Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Emily's Will~Releasing the Names




Many face the situation of finding the enslaved in our ancestor's records. 
This will of my 4th great grandmother Emily Elizabeth (Vaughn) Dargan (1797-1865) is interesting as it was written in May of 1865 just days before the end of the Civil War.
Living in Sumter County, South Carolina all her life, she saw firsthand the horrors of war and a complete change of lifestyle. 


Will of Emily Vaughn
Source: Sumter, South Carolina, “South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1652-1670-1990”, database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 26 January 2018), image for Emily Dargan, 9 May,1865 will pg. 256-25710-11, citing “Will Book, Vol D-1-E2, 1823-1868”


  She wrote these words 
I will and bequeath my servant boy William to my eight grandchildren viz Milton, Henry, Burgess, Bradford , Bernard, Dargan, Frances, Mary V., Alice Scarborough and to their heirs forever for their equal use and benifit. I will and bequeath my servant boy Iassac an my carriages and horses to my daughter Francis Elizabeth and her heirs forever. Should the following negros viz. Dick, Jim. Wesley, Adam, Amy, Annette, Nelly, Lea, Molly, & Jane which have been taken by the  army of the United States be still my property, or should they or any of them be at any time restored to my estate, I will and bequeath the same to my children and grandchildren and their heirs forever to be equally divided between them, except for my daughter Martha and her children; my granchildren only taking the share which is her or their part if living at the time would be entitled in an equal division of my property among my children.         
Could it really be just days before the end of the war, there was doubt in Emily's mind as to the outcome and ultimate freedom for her "servant boys" and "negros" who had been taken from her?

William, Isaac, Dick, Jim, Wesley, Adam, Amy, Annette, Nelly Lea, Molly, and Jane

 All but William and Isaac were no longer living on the property. If as Emily stated they were taken by the Union Army, where did they go? Were they still in the area or had they escaped north? Why were William and Isaac left behind? 
Perhaps other records will come to light to answer those questions.

As with all my posts releasing the names of the enslaved found while researching, this post will be shared with the Slave Name Roll Project. By extracting their names out of Emily's will and posting online it is hoped their descendants will be able to locate them and reunite them with their family as they are added to the family tree.  

Do you have slave owners in your family tree? If so, won't you consider releasing the names of the enslaved in their records? 

This post was written for 52 Ancestors, week 9 "Where There's a Will" from Amy Johnson Crow.

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,

                                                                       


Sunday, February 25, 2018

This Week On My Family History Calendar

February 25-March 3
                                                                                                                                                                    



March 1~
 My maternal uncle Gilbert Ernest Roberts, Jr. (1944-1999) would be 74 years old on this day.  
Uncle Gil was the son of Gilbert Ernest Roberts. Sr. (1920-1944) and Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009).  
He was born in Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina.

Gil Roberts


Who are you remembering this week?

Thanks for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,

                          

Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post.?




My Happy Dance This Week:  
I have arrived in Salt Lake! I was able to research in the Family History Library where I ran into genfriends,, play in the Discovery Center and spend time with my best friend since Jr. High! 
Have you heard that the weather changed at the last minute and it's snow and cold here? This southern beach girl is freezing!! lol!





Researching





Jenny Joyce

Luana Darby





















Finding Relatives at the Discovery Center



Hanging with my BFF!

Snow Day in Salt Lake


A fun start to my RootsTech adventure! Doing that happy dance!




                                                                                   Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!


Share the fun! Click below to tweet this post! 
https://ctt.ec/ko4HU


Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,







Friday, February 23, 2018

It's My 6th Blogiversary!





Today my Carolina Girl Genealogy Blog turns 6!


I am grateful to have found a way to share my families stories and write about the research process.
Cousin connections and great friends have been made along the way!
Thanks to each of you who follow, read and comment on my posts. 
It's an honor to have you take the time to stop by!

Helping you climb your family tree,


Wednesday, February 21, 2018

The Dog Tag




Dog Tags are issued to soldiers as a form of identification. 
When my maternal grandfather, Gilbert Ernest Roberts (1920-19144) entered the Marines in 1943, he received his set. 
If the soldier is killed in action, one tag stays with the body and the other with the Company Officer.  




Gilbert Ernest Roberts
1944
Before shipping off to the South Pacific


The dog tag in the image below was returned to Gilbert's wife Azile after his death on the island of Peleliu in September of 1944, just a few months after shipping out.


