My Year of Positive Thinking - Week 3

This week's positive quote comes from my friend Shirley. As a teenager she saw the quote in her local newspaper, and the words captured her own "imagination." Today, a framed copy hangs on her wall. "Imagination disposes of everything; it creates beauty, justice and happiness, which are everything in the world." ~ Blaise Pascal. 

So here's to imagination and all it promises to create, and to my friend Shirley, who was kind enough to share this special quote.

© 26 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

My Year of Positive Thinking - Week 2

Well it seems, uh, downright dorky, this whole year of positive thinking thing. I am mentally cursing myself for having started it. But since I committed to it, and I was always big on making my children stick with their commitments, I guess I will just have to live with being dorky. It's only for 51 more weeks, how bad could that be? 

This week’s positive quote is from my friend Teagen, who sent me, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us. ” The quote is from Finding Your Way Home by Melody Beattie Last week proved personally trying; I proved that mere words do not a positive thinker make; and the only thing I can say positively for sure is, that this post (which I previously said would be on Mondays) is two days late.

© 22 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Fulfillment of a Dream

It is, of course, ironic that Martin Luther King day and the inauguration of our 44th President are occurring on consecutive days. The man who stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in August of 1963 and said, “Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood,” must surely have envisioned the historical event that is taking place tomorrow.

Whether or not you supported his presidency, you cannot ignore the magnitude of what is about to happen, a man of black heritage taking the oath, for the highest office of our land. Real progress, however, will be made when the young children of today, look on the election of an individual of any race, man or woman, as nothing out of the ordinary. We will have arrived, as a nation, at the door of our mutually promised heritage when that day occurs. The man who said, “We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote,” must be pleased with tomorrow’s events. Today we honor a man who had a dream. Tomorrow we see a portion of that dream fulfilled. 

Note: If you read this post at my original Desktop Genealogist Blog on the News-Messenger website, you will notice that the second to the last paragraph was not included there. That is because the website required me to change the word "Negro" to the word "Black." Not wanting to change the historic speech of Dr. King, I elected to omit the offending paragraph.

© 19 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Memories of a Giggle

I came out of the womb a serious, anxious child. The world scared me from the first. I preferred my mother’s presence to that of anyone else, feeling warm and safe with her. But you can’t stay in the cocoon of a mother’s love. There is a world, and you are expected to live in that world.

Very early then, I began to collect laughs. I decided as a small child that a person was safe to be around based on frequency and style of laughter. If you didn’t pass my laugh test, I wasn’t spending any time with you. My Aunt Marion passed this laugh test with flying colors.

Funny, I don’t remember any specific conversations with her. I remember being in her basement where the family was living while their house was being built. I remember her decision to push my cousin’s twin beds together one time when I was spending the night, much to my delight. I remember warm, fresh from the oven peanut butter cookies tasting like heaven as we ate them in her sunny kitchen, but mostly I remember her laugh.

Aunt Marion -Thanksgiving 1951

It started at the back of her throat and came bubbling out her lips. It was really, more of a giggle then a laugh. It was delicate. It was feminine. It made you smile. It punctuated sentences, or sometimes marked the beginning of one. It was infectious and drew you in, especially if you were a serious, anxious little girl. It was unique and part of my earliest childhood recollections.

My aunt died this past Sunday, leaving the world a lesser place with only memories of her unique little giggle. She will be missed.

Until Next Time . . .

Resolutions and No Resolutions

You may have noticed that I passed on doing a New Year’s Resolution this year. I shamed myself with last year’s resolution (Finding out more information on Jacobus ancestors) so badly that I figured my making a resolution was something akin to Congress requesting accountability on bailouts. A great idea, but without muscle, it’s just words. 

 However, not to worry, the Carnival of Genealogy had in the neighborhood of forty “resolute” geneabloggers who willingly put their own reputations on the line to share with you their personal New Year’s resolutions. They were, to say the least, inspiring. They were, to say the most, practical ideas that may be just the thing you need to start your year out right. You can catch the link at Jasia’s Creative Gene website. 

 I have however, been thinking about my own cranky, go away don’t bother me attitude. If I said, “I hate Christmas!” once, I must have said it - well enough times to have a daughter-in-law tell me, “You always say that.” Ouch! So I’m trying an experiment, which is different from a resolution. (Don’t ask me the difference, just roll with me here.) I’m calling it, “My Year of Positive Thinking” and every Monday, I’ll write a positive quote on an index card and read it first thing in the morning and the last thing before going to bed for an entire week.

 The next week, I’ll do the same thing all over again with another quote. In each Monday’s post, I’ll tell you what my quote for the week is. My boss, Sam, and my co-worker, Teagen, have offered to help me come up with some positive quotes. (As I told them, the only quote that leapt to my mind was, “When you see light at the end of the tunnel, it’s the light of the oncoming train.” You see my problem.) 

 If any of you have a favorite quote that fits in with what I am hoping to accomplish, feel free to send me the quote. I can use all the help I can get. However, I think I found just the ticket for this week’s quote. It comes from Max Ehrmann’s “Desiderata.” You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. 

Until Next Time …

© 12 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Tri-Racial Isolate: A Hidden Ancestry

In the foothills of Eastern Tennessee, there lived a group of individuals called Melungeons. I mention them because they are perhaps the best-known example of a tri-racial isolate. “Tri-racial isolate” is an academic term used to denote communities of mixed racial ancestry. Most often, the mixture is said to be that of European, Native American and African American, although some would argue this point. 

