Family Affair

First Christmases

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 14:08:16 PST

We have some new additions to the family and this would be their first Christmas. Some of them are not old enough to even hold their first toy, but next year they are going to be pulling down the Christmas tree. I hope you all enjoy these new additions this year.

Gia Maxine Ryals -3M


Breon Devonte Boles - 2M


Aston Lindberg McRae 12M

Aston was born December 22 of 2011, so he probably slept through Christmas along with his parents. Now dressed in a sweater vest and Chuck Taylors, he is ready for Old St. Nick this year.

Jayden Anthony Miles 10M

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Nathaniel Hawthorne Keitt

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 13:19:32 PST

Nathaniel Hawthorne Keitt

Nathaniel Hawthorne Keitt was my paternal grandfather. My grandmother Irene Sapp Keitt was in fact his second wife. I discovered that he had been married before when I started my family research at the Historical Society. His first wife's name was Rebecca, but she passed before he married his second wife Irene.

I was told that his parents were Viola and Willie Keitt, but nobody seems to know what happened to them. Nathaniel and his brother Romeo were living with Elizabeth and Joshua Keitt in 1910 in Bowman, SC per the census records. These records also indicated that Joshua and Elizabeth were their grandparents. At this time Nathaniel was only 5 years old and his brother Romeo was 10.

It recently came to my attention that Joshua and Elizabeth never had a child named Willie Keitt, therefore they could not be the grandparents of Nathaniel and Romeo Keitt.

What happened to Willie and Viola Keitt? Did Viola die in childbirth or shortly thereafter? Did Willie move on to find work, leaving his two small boys with relatives? Are there other children that were perhaps sent to live with other relatives? Why did they live with Joshua and Elizabeth when they already had 8 kids of their own to raise? These are the questions and many more that I need answers to.

My dad and uncle often said that their father Nathaniel never talked much about his family, but it is a possibility that he didn't know much, if anything about his parents.
I know that he moved to Savannah and lived with his supposed Aunt Aida and Lottie on 38th Street but I also discovered that Joshua and Elizabeth moved to Savannah by 1920 and they all lived at 1013 East 38th Street.

So the family moved to Georgia from South Carolina between 1910 and 1920, but it could have possibly been the year before. It has been said that Nathaniel was around 15 when he moved to Savannah.
He later took up the shoemaker trade, and it is on record that he has been a shoemaker from the age of 19 , which at this time he again resided on 38th street but at 1015 East 38th.

In 1928 he both worked and resided at 906 East Waters, this is where he had his shoe repair shop. The following year he married a girl from Georgia by the name of Rebecca and they both resided at the East Waters address.
In June of 1932 Nathaniel married Irene Sapp, my grandmother. It is indicated on the application for the marriage license that his first wife Rebecca as well as his parents were deceased. Again when did they pass.

The question for me is when did his parents die? Did his mom die in childbirth and his father die later, or did they die together? We do know now that they were deceased by 1932 when he married Irene.
I am going to have to research this more on the ground and possibly in Bowman, Sc.

Gia Maxine Keitt

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:59:21 PDT

This little lady stole the hearts of many when she finally entered this world Tuesday, September 18, 2012 at 14:28PM. She weighed 8lbs 3oz and was 20 3/4 inches long. Yes she was a big one, and that explains why she had to be forced out of that tight space. This lucky little girl had both parents, two grandmothers, and two sets of great grandparents awaiting her arrival. Not many little ones are born with that much love waiting to be bestowed upon them.

Gia is the first grandchild on both her maternal and paternal sides of the family; can you say
S P O I L E D.

I have now joined the Grandparents Club and I must say that it is exciting. I feel by her like I did her mother when she was born, but different. I pray that God gives me many more years to spoil her, because I want to give her everything.

Maxie Lee Ryals

This little girl also carries a family name as her middle name, Maxine, is after her great great grandfather, Maxie Lee Ryals. I could see the pride in his handsome face.

Gia has one man's entire heart and that is her dad Michel Zeigler He presently working and studying for his bachelors degree in Behavioral Analysis and he is going to need it, because this little girl is going to have him wrapped around her little finger. Gia is in daddy's hands, which I pray is always in God's hands.

Yes, I am going to be photographing her for years to come as I did her mom.

Nine months later, and Whitney you did a great job. I look forward to watching you grow as a mother, Congrats to my baby girl, Whitney D. Keitt.

Eleven of the Fifteen Great Grandchilderen of Irene Keitt Hicks

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 10:47:27 PDT

(backrow, l to R): Maurice, Brandon, Gregory,Matthew, (mid;l to r)Nate, Whitney, Marquise, Tyronne,(front l to r) Micah,

Viola G.Sapp -unknown to me

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:43:09 PDT

Irene and Vivian visiting family graves

This is a photo of two sisters visiting family graves probably in Jenkins County. Irene to the left is my grandmother, who at this time was suffering from Alzheimers. She is being led by her baby sister, Vivian, who will be 90 years old this year. She too is now suffering from Alzheimers.
I know that Matthew Sapp was their uncle and I do remember him quite well, but I don't know who Viola Sapp is and why she is buried right next to Matthew Sapp.
I know Matthew had two wives, Beaulah and Lizzie. I don't have much info on Lizzie, and it is possible that her name was Viola.
I am hoping that someone can answer this question for me.