Gilbert Ernest Roberts
Dog Tag
WWII

Photos, stories, letters, and the telegraph informing the family of his death have been passed down to his descendants. 
The Dog Tag makes it more real. 
Something tangible to hold. 
An heirloom that once hung around his neck.

Thank you for your service and your sacrifice, 



This post was written for week 8 -"Heirloom" from Amy Johnson Crow's series 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.



Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,






Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Connect, Belong~Find Your Relatives at RootsTech 2018


This is going to be fun!


 


The theme of RootsTech 2018 is "Connect. Belong."
We're excited to let you in on a special way to celebrate this theme in a fun and interactive way.
While onsite, you'll be able to use the FamilySearch Family Tree mobile app to see if you're related to others at the conference.
Here's how:
Before the conference
Download or update to the latest version of the Family Tree mobile app.
Allow the app to use Location Services by clicking Yes when prompted or in the OS settings.

Here's how:
Before the conference
  1. Download or update to the latest version of the Family Tree mobile app.
  2. Allow the app to use Location Services by clicking Yes when prompted or in the OS settings.

      At the conference
  1. Launch Family Tree from inside the Salt Palace Convention Center.
  2. Tap the Relatives at RootsTech option at the top, and follow the prompts to opt in.
  3. Discover who at the conference is your cousin!


More information will be available at registration and in the FamilySearch booth.
See you at the conference, cousin!
—FamilySearch
© 2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
50 E. North Temple Street Salt Lake City, UT 84150 

FamilySearch Rights and Use Information (Updated 2/3/2015) | Privacy Policy (Updated 3/18/2014)



JoyFlips giving away $80,000 worth of FamilyArchive™ Kits at RootsTech



I received the following press release:






JoyFlips giving away $80,000 worth of FamilyArchive™ Kits at RootsTech Launch of Version 4.0
Groundbreaking technology for preserving and sharing family stories being launched at world’s largest family history technology event

San Francisco, CA. February 20, 2018:

JoyFlips will be launching several technical breakthroughs in version 4.0 of its family album technology at RootsTech 2018, along with a giveaway of 2,000 of its new FamilyArchive™ Kits -- an $80,000 value -- during the event, Feb. 28 – Mar 3, 2018, in Salt Lake City. The new technology in JoyFlips 4.0 will also be featured in the RootsTech Innovation Showcase during the conference.





The new FamilyArchive Kit is a secure offline automatic backup, protected by patent-pending technology, that will keep your family's digital archive safe for over 50 years. Anyone attending the conference who has a free JoyFlips account, or opens one between February 28 and March 3 at 3pm, is eligible to receive a free $40 value FamilyArchive Kit by stopping by one of the JoyFlips booths at the show. (Recipients must be 14 or older to be eligible) Offer limited to 2,000 eligible attendees. One FamilyArchive Kit per person. Anyone not attending the conference in person who opens a free JoyFlips account from February 28th through March 3rd will be eligible for a 50% discount off the normal price of $40, including free shipping, if ordered by March 31, 2018.

ABOUT JOYFLIPS 4.0
JoyFlips version 4.0 will be available to the public at the start of RootsTech 2018 on February 28, 2018. JoyFlips is a completely free and unlimited service available as an app for both iOS and Android devices, in addition to a user-friendly website which includes almost all of the same functionality of the phone app. Version 4 extends the firm’s leadership in family story technology with new features, including the ability to record stories as family members browse photos together on the phone, then converting those stories and photos into shareable high-resolution videos. The videos are instantly updated any time the photos or audio are changed, making them dynamically interactive. This is the first technology that makes it easy for families to create video albums of both family photos and recordings of family members sharing stories about them.

“We are fulfilling our mission to provide millions of people worldwide with the tools to easily discover, record, share and preserve their family’s stories.” said Vincent Titolo, JoyFlips co-founder and CEO. “One of the exciting new technologies in version 4 of JoyFlips makes it possible for the first time to use photos along with stories in the voices of family members to create beautiful shared videos. Now the entire family can participate in creating their own living documentaries,” he added.

“Version 4 of JoyFlips was completely rebuilt from the ground up not only to make it easier to use, but to add important new features allowing collaboration and on-the-phone storytelling while family members browse through photos together.” added Scott Shebby, JoyFlips cofounder and CTO. “Another major breakthrough is our FamilyArchive software that creates an always up-to-date secure offline backup of everything in your JoyFlips account. Our patentpending technology brings the cost of highly reliable long-term data storage down to where almost everyone can safely archive their family’s precious legacy of photos, stories and documents for generations,” he continued.

