52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - All Five

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

This is post number 52, my last post, in this challenge. It's been fun! Taking this challenge has helped me remember more about my childhood, but it has also made me realize how much I've forgotten. I've scoured old photos to jog my memory, and I've asked my mom and my siblings questions. A lot of my childhood memories are now just snippets that flash across my mind once in a while.

To end the challenge, I thought I'd post a few more photos of me with my siblings.

I look surprised! From back to front, oldest to youngest: me, Andy, John, Melissa, and Helen. Our mom is on the right. I actually remember this photo. Our dad told us to line up! We're in our family kitchen. This may have been 1964 or 1965.

I'm on the far left, Melissa is in the center, and Helen is on the right. Andy is in the center back, and John is on the right behind Helen. This was taken at our great grandparents' house the J.T. Roberts house.

Oldest to youngest starting at the back: me, Andy, John, Melissa, and Helen. I was probably in high school when this was taken.

This was taken in November 1970 or 1971 on Jekyll Island, Georgia. We went there for Thanksgiving vacation. I think we're at one of the "cottages" that used to belong to one of the millionaires who vacationed there. From left to right: Andy, Helen, me, Melissa, and John.

I wish I'd written down my childhood memories years ago before I'd forgotten so much!

Catherine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #52 Zillar Hunter

Zillar (or Zillah) Hunter was my maternal 6th great grandmother. Her father was Nicholas Hunter. I only have a first name for her mother--Rebecca. Some family trees on ancestry.com have her mother's maiden name as Grady and Boone. A couple of family trees on familysearch.org have Rebecca's maiden name as Hardy.

I have Zillar's birth year as about 1737 in Onslow County, North Carolina, but I don't know if that's correct. I've also seen her birth year estimated as 1732 and 1736. One of 12 children, her siblings were Easter/Esther, Reachell/Rachel, Kesiah, Elizabeth, Sarah, Ruth, Stephen, Ezekell, Lebbeus, William, and Joab. These children are listed in Nicholas Hunter's will.[1]

Zillar married Silas Weeks in Carteret County, North Carolina. I've seen various years for this, too: 1755, 1756, and 1757. The only children I have listed for them are James (b. before 1755), Theophilus (1760-1839), and Ada (about 1765-1852, my 5th great grandmother).

Zillar's husband Silas died during the American Revolution. His card record index on fold3.com notes that he died on May 22, 1778. I haven't done much research into this as of yet. I don't know if he was killed in a battle or died from disease or wounds. The card record below lists his death date beside "Casualties."

The Revolutionary War card index record for Silas Weeks (from fold3.com)

Silas joined Donoho's Company in the 6th North Carolina regiment in 1777 and served under Col. Gideon Lamb. Son Theophilus joined Donoho's Company the previous year in 1776 and survived the war.[2]

Zillar died in about 1784 in Carteret County, North Carolina. There's an interesting write-up about the Weeks family on the blog Swansboro, North Carolina.

My descent from Zillar Hunter:

Zillar Hunter and Silas Weeks
Ada Weeks and ? (John O'Steen was possibly her second husband and not the father of Phoebe)
Phoebe Weeks and John Roberts
William P. Roberts and Sarah Knight
William Roberts and Margaret Devane
John T. Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William Redles
Leona Redles and Albert Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)

This is my last post for the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small. I decided after my first post that I would concentrate on my female ancestors, so 50 of my 52 posts are about them. Before publishing each post, I researched what was available online, in the local library, and in my parents' books to see if I could find out more about these ancestors. This challenge has given me the chance to learn more about them. I encourage you to take the 2015 challenge!

Catherine

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References:
[1] Ancestry.com. North Carolina Will Abstracts 1660-1790, for Nicholas Hunter. Database online.

[2] Fold3.com. Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War. Database online; Roster of Soldiers from North Carolina in the American Revolution. Reprinted for Clearfield Company, Inc. by Genealogical Publishing Col, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, 2000, 2003. Originally published by The North Carolina Daughters of the American Revolution, Durham, 1932, pp. 85, 91.

52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - Favorite Christmas Presents

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

It's hard to decide which was my favorite Christmas present when I was a kid. I always loved getting dolls. One Christmas I got a nurse's hat, cap, and doctor kit that I loved. Another Christmas I got a majorette uniform, white boots, and baton that I also loved. And another Christmas I got a puppy that I named Lulu after my uncle Louis (my dad's friend). When I was a teenager, I got a radio inside a stuffed toy.