Keitt Family Cruise for as little as $529.00 per person

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:31:48 PDT

5 Days Canada/New England Cruise from New York, NY

August 5-10, 2013

Monday-Saturday

The two ports of call are Halifax and Saint John, Canada; there are also two fun days at sea.
There is Camp Carnival for the kids so you can just enjoy some adult time as well as family time. For those of you that are still quite competitive, there are all sorts of sporting activities aboard the ship.
There is a $25.00 per person deposit due by October 1, 2012 if you want an inside or ocean view cabin. If you want a suite, then there is a $150.00 per perso

n in the by October 1, 2012.
By March 15, 2013, $150.00 must be paid per guest. However, you are allowed to pay along until June 05, 2013 when the balance is due in full.
Here is a link to more info about the cruise
http://tinyurl.com/cslqgwa
In order to be a part of the family you must book with me to be counted as part of the group, so do not book on the sight if you want to be counted in the group and the group activities.

We will have a meet and greet as a group and share info about the family history, and everyone's connection to the other.
We will have t-shirts and visors/caps at an additional cost, but I will get that info to you at a later date.

You can send me a message via Facebook, email, or phone
Tonya Keitt Kalule
Kalule Travel Groups|The KTG Experience

tonya@kaluletravelgroups.com

888-837-2025 or 818-812-5700
my cell 818-770-5074

You Must Book the Cruise through Me to be apart of the Group.

**Those of us that are in the South, especially Georgia, can Charter A Bus to New York and back.**

**********Passport Cards or Passport Books Are A Must********

If there are reasons why going on this cruise with your family is not of interest to you or there is a conflict of some sort, please leave a comment, so I can address these concerns or re-arrange a few things. I would love to this to be a time that we come together as a family; see those that we have not seen in some time or not at all, and get to know those that we had not known before. Being family is the greatest gift we can give our children. I would love for those family historians to be ready to share as well.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

William J. Sapp and Carrie Pyles Sapp

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:10:38 PDT

William J. and Carrie Pyles Sapp

William J. Sapp looks very much like his brothers Matthew and Mungeon Sapp. He was married to Carrie Pyles and they are both said to be from Georgia. The first time I find them in the United States Census is in 1910 and they lived in Jacksonville, Florida, eight years after they were married. Also in the 1910 census was three of their four children, William Beauford (7yr), Walter Emerson (5yr), and Jennilee (10mos). According to this census, William was a clerk at the Post Office.

In the 1920 census the family along with the fourth child George Stanley (9yr) were living in Brunswick Georgia where William J. was an insurance agent.

In 1930 the family had moved to Manhattan, New York and all four of the children were still residing in the household, with an addition; Walter Emerson had taken a wife name May.

William J. still worked as an insurance agent, William Beauford worked as a bank messenger, and Walter Emerson worked as a waiter in a Tea Room. None of the women in the house worked outside of the home and George Stanley was only 15 years old.

I was told by the nephew of William Beauford that he married a lady named Mary and they continued to reside in New York.

Walter Emerson and his brother George Stanley both moved to California, where three of their father's brothers already lived.

By 1940 William and Carrie are back in Georgia where it is stated that he was now unable to work.

Update:
Below is a photo of the four children of William and Carrie; Walter Emerson Sapp, William Bufford Sapp, George Stanley Sapp, Sr.(Jack), and Jennie Lee Sapp.

Emerson, Bufford, Jack, and Jennie Lee

Walter Emerson married Hortense W. Sapp and they moved to California as did George Stanley who was married to Effie Simpkins Sapp.

Effie and George Stanley Sapp

This photo of Emerson and Hortense was one that my grandmother had but never knew who they were and didn't even know to ask, and when I did, it was too late, my grandmother had Alzheimers and could not remember who they were.

W.Emerson and Hortense Sapp

Here is a photo of Jennie Lee when she was younger. I saw this picture when I was a kid and thought she was so pretty, but only knew that her name was Jennie because it was written on the back of the photo in my grandmother's handwriting. Jennie Lee also lived in Los Angeles. I think the brother Bufford remained in New York.

Jennie Lee Sapp

So a descendant of this family that I met was George Stanley Sapp, Jr. also know as Jack Jr.

He has two kids Lauren and Justin and they all live in Los Angeles, California.

George Stanley Sapp, Jr. (Jack)

Justin and Lauren Sapp

It is amazing that I was even able to find Jack and his family, I have facebook to thank for this connection. But if I had not done a great deal of research on the photos that I had of Emerson and Jennie Lee who I found in the photo with many of my family members at the funeral services for my great grandfather Street Turner Sapp, making me aware of the closeness of the family.

