Surname Saturday - Stovall

Surname Saturday - Stovall

The Stovall surname represents the only 3rd great grandparent I’ve been able to discover.


My Stovall lineage is as follows:

1. Me
2. Mom
3. Oscar Lucillous “LC” Hosch - born abt 12 Aug 1887 in Jackson County, GA; date of death - 10 Sep 1978, Shelby, Cleveland County, NC
4. Sallie Rome – born abt 1868, Walton County, GA; date of death unknown (most likely between (1895 – 1900)
5. Wyatt Rome – born abt 1840 in Georgia; date of death unknown (between 1910 and 1920), Walton County, GA
6. Eliza Stovall – born abt 1810 in Georgia; date of death unknown (between 1880 and 1900). Grandma Eliza appears on the 1880 census in the household of my 2nd great grandfather, Wyatt Rome, but is not on the 1900 census.

In addition to Grandpa Wyatt, the 1870 Federal census points toward my 3rd great grandmother probably having at least 2 other children, Emma Stovall and Lou Stovall. I’ve tried to trace forward to find out what became of them but have been unsuccessful to this point.

WorldNames Public Profiler doesn’t provide any information on the origins of this surname. I tried a Google Search and checked out a few other sites in hopes of learning more about the origin of the surname and other than one site indicating that it was English and another indicating that it was French, there appears to be no available explanation for the surname.

Could this be a truly American name? The surname distribution leads one to believe this could be a possibility. The top three countries for this surname are United States at 53.4 FPN, Luxembourg at 8.5 FPN, and Canada at 1.6 FPN. The top three regions for the surname are Mississippi at 261.9 FPN, Texas at 209.75 FPN, and Georgia at 191.5 FPN. Finally, the top three cities for this surname are Memphis, TN; Atlanta, GA; and Chicago, IL.

I’ve not done much work on my Stovall line, so as always, I’m hoping that another descendant of Grandma Eliza Stovall will come across this blog and help me fill in the details.

Tombstone Tuesday

Troy was my second cousin. I'm not sure that I ever met him. If I did, it was during my childhood, back when the Hosches used to have a family reunion every summer.

Picture obtained via FindaGrave.

September 2010 Genealogical Goals - Maternal Lineage

As noted on Sunday, I think I did a good job in accomplishing most of my Genealogical Goals for the month of August. I would like to thank Tonia of Tonia Roots  for this excellent idea.

Now on to matrilineal genealogy goals for September 2010.

Research

1. Resubmit request to RAOGK regarding probate records for my great grandfather, Cornelius Pierce. If I remember correctly, there is a second volunteer for Walton County, GA.
2. Order next round of microfilm from Family History Center.
3. Complete scan of cemeteries, via Walton County, Georgia Cemeteries by East Georgia Genealogical Society.
4. Contact Green County, GA to determine if there are any tax records for Jesse F. Pierce, suspected slave owner of my 2nd great grandparents.

Blogging / Writing

1. A minimum of four additional posts to the blog, two of which must be written posts.

Miscellaneous

1. Declutter and rearrange office.
2. Clean and repaint the "new to me" legal-size file cabinet. Purchased from the Habitat ReStore almost 2 months ago for my genealogical research files.
3. Now that a date has been selected to hold a Hosch family reunion, hope to narrow down places.
4. Begin and complete transcription project I volunteered to help out on for for LowCountry Africana.
5. Complete the genealogy part of a Genogram that I'm doing for a friend, which is part of an assignment for their recently started PhD program. This will probably be ongoing but will forward what I've found so far as the assignment is due in 2 weeks.
6. Take pictures for two FindaGrave photo requests. The cemetery is located in my hometown and is where my grandparents are interred.

A Look Back at August Goals - Maternal Lineage

I think I did good in attaining most of my August genealogical goals.

