My Mom called me yesterday to wish me a Happy New Year, we had already exchanged text messages the night before. I still can’t get over her learning how to send text messages, go head Momma!
She asked me what I was doing and before I could get it out she said, “looking for dead people, I bet.” Of course she was right…Once again I complained how I couldn’t find her mother, Eunice Franklin before 1930 and that I wasn’t sure if the Eunice Franklin in the 1930 census from Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri was even her!
I started reading the names to her of the other household members, John White, Elizabeth White, Virginia White, Orange White, Samuel White, Rosemary White, Ednamay White, Elizabeth White, Florence White, Artelia Jones and Lucy Brown. She said, very calmly I might add, “Oh, those are Mother Dear’s (that’s what her daughters called their mother) cousins, I don’t know who that Jones woman is or Lucy Brown.” I’m like, “WHAT?” “Yeah, I remember Mother Dear talking about Orange, I think I even met him once.” “Maaa..!” “What?” “You never mentioned any of those names!” “You never mentioned them to me either and when you read them I remembered.” “You’re right, I shoulda asked. Thanks Ma, but now I gotta go, I gotta go find me some more dead people! With a name like Orange White I should be able to find a bunch more information! Love you, talk to you later.”
Just for kicks, I searched and found five males with the name of Orange White for 1900, 1920 and 1930! But I put him to the side to investigate later. I wanted to know if Elizabeth White was my great grandmothers sister. Several hours later I had my answer and more questions!
Why did I have to track Elizabeth? I come from a family of women, my great great grandmother had five girls, I’ve only found four, my great grandmother had two girls, my grandmother had three girls, my mother had three girls, her sister had two girls and her younger sister had one girl. That’s a lot of women!
Yes Elizabeth was my great grandmother’s sister and now I have her married name! I have no idea who “Artelia” Jones might be, I suspect the name may be something else but I can’t decipher the handwriting. And I don’t know who Lucy Brown is..but I will find out!
I STILL can’t find Grandma Eunice before 1930 but now I know she went to Kansas City for a visit.
I’m hunting and untangling.
Gathering Family Untangling Roots 
Good finding! I wonder what else your mother knows that you haven’t mentioned yet 🙂
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Exactly! LOL It’s all my fault
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No fault. She probably doesn’t even think about those things if you don’t mention them. You being the researcher, you’ve got to get her talking.
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She doesn’t think about them until I start pestering her..lol Then she say’s I’m not one of your criminals! LOL I love that woman!
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I love reading about your journey! Donna, this is so interesting!
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Thank you Karen!! I’m working on more, just as soon as I make some changes to the over all blog…I’m a cop, learning to be a techie..lol
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My mother does the same thing! 🙂 I’ve learned to ask questions, many questions. I think it’s great that you have her to pass on your family history. Love following your journey. Good work.
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Hi Bernita thank you very much! I ask today, she doesn’t remember..I ask tomorrow and she’s like, Oh yeah! LOL I am happy I still have her.
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You’ll find Grandma Eunice yet. The same happens to me with my mother. She’ll say she doesn’t know anything and then we’ll get to talking and a memory gets triggered. I guess it is just the way it is.
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You are so right, Andrea! Funny how those triggers work!
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Hi, Donna. As my daughter, Kendra has told you, John & Elizabeth White were my maternal grandparents. John Jr., Virginia [Ginny], Sam, Orange [Eddie], Edna, Elizabeth [Deep Dee] and Florence were my aunts and uncles. Rose Marie [Rosemary] was my sister Harleigh and my mother. (Our brother, Rodney, died at 3 in 1957).
Thank you for the exhaustive research you have done! I have givenAunt Edna’s daughter, Linda, your contact info and she should be in touch with you shortly to compare more notes with you. Thank you, again!
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Hi Rodger! Or should I say cousin..lol
No thanks required, I love it! It was so wonderful to make a connection with Kendra and the rest of my new family, she is a beautiful woman!
I am looking forward to comparing notes and hopefully knock down a few brick walls along the way.
Thank you for reaching out, let’s chat one day.
Be safe
Donna
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Slight correction: should have read, “Dee Dee” instead of ‘Deep’ Dee.
Have since enjoyed our conversations and am especially glad we’ve brought my Aunt Edna’s oldest daughter, Marva, into the convo. She has a wealth of family related knowledge. Peace & Love to you and your mom!
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I too have enjoyed our conversations! I’m also happy that Marva has entered the picture, can’t wait until July! Love to you and the family!
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