Remembering Augusta Nadine Crider Harrison 

17 June 1920 - 8 September 1970

We Contine To Live Beyond The Dawn

And In The Hearts Of Those Who Love Us

The following paragraph is from the Find A Grave Memorial that I previously created for her on that website.   ( Find  Grave memorial # 49840165 at www.findagrave.com)

Augusta Nadine Crider Harrison Taylor was the daughter of Steven Linn Crider and Ida Mae Allen Crider. She married Marvin Milton Harrison on Sept 7, 1939 in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. They met when Marvin was working on construction of the Dam at Lake Wappapello. They had three children: Michael, John David, and Beverly Harrison. Augusta and Marvin lived in Pineville, Louisiana for several years while raising their young children, while Marvin worked for the railroad there. They bought a little house on a creek in what was then a rural area. Augusta and Marvin later relocated to Long Beach, California where Marvin worked in the aircraft industry with Hughes Aircraft and later Johns Manville Corp. Augusta's occupation during those years was as housewife and mother. Those were years of economic turmoil and much personal strife, which took it's toll on the marriage of Augusta and Marvin. They were divorced circa 1956, in Long Beach, California. Augusta returned to her hometown of Poplar Bluff, Missouri; where she re-remarried to Leonard Taylor in 1961. Mr Taylor was a veteran who died in 1968; and is also buried at City Cemetery in Poplar Bluff. Augusta spent her final years as a widow in Poplar Bluff, MO. She passed at the relatively young age of only 50. Augusta, may you rest in eternal peace forever in the Lord's loving embrace.

A Memorial Grove of Trees has been planted in Shasta-Trinity National Forest in California by their daughter, as a living tribute in memory of Augusta and Marvin Harrison. 

Burial: 
Poplar Bluff City Cemetery 
Poplar Bluff
Butler County
Missouri, USA
Plot: Sunnyslope Section, Space 1, Lot 15, Block E 

Sentimental Sunday: An Early Mother's Day Video Memorial- Augusta Crider Harrison (1920 - 1970)

SURNAME SATURDAY: LEE (LEA) Clan of Virginia and England

Copyright 2015, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Today is Surname Saturday in GeneaBloggers time zone, one of the daily writing prompts for those of us who write genealogy blogs. I began this article for my blog in 2011 and just discovered that I had left it in draft mode and never posted it. So, here it is, better late than never. 

One of the surnames in my ancestral tree is LEE (also spelled LEA and LEIGH). These are ancestors on the paternal side of my tree from Virginia. One source on the Lee family of Virginia is this book: Genealogical History of the Lee Family of Virginia and Maryland, From 1300 to 1866. 

I descend from the Lee of Virginia and England line through my paternal grandmother Susannah "Susan" Allen Harrison, wife of John P Harrison. Her paternal great-great-grandmother was Nancy Lee Tucker, wife of William Wofford Tucker, a Captain in the Revolutionary War from Virginia. The following is from info I posted on the Find A Grave Memorial that I created for Nancy Lee Tucker, reference memorial # 67820200 . 
Nancy Lee Tucker, wife of Revolutionary War Lieutenant William Wofford Tucker. Daughter of Ambrose Lee and Frances Penn Lee(Tucker) of Amherst County, Virginia. Mother of 14 children including Dandrige Tucker and Susannah Tucker Hudgens.

Nancy Lee Tucker's mother Frances Penn Lee married 2nd husband Drury Tucker, who was the father of Nancy's husband William Wofford Tucker. Thus, her mother was also her step-mother-in-law. 

A headstone and confirmed burial location for William Wofford Tucker and his wife Nancy Lee Tucker have not been located. Tucker Homestead Cemetery is a historic family graveyard on private property in Liberty near Clemenstville in Casey County, KY which contains headstones of their son Dandridge Tucker, grandson Dabney Tucker, and other kin. This is likely the burial location of William Wofford Tucker and his wife, who may rest in the family plots in now unmarked graves. 

I have found some famous, not so famous, and infamous LEE ancestors in this extended clan of Lees in my lineage. The Lee clan of Virgina included some colorful characters, political leaders, and military heroes. Some of them were considered "rich, powerful, and influential".  Those individuals will make interesting subjects for future biographical blog posts to flesh out their life stories in my tree, some of which has already been well documented by historians. *(I've already blogged about a couple of them previously). 

