Find Your Folks

A Braided Crown

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:46:00 +0000

Hair braiding or corn rowing hair has been around for thousands of years for African American women. I have worn crown styles of my natural hair or either had a little hair added to make the braids thicker and fuller. Added hair, known as braid hair, comes in a variety of textures and styles. I have worn styles using wavy/curly hair where this hair is braided in my own hair to the ends of my hair, and the added hair is left loose for a long pony tail

In this photo, I am wearing one of my favorite braid styles which I wore for the 1998 Bullock Family Reunion held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am standing with James, one of my Bullock cousins, who was the host of the 1998 family reunion.

My hair was braided in thin corn-row braids in a circular pattern around my head. One or two thick braids were incorporated into the hair to create the hat-like crown.

The video below demonstrates the method of braiding hair by adding synthetic hair to the natural hair.

The PowerPointers Blog

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:05:00 +0000

If you want to learn how to use the Microsoft PowerPoint software, or enhance PowerPoint skills you already have attained, then join me on my "PowerPointer's Blog." This is a a weblog about using the Microsoft PowerPoint software to create effectively designed presentations.

PowerPointer's Blog is the first blog I created and I use it as a supplement for courses I teach in using the Microsoft PowerPoint software. I also use it as a resource for faculty at the university where I work.

In case you don't know, PowerPoint is a graphical software that is part of the Microsoft Office suite of packages used for slide show presentations. One common mistake that presenters around the world make on a daily basis is overloading their PowerPoint slide shows with too much text.

My blog will not only provides tips on the mechanics of creating presentations, but also how to effectively design them.

Welcome to New Blogger, NadaSue

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:30:00 +0000

I’d like to welcome NadaSue to the blogosphere. She is the author of Just Thinking… She began this blog on Friday, July 10, 2009. Please visit her blog and welcome her to the blogosphere. Also, congratulate on her on “striking genealogy gold.” (Read about her gold mine experience in the posting, Gold Mine.

Decorated Gravesite - Aunt Lillian Ashe Johnson (1885-1950)

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:06:00 +0000

Gone, But Still Not Forgotten!

Photo taken by Professor Dru July 4, 2009

Plumbline Holy Church Cemetery

Enfield, NC

Family Gathering on the 4th of July

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Thornton Family, Enfield, NC (also see video from gathering)

4th of July Family Gathering

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:10:00 +0000

This gathering was held on the 4th of July at the home of one of my Thornton cousins (in yellow shirt) in Enfield, NC. Since the death of his parents, this cousin annually holds a cookout/family gathering on the 4th of July. Prior to eating the family sung a song and had prayer.

Happy 4th of July

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:09:00 +0000

Happy 4th of July

From Professor Dru

To You

America, The Beautiful - Ray Charles

A Video Tribute to Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 22:14:00 +0000

This is a great video of Michael Jackson singing the song “Smile” by Charlie Chaplin. I did not know about him singing this piece until I heard his brother Jermaine mention it in a TV interview this week. Jermaine Jackson attempted to sing the song, but choked up after singing the first line. No doubt, any grieving family member would have gotten choked up also.

This heart warming video is a great tribute to the memory of Michael Jackson and is very appropriate to commemorate his life as the world mourns his recent passing. The video features the adult Michael Jackson singing and playing the piano while an image of a child Michael Jackson moves and dances at the door of the room. Also included in this video while the song “Smile” is being sung are still photos and video from various moments of Michael Jackson’s life.

Enjoy!

=============================
Smile – Michael Jackson

Oral History Interview - Growing up in a Small Town (Dumas)

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:07:00 +0000

This oral history project is an interview of two cousins. The interview was conducted by an 8th grader for an English/History school project. Oral History: From this interview, one can learn a a lot about childhood traditions during the life of the interviewee.

Memory Monday: Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s Forty!

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:56:00 +0000

On September 27, 2003, I celebrated my 40th birthday with a big birthday bash at a Chinese Restaurant. I had never given myself a birthday party, but I felt that it was what I should do. Turning 40 is a major life milestone and I wanted to celebrate, rather than be sad about getting older. One of my former supervisors had died suddenly in 1998 at age 37 and after this time, I viewed turning 40 as a blessing rather than a curse. Celebrities, whose untimely deaths influenced my attitude toward turning 40 were John F. Kennedy, Jr. ( died 1999) and Princess Diana (died 1997.) Both of them died before the age of 40.

About 38 family members and friends attended my birthday bash which was held at a local Chinese Restaurant. A good time was had by all!

This photo was taken after the party. As you can see from the smile on my face, it was a wonderful day! I was glad to find this chinese styled pants suit for my chinese themed party.

I had four young hostesses which included my two youngest nieces (seen here) and daughters of two of my coworkers. I was fortunate to find beautiful chinese styled tops for each of the girls.