William J. Sapp or Jack Sapp?

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:41:15 PDT

Jennie Sapp

There was always a mystery around some photos that belonged to my paternal grandmother, Irene Sapp Keitt. These photos had been lying around for years and nobody ever talked about the people in the photos; and nobody ever asked. When I was old enough to ask, I was just told that they were some cousins.

I later discovered that some photos were of Jennie Sapp, and another photo was of Emerson Sapp and his wife Hortense . I never knew how they fit into this family at all, but I discovered a great deal about them after moving to Los Angeles.

Emerson and Hortense Sapp

The first thing that I discovered was that Jennie and Emerson were siblings, but I still was not sure of the connection to my great grandfather Street Turner Sapp.
I have been told on various occasions that Jennie and Emerson’s father, William J. was one of the brothers of Street Sapp, but I was never aware of Street having a brother by that name.
Now I have often heard about a Sapp brother that was called Jack, but when I discovered that brother Jasper's middle name was Jack, I merged the two people together.

William J. was said to be a sibling of Street Turner, and he is probably the brother that was called Jack. Further proof of William J. being a sibling is when I discovered that Street's brother Enoch named one of his sons William J. and this was customary of families during this time period.

It was not until I found Emerson’s obituary in the Los Angeles Sentinel, that I discovered that his name was actually Walter Emerson Sapp and that he had two more siblings besides Jennie; two brothers named William and Jack.

George Stanley Sapp,Sr. "Jack"

Through Facebook I discovered a man by the name of Jack Sapp and sent a message asking him about his family background and if he had an Aunt by the name of Jennie and Uncle by the name of Emerson. He was stunned and asked me how I knew his family, and I told him, because they were also my family. After a few months we finally were able to talk with each other and discover that we were indeed family. He says he remembers his dad talking about going to see his Uncle Street, which was actually my great grandfather. So that would make Jack’s grandfather William J. the brother of my great grandfather Street Turner.

The Jack Sapp that I met through Facebook, was called Lil’ Jack growing up and his father was also called Jack. Well his given name is not Jack and nor was his father's, his name is George Stanley Sapp, Jr., therefore his father was George Stanley Sapp, Sr. Lil' Jack, has no idea where the name Jack came from.

My theory is that his grandfather William J. Sapp is in fact William Jack Sapp and this would explain why there was a Sapp brother named Jack and one named Jasper and they were not one in the same. This would in fact connect William J. to Street Turner.
Jennie and Emerson along with his wife Hortense attended the funeral of Street Turner Sapp, which would have been their father’s brother. They are in many of the family photos taken on that day. This would also explain why my grandmother Irene Sapp had photos of Jennie and Emerson and his wife, because they were her first cousins.

George Stanley Sapp, Jr. "Lil' Jack"

It appears as though William J. Sapp was born in Georgia but first shows up in the 1910 census with his family in Jacksonville, Florida. In the 1920 Census he and his family are found in Brunswick, Georgia, but in the 1930 he and his family are found in Manhattan, New York, where he rented his house for $75.00 per month and worked as an Insurance Agent. By this time he and his wife Carrie had been married for 28 years.

The oldest son William Beauford was still in the household with his parents and siblings.

Also in the house was his adult son Walter Emerson and his first wife May.

Jennie Lee and George Stanley were still teenagers at this time.

It was told to me by Lil' Jack that William Beauford remained in New York and married a lady named Mary.

However, I am so excited about discovering George Stanley Sapp, Jr. “Jack", and his two children Justin and Lauren.

		Jack Jr. also has a sister name Carolyn and I am looking forward to speaking with her soon.
Justin and Lauren Sapp

Weekend of Genealogy and Genealogists

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:09:38 PDT

This last week and weekend was filled with those that have fallen in love with family history and the thrill of the search. Everyone there was excited to meet others that has been bitten by the genealogy bug, and find out what new ways they can research and document their family's history. Many have gathered lots of data over the years and now wonder what is the next step. They want to know how far back do they need to research before they start putting the story together.
There are so many questions, and the love of finding the answers is what drives many of us.

There were a great deal of speakers at this years Jamboree. This was the first year that I joined a Genealogical Society and this was in fact my first year attending a conference like this, and now I want to attend more. I have learned so much, especially how much I really don't know and how much more work I have to do.

I am a member of Southern California Genealogy Society, and this last week they hosted their 43rd Jamboree at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Burbank California. I met some incredible people, and one in particular, was Lisa B. Lee of GotGenealogy.com.
Lisa has been a professional genealogist for a couple of decades now, and produces many workshops at the various conferences around the country.