Lee Family Crest , Source: Wikimedia Commons

The LEE surname in my tree has origins in England and Ireland.  The English spellings of Lea and Leigh mean "meadow" or "forest clearing". In Ireland, the name was used as an occupational description meaning "poet". The Lee family of Shropshire, England were the forebears of the notable colonial American family of Lee.

Some of my direct line Lee ancestors include my 4x great-grandmother Nancy Lee (1762 VA - 1829 KY) who married William Wofford Tucker; her father Ambrose Lee (1733 VA - 1764 VA) who married Frances "Frankey" Penn; his father William Lee (1710 VA - 1770 VA) who married Elizabeth Rachel Ambrose; his father William Lea ( abt 1684 VA - 1760 VA) who married Ann Taylor; his father Colonel William Lee (1654 VA - 1703 VA) who married Mary Green; his father William Lea (1623 VA - 1663 VA) who married Catherine Ironmonger; and his father William Leigh (1588 England - 1653 VA) who married Mary Dawkes. 

According to the Internet Surname Database at http://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Lee:  "This famous name recorded as Lee, Lees, Lea, Leas, Lease and Leese is of Olde English origin. It is usually locational and derives from any of the places named with the pre 7th Century element "leah". This translates as "an open place" in a forest or wood, but may describe a water meadow, the word having different meanings in different parts of the country. Examples of the place names include Lee in Buckinghamshire and Hampshire, and also Lea in Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Wiltshire. The name may also be topographical, for someone who lived at a clearing or pasture, as in the surname 'Atlee'.  The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Ailric de la Leie, which was dated circa 1148, in the "Charters of Northamptonshire", during the reign of King Stephen, known as "Count of Blois", 1135 - 1154. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation In England 

James A Crider: Born circa 1834 in Gibson County, Tennessee, Died 1875 in Calloway County, Kentucky

            Copyright 2015, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

 NOTE: This ancestory biography has been edited and compiled by B. Harrison, owner of the blog "The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist- A Genea In Arizona" at www.hopelesslyhookedgenealogist.blogspot.com ; utilizing History Lines timelines and photos and her own personal documentation and photos from her research on this ancestor. 

James A "Jim" Crider was born about 1834, in Dyersburg, Gibson County,Tennessee, United States. He was my great-grandfather on the maternal side of my tree. His mother was Sarah "Sallie" Shults and was 24 years old when James was born. His father was David Crider who was 30 years old when James was born. James was the second of nine children. His older sibling Nancy Carolyn Crider was 5 years old when James was born. By the 1850 Federal Census, James' parents had moved the family to Graves County, Kentucky. James A Crider married Elvira "Ellin" Tennessee Thurmond on 3 Jan 1855 in Graves County, Kentucky. By the 1860 Federal Census, James and Elvira were living in Calloway County, Kentucky with their first child, Angeline J Crider. The 1870 Federal Census shows them living in Brinkley, Calloway County, Kentucky with their first 5 children. By 1875 they were living in Murray, Calloway County, Kentucky. James A Crider passed away on 17 Feb 1875 of pneumonia. His last child, my maternal grandfather Stephen Linn Crider, was only 3 months old when James died. James is buried at Elm Grove Cemetery, Calloway County, Kentucky; reference Find A Grave Memorial # 71154828. 
Following is a TIMELINE of some of the events occurring in the lifetime of James A Crider.

(Note- the full story and timeline with photos can be viewed on the History Lines website at:

https://historylines.com/story.jsp?person_id=HXI1384231CUA

www.historylines.com

Attatched below are some screenshots from pages of the History Lines story on this ancestor:

Beltane's Day: The May Day Traditions of My Scots Ancestors

Copyright 2015, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Today is May Day:  May 1st, 2015.  In honor of my Celtic heritage, I'm including a blog post on the celebrations that are traditionally held in the Month of May in Scotland.    May Day in Scotland is called "Betane's Day" or "Beltaine", and has been celebrated for centuries with a traditional Scottish festival with merriment and mischief throughout the month. My many Scots ancestors in Balnagown, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Kildary, and Renfrewshire in the 1600's and early 1700's would have celebrated the welcoming of summer with a traditional fire festival. Their descendants in Scotland today still celebrate in much the same manner, honoring the traditions of their ancestors.  Festivities often begin on April 30, the eve of Beltane's Day. Scotland.org states that "On April 30, people from all around the world ...come together at the top of Edinburgh's Calton Hill to celebrate the Beltane Fire Festival.... a modern version of Beltane which began on the evening before May 1 and marked the start of summer".  