A look back-

Research Goals

1. Follow-up letters and / or calls to the Walton County, GA Coroner, Walton County, GA Sheriff, and the City of Monroe, GA Police Department. If you recall, a few months back, I wrote each of these agencies trying to find more information on the murder of my 3rd cousin twice removed (my grandmother's first cousin), Nunna Pierce Jackson. To date, I've not heard from any of them. Hopefully, writing and / or calling will spur them into action if for nothing else than to state they were not able to locate any additional information.
2. Follow-up with volunteer, Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, whom I had contacted about transcribing / taking a picture of the probate records for my great grandfather, Cornelius Pierce.
3. Request Probate records for Jesse F. Pierce, possible slave owner, of my 2nd great grandparents, Jasper and Jane Pierce. As with my Ewell Ancestors on the paternal side, Jesse F. Pierce did not die prior to the end slavery. However, I'm still hoping that records are available and that there may be some bit of information that will help in the research.

1. 
I did send follow-up letters to City of Monroe Police Department and the Walton County Sherieff and Coronor's offices. I received a reply back from the Sherieff / Coronor. They don't have any further information on Cousin Nunna's death. So, I guess I'm left to pondor what were the circumstances surround her death. Maybe one day I'll come across something by accident.

2.
I wrote a follow-up e-mail to the volunteer from RAOGK but to date have not received a response.

3.
I did request probate records for Jesse F. Pierce. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any. Interesting, given the fact that I've found him listed as executor, etc. on other's wills / probate records.

Blogging / Writing

1. A minimum of two posts to the blog, one of which must be a written post.

I actually surpassed this goal. I did 5 posts during the month of August (doesn't include my goals post) and all but 1 were a written post.

Miscellaneous

1. Take first steps in planning Hosch Descendants Family Reunion for 2011, i.e. come up with a date. It's been approximately 11 years since the last reunion of the descendants of my great grandparents, Barto Hosch and Sallie Rome Hosch, gathered together.
2. Declutter and rearrange office.
3. Clean and repaint the "new to me" legal-size file cabinet. Purchased from the Habitat ReStore a few weeks ago for my genealogical research files. 

1.
I did decide on a date but will run it by two of my cousins, also, to get their input. So for now, tentatively scheduled for August 6, 2011. Haven't quite decided on a possible location, yet but have 4 possible locations in mind.

Did not get anything accomplished on Items 2 and 3.


When I initially posted the August Goals, they were supposed to be for that week but I ended up making them for the remainder of the month. So, after one month of posting Goals, I've decided that a monthly list is probably the best with progress reports mid-month and at the end of the month or beginning of the next month.

So September goals will be posted later today or early tomorrow.

Sentimental Sunday - Fried Green Tomatoes

One of the things I miss from my childhood is momma making fried green tomatoes for breakfast. Summer wasn't summer until I had had them. I don't have them often any more, because 1) I've not had a garden in years and 2) although there are a few places around that will sell tomatoes to you green you really have to search for them. So, I'm usually asking friends to save me a few green tomatoes from their garden but I don't have alot of friends who garden anymore, either. Sigh.

So, one of my missions for this upcoming week, now that I've decided I have to have some fried green tomatoes, is to see if I can get to a farmer's market and hope that there are some green tomatoes amongst their offerings.

The picture of the Fried Green Tomatoes was obtained via RealSimple.com 

Surname Saturday - Rome

My Rome lineage is as follows:

1. Me
2. Mom
3. Oscar Lucillous "LC" Hosch - born abt. 12 Aug 1887 in Jackson County, GA; date of death - 10 Sep 1978, Shelby, Cleveland County, NC
4. Sally Rome - born abt. 1868, Walton County, GA, date of death unkown but best guestimate is sometime between 1895 and 1900. On the 1900 census, granddad, his older brother Will and his younger brother Hosea are found in the household of their grandparents. Granddad always stated that both his parents died when he was a young boy and his grandparents finished rearing he and his brothers.
5. Wyatt and Alice Rome - Wyat was born abt. 1840 in Georgia. Date of death unknown but most likely between 1910 and 1920 in Walton County, GA. Grandpa Wyatt appears on 1910 census but is not listed on later censuses. Alice was born abt. 1836 in Georgia and died between 1900 and 1910 in Walton County, GA.

