Please meet Mary George Hooker Herring Bickley, my 3rd great-grandmother.

She is the daughter of Alfred Hooker (1806-1893) and Martha Clark Hooker (1811-1875).

She first married James F. Herring (1839-1875) on 19 Jun 1865 in Lafayette Co., Arkansas.  She had five children with James F. Herring: Alfred Smith Herring (1866-1943), my 2nd great-grandmother Martha Alice Herring (1867-1945), Owen Corinth Herring (1870-1878), Joseph W. Herring (1872-1943), and Mary Alga Herring (1874-1882).

She next married Jacob J. Bickley (1826-1884).  They did not have any children together.  Jacob had previously been married to her sister, Sarah Catherine R. Hooker (1831-1881).  Jacob and Sarah had five children:  Mittie B. Bickley Little (1853-1912), Samuel C. Bickley (1856-1865), Jacob Guy Bickley (1858-1935), Joseph R Bickley (1861-1866) and Matthew A. Bickley (1875-1886).

Now, please forgive if I got the spelling wrong Bickley/Bickly.  At some point, some of them dropped the “e” and some did not. I can’t keep it straight as I have seen all the names spelled both ways.

I have been unable to locate the final resting place for Mary George.  I have my suspicions that she is buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery, in Texarkana, Arkansas.  Possibly in this plot.  I could be wrong.

I also suspect this is where Jacob J. Bickley is buried, but I have yet to find a headstone.  The broken headstone could be either one of them, or someone else completely.  It’s also been broken for a very long time.  I found this picture of Bobbie and Trudie (East) Harris at Grandpa (Major) Harris’ funeral.  He died on March 10, 1955 and as you can see in the top right of the photo, it was broken then.

It’s directly in front of the tall headstone for Remica Bickly, Jacob Guy Bickly’s wife, and right behind it is the headstone for Matthew A Bickley, the son of Sarah and Jacob J. Bickley.

I have tracked Mary George to the 1910 census, widowed and 75 years old, living with her son Alfred S. Herring in Cove, Arkansas.  She is listed as a Herring even though I believe her name was Bickley unless she changed it back after Jacob died in 1884. I lost her after this, and she was a no-show on the 1920 census.

If anyone has knowledge of whose broken tombstone that is in the Harmony Grove Cemetery, or where Mary George is buried, I would really like to hear from you.  I also have quite a bit of information on the Bickley/Bickly family that Florence Bickly Crank was kind enough to share with me.

Susie

Related posts:

Find Me Friday – Bob Hooker
Find Me Friday – Unidentified Photos
Tombstone Tuesday – James Ed and Martha Alice Harris

In order to give you a better understanding of the impact this war had on my families, I will tell you that my great-grandfather, Benjamin Noel Bain, and his sister Sara Bain Stout, my great grand-aunt, both moved to Ida, Louisiana in the early 1880s. They were pillars of the community and raised their families there. During the 1940’s times were difficult. Jobs were scarce and many young men went into the Civilian Conservation Corp that operated from 1933-1942. The CCC was for unemployed single men, ages 18-25, to relieve families who had difficulties finding jobs during the Great Depression. They were provided shelter, clothing, food and wages of $30.00 per month of which $25.00 had to be sent home to their families. There was gas rationing and no tires. Many products that could be used in the war were difficult to find much less afford. Families took care of each other. Women worked as never before and became Rosie the Riveters. My aunt, Anna Martin Dodd worked at the Army Ammunition Depot. Some men were either drafted or enlisted, not only to support The United States, but their families as well. All Gave Some. All were forced to give or give up something.

I do not know the population of Ida during the 1940s; however I do know that there were 150 young men and women that served in World War II. Of those 150, at least 18, (or 12%), were direct descendants of these two individuals. Some parents had four or five family members involved in the conflict. I can’t even begin to imagine the worry, love and concern these parents felt. I would like to share some of my Martin and Bain heroes that were involved in that conflict, which was supposedly “the war to end all wars”. The one where Some Gave All.

Children of JOHN HENRY AND MAMIE ALMEDIA WYNN BAIN:

Mina Chrystal Bain Bond served as a Pvt. in the WAC as a photographer and worked at the Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, AR.