Here I am at Christmas 1957 with my paternal grandmother Helen (Brown) Thomas Pendleton and my new doll carriage. I'm sure I got a new doll to push around in it, too. This was taken at our old house on Alden Avenue.

Here I am in my new majorette uniform and boots with my new doll that I got for Christmas. This was Christmas day 1961. Taken at the J.T. Roberts house.

I'm sure I had a new favorite present each year!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Catherine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #51 Ann Larkins

Ann Larkins (or Larkin) was my maternal 5th great grandmother. She was born sometime around 1730 to 1735 possibly in New Hanover, North Carolina. I don't have parents listed for her but some family trees on ancestry.com have her mother as Tobitha Jenkins, Canty, or Jones and her father as John Larkins. The Devane genealogy book that my mother has says Ann's name was Ann Robinson rather than Larkins.[1] One family tree notes that her mother Tobitha remarried in 1738 after the death of John Larkins. This family tree gives Ann's birth year as 1740 and her parents as James Robinson and Tobitha Jenkins.

Ann married John Devane, Sr., possibly in 1752 or 1753 and gave birth to nine children: Ann, George, Margaret, Rebecca, William, John (1755-1802, my 4th great grandfather), James (1757-1840), Thomas (1762-1831), and Tobitha (1764-1815). Her husband and several sons fought in the Revolutionary War.

New Hanover County, North Carolina, as of 1760 (map from randymajors.com)

Both John and Ann died in Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. John died around 1806. Ann died about 1818. According to the Devane book, they are both buried under St. James Episcopal Church in Wilmington where John was vestryman.[2] This church was torn down in 1839 and rebuilt, but I don't know if it was rebuilt in the same location or what might have happened to the burials under the church. According to an article by StarNews reporter Ben Steelman, some of the burials at St. James Episcopal Church were moved to Oakdale Cemetery which was established in 1852.[3]

My descent from Ann Larkins:

Ann Larkins and John Devane Sr.
Ann Davis and John Devane Jr.
Francis Devane and Frances Giddens
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)


Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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[1] Devanes 1798-1975, published by Kissam P. DeVane, Gilbert O. Maulsby, Woodrow W. Hancock, and Robert P. Jolley, n.d.

[2] See footnote 1

[3] Ben Steelman. "Where are the bodies buried?" StarNews. Electronic document, http://www.myreporter.com/2009/04/the-bodies-buried/, accessed December 22, 2014.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #50 Margaret Schaad

Born about 1728, Margaret Schaad was my paternal 5th great grandmother. I've also seen her name as Margareta Schad and Margretha Schad. She was baptized on June 13, 1728, in Weinfelden, Thurgau, Switzerland. Her parents were Hans Joachim Schad and Eva Reidtbergerin. Her siblings I've found through the baptismal records on ancestry.com were Solomon (1714-1723), Anna (b. 1716), Jacob (1718-1720), Maria (b. 1720), Solomon (1723-1768), Hans Joachim Jr. (b. 1725), and Regula (1728-1728). Regula was baptized the same day as Margaret. There appears to have been another daughter named Margaretha who was baptized in 1724.[1] I haven't found a burial record index for her and I've not seen the original records for any of the children.

Weinfelden, Thurgau, Switzerland is circled in blue (from Google maps). 
Click on the map for a larger view.

Margaret was about 13 years old when she came to America with her parents and her siblings Anna, Hans, and Solomon.[2] They sailed from Switzerland on the ship Europa and arrived on the coast of Georgia on December 4, 1741. Her father received a grant in 1742 for 50 acres of land in Vernonburg, Georgia, on the Vernon River about 10 miles south of Savannah.[3,4] The settlement was laid out in 1741, and the first settlers were indentured servants. They grew flax and cotton for cloth, but producing silk was much less successful. Life here was hard, and many of the early settlers abandoned their land and moved to Savannah and Augusta, Georgia.[4]

At the age of 24, Margaret married Frederic Edmund Treutlin in 1752. She gave birth to at least three children: Ann Margaret (1754-1824), Catherine (1756-1836, my 4th great grandmother), and Elizabeth (1758-1759).

Frederic died in 1798. Margaret lived another nine years and died on July 23, 1807, at the age of 79.

