My Family Affair

Mary Octavia McRae

2016-11-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Matilda McRae

Mose McRae

I have located a cousin through the DNA that matches us to Mose and Matilda McRae. Before now I knew nothing of the family of their daughter Mary Octavia McRae and now I have been able to add this leg of Mose and Matilda's family to the family tree. There are still two siblings that I do not have any information on and that is Sarah and Edd McRae.

Mary Octavia was born around 1874 in Montgomery County Georgia to Mose and Matilda McRae. She married Peter Wortham in 1890 when she was 16 years old. They had six children, five born in Georgia between Wheeler County, Macon and Statesboro, Georgia, and the last born in Mississippi.

They owned property in Wheeler county in 1890. It looks as though she and her family moved to Mississippi between 1902 and 1909.

Mary Octavia and her family stayed in Biloxi through the Mississippi River Flood of 1926 that caused thousands of people to flee the area. They even stayed through the the infestation of the boll weevil of the cotton crops the following year.
This says something about the strength of this family.

Family Tree Relationship Chart

2016-06-28T10:19:00.002-07:00

Family Relationship Chart

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1	Common Ancestor	Son or Daughter	Grandson or Daughter	Great Grandson or Daughter	2nd Great Grandson or Daughter	3rd Great Grandson or Daughter	4th Great Grandson or Daughter
2	Son or Daughter	Brother or Sister	Niece or Nephew	Grand Niece or Nephew	Great Grand Niece or Nephew	2nd Great Grand Niece or Nephew	3rd Great Grand Niece or Nephew
3	Grandson or Daughter	Niece or Nephew	First Cousin	First Cousin Once Removed	First Cousin Twice Removed	First Cousin Three Times Removed	First Cousin Four Times Removed
4	Great Grandson or Daughter	Grand Niece or Nephew	First Cousin Once Removed	Second Cousin	Second Cousin Once Removed	Second Cousin Twice Removed	Second Cousin Three Times Removed
5	2nd Great Grandson or Daughter	Great Grand Niece or Nephew	First Cousin Twice Removed	Second Cousin Once Removed	Third Cousin	Third Cousin Once Removed	Third Cousin Twice Removed
6	3rd Great Grandson or Daughter	2nd Great Grand Niece or Nephew	First Cousin Three Times Removed	Second Cousin Twice Removed	Third Cousin Once Removed	Fourth Cousin	Fourth Cousin Once Removed
7	4th Great Grandson or Daughter	3rd Great Grand Niece or Nephew	First Cousin Four Times Removed	Second Cousin Three Times Removed	Third Cousin Twice Removed	Fourth Cousin Once Removed	Fifth Cousin

How to Calculate How Two People Are Related

Select two people in your family and figure out the most recent direct ancestor they have in common. For example, if you chose yourself and a first cousin, you would have a grandparent in common.
Look at the top row of the chart (in blue) and find the first person's relationship to the common ancestor.
Look at the far left column of the chart (in blue) and find the second person's relationship to the common ancestor.
Move across the columns and down the rows to determine where the row and column containing these two relationships (from #2 & #3) meet. This box is the relationship between the two individuals.

My DNA Estimate from Ancestry

2016-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Ethnicity estimate for Tonya Kalule

REGIONAPPROXIMATE AMOUNT

Africa79%

Mali22%
Benin/Togo21%
Cameroon/Congo20%
Africa Southeastern Bantu8%
Trace Regions
8%
Nigeria3%
Africa South-Central Hunter-Gatherers3%
Senegal2%
Other Regions Tested
Africa North0%
Ivory Coast/Ghana0%

America3%

Native American3%

Asia0%

Other Regions Tested
Asia Central0%
Asia East0%
Asia South0%

Europe18%

Ireland10%
Trace Regions
8%
Iberian Peninsula5%
Scandinavia2%
Italy/Greece1%
Other Regions Tested

Kissy Swain -from Africa - Born 1781

2016-06-28T09:46:00.000-07:00

For many years my family only knew our ancestors back to the late 1870s - early 1900s with Martha Clark and William McMillian, but now I have traced back 90 years more to Kizzie Swain born in 1781 in Africa. Yes that is what I said Africa.

Martha's mother was also named Kizzie Swain, so this is Martha's great-grandmother, Kissy from Africa. At this point I don't have any idea when Kissy came from Africa or how old she was or even where she landed, but I do know that she was 99 years old in the 1880 census with her son Peter Swain, Martha Clarks' grandfather. I believe that Kissy may have had other children, but for now I only see her in the 1880 census with her son Peter and his family.

However, When I look at the voter registration log book of 12 August 1867, Peter at the age of 45 registered to vote and the three names listed behind his were Henry Swain, John Swain, and Philip Swain. This leads me to believe that they all went together for this monumental and momentous event of Registering to Vote. This was the first year the black man was allowed to vote.

