Another Great-Grandmother Mystery

M is for Martha Jones, one of my paternal great grandmothers. 

I've not done much research on my great grandmother of late. This was the very first post I did on my great grandmother back in 2009. 

Another Great-Grandmother Mystery

Just like my great-grandmother Fannie on my maternal side, one of my great grandmother’s on my paternal side has haunted me for years.

She’s the one that seems to push me the most amongst my North Carolina ancestors and yet she’s the one I know the least about. She’s the one that I always felt like was denied her rightful place amongst the ancestors, and that’s it always been up to me to tell the world about her.

Unlike like my maternal side, very few stories or information about the ancestors were handed down on my paternal side. So it’s been dogged determination with the few snippets I did get that have allowed me to even get a small glimpse of her.

And so here is what I knew when I begin this search

1. My aunt, Martha Edith Jones, was named after both of her grandmothers.
2. My dad always said that Mary Williams, who he and my aunts and uncles called grandmother wasn’t really my granddad’s Mom. Dad always suspected that Mary Williams was my granddad’s aunt.
3. On occasion, dad mentions that he thinks granddad had some siblings.

What I know and have discovered through the years

1. On my grandparents’ marriage license, granddad lists his mother as Martha and she was still living when my grandparents were married (Dec. 27 1914).
2. On the 1900 census, Hamilton, Martin, North Carolina, there are three families listed for dwelling, 110.

• Family 121, General Williams and his wife, Mary E.


• Family 122, Je* Williams (female), age 70, is listed as head. With her is Joseph Williams, age 16, listed as her son and Clansy Jones, boarder, and Leter Jones, boarder.


• Family 123, Martha Jones, head

3. I’m fairly confident in stating that (1) this is the Mary E Williams that reared my granddad (granddad’s death certificate list General Williams as his father and Mary Elizabeth Jones as his mother. My grandmother was the informant on granddad’s death certificate), (2) Clansy is my granddad, Claudius, and (3) the Martha listed is my great-grandmother.

And now, the headaches, frustrations and questions

1. Where were Mary and Martha between 1880 and 1900? Based on the 1900 census, Mary was been born abt. 1872 and Martha was born abt. 1877. To date, I’ve not been able to locate either of them on the 1880 census. I've also never been able to locate them or granddad on the 1910 census.
2. What happened to my great-grandmother after 1914? I’ve not located her on the 1920 or 1930 census. Did she marry?
3. Who is Leter Jones? Is it possible that my grandfather had a twin? On the 1900 census both are listed as being born in 1892 with granddad being born in July and Leter being born in August.

#A - Z Challenge 2017 - I

Thanks to my friend Renate, Into the Light, I'm trying to participate in the 2017 A-Z Challenge, which can be found at http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/.

The Letter I is for Iola Everett Jones, my paternal grandmother. This post was originally posted in 2010 as part of the 2nd edition of the Carnival of African American Genealogy - Grandma's Hand.

Grandmomma Jones

Iola Luvenia Everett Jones

Late 1960s

From the personal collection of the owner of this blog

This is my second post for the second edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy. As mentioned in my post about my maternal grandmother, this carnival has been a tough one for me. As previously noted, it’s not that I never knew my grandmothers but that I really didn’t get an opportunity to know them.

I was a bit older, 8 to be exact, when my paternal grandmother died. While I had her a bit longer, as fate would have it, father time had mentally taken her away from me a few years before. Even so, while no single moment sticks out for me the way the last visit with my maternal grandmother does, I know that my paternal grandmother and I had our special moments.

For the first few years of my life, Grandmomma Jones stayed in Winston-Salem, NC, where she and granddaddy settled after leaving their home county in the eastern part of the state. While I always seemed to get sick off the fumes that seeped through the floor of daddy’s old Ford, I always enjoyed and looked forward to the trips to my grandmother’s house. However, I must admit that the house itself always seem to terrify me. I always had a problem with basements, so the cellar of the Big House was especially terrifying.