Rex was a 1C Petty Officer in the Navy Stationed in the Hawaiian Islands where Admiral Chester Nimitz was the Commander of the Pacific Ocean Areas. He was stationed on the northern side of Oahu at Makalapa when he received a call from his brother, Max (see below). Rex went to see him at Pearl Harbor, however Max was in Honolulu. Through some sweet talking, pulling strings and knowing higher officers, he was able to get Max transferred from the boat to shore duty; therefore Max was not in Pearl Harbor when it was bombed. Max was able to finish his enlistment in the Navy on shore on Oahu. A brother takes care of a brother!!

Max was a Seaman 2 C in the Navy and served in the Pacific and was at Pearl Harbor.

Roy enlisted in the Navy. From the book Ida 2000 by James Allison of Ida: “Roy in 1944 was a pipefitter at the plant in Oak Ridge, TN., that built the first nuclear reactor later used to build the first atomic bomb. After Roy left Oak Ridge, he joined the Navy and had basic training at San Diego. He was on a ship headed for the war zone in the Pacific when word came that the Japanese had surrendered.

Charles Jackie Westbrook was also in the Navy and was married to Ludie, daughter of John Henry and Mamie.

T Sgt. William Hinkle Stroud, Jr. was in the Army and was married to Ludie.

Children of ED BAIN AND BUENA MARTIN BAIN:

Laurice was with the Ordinance Ammunition Company in Okinawa and served as a Sgt. in the Army.

J. T. was a Master Sgt. in the Air Force serving in India as a mechanic with a P38 fighter squadron.

Marvin was a Staff Sgt. who served in England as a shipping and receiving clerk with the 8th Air Force.

Justine became a 2nd Lt. in the Army Nurse Corp and was stationed at Camp Robinson, AR.

James Houston was stationed in Germany with a tank destroyer unit. He was a Tec 5 in the Army.

CHILDREN OF WALTER HOUSTON MARTIN AND EMMA PEARL BAIN MARTIN:

Ray Houston served in the Army’s 60th Infantry whose commander was Gen. George Patton. He was a Pvt. and served in Tunisia. He had also been in the CCC prior to his enlistment. Ray was killed in Tunisia on March 29, 1943 however his body was not returned and buried until July 7, 1948. As a child I remember the family gathering at my grandmother’s home place where Ray’s flag draped casket was placed in the dining room until the day of the burial. Family members sat up all night with it until burial the next day. Children were allowed in the room but must be quiet at all times. At the time of his death, he was engaged to Mary Craft of Leesville, LA. In my genealogy research I have written for his service records only to find out the repository had burned and the only record I was able to attain was his last pay record from Tunisia.

Roy Ernest served in the CCC prior to his enlistment in the Army.

Claude Gingles, married to Gladys Martin, daughter of Walter and Pearl, served in both the Army in the infantry and the Air Force as a fireman. He retired as a Staff Sgt. and had served in Germany, Panama, and the Philippines.

James Hanson, son of Gladys, enlisted under aged in the Navy and was returned home.

GRANDSON OF SARA BAIN STOUT:

Fletcher Adams served as an AF Captain. He was an Ace P51 Mustang Fighter Pilot of the airplane “The Southern Belle.” In Europe in the 357th Fighter Group, also known as “The Yoxford Boys”. He had married Mary Yancey and when he left for Europe, she was expecting their first child. The Southern Belle was shot down over Germany on May 30, 1944. Fletcher was able to bail out safely however he was found and killed by Nazis. Fletcher never saw his son Jerry but did receive a cablegram announcing his birth as shown in this photo.

Another announcement regarding Fletcher’s son’s birth is listed below.

On July 24, 2010 the former one room post office that serviced Ida for many years was renamed and dedicated as the Fletcher E. Adams, USAF 357th Fighter Group Museum. The dedication included the following dignitaries: Louisiana Governor Bobby Jendal, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, as well as some pilots of the 357th Fighter Group. Those in attendance included pilots Gen. Frank Gailer, Jesse Frey, Joe Shea and General Chuck Yeager, crew chief Pasquale Buzzes and widows of pilots Lt. Arval “Robie” Roberson and John Sublet. Joey Maddox, son of Ida’s Mayor “Smokie” Maddox has written a book entitled Bleeding Sky, the Story of Capt. Fletcher E. Adams and the 357th Fighter Group. Much of the content of the book is based on Fletcher’s personal diary.