Yes it was fascinating to find so many people that liked to talk and had the need to be heard. I know many of you are saying, hey that sounds like you Tonya, well yes I would agree. The frustrating thing is that they was no captive audience, we were all trying to be heard. Often times we just had to laugh at each other.
The stories I heard were fascinating as well, especially those stories where people would find out things that they didn't want to know. Things like their great grand parents being of a different ethnicity than they expected. Discovering that they had been lied to by their grandparents or parents; Or those parents that forbid their children to research the family for fear of they may discover. Discovering that the secrets run deep in most families. I heard these stories from many of the professional genealogists that may not get compensated for finding this truth about a family and insisting on its accuracy.

photo taken from ww.ipadstand.co.uk

One of the most fascinating things I saw throughout this conference was how many retired people and elderly people owned iPads, and quite a number that brought their laptops. It was great to see many in that generation keeping up with the electronic revolution. Yes it all was fascinating and I look forward to attending another genealogy conference.
With any conference of this type you have the vendors that set up to sell you products or memberships that are relevant to what you are doing, and they make it so hard to walk away. Well this one was no different. I was sold on the Legacy Family Tree program by another enthusiast way before I got to the table. There were all sorts of great products there and of course some that were not so great. I was mostly looking for things that will aid me in my research. I found Legacy Family Tree and this program called GenDetective. Gen Detective issues various reports that gives you a better analysis of your data. These reports will and can give clarity to what I know and what I don't know as well as where I should concentrate my efforts.
The other thing I was hoping to get from this conference is how to give life to my data. How to put flesh on the bones of my ancestors. And yes I did learn how to do just that. No, I didn't learn how to do it in one day, but I did learn the various writing techniques to practice. The same for many fiction writers and non-fiction writers alike. It was fascinating to say the least.

I did accomplish what I went there to accomplish and much more.

The bottom line is that I have more work ahead of me than behind me. I do welcome the challenge; and am consistently propelled by those that believe in what I do and have financially supported my work.

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 17:27:10 PDT

This is one of the most incredible things that I have been so blessed to have knowledge of.

Family Affair - What's the Benefit?

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:29:03 PDT

You would hope that as you research your family you will connect with more and more of your relatives out there that you have yet to meet. That is exactly what happened about a month ago.

Roland was doing research on his on family when his wife Isabella said to him that she wish that she knew more about her own family because she was raised in foster care along with her sisters.
Knowing the name of her grandfather, Roland entered the name in Google and came up with my website, yes this very site. He yelled out to her to come quick because he had not only found some information on his wife's grandfather he had come across a picture of him. Isabella's grandfather was my grandmother's brother, Roscoe Sapp.

Roscoe Sapp

From there they found me on Facebook, sent me a message and we connected. I was excited as was Isabella.

This website was also found by someone who researches and reads many other blogs of this type. I was then contacted and asked if my blog could be featured on Geneabloggers.
I was very flattered when they contacted me after they found my site on the internet and liked what they saw.

We all love to be recognized for what we contribute to this world, for the work that we do, and for what we deem important, so being recognized by Geneabloggers put a smile on my face, but Isabella and Roland's excitement in finding not only Isabella's grandfathers name but his picture on my Family Affair website, put a smile in my heart.

When my family members find value in what I am doing and shows that excitement through their encouragement and monetary support, it continues to fuel my passion and pay for my research. This makes it even more worthwhile.

Souther California Jamboree

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 20:16:57 PDT

The excitement is building. I am actually going to the first Genealogy event with Southern California Genealogy Society and Ancestry.com. All of the genealogy research that I have done this far was done with no training and no assistance. Even though a great deal has been accomplished I realize that I have just scratched the surface. I have decided that it was time to join others that share this passion, so I can take my research to the next level.
I have hit a great deal of brick walls in my research and am at a place where many would hire a professional genealogist, but this is and has been a labor of love job I want to trace these steps on my own.
Of course I will seek help from various librarians and others who has more experience than I do to assist in my research. I will pick the brains and hearts of fellow genealogist as I am member of Southern California Genealogy Society and various online communities.

Jamboree is help from Friday to Sunday, but the Family History Writers Conference is taking place the day before and it is going to be pretty intense, but I am hoping it will help me see these ancestors as people, as characters, as family; instead of data on a page in a time unfamiliar to me.

On the Backs of the Ancestors

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 00:35:36 PDT

I just recently took a trip to Georgia in hopes of doing some genealogy research while I was there. I did however get to visit with some cousins once again that I discovered through ancestry.com a almost three years ago. It is amazing how that time has flown by. My goal was to go to Millen, Ga. as well as McRae, Ga. and dig around in the libraries and genealogy research archives in the area, in hopes of a big discovery for one about my2nd great grandfather Essex Ryals, and possibly a bit about my other 2nd great grandfather George Sapp. Well that never happened. The main reason for the trip was my daughter's graduation from Savannah State University, of which I am very proud.