Web images and descriptions of the modern day Beltane's festivals in Scotland brings to mind a cross between the Burning Man festivals and Mardis Gras that we have annually in America. A walk on the wild side....here is one of the tamer photos, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 

The Beltane Fire Festival at Edinburgh. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons - 

The website for Rampant Scotland at www.rampantscotland.com describes Beltane's Day this way: "A pagan fire festival which goes back to pre-Christian times - originating with Baal in Phoenicia. It was supposed to encourage the crops to grow. There has been a holiday at the start of May in many parts of Scotland for centuries. Young girls would also rise early to wash their faces in the May dew. The custom of lighting fires at this time has come through in place names such as Tarbolton in Ayrshire ("tor" meaning hill and 'bolton' from 'Beltane'). The ancient Druidic Fire Festival has been revived by 'New Age' followers who gather on the historic Calton Hill in Edinburgh."

                                  (image source: Pinterest, artist unknown)

Another wesbite, "Mysterious Britain & Ireland -Mysteries, Legends, and the Paranormal" at www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/festivals/may/beltane says this: 
"Beltane (or Beltaine) is a festival that marks the return of summer with the lighting of fires; where people could burn their winter bedding and floor coverings, ready to be replaced afresh. Referred to as a Gaelic ceremony, it has been celebrated for thousands of years throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. In fact in Ireland, it supposedly marks the arrival of the Gaels on to Irish shores". 

                 
"May Day, The Ancient Festival of Beltane", image courtesy of    www.globallightminds.com (artist unknown).

Workday Wednesday: IDA MAE ALLEN CRIDER's letter seeking her birth certificate yields family history - 1943

Copyright 2015, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist

(B. Harrison)

I have taken a long hiatus from writing in this Blog to enjoy some time doing other things, including travel...and additional research on my ancestral lines.  Now, I'm back to share more info about some of my ancestors.

Looking through daily blogging prompts from Geneabloggers.com for ideas to get myself back into the blogging-writing mode, I came across the prompt for "Workday Wednesday" and decided to share this letter written in 1943 by my maternal grandmother, Ida Mae Allen Crider, addressed to the "Dept of Confederate Pensions" in Frankfort, Kentucky.  She was trying to obtain documentation of her own birth from the Widow's Pension file of her mother (Lucy "Fannie" Clark Allen), in order to obtain a birth certificate or proof of birth from the state of Tennessee, (where she says she was born), which she needed to obtain "some useful employment".  She was age 53 at the time, living in Poplar Bluff, Butler County, Missouri with her husband (my maternal grandfather) Stephen Linn Crider, 17 years her senior at age 70.

The letter is a genealogy goldmine of information.  Along with the details mentioned above, the letter contains her father's full name ("the late Thomas C. Allen") and her mother's name ("Lucy F. Clark Allen"); along with confirmation of her father's service in the Confederate States Army, Company I, Regiment 12, Kentucky Cavalry. (Interesting to note she used the word "calvary instead of "cavalry"; a common mistake). It also confirms the existence of her mother's Confederate Widow's Pension Application filed with the state of Kentucky, where her father had served.  The letter confirms that Ida Mae was born in the state of Tennessee, although her later death certificate information in 1968 as reported by her daughter-in-law says she was born in Fulton, Kentucky in 1890.  This discrepancy, and the fact that Ida herself stated she was born in Tennessee, prompts me to search Tennessee records further for information on her parents' lives circa 1890.

I have had a copy of this letter for quite some time, and had posted it in my trees as a scanned media attachment, but looking at it again to write this Blog post opened my eyes to that new piece of information that I had previously overlooked. I had been looking in Kentucky for information on her parents' lives circa 1890 and coming up empty. So, either they came to Kentucky later than I had thought, or there is a discrepancy in Ida's birth date and location to be further investigated. It is possible Ida was 10 years older than her stated age.

Below is a photo of my maternal grandparents Ida Mae Allen Crider and Stephen Linn Crider taken circa 1935-1940 in Missouri. 

Copy of John P Harrison 1865 - 1942

 John P Harrison 1865 - 1942

Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

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The above is a link to a video photo montage on the life of my paternal grandfather John P Harrison of Maries County and St Louis County, Missouri.  A previous detailed article was posted about him in this Blog and can be found in the Blog archives.   John left behind few photos of himself. He passed many years before I was born. What I know of him is from researching his brief journal and his career with the FRISCO Railroad.

