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Friday, March 15, 2024

Project Life ~ February 2024

I am a bit late posting February pages, but here they are.  There were some not great things (death of a cousin, bad leg infection that was resistant to antibiotics), but there were also good things (healthy kitties, friends get together, trip to see Marie Osmond with my bestie)

You can click on the photos to enlarge









Sunday, March 10, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 11 - Achievement


 My 3rd Great-Grandmother was Georgia America Segars was born in July 1848 in Georgia, USA. Her father, Southward, was 38 and her mother, Clarkey was 33.  During the Civil War, her future husband, Jerimiah Trusdell was fighting for the North, and he was in Georgia and somehow met Georgia, how I wish I knew.  But he fell in love with her and after the war, moved down to Georgia, married her and they settled in Alabama, where he was the town doctor.

Georgia's achievement was that she was blind.  This was, no doubt, a big challenge in the 1800s.  It is not known how she lost her sight...some research indicates she was born blind and other research says her blindness developed when she was a little older, but at any rate, it does appear she was most likely blind at least by the time she married.

She managed to have a good marriage, to a Yankee, which I am sure was an achievement in itself during that time, but she had 5 children and raised them, while working on a farm.  

I wish I could sit down and talk to her and find out all the achievements she made during her life, those that she probably just accepted as normal life.  She truly seemed to be an outstanding individual.

Sunday, March 3, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 10 - Language

This is a challenging topic for me.  My first thought was to write about an ancestor that spoke a different language - other than my language of English. However, considering that my ancestors are 82% English, Irish or Scottish - well, that's a lot of English-speaking ancestors.

I do have some Norwegian and Danish ancestors and northern African ancestors, but I haven't really identified them, so I am sure they spoke different languages other than English.

So...the post this week, I'm afraid, is a bit boring.


Saturday, March 2, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 9 - Changing Names

I always try to write about the first person or first thing that comes to mind when I received the #52Ancestors prompt.

This week, the first pers6n that came to mind was my mother.

My mother was born October 8, 1940, of course at home because you seldom had a baby in the hospital back then.  She was promptly named Inell.  

Well..a few days later, her aunt visited to see the new baby and was told "Here is little Inell" Her aunt took one look and said, "That's an awful name, from now on, her name is Mary Nell" and from then on, that was her name...although not legally.  

She used "Mary Nell" on every official document...school paper, marriage license, social security card.  I mean on official documents, they asked your name, and you told them, you didn't have to present a birth certificate because quite frankly, a lot of people didn't have them.  She did though and it said "Inell"

When my mom was in her early 60s, she thought, you know...it might be a problem when I get ready to collect social security, so she went to the courthouse and legally had her name changed to "Mary Nell" instead of "Inell".

I have always been glad for that great Aunt changing my mom's name because I too believe that Mary Nell is a much better name and suits her better.  

Friday, March 1, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 8 - Heirlooms

Hmm....I cannot think of any family heirlooms at the moment.  Maybe something will come to me later, but right now, I just can't think of anything so I am going to skip this week...perhaps I will re-address later if something comes to mind.

Thursday, February 29, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 7 - Immigration

Boy, there is a lot I could talk about concerning immigration, but I decided to post about John Slaughter, since he was the first of my Slaughter ancestors to immigrate to America.

John Slaughter, my 10th great grandfather, was born in 1585 in England.  I'm not exactly sure where he was born but he was baptized in 1596 in Kent, England, as noted in the Tyler Index of Parish Registry (1538-1874)


According to the Passenger & Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s, he arrived in Virgina in 1617.  He is actually the farthest Slaughter I have been able to go back to, which is pretty far, I must say.  I haven't been able to properly identify his parents, although I did identify his wife, Catherine Finnis.

I am not 100% sure of his death date.  Some of my research indicates 1620, but I have found a lot of evidence recently that he most like died during the Jamestown Massacre in 1622. However, other information indicates that his brother William actually died during the Massacre, perhaps both did? 

At any rate, I'm so proud of my 10th great grandfather for leaving England and selling to Virginia, approximately 160 years before America became its own country and gained its independence from England.

It's incredible to believe that my ancestors and family have been on this land for that long!! It kind of blows my mind when I think about it.


Wednesday, February 28, 2024

52 Ancestors - Week 6 - Earning a Living



The timing of this particular week is rather perfect.  I just so happened upon an article about my great-uncle James Monroe Slaughter, who was known by Monroe.  This article discussed how he earned his living, along with my cousin's grandfather, Fletcher Ward, Sr.

It seems my great uncle and my cousin's grandfather had a nice, little moonshine business going on.  This really wasn't a surprise to me, as my dad had told me about how his Uncle Monroe, as well as his daddy, my grandfather had both spent time in prison for moonshining.  It seems to have been quite a family business...I am SO glad my dad chose a different path and never went down that road.

However, I know that not only my grandfather and some great uncles were in the business of moonshining, so was my dad's mom - my grandma.  This was way before I came along.  But my daddy would say she'd stand on the back porch and sell the moonshine.  Often pocketing and hiding some of the money from her husband. 

I guess back then, it was easier for them to take a chance of earning a living by making moonshine than spending all day out in the hot Florida sun farming.