My descent from Margaret Schaad:

Margaret Schaad and Frederic Treutlin
Catherine Treutlin and John Robert Tebeau
Frederic Edmund Tebeau and Hulda Lewis
Catharine Tebeau and Philip Coleman Pendleton
Alexander Shaw Pendleton and Susan Parramore 
Albert S. Pendleton Sr. and Helen Brown
Albert S. Pendleton Jr. and Leona Redles
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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[1] Ancestry.com. Switzerland, Select Baptisms, 1491-1940. Baptismal records for the children of Hans Joachim Schad and Eva Reidtbergerin. Database online; Switzerland Select Burials, 1613-1875. Death dates for Solomon (the first), Jacob, and Regula Schad.

[2] Ancestry.com. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Hans Joachim, Eva, Hans, Margareta, and Solomon. Database online.

[3] George F. Jones. The Germans of Colonial Georgia 1733-1783. (Genealogical Publishing Company,  Inc., Baltimore, 1986, xiii, 97); Allen D. Chandler. The Colonial Records of Georgia. Vol. I. (The Franklin Printing and Publishing Company, 1904, p. 405).

[4] Georgia Department of Transportation. Vernonburg Georgia. Electronic document, http://www.dot.ga.gov/Projects/programs/environment/resources/outreach/Documents/Publications/Vernonburg-GA-Booklet.pdf, accessed December 15, 2014.

Friend of Friends Friday - Slave Manifest

One of the daily blogging prompts on Geneabloggers is Friend of Friends Friday. This is a way to share “records of enslaved ancestors, whether they are your own ancestors or not…”

While researching my paternal 5th great grandmother Margaret Schaad (or Schad, Shad) and her siblings, I came across a slave manifest on ancestry.com dated 1824 for the transportation of three slaves with Solomon "Shad" listed as "Owner or Shipper." Margaret had a brother named Solomon, but he died in 1768 in Wilmington Island, Chatham County, Georgia. I don't have a spouse or children listed for him, but some family trees on ancestry.com list a son also named Solomon.

According to the slave manifest, these three slaves were being sent to Charleston, South Carolina, from Savannah, Georgia (click on the images for a larger view). The name of the ship was the Delight. What a horrible name for a ship used to transport slaves! The owner of the ship was Jonathan Cooper. There are several slave manifests on ancestry.com with his name on them and for this ship going back and forth between Savannah and Charleston.

Page 1 of the Slave Manifest for Solomon Schaad dated  4 May 1824

Notice that the above says the shippers and owners had to swear that these slaves had not been brought over to the United States on or after January 1, 1808, which is when the act to abolish the importation of slaves into the United States went into effect (not to say that importation ended right away).

This is the handwritten bottom portion of page 1 (see above). It says, "Coast[?] Slave Out Manfs, Sloop Delight, For Charleston, 4 May 1824"

Page 2 of the slave manifest for Solomon Shaad with the names of the 
slaves being sent to Charleston from Savannah

The slaves were two women and one child:

Binah, female, age 26 [birth year about 1798], 5 feet 3 inches tall, black, residence Savannah

Phoebe, female, age 22 [birth year about 1802], 5 feet 4 inches tall, black, residence Savannah

Charles, male, age 12 [birth year about 1812], 3 feet 4 inches tall, mulatto, residence Charleston

The names of the "Owners or Shippers" have been marked out and Solomon Shad's name is written underneath. Binah's owner was D. W. Mongin, Phoebe's owner was J. D. Mongin, and Charles' owner was Mrs. M. C. Thomson (if I'm reading them correctly). I found a Daniel W. Mongin and a John D. Mongin in Savannah, Chatham County, property records. I had trouble pinpointing who Mrs. M. C. Thomson was. Those could be her husband's initials. I found a "Miss C. M. Thompson,"a "Mrs. C. M. Thompson," and a "Mrs. M. C. Thompson" in Chatham County property records. I wonder why Charles' residence says Charleston while the others say Savannah. Unless that's where the owners lived whose names were marked out.

I can't imagine at the age of 12 being shipped off to parts unknown and Lord-knows-what without my parents.