Below is a screenshot of page 1 of the HistoryLines timeline ancestor story that I created on the life of John P. Harrison. Additional information on his life can also be found in this Blog's archives (use the "search this blog" box option to the right side of page next to this article to search previous articles).  

John B Loraine, WWII Veteran

John B Loraine, WWII Veteran
COPYRIGHT 2014,  The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

The above is a video photo montage of the life of John B Loraine of St. Louis, Missouri, born 1923 and died in 1944.  He was son of Edna Katherine Harrison Loraine. He was killed in battle in WWII in France at 21 years of age.   An article was previously written about him in this Blog and can be found in the Blog archives.  He was the grandson of John P Harrison, Great-Grandson of John Milton Harrison, and Great-Great-Grandson of William Harrison. He is buried at Epinal American Veterans Cemetery in Vosges-Loraine, France.

Epinal WWII American American Military Cemetery

Vosges, France

Tombstone Tuesday: Hallie Crider , 1889- 1892 , Gibson County, Tennessee

Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Hallie Crider 1889- 1892.

Antioch Cemetery, Gibson County, Tennessee

Photo obtained by Mary Ann, who goes by Ties That Bind on Find A Grave (and who granted permission for use of the photo).

Tombstone Tuesday:  Hallie Crider died before reaching her 4th birthday. She was the daughter of James Winslow Crider and Anna Reed Crider. Nothing is known about the circumstances of her death. She was my 2nd cousin, twice removed.  Her great-grandparents George Crider and Frances Bennett Crider were also my 3x-great-grandparents.  I try to memorialize the gravesites of children in my extended family tree whenever the graves are located.  Rest In Peace, little angel Hallie. 

The above photo of Hallie was posted to Find A Grave by Donna Pinion Casey. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, # 1 and #2 -James Winslow Crider and Anna Reed Crider

Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

James Winslow Crider and his wife Anna Reed (Crider) are buried at Antioch Cemetery in Gibson County, Tennessee.  The above photo was contributed by Mary Ann, who works as a volunteer under the pseudonym of Ties That Bind on the Find A Grave website.  She gave permission for use of her cemetery photos in this blog post. 

J W Crider was the son of Thomas Bennett Crider and Nancy Ward (Crider). His grandparents were George Crider and Frances Bennett (Crider), who were also my 3x-great-grandparents. He was born in Gibson County, Tennessee on 9 Aug 1851, and lived there his entire life until his death 18 Dec 1924. In 1888 he married Anna Reed. Sources indicate they had at least 3 children, two of whom died in early childhood. Their daughter Hallie was born in 1889 and died in 1892, at age 3.  She has a headstone in Antioch Cemetery near her parents. I have posted a photo of her headstone and a short article about her on this blog under the heading of Tombstone Tuesday (to appear as of Jan 14, 2014).  J W and Anna crider also had an infant, Ruth, who is reported to have died the same day she was born 1891 (possible miscarriage or stillbirth?).  It is not known, at the time of this blog post, where the infant Ruth is buried, but in all probability she is also at Antioch Cemetery. Their next child, Emogene Anita Crider, not only survived to adulthood but married twice, and lived to the ripe old age of 90.  

J W's wife Anna survived him by 13 years, passing away in 1937 in Gibson County, Tennessee. Information she reported on the 1920 Census record indicates her mother and father were both born in Tennessee. Her parents names may have been Henry W Reed and his wife, Rebecca. 

The above photo said to be of J W Crider, his wife Nancy and their daughter Emogene Anita Crider;  was posted to the Marachel Family Tree (a public tree) on Ancestry.com. No source information is provided for the photo. 

James Winslow Crider was my first cousin, 3 times removed, according to the relationship calculator on Ancestry.com.  As stated above, we share ancestry/descent from George Crider and Frances Bennett Crider. 

WEDDING WEDNESDAY: Marriage Bond of William Thomas "Billy" Clark and Lucinda "Polly" Osborne

Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Above is a copy of the Marriage Bond of my ancestors William Thomas "Billy" Clark (1808- 1868) and Lucinda "Polly" Osborne (1813- 1893) . The Bond is dated 17 July 1828, in Maury County, Tennessee. They were my maternal 3x-great-grandparents.  Their son was William Calvin Clark, my 2x-great-grandfather (he married Harriet Gray). 

Billy Clark and Polly Osborne Clark moved from Tennessee to Kentucky about 1840, where they raised their family of at least 13 children. Billy's brother James Wardlow Clark married Harriet Gore (descendant of Revolutionary War Patriot Notley Gore). 

