Family Stories
Cemetery Sortie Project: Preserving the Memory of the Deceased
Cemetery Sorties have led us to a lot of off the beaten path locations. We’ve made some interesting discoveries and want to log our progress.
Dig Down to Read MoreCome Quick, He Promised He’d Kill Me!
“Come quick, he promised he’d kill me” are the last words I remember my baby sister saying to the person on the other e…
Dig Down to Read MoreWhat in the World? Sterling Cooper HERE?
Robin and I work on a variety of historic preservation projects related to cemeteries. Our latest adventure took us to Fuquay-Varina, NC’s Piney Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. We knew no one whose final resting place was there but that did not matter in our quest to document and preserve their memory.
Dig Down to Read MoreWhat’s the Rest of the Story, Rev. Stokes?
Inspired to discover more about Rev. Robert Stokes Kansas homesteading, we ventured to Hiawatha, Kansas to uncover the rest of his story.
Dig Down to Read MoreIndian Head Penny Family Lore Debunked
Indian Head Penny Family Lore Debunked 1859 Indian Head Penny Every family has oral traditions, passed down through the generations. Little by little the story is enhanced or adjusted as it is retold. My previous post about Priscilla Estes “capture” and “rescue”, I believe has some basis in true events. However, another story gave me…
Dig Down to Read MoreRescued 10 Years After Indian Kidnapping
About 1778, my fourth great-grandmother, Priscilla Estes was “kidnapped” by a band of Shawnee. She was held “captive” for a period of nearly ten years.
Dig Down to Read MoreGreat Plains Pioneering: Grasshoppers, Gooseberries, & Indians
In 1869 Robert Stokes, two sons & Henry Striker headed to Kansas with three covered wagons, an extra horse and two cows. Their destination was Brown County, with a plan to build a house, plant crops, find water and settle on the Great Plains.
Dig Down to Read MoreDear Little Sister…Sending Love from the Battlefield
Dear Little Sister…Sending Love from the Battlefield Little sister is Susan Emmaline “Emma”, the eighth child and only daughter of my 3rd great grandfather Robert Firman Stokes. He, Emma, and her mother Hannah Parker Jones Stokes saw five of Robert’s sons volunteer to defend the Union during the Civil War. All served in the Western…
Dig Down to Read MoreLucky to Have Photo Taken with 6th Great Grandparents
Things that I love about Robin: 1) Like me, she grew up on “The River”, 2) She loves family history, & 3) She’s recently retired and wants me to tag along on her genealogy adventures.
Dig Down to Read MoreA Case of Scarlet Fever Makes 9-Year-Old Choose Nursing
Was 9-year-old Kate Selensky’s career chosen because of a young doctor’s generous gift celebrating her Scarlett Fever recovery?
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