From what I know about my grandmother, she was a resourceful and strong woman who like Jesus fed the masses with very little. Unlike my maternal grandparents who farmed, my paternal grandparents were more city folks. However, that doesn’t mean they struggled any less. In fact, it seems like they may have struggled more. Grandmomma’s small garden provided just enough for her to feed her family. Grandmomma Jones could make practically anything from greens and squash and that’s how she and her family survived.

Grandmomma Jones endured the death of her first born who drowned while away at grad school and her youngest who only lived a few short months. She also survived having cancer in not one but both breast, which was totally unheard of at that time, the survival that is.

Grandmom was definitely proud to be a grandmother and was proud of her grandkids. My mother tells the story of one summer, when most of Grandmomma Jones’ grandkids had descended on her. My cousin Valerie and I were still babies and I think my cousin Lafrieda was there and maybe even cousins Jay and Claudius. We were all outside, and grandmom was holding me. One of her neighbors came by asking where all these babies came from and Grandmom proudly proclaimed these are my grandbabies.

Eventually Grandmomma Jones’ health started to fail. Around this time, her daughter, Aunt Martha, who lived in my hometown, decided to build a house and have grandmom move in with her. So, the last years of her life were spent in my hometown. Given the fact Aunt Martha’s house was < 2 miles from our house, for awhile I had the double pleasure of having both of my grandmother’s near. Even though at this point in time there was little interaction due to her health, I still enjoyed spending time with grandmom and always went bounding into Aunt Martha’s house with a hey grandma and plopping down beside her for a awhile.

Grandmomma Jones departed this world on April 5, 1969. It occurred over Easter break while Cousin Valerie and Aunt Emmanuline were visiting. Grandmom stumbled, lost her balance, and struck her head. Eerily, Aunt Martha’s death, which occurred almost exactly 31 years later, happened in the same manner.

As with my maternal grandmother, I wish we had had more time but I will always be grateful for the time that we did have together. I still feel the pride that she exuded in having me / us as her grandkids and would like to think that if she were here that she would be proud of the work that I’ve done on her ancestral line.

Mystery Monday and Motivation Monday - July 20, 2015

Hey folks, still struggling on the blog posting front, but things are progressing. Still working on the office decluttering but I'm almost done with what I'm calling Phase 1. Since I'm writing this post ahead of time, I may have even finished Phase 1 by the time this post to the blog.

The end of Phase 1 means two things, 1) I get to move on to garage decluttering for awhile but more importantly, 2) I  hope to be able to really focus on getting back on the genealogy and getting my genealogy files organized. You know I keep telling myself that if I didn't have to work, I would have the office totally back into organizational shape by now.

In the meantime, although I'm waiting for a reply, I actually did some real genealogical stuff this month. (This is the Mystery part of the Post).

As you know, from time to time when I'm bored, I google various ancestors names, hoping that something pops up. Usually even if something does, it's really nothing that benefits me but this time I'm may have come across something when I googled my grandfather's name, Harry Claudius Jones, for the umpteenth time.

Most everything that came up was either from my blog or information I had entered on Find-a-Grave. But there, at the bottom of the page, was something I hadn't seen before from Google Books. There appeared to be a hit in the Annual Catalogue of Virginia Union University. So, I clicked on the link. I still was not expecting much. This had to be some other Harry Claudius, right? But to my surprise, this Harry Claudius Jones, was from Everetts, NC, my grandmother's hometown and where my grandparents lived during the early years of their marriage.



Source: https://books.google.com/books?id=brJGAQAAMAAJ&lpg=PA63-IA79&ots=XlK1yQcW6a&dq=%22Harry%20Claudius%20Jones%22&pg=PA63-IA79#v=onepage&q=%22Harry%20Claudius%20Jones%22&f=false

He was in his second year in 1913. In 1913, my grandfather would have been 21 and about a year away from marrying my grandmother.

Since there seemed to be more than one catalogue contained in this listing, I searched subsequent years and found other listings for Harry Claudius Jones from Everetts, NC. My gut tells me this has to be my grandfather. After all how many Harry Claudius Joneses can there me from the same little small town in North Carolina. But the gut needs supporting documentation, so after consulting with my genea-friend, Renate, from Into the Light, I decided to write to the Virginia Union Alumni Association to see if they could help me.