William Thomas "Billy" Clark died in 1868 in Kentucky, and is buried at Harmony United Methodist Church Cemetery in Hickman County, Kentucky.  His widow Lucinda "Polly" Osborne Clark outlived him by more than 2 decades.   It is assumed that Polly is buried Farmington, Graves County, Kentucky where she was living in her son William Calvin Clark's household when she died in 1893. 

I am their direct descendant through my mother's Crider-Allen-Clark-Osborne lineage. 

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY: William Calvin Clark and Nancy Jane Hale Clark, Graves County, Kentucky

Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Tombstone of William Calvin Clark (1833- 1900) and his 2nd wife, Nancy Jane Hale Clark (1844- 1947). They are buried at Farmington Cemetery in Farmington, Graves County, Kentucky.  Photo Credit:  The above image was added to the Find A Grave website by Craig Thweatt on 7/3/2010. (The surname "CLARK" is carved on the very top of the tombstone, but is not very visible in this photo).


William Calvin Clark was a 2nd Lieutenant in the Confederate Army, Kentucky Cavalry, Civil War. He also served for a time with the 28th Consolidated Tennessee Infantry, Company G.  His widow's Confederate Widow's Pension file is available through the Tennessee State Library Archives.  His first wife was Harriet Angeline Gray (these were my maternal 2x-great-grandparents). His first marriage to Harriet was said  to have "parted gracefully" after the birth of 4 children together:  Lucy Frances "Fanny" Clark (my great-grandmother), Calvin Beauregard "Bud" Clark, Aisilee Clark, and Joe Cephus Clark.  He went on to have at least 8 children with his next wife Nancy, whom he apparently met during the Civil War in Lawrence County, Tennessee.  (A separate blog post will explore the known details of his military exploits during the Civil War). 

Matrilineal Monday; Our Female Ancestors' Stories: SABRA "SABY" STOGSDILL FORE

              Copyright 2014, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Sabra Catherine Stogsdill was my 2x-great-grandmother, through my paternal grandmother Susannah Allen Harrison's Allen-Fore-Stogsdill line. Sabra's nickname was "Saby".  She was born 29 September 1822 in Pulaski County, Kentucky. She married Benjamin Fore Sr. on 1 August 1842 in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Her parents were Daniel Stogsdill and Sarah Hargis. She died 16 March 1912 In Phelps County, Missouri.  She is buried at the Jackson Cemetery in Phelps County.  Her Find A Grave Memorial page number is 30392163.

The above photo depicts Sabra Stogsdill Fore, center, with her daughters Mary Ann "Polly" Fore on the left and Lucretia "Creasey" Fore Kelly on the right. This image was published in a Phelps County Genealogical Society Quarterly magazine. It was provided to the Society by a descendant, possibly Garrett Gabel. 

There is a discrepancy I have noted concerning Sabra Stogsdill Fore's actual date of birth, date of death, and age at death. The headstone inscription, the Find A Grave memorial page, and the official state death records do not match (as they currently read at the time of this article). Her State of Missouri Death Certificate indicates her birth date as 29 Sept 1822; and her death date as 16 March 1912.  The Find A Grave Memorial page that someone created for her, currently gives the birth year as 1828, and the photo of the headstone posted there appears to indicate 1829 as the year of birth. The official Death Certificate indicates her age at death as 89 years, 6 months, 17 days. I am inclined to believe the Death Certificate is the more reliable source of information, as the section of the headstone monument that bears the inscription appears to be far newer than 1912 and placed some years after Sabra's death. Cause of death listed on the Death Certificate is "senility".

Sabra married at about age 19 and become a first-time mother the following year. Her first 2 children were born in Pulaski County, Kentucky in 1843 and 1844. Then, she and her husband Ben Fore Sr and family moved to Phelps County, Missouri around 1845, with assorted kin and neighbors among the group migrating into Missouri.  Sabra "Saby" Stogsdill and Benjamin Fore Sr. were the parents of at least 9 children, including my great-grandmother Catherine Ellen Fore (1843- 1900) who married Valentine Allen.  Their other children included Harriet Jane Fore (1844- 1930), Benjamin "Ben" Fore Jr (about 1845 -   ), Polly Ann Fore (1847- 1915), William Harrison Fore (1848- 1916), Milford E Fore (1852- 1871), Lucretia "Creasey" Fore (1853- 1918), James Franklin Fore (1859- 1933), and Amanda "Mandy" Tebie Fore (1862- 1947).  