It is always a blessing to see our children grow and move on out in the world. Another one of our own graduated from Florida A&M with his Doctorate of Pharmacy, now Dr. Tim Lewis. Tim is the second of his siblings to earn a Doctorate of Pharmacy, his older sister is also Dr. Kendra Lewis. These two are the children of Julie Finch Lewis, granddaughter of Gertrude Thompson.

There is one more Doctorate of Pharmacy recieved by one of my family members, Sesily Macon just graduated from Xavier, and is now Dr. Sesily Macon. Sesily is the daughter of Stanley Macon, Jr. and the granddaughter of Vivian Sapp Macon.

This family has a great deal to be proud of. Our young people are taking advantage of the education that so many before us fought for. I am so very proud of them.
I am looking forward to watching their growth.

Fellwood's History- My Mother's History

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:34:31 PDT

Just wanted to share what I came across on my facebook page from a guy many of you know from Savannah, Georgia. David Coney, who grew up in West Savannah has written a poem about a housing project that has since been demolished, Fellwood Homes; this is also the housing project that my mother moved into when she was only 2 years old, along with her oldest sister who was 13 and her baby sister that was only 4 months old, along with their parents Maxie and Esther Ryals.

The photo that David used in the poem was taken in 1949 of my grandmother hanging clothes on the line along with her two youngest daughters and my mother is the one handing her the clothes pins.

This photo is also featured in the book, Low Land and the High Road: Life and Community in Hudson Hill. West Savannah, and Woodville Neighborhoods, by Martha L. Keber, on page 43.

McMillian Expansion

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:44:39 PDT

I have been connecting with a great deal of my McMillian family lately via Facebook. It has been the best for finding family next to Ancestry.com. There are some that I met when we were really young kids like Henry Gilbert McMillian, Jr, and those that I have never met, but have still managed to build a relationship with, like Freddie McMillian. It is great meeting those that have the same affinity to the history of this family as I do.

Martha Clark and William McMillian had 13 children and a few of their sons had almost as many children. This family has multiplied quite a bit since William and Martha's first child was born in 1887. Some of us already knew of each others and many did not. Facebook has been instrumental in many people coming together and I am so grateful. The great thing is that you will meet some that you will feel a warmth from right from the outset, and then there are those that you will not.This is the beauty of family, blood is thicker than water and we need to remember that, and love each other in spite of ourselves.

One of the people that I am looking forward to meeting is Fred McMillian who lives in Cocoa Florida. He and his sister Eunice are the grandchildren of Oscar McMillian, my grandmother Susie Esker 's brother, and the son of Martha and William McMillian. My mother Betty Jean Ryals and his father Fred McMillian are first cousins.
I just get so excited explaining the connection to others.

Fred McMillian, Jr.

I am going to meet another lady that married into the McMillian family, Juretha McMillian who lives in Ashburn, Georgia. She was married to Corley McMillian, Sr. who was the son of Oscar McMillian, Jr., the brother of Fred McMillian Sr.'s. Oscar McMillian, Jr. was also known as O. C.
So Fred Jr. who I am to meet from Cocoa and Corley Sr. are first cousins and the great grandchildren of Martha and William McMillian.

Cortha, Corley Jr. with mom Juretha McMillian

Unfortunately, we lost Corley, Sr. in 2002 but I am to meet his wife Juretha.
I am hoping to meet many other McMillians, Ryals, and McRaes while I am in the area of Alamo/McRae/Lumber City for a couple of days doing research this family's history.

Two Sapp brothers Crossing Over - did they?

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 21:41:42 PDT

Robert L. Sapp and Judson Sapp could be two brothers that have crossed over to the Caucasian side of their family. Most of these brothers looked Caucasian with their father George being white and their mother Mary being mulatto. Before going any further, it is a great possibility that George was also Mulatto and his father William was pure European. However we were always told that George was Caucasian, so for now, in spite of the census saying that he is mulatto, I am going to go with the history that has been passed down to me, because so far it holds true.
I have come a cross a family tree that lists Judson with his parents but it gives a spouse Rosa L. Adams and she is white, this family tree also lists Judson as white.

Kemp/Prevatt/Thornton/Stormant /Dees family tree

lists Judson as Judson L. Sapp and his parents as Mary and George Washington, with the photos that appears to have come from my tree. However there is no census records or data of proof that this is in fact the same Judson in my family. It seems as though they were probably told this information and added it to the family tree. It they were passed this information orally, it is likely to be true. I was disappointed that the person doing the family research didn't reach out to me in any way after finding Judson and his parents on my family tree, especially attaching my photos to their tree. I would have to wonder why that is. I want to think that it is because Judson is so far down on this tree that much of the information about his family is extraneous. I usually don't expand on the spouses of my blood relatives past their parents and siblings, so I am going to hope that this is the reason.

