Provide a list of your paternal grandmother's patrilineal line. Answer these questions:
* What was your father's mother's maiden name? Josephine Milam Saunders
* What was your father's mother's father's name? William Henry Saunders
* What is your father's mother's father's patrilineal line? That is, his father's father's father's ... back to the most distant male ancestor in that line?
William Henry Saunder's father was William M. Saunders, born about 1842 in Texas and died between 1862 and 1866, probably in Bosque County, Texas. This is one of my brick wall ancestors. I have not been able to find any information about William M. Saunders' death or his parents.
* Can you identify male sibling(s) of your father's mother, and any living male descendants from those male sibling(s)? If so, you have a candidate to do a Y-DNA test on that patrilineal line. If not, you may have to find male siblings, and their descendants, of the next generation back, or even further.
My grandmother had 2 brothers:
John Saunders b. about 1885. I know nothing else about this brother. He only appears in the 1900 census and I have not been able to find him after that. I don't know if he moved somewhere else, or died at an early age.
James "Rex" Saunders, b. 1892, died after 1960. James moved to Arkansas and had at least 2 sons and a daughter. I need to do more research on his family. It might provide some clues.
My grandmother's mother died when my grandmother was only 5 years old. She had several half-brothers:
Gene Saunders, 1910-1982, no children
Edward "Red" Saunders, 1913-1960, 1 daughter
Milton Saunders, 1916-1970, no children that I have found
Hershel Saunders, 1922-1980, no children
After doing this exercise, I see that I need to do some work on the James Saunders line in Arkansas to see if I could possibly find a living relative. Thanks, Randy, that was fun and informative.
Annie Bockman Blanton
May 20, 1856 Born Cass Co. Texas
Nov. 10, 1874 Married William A. Blanton
Sept. 29, 1884 Died Near Egan
Their Children
Lela Blanton Gober 1878 - 1924
Elmer A. Blanton 1880 - 1964
Blanton
Infant Son of
Wm. A. & Annie B. Blanton
Stillborn
Near Egan, Texas
Sept. 28, 1884
This was my great grandfather's first wife and son who died within one day of each other. Both are buried in Marystown Cemetery, Johnson County, Texas.
1) Go to http://www.wordle.net/ and create a Wordle with your surnames in it. As many as you want.
2) Post it on your blog or web page, and/or print it out and hang it on your wall. Show off your prowess!
3) Tell us what you've done - either in Comments to this post or in your own blog. Brag about your creation! If you want me to post it here, send a JPG file to me at rjseaver@cox.net.
4) Can you make something else really creative or pretty? If so, show us.
On the same day in March 1836 that the Republic of Texas was born, another birth was taking place near Clarksville in Red River County. Mahaley Emaline McAnear was born on that day to Alexander and Elizabeth "Betty" (Blanton) McAnear. Alexander and Betty were my 3rd great grandparents and Mahaley Emaline was my great grand aunt. She later married her cousin, Benjamin Blanton.
On her 85th birthday, she wrote an article, probably for the local newspaper. I have a photocopy of the clipping, but the name of the publication was not included. Below is a copy of that article.
OLDEST NATIVE TEXAN LIVING
Mrs. M. E. Blanton, Munday, Knox Co., Texas
On March 2, 1921, I was 85 years old. I was born fourteen miles east of Clarksville, Red River County, Texas, March 2, 1836, the day that Texas declared her independence of Mexico. As far as I know, I am the oldest native Texan now living in Texas. My parents and family of five children came from Alabama to Texas in 1833, settling in Red River County, where I was born three years later. My father's name was Aleck McAnear. In May 1856, we moved to Johnson County, Texas, settling on McAnear Creek (named for my father), just northwest of where the town of Cleburne now stands.
On Jan. 31, 1858, I married Benjamin Blanton. We moved to Cherokee County, Texas, and the following July we moved back to Johnson County. Eight children were born to us, four boys and four girls, all of whom are now living. My husband died March 22, 1919.
We lived sixty-one years in Johnson County, when my two daughters and myself came to Munday to live with my youngest daughter, Mrs. Bettie Rodgers. Only three of my father's family are now living of eleven children. They are Mrs. Ruthy McNeil of Vera Texas, Mrs. Nancy Mathis of Cleburne, Texas, and myself. My husband was in the Civil War. He was in charge of the commissary department and was sent west to collect cattle for the army. He had several narrow escapes from death at the hands of the Indians. In August, 1874, he camped in front of the home of the Huff family in Wise County. The following night the entire family was massacred by Indians.
We old pioneers did our part in freeing Texas from the dominion of the Indians and the desperadoes, and hand the liberated State to posterity without blot or blemish, in the hope that rising generations will keep it from the sordid selfishness and greed of those who may wish to exploit it in the interest of any unworthy or unscrupulous clique, clan, or crew.
Article privately held by Debbie McCoy, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Texas.
One hundred seventy-three years ago, on March 2, 1836, the Texas Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Convention of 1836 which met at Washington-on-the-Brazos, thus declaring Texas as a free and independent Republic. Happy Birthday, Texas!
* Go into your genealogy database software program and determine which of your ancestors, if any, were born on 29 February.
* Do the same and determine if any of your ancestors married on 29 February.
* If you don't have any ancestors born or married on that day, are there any persons in your entire database born or married on that day.
I found two people in my database who were born on February 29th and no marriages. Who would marry on February 29th? You would only get an anniversary present every 4 years. My results were as follows:
Arabella Carter, Wife of my 1st Cousin 4 times removed
b. 29 Feb 1851 in Alabama
m. William Jasper McAnear 17 Jan 1871 in Red River Co., TX
d. 6 Sep 1938 in Nocona, Montague Co., TX
Sarah Margaret Prestridge, 2nd Cousin twice removed
b. 29 Feb 1908 in Roger Mills Co., OK
m. Preston W. George 8 Jul 1933 in OK
d. 18 Oct 1993 in Oklahoma Co., OK
Margaret, as she was called, was the mother of my good friend and cousin, Burnis, who has shared with me many wonderful stories and information about our Prestridge family.