A lot has changed through the years since Benjamin Noel Bain and his sister moved to Ida. The drug store has long been gone as well as the dance hall, saloons, train depot, sawmill, grocery stores, plantations, hotel and the iceman. Much remains the same like the community that is dedicated to each other, the preservation of the history of its first settlers and the American Spirit.

In conclusion I would say should your travels take you through Ida, be sure to turn at the red light and visit the Fletcher E. Adams USAF 357th Fighter Group Museum. Cross the street and see the beautiful marker that lists the thirteen (13) service men out of the 150 from Ida who died in World War II. The Ida Community Center also serves as a repository for documents and miscellany of all Ida soldiers who have fought in various wars.

All Gave Some

Some Gave All

Kookie

Related posts:

Military Monday – Courage, Home & Fireside
Military Monday – Capt. Sam H. Ball, Jr. – My Uncle Son
Military Monday – Sonny Cowan

Ever.

I wanted to share some pictures of what’s been going on around here at my house.  I’ve said before we call it “The Compound” because my brother and his family lives across the street and my parents live next door to me.

Now that Mom can’t cook anymore, my brother and I usually take turns cooking meals, but we usually all gather at my house to eat.  This time Jonathan came with his family for a visit and it was sure good to see them.  They are doing so good and we are so proud of them.

Here is a four generation picture of my Dad, Jonathan my nephew, John my brother, and Skylar my great-nephew.

What dinner time looks like around here these days:

The men gather together and the girls get together.  We don’t do this on purpose it just seems to happen this way.

Since this past weekend was mother’s day, we went in with John and Addie and got my Mom a bird house.  She loves them.

She was totally surprised.

Myself, with my Mom and my brother John on Mother’s Day.

Knucklehead had a kickball tournament on Saturday.  They didn’t win, but it was fun anyway.

All the really fun things are over with and now there’s work ahead, because when its summer around here, it’s work, work, work.

Got the pool opened.  Still a little cool to get in, but it won’t be long.

My roses are growing and blooming.

And so our my chickens.  Did I show you my new coop we spent several weekends working on?  It houses my new babies.

John and Justin got the garden’s planted.  Notice the chickens?  Anywhere there is fresh turned up dirt, the chickens are right there looking for worms and bugs.

Now that the coop is done, we are working on adding an outdoor area for the chickens, once they get a little bit bigger, they will free range with the others.

I took this picture of Justin and he was like, “Momma, get that camera outta my face!”

But then he was like, “Hold up, let me rock this out.”

Michael played with the chickens while the work was going on.

I love this picture of Brownie.

And this sucker bit the dust, and will no longer be chasing my chickens.  He’s now a warning to his partners in crime.

That pretty much wraps up a weekend around the compound, in a not so Wordless Wednesday, but I couldn’t help myself.

Susie

Related posts:

Around the Compound – Life happens, but so does death!
Easter on the Compound
Wordless Wednesday – Pictures from my Cousin Karen Ball Cowan

She is a wonderful, wonderful woman and words can’t even begin to express how much I love her.  I see her daily struggle with Alzheimer’s and it saddens me to no end.  If I could have one wish granted it would be to take this horrible disease away from my mother.  She has never expressed one worry about her herself throughout this whole ordeal.  She worries about being a burden and what she is doing to us.  I tell her and I mean it, she will never be a burden.  EVER.  We love her and we will see this through with her, together as a family.

These two boys, are the apple of my eye.  I love them to the moon and back and I am so thankful God chose me to be their mother.

Yesterday I called my Dad and asked him to think about a special memory of his mother and to ask my mother to do the same.  When I called back later in the day, they had some stories for me to share with you.

Dad told me that when he was about 5 or 6 years old, his momma played on the women’s Independence Basketball Team as a guard and they always played at the North Heights Gym in Texarkana. He loved to go and watch her play. This is one of his favorite memories of her. This is a picture of my Dad with his Mother, Edna Harris Higginbotham at an anniversary party for my Mom and Dad. It was their 25th anniversary. This year will be their 49th anniversary.

Here is a picture of Dad and Memaw from the way back files.