In the 1870 Presidential election,Ulysses S. Grant was elected President thanks to 700,000 black voters. It was also in February 1870 that the 15th Amendment was ratified to protect the black's right to vote. I am proud that these men my Ancestors, stood together for change, stood together against so much opposition for their constitutional right to vote.

Peter also had two sons named John and Phillip which would have been too young to vote at that time, so this makes me believe that these could be his brothers. It would also make sense to take men and not children to face the dangers of this task.

I am presently going page by page of the 1870 census to find any on Peter Swain and his family. but as you know, that is a process. It is in the 1900 Census where Peter states that his mother was from Africa, by this time Kissy had already passed.

Now I will have to try to find when she came over to the US and where she came from. I am hoping the DNA will help me with some of this.

Probably finding her slave master, would be the first step.

She earned her wings

2016-03-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

On January 22nd, 2015 she took her last breath, two hours before I got to there. Normally I would be sad that I could not tell her that I have loved her all of my life, and I am better person for knowing her, but I did not feel that when I walked into her bedroom minutes after finding out that she had already transition.
I felt a big lost, a heavy heart, and a tremendous amount of grief, but with all of that was peace knowing that she was not in any more pain from the cancer that was ravaging her body.

My Aunt Helen was like a big sister to me for many years, because she was only 17 years my senior; then there were those times when she was a second mother, and later a best friend and confidant.

Yes, Helen Maxine Ryals Thornton was many things to me in the 54 years that I knew and loved her.
She even named me when I was born.

She was my mother's baby sister.

Now my mom is the only one left from her immediate family, and that saddens her in many ways.

Betty was the middle child. Losing her older sister Bernice Ruth Ryals Giles in 2005 and now her baby sister Helen, has taken a toll on her heart.

Betty R. Keitt

You can see it in her eyes, but because she knows God so well, she is able to carry on. For many years they were like Mutt and Jeff, always together.

That changed in the last few years after Helen had a back surgery that really changed her quality of life. Yes she was able to get around but not like before.

Bernice Ryals Giles

These three girls were funny together, they had lots of good times. Bernice lived in Chicago Illinois, while Betty and Helen both lived in Savannah.

My grandparents would really be proud of their girls.

These two were together until the end. Helen wanted her big sister by her side, and her big sister would not have been anywhere else.

Aunt Helen, you know that you are truly missed her with us, but we knew that you were tired, we did not want you to have any more pain, we all were willing to let you rest. I hear that you even saw your mother before you left, that she was with you, and that, through all of the hurt, brings me comfort.

His name is Phillip Keitt

2016-03-20T11:54:00.001-07:00

For many years I was told Willie and Viola Keitt were the parents of my grandfather, Nathaniel Keitt and his older brother Romeo. I never knew if they were married or not, but I just assumed that they were. On the back of Nathaniel and Irene's marriage license to my grandmother, he states his parents names as Willie and Viola, no last names were given, and he also states that they were deceased.(1932)

Nathaniel Hawthorne Keitt

I was able to find the death certificate of his brother Romeo and it states that his parents names are Phillip Keitt and Viola Coulter, this death certificate was authenticated by his cousin Jeanette Hall in Philadelphia. Now this still doesn't tell me if they are married or not, because it asks for the mother's maiden name on the death certificate.

After searching,I was able to find Nathaniel in the 1910 census with his grandparents Joshua and Elizabeth Keitt, several cousins and his brother Romeo. In this census he(b.1905) was five years old and his brother Romeo(b.1900) was ten. So my guess is that whatever happened to his parents must have happened between 1905 and 1910.

I had a hard time finding the same family in the 1900 census, so I decided to try to locate the area where they lived in the 1910 census since it stated that it was a farm and they owned the farm, it indicated that they may have owned the land for quite some time. At that time they lived in Bowman, Orangeburg, South Carolina, but I could not even locate Bowman in the 1900 census. Now I am really confused, so I look for a map of Orangeburg and discovered exactly where Bowman was located. Then I started to look through the 1900 census and they listed the areas as Middle Orangeburg, and after viewing the map, Bowman was located right in the middle of Orangeburg County, so I decided to look through this area page by page.

I did find the family, but what made them hard to find is that the transcriber spelled the name wrong. It was indexed as Reitt instead of Keitt. When I looked through the census record, I found that Joshua and Elizabeth had an 18 year old son named Phillip. BINGO! There is the father of Romeo and Nathaniel.

The other thing that is noticed here is that Phillip is 18 years old and listed as single. This census was taken on 11 June 1900 and Phillips son Romeo was born 5 May 1900. So he was not married to Viola when his first son was born,

It is great to finally find that connection to my great-grandfather, but there are still many more questions.

What happened to Phillip? What happened to the mother Viola Coulter, who had two children with Phillip 5 years apart?

I will find out more about these two, Phillip and Viola, so stay tuned for updates.