I'm hoping that if there are some records that they will perhaps shed some light on my granddad's biological family, specifically my great grandmother Martha,  but more than anything, if this is my granddad, I'm just thrilled to learn about this part of his life. While his tombstone indicates that he received a Bachelors in Philosophy, I never heard dad or any of the aunts and uncles mention anything about granddaddy going to college. And my first cousins (all older than me) hadn't heard anything either.

By the way, since my genea-friend Renate lives in VA and often passes through Richmond in her travels, she has offered to stop by Virginia Union and do look ups if need be. If I don't hear anything soon, I may have to take her up on that offer or better yet, go myself during the Afro American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) conference, which will be held in Richmond this year. For now, though, I will try to be patient and continue to work on the organizing, and other life happenings.

Until my next post!

Funeral Program Friday - Mary E. Jones Williams

Foster mother just doesn't seem like the appropriate term for the woman who raised my paternal grandfather and who may actually be my grand aunt, yet in her funeral program, that's how my grandmother described her.

The funeral program for Mrs. Mary E. Jones Williams is a part of two scrapbooks inherited from M. E. Jones, aunt of the owner of this blog.

Wordless Wednesday - DigitalNC and College Yearbooks

If you have ancestral roots in NC, be sure to check out DigitalNC. Many of the colleges and universities in the Old North State have posted their yearbooks on "DigitalNC: North Carolina's Digital Heritage." The years covered are 1890 - Present. Of course, not all the schools' yearbooks go back that far and not all years are posted within a given schools set of yearbooks, and sometimes folks just didn't take pictures. But, if your ancestor's decided to have their picture included in the yearsbook, it is invaluable in  finding out  what ancestors and family members looked like in their younger days. It's also a terrific way to see how styles and fashions have changed over the years.

Among the postings for the The Ram, Winston-Salem State Teachers College / University's Yearbook, I found my two aunts.

Winston Salem State Teacher's College
Class of 1946
Martha Jones "Sister"
Band
URL(s) =http://library.digitalnc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/yearbooks/id/3273/rec/1

and from the Class of 1950

Winston Salem State Teacher's College
Emmanuline Jones
URL(s) = http://library.digitalnc.org/cdm/ref/collection/yearbooks/id/3278

In some of the more recent yearbooks, I was able to see some pictures of my cousins from back in the day.

And if any relatives or friends get any bright ideas about trying to find me among yearbook listings on DigitalNC, I am one of those wonderful people that never took a picture.

Amanuensis Monday - Tours Planned

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I am continuing to work on transcribing the many newspaper clippings contained in an old scrapbook that I inherited from my Aunt Martha after she passed. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.

People and Events
Tours Planned


Rev. H. C. Jones, director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association, requests that all club members interested in attending the tours and the lectures on home decorating, which will be sponsored by the association with the co-operation of Morris Early and Company, Inc., please contact their respective club presidents at their earliest convenient time so that schedules for the tours may be made accordingly.

***

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.



Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Amanuensis Monday

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I am continuing to work on transcribing the many newspaper clippings contained in an old scrapbook that I inherited from my Aunt Martha after she passed. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones.

 

Hear Rev. H. C. Jones Easter Sunday

There will be a special Easter Service at Bright Hopewell Baptist Church Easter Sunday Morning.

At eleven o'clock, Rev. H. C. Jones, Pastor, will preach from the subject "The Clarion of the Risen Christ." The Choirs of Bright Hopewell Church and Laurinburg Institute will render special Easter Music.

The public is cordially invited to attend the services. Every member is asked to be present and bring one friend with you.

Deacons
Frank Patterson
D. D. McPhatter
A. M. Barry
Henry Mateerson
E. M. McDuffie

John Bethea

Rev. L. L. King, Church Clerk

Rev. H. C. Jones, Pastor

***

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Amanuensis Monday

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I am continuing to work on transcribing the many newspaper clippings contained in an old scrapbook that I inherited from my Aunt Martha after she passed. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.