Other innovative features of the free JoyFlips service include:
● Importing photos from anywhere: your phone, computer, Facebook or FamilySearch, or with the built-in fast high-resolution scanner for paper photos and documents
● The ability to have an unlimited number of photos and stories stored online and available wherever you are: on your phone or on your computer
● Adding searchable tags with both voice and text that are also embedded in the photo jpg files
● Recording searchable stories in phone conversations
● Creating and sharing photo albums or video albums that contain photos and family member’s stories in their own voice
● Inviting family members to add photos and stories to albums
● Easy-to-use photo restoration, touch up and editing software
● Optional FamilyArchive™ Kit secure Off-Line automatic backups protected by patentpending technology that keeps your family’s digital archive safe for over 50 years

ABOUT JOYFLIPS
JoyFlips is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that allows millions of people worldwide to discover and preserve their family history by connecting old print photos and family storytelling to the vast resources of historical documents now available online. Our technology provides the tools to scan, preserve and share thousands of print photos, and to record and pass down the stories they tell through storytelling in voice and text. For more information about JoyFlips technology visit http://www.joyflips.com


ABOUT THE JOYFLIPS FAMILYARCHIVE™ KIT
The FamilyArchive Kit is a combination of a special long-life USB flash drive and software that automatically maintains an up-to-date backup copy of a user’s JoyFlips account. The patentpending FamilyArchive Kit ensures the data stored on the USB drive remains intact for over 50 years by using Single Level Cell (SLC) NAND flash memory technology and applying error correction software that identifies errors in critical data stored on the drive and then reconstructs the original, error-free data.

The FamilyArchive software automatically creates an offline copy of the user’s full JoyFlips account including all photos, tags, albums, recorded stories and video albums. Each FamilyArchive drive can store a typical JoyFlips account with up to 30,000 photos, voice stories and associated video albums. Users access their offline JoyFlips account from their web browser, enjoying the full multimedia viewing of photos, stories and video albums just as it they were in their online web account. Individual image, audio and video files can also be downloaded from the FamilyArchive drive.

Should the FamilyArchive storage device ever be lost, the software allows users to easily create a new copy on a new FamilyArchive device directly from their account.
The FamilyArchive Kit is priced at $40 and includes free express shipping. 

ABOUT ROOTSTECH 2018
RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is a global conference celebrating families across
generations, where people of all ages are inspired to discover and share their memories and
connections. This annual event has become the largest of its kind in the world, attracting tens
of thousands of participants worldwide. RootsTech will be held on Feb. 28th through March
3rd, at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Family History Technology
Innovation Showcase will also be held during the conference. For information about attending
RootsTech 2018 and the Family History Innovator Showcase, visit https://www.rootstech.org

Contacts:
Tami Mize; tami@joyflips.com
Ken Leonard; ken@joyflips.com
Vincent Titolo; vincent@joyflips.com






Tuesday's Tips~Getting By With Help from Our Friends-Wendy Mathias


This edition of Tuesday's Tips come from Wendy Mathias from the Jolette Etc. blog.


Imagine calling the historical society to inquire about any resources that might contain information about your great-great grandfather. Imagine the volunteer on duty that day says, “We have no family genealogy about him, but I see in an old ledger belonging to the local tailor that your great-great grandfather ordered a black frock coat for $6 in November 1863.” Would you not prefer THAT little entry to simply determining that “6/10/1857” meant “June 10” not “October 6”?

Until a few years ago, whenever I read the advice to contact a genealogical or historical society to search for records not available online, I cringed. I pictured a small number of old people who met to share their personal research or to save an old building from demolition. What could they possibly offer me? After all, my ancestors were poor dirt-farmers and dirt-poor farmers, not likely to have done anything to earn them a spot in a local history book.

Even though I live 250 miles away, I joined the Greene County Historical Society in Virginia and learned very quickly how passionate they are about preserving local history. I can’t be there to attend meetings or man the museum, but I participate by indexing some of the Society’s rare acquisitions. Taken together, the indexing projects have opened my eyes to all that a historical or genealogy society can offer family historians like me.