Catherine

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Reference:

Ancestry.com, All U.S., Coastwise Inward and Outward Slave Manifests, 1790-1860. Database online. Accessed December 18, 2014, www.ancestry.com

52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - Christmas

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

Christmas was my favorite holiday when I was a kid. It meant new toys and a visit from Santa. I would pour over the Sears catalog and make a long list of things I wanted Santa to bring. Our mom would go shopping for hours. I'd ask my dad, "Where's Mama?" He'd say, "Gone shopping." I couldn't wait for her to come home so I could ask her what she'd bought. Not that she would have told me. She'd come home with mysterious bags and packages and hide them away from us. We found one of her hiding places. Once in a while, she lost a present, but she'd find it by chance a while later.

Three generations together for Christmas 1954. My mother, me, and my grandmother Leona Roberts (Redles) at my first Christmas. This was taken at the J.T. Roberts house.

My brother Andy and me looking cozy in our Christmas red pjs with a fire in the fireplace 

and Christmas stockings hanging on the mantle. This was probably in the late 1950s, maybe before John was born. The two stockings on the left are my parents' and the two on the right are mine and Andy's. John would have had one like ours. The three in the middle are probably decoration. 

On Christmas Eve, we'd get together with my dad's side of the family and exchange presents. We had a tough time going to sleep on Christmas Eve. Our parents would tell us Santa couldn't come unless we were asleep, but we were too excited! We'd wake up very early the next morning to see what Santa brought us. I remember getting up one time at 4 am! One rule our parents had was we could not wake them up Christmas morning, because we got up too early! They probably heard our squeals of delight even though we'd shut the door to the den and tried to be quiet. On Christmas Day, we'd go have dinner and exchange presents with my mom's side of the family at the J.T. Roberts house. I hated being torn away from my new toys. I'd usually take at least one with me.

Oh, to be a kid again and feel that same excitement!

Catherine

52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - Making Mud Pies

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

I've liked playing in the dirt since I was a kid. I guess that's part of the reason I became an archaeologist--I could play in the dirt and get paid for it, too. One of the things I liked to do as a kid was make mud pies.

Red Georgia clay ("Ultisol." Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ultisol.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Ultisol.jpg)

Back then, I could get some red Georgia clay from our ditch by the street (it's now covered with grass), add a little water, and make round mud pies. Sometimes I'd draw my initials in them. I'd let them dry, but of course, they'd crack and fall apart. I didn't know then that you needed to add temper and "fire" them. I doubt my parents would have let me have access to matches and wood to build a fire to harden my mud pies.

Catherine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #49 Catherine Treutlin

Catherine Treutlin (or Treutlen) was my paternal 4th great grandmother. She was born June 3, 1756, to Frederic Edmund Treutlin and Margaret Schaad, possibly in Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia. Catherine's parents were early immigrants to Georgia, both landing on the Georgia coast in the 1740s.[1]

I only have two siblings listed for Catherine: Ann Margaret (1754-1827) and Elizabeth (1758-1759). Her uncle John Adam Treutlin was the first governor of Georgia.[2]

Catherine married John Robert Tebeau and gave birth to at least five children: Ann Margaret (b. 1790), Frederic Edmund (b. 1792, my 3rd great grandfather), Mary (ABT b. 1794), Charles Watson (ABT b. 1976), and Susan (b. ABT 1796).

Catherine and John lived out their lives in Chatham County. John died October 12, 1807, in Savannah. Catherine lived another 29 years after the death of her husband. It doesn't appear that she remarried after John's death. I found several tax records for "Catherine Tebeau" in Chatham County up until 1836 on ancestry.com.

Savannah Land and Tax Property Records, 1836, for Estate of John Tebeau, Catherine (Treutlin) Tebeau, and Frederic Tebeau (from ancestry.com)

The above record shows the Estate of John Tebeau had one slave and lot and improvements at Carpenters Row for both John's estate and for Catherine,

Catherine died on December 16, 1836, in Savannah. They are both buried in the family vault in Colonial Park Cemetery in Savannah.

My descent from Catherine Treutlin:

Catherine Treutlin and John Robert Tebeau
Frederic Edmund Tebeau and Hulda Lewis
Catharine Tebeau and Philip Coleman Pendleton
Alexander Shaw Pendleton and Susan Parramore 
Albert S. Pendleton Sr. and Helen Brown
Albert S. Pendleton Jr. and Leona Redles
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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[1] George F. Jones.  The Germans of Colonial Georgia 1733-1783. (Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, 1986, p. 116).