Home and Welfare Groups to Study Varied Topics

The local Negro Home and Welfare Association announced today project which will be sponsored by adult clubs during the months of January and February in the fields of family relationship, health, gardening, flowers and sewing.

Rev. H. C. Jones, director of the association, stated that “many families have followed devious paths which have resulted in the increase of crime and delinquency because of the lack of the proper training in family relationship.” In order to create interest in this field and to give elementary training to parents and prospective parents, a family relationship project will be sponsored through the adult clubs during the months of January and February by representatives from the Family Service Agency and the County Welfare Department.

It is hoped by the association that this project will lead to establishment of a one-night family relationship institute held periodically in various sections of the city with courses on subjects relation to family life such as pre-marriage, marriage compatibility, family problems, parent-child problems, etc. Such clubs and instates, if made interesting and popular will not only help improve family life and reduce crime but will serve as an asset to the juvenile courts which may recommend parents of the delinquents to attend the courses.

Each club is asked to select the family with the highest percent of its members making a definite contribution to citizenship through leadership in activities in the churches, schools and other agencies. Special honors and prizes will be given to the winning family, it was announced.

The health leader in each club is asked to contact each person in his community and male a list of all who would like a free X-ray examination in February. Time will be allotted in each club for examinations of the group.

Prizes will be given by the Garden Club Council to the person with the highest number of garden units including Winter vegetables planted or growing, compost piles, deep breaking of garden not in use and leaving it in the rough, preparations of seed boxes and hot beds.

Sewing leaders are asked to invite everyone in the neighborhood to bring old clothes made of materials such as rayon faille, bengline, rayon jersey to the next meeting for a contest in making handbags, gloves and scarfs.

This undated article is probably from around 1945 and most likely appeared in either the Twin City Sentinel or the Winston Salem Journal.

******

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark atTransylvanianDutch.

Amanuensis Monday

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I'm slowly tying to return to some of my hobbies and my loves as it helps with the grieving. So today, I return to transcribing the newspaper clippings contained in the old scrapbook I inherited from Aunt Martha. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.

War Chest Body Approves Negro Home, Welfare Group

The Negro Home and Welfare Association was approved by the Community War Chest Commission yesterday as a member of the Community Council for a demonstration period.

Rev. H. C. Jones is executive secretary of the association. Approval was recommended to the commission by the executive board, after a report by the committee headed by Mrs. Irving Carlyle.

Board members for the association are: J. D. Ashley, D. G. Bennett. Carlysle Bethel, J. E. Gibson, Mrs. Roberta Farmer, Dr. J. D. Quick, Mrs. R. J. Reynolds, Mrs. Berdie Robinson, Mrs. J. D. Spinks, Mrs. Richard Stockton, Mrs. J. R. Summers and Rev. W. S. Witherspoon.

Executive advisory committee for the organization will be composed of Miss Maribelle Guin, Rev. H. C. Jones, Mrs. Noble R. McEwen, and Miss Caroline Wagner.

At the meeting of the commission, it was announced that a tentative program for the organization’s coming year has been worked out.

Based on the notes in the scrapbook, this article appeared in the Winston Salem Journal, August 12, 1945.

*****

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.

Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Amanuensis Monday: Announcement of Granddaddy's Going Home Service

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.


I am continuing to work on transcribing the many newspaper clippings contained in an old scrapbook that I inherited from my Aunt Martha after she passed. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.

However, amongst all the clippings, there is one that's just a little different than the rest and it's on the very first page of the scrap book.

Rev. Harry C. Jones To Be Buried Monday

Funeral services for the Rev. Harry Claudius Jones of 2900 Clemmonsville Road will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at the Goler Metropolitan AME Zion Church.

The Rev. A. A. Perry and the Rev. R. E. Blakey will be in charge of the rites, with burial  in Evergreen Cemetery.

The body will lie in state at the church for two hours prior to the service.

The Rev. Mr. Jones died shortly after noon Friday at his residence.