There is nothing much else about Judson and his wife Rosa, that links the families other than the names of their children. Two of the children have the same name as two of Judson's siblings, Mattie his baby sister, and Tom W. after his brother Thomas Watson. The other two children could be named after her siblings, since there were only four children.
Judson was one of the brothers that I had no knowledge or information on until now.
There is still a bit of doubt, because I found a census record with Judson Sopp ( yes it is spelled Sopp, which know is mispelled), and his spouse is Rosa and father Jim J.N. Sopp, with the children's names the same as the Judson Sapp that is in my records after collaborating with the Judson L. Sapp from the above tree. I emailed the owner of the tree with this information, but I have not heard anything from them.

Robert L. Sapp married a white female by the name of Etta Jane Sheffield. There are some doubt here for sure. No I didn't have any information on Robert until now. I am still not sure if this is the right information. He is in two 1910 census records. One he is still in the house with George Washington, his father, at the age of 21 and said to be single, also in the house is a couple of younger brothers and a few nieces(children of George Washington Jr.). In the other 1910 census there is a Robert L Sapp in the house with his wife and kids. None of the names of his children are family names, and his said to have married Etta Jane in 1908. I added this information to the family tree along with extensive notes so that I can research it all on the ground.

It is not unusual to find the same person in the census twice, it all depends on where they were when the census taker was in a particular neighborhood or part of town/county. There is still more to learn about Robert as well as Judson and if they really did cross the color line.

The pattern with most of these Sapp brothers is that the women they married and had children with were all very dark skinned, so to see two that did something different would not be a total surprise but very different from the norm.

Hopefully on my trip to Georgia this month I will be able to research a little more and clear up some of these discrepancies. I wanted to share this information because I found it quite interesting.

Who Do You Think You Are? Well Who?

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:23:15 PST

Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History is a book that I picked up when I attended my first meeting at the Southern California Genealogy Society Library. We just gathered talked and had lunch together. I thought it would be a good way to get to know the people that are involved with this organization. We were graced with the vast knowledge of an archivist and genealogy specialist from the local branch of the National Archives. Kerry recommended a few resource must-haves and made me painfully aware that I have not even scratched the surface with my research, in all that I have done. So I am more than ready to move on to the next phase of this.
I was fortunate enough to get an autograph copy of the book, Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family History. The Author Megan Smolenyak is chief family historian and spokesperson for
.
She is also a pretty engaging writer.

I am sure many have seen the show with the same name as the book on NBC. It has a great deal of people intrigued and getting serious about finding the history of their own families. This is something that all families should start. If you are not the one to start gathering and researching, then help the one that is. We all know how quickly time goes by, so take time and just write down what you know, and put it in a safe place, so it could be found by another family member.

Living in Savannah

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:45:15 PDT

Living in Savannah Vol 1 & Vol 2 through Lane Library at Armstrong Atlantic University, formerly Armstrong Junior Collee

I am amazed at the idea that these students would be interested in documenting the life in Savannah for both black and white people in the 1939-40 and 1940-41 Contemporary Georgia Course. I don't think that this was a photography course but the fact that they chose the median of photography was quite interesting. I wanted to share these photos because something her maybe recognized by someone that I know.

Check it out guys.

Seven Essentials of A Census Record

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:15:18 PST

Tracking down your family’s history can become overwhelming fast and this is usually when people become frustrated and put the work to the side. When you get to this point, select just one of your ancestors who pique your interest and follow that path. Uncovering this ancestor’s life will rekindle your excitement and you will be longing to share your findings with the rest of the family.
The U.S. Census records are where most family historians begin their research. The excitement felt when discovering your relative's names among the many listed is contagious. Your more ardent genealogist is now waiting for the April release of the 1940 census data. The population records from any given decade can only be made public after 72 years of confidentiality, this in accordance to Title 44 of the U.S. Code.

The U.S Census Bureau is a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce whose mission is to gather and provide quality data on the nation’s people and its economy. One such data set is that of Population and Housing Census that is collected every 10 years. These data affects how government funding is allocated to communities for things such as education, public transportation, new roads, services for the elderly, among other things. We genealogists find it to be quite an insightful compilation.
If you would like to use US Census Data in your genealogical research, here are seven tips.

Right-click on photo to open in new tab or window, then zoom in

Seven Essentials of a Census Record

Seven Essentials of a Census Record
Here I will be using an example of a 1900 Census Record of my paternal great grandparents and their families. When this data was discovered I was researching information on Street Turner Sapp, my father’s maternal grandfather. I found him in the house with his parents and siblings

1. Other families in the neighborhood
Generally finding Street and his family in the census records would have been enough. But deciding to look at the original document and taking note of the families that reside in close proximity to my Sapps, I noticed that the family of Street's future wife, the Shumakes was listed right after his family.

Now this indicates that they grew up right next door to each other, or at least the next property over, as the houses then were not always as close together as they are today. I also know that the Sapps were big landowners, so it is likely that the Sapp and Shumake properties were adjacent.

Never stop with the families that are in close proximity, I have found other future spouses a couple pages over in other census records. It is understood that during this time, most people only marry as far as they could walk.