It is noted that Sabra and Benjamin's daughter, Lucretia, was named after Benjamin's mother Lucretia "Creasey" Umfleet, who married John Fore. 

An interesting fact about this line is that Benjamin Fore Sr's sister, Sarah Fore, married Singleton Earp, from a branch of the famed Wild West Lawman- Wyatt Earp's family. I have previously written a separate article and blog post about that family connection. So, that makes Sabra Stogsdill Fore an in-law of the Earp family, and Sabra and Benjamin's descendants are distant kin to Wyatt Earp. 

Not a lot else is known about Sabra's life, other than that she was a sturdy pioneer woman who bore a lot of children and lived to a relatively ripe old age. 

Surname Saturday: THORNTON- Margaret "Peggy" Kitchen Thornton Coppedge

Copyright 2013, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

Margaret Kitchen Thornton Coppedge, 1805- 1886

Burial  1886 Dillon Cemetery, Maries Co, Missouri Headstone Inscription: "Margaret, wife of Geo. H. Coppedge - died Oct 8, 1886, aged 81 yrs. Adieu my companion, adieu, How sadly I bid thee farewell". - Info provided by Jean Beckham in 1993. Find A Grave Memorial# 54005698

Margaret "Peggy" Kitchen Thornton was the daughter of Thomas Thornton III and Nancy Kitchen. She was my 2x-great-grandmother on the paternal side of my tree, though my father's grandmother's line. She was born about 1805 in Louden County,Virginia, and died 8 October 1886 in Maries County, Missouri.  The Thornton lineage has been traced back to Richmond, Virginia in the late 1600's and to Yorkshire, England in the early 1600's. There is still documentation work to be done to complete and verify the lineage of this direct line of Thorntons. 

Margaret was married to George Helm Coppedge. Their daughter, Mary Jane Coppedge married John Milton Harrison- these were my paternal great-grandparents. 

Margaret's direct-line paternal ancestry includes the surnames of Thornton, Peyton, Randolph, and Ryland; her maternal ancestry includes Kitchen, Harrison, Butler, Grayson, Wiggington, and Crume. Margaret's parents were Thomas Thornton III (1781- 1848) and Nancy Kitchen (1780- 1815). 

The reference book entitled "Coppage-Coppedge Family 1542-1955", on pg 81- indicates that Margaret was the "daughter of Thomas Thornton III by his 1st wife, a Miss Kitchen, sister to the 2nd wife of Thomas Thornton II".   If accurate, this means that her mother was the sister of  Elizabeth Kitchen, 2nd (or 3rd) wife of her grandfather, and that her father had married the sister of his own father's 2nd wife. 

Margaret's maternal grandparents are believed to be William H Kitchen and Nancy Anne Harrison. Nancy Anne Harrison was a descendant of Burr Harrison III, immigrant ancestor from London, England who went to Virginia about 1664 as an early settler and member of House of Burgess. He  died in Stafford, Virginia in 1706. 

Family Recipe Friday- Scalloped Potatoes and Holiday Meal Traditions

          Copyright 2013, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, thoughts turn to the traditional holiday feast.   There is comfort in enjoying favorite family recipes at holiday time, evoking warm memories of holidays past and the people connected with those recipes. 

When I was growing up, my parents typically hosted pot-luck family gatherings at our family home in Orange County, California;  where the extended clan and assorted friends who lived in our area of Southern California would gather at our house.  My parents would usually provide the turkey and ham main courses, rolls, one or two side dishes, tea, coffee, and soda; while everyone else would bring an appetizer and a side dish or dessert to share.  Kids would be running around noisily everywhere, chasing and playing games, while the grownups would gather into two groups- the men in the living room gathered around the tv watching football; the women alternately busily fussing in the kitchen or drinking coffee around the kitchen table as dishes baked in the oven. 

As my parents aged and my siblings and I grew up and married, starting families of our own, these holiday gatherings gradually shifted from my parents' home to one of the adult children's homes.  And so this pattern continued within our own families, as it has for many others.   Today our society is so mobile that families are scattered far and wide, from coast to coast, as ours is now.  These large clan gatherings just aren't as feasible anymore.  Everyone is busy with their own lives in different states; working, going to school, pursuing outside interests, juggling different schedules; as in mine and my husband's extended families, and we rarely all can gather together anymore in one location even at holiday time. 

