Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Tuesday's Tip - Now What? from DNAeXplained

 
 
You've read about the FDA's
order/letter to 23andMe by now,
I'm sure if you are at all interested
in DNA testing.
 
Here's a link to Roberta Estes' blog
DNAeXplained
explaining what you might want to
do now with your results and information:
 
 
Happy Hunting,
 
Revis
 

Monday, November 25, 2013

Motivation Monday - You Put off DNA Testing!


 
Okay, are you one of those who have been
debating on whether DNA testing would help
in your quest to break brick walls, etc. in your
genealogy research?  If you think you might
want to test at 23andMe, read this post by
regarding 
"FDA Orders 23andMe to Discontinue Testing".
Why test, you would probably ask me or others?
 
Andrew Jackson Festervan
 
For me, testing was to meet cousins and learn
about ancestors I knew nothing about.
 
Before I tested, I did not know
many of my Grandmother Neoma
Kolb Cauble's mother's family.
 
I match in atDNA with members of
Andrew Jack Festervan's family.
Andrew Jack was my Grandmother's
great-uncle, a brother to her Grandmother
Martha Ann Festervan/Festervand Martin Beasley.
Though I have yet to meet them in person, in 2014
my plan is to join them in Louisiana, if possible. 
 
Get motivated and test - if you want to!
 
Happy Hunting!
 
Revis
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Nancy Cooksey Musgrove of SC and Neshoba Co. MS





Nancy Cooksey Musgrove 
b. 1805-SC
1850 U.S. Federal Census (Union Co. SC)
d. 20 Sept 1870-Neshoba Co. MS
[my 4th great-grandmother]

Happy Hunting, 
Revis
[and yes, I know it's 
not completely
wordless!!]

Monday, November 11, 2013

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Thankful Thursday - James Monroe Stuart family of Fisher County, Texas



I am "Thankful" for a whole
lot of things.  One of them is a 
strong sense of family and love of
country.  

James Monroe Stuart was born
26 Jan 1863 in Neshoba County, MS
and died 13 Feb 1947-Fisher County, TX.

My Stuart family of 
Fisher County, Texas and
the Stuart's of Neshoba County, MS
have continually kept in touch and
visited over 123 years since "Monroe" 
brought his family to OK and TX.




This picture is a get-together of
Monroe's daughter-in-law, 
Mamie TEEL STUART, and
her family near Roby, TX.

Mamie is the lady at the
front right of the picture -
with her apron on. 
We called her "Mama Stuart". 

Happy Hunting,
Revis

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Travel Tuesday - Orange, Texas postcard

 
Orange County Court House, Orange, Texas
 
 
Oran Martin Dennis, my great-grandfather, 
was born in Caldwell
County, Texas and later
lived in Tom Green County, Texas.
 
One of his younger half-brothers,
Marion William Dennis,
and his family lived at Orange, Texas.
 
No writing on the back, unfortunately!
Card is in my possession and
was part of the albums of
Nina Ada Baldridge Dennis,
Oran Marion Dennis' wife.
 
Happy Hunting,

Revis
 


Monday, October 21, 2013

Maternal Monday - Grandmother Neoma Kolb Cauble and Two of her Sisters



Three of the Daughters of Robert Franklin Kolb;
Different Mothers, Same Father!



Picture in possession of Revis C. Leonard, 
believed to be taken at funeral of Robert F. Kolb

Left Back: Blanche Kolb Smith Farr
(Mother: 2nd wife Rilla Oliver 
Adams who was b. Feb 1881-Monkstown, 
Fannin Co., Texas, d..12 Mar 1917-Lufkin, 
Angelina Co., Texas. (1 child with Robert F. Kolb)
Rilla later married  Joseph Enos Shortal in 1906 at 
Honey Grove, Fannin Co., Texas) 

Back Right: Neoma Ann Kolb Cauble (my Grandmother)
(Mother: 3rd wife Neoma Ida Martin 
who was  b. 26 Oct 1873-Webster
Parish, LA, d. 7 May 1937-Rotan, Fisher Co. TX. 
Married 1st:
Alna Ivin Campbell (5 children), 
2nd a Harrison (no children), 
3rd-Robert Franklin Kolb (5 children).  
Her parents were: 
William W. Martin and
Martha Ann Festervan (Festervand), 
a/k/a "Mattie", who married
2nd Isaac Elijah Beasley, 
who my dad calls "Grandpa Ike". 