African American McRaes' History Presented

2016-01-16T22:24:00.000-08:00

Georgia Historical Society-Jan 15, 2016

On January 15th, 2016 I met with several family members as my cousin Jesse McRae donates his book, A History of the African American McRaes of Georgia, to the Georgia Historical Society in Savannah, Georgia. It was really a proud moment for our family. This book will assist the present and future generations in their research of the McRae ancestors.

Jesse McRae in front of the GHS

Luckily, I happened to be home from Peru for the Christmas Holidays, others came from Tallahasse, Florida, Chesapeake, Virginia and Dublin, Georgia for this event. It was like a small reunion. I got to meet a new cousin, Willie King, who is a descendant of Nelson McRae, the brother of my 3rd great-grandmother.

Inside the GHS

Jesse McRae is connected to two sets of McRaes, both of which are represented here at the event., His paternal grandparents are both McRae descendants. His paternal grandfather is Artis McRae, and the mother of his paternal grandmother is Susan McRae, so finding if there is a connection between the two is quite important to him.

God's Little Drummer Boy

2014-12-21T08:21:00.001-08:00

December 11, 2014 we gained an angel in our family, his name is Jermaine D. Kicklighter, Jr. better known as 'Jelly Bean'.

He blessed us with his presence 3 years and 10 months ago, in the care of Christina Harley and Jermaine Kicklighter, Sr., his earthly parents. However, God wanted him back, and since He loves him best we can't question his reason but rather trust in His Purpose.

While on this earth, Jelly Bean became his father's shadow. He went to church with him on Sunday and loved watching him play the drums in church.

He too fell in love with playing the drums. His dad often had to search the house for his drum sticks.

So when Jelly Bean departed this earth, he carried with him his own pair of drumsticks so he can play for his Heavenly Father as well as continue to inspire his dad's music.

Jazmaine Kicklighter is Jelly Bean's little sister, who will never get the chance to really know her big brother and feel his protection and love as is often felt in this family. I hope she knows that he will be watching out for her always.

I am truly proud and impressed with the type of father Jermaine Sr is to his children.

He is young father like none I have seen in a long time. He has some great role models, a father and a step-father that he loves dearly; but also uncles that are and has always been involved in his life.

This love and belief in family has been passed down from his grandparents, Anna and Hansel Thompson, because the other young men in the family, his first cousins, are also incredible fathers.

So you rest little man and keep watch over us.

Moving Abroad

2014-10-01T06:38:00.000-07:00

This chick is ready to go.

Moving out of the USA was something that I have always wanted to do. At first I didn't know anyone personally that had done this other than military people. I wanted to do it for the experience of living somewhere that was very different from what I was use to. As the years passed by I started to meet people who had lived abroad and returned to the US. Most of them were people in their 20s and they backpacked around Europe which was the norm. Yes they were gone for a couple of years, but they were much younger than me and they were backpacking, which was no longer of interest to me.

I started to find more and more blogs out there where others were in their 50s and living abroad, but none of them were single women. Regardless, I started to communicate with a few of those that were in my age group. They of course gave good advice, but I didn't totally trust this because I didn't know these people and I didn't think that they would give me the truth about the good and the bad. By not knowing them personally I was reluctant to ask them really personal questions, especially when it came to money. I just decided to take the chance, because if all else failed, I could always return to the USA and get back to work.

When the opportunity presented itself, after much research and planning, I decided to go for 6 months to South America. I was always partial to the Spanish culture and wanted to learn more about it..
After recovering from several surgeries, spending a year in Savannah with my daughter and my new granddaughter, house-sitting for a month (3 wks) in Berkeley, California, and taking a week to drive through parts of Northern California, I decided Peru was where I would start. The plan was to stay for 6 months and move on to somewhere else. Many ask why did I choose Peru? Now I know that I didn't choose Peru, Peru chose me.

Gia turns 1.

Avenue of the Giants in Humbodlt County, California

The hardest part was leaving this little one. I had to realize that I had to step back and let my daughter be a mother, and trust that I had taught her well.

Then off I went.

First to Berkeley, California, then driving to Northern California to see the beautiful Redwood Forrest.

Mount Shasta, part of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County,California

It is time!

Andes Mountains on the way to Urubamba Valley

I am on my way to this beautiful land, with an apartment waiting for me in Cuzco, Peru. Cuzco is the home to the famous Inca Empire in the Andes Mountains. Something we all read about in grade school,

First Christmases

2012-12-19T14:08:00.000-08:00

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

2012-11-02T10:45:00.001-07:00

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

2012-09-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

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

2012-08-28T10:47:00.001-07:00

(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

2012-08-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

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

2012-08-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

2012-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

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?

2012-07-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

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

2012-06-13T14:09:00.002-07:00

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.

2012-06-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

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

Family Affair - What's the Benefit?

2012-06-02T21:22:00.001-07:00

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

2012-06-02T20:16:00.003-07:00

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

2012-05-20T19:33:00.001-07:00

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

2012-04-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

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

2012-04-08T22:12:00.000-07:00

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?

2012-04-08T17:26:00.002-07:00

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.