My grandfather died on January 21, 1955. This past Friday marked the 56th year of my grandfather's passing and today is the 56th anniversary of his Going Home Service.


I never met my paternal grandfather. He passed 6 years prior to my arrival in this world. Until this year, I've never thought much about my grandfather's death. Maybe it's because his son, my daddy, lies in a hospital bed and the doctors can't seem to figure out what's wrong, but today I find myself shedding a few tears for the only one of my grandparents that I never got a chance to know.  


The burial announcement most likely appeared in either the Twin City Sentinel or the Winston-Salem Journal.


*****

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Amanuensis Monday - Parenthood Training Contest

One of my goals for 2011 is to transcribe the newspapers clippings contained in a scrapbook inherited from my Aunt Martha. Many of these old clippings contain references to my paternal grandfather, Rev. H. C. Jones, during his time as Director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association in Winston-Salem, NC.

Competition For Parents Nears Finish

The Parenthood Training Contest of the Negro Home and Welfare Association will close on Saturday, August 20, when the three winning families will be presented awards at 6:15 p.m. over station WAIR.

Judges for the contest are: Mrs. L. E. Fowler of the Retail Merchants Association; Mr. Lillian Noell of the Department of Public Welfare; Professor George L. Johnson of the Winston-Salem Teachers College; Mrs. Charles W. Ward of the Minister’s Wives Alliance and Mrs. G. W. Rowland of the Negro Home and Welfare Association.

Rev. H. C. Jones, director of the Association, states that the Negro Home and Welfare Association feels very keenly that parenthood training stands first in the educational system. Therefore, it is attempting not only to awaken greater interest in this training, but also to create a greater consciousness on the part of the home and community of their obligation to the child and to society; and to give instructions and suggestions towards the solution of the parent-child problem.

Training Continues

While the parenthood training contest closes within the next week the training offered to parents will continue indefinitely. It is the hope of the organization that all homes will be reached through this program.

During the next year, the organization will give instructions through the Parent-Teachers Associations by radio and through a Family Relations Institute which is now being planned. The Institute will offer courses in courtship, marriage compatibility and parenthood training.

The current contest is being sponsored through the Negro Home and Welfare Association by the Retail Merchants.



This undated article is probably from around 1945 and most likely appeared in either the Twin City Sentinel or the Winston Salem Journal.


*****

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Surname Saturday - Everett

One of the joys that I experienced during 2010 on my paternal line was finally being able to confirm a 2nd great grandmother on my Everett line. In the process, I also unearthed, by all indications to date, my 3rd great grandparents.


Putting more of the pieces together on my Everett line began when I obtained a copy of my great grandparents’ marriage certificate. Without it, coming across my great grand uncle’s death certificate, and rereading a letter that my aunt had sent me years ago, I would have never arrived at a family I wrote down some 20 years was indeed my ancestors.

I still need to do a series on how I put the pieces together but for this Surname Saturday, I will just introduce more of my Everett line.

My Everett Lineage is as follows:

1. Me

2. Dad

3. Iola Luvenia Everett Jones, born abt May 1895 in the Crossroads section of Everetts, Martin County, NC; died 5 Apr 1969 in Shelby, Cleveland County, NC. Internment Evergreen Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, NC

4. Peter T. Everett, born abt. 1863 in Martin County, NC, most likely the Cross Roads area; died 27 Jan 1931 in Cross Roads, Martin, NC; possibly interred in Everetts Cemetery, Everetts, Martin, NC

5. Vicy Ann Everett, born abt. 1845 in North Carolina. Internment and date of death are unknown. The additional information leads me to belive that my 2nd great grandmother's first name is Vicy and not Vica has previously posted. Grandma Vicy Ann married John Hargett between 1870 and 1880 and had more children.

6. Frank Everett, born abt. 1798 in North Carolina. Date of Death – unknown. Internment – unknown.

Venus Everett, born abt. 1800 in North Carolina. Date of Death – unknown. Internment – unknown

Amanuensis Monday - Presenting an Award

Part of my inherited artifacts includes an old scrapbook with various newspaper clippings, many of which include my paternal grandfather or references to him. As the pages of this old scrapbook have longed since yellowed and are beginning to crumble, I thought that participation in Amanuensis Monday would help accomplish two goals: 1) provide material for Conversations with my Ancestors and 2) help me to finally transcribe these items.