[2]  Georgia Salzburger Society. http://www.georgiasalzburgers.com/

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #48 Susan Dasher

Susan Catherine Dasher is my paternal 2nd great grandmother. She was born on December 21, 1824, probably in Effingham County Georgia, to Christian Herman Dasher and Elizabeth Waldhauer. These two families are descendants of Salzburgers from modern day Austria who came to the Georgia coast in the 1730s to escape religious persecution.

Susan moved with her parents to Lowndes County, Georgia, sometime in the early 1830s. Her father is noted in History of Lowndes County Georgia 1825-1941* as one of the planters living near the county seat of Troupeville during that time. Susan first married Richard Howell in 1853. They had one son, also named Richard (1854-1875). After her husband died, Susan married my 2nd great grandfather Noah Parramore in 1856. She was his second wife. He already had three children by his first wife Martha Sheffield when he married Susan: Josephine (b. 1848), James Nathaniel (b. 1849), and Redden West (b. 1851).

After Susan married Noah, she gave birth to five more children: John (1857-1918), Bessie (or Elizabeth 1858-1877), Herman D. (1860-1891), Susan Catherine (1861-1938, my great grandmother and wife of Alexander Pendleton), and Frank Remington (1864-1950).

According to the 1860 U.S. census for Thomas County, Noah was a "farmer" with a real estate value of $6,000 and a personal estate value of $45,000! I found him on the 1860 slave schedule with 87 slaves! In 1850, he had 14 slaves.

The Parramores lived in Thomas County through most of the 1860s. They moved to Lowndes County sometime between 1866 and 1868.

1866 tax record for Thomas County showing "N. Parramore" (from ancestry.com)
 

1868 list of voters in Lowndes County showing "Noah Parramore" (from ancestry.com)

Map of Thomas County and Lowndes County in south Gerogia
 in 1860 (from randymajors.com)

According to the 1870 U.S. census for Lowndes County, their farm in Lowndes was worth far less than the one in Thomas County--Real estate valued at $600 and personal estate valued at $2,000. This is after the Civil War which I'm sure left them in reduced circumstances like the rest of the South.

Susan Dasher (Parramore) holding her granddaughter Bessie Pendleton who was born in 1884

Susan's husband Noah died on October 20, 1891, and Susan died about nine years later on May 5, 1901. They're both buried at Sunset Hill cemetery in Valdosta, Georgia.

Headstone for Noah Parramore in Sunset Hill cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia.

Headstone for Susan Dasher, wife of Noah Parramore,
in Sunset Hill cemetery, Valdosta, Georgia.

My descent from Susan Dasher:

Susan Dasher and Noah Parramore
Susan Parramore and Alexander Shaw Pendleton
Albert S. Pendleton Sr. and Helen Brown
Albert S. Pendleton Jr. and Leona Redles
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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* History of Lowndes County Georgia 1825-1941. General James Jackson Chapter NSDAR, Valdosta, Georgia, 1995, 107.

52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - Collecting Cicadas

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

When I was a kid, we loved collecting cicada exoskeletons (see photo below). We'd find them clinging to the bark of the pine trees in our yard. I'd collect a jar full of them.

"Exoskeleton fly 1" by Karthik Easvur - Own work. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Exoskeleton_fly_1.jpg#mediaviewer/File:Exoskeleton_fly_1.jpg

I hadn't seen one in years until this past summer when I found one clinging to our chicken coop. One of my granddaughters wanted to scare my grandson with it. He didn't know what it was, so it got crushed on the ground. I guess I need to give some nature lessons the next time they visit.

Catherine

52 Weeks of Sharing our Memories - Playing Dress-up

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

One of my favorite things to do as a kid was dress up in my mother's clothes. I especially liked wearing her high heels even though they were way too big for me. I liked the sound they made when I stomped around the house in them. I felt so grown up!

Strike a pose!
My brother Andy and me in our parents clothes

I couldn't wait to grow up. It's funny, though. When you're a kid, you can't wait to be an adult, but when you're an adult, you long for the days when you were a kid.

Catherine

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - #47 Frances Giddens

Born around 1797 in North Carolina, Frances Giddens was my maternal 3rd great grandmother. Her father was Thomas Giddens. She may have been born in New Hanover County, North Carolina. I found her father there in the 1790 census. I have Frances' mother as Mary Baker, but now I believe that's incorrect. I found a marriage record index on ancestry.com for a Thomas Giddens and a Mary Baker dated 1824 in Bulloch County, Georgia. If this is the correct Thomas Giddens, then Mary Baker isn't Frances' mother. On a Sons of the American Revolution application, Mary Baker is noted as Thomas' second wife. The name of the first wife isn't given on the application, but it says she died sometime between 1810 and 1820. So far, I only have two siblings listed for Frances: a full brother named Thomas Giddens and a half brother named Jimpsey Giddens. In Folks Huxford's Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume I, he notes that Frances moved with her parents to Georgia, and they lived in Bulloch and Tattnall counties.

