Mum's Collection of Badges from the USA

This morning, while thinking about what to do for my next blog post, my Mum brought out her collection of badges. You might remember last year I shared photos of my Great Grandfather's police badges. Well, these are a different kind. I had not seen these before either - where have you been hiding them Mum?! These badges are of a political nature - Presidents, people running for President, and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). I have decided to show you them because I think they are interesting, and I think it is neat that my Mum has kept them. They are a part of history. My knowledge of American Presidents is not that great, so this was an education lesson for me as well when Mum was explaining who was who. I had not even heard of the Equal Rights Amendment either!

Please keep in mind that these are old badges. Some of the badges belong to my Mum, some were given to her, and some belonged to my Grandma. They do not reflect current politics in any way. As I said before, I just think it is pretty cool that Mum has these, and I will definitely be keeping them for future generations. I don't even have any badges representing Australian Politics/Prime Ministers!

Clinton & Gore 1996

Mario Cuomo, 52nd Governor of
New York State

Bush & Quayle

Dole & Kemp

President Ford

Ford & Dole 1976

Mondale & Ferraro 1984

Nixon & Lodge 1960

Collection of Political Badges

Equal Rights Amendment

Collection of ERA Badges

And finally, Rice University (Houston, Texas). Why does Mum have this badge? She went there! 

All the badges!

Does your family have any badges or other political memorabilia?  

SNGF - Colouring Maps

The most recent Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver is about what states in the USA and/or Canada you have been to.

The challenge is…

1)  What states in the USA and what provinces in Canada have you visited or lived in? 

2)  Either list, or make a map of them (at the http://www.defocus.net/visitedstates/us-canada.html website) and indicate the following:

*  red for states/provinces where you've not spent much time or seen very much.

*  amber for states/provinces  where you've at least slept and seen some sights.

*  blue for states/provinces  you've spent a lot of time in or seen a fair amount of.

*  green for states/provinces  you've spent a great deal of time in on multiple visits.

3)  For extra credit, you could make a map to show where your ancestors resided at any time (e.g., in 1900), or perhaps where your 16 great-great-grandparents or 32 3rd-great-grandparents married, or where your ancestors were born, all with an appropriate legend.

1) Map of where I have been

Being half American, I actually have not been to that many States, but I am pretty happy with where I've been so far. As my family is from Texas, I have been there many times. I have spent at least a week in  California, Utah, Louisiana, and Hawaii which is why they are marked amber. Colorado is marked red because I have only been to Denver airport. Does that even count? When I was a baby I lived in Virginia for a few months, so that one is blue as I have not been there since. Finally, Maryland is red because my parents say we went there whilst living in Virginia.

2) Map of where my Great Great Great Grandparents were born

The color code I used for this map was -

*  red for states/provinces where 1 or 2 were born.

*  amber for states/provinces where 3 or 4 were born.

*  blue for states/provinces where 5 to 8 were born.

* green for states/provinces where 9 or more were born.

Six were born in Tennessee, five in Alabama, three in Mississippi, one (Daniel Guyton Smith) in South Carolina, and one (Louisa Clementine Brister) in Virginia. The other 16 were born in Australia, Scotland and England. 

3) Map of where my Great Great Great Grandparents married

The color code I used for this map and the next was -

*  red for states/provinces where 1 or 2 resided at marriage.

*  amber for states/provinces where 3 or 4 resided at marriage.

*  blue for states/provinces where 5 or 6 resided at marriage.

* green for states/provinces where 7 or more resided at marriage.

Eight of my 3x Great Grandparents were living in Mississippi at the time of their marriage. Four married in Alabama and another four married in Texas.

4) Map of where my Great Great Grandparents married 

Two married in Mississippi, two married in Alabama, and four married in Texas. The rest married in Scotland and Australia.

That was fun! I think I might make more maps for my American ancestors. As my geography of the US is not that good, having a visual diagram like these maps make it a lot easier to understand! It really puts the states my ancestors came from in perspective for me, especially as to where these states are in relation to each other.   

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Ahnentafel Roulette

It's time for another round of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, well Sunday morning for me! This week's challenge from Randy at Genea-Musings is Ahnentafel Roulette.

Here's the challenge:

1. What year was one of your great-grandfathers born? Divide this number by 80 and round to a whole number. This is your "roulette number."

2. Use your pedigree charts or your family tree genealogy software program to find the person with that number in your ancestral name list (some people call it an "ahnentafel" - your software will create this - use the "Ahnentafel List" option, or similar). Who is that person, and what are his/her vital information?