As provided by Dictonary.com, an Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Based on the other articles in the scrapbook, this undated article is probably from around 1945 and most likely appeared in either the Twin City Sentinel or the Winston Salem Journal.

School Given Funds to Buy New Uniforms

A donation of $288 to be used for glee club uniforms was made to Columbia Height Elementary School last week by the school’s Grade Mothers.

Mrs. Mattie DeBerry made the presentation at the final meeting of the PTA organization.

Mr. and Mrs. Agnell Muldrow received an award from the Negro Home and Welfare Association for having done the most toward curing juvenile delinquency. The award was presented by the Rev. H. C. Jones, director of the association.

Mrs. Margie Ingram Muldrow was elected president of the PTA. Others elected were: Mrs. Ruth Patterson, secretary; Mrs. Julia McCoy, assistant secretary; Mrs. Eva Mae Harris, treasurer; and Mrs. Annie D. Moore, reporter.

G. A. Hall, who retired as president after three years, was presented a gift from the PTA by Mrs. Christine Sawyer, president of the Grade Mothers.

The Re. Jerry Drayton was principal speaker.

The caption under the picture reads A PRIZE for success in helping to build children’s character was presented to Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Muldrow by the Rev. H. C. Jones, left, director of the Negro Home and Welfare Association, during a meeting of the Columbia Heights Elementary School.

Rev. H. C. Jones was my paternal grandfather.

*****

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Not only do the documents contain genealogical information, the words breathe life into kin – some we never met – others we see a time in their life before we knew them. A fuller explanation can be found here.


Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at TransylvanianDutch.

Tombstone Tuesday

Picture obtained via photo request at FindaGrave.

Tombstone Tuesday

This picture is part of the personal collection of the owner of this blog.

Carnival of African-American Genealogy, 3rd edition - They Served With Honor

The Jones Men Who Served

WWII and Korean Conflict

I originally thought I had nothing to contribute to the 3rd edition of the Carnival of African American Genealogy (CoAAG), They Served with Honor - In Memoriam, African Americans in the Military 1914 - 1953 . Even though I knew dad and two of my uncles had served in the military, I really didn’t know a lot about their service. There is still a lot of knowledge to be gained about their service but as a result of this carnival, I've been able to start working on one of my genealogical goals for the year, which was to sit down and interview / record my parents. Turns out, even though I waited until the last possible second to work on this carnival, I’ve enjoyed doing it and am proud of the contributions my ancestors / relatives gave in service to their country no matter how big or small.

WWII

First, there was Uncle Claudius Jones. Uncle Claudius enlisted in the Army and was part of the Army Band. At this time, I don’t have a lot of details on Uncle Claudius’ service. I contacted my aunt to try to get additional information. Unfortunately, I waited until the last second to call her. She was planning to have her daughter, my first cousin, take her to her house to get Uncle Claudius’ service records. So, I will give more details on Uncle Claudius’ service at a later date.

The picture shows Uncle Claudius, on the left, with one of his army buddies.


Next was Uncle Toussaint Jones. At this moment, I don’t’ have much information on Uncle Toussaint. Uncle Toussaint and Aunt Lil are both deceased. He had no children so there are no descendants to ask. Tried asking his brother, dad, who told me Uncle Toussaint wasn’t in the army.

Uncle Toussaint’s tombstone lists him as a Tec 5 (Technician 5th Grade) during WWII. A brief online research shows that those who held this rank were addressed as corporal. From what I understand, the Technician designation was basically a pay grade designation. In today’s army, I think those with this designation would be called specialist. They were possibly non-combat positions. Specifically, technicians, as the name implies, tended to have a technical skill. Perhaps, one of these days, I will try to get a copy of Uncle Toussaint’s military records so that I can learn more about this part of his life.