Mom told me that one day when she was a little girl she and her mother were walking down the street in downtown Texarkana and as they got closer and closer they could hear the radio playing over the loud-speaker at Hawkins Feed Store, and they heard the announcement that Pearl Harbor had been bombed. My grandmother grabbed my mother’s hand and they ran all the way home. Not long after that, my grandfather volunteered for the Army and ended up in Japan fighting. They lived with my great-grandfather Parks at the time in what my mother calls “The Big House”, on Walnut Street in downtown Texarkana. Granddad Parks took in women to live in the house whose men were away at ar, and my mother remembers all the good times she had with all the women in the house. After the war was over she and my grandmother went to Fort Chaffee to pick up my grandfather, and he was so skinny and worn down they walked right by him and didn’t even recognize him until he called out to them.

Here is a picture of my grandmother and grandfather Parks.

This is the house they lived in during the war, and until my Granddad Parks died in 1966.  My mother always lived here until she went to college.  She had a room in the big house with her grandparents, and my grandparents lived in the little apartment house to the side of the big house.  This house is at 406 Walnut.  A group of lawyers have it now and they have restored it beautifully.  They gave my mom and I tour of it one time.

This is a picture of my mom and grandmother, probably at about the time of the war.

One of my favorite memories of my mother and I (I have many though) is the time she, Addie and I went to Bethany, Missouri and found out all about her maternal grandmother’s family that she had never met.  Her grandmother died giving birth to her father so she had never known her.  Her name was Helen Roleke Parks and her father was the mayor of Bethany for 32 years!  Addie took this picture of Mom and I standing by a street sign for a road they named for him.

Well, that’s our walk down Mother Memory Lane, I hope you will take the time out today to think of your favorite memories and preserve them for future generations.  Had I not asked my father and mother for their memories to do this post, I would never have known my grandmother Higginbotham played basketball!

Susie

Related posts:

Happy 48th Anniversary Mom and Dad!
Happy Birthday Momma!
P.S. – Hang on to your pants cause here I come!

This is a photo of Dr. Josiah McGee Bland’s headstone from way back in the day. Dr. Bland is the great-great-grandfather of Nedra Harris Turney, through her mother, Katherine D. McJunkins Harris. Nedra’s cousin, Helen Marie McAdams had the photo above.

In the photo below you can see the difference in the cemetery, and how much it has grown, around his grave.

What a difference time makes.

This is a close up of his headstone.

Dr. Bland served in CO E. 4th ARK INF for the CSA.

This is Dr. Josiah McGee Bland.

He was born 19 Jan 1842 and he died on 14 Feb 1891. He is buried in Saratoga Cemetery, in Saratoga, Arkansas.

This is how Dr. Bland is related to Nedra.

If you would like to know more, or connect with Nedra, feel free to contact me and I will put you in touch.

Susie

Related posts:

Tombstone Tuesday – James Ed and Martha Alice Harris
Tombstone Tuesday – Knucklehead’s Ancestors
Tombstone Tuesday – John Thomas Davis

Back when Ross Perot ran for president, I was laying on the floor in my grandmother’s (Mary Ball Parks) room and we were watching coverage on the elections.  My grandmother pointed to him on the television and said “That is my cousin.”  Well, lets just say I didn’t believe her at first.  She had never mentioned him before. At any rate, it turned out to be true.

Sort of.

Let me explain.

When my grandmother died and I got interested in all this genealogy, I always had this information in the back of my mind but I never really acted on it.  Then one day, Nedra told me about this news article that ran in the Texarkana Gazette about a barn that burnt down in Texarkana out on hwy 82, and this article mentioned Ross Perot.

Just so happens this barn was built by my-great grandfather, Granddad Parks (John Triggs Parks).  This barn was magnificent .  Here is a picture of it back in the day, when Granddad Parks would show his trotting horses.

Here is Granddad Parks, showing one of his horses.

When Granddad Parks sold the farm, he sold it AC Smith, a very good friend of his and now AC’s son, Lynn Smith owns the farm.  Anyway, the Perot’s came here to this farm and rode horses, and I’m not sure if it was the connection to my grandmother that brought them there, or if it was just the place to be.  My grandmother, Mary Ball Parks was married to J.T. Parks’ son, William Parks.