3. Tell us three facts about that person in your ancestral name list with the "roulette number."

4. Write about it in a blog post on your own blog, in a Facebook status or a Google Stream post, or as a comment on this blog post.

5. NOTE:  If you do not have a person's name for your "roulette number" then "spin" the wheel again - pick a great-grandmother, a grandfather, a parent, a favorite aunt or cousin, yourself, or even your children!  Or pick an ancestor!

Here's mine:

1. Dividing each of my Great Grandfather's birth years by 80 gave me either 23 or 24.

2. This led me to a couple of unnamed people. Instead, I picked my Great Great Great Grandmother Matilda 'Tillie' Gowan (1840 - 1908) who married John Young (1836 - 1888) in 1860 in Mississippi, USA.

Matilda 'Tillie' Gowan Young
Approx 1880's
[Source: Personal Collection]

3. Three facts about Matilda 'Tillie' Gowan Young

a) She was born on December 18, 1840 in Mississippi, USA to Richard Gowan & Susan Peacock. She had 9 siblings.

b) She and John Young had 7 children - Emma Rosalie Young (1861 - 1868), Matthew Garret Young (1864 - 1933), Mary Gowan Young (1867 - 1927), Susie Fannie Young (1870 - 1928), Matilda May Young (1873 - 1936), Terri Pearl Young (1875 - 1959), & Frank Richard Young (1878 - 1958).

c) She is buried in White Church Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas. Her grave says she died on August 20, 1908, but her death certificate says she died on August 21, 1908.

Grave of Matilda 'Tillie' Gowan Young
White Church Cemetery, Blooming Grove, TX.
[Source: Personal Collection]

Look out Rootstech! I'm coming!

Last year, I made it my goal to attend Rootstech in 2015, and now it's happening! I'm going to Rootstech! Two weeks ago my Aunty & I booked our hotel room at the Salt Lake Plaza Hotel. Currently, my Aunty is coming with me to Salt Lake City and she will do her own thing while I am conferencing it up. 

I am so excited y'all!!! Booking the hotel room has made it all so real. This is actually happening. I am going to be at Rootstech! You can expect many blog posts and videos about my preparation for Rootstech. I am also going to be needing lots of advice from you all too.

I want to meet as many of you as possible! I know it's going to be a blast and I want to soak up the experience as much as possible. DearMyrtle mentioned in her latest Mondays with Myrt that she is excited to meet me and will have to do another open house like she did this year. Woo! :D  

Here's my video that I did right after the hotel room was booked. I'd only woken up about 45 minutes prior, but I was like, I need to tell you all right NOW.

I am just so excited. And to see my family in Texas too of course! 

A Mother & Sons.

My Great Great Grandmother Mary Frances Smith (1861 - 1955) with her sons. Corsicana, Texas, 1940s.

Left to Right: Great Grandfather Roscoe Eugene Renfrow (1892 - 1982), Ernest Bascom Renfrow (1888 - 1979), Arthur Otis Renfrow (1894 - 1982), Frank Daniel Renfrow (1897 - 1962), Luther Marvin Renfrow (1887 - 1965).

A Cute Bunch.

This photo was taken in Corsicana, Texas sometime during the 1940s.

Left to Right - Grandad (Living), Walter Paul Kessinger (1930 - Unknown), June Kessinger (1932 - Unknown), James Calvin Renfrow (1926 - 1990), Launa Renfrow (1902 - 1999) & Vivian Renfrow (Living).

How they are all related?

• Grandad & James Calvin Renfrow are brothers.
• Walter Paul & June Kessinger are also siblings. 
• Grandad & James are first cousins with Vivian.
• Walter & June are the children of Cleo Renfrow, who is a first cousin of Grandad, James & Vivian. Therefore, Walter & June are their first cousins once removed.
• Launa is Grandad, James & Vivian’s Aunt, and Great Aunt of Walter & June. 

Fact: Vivian is the only remaining first cousin of my Grandad’s, and I met her at a family reunion in 2011!

Kids at Christmas.

How cute are these kids!

Christmas 1956, Texas.
From my personal collection,

L-R: Aunt Molly, Mum, and their cousins Jim & Mike.

December 1956 in Corsicana, Texas.

Mum was 23 months old, as she would have turned 2 at the beginning of January.

A Century Milestone.

Church News for Friday, Oct. 4, 2013

Blooming Grove United Methodist Church (Blooming Grove, Texas) will be celebrating 100 years in its present location next weekend.

The Church originally began as a Methodist mission church in 1869 in a building constructed on land on Rush Creek, which was donated by Richard and Susan Gowan nee Peacock.

Richard & Susan Gowan were my Great Great Great Great Grandparents! They also donated land for White Church Cemetery near by, which is where they are buried.