Bulloch County, Georgia as of 1816  (from randymajors.com)

Tattnall County, Georgia, as of 1810 (from randymajors.com)

Frances married Francis Devane sometime before 1816 as that's the year I have for the birth of their first child Priscilla. The other children I have listed are Tabitha (b. 1822), Thomas (b. 1824), Margaret (b. 1826, my 2nd great grandmother), Rebecca Jane (b. 1831), Patrick (b. 1834), Benjamin (b. 1835), and William (b. 1838). There's a large gap between the birth of the first and second children. Huxford has the birth year for Tabitha as 1817. This would also leave a large gap but between the second and third children. Frances may have given birth to a child or two or three who died or either the dates are incorrect.

I thought Frances and Francis may have married in Bulloch County, but I couldn't find a marriage record on Georgia's Virtual Vault. The records for Bulloch aren't indexed, so I could have missed it. (Although, while searching page by page, I found a record for another ancestor!) I looked in the Bulloch records through the year 1823. Tattnall County marriage records on Georgia's Virtual Vault only go back to 1832. The Devane genealogy book that my mom has says the first four children were born in Bulloch County.

The family moved in about 1831 to the part of Lowndes County, Georgia, that later became part of Berrien County.

Lowndes County, Georgia, in 1830 (from randymajors.com)

Berrien and Lowndes counties as of 1860 (from randymajors.com)

Frances died on August 28, 1864, and her husband Francis died on March 8, 1868. They are both buried in Pleasant Cemetery in Ray City, Georgia. One of these days, I'll go to the cemetery. It's not far from here, and I promised my sister I wouldn't pick the hottest day of the year like I did the last time we visited some cemeteries.

My descent from Frances Giddens:

Frances Giddens and Francis Devane
Margaret Devane and William Roberts
John Taylor Roberts and Catherine Young
Leona Roberts and William L. Redles
Leona Redles and Albert S. Pendleton Jr.
Catherine Pendleton (me)

Catherine

This post is part of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge by genealogist Amy Crow at No Story Too Small.

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Records consulted:

Folks Huxford, Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia, Volume I. Cooper Press Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, 1966, 66.

Devanes 1798-1975, published by Kissam P. DeVane, Gilbert O. Maulsby, Woodrow W. Hancock, and Robert P. Jolley, n.d.

52 Weeks of Sharing Our Memories - Air Raid Drills

This post is part of the 52 Weeks of Writing our Memories by Lorine McGinnis Schulze at Olive Tree Genealogy who has challenged us to write our memories for our future generations.

When I was in the second and third grades, we had air raid drills at school. This was after the Soviet Union (Russia) began nuclear testing in the early 1950s. I saw online that these were called "duck and cover" drills. I don't think we had them in first grade. This was in the 1960s during the Cold War. I don't remember much about what we had to do during the drills, possibly hide under our desks. I do remember that we had to learn our way home from school in case we were sent home and our parents couldn't come for us. Every day at noon (or maybe it was just once a week) for decades, the air raid siren would sound all over town. There would also be a test on the TV by the Emergency Broadcast System--probably on the radio, too. People built bomb shelters, but I don't know if anyone in Valdosta built one.

I saw this YouTube video below on wikipedia. The video was put together by the Civil Defense department in 1951. It was written by Raymond J. Mauer and directed by Anthony Rizzo and distributed by Archer Productions. 

The elementary school I went to for first through third grades was the old Sallas Mahone on the corner of Patterson Street and Woodrow Wilson Drive (the school has since been torn down and the property is now part of the hospital). I don't remember having air raid drills when I changed schools to S. L. Mason Elementary School for fourth through sixth grades. This school was closer to our house and we walked or rode our bikes every day to school, so we already knew the way home from there.

Ah, the "good ole days" with the fear of nuclear attack! I remember my oldest brother and I would sometimes search the sky for enemy planes as if we'd know what they looked like from several thousand feet in the air.

Catherine