Anyway, this got me to thinking about my connection with Ross Perot, so Nedra got me the contact information for his secretary.  Rather than call, I printed up quite a selection of charts and genealogy and wrote a nice letter and sent it off to the attention of his secretary.

Three days later, (yes, only three days) my phone rings as I’m walking through Wal-mart of all places and I didn’t recognize the number but decided to answer anyway, and I hear, “Is this Susie Reynolds?” to which I reply, “Yes, it is.” and then I hear “Ross Perot, here.”

What, What???

You could have knocked me over with a feather, and I was very glad to have the cart to lean on.

I’m not sure what I really expected, but it wasn’t for him to call me up directly.  I figured that package of paper would go straight to the trash bin or junk pile, or I would get some kind of a form letter back.  That was not the case.  He called me personally three times that day and we finally figured out that our connection was through his grandmother, Maggie Anderson Perot Ball, aka Mama Ball.  Here she is.

Turns out Maggie was married to Gabriel Elias Perot, with whom she had Ross Perot’s father, Gabriel Ross Perot, Sr.  After her husband died, she remarried my great-great uncle Wade Ball.  I do not have a picture of him.  Maggie and Wade did not have any children together, but my grandmother grew up playing with Ross’ father as cousins, even though there was no blood relation.

At any rate, Ross Perot had a wonderful lady in his office, Libby Craft call me.  She had been working on Ross’ genealogy for quite some time and she and I have traded information and she sent me the photo of Maggie above.  She graciously extended me an invitation to meet Ross Perot and I jumped at the offer.

So, Nedra Harris Turney and I, along with my cousins, Sam Ball III, and Karen Ball Cowan headed to Dallas and we met Mr. Perot, and Libby on April 15th.

Sam Ball III, Susie Reynolds, Ross Perot and Karen Ball Cowan

I don’t know why I didn’t get a good picture of Nedra with us, that was really goofy of me.  I guess I was just caught up in the moment but I did snap this picture of Nedra chatting with him while they were giving us a grand tour of his offices.

Here I am with Libby Craft.  I’m so glad that I got to meet her!

One of the things that struck me so about Mr. Perot is his obvious love for family which is why I’m so sure he was so gracious to us.  When I asked him about his father he smiled really big and he said, “He was my best friend!”

His father bought and sold cotton, and a long time ago he gave Ross a list of his thoughts on what it takes to be successful.  Ross had these printed up and gives each of his employees a copy of this.  Yes, he gave me one too!  Maybe now I can make something of myself! Ha!

All kidding aside, Mr. Perot has so many accomplishments that I couldn’t even begin to list them all here which is why Wikipedia is out there if you really want to know.  Also, he’s written some books, one of which he gave to me with his autograph, and it’s a great story of his life! Check amazon for that.

I have to say though, I have never met a more gracious, generous, or kind man.  As I walked the hallways of his office and looked at all the milestones and achievements of his life on the walls I was so amazed.  I’m a big supporter of our Veteran’s, but Mr. Perot is a man of action!  He gives freely his time, his money and his service to our Veteran’s and is instrumental in helping so many of them receive the care they need.

I’m so proud to have met him and that is why he is my Treasure Chest Thursday.

Here are a few pictures from around his office.  There were many hallways and we were there for two hours and only managed to see a few of them.

Oh, yeah!  He has his own Starbucks!

Maybe on another post I’ll share with you some of the military things that were hanging about, but for today these pertain to family.

His love of his wife Margo is obvious every where you go and this is just one of the many spots he has portraits of them hanging.

Here are some pictures about his sister Bette.

One of several family portraits he has hanging about of his family.

And my favorite wall pertaining to family:

Mr. Perot is a huge supporter of Texarkana College.  My cousin Karen Ball Cowan works there and years ago my father was a student there on a basketball scholarship.   Thanks to Mr. Perot and his generous heart, the college is still open.

I could go on and on about Mr. Perot and perhaps I will do another post in a day or two, but I thank Mr. Perot and Libby for so graciously welcoming us and sharing with us all things Perot.  It was such a great day and I am so glad to have been given the opportunity to meet a “sort of” cousin!

Susie

Related posts:

Treasure Chest Thursday – Notes from the Past
Veteran’s Day
Meeting Cousins

Many times, I have said to myself or whoever is listening to the fool things I say, “Just send me a clue, a sign, anything!”