According to WorldNames Public Profiler, the Rome surname is of Scottish / Celtic descent. The top 3 coutries for the surname are Solvenia, France, and Belgium, The top 3 regions for the surname are Southland District, New Zealand, Louisana, and Auvergne, France. The top 3 cities are Carlisle, North, United Kingdom; Baton Rouge, LA; and St. Etienne, Rhône-Alps, France.

Granddad's first cousin, Henry Rome, migrated to Detroit, MI. Henry's dad, Henry L. Rome, was the youngest of my 2nd great grandparent's children. Outside of that, I know very little about my Rome ancestors and family. Hopefully, one of cousin Henry's descendents or another Rome descendent will come across this post and contact me.

Tombstone Tuesday - Another Great Grand Uncle?

My Latest Diversion

I came across the above death certificate, purely by accident or maybe it was just good genealogical sleuthing. I was playing around on pilot.FamilySearch.org one day when I came across death information that seemed to indicate my great grandfather, Cornelius Pierce, had another sibling that I wasn’t aware of (that darn missing 1890 census).

So, how did I start piecing this together?

1.
By playing around. Even though I know that during the time period in which my 2nd Great grandparents lived there were no vital records, I still plug their names into various data searches. This is how I discovered the death certificate for my Great Grand Aunt, Nunna Pierce Sims, on Georgia Virtual Vault, which helped in confirming my 2nd Great Grandparents and their family.

Anyway, when I did this on pilot FamilySearch, amongst the results returned was death information for a Jesse Pierce, whose father was Jasper Pierce and whose mother was Jane (Maiden Name Unknown). This caused me to immediately take notice as I’ve only come across one other Jasper and Jane combination, my Jasper and Jane, who might fit as this Jesse’s parents.

2.
I already knew that my 2nd Great Grandparents had had at least one other child, Hester, after the 1880 census. The 1900 census shows in the household of Matthew Sims, his wife (Great Grand Aunt Nunna), their children, and sister-in-law (Hester Pierce born abt. Apr 1880).

This Jesse Pierce was about 39 when he died which means he was born abt. 1889. In 1889, both of my 2nd Great Grandparents were young enough to have had a few more children after the enumeration of the 1880 census. In 1889, Grandpa Jasper would have been abt 39 and Grandma Jane would have been abt. 45.

3.
If my still as yet unproven theory about Jesse M. Pierce being my 2nd Great Grandparents slave owner is correct, it’s quite possible that Jesse was named after him.
4.
After determining that it’s conceivable that this Jesse Pierce could possibly be another Great Grand Uncle, I then tried to find other documentation that could possibly link him to my Pierce Ancestors.

Since he died in Atlanta, I thought chances were good that he possibly had an obituary. Obituaries are typically wonderful sources for determining other family members and relationships.

However, as you can see, such was not the case with the obituary for Jesse. Through Ancestry.com, I was able to locate an obituary for Jesse Pierce but it contains the barest of details (name, date of death, funeral and burial information)

I then turned to Georgia Virtual Vault to get an actual copy of his death certificate (shown above), hoping that it would include specifics as far as city and county of birth but this offered up another disappointment. As you can see, only the state of birth is provided. The informant was Clementine Pierce, Jesse’s wife.

Lastly, I tried tracing Jesse back through the census records.

Since he died in 1928, the first census I tried to find him on was the 1920 census. I was able to locate Jesse and Clementine in Atlanta

The 1910 census, Atlanta, shows a recently married Jesse and Clementine.

I wasn’t able to locate a Jesse Pierce in 1900 Atlanta who met the description. So naturally, I checked the White Plains, GA area. Not in White Plains but in another area of Greene County, GA, I came across a 16-year old Jesse Pierce, who was enumerated in the household of Bob Hardeman where he is listed as nephew.

What Next?

• Determine if the funeral home, R. C. Tompkins, is still in existence and if so contact them to see if they have any further information on Jesse Pierce.

• Contact Southview Cemetery, where Jesse Pierce is interred, to determine if they might have records with regard to Jesse.

• Continue tracking of Bob Hardeman through the census records to determine what if any connection(s) may exist between him and my ancestors.

Do the DNA Results Support the Story?