 Other theories vigorously promoted include descendancy from shipwrecked Portuguese sailors (who intermarried with local natives) to shipwrecked Spaniards, Sephardic Jews, Gypsies and the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island. Each theory has articulate proponents and disciples. Each theory endeavors to explain away deep olive skin, dark hair and the blue, gray or green eyes that marked many of these individuals as “different” from their white neighbors. These differences, noted in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, often made them unsuitable spouses for their white neighbors. Their own unwillingness to embrace the economic, legal and social disadvantages of the African American community made them shun this group as potential mates. Because of this, they intermarried within their own populace, thus isolating themselves socially and sometimes physically from society at large. 

 Since they were not considered white or black, this posed problems in a racially divided 18th Century America. These problems would haunt the Melungeons and the other tri-racial communities well into the 20th Century. 

Prior to the 1850 census, you will find many of these mixed ancestry individuals tabulated under the “Free Colored” columns of the census, along with their free African Americans counterparts. In the 1850 and 1860 censuses, the census taker instructions were, “Under heading 6, “Color,” in all cases where the person is white, leave the space blank; In all cases where the person is black, insert the letter B; If mulatto, insert M. It is very desirable that these particulars be carefully regarded.” 

This of course, left the census taker with a dilemma when enumerating members of a mixed race group. You will often find them listed on the census with a letter “m” under the column “Color.” 

 Other famous tri-racial isolate communities include, North Carolina’s Lumbee Indians (from which the actress, Heather Locklear, descends), the Carmel Indians of Highland County, Ohio and the Redbones of South Carolina and Louisiana. The article, “ ‘Verry Slitly Mixt’: Tri-Racial Isolate Families of the Upper South – A Genealogical Study” by Virginia Easley DeMarce, states that “Ethnologists have identified approximately thirty-five tri-racial isolate communities in the eastern half of the United States (or up to two hundred, if one counts small groups.)” 

 One of these smaller identified groups originated in an area of Gibson’s Mill in Louisa County, Virginia. Sometime in the early to mid 1830’s several families from “Gibby’s Mill” migrated across the Ohio River into what was then Gallia County, Ohio. A boundary change in 1850 placed most of the group within the boundaries of the newly created, Vinton County with the remainder living on the Jackson/Vinton County border. These individuals had surnames of Napper, Dorton and Thacker, joined later by Doles and Freeman. Like other mixed race communities, they congregated closely together. Like other mixed race communities, they intermarried heavily within their own group. Like other mixed raced communities, the census taker marked them with an “m” under the heading of “color.” But unlike the other tri-racial isolates, this community is of special interest to me. A branch of my family tree has roots within this community, roots that I had been unaware of until this past year. 

 If you have noticed a lack of posting and participation in geneablogger pursuits, it has been because of my own fascination with this “Vinton County Group.” In order to study the group I have had to study the disciplines of history, anthropology, cultural and ethnic studies, geography, sociology and law –certainly a stretch for a former business major. I’m not complaining. I cheerfully gobble up each new detail, but it does take time, and time is a finite quantity. 

So if I am less attentive, or seem preoccupied, this is the reason. I’m not sure what will become of the information that I am amassing. Maybe one day I will devour that one last piece that will satiate this curiosity, this hunger and I will sit back on my heels (okay, you realize the sitting back on the heels thing is a metaphor, my knees would scream in heated protest, should I actually try that move) and say, well okay, now I have had enough and I can move on. Until I have had enough, I will still be posting (I do have to come up for air from time to time) just not as much or as often. 

 If you are interested in learning more about tri-racial isolates, here are some websites to get you started. Melungeon Heritage Association Website A great website with articles of differing points of view. Discover: “Where Do We Come From?” The Lumbee Indians A variety of information and articles. Open Salon: “ Who was America’s first black President?” An interesting article about the racial background of previous presidents. World Culture Encyclopedia:: North America – “American Isolates” Frontline: “The Blurred Racial Lines of Famous Families” Be sure to check out some of the other links in the sidebar. Additional Resources Used: DeMarce, “’Verry Slitly Mixt’: Tri-Racial Isolate Families of the Upper South—A Genealogical Study,” NGSQ, Vol. 80, No. 1 (March 1992): 5–35. United States Census Bureau, “Measuring America: The Decennial Censuses From 1790 to 2000,” 2002. Pamphlet, U.S. Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/pol02marv-pt1.pdf: 2009.

© 12 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder 

Sandusky County Kin Hunters Meeting this Sunday!

Kim Harden of Sandusky County Kin Hunters sent me a note reminding me that the next meeting is this coming Sunday, January 11, at 2:00 PM. The meeting will take place at the Sandusky Twp. Hall on Rt. 19 North in Fremont. The building is handicapped accessible and there is ample parking available. 

Kim says, "We would like to welcome anyone interested (or curious) in genealogy research. Present members will be glad to share knowledge and experience. Anyone wishing to join will receive a free starter kit." So don't be shy, come out and meet some fellow family historians! For more information you can contact Kim at 419-603-0367. 

Until Next Time - Happy Ancestral Digging!

© 7 January 2009, Desktop Genealogist Unplugged, Teresa L. Snyder