2. Spelling of Surname
One of the most common mistakes in these census records is the misspelling of the names, the surname as well as the given name. Most often the census taker would just ask the name and write it the way he believed it to be spelled. Often those being documented could not read or write and therefore not able to provide the correct spelling of their name.
On this record the Shumake name is misspelled. Was it because of the attitude of the census taker or because Henry didn't know how to spell his surname. The fact that the Shumake surname was misspelled could indicate to me another story. It may tell me a bit about the socioeconomic status of Henry and his family.

3. The Profession of the Head of household
The Shumakes could have been working on the Sapp land. This is possible because they are listed next to each other. On this particular record, you will see that Henry (Shewmake)Shumake was a renter and George Sapp was an owner. They are both listed as farmers.
It is known that the Sapps owned a great deal of land in Jenkins and Burke County.

4. Race: White, Black, Mulatto, or India
For African Americans this information seems to be a bit interchangeable, therefore it is not always reliable. On this census George Sapp and his family are listed as Black. On the 1880 census, George is listed as White or Mulatto, it is really hard to read. His wife and children are listed as mulatto. I know that George was White and his wife Mary Perkins was mulatto with a black mother and white father. Most of their children could pass for white, with strong Anglo-saxon features and skin color.

5. Educated or Not?
In my sample here, it says that George and his wife Mary could not read or write but all of their children could both read and write. Now I don't believe that this is a likely situation. First, George was white, and a landowner, so I want to believe that he could read and write. It is also unlikely that all of the children were literate with illiterate parents.
It states that Henry and his wife Priscilla could not read or write and all of their children were the same except his oldest daughter Carrie. This is likely for obvious reasons, but I also know that Henry was a slave, which makes it even more likely.

6. Place of Birth. Parents place of birth.
This information will often give you some insight into the family background of your ancestor. Especially if your ancestors were once slaves and possibly sold from another area or state.
7. Date of Census

This census was taken June 30th, 1900. Most census information is gathered during the summer months. Knowing the date the census was taken will often clear up the ages of those listed, as well as those that are not listed. When a child is not listed and you know that the year the census was taken is the year of their birth, this would indicate that their birth month is after the month the census was taken.

Don’t think that the census is conclusive. Many people make that mistake because they see it as some sort of authoritative documentation. It is an important piece of research but it is in no way conclusive. There are many mistakes made by the census takers and even more when those census details are later transcribed. However, it is a great place to start.

New Addition-Aston Lindberg McRae

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:46:04 PDT

On December 22, just in time for Christmas, Aston came on the scene in Atlanta,Georgia. I am sure that his parents Laquita and Alfred McRae, Jr, were happy that he slid in here just in time for a lovely tax write-off.
Patricia and Alfred McRae, Aston's paternal grandparents have been buzzing about their first grand baby for some time now. I and the rest of the world are being bombarded with their bragging rights. I was informed by Al that McRae's love to brag. He is well worth it guys.

He is beautiful and congrats to all. Thanks for sharing with us the newest pull on your heart and purse strings. I know he is going to be well loved and a bit spoiled, but this is the job of grandparents.

Leila McCray Jones will be missed.

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:47:29 PDT

Leila McCrae Jones left us behind this year. She lost her battle with breast cancer in December of 2011. Even though I just met her last year, I will definitely miss talking to her. Leila and her family was discovered through ancestry.com along with another cousin who lives right in my hometown, Lydia McRae Harris. Lydia had recently discovered Leila through ancestry.com and she told me about her since Leila and I both lived in California. I was so excited to meet her first because she was the only living grandchild of Mose and Matilda McCray. I was excited to hear her story and how it was even possible that she was around to tell me. I feel blessed that I was able to meet her and spend some time with her listening to the stories of her child hood, and how much she really didn't know about her father's side of the family. Realizing all the time she was living so close to many of them in Lakeland, Georgia, but no knowing any of them. This is something that happens so often in families, and with my and other family members working on the family's history, we are pulling those family members back to the root of it all. It is a wonderful feeling to meet those relatives that you never knew existed. Some you will form bonds with and some you will not. Leila was one that I had formed a bond with. She has been fighting cancer since I met her in the summer of 2010.

You can view her obituary here

Georgia Slave Narratives

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:27:42 PDT

I spent most of my day reading through Georgia Slave Narratives. I have yet to find any that is relative to my known family members, but they were really interesting to read. Many of them had good experiences with their slave masters and was more distraught after the war ended and they were free. Some left the plantation after they were told that they were no longer slaves and free to go where and when they wanted; many would return to work for their former slave masters because they found it harder to make it out there on their own.

There are many such records on Access Genealogy and you are able to research these records absolutely free. There are so many places that charge to research a great deal of data bases and the best I have found thus far is Ancestry.com. I have tried several others but they have given me the same records that I have been able to find through Ancestry.com, but with a little extra help from Ancestry. As a matter of fact I just recently discovered if you are a member you are able to call them and get some help if you feel stuck on a certain relative or a certain fact. Most of them are quite knowledgeable, and many are doing their own research.