I went low-tech and did this poster board display with photos from various times in my life. I had planned to do a PowerPoint slide show, but the poster board display worked out better.

This lovely birthday cake with a baby photo and an adult photo was delicious!

I received numerous gifts for my 40th birthday which made this birthday celebration extra special.

101 Best Websites – Family Tree Magazine

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:51:00 +0000

This is the tenth edition of 101 Best Websites by Family Tree Magazine . Websites are organized in ten categories plus one.

Best Web Sites to See Dead People

Best Web Sites for Vital Records

Best Web Sites for Storing and Sharing

Best Big Web Sites

Best Web Sites for Maps

Best Web Sites for Local Searches

Best Web Sites for International Searches

Best Cutting-edge Web Sites

Best Web Sites for Military Research

Best Virtual Library Web Sites

Have a Cemetery Adventure

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Therese Boucher narrates a cemetery adventure and gives tips about some of the things you can learn from visiting a cemetery such as family information, inspiring artwork, and tools like "Find-a-Grave".

Biology: What is DNA?

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:23:00 +0000

We hear about DNA on the news often in criminal cases or even for family connections and genealogy. This video explains the concept in simple terms.

Oral History Questions

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:17:00 +0000

All family history researchers should take the time to conduct oral history interviews of family members as well as friends of the family. Through these interviews, researchers will learn things that will never be found in documents we gather. Knowledge gained from oral history interviews can put “flesh on the bones” of ancestors long gone.

Many interviewees may remember as far back as their grandparents or great grandparents. Their memories can take your research back several generations. For example, early in my research I interviewed four of the siblings of my paternal grandmother, Hattie Moore Pair. They were all in their eighties or nineties during the time of the interviews which took place between 1996 and 1997.

Through the interviews, I learned about their lives as well as the lives of their parents and grandparents, who were born during the 1840s. I also learned about my grandmother Hattie, whom I never knew, because she died when my father was a child.

Now, three of these siblings are deceased, but thankfully I have the interviews on tape. The last living sibling of my grandmother is Aunt Della, who will be turning 100 later this year. Her memory is still sharp and I look forward to learning more about my family history through her memories

Below are two websites with list various questions you can ask during oral history interviews. Remember not only to ask questions, but also to record them, either by audio or video, and transcribe and share the results with other family members.

Selected Topics and Questions for Oral Histories

50 Questions for Family History Interviews

The Reuniting of a Mother and Son

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:50:00 +0000

On yesterday, as I was drinking my morning coffee and watching The Today Show, I saw a heart warming story about the reunion of a mother and son who had not seen each other in over 40 years. In 1966, 3 year old Ron Stewart was abducted by his father. The mother had been told that her son was killed and the son had been told that his mother was dead.

Recently the wife of the son did genealogy research and connected with a relative of her husband’s mother who told her that she (the mother) was alive. Before telling her husband of the recent discovery, the wife took steps to verify that Rose Hinkley was who she said she was.

I cried as I watched this mother and son holding hands and telling their story to Matt Lauer. I wish them the best as they begin a new chapter in their lives. Congratulations to Mrs. Stewart in her genealogical success in connecting her husband with his mother.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Trip to the County Clerk’s Office

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Yesterday, I traveled to my father’s hometown in Greensville County, VA for a day of research and unwinding. The hour and a half drive from my city to the small town of Emporia and the rural area of Skippers located in the county, is always relaxing for me.
My focus was to locate missing dates from my research of the marriages of my paternal grandmother’s (Hattie Moore Pair) siblings. A second goal of the trip was to visit the Robinson Family Cemetery in Skippers to take more pictures and work on a plat to determine the location of graves of my family members. Both goals were accomplished.

It has been a long time since I visited the clerk’s office and I forgot how heavy the record books can be. While there, I met a lady and her niece who were researching their family. I was especially delighted to see a young person engaged in family research.

As you see from this picture, records are contained in large heavy books and it takes a lot of muscle and strength to lift some of these books. Records can be viewed from a counter, and in some clerk’s offices, also from a table. The Greensville County Clerk’s office has both a counter and table and I used both during my research time. The counter was suitable for looking up something quick in a book and the table was suitable for looking through something like an index, which required more time.

Some clerk’s office also have a computer where fairly recent records can be accessed. One of the computers in the Greensville’s Clerk’s office is on the other side of the column in this photo and I used it to locate the marriage date of an Uncle whose second marriage occurred in 1979.

I used one of these deed books to read a 1896 deed of my great-great grandparents Washington and Ellen Moore. Rather than have a copy made of the deed, I dictated the reading of the deed into my digital voice recorder so that I can type it up later.

Sometimes papers are housed in drawers as seen in the top of this photo. I did not look at the papers in these drawers at the Greensville office, however, at other clerk’s offices I’ve visited, marriage licenses are housed in these drawers. The licenses are folded in thirds like a letter in a #10 business envelope.

