close to the names of any of the above.

What is so ironic is the notion that we all thought researching Grandpa Claude's father's father was going to be difficult and it turns out Grandma's grandfather is proving to be difficult.

I am compiling a special notebook now

---- taking him out of my Hayley Book --- and giving him his own notebook. I continue to journal and add the "not this way" signs around this maze of a journey. Yes I have doubled back up on myself several times!!!!


They say for all unsuccessful searches - you should call them successes because you know at least he is not there........I have a lot of unsuccessful successes in the last 4 months. Here is a small list including but not limited to my so-called

unsuccessful successes

----

FHL call no. 976.4 M22b, 6 volumes: Robert's guide & index to Texas confederate pension application and payment records, 1899-1979.
FHL call no. 976.4 M22k: Index to applications for Texas Confederate pensions
FHL call no. 976.4 M22w: Index to Texas CSA pension files, by Virgil White
FHL call o. 976.42815 V3e, 11 volumes: Ellis County, Texas, cemetery records
FHL call no. 929.273 P223j
FHL call no. 976.4736 V3h: Haskell County cemetery records
FHL call no. 976.4 M2y: Reminiscences of the boys in gray, 1861-1865
FHL call no. 976.4736 H2sh: Haskell County history
FHL call no. 976.4736 H2s: Just passing through Weinert : a history of Northeastern Haskell County, Texas
FHL call no. 976.4736 H2f: Haskell County and its pioneers
FHL call no. 97.4736 H2sb: Cow pokes and sod busters: a history of rural communities in Haskell County, Texas 1885-1940
FHL call no. 976.42815 V2h: Ellis County, Texas, marriage records, 1850-1886
FHL call no. 976.42815 P22t: Index to the probate packets, 1850-1930, of Ellis County, Texas
FHL film no. 1034589: Deeds, 1845-1901; index, 1845-1913, Ellis County, Texas
FHL film no. 1651039: Marriages, 1850-1911; index, 1850-1921, Ellis County, Texas
FHL film no. 1575590: Haskell County Marriages and Index 1885 – 1980
FHL call no. 929.273 P223j: Parker by the Watters Sisters
www.cemeteriesoftexas.com/wtx/haskell/listhaskell.html
http://haskellco.viobibgen.com
www.ancestry.com: California Death Index
www.wikipedia.org: Nathaniel Macon Burford

www.ancestry.com: 1870 U S Census was also printed in order to see if any additional information might have been available. In this census he stated he owned $1500 of real estate property, with $100 in personal property. He was living in Cummins Creek post office area. The search in the grantee and granter (buyer and seller) indexes to deeds in Ellis County, did not mention his name. This was surprising in that the 1870 U S Census stated he owned property in the county. A search for William on the 1850 U S Census also was unsuccessful. In Gonzales County, Texas is a Dikes family who lived there for many years. Their person named William was born in 1843 in Texas which would make him five years younger than our William.

So I decided to chase Abigail after William's death----She, William’s wife moved to Haskell County, Texas, a search was done in all of the published cemetery records with no results. This did include two websites that had the cemeteries for Haskell County. No Dikes were mentioned the records at all. Because Ann could have moved to Haskell County after his death a search in the published records at the Family History Library of Ellis County’s cemetery records did not have a person with the surname of Dikes. This search included the different spelling of this surname.

I did find the Dikes cemetery but William nor Abigail are listed as being buried there.

I am not 100% convinced about concerning William military service in the Civil War. He may have served in 19th Regiment, Texas Cavalry (Burford’s Cavalry). So I looked up this Captain--Nathaniel Burford, the captain of this unit, was born in Tennessee and became a lawyer in Tennessee. He migrated to Texas and later became a judge in Waxahachie, Texas. His Civil War military service begins in Ellis County, Texas. From the personal history of Nathaniel Burford, we can now be assured that William joined the Civil War from Ellis County, Texas. This would mean that he was living in the county prior to the Civil War. According to Harpers Weekly (a newspaper/magazine from the 1860’s), this unit fought in Virginia.

It seems that after the end of the war he went back to Ellis County, to his family. Research in the various Texas Civil War Pension Indexes was done and did not find the correct William Dikes.

Research in the Ellis County Marriages for a marriage between William Dike and Ann Johnson was also done. This was unsuccessful. If the reason Ann/Aby moved to Haskell County was because her family might be from there, a search in the Haskell County marriages was also completed. This search was also unsuccessful. By using the California Death Index posted to Ancestry.com we can be assured that William’s wife’s maiden name was Johnson. Both of their sons (William M and Charles B) who lived in California stated the same. And Abigail Clementine Johnson's name is in Grandma Etta Mae's Bible as his wife.