Since we are now empty-nester retirees, my husband and I often choose to take a vacation over the holidays and enjoy a non-traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas, free from all the hustle and bustle.  We may visit with relatives before or after the holiday, but often just enjoy "escaping" for the actual event. Sometimes we got to a beach resort in Mexico, other times we may go to Las Vegas or Laughlin, or take a cruise.  We still have family in California, mostly on my husband's side now,  and sometimes go there for the holidays.   Sometimes we just stay home to avoid inclement weather and travel hassles of holiday-traffic snarls and jammed airports.  I usually say, every year, that I am not going to bother putting up a tree or any lights or decorations this year.   I say that every year, and yet I always end up doing the tree and decorations anyway, and I do still enjoy it. 

Whether we are eating out for the holidays, or on a non-traditional vacation somewhere, or at a relative's home, or just staying home; it is a time of year that  I do still enjoy cooking a few traditional dishes myself, even for just the two of us; decorating the house a little, and getting into the festive spirit of the season. I do not and never have enjoyed hosting big gatherings or company for dinners myself at our home, and all of the work involved, so I rarely do that and prefer the "let's eat out" option if it involves entertaining guests.  I leave the big feast holiday cooking and fussing to others who do enjoy doing it, and the younger generations who have the energy for it. My ideal Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner these days is on a cruise ship, traveling to someplace warm with tropical breezes, and with fruity-tooty froo-froo drinks on the side with little umbrellas in them.   Holiday joy!

Still, I like to have the traditional foods for us at home also during the holiday season.  Aside from the traditional ham and turkey, there are side dishes that have always found their way into our holiday meals, year after year since I was a kid.  These are probably the same dishes that many others look forward to, and there is comfort in this tradition of familiar foods:   Deviled eggs, green bean casserole, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, fresh-baked rolls. One dish that never failed to grace the holiday table when I was growing up was that of home-made scalloped potatoes.  I must admit, I am not one for a lot of cooking-from-scratch these days.   There are good quality frozen prepared versions that suffice, with a lot less work involved, they just need to be popped into the oven or microwave.   But, if the mood strikes...I have been known to peel some potatoes and do a baking dish full of the homemade version. Here is a link to a good recipe, from the website "Taste of Home", for scalloped potatoes either plain or incorporating leftover ham from the holiday meal. This is very much like the traditional family recipe version I grew up with. Double or triple this recipe for a larger gathering.


www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/scalloped-potatoes-with-ham

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 1 hour 20 min.

MAKES: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 6 cups thinly sliced peeled potatoes
• 1-1/2 cups chopped fully cooked Boneless Carving Ham
• 1 small onion, grated

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, parsley, salt, thyme and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
2. Combine potatoes, ham and onion; place half in a greased 2-1/2-qt. baking dish. Top with half of the sauce; repeat layers.
3. Cover and bake at 375° for 65-75 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender. Dot with remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 4 servings.

November 2013- Being Thankful, and Looking Forward

Copyright 2013, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

I seem to have taken a few months hiatus from writing in this blog, or else posts I did write have disappeared.    Nevertheless, I am back.  We approach the holiday season of yet another year's end.  November is traditionally a time when we focus on what it is we have to be thankful for.  Facebook friends have been posting their daily "I am thankful for....." status updates.   I too, have much to be thankful for, and try to remind myself to focus on the positives and not let the irritating negatives get out of proportion.   Looking back, I cannot say that 2013  has been a spectacularly great year on a personal or economic level or for this country, but it has not been a horrid one either. Some horrid things did happen in this county and in the world in 2013, it is true....some were natural disasters, some were man-made tragedies.  These types of things do happen, it seems, every year, that affect us deeply; much as our ancestors were affected by tragedies beyond their control in their own time.  It is part of the human existence.   Loved ones are lost, babies are born, and life goes on.  Things are looking up, and I am optimistic that 2014 will bring further recovery of the U.S. economy and to the region where I live in particular, with new growth and construction once again taking place.   I will refrain from overtly-political comments since this is primarily a Genealogy blog, but will say that I believe the current administration in the White House has made some positive changes that will benefit all Americans in the long term.