Front Row:  Luna L. Kolb (never married)
(Mother: 1st wife Laura Leola Brooks, 
who was a cousin to her husband, 
R.F. Kolb (3 children with him) and was 
born 12 Nov 1876-Jasper Co. GA, 
d. 7 Dec 1899-Grapeland, Houston, TX).

Happy Hunting,
Revis

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Jordan Ham, Fannie Parker Ham and Grand-daughter



Grandpa and Grandma Ham a/k/a Hamm

Jordan Ham Frances "Fannie" Parker Ham and
grand-daughter Bertha Teel
Tishimingo, Johnston County, Oklahoma 
[My 3rd Great-Grandparents]

Happy Hunting,
Revis

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Tombstone Tuesday - James Hardin


James Hardin, my 3rd great-grandfather,
was born ca. 1801 in Tennessee.
Long time Hardin-Harden-Harding
researcher Oran Hardin believed my James
to be the son of Joseph Hardin, Jr.,
who was the son of Col. Joseph Hardin
of Knox Co., Tennessee.  This is not proven,
though autosomal DNA cousin matches of
my family members with Hardin descendants
suggests that this is indeed James' line.
 
For years we hunted for James' gravesite.
Cousins walked the graveyards of Hill
and McLennan Counties, Texas. 
 
Wife, Louisa Mathews Hardin, had continued
up through Texas with her grown children.
But where was James?
 
On Find-A-Grave a couple of years ago,
I found where Pete Rost took these pictures
of our James Hardin's gravestone.
 

Died Mar 29, 1877
"Aged 76 years & 3 months"
Peoria Cemetery, Peoria,
Hill County, Texas.


 
Here's the link to the Find-A-Grave page:
 
 
Never give up looking.  You never know
when someone will post your elusive ancestor.
 
Happy Hunting,
Revis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

More info on the Sons of Darling Barber Yates







I posted this picture on Wordless Wednesday
 in July.  One person is NOT the son of Darling Barber Yates.

These were "Guards at Neshoba County Fair"
and they are as follows:
Upper Left: James Oliver Yates (Farmer);
Upper Right: Andrew Yates (Banker);
Bottom Right:  George Washington Yates (M.D.); 
and man on Bottom Left: a Johnson 

Happy Hunting, 
Revis 









Monday, September 30, 2013

Maternal Monday - Pearl Teel Frazier



Pearl Teel 
was one of my
great-great-grandfather's (William
Perry Teel) sisters.

Pearl was born 30 Jan 1884-Dekalb, Bowie, TX
and died 17 Dec 1950-Hugo, Choctaw, OK. 
She married Julius Caesar Frazier (Native American
Indian [Choctaw]) in1903 
in Spencerville, Choctaw, OK.


In 1935, Pearl and Julius Frazier
lived in Antlers, Pushmataha, OK.
By the 1940 census, they
lived in Hugo, Choctaw, OK.


I am told this is one of Pearl 
and Julius' children.
Isn't this a sweet picture?
Happy Hunting,
Revis






Friday, September 27, 2013

Friday's Faces From the Past - Who Are These Guys?



My family has no idea as to the identity of
these young men.
The picture was in my
Grandmomie Eva Nell Stuart Dennis'
 stash of pictures we sorted after she died.


No markings on the picture at all.
Probably out of my Grandmomie's mother or
father's families:

Teel, Stuart, Ham, Perry, Petell, Petill, Cochran,
Parker, Wheeler, Cockrum, Stuart, 
Musgrove, Yates,Cooksey, Jones, Oliver, etc...

Anyone recognize them? 

Happy Hunting!
Revis 



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - George Washington Dennis


George Washington Dennis 


b. 5 Jun 1881 - TX
m. 14 Jul 1912-Caldwell Co., TX to
Callie Bonner (daughter of Samuel Adlot Bonner)
d. 23 Mar 1925 - Alexandria, Rapides, LA
buried: body brought back by train
to Caldwell Co., TX to be buried
One son: Daniel Dennis (nothing known)

Happy Hunting,
Revis Leonard

Monday, September 23, 2013

Maternal Monday - Sophia Caroline Titsworth Teel Graffman



Sophia Caroline Titsworth, the 
daughter of Alvin Clark Titsworth
and Sarah Francis Smith Titsworth,
was the first wife of my gr-gr-grandfather, 
William Perry Teel. 






Sophia was born 1 Aug 1866 in Texas (probably 
Paris, Lamar, Texas).  She and William Perry 
Teel married on 7 Oct 1888 in Lamar County, Texas.
Researcher Hollis Stanford found this record
as we researched our TEEL families years ago.