Autosomal Results – Maternal Lineage

In April of this year, I subjected both of my parents to another DNA test, Autosomal / Admixture, because 1) I wanted to know if DNA would support the story handed down from my momma all these years that grandmom said that one of her grandmother’s was half white and half Indian and 2) 23andme was having a fabulous sale that I couldn’t afford to let pass.

As noted in my post about my Dad’s autosomal results, the sampling process for 23andme is a bit different from the cheek swabbing that we had done for the other DNA testing (yDNA and mtDNA). With the exception of mom spitting on my hand one time after which I decided to hand the tube to her, mom’s sampling went much smoother than dad’s.

Before I get into the results, I will say that perhaps over the years, mom might have gotten the story a little reversed. I swear when I was younger I remember her saying that it was one of grandmom’s grandfathers. Anyway, through mtDNA testing and descriptions given in the census records, I think I can safely say that if there is any truth to this story, it more than likely comes via one of my grandmother’s grandfathers. Even more to the point, it’s probably her maternal grandfather. At this point, I’ve no clue regarding this set of great grandparents. The only thing I know is that according to census records, they were both born in Georgia.

Now, on to the results. Mom’s results came back as follows: 57% African, 30% European, and 13% Asian. With 23andme, Native American results usually show up under Asian. So, what do I make of the results. First, for the majority of African Americans, there is a certain amount of “statistical noise” that shows up under Asian. No one is sure why this is but it’s there and usually shows up at 6-7% as with my dad’s results. Mom’s Asian results, although still small in comparison to the remainder of her ancestry, were greater than the usual “statistical noise.” To make sure I wasn’t seeing just what I wanted to see in order to support the ancestral story, I consulted with Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak, author of Who Do You Think You Are?: The Essential Guide to Tracing Your Family and Trace Your Roots With DNA. Megan confirmed my initial thoughts and suggested that I have one of mom’s cousins and another descendant of the suspected line tested to confirm the results, etc.

Hopefully testing one or two of mom’s surviving first cousins won’t be an issue but I will have to wait until the next big sale before I can do that. Testing another descendant of the suspected line is a problem since I currently know of no other descendants outside my great grandmother Fannie's branch of the tree.

You are probably wondering how mom feels about all of this. Even though mom doesn’t fully understand all of the DNA testing I’ve been doing, she’s always excited to see the results. And her specific response to the autosomal /admixture results was “I told you I was all mixed up” followed by “I told you momma said…..”

How do I feel about all of this? I’m excited that the results appear to support my grandmomma’s story. It also makes me wonder, did my grandmother have a relationship with said grandparent or was this just handed down from my infamous great grandmother Fannie. Was the relationships between this set of 2nd great grandparents concentual or not? And will I ever determine this line of great great grandparents?  Lots of points to consider and work through when I one day return to trying to find out more about my great grandmother Fannie’s lineage.

Very Late Treasure Chest Thursday Post

It’s hard to believe that I’ve blogged for over a year and this will be my first post for Treasure Chest Thursday, I think, and even it's not actually being posted on Thursday but Friday AM.


My first post for this meme is about one of my mother’s most prized possessions, this simple green lamp. I’m sure you are wondering, what’s so special about this lamp. Well, what makes this lamp special, is the stories it holds and the memories it evokes in my mother.

First, before the days of every household having electricity, when my mother was growing up, it was one of the few sources of light in my grandparent’s house. Back then, the light emitted from this lamp was through kerosene / oil and not electricity. My mother spent many an evening attending to her studies by the light of this lamp. Momma often jokes that it’s a wonder they didn’t go blind straining to see through the smokey glow. Me personally, I’m amazed at the fortitude of mom.

Second and probably what holds the most significance for my mother, the lamp was a wedding present. My maternal grandfather was a tenant farmer all his working days. My grandparents never had a lot of money but what they had they managed well. So, when my parents decided to get married, there were no funds for a small wedding, much less a big lavish wedding, but granddad still wanted to give something to his daughter, so he took the old kerosene / oil lamp and had it wired for electricity. (Aunt Lucille received a similar present on her wedding day. Hers was clear). If you look closely, you can see the remnants of its former life (the fill hole, the mantel, etc.)