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GeneaBlogie
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A journal of adventures in genealogy; philosophy, personal observation, and research help. Primary surnames; Manson, Bowie, Gines, Brayboy, LeJay, Sanford, Bryant.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'texas'
Another Texas School Record–With an Ironic Twist
I posted this one at GenealogyWise: This record is for my grand-uncles Carl Manson and Otis Preston Manson (who was known as Preston.) It’s signed by my great-grandfather, Otis Manson (1871-1950). The historical ironies reflected here is that...
Texas School Census Records
Over at GenealogyWise, in the Texas History Hunters Group, Barbara Cunningham pointed out that Texas school census records can be a 1890 census substitute. “In some counties, the County Clerk keeps and maintains the records. In other ...
Insomnia–The Genealogist’s Friend
A few nights ago, I was having difficulty falling asleep. Rather than fight the feeling, I thought I’d just get up and cruise the Internet for a little while. I went first to footnote.com and noticed that their Texas death certificate colle...
Credit Where Credit is Due
Our motto here at GeneaBlogie is “Learn, Share, En joy, Appreciate!” To which we often add, “Express Gratitude!” Today, I am grateful for the following: In early February, I went on the site Find-A-Grave.com to update some f...
An Overdue Visit to the Cemetery
While I was in San Jose over the weekend, I went with my parents to visit the grave of my grandfather, Quentin Vennis Harold Manson, who died in 1987. He was 74 years old at the time. When he died, I was stationed far away in the Air Force and co...
A Texas Uncle Keeps On Driving
My great-uncle Herman Walker was born in 1906 in Taft, San Patricio County, Texas. His parents were Hattie Bryant (1888-1944) and Toby Walker (1878-?). He graduated from high school in Rockport, Texas and then attended Paul Quinn College, which w...
I Love Ancestry’s Expanded, Updated City Directories
Last week, Ancestry.com updated and repackaged its U.S. Directories and U.S. Public information databases. These are now all a part of Ancestry’s “1940 Census Substitute.” Part of the upgrade was acquisition of what Ancestry...
Names, Places & Most Wanted Faces
I started this with a note on Facebook and it was suggested that it would make a good meme for bloggers. The idea is to publicize your surnames and locales to see if anyone elseknows something about them. For me on Facebook, I got several researc...
Georgia Confederate Pensions on Ancestry Put to Use
George Preston Birdsong (1841-1905), known as “Pres” to family and friends, is my presumptive great-great-grandfather. He was the scion of a prominent Upson County, Georgia, family. Pres’s father, George Lawrence Forsyth Birdson...
Surname Distribution Analyzed
Before we analyze the data to comprehend its meaning, let’s do a bit more research to see if we can validate the existing data. Let’s check in with the United States Census Bureau which has analyzed names by frequency of occurrence from t...
In Memoriam: Lee Chester Manson, 1928-2007
Another Tale of Regret Yesterday was the second anniversary of the death of Lee Chester Manson, my grand-uncle, who lived in Midland, Texas. He was the son of Silas Leroy Manson (1897-1974) and Estelle Thomas (1906-1980). He was the grandson of Oti...
Happy Dance Days Are Here Again!
65th Edition of the Carnival of Genealogy: The topic for the next edition of the Carnival of Genealogy is: “The Happy Dance. The Joy of Genealogy. Almost everyone has experienced it. Tell us about the first time, or the last time, or the best t...
Nana’s 100th Anniversary
JESSIE BEATRICE BOWIE 1909-1973 Jessie Beatrice Bowie was my paternal grandmother. She was born in San Antonio, Texas, on January 11, 1909. She was the daughter of Elias Bowie, Sr.(1874-1970) and Hattie Bryant (1888-1944). Hattie had been born ...
Elias Bowie (1910-2005)
Elias Bowie (Jr.) was my father’s uncle. He was the the brother of my grandmother, Jessie Beatrice Bowie (1909-1973). Their mother was Hattie Bryant (1888-1944). Hattie had been born on the Texas Gulf Coast. After a marriage at age 15 and an...
Vote!
I first voted in the 1972 elections; as far as I know, my parents have voted in every election since 1954. But, of course, not all of my ancestors had the right to vote. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1870, provides: Secti...
Happy 55th Anniversary, Mom & Dad!
My parents celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary this weekend. Here's a recent photo of them, but for a glimpse at their wedding in Houston, Texas, in 1953, see the Carnival post on weddings here.[Updated 7/18/08, 10:15 PDT to add photo. Blogger ...
Carnival of Genealogy: 106 Years in America--And More!
One ancestor I'm really trying to learn more about is my great-great-grandfather William ("Billie") Sanford. He was born in 1809 in Virginia and died in 1916 in Texas at the age of 106! A book I read says that he is the oldest person buried in the...
A Surprise Using FamilySearch's Record Search
I have been enamored of FamilySearch Labs' Record Search since it first came online. I like the interface and the presentation of information. I just wish there were more records available. To help toward that goal, I've spent a fair amount of tim...
A Memorable Visit
In my Jamboree posts the week before last, I alluded to a special mission I had attended to as part of my trip to Southern California. I took part of the time I was there to meet my father's step-mother.I never knew that my father had a step-mother...
Juneteenth
At the time of this order, my BRYANT family lived in Nueces and Refugio Counties, Texas, and my SANFORD families were both slaves and slaveholders in Milam County, Texas....