1.     Voter Registration Records - Until I indexed a set of voter registration books for the Greene County Historical Society, I thought, “Big deal. I don’t care if my ancestor voted or not.” What makes the books interesting though are the kinds of genealogical clues that might be there. For example, voter books can help you determine if your ancestor moved within the county or away all together. Not only is the date of registration in a precinct recorded, but all transfers to a new precinct or from a former precinct identify the location and date. Depending on the generosity of the registrar, another surprising feature that MIGHT be found is an abbreviated family tree. When several citizens had the same name, the registrar might add parenthetical clarification such as “John Smith (son of Thomas)” or “Ben Jones (brother of William).” Sometimes a description of where a person lived such as “3 miles southeast of McMullen’s Mill” was noted. You might also learn if your female ancestors were among the first to take advantage of the 19th Amendment.
2.     Family research - Not all families donate their personal research in beautifully bound books complete with photos, an index, and list of sources. File folders and 3-ring binders are the norm. More often than not, families turn over their loved one’s box of photos, letters, notes and other odds’n’ends to the local society because libraries are reluctant to take a collection of unorganized “stuff.” I indexed the contents of several scrapbooks containing over 50 years-worth of personal items like greeting cards, receipts, and programs. Even if your family was not related to the creator of this scrapbook, you would still want to check it for all the newspaper clippings of obituaries, church and school events, local news and features on local history.
3.     Merchant daybooks and ledgers - Any society that has received such records can provide researchers an amazing window into their ancestors’ lives. One of the general store’s daybooks that I indexed for Greene County showed me the generosity (and comparative wealth) of my ancestor who paid a neighbor’s bill. The titles of textbooks being ordered by the schoolmaster showed me what kind of education my ancestors may have received. Clues about their standard of living were apparent in the fabric they purchased, their method of payment, and by whether they went to the store in person or sent a servant. Random details like purchasing hair dye or ordering a wedding suit will surely bring an ancestor to life in ways that a vital record will not.
4.     School Board Minutes - The minutes that I indexed date from the beginning of public education in Greene County. Topics covered in meetings included how to raise money for the schools, how much money was to be allocated for construction, approval of textbooks, and how much teachers would be paid. But it’s the names in the minutes that will keep you looking: members of the School Board, officers, the list of teachers, names of students receiving a scholarship to college, names of those who sold a small corner of the family farm for the county to build a school.

Obviously the kinds of resources available will vary from society to society. I hope that this small sample of holdings at the Greene County Historical Society will prompt you to run, not walk, to your favorite society in search of your ancestor’s life between the dashes.
    
BIO

Wendy Mathias is a family historian who has been researching her many Virginia family lines ever since her mother dragged her along to a Family History Center to help take notes 30 years ago. Wendy shares old photos and her research on her blog, Jollett Etc. When not researching her own family, she assists others. As Registrar for the Fort Nelson Chapter of DAR, Wendy helps women in their search for a patriot ancestor and in gathering supporting documents to apply for membership. She has participated in many indexing projects for DAR, FamilySearch, and the Greene County Historical Society. Wendy and her husband Barry divide their time between their home in Chesapeake, Virginia and their vacation home at Smith Mountain Lake. They have 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.
Visit Wendy at Jollett Etc

Thank so much for helping us to understand what may be found at a historical or genealogical society!


Have you taken advantage of the historical and genealogical societies where your ancestors lived? What treasures have you discovered?

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,






Sunday, February 18, 2018

This Week On My Family History Calendar

18 February- February 24



February 20~
My Paternal 3rd Great Grandmother, Mary Alice (Dargan) Bradford (1825-1875), died 143 years ago in Sumter County, SC.

February 24~
    Mary (Strother) Dargan (1782-1822), my paternal 5th Great Grandmother was born 246 years ago. Her parents are said to be William Strother (1730-after 1779) and Catherine (Dargan) Strother (1735-?). She lived in Sumter District, South Carolina.

Who are you remembering this week?


Thanks so much for stopping by!

Helping you climb your family tree,





Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post.?




My Happy Dance This Week:  
This week, my facebook feed has been full of memories posted by friends of our moments from past RootsTech conferences. It has been so much fun to see this photos again and get excited about attending the conference again. It's almost time! Will I see you there?

                                                                                   Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!

Share the fun! Click below to tweet this post! 


Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,






Thursday, February 15, 2018

South Carolina Places~The South Carolina Room at Chapin Memorial Library


South Carolina is beautiful and full of history. 
This series highlights places around the state where you can go to learn, experience and research.

The Shirley Walker Boone South Carolina Room at the Chapin Memorial Library is a resource for those researching in Horry County and other places in the state or those nearby.

Located at 400 14th Ave North in Myrtle Beach, it is open each day except Sunday at 9am.
Closing times vary throughout the week so check the website or call 843-918-1275 before you plan a visit.


Chapin Memorial Library
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina






On the second floor of the library, the room provides access to many books on the county and state, maps and a microfilm machine for viewing census records. There are videos to watch containing oral histories of Horry County and a set of CD sets of records from South Carolina and neighboring states.
There are tables and chairs to spread out your research and sit and read as you discover information on your ancestors. 