Back to the subject of Genealogy:  There is a new ongoing genealogy project among my Facebook group of genealogy associates, that I intend to begin working on soon; along with many among my genea-friends who are also participating.   It is called "The Book of Me, Written by You"....the brainchild of genealogist Julie Goucher. It is intended to be a series of prompts to help genealogists and journalists everywhere take the time to sit down and write their own life stories.   We spend so much time delving into the life stories of our ancestors, to document those as much as we can for posterity, that we tend to forget that each of us has our own story to tell.  Each of us will eventually become "the ancestor" that future generations of descendants and kin will be curious about.    Who better to tell our own stories, than ourselves?   And so, I encourage each and every one who may read this Blog post, to journal about yourself.    Whether in a paper notebook, pen to paper the old-school way, or typing it into an online Blog or private journal, or recording your voice telling your story....just do it.  Record and share your life stories and experiences, before they are lost forever.  No one knows the facts and nuances, trials and tribulations, tragedies and triumhs of what really happened along your pathway in life, better than yourself.  I may be sharing the "Book of Me" prompts in future Blog posts, along with some of my responses. I have a lot of catching up to do on that project!

My hopes for the coming year include enjoying my new early-retirement status, and hopefully being able to do a little more traveling.    One or two genealogy-research trips are on the tentative agenda, including a big genealogy conference in Richmond, Virginia in 2014 that I "hope" to be able to attend.  I have a great deal of ancestry in Virginia going back many generations to colonial America, and in the Richmond area in particular. I'm greatly looking forward to that adventure. More time for socializing with friends locally is also on the agenda.  Much work remains to be done on my family tree, and more time devoted to this Blog as well.  Perhaps I will finally make that long-dreamed of genealogy trip back to Missouri to visit my roots there as well, and meet distant-cousins that I have connected with over the past few years who share my interest in genealogy and our family history. So, here is my toast to a happy and thankful Thanksgiving season, followed by a spirited Christmas and Hanukkah season, and finally to a most welcome New Year in 2014!

Wordless Wednesday: LEES OF VIRGINIA Family Crest

Geneablogger's theme "Wordless Wednesday" post:   Family Crest from the "Lees of Virginia",  published in 1967 by the Society of Lees of Virginia.

Admittedly, I have trouble doing truly "wordless" blog posts on Wordless Wednesday, or any other day!  The Lee line of Virginia is in my direct ancestry on the paternal side of my tree.  Other more "wordy" articles in this blog will explore that ancestry further.

Tombstone Tuesday: Benjamin S. Fore 1823 - 1893

Copyright 2013, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

One of my 2x-great-grandfathers is Benjamin S. Fore,  born in 1823 in Kentucky and died 16 May 1893 in Phelps County, Missouri.  His wife was Sabra "Sabie" Stogsdill, (born 1828 and died 1912). They were married 1 Aug 1842 in Somerset, Pulaski County, Kentucky. Their daughter, Catherine Ellen Fore, was my paternal great-grandmother who married Valentine Allen. Catherine and Valentine's daughter Susannah Allen was my paternal grandmother who married John P. Harrison.

Benjamin S. Fore is buried in Jackson Cemetery in Phelps County, Missouri near other kin.  Benjamin came to Missouri from Kentucky in a covered wagon circa 1852, with his wife and their firstborn children.   Four additional children were born in Missouri.   Their first home in Missouri was a 2-room log cabin that later became known as the Ben Fore School.

There is a memorial page for Benjamin S. Fore on the Find A Grave website at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=30391985 .    The above photo is from Find A Grave, and was submitted by Jan and Harold Willis in 2008.

Military Monday- Memorial Day 2013: WILLIAM THURMOND, REVOLUTIONARY WAR

Copyright 2013, The Hopelessly Hooked Genealogist (B. Harrison)

                                               
For Military Monday- Memorial Day 2013, I have selected to blog about William Thurmond, 1745- 1800, Revolutionary War Veteran, who was my 4x-great-grandfather on the maternal side of my family tree.  He was married to Maccarina "Mackie" Norvell in 1766 in Goochland County, Virginia. The National Archives file on William Thurmond indicates that he was born in Virginia, and  enlisted as Private in the 3rd Virginia Regiment, Continental Line, American Revolutionary  War. His DAR Ancestor National # is 103874. He was promoted to Sergeant Major. Additional sources of documentation on this William Thurmond is the Douglas Register, page 307, and his Will filed in St. Anne's Parish, Albemarle County, Virginia in 1800. He received a military pension, and his heirs were granted Land Bounty Warrants in 1831 in Amherst County, Virginia on his Revolutionary War service record. 

Following are copies of documentation from his National Archives file:

Following is information from the publication: "The Thurmonds: A Study In The Genealogy and History of Philip Thurmond of Amherst County, Virginia and His Descendants". Repository: Ancestry.com . (Philip Thurmond was a son of William Thurmond). 

Following is a copy of a page purported to be the Will of William Thurmond, filed in Albemarle County, Virginia in 1800.