My family assumed that she must have died
(with no child by W.P. Teel) and William
Perry Teel then married Jennie Ham
 on 22 Sept 1890 in Bowie, Texas. 

Sophia married James Henry Graffman on 24 May 1896
at Paris, Lamar County, Texas. 

While researching records last week in
Lamar County, Texas, I stumbled upon
census records which led me to
Sophia Graffman, wife of 
James Henry Graffman. 

And there she was!! Sophia!!


Yes, bigger than life, there was 
Sophia Caroline Titsworth Teel.
Not dead.

You know where this is going, right?

And yes, there's more to this story. 
Much more.

Stay tuned. 

And if you're a descendant of 
Sophia, please contact me.

I have questions. 

Happy Hunting, 
Revis 




Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Cottonwood School, Tishimingo, IT [Indian Territory]


Cottonwood School near Tishimingo, Indian Territory
[where my family went to school]


Naming and numbering of those in picture done by my cousin, Louise Merritt.

Happy Hunting, 

Revis

Monday, September 16, 2013

Maternal Monday - update to Mamie Teel with schoolgirls Tishimingo, Indian Territory

 
 
On July 18, 2013, I posted a
picture of my great-grandmother Mamie Teel
(who married Jeff Stuart) with other
schoolgirls at Tishimingo, Indian Territory, OK.
 
The link to that post is below:
 
 
I'm posting the picture again -
with the names of the girls!
 
 
Left to Right:
Lois Shamburger, Emma Stuart,
Mamie Teel (would later
marry Jeff Stuart), Mamie McWhirter,
Stella Cooper, Essie Chance, and Teacher (unknown).
 
Happy Hunting,
Revis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, September 6, 2013

Family Recipe Friday - Eva Nell's Cinnamon Rolls


We called her "Momie" and/or 
"Grandmomie" depending upon whether
you were one of her 7 children or
a grand-child.

I remember Eva Nell [Stuart] Dennis, my 
Mother's mother, being a wonderful cook.
Eva Nell was the great-grand-daughter of the
lady who set me on my quest of genealogy
many years ago - Catherine "Kate" Petell Teel.

Below is a picture of Grandmomie Eva Nell
with her boys - 6 of them!  My mother
was the oldest child and ONLY girl!!  

Eva Nell Stuart Dennis with her six boys at the home of her brother, 
George "Shorty" Stuart in Texas

I remember Grandmomie as a single mother with 
the younger boys left at home.  With little money, 
working two jobs at times to support them, 
she did what she could to make 
sure they had food on the table. 

I LOVED her Strawberry Cake and her Fried Pies!
And I do remember her Cinnamon Rolls.  Here is a
scan of that Cinnamon Roll Recipe: 


I think of her desserts and candy quite 
often (especially during holidays)! 

I am glad that our Dennis and Stuart families
have cookbooks with those old recipes in them.
Has your family done a cookbook?  If not, maybe
you should think about doing one!  
One day your younger family members
will appreciate it (I really believe that)!

Remember I mentioned Eva Nell's Fried Pies?
Well, it's Friday and I wish I wasn't at least a 4 1/2 hour
drive away from Texas Hill Country Furniture
and 
Natty Flats BBQ up near I-20 off of Hwy 281, south
of Mineral Wells, Texas (west of Fort Worth, Texas).
Because if I were closer, I'd be calling in to see if my
cousin was making Fried Pies today!  
One of Eva Nell's grand-daughter's makes
wonderful Fried Pies and Natty Flats BBQ sells them.

But, hey, it's Friday...and I can dream, right?
Sweet Dreams of a Sweet Lady who was a
Sweet Cook!!  




Happy Hunting!
and oh - Happy Sweet Friday!
Revis









Friday, August 30, 2013

Follow Friday - Tangled Roots and Trees

 
 
There are so many genealogy and DNA related blogs and
websites to keep up with that I get behind with my reading!
 
Keeping it short and sweet today, I want to share
with you one of my "lately" favorites:
 
  
It's also found on Facebook at:
 
I think you'll like this blog a lot!

Happy Hunting!

Revis


Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Friday, August 16, 2013

Friday's Faces From The Past - The 4 Unknown Brothers!


While my Mother and I were 
sorting through her mother's (my Grandmomie,
Eva Nell [Stuart] Dennis) photos,
we came across this photo
of four (4) boys - most likely, brothers.

Don't you just love the expressions
on their faces?

There are no markings on the photo.
No hand-written notes on the back.
No photographer stamp with a location. 