If you are a family researcher, and have never visited a clerk’s office which is the repository of legal documents such and marriage licenses and property records, then I encourage you to do so. Keep in mind that the name of this office varies from place to place. Hopefully, it is feasible for you to visit the clerk’s office located in the places you are researching, but if not, there’s always your local clerk’s office. This is an experience that Internet research cannot replace and there may be records in this office which are not located online of in any other research repositories.

Wordless Wednesday - Antioch Baptist Church - Skippers, VA

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:08:00 +0000

Wordless Wednesday - Planting Season

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:45:00 +0000

The Choir March Tradition

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Mon, 25 May 2009 22:11:00 +0000

During my youth and young adult years (1970s and 1980s), I was a church choir member. During this time, the tradition of my church was for the choir to march into the church down the aisle, and into the choir stand. As the choir marched in singing, while rocking or swaying from side-to-side, the congregation would stand up and look towards the back of the church to watch the choir processional.

When the senior choir in my childhood church sang and marched down the aisle, I would always look at their shoes and would pass judgment in my mind as to if the shoes were pretty or ugly. I think that most of the children in my church did the same thing. I did not realize how much I missed and valued the choir march tradition until last month when I visited a family church.

Since the early 1990s, I have not been a member of a church where the choir marched into the choir stand. Instead, these church choirs simply gather in the choir stand prior to the beginning of service and stand up together before the opening song. I have, however, visited churches since the early 1990s, who still do the choir march.

Last month, when I visited my father’s family church, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in the Skippers area of Greensville County, VA, I realized how much I missed the choir march tradition. On that 4th Sunday in April, the youth choir marched into the church. As they marched in, a thought hit me as I watched and recalled that some churches, which formerly practiced the choir march tradition, no longer did this. I got excited as I watched these young people march and sing. For more on my 4th Sunday in April visit, click here.

In the second service that afternoon, the mass choir marched into the church. I was thrilled and excited by the upbeat music and their marching! I took several pictures instead of video, but later I wished that I had thought about my digital camera video instead. I promised myself that I would remember to videoe the next time I visited Antioch.

Yesterday, I visited Antioch again and the service was spiritually uplifting. This time I made sure to videotape the choir march. Some choirs sing as they march in; but the choir at Antioch marched in as the musicians played. They began singing when all the choir members got into the choir stand. Like some marching choirs, the Antioch choir was escorted in by an usher. (See portion of video below)

I do not know when or where the church march tradition began in churches, but I love it, not only because it is a reminder of the church traditions of my youth, but also because I believe that it sets the tone of worship as the choir enters the church singing praises to God.

Wordless Wednesday - Dixieland Postcard

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:34:00 +0000

Tombstone Tuesday - Grave of Grandpa Robert Moore

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:43:00 +0000

Picture at Graveside taken in 1955

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Tue, 19 May 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Randy Seaver of Genea-Musing blog does a fantastic job in engaging other bloggers in interactivity as well as promoting other blogs. One of his weekly postings is The Best of Genea-Blogs where he selects blog postings for the weekly list based on the following criteria.

“My criteria for "Best of ..." are pretty simple - I pick posts that advance
knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues,
provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant. I don't list posts
destined for the genealogy carnivals, or other meme submissions (but I do
include summaries of them), or my own posts.”

I made the list for the second time with my Memory Monday posting entitled My Blog Gets Acknowledgement at Church Service

Thanks again, Randy, for this honor, and thanks for all your hard work in advancing and promoting genealogy blogging.

Professor Dru

One Lovely Blog Award

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:47:00 +0000

I am honored to be a recipient of the “One Lovely Blog Award.” Many thanks go to my fellow Bloggers Greta Koehl of Greta’s Genealogy Bog, Cheryl Palmer Fleming of Heritage, and Earline Hines Bradt of Ancestral Notes, for selecting me for this award.

As a recipient of this award, I am required to nominate seven other blogs.

Steve’s Genealogy Blog by Stephen Danko

Family Griot by Family Griot

African Roots Podcast Designs by Angela Walton-Raji

The Blessedness of Believing by Linda Meadows

Genealogy – Photograph – Restoration by George Geder

Christine’s Genealogy Website by Christine

Black Tennis Pros by Sheila

Finally, I will leave comments on each of these blogs. Thanks again to Greta, Cheryl, and Earline for your nominations. I am honored to be included in a group of such Great Bloggers.

Wordless Wednesday - Board of Directors

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Tombstone Tuesday - Uncle Moses Robinson

professordru@yahoo.com (Professor Dru) — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:06:00 +0000

Uncle Moses Robinson (1893-1979) was the son of my great great grandparents, Joshua and Ersie Jane Providence Robinson. My Robinson family lived in the Skippers area of Greensville County, VA. He is buried in the Robinson Family Cemetery of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.