Korean Conflict

Finally, there is Daddy. Daddy served in the Army during the Korean conflict. He was part of the Signal Corps, servicing and repairing RADAR and Radio equipment. Daddy tells me that he was drafted for service. As he put it, “I certainly didn’t volunteer to go.” When quizzed about how they decided what he would do, he says that he was given a test to determine where he would fit in. After that determination was made, he was sent off to RADAR school and Radio Repair School for training.

Daddy received his training at Fort Gordon in Augusta Georgia and Fort Monmouth in New Jersey. After his training was completed, daddy flew to California then embarked on his voyage to Japan where he was stationed. Knowing nothing about military life, I didn’t understand why he was stationed in Japan if he was part of the Korean conflict. Daddy explained that the broken equipment was sent from Korea to Japan, where it was repaired then returned to Korea.

Daddy went in as Private. There were no promotions although he did make Soldier of the Week. According to him, his Rank was frozen unless he went through the OCS program (Officer Training School). Daddy says he passed the test to be accepted into the program but decided not to go because he had no desire for a career in the Army. So, he came back home to North Carolina and began his teaching career.



As you can see, none of them were in combat. Being college educated men appears to have afforded daddy and my uncles a luxury that few men, white or black, had at that time. For me, this doesn’t minimize their service to their country for their roles were still important.


The pictures of dad and Uncle Claudius are part of the collection of the owner of this blog. The picture of Uncle Toussaint's tombstone was obtained via FindAGrave.

Wordless Wednesday

The Jones Grandkids

 ca 1987

From the personal Collection of the Owner of this Blog.

Tombstone Tuesday

It’s hard to believe that until two weeks ago, I had only been to my paternal grandparents’ grave twice. The first time was when my grandmother was interred and the second time was when Aunt Martha was interred.


Unlike the maternal side of my family, when I was growing up, my paternal side never pushed visiting the gravesite of my grandparents and uncle, which now also includes my aunt. Through the years, for as often as we were back in dad’s and the aunt’s and uncle’s hometown, I don’t ever remember anyone saying, let’s go by the gravesite, and while I’ve always wanted to go by the old home site, I don’t ever remember requesting a visit to the cemetery.

Lately though, I’ve felt a need almost a beckoning if you will to go visit the gravesite of my paternal grandparents, aunt, and uncle. So, on Friday, March 16th, having a gorgeous afternoon free, I decided to make the little over an hour drive, from work, to Winston-Salem, NC for a long overdue visit.

I had located the address of the cemetery before I left and plugged it into my trusty GPS unit. While enroute, I called my cousin Valerie, who lives in the Triad area of NC, hoping that she would meet me at the cemetery because even though I had a picture of the tombstone in my mind, I had no clue where in the cemetery the gravesite was located. But Valerie and Cousin Denise, her daughter, both had other plans for the day. After I hung up, I realized that I had forgotten to ask Valerie exactly where in the cemetery our grandparents’ graves were located. As she was in a hurry to get to her destination, I didn’t call back.

Arriving into town, I got off at the exist that usually takes us to dad’s and the aunt’s and uncle’s alma mater, Winston-Salem State, but instead of heading to the left as I’ve done on so many previous trips, I turned right. Before long, I arrived at Walkertown Road, the street the cemetery is located on. I made a right onto Walkertown and was at the cemetery in little or no time. This amazed me as through the years, I had always imagined that Evergreen cemetery, where my grandparents, aunt and uncle are interred, was way out. Why didn’t we ever visit seeing how close it was to the alma mater?

As I turned into the cemetery, I stopped at the front gate and took a picture. If the words gorgeous and beautiful could be used to describe a cemetery, Evergreen, definitely fits the bill. From this point on, it was truly my Ancestors’ guidance that lead me to their graves as I wasn’t seeing any tombstones that matched that picture in my head and of course there were lots of Joneses. I had made almost a complete circle through the cemetery when suddenly I decided to pull over and get out. I parked right beside a Jones family plot that I knew wasn’t it but checked anyway. I then proceeded on to the last row of graves in this section and started walking when suddenly I stopped and looked to my right. Yes, it was their graves. How amazing was that?