My Grandmomie and her children
went through two (2) house fires before
all the kids were out of high school.
All photos, possessions, etc. were destroyed. 

She and her DENNIS 
husband divorced after 
my parents married.  Most 
pictures she then had in her possession 
were given to her by family members of 
her family after the last fire.


So this leads me to believe that 
this group of boys could be from these
families: the William Davis STUART and
Hannah [JONES] STUART 
descendants of Neshoba Co., 
MS and TX; or


the William TEEL and Virignia [PERRY] 
or [PEERY] Teel families of VA, MO, OK and TX;

or the Jordan HAM and Frances "Fanny" PARKER
family of AL, TX and OK.

If you recognize these boys, 
please contact me! 

Happy Hunting - 
and Happy Friday - 
Revis


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Wedding Wednesday - Linnie Bean and James Harmon Kolb


James Harmon Kolb 
married
Linnie Ausy Bean
on 04 Oct 1899
at Oak Grove Church,  
Grapeland, Houston Co., Texas 

James Harmon Kolb was a
brother to my Great-grandfather,
Robert Franklin Kolb.

Happy Hunting,
Revis

Friday, August 9, 2013

Funeral Card Friday - Willie Elmo Kolb

Funeral Card for Willie Elmo Kolb,
one of my Grandmother's brothers.
I remember him and his wife, Nora Mae
Bristow Kolb, well. 
They lived at Sweetwater, Texas,
when I was young.
Uncle Elmo was the son of
Robert Franklin Kolb and
Laura Leola Brooks (who was a
cousin to her husband).  They
lived in the Grapeland, Texas area.





Willie Elmo and Nora Mae Bristow Kolb.
Picture taken in their yard or in the yard of
his sister, Luna Kolb at Sweetwater, Texas.
This picture brings back sweet
memories to me...all the old ones I knew
 have passed on. 

And for some reason, this scripture from
Numbers 6: 24-26 came to mind:

"The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace."

May you have a blessed weekend,
and
Happy Hunting!
Revis



Thursday, August 8, 2013

Those Places Thursday - Lower Skippack Mennonite Church, Skippack PA


My ancestor Johannes KOLB came to America
in 1707 with his brothers, Martin and Jacob.
They settled in Germantown, but by 1709 or so
had removed to Skippack, Montgomery Co., PA.
On December 15, 1709, Johannes bought land
in Skippack. 

The family worshipped at the Skippack Mennonite
Congregation which was established ca. 1702, 
the 2nd oldest Mennonite congregation in America. 
"Later known as the "Lower Skippack", 
this congregation would become the largest and most influential in young America. It would establish Mennonite policy and practice in the new world, as church elders had remained in Germany." [from Skippack Historical Society_The Hunsicker Family page
And yes, the Hunsicker's are kin!!

Lower Skippack Mennonite Church 
(the first church was built in 1719; this
one built in the 1800's)

When the denomination split in 1848:
 (the Mennonite Church [MC] and 
the General Conference Mennonite Church [GCMC]), 
the members that stayed with the MC split 
and started the Upper Skippack Mennonite Church, 
which is now known as the Wellspring Church of Skippack

 The Lower Skippack Mennonite Church became affiliated with the GCMC and that is where my Kolb family has held their family reunions for many years.  A few years ago the two Mennonite denominations joined together again.  But today the Lower Skippack Mennonite Church continues on and is not affiliated, as to my understanding, with any particular Mennonite
denomination; and on its website states: 

The cemetery near the church is beautiful.  
Many of my kin are buried there: 

  We walked and talked among 
the graves for at least an hour when we
attended the 2007 reunion.


Christopher Dock, the school teacher:


Some of my family - and newly
found kin - enjoy visiting 
at the end of the 2007 "300th
Anniversary of the Kolb Brothers
Coming to America". 

I loved going to Skippack.  
And as the Terminator says, 
"I'll be back", you can count on that.
This place of my Johannes Kolb and 
his brothers and their families was a
place that touched my soul...
And, yes, I will go back!

Happy Hunting, 
Revis 









Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Boyd and Elmo Garrett



Boyd E. and James Elmo Garrett
sons of W.E. Garrett and
Mary Catherine "Polly" Smith
(AL and TX Garrett's)
 
 
 
Happy Hunting,
Revis
 


Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Talented Tuesday - my cousin Marty Stuart


Yes, he's still making music, and though
I have other talented folks in my
ancestry, today I wanted to feature
my very talented (what instrument does
he not play?) cousin, Marty Stuart.
 
We got to attend one of his concerts
at New Braunfels, Texas earlier this summer.
What a good time we had!
 