A catalog search for published family histories in the Family History Library Catalog, involved the surname Dikes and Texas. The Watters Sisters wrote a book about the Parkers’ from Texas and mentioned the Dikes surname. This family moved to Texas from Georgia, Alabama, Illinois, Tennessee & Kentucky. I could not find a mention of a William Dikes,

So what now::::

Next steps:

In Van Zandt County a man named W. F. Dike filed for a pension. I will send for those records.

I have ordered several more family books from the FHL which I am hopeful.

I have contacted the Nazarene archive files for William's son application papers and Etta Mae's application papers to see if they could help me trace some more data.

Also researching a Dike family living in Nacogdoches County during the 1850’s? This family did not have a son named William.

And needless to say; I am planning a genealogy trip back to these places to research some records.

I have been asked on occasion exactly what am I doing to find this guy----well--here is 4 more months of searching this guy like a dog after a bone. At least once a week I check the ancestry hints, several message boards, and converse with other genealogist. I have met some other great people also following the Dikes line. There seems to be more than one Dikes who is there and then disappears and ends up at neighbors, at work houses, hospitals, orphanages or friends homes.


Of course when and if I find this guy---I will post immediately so we can all celebrate-----but until then I hope to post my fustration (oops I meant journey) in another few months.


So Happy Trails to you----Until we meet again----

Summer Vacation when I was 12 years old..... SNGF

Here is the Genealogy game created by Randy Seaver.....

Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Remember When?
Hey there, it's Saturday Night, time for more Genealogy Fun!!Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission Impossible music!), is:1) Remember when you were 12 years old? On a summer day out of school? What memory do you have of fun activities?2) Tell us about that memory (just one - you can do more later if you want to) in a blog post, in a comment to this post, or in a comment on Facebook. Here's mine:

Water skiing --- My dad and many of his friends had speed boats and teen agers. I was one of the youngest of the water skiers. At night when the group of teens went to the movies or joy riding, I had to go to bed early. I was 12, they were teen agers. Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day week ends ---we would make a huge circle with our 20 or so tents in a resort along the Sacramento delta near Antioch----- the delta was unbelievable to ski on, there were sloughs as flat as ice and just you and the boat --- you needed to be careful because cattails grew on both sides of the slough--- so you needed to stay in the middle of the smooth corridor.

The men bragged a lot about speed, and torque and boat performance. So one of the things we use to try to do ---- is see which boat had the best torque to pull the most skiers. I was small so I always was included. Because the others did not want to get stuck in the wake (a more boring ride) ---I also was the skier in the middle. So we would ski 5 to 8 behind a boat ----

My dad laughed so hard when he noticed I started directing the others to lean to the left, or to the right and the guys would lift their ropes for me to ski under. We would go back to camp and the women would be cooking --- yes the women did all the cooking and the men did all the driving of the boats----no one drove while I was skiing except my dad. they would set us younger ones down first and feed us. Because soon it would be dark--- we washed up, took a lantern into the tent and played PIT or some other rowdy card game. Later after all the men had gassed up the boats for the next days activities and secured all the boats, The adults would come in and put us younger children (probably those children less than 14 years of age) down in our sleeping bags to go to sleep. With the sun, the water, and no stop water fun, I would fall asleep very quickly. The adults then enjoyed a dinner, a campfire, a sky full of stars and the relaxing out of doors. The teen agers would drive their cars around in the hills, or go into a small town nearby for a movie show.

Sometimes some of the men woke up early and, if we, children asked, we could go fishing with them. It was always a quiet special time on the lake, No talking, no pressure, just watching your line, broken up with small excitements when we got a nibble or caught a fish. There would be the quiet comparing sizes of fish, and always the anticipation to wait to see if someone would measure your fish and declare your fish was long enough to qualify as "a keeper". We would string the fish on a single rope and carry the fish into the camp. The women would prepare the fish for breakfast. Usually it was catfish , the big mouth catfish with the meaty thick jaws. Someone would always say "tastes like chicken".

I was too young to understand when the older teen ager girls would say they did not want to eat the fish, or go skiing, or spent half the mornings in the restrooms. The teen age girls would come out of the public restrooms with bee hive updos kept in place with lots of hairspray, bathing suits, terrycloth wraps, cute sandals, huge straw purses and sunglasses. I would look down at my bathing suit with some stupid skirt attached, stringy hair, dirty canvas sneakers and go the opposite direction.