Outside the room, there are shelves with genealogy periodicals from local, state and national genealogical societies. Magazines and genealogy how-to books are also available.

Chapin Library also has subscriptions to several genealogy sites such as Ancestry and My Heritage. In order to access these, you must have a Chapin Library card. There are several public computers available near the research room.


Over the last few years, the staff has begun a digitization program featuring obituaries from Horry County newspapers, and other items from the county's history. 

This is an ongoing project and can be found by searching the library's online catalog. Just drill down to "Digitized Collection"  on the search page.

You can also find a booklet called "Beginning Genealogy" to help get you started on your genealogy journey. This booklet was produced and continues to be updated by The Grand Strand Genealogy Club which meets at the library on the second Saturday of the month at 10 a.m. The club is free and all are welcome to attend.


Have you utilized the resources in the Shirley Walker Boone South Carolina Room at Chapin Memorial Library? What discoveries did you make?

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping your climb your famly tree,





Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Finding Love








My parents are an inspiration. 
In their 58 years of marriage, they have experienced the joy of family, the pain of being apart during dad's tour of duty in Viet Nam plus his other assignments with the Air Force and the heartache of debilitating illness.

This Valentines Day I honor them with this Adobe Spark video for their example of love, moving past difficulties and commitment through adversity.

Happy Valentines Day, Mom and Dad!





This post was written for this week's 52 Ancestors blog prompt "Valentine" from Amy Johnson Crow.


Do you have examples of enduring love in your family tree?



Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree!







Sunday, February 11, 2018

This Week On My Family History Calendar



Benjamin Allen Hudson
(1918-1976)

      February 14~
    My paternal Grandfather, Benjamin Allen Hudson (1918-1976) died 42 years ago in Lake City, Florence, South Carolina. He is buried in the Sumter City Cemetery, Sumter, South Carolina.





Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson
(1866-1918)

  February 17~
   Louvinia Blanche (Thames) Hudson (1886-1918), my paternal great-grandmother would be celebrating her 132nd birthday on this day. Blanche was born in Clarendon County, South Carolina to Benjamin Thomas Thames (1854-1930) and Margaret Francis (Gibson) Thames (1854-1929).


Who are you remembering this week?

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,






Celebration Sunday~Genealogy Happy Dance!

You know the dance. You know you've done it. The one every researcher does after finding something new. The one where you want to jump up and down and shout to everyone around that you found the document, contacted a cousin who has the family Bible, made a DNA connection or found a whole new branch to your tree. The one that is met with glazed stares and eye rolls.
                                                          Celebration Sunday is a place to share your discoveries. 
This is a weekly series to enable everyone to tell about their Genealogy Happy Dance moment. This can be done by scrolling down and adding your story to the comments section. You may also put a link to a blog post. 




My Happy Dance This Week:  
A fun morning at the Grand Strand Genealogy Club had me dancing! We had a full house for my presentation "Back to School~Genealogy Education". The energy in the room was high and we had fund discussing the many opportunities from free to fee-based that are available to help expand our genealogy skills. As I've said before I LOVE teaching about any aspect of genealogy. My presentation was no exception!   Am I doing that dance? You bet!





                                                                                    Share your discovery!
                                                                                   Let the dancing commence!


Share the fun! Click below to tweet this post! 


Looking forward to reading about your Happy Dance moment!


Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,







Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Favorite Name~Epaphroditus Canty








Epaphroditus Canty. What a first name! Son of my 7th great grandfather, John Canty (born about 1675) and grandson of the Irish immigrant Tiege Canty (1621-1679), Epaphroditus was born in the early 1700s, near Charleston, South Carolina. He is my 6th great grand uncle. 
Not much is known about Epaphroditus. 
Land records show him owning land on the Ashley River in St. James Parish in 1729. Other information about his life has not been uncovered.

Epaphroditus is a name from the Bible, it means handsome or agreeable. Not common today, it stands out in my genealogy database. 
Wonder if he had a nickname. That is a mouthful!

Did this distant cousin of mine have a wife and children? Are there descendants to remember him?
At this point, these questions remained unanswered. 
His unusual name was chosen for this week's #52Ancestors prompt "Favorite Name" from Amy Johnson Crow as a way to make sure he is not forgotten.

Do you have an Epaphroditus in your family tree? What about any unusual or favorite names?

Thanks so much for stopping by!
Helping you climb your family tree,\