 
 
Me, my sister and my Mother with her
3rd cousin, Marty Stuart at New Braunfels, Texas

 
Catch Marty and the Fabulous Superlatives
if they come your way!  You won't be disappointed!
 
His season finale of RFD-TV's "The Marty Stuart Show"
was taped in his hometown of Philadelphia
(Neshoba Co.) MS.
 
 Marty and my Mother share 2nd great-grandparents,
William Davis Stuart (a/k/a Stewart/Steward)
(b. 22 Feb 1832-AL, d. 20 Jul 1907-Neshoba Co. MS)
and Hannah Jones Stuart
(b. 03 Oct 1833-AL, d. May 1904-MS)
 
 
Mother's great-grandfather,
James Monroe Stuart, and
Marty's great-grandfather,
John Leroy Stuart,
were children numbers 10 and 11
out of a total of 13 for
Hannah and William D. Stuart.
 
William Davis Stuart is close kin
(probably a son) of
William Stewart (d. aft 1870) of Winston Co. MS 
and wife Polly.  Y-DNA testing of one of their
descendants and one of my MS Stuart male cousin's
confirms us as a match.
 
Happy Hunting,
Revis
 
 


Monday, August 5, 2013

Mystery Monday - Man in the "Bowler" Hat


Isn't he a gentleman?




While going through my Grandmomie's
old pictures, we found this photo of a
man.  No markings on the picture to note
who the photographer was.  Or what his name was.

Who is he? Where did he live?  I wondered
out loud to my Mother.

Being in the possession of Mother's mother, 
Eva Nell Stuart Dennis, I would tend to believe
that this man is a "Stuart" relations or friend.

Eva Nell's kin included these families: TEEL, HAM, 
PETELL, FRAZIER, JONES (Oklahoma),
PARKER, LAWRENCE, WHEELER (Alabama);
STUART, YATES, MUSGROVE, (Texas, Mississippi),
among others. 

I have taken this photo to many family reunions - 
hoping someone might know who this 
handsome fellow is in the hat (is it a "bowler" hat?)

Please contact me if you know who he is!

Happy Hunting,
Revis 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Those Places Thursday - Jeff Stuart Home at Roby, Texas


Mamie Teel and Jeff Davis Stuart 
(and some of their children)
at their home in 
Roby, Fisher County, Texas.


I saw this house often growing up.  
But I did not know at the time that
it had been their home. 
Mamie lived out in the country 
when I was a child.

As far as I know, the home still stands
today.  It was remodeled several years ago.
I hope to get an updated picture soon! 

Happy Hunting,
Revis 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Those Places Thursday - Stuart Reunions of Texas


The Texas Stuart Reunions
 
For as long as I can remember as a child
up to a young adult, the Texas Stuart's
(which included the Stuart's, Moore's and Terry's)
of Fisher County, Texas always held a reunion. 
 
Why do I call them "Texas Stuart's"?  Well,
to differentiate them from our close kin -
the "Mississippi Stuart's" of Neshoba County.
 
In the later years, the reunion became
mainly a reunion of just the Stuart side.  In the next
few days, the DENNIS side of this family will gather
and many of their STUART family members will
be joining us in the Mineral Wells, TX area.
 
I remember going to Sweetwater Lake for reunions.
Then, to Cisco Lake, and later on to Lake Brownwood
after the new Texas 4-H Center was opened in
April of 1975.
 
Here's a couple of pictures:
 
Stuart women in the food line at
Lake Cisco (TX) in 1970.
 
 
The children of Jeff STUART and
Mamie TEEL and their spouses in
1980 at the Texas 4-H Center, Brownwood, TX. 
 
We descend from:
Nancy Emma MUSGROVE b. 2 May 1871-Neshoba Co., MS
d. 6 Jun 1899-OK
married
James Monroe STUART b. 26 Jan 1863-Neshoba Co. MS
d. 13 Feb 1947-Fisher Co. TX.
 
Children: 
Orpha Abigail STUART b. 15 May 1889-Neshoba Co. MS
d. 3 Jun 1976-Roby, Fisher Co. TX [m. P.T. "Pink" TERRY]
 Jefferson Davis STUART b. 4 Jul 1891-Brown Co. TX
d. 13 Aug 1949-Roby, Fisher Co. TX [m. Mamie TEEL]
Emma Cora STUART b. 30 May 1893-TX
d. 3 May 1983-Roby, Fisher Co. TX [m. Charles Humphrey MOORE]
 
Happy Hunting!
Revis