But, haven’t we all??  It is the biggest regret of almost every family historian and genealogist I know.  Everyone wishes they could ask just one more question. We all know that its impossible to ask anymore questions so I ask for signs or clues.

Well, I got a sign! Well, not a sign, but a note and that’s even better!

Jealous?

Ok, not yet, but you will be.

I went to visit my cousin Karen Ball Cowan and she was kind enough to drag out all of the family memorabilia that her mother and father had saved and let me bring it home to scan. Well among all the stuff, was todays Treasure Chest Thursday topic.

Karen had a note that my 2nd great-grandmother, Venetia Smith Ball had written.  Full of her family history! She mentions the Balls, the Hooks, the Roberts and talks about her husband. So many people she mentions!

Woot! Woot!

So, check this out and be jealous!

Venetia Smith Ball’s Notes Side 1. Digital Image 2013, by Susie Reynolds. Original held by Karen Ball Cowan of Texarkana, Texas.

Venetia Smith Ball’s notes Side 2. Digital Image, 2013 by Susie Reynolds. Original Image held by Karen Ball Cowan of Texarkana, Texas.

I kid, I kid (as Knucklehead would say), don’t be jealous.  Just search out your cousins and see what they have.  If they aren’t interested in genealogy, they may not even know what they have and you might just find a treasure like I did!

Who wouldn’t like to get a note from the past?  Now I got clues for more digging!

Happy treasure hunting!

Susie

Related posts:

Workday Wednesday – Bye Ball, Bowie Co., Texas Tax Collector
Wordless Wednesday – Pictures from my Cousin Karen Ball Cowan
Military Monday – Capt. Sam H. Ball, Jr. – My Uncle Son

Somehow, all the subliminal messages I send out about genealogy must be taking root.

I just hope they don’t show up with tinfoil hats on and ruin my parade!

Any who, back to the matter at hand.

Last Fall Knucklehead and I went to Texarkana and I took him to see some of his ancestor’s resting spots.

Here he is, with two different sets of his ancestor’s headstones, who were all in Sylverino Cemetery in Texarkana, Arkansas.

The first is Rufus Francis Higginbotham Sr. and his wife Margaret Jacobs Higginbotham.  Rufus served in the Civil War for the CSA.

Knucklehead with Rufus and Margaret Higginbotham’s headstone. They are Knucklehead’s 3rd great-grandparents.

The second is with William Lynn Davis, and Sarah “Sallie” Robertson Davis.

Knucklehead with William Lynn and Sarah Davis’ headstone. They are also Knucklehead’s 3rd great-grandparents.

I’m so glad that he likes to do this with me!

Susie

Related posts:

Tombstone Tuesday – John Thomas Davis
Tombstone Tuesday – James Ed and Martha Alice Harris
Blooming and Growing Around the Compound

Colter Brian is a former private investigator/photographer and now a freelance writer. When he writes, he contributes to sites such as Online Searches. Some of Colter’s hobbies include spending time in the outdoors and perfecting his pasta recipes for his toughest critics; namely his two children.

It’s true, despite our very busy lives and careers, we still long to connect with one another, especially among extended family members. Often times due to our extremely mobile society, family ties can be severed due to job opportunities as well as lifestyle choices, creating a missing piece of the family puzzle. If you are one who values family connections, history and relationships, then perhaps by heeding a few of these tips can help you grow your research and quest for missing branches from your own family tree:

Let’s look at four tips below to get those bare branches filled and on your way to success:

• Libraries: One of the best places you can go to start your research is your local library, not only do they have access to thousands of records and archives, but their staff is specially trained to help out with research. Be careful though, often times at historical and university libraries, there may be a fee associated with your research request. Always ask one of the associates there how much time they can devote to your question before they may have to start billing. Just getting started in the right direction, may be all that you need to get help on locating missing ancestors.

• Venture into the creepy attic or the spooky basement: No doubt, there was probably someone in your own family who was a bit of a historian. If you’ve got those cardboard boxes full of old family memorabilia, then get them out and start researching the materials that you already have. Chances are there may be items like birth announcements, newspaper articles, personal letters and other odd pieces of history that you, the genealogist extraordinaire will have to uncover.

