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.

Tombstone Tuesday: Julia & Jessie.

My Great Great Grandmother, Julia Latchapalee Sharp nee Spencer.

Born: 5 March 1859, Mississippi, USA to George Washington Spencer & Frances McWilliams.
Married: 1885, to Jessie Mitchell Sharp.
Died: 15 January 1940, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas.



My Great Great Grandfather, Jessie Mitchell Sharp.

Born: 11 Dec 1855, Texas, USA, to Jesse Euing Sharp & Mary Couch.
Married: 1885, to Julia Latchapalee Spencer.
Died: 17 Oct 1930, Corsicana, Texas, USA.
Buried: Frost Cemetery, Frost, Texas, USA.

A little update.

I just received an official invitation to the Brisbane launch of National Family History Month in August. It used to be a week, but for the first time, they are trialing it this year as a month. A whole month of genealogy & family history events! I’m so keen! Now that uni is over for the semester, I’m about to dive back into genealogy! Making so many videos soon. This passion & love of mine is bringing me so many opportunities I never thought possible. I’m so happy! I’m going to Sydney on Saturday to spend a week or so with my Aunt. We have so much genealogy to do! A lot of cemeteries and sorting out tombstones. I’m so excited! :D

Great Genealogy News!

Firstly, findmypast.com.au are working with the NSW State Records to digitize and publish wills from NSW from 1800 to 1952. They will hopefully be online later this year. This is super news! My Australian side of the family comes from New South Wales, and I have no idea if any of my ancestors left wills. This will be a big help! Check out the article from Gould Genealogy here.

Secondly, the Queensland Birth Death Marriage registry now allows you to purchase a certificate and download it instantly! The digital copies are $20, while a full historical certificate (posted to you in the mail) is $28. This is going to make researching Queensland ancestry much more easier & convenient. Gould Genealogy’s article about it is here.

For me, there is only one ancestor of mine who lived in Queensland - my Great Great Great Grandfather David Gill. He grew up and married in New South Wales, but for some reason, his wife Alice moved to & died in Victoria, while he moved to & died in Queensland. He died in 1922. I’d love to see if his death certificate has any clues about the separation. I went to order his death certificate moments ago, and it gave me this -

Historical Death Image unavailable? Whyy?! Oh well. I guess I’ll wait a few days and check back then. If it’s still unavailable, I’ll order the certificate as per normal.

[13/01/14 Edit: At the end of June I discovered that downloadable images of death certificates are not available for the year David Gill died. I went to the BDM Registry which is in the Brisbane CBD & purchased a copy of his death certificate.] 

The death notice of Silas Gill.

One of the death notices of my Great Great Great Great Grandfather Silas Gill, who died in Kempsey, NSW on the 10th of September, 1875. This was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 11th of September (Source: Trove). Silas was a prominent figure in the Macleay area, and he even has a monument dedicated to him. It's listed on Monument Australia.

Funeral Friday.

The death notice of my Great Great Great Grandfather Donald Mackay, who died on the 22nd of November, 1912. Published in the Sydney Morning Herald on the 26th of November, 1912. (Source: Trove).  I need to research more about him as I'm curious to know what made him one of Nambucca's pioneers.

A Year Ago Today...

My beautiful Nanna passed away. ♥♡♥

Everyone is a bit sad today, but we know you’re in a much better place.
I hope you’re having a good day with Poppa up there, watching the French Open. You sure loved the Tennis! I miss watching it with you and talking about who your favorite players are.

Rest In Peace Nanna.

Eunice Hazel Gow nee Dyer ♥

03/05/1916 - 04/06/2012

Poppa & Nanna with my brother & I, January, 1994.