I took pictures of the headstone and footstones, and I talked to them, telling them I was sorry that I hadn’t been before now. I promised my grandmother that next time I would bring flowers since I knew how much they had meant to her.

Prior to leaving Winston-Salem, I of course went by the lot one more time where the old ancestral home once stood because no visit is quite complete until I do that.

As I made the journey back home, I would venture by the gravesite of other relatives, those being on my maternal side, and which I will discuss on a future post at Georgia Black Crackers.

Uncle Thomas Langston Jones

As you can see, my grandparents stressed education and were so proud of the accomplishments of their first born, whom preceded them in death, that they had his degrees awarded engraved on his tombstone.

Aunt Martha Jones

Grandparents

All pictures are from the personal collection of the owner of this blog.

Carnival of African-American Genealogy, 2nd edition - Grandma’s Hand

Grandmomma Jones

Iola Luvenia Everett Jones

Late 1960s

From the personal collection of the owner of this blog

This is my second post for the second edition of the Carnival of African-American Genealogy. As mentioned in my post about my maternal grandmother, this carnival has been a tough one for me. As previously noted, it’s not that I never knew my grandmothers but that I really didn’t get an opportunity to know them.

I was a bit older, 8 to be exact, when my paternal grandmother died. While I had her a bit longer, as fate would have it, father time had mentally taken her away from me a few years before. Even so, while no single moment sticks out for me the way the last visit with my maternal grandmother does, I know that my paternal grandmother and I had our special moments.

For the first few years of my life, Grandmomma Jones stayed in Winston-Salem, NC, where she and granddaddy settled after leaving their home county in the eastern part of the state. While I always seemed to get sick off the fumes that seeped through the floor of daddy’s old Ford, I always enjoyed and looked forward to the trips to my grandmother’s house. However, I must admit that the house itself always seem to terrify me. I always had a problem with basements, so the cellar of the Big House was especially terrifying.

From what I know about my grandmother, she was a resourceful and strong woman who like Jesus fed the masses with very little. Unlike my maternal grandparents who farmed, my paternal grandparents were more city folks. However, that doesn’t mean they struggled any less. In fact, it seems like they may have struggled more. Grandmomma’s small garden provided just enough for her to feed her family. Grandmomma Jones could make practically anything from greens and squash and that’s how she and her family survived.

Grandmomma Jones endured the death of her first born who drowned while away at grad school and her youngest who only lived a few short months. She also survived having cancer in not one but both breast, which was totally unheard of at that time, the survival that is.

Grandmom was definitely proud to be a grandmother and was proud of her grandkids. My mother tells the story of one summer, when most of Grandmomma Jones’ grandkids had descended on her. My cousin Valerie and I were still babies and I think my cousin Lafrieda was there and maybe even cousins Jay and Claudius. We were all outside, and grandmom was holding me. One of her neighbors came by asking where all these babies came from and Grandmom proudly proclaimed these are my grandbabies.

Eventually Grandmomma Jones’ health started to fail. Around this time, her daughter, Aunt Martha, who lived in my hometown, decided to build a house and have grandmom move in with her. So, the last years of her life were spent in my hometown. Given the fact Aunt Martha’s house was < 2 miles from our house, for awhile I had the double pleasure of having both of my grandmother’s near. Even though at this point in time there was little interaction due to her health, I still enjoyed spending time with grandmom and always went bounding into Aunt Martha’s house with a hey grandma and plopping down beside her for a awhile.

Grandmomma Jones departed this world on April 5, 1969. It occurred over Easter break while Cousin Valerie and Aunt Emmanuline were visiting. Grandmom stumbled, lost her balance, and struck her head. Eerily, Aunt Martha’s death, which occurred almost exactly 31 years later, happened in the same manner.

As with my maternal grandmother, I wish we had had more time but I will always be grateful for the time that we did have together. I still feel the pride that she exuded in having me / us as her grandkids and would like to think that if she were here that she would be proud of the work that I’ve done on her ancestral line.