Unless we have sources, genealogical research is reduced to unconfirmed stories and myths. Our memories are wonderful and faulty. People change “facts” to fit their worldview or some idealized perception of the past. Why sources are important Stories are great, as long as you situate the story in context by citing the source. There’s no …
I usually assume that if a man and a woman are memorialized on the same grave marker that they were married. More recently, the same conclusion could also apply with same-sex couples. There’s a saying about the danger of “assume”… (it does not always impugn the other person!) The question arose because of a few …
Last year, I took a “break” and visited the Gooch Family Reunion for the first time in several years. This reunion is for anyone descended from ol’ man Jim Gooch (1829-1913). I suppose anyone descended from Jim’s dad Tillman would be welcome as well! For that 2021 Reunion (the 84th one!), I was nearly blind …
Every life has many stories. Wonderful happy stories and sometimes tragic stories. If we look, we see the stories. Here we have the grave marker of two brothers, proclaimed as “World’s Greatest Brothers” on the flower vase between the headstones. You might note that they also have the same death date. Often when we see …
With video now as easy as pulling out your phone, it is essential to preserve video as a part of documenting a person’s life. Memorial or tribute videos are one of the standard services now offered by funeral homes. These videos are often no more than a collection of family-provided photos panned and zoomed across …
Genealogy sites such as Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org provide a wealth of information on our ancestors. We, as the descendants, pull together memorial pages to show relationships and to remember those who came before us. These are great resources for most people. There are, however, many people from the past that are not well-documented or are …
While most instances of “instant” may be easy to discern the meaning from the context, my encounter with this unfamiliar usage was quite befuddling to me. It was from a 19 October 1904 wedding announcement: Miss Bessie Cleghorn and Mr. Forrest Additon of Flowery Branch, were married by ‘Squire Walter W. Cooper 4th. instant. The …
An exceptional visit to Rose Hill Cememtery, remembered on the 50th anniversary of Duane Allman’s death.
I’m concentrating on many long-overdue tasks related to the family of my Maternal Grandmother. Deadlines have a way of focusing one’s attention! My Mother’s Mother was Zura Gooch Todd, raised in the North Georgia mountains in a place that came to be known as “Lost Hollow.” Just up the creek from that farm is Mt. …
On Mount Kenya Road, south of Nanyuki, Kenya, there are two cemeteries, one is about 100 yards north of the equator, the other about 100 yards south of the equator. They are very different cemeteries. South of the equator is the Nanuyuki Commonwealth War Cemetery. It is pristine, well-maintained and orderly. North of the equator …