• Government Archive sites: Often times you can start your family search right in the comfort and convenience of your own home. If you have a couple of key pieces of information (i.e. first, last name and year they immigrated) you can start plugging in the names to get your search started. A site like http://aad.archives.gov can be that great stepping stone. Imagine finding your great-grandfather’s immigration papers and actually seeing his unique signature on your computer screen. Imagine what a day it must have been for him, one that changed the course of your family history, forever.

• Background searches: Let’s say that your great-aunt was the family historian, but when you spoke with her she relayed that she gave all her research to one of her cousins, someone she has lost touch with and not spoken to for years. What to do? Not to fret. Log on and do a quick and easy background check. Chances are for a nominal fee you can locate this person in a matter of moments. A place like Online Searches will get the ball rolling.

We all come from somewhere and if you’ve always wondered about your past then there’s no time like to present to start your research. Who knows what amazing things you’ll discover about your very own family? By following these easy steps you can be on your way to discovering a richer and more fulfilling history, the one of your story.

Good luck on your family search!

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Changes to the Website
Kookie’s 2012 Recap
It’s here! The 1940′s census has arrived!

The Hubs is back working in the same state, so he is now home on weekends and that has been wonderful.  This past weekend, his parents came for a visit and brought his daughter and her little friend.

Here is The Hubs, and JT (Justin) working on cleaning out the coop.

Here is my mother-in-law Glenn Reynolds, and my father-in-law Al Reynolds watching all the action around the coop.

Here’s my self portrait.  I love my boots, y’all!  I was taking a break.  I had raked up about six piles of feathers and rocks and other debris.

Here is Tori, my step daughter on the right, with her friend Keena, on the left.  Sweet girls, they seem to really get along great.  We really enjoyed having them visit.

Knucklehead will be here all next week for his spring break and so we are looking forward to some good times.

I have some very exciting genealogy things coming up soon, and I can’t say anything at all about them before they happen, but please stay tuned.  April will prove to be very interesting for my family.  I don’t want to spoil anything but look for some updates on that coming up towards the end of April.

Around the compound, I’m sad to say that my chickens and guineas and turkey’s have been depleted down to 4 chickens, 2 guineas and my favorite of all Tom the Turkey.

What happened you say?  Well it starts like this….

One day, I spent the whole day gone with my parents and son, out running around doing errands.  I knew my chickens and other birds had been disappearing one by one and I could not for the life of me figure out how.  But, it seemed to be happening in the middle of the day.  So, I put my Dad’s game camera up by the coop and thank God I did.  When we came home that night, this is what I came home to.

Tom is all walking around wondering what in the h. e. double hockey sticks has happened here?  So, I’m like freaking out and wondering what happened.  I grab the game camera and 147 pictures later, these few can tell the story.

Life is good, the guineas are checking out the camera wondering what is happening, the coop is covered because a snow storm is moving in the next day and everything is grand.

Dottie is out checking for bugs around the camera, and you can see all my other little chickens milling around in the coop behind her.

Something is up, because Tom is hauling it out of there.

Danger!  Danger!!  Is that a dog in the coop??

Sure is and he brought his brother, they are trying to figure out how long it will take them to get into the coop.

Eating chickens and destroying a coop is hard work, so they needed a break.

Let’s get this done, Bro!

Maybe I will rest again!

I had to run to the store and buy all the supplies to fix the coop, and had to do it in the freezing cold and snow, and would never have gotten it done if Justin hadn’t been here to help.  It was redonk!  We had to repair wire and all.

Turns out, they were my neighbors dogs.  He couldn’t deny the damage they did, as I showed him all 147 pictures.  He kindly paid me for the materials I had to buy and since then he has given away both of the dogs.

That still doesn’t replace, Dottie, Goldie, Blackie, Rooster Cogburn, Black Mama, or Amanda .  RIP my little chickens.  The two guineas that went missing, well, they didn’t have names but I’m sure we will miss them when the ticks start coming out this year.

Anyway, I have just been enjoying my family for the past month or so, and it won’t be long until I am back in the swing of genealogy things, and making more posts, so please bear with me.

Later, y’all!

Related posts:

Around the Compound
Easter on the Compound
Fly-bys and Drive-bys on the Compound