Georgia Vault is another place where you are able to search for relatives in Georgia. It is a free site where often times you are able to find the birth and death records of a relative. You may also be able to find if you had a relative that was in the Civil War, because you can find records of pension applications here. It is quite an interesting place, but be careful you could end up spending the day in that chair, on the computer, because this stuff is addictive and the time will fly by, and before you know it, you are having a hard time getting out of that chair and the news is on the television. So this is fair warning.

Spelling of Surname McRae

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:48:26 PDT

Taken from Clan Macrae Website

When looking back on Matilda McRae's death certificate I discovered that it was signed by Earnest McRae, her son, and the spelling of the name on that death certificate is McRae and not the way her son Joh Franlin McCray spelled his name. The thing I think most of us don't understand is how is it possible for siblings to spell their surname differently.

Again I was told by Matilda's granddaughter Susie Ryals that her mother Susie McCray, daughter of Matilda McCray spelled her name, 'McCray'. Hopefully one day something or someone will shed light on this for us.
The spelling of McCray in this manner is confirmed by John Franklin McCray's (son of Moses and Matilda McRae) children and grandchildren.
See how confusing it is.
We may never know how it is so often changed even before it was passed on to my ancestors, but I think it would make an interesting story.

Deeply Tangled

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 07:49:39 PDT

I am just able to sort through how deeply intertwined the marriages were in the small area of Montgomery and Telfair counties. We have always been a bit concerned that maybe there were people who got married and were possibly blood related. My mother and I was just talking about this today, but so far I have not found any proof of that. They seemed to have been really careful in not letting that happen.

It reminds me of a story I heard a couple of years ago about when Catherine Ryals, whose mother was Susie McCray, was going to marry Artis McRae, and they were told to wait a minute, so that the family could make sure that they were not related. Obviously after checking it out, they we given permission to get married.

In my research along with my cousin Jesse McRae who is the grandson of Catherine Ryals and Artis McRae, we discovered that there was a common name in these two families, Moses McRae(McCray). For many years we didn't know enough about Moses McRae(McCray).

Moses McCray

See, Jesse knew that Artis McRae's grandfather was named Andrew McRae who had a brother name Moses McRae, but he did not know anything about this brother. Now on Jesse grandmother Catherine Ryals' side of the family, which is also my side of the family, Catherine's mother was name Susie McCray, and her father's name was Moses McCray.

However Moses McCray was a mystery to us as well. We didn't know his mother's name or if he had any siblings, or if it was possible that Andrew McRae was his brother. Then we heard of the above story of Catherine and Artis' delay in getting married.

We have since discovered that there are definitely two Moses McRae(McCray) with a slightly different spelling of the surname, even though you can't prove that through the census data, which is a topic for another day. This was determined after discovering Antonio McMillian who is a descendant of Moses McRae, who is the brother to Andrew McRae. Thanks again Antonio for relieving us of this anxiety.

Now this brings me to how I discovered this same Moses McRae (brother to Andrew) in my family tree just the same, but on my grandmother's side as oppose to my grandfather's side, which is where Moses McCray is found.

My grandmother Esther (Susie Esker) McMillian marries Maxie Ryals, my grandfather (descendant of Moses McCray). Two of her brothesrs, Henry and Adam McMillian marries two sisters, Ida and Aleph Rogers (daughters of Isabella McAllister and Peter Rogers). One of their sisters Isabell Rogers marries that very same Moses McRae (brother to Andrew McRae). I know you all are ready to exhale now, but not yet, because their mother Isabella also marries Stephen McMillian after her husband Peter passes away. Now get this, Stephen McMillian is the grandfather of Henry and Adam McMillian who is married to two of Isabella McAllister Rogers daughters, Ida and Aleph.

Now you can exhale!

I thought this was quite interesting. We know that African Americans during that time in history only married as far as they could walk, but they seem to have been really careful not to marry anyone that was blood related. At least in the African(American) culture that is not as accepted as it was by other cultures during the same time in history.

Last Five Question to Share You

noreply@blogger.com (Tonya Keitt Kalule) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:47:06 PDT

Here are the last questions of the series. I see that many are not posting their answers on the website, but I hope you are atleast sharing them at home with you parents and your children. I want to at least get the conversation started.
It would be so great if you would share your answers with the family. Knowing the things we have in common as a family would be so exciting.
So looking forward to hearing from you all.

Subscribe to Family Affair to Keep Up with The Conversation

1. When and how did you meet your spouse? What did you do on your first date?

2. Where was your marriage proposal? Were you the first to know?

3. Where did you get married? What stands out most from your wedding day?

4. How did you find out you were going to be parents for the first time?

5. What is your profession? How and when did you choose that profession?

Bonus Question:

What do you want others to remember most about you?

First Five Questions. Part 1

Next Five Questions. Part 2