Launa & Cleo.

Did you see that photo I posted of my Great Great Aunt Launa Renfrow, with her niece Cleo in 1913?

Well, this is a photo of Launa (left), her husband Ben Thompkins & Cleo. Photo taken in May 1978, Grand Saline, Texas, USA.

I believe that due to their small age difference, Launa & Cleo were more like cousins, rather than aunt & niece.

Photo from my personal collection

Wordless Wednesday: Launa Pearl & Dolly Cleo.

Launa Pearl Renfrow (1902, Texas - 1999, Texas) with her niece Dolly Cleo Renfrow (1910, Texas - 1988, Texas). This photo was taken in approximately 1913 in Texas. Launa was my Great Great Aunt, and Cleo my first cousin twice removed. I think this is such a beautiful photo of the girls.

Census Sunday

The US 1930 Census featuring my Great Grandparents.

1. Wiley Durwood Robinson & Maud Ella Robinson nee Sharp.
They lived in Corsicana, Navarro County, Texas, USA. Maud’s mother Julia Sharp is living with them, as well as a Lodger, Alice Wilson. Wiley & Maud adopted my Grandma a couple of years later.

US 1930 Census for Wiley & Maud Robinson. Source: Ancestry.com.au

2. Roscoe Eugene Renfrow & Ethel Eva Renfrow nee Thompson.
They also lived in Corsicana, Navarro Country, Texas, USA. In 1930, Roscoe & Ethel had 3 young children - Flora, Roscoe Jr & James. My Grandad was born a year later.

US 1930 Census for Roscoe & Ethel Renfrow. Source: Ancestry.com.au

Tombstone Tuesday: White Church Cemetery

The Gowan/Young plot at White Church Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Buried here are my Great Great Great Great Grandparents Richard Gowan & Susan Peacock, and my Great Great Great Grandparents John Young & Matilda Gowan.

Tombstone Tuesday: James & Mary

My Great Great Grandparents, James Lewis Renfrow & Mary Frances Smith. They married in 1885, Mississippi, USA.

James L. Renfrow
Born: 18 Mar 1861, Mississippi, USA, to Lewis Renfrow & Nancy Sargent.
Died: 16 Jul 1939, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Mary F. Smith
Born: 1861, Mississippi, USA, to Daniel Guyton Smith & Louisa Brister.
Died: 13 Dec 1955, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Rose Hill Cemetery, Blooming Grove, Texas, USA.

Tombstone Tuesday: George & Frances

My Great Great Great Grandparents George Washington Spencer & Frances Elizabeth McWilliams. They married in 1855, in Mississippi, USA.

George W. Spencer
Born: 6 Jan 1832, Alabama, USA, to Peter Spencer & Mary Cooper.
Died: 24 May 1904, Frost, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

Frances E. McWilliams
Born: 28 Aug 1837, Mississippi, USA, to Jesse McWilliams & Susannah Last.
Died: 25 Dec 1908, Frost, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

Sunday's Obituary.

The obituary for my Great Great Grandfather James Lewis Renfrow.

Born: 1861, Mississippi, USA.

Died: 1939, Texas, USA.

He had 7 children with his wife Mary Frances Smith. 

James L. Renfrow & Mary F. Smith

My Great Great Grandparents James Lewis Renfrow & Mary Frances Smith.

James Lewis Renfrow
Born: 1861, Mississippi, USA
Died: 1939, Texas, USA

Mary Frances Smith
Born: 1861, Mississippi, USA
Died: 1955, Texas, USA

They married in 1885 in Mississippi & moved to Texas sometime between June 1892 & May 1894.

Daniel G. Smith & Louisa C. Brister

Louisa Clementine Brister.

Born: 1827, Virginia, USA.

Died: 1912, Mississippi, USA

 

Daniel Guyton Smith
Born: 1824, South Carolina, USA.
Died: 1877, Mississippi, USA

My Great Great Great Grandparents who married in 1857 in Mississippi, USA.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Happy 80th Birthday in Heaven Grandma! You were taken away from us too soon. I know you’re looking down on me from heaven, and I know you’re proud of me for all that I’ve done so far with my genealogy. I wish I could show you and tell you everything I’ve found. You’d be amazed :) I wish I could have known you. I love you!

Nancy Robinson
Born: 3rd December 1932, Texas, USA.
Died: May 1980, New Mexico, USA.

Happy Birthday Maud!

Happy 121st Birthday to my Great Grandmother Maud Ella Sharp!

Born: 2 Dec 1891, Texas, USA

Died: 24 May 1974, Texas, USA.