I was just happy when I was able to ski, or fish, but I knew the middle of the day, I would be down at the roped off swimming area playing in the water until it was my turn to ski again. The boys had rigged up a swinging rope with a big knot on the end on the far side of the water hole. And if you could swim across the boat ramps--- you could climb the hill and have a turn at the rope. You would swing far out on the rope and drop into the water.

There was also a huge floating sun deck out further in this water hole. The sun deck had very high sides that was not easy for me at the age of 12 to climb. It was pretty well known that the sun deck was for the teen agers and if you could not swim to and board the raft yourself --- you were not welcome.....no one was going to help a 12 year old on to the raft.......and if you ever did make it up there, as soon as the older kids came around ----they would throw you off_____.

These were wonderful times I remember with my father and mother, my two older brothers (teen agers), my younger sister and myself. My parents were enjoying friends, getting away from daily pressures, sharing interest with other adults with similar interest in boats, family, kids, and camping.

AfriGeneas-----Genealogy Buddies

I love that concept----buddies. Because I do not think one side of the story can be told without looking at the other side. And until we come together to tell our stories will we start to understand this American experience. This experience will probably be very hard on me. I am a sensitive soul and as the stories unravel, I grieve. My goal is to find ancestors of the people of my past. I want to share stories of mutual love and acceptance of families living together. For example; I would love to give to the ancestors of my ggg grandfather's horseman, letters I have explaining his ability and knowledge of horses. Hearing these personal accounts of ancestors gives life to the names, dates, locations, and occupations of our past. I think in some cases it would do good to understand the conditions and the families with some lived.

Being a native Californian, I have a very limited understanding and appreciation of the struggle of the African-American. I in no way want to justify, minimize nor past judgement on what truly has been a horrific part of American culture. I do know there is hatred, evil, and inhumane acts performed now today and in the past everyday and all the time.

Because it is such a horrible past -- many are reluctant to open that chapter of their lives. I "get it" But I am learning there are some very brave souls out there that want to explore this past and learn more. Just like me --- they were raised with stories of great grandfathers and great grandmothers sharing the past with them.

Ok, anyone, who knows me, knows I will and do go places people fear to go. There is an elephant in our genealogy past and instead of ignoring it, I plan to explore it's orgin, it's past and if possible learn from it. I am exploring and pleased to announce there are websites, scholars and experts to help piece these families together.
Although I grew up with stories from the south and knew of stories of slaves that lived with my family. It kind of shocked me to see my family react to my genealogy research.
My family was so surprised when I shared wills, bill of sales and court records indicating our ancestors did in fact have slaves. Once I recovered from the shock and hearing other genealogist speak, I decided what a unique and wonderful opportunity I have to learn and share more about American history. I have loving stories written by ancestors about the people who worked on their lands. I think it would be great if I could read or hear from one of the families---from the other side as to say. I know there was abuse by some but I also know there was love and acceptance. The word AfriGeneas is derived from African American Genealogy Buddies. It's pronounced: A · fri · GEE · nee · as. AfriGeneas is a site devoted to African American genealogy, to researching African Ancestry in the Americas in particular and to genealogical research and resources in general.

So I am willing to be a "buddie". But I feel my own genealogy work will not be complete unless I do in fact embrace and explore this important part of our ancestral past. This genealogy journey is not a path for the weak and meek. But we must strive to present a balanced truth. I may read about families and incidents that allows me just a glimpse into the past. but there is also stories of heroism and compassion beyond comparison.

Stories of heroism and compassion do not usually sell books or newspapers but they are there for those who seek them: Can we write? A story of tragedy and triumph detailed through meticulous research and personal interviews that makes your heart ache and your spirit soar for those who survived in spite of Congress, American Leadership, the Media, Political Buffoonery. A triumph of justice, human compassion and good over evil.

I know this is a rocky path but I think my ancestors stories and letters regarding life long friends are important to share with their ancestors if at all possible. I truly cringe at the concept of "being led by the ancestors" but I know through letters and stories there was a lot of love, admiration, and compassion --that my ancestors will not let me ignore. They want their "family" to be remembered by their descendants.

I will blog my progress here through emancipation records, black cemetary records, african-american genealogist and societies, slave schedules, wills, court records and the lovely people I meet along the way. I do have several names in mind that I have already started finding family to share/buddy.