I have some catching up to do. Between moving and a diagnosis of SIBO, it’s proven to be a very busy 2017. Things have finally settled down and I can once again focus on genealogy. The latest couple (#14) that has made its way onto my list of cousins of my mother’s who married cousins of my father’s did so… More →
Category: Trantham Kenfolk
And the winner is…
I’ve written it before and I’ll write it again: I am fascinated with the DNA aspect of genealogy. Each of us has thousands of distant cousins out there who share a little or a lot of our genetic make-up. Finding my distant cousins has become an obsession. And I blame/thank Ancestry.com. I’ve now surpassed 43,000 leaves on my family tree.… More →
My Hero
In loving memory of Darrel (“Darryl”) Wayne Trantham, my father May 5, 1943 – November 11, 2016 My father was my hero. He was not faster than a speeding bullet but he was quick to help someone in need. He was not more powerful than a locomotive but was the source of my strength when I needed it most. He could… More →
Goodger Giddy
This week I obtained the final probate records of Stephen Goodger, my 3rd great grandfather. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the most exciting thing that happened to me this week. It was. From these documents I now know that Stephen died sometime before July of 1848 in Tishomingo County, Mississippi. The brass ring of wills and estate… More →
Two Americans
An act of cowardice ended the life of two Americans this last July. Sean Copeland and his son, Brodie, were killed when a madman drove his truck into a crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France. Eighty-four people died that day and more than a hundred others were injured. When I heard about this tragedy on the news, I… More →
Birth Cousin, Part 2
When I look back on my 2016 accomplishments, helping my DNA match find her birth family will be at the top of the list. Fortune smiled upon her. The brothers I helped identify from public records were correct. Carefully penned letters were sent and received. A few days later a phone call from one of the brothers united the siblings for… More →
Hanky, No Pankey
Grab your handkerchiefs. Elizabeth Goodger‘s maiden name was probably not “Pankey” as I had hoped. Boo hoo. I came to this sad conclusion about my 5th great grandmother during my recent visit to the Library of Virginia. Other family researchers cite Stephen Pankey, Jr.’s 1790 will as the source of her maiden name. A daughter named “Elizabeth” was indeed listed as one… More →
Birth Cousin
People often ask me why I am so obsessed with genealogy. It’s a fair question considering my family tree is approaching 39,000 relatives. I have never met nor will I likely meet 99.9% of them. Most of them are dead, so the good Lord willing, I won’t be meeting any of them any time soon. But should I ever happen… More →
Private Martin
Summing up my visit to the Library of Virginia in Richmond yesterday is easy: it was like unleashing an unsupervised child in a candy store for eight sugar-coma-inducing solid hours. Frankly, I think I was discovering new information about every 5 to 10 minutes as I worked my way around the local history and genealogical section of the 2nd floor.… More →
Cousins marrying cousins – Unlucky 13
It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these so here goes. My mother’s 4th cousin, 2x removed, Charles Calvin (“C. C.”) Reynolds, married Mary Elizabeth McCracken, my father’s 4th cousin, 3x removed – earning them the 13th spot on my list of cousins marrying cousins. Unfortunately for both C. C. and Mary Elizabeth, their marriage did not end well. In… More →