I updated Dr. Jerome R. Riley’s story after some more research. So please go check him out again!  https://jgraydiscovery.com/dr-jerome-r-riley/

Additionally, I completed 5 biographies  of Black Ambassadors for BlackPast.org:

Two additional  biographies yet to be posted… stay tuned..

Something new to chat about is the Facebook page  developed concerning the erection of a historical marker possibly on Route 83  to speak to the families that once homestead the lands west of Route 83 spread out along the banks of the North Loop River in DeWitty Township, later known as Audacious. This was the largest and longest lasting African-American settlement in rural Nebraska. 

We, Catherine Meehan-Blount, Marcia Thompkins and yours truly decided to support the efforts of Stew Magnuson who is proposing the erection of  marker to the powers that be! So we set the Facebook page “descendants of DeWitty” and invited family and friends to come help us support this worthy cause!

Stew Magnuson is busy these days he has two big forks in the fire: First a   release date for The Last American Highway: A Journey Through Time Down U.S. Route 83: Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma edition. February 9! and second;

he plans to announce on Kansas Statehood Day that his first confirmed booking of his multi-media presentation about The Last American Highway: A Journey Through Time Down U.S. Route 83: Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma edition will be Monday, April 13 at 6 p.m. at the Buffalo Bill Cultural Center in Oakley, Kansas! (where you find this bigger than life statue of Cody)  

Well folks it has been a minute since my last post so here’s an update:

Our internet was down for about 3 days and that slowed all my research to a grinding halt! So the backlog of work to do is high but I’m chipping away at it ! Yes long hours!

Next I have been actively writing biographies on Black Ambassadors for BlackPast.org the impressive online encyclopedia. I was very honored to be asked to do these 8 Ambassadors; Sue K. Brown, Montenegro, 2011-Present -Ann Forrester-Holloway, Mali, 1979-Gayleatha B. Brown, Benin, 2006-Sylvia Gaye Stanfield,Brunei Darussalam, 2002-Barbara M. Watson,Malaysia, 1981-Ruth Washington,Gambia, 1989-Leslie M. Alexander, Mauritius, 1993, Ecuador, 1996-Bernadette Allen, Niger, 2006!     So stay tuned and I’ll let you know when they get posted.

A couple of days ago Catherine (cousin) informed a few of us that she got word that there was a movement to have a landmark erected in remembrance of the homesteaders in the Dewitty community in Nebraska.  So Marcia and Catherine and myself started up a Facebook group which exists to highlight the lives of our ancestors – the DeWitty, Nebraska Homesteaders – who worked so hard to leave a rich legacy for us and future generations. We also plan to ensure that our voices are heard in the process of getting the landmark erected. We are not only hopeful but determined to see this happen.

Another great find is locating the platt maps of the land owners and by doing so I’ve been able to make the connection with my great great grandfather Joseph Birch and his father Daniel Birch on my maternal side.

So back to the grind… Oh and Sarah Brown  has a new blog up and running: BitterSweet Linked through slavery @ http://linkedthroughslavery.com/         Check it out!

More later…..cya

Ten thousand miles begins with one step

I saw that on a Facebook ad and thought how profound… Our ancestors took that first step to survive and make their lives count for something………..

Here’s a portion of what Monique posted on her blog:

“I have been researching my family for a while but just lately I connected with a cousin “Joyceann Gray”.  We didn’t know we were related, but during the course of our research we found several names that matched up through marriages.  One day I happened to mention that (Solomon H Thompson the grandson born in 1870: Grandma Frances brother) has some family papers at the University and I had a quote from the University but I hadn’t ordered it yet, so she responded send me the email, well I sent Joyceann the email and she responded once again and said I went on and ordered it I hope that was ok.  I was surprised and excited!!!   We were both excited because since we’ve been finding connections we both figured we might find some family information that would help.  I never expected to find what we found when the documents came back. I’ll let Joyceann tell you her side and what she found, but my ENTIRE family history from the Thompson side was written out on just a few pieces of paper.”

http://genealogybreakingdownthewalls.blogspot.com

My side of the story:  During our collaborating,  Monique and I  discovered we had Dr. Solomon Thompson in both our family trees. (I mentioned this in my Jan 5th post) From my research  I identified Dr. Thompson as a cousin to my maternal great-grandmother Charlotte Baldwin Hatter.  I was as excited as Monique to find out more about him and our family relationships. So when Monique said here’s the email, I jumped at it and sent the request and check into the Spencer Research Library and Impatiently waited for the response. When we finally got the emails with the attached copies of papers, it really was a great day. That email contained a gold mine for Monique. God is Good. Although I didn’t get the answers I was looking for Monique did and that makes it all worth while. 

Then just this past week, Monique finally got her DNA results and found that Skip Mason was a cousin, so back to the trees we went and again found that the three of us have the same ancestors.  Although I don’t share DNA with Monique or Skip they are still cousins since we do share four plus (4+) relationships through marriage. Their people and mine lived, worked and traveled in the same circles. They toiled the lands of the Samuel Walter and Bushrod Washington plantation’s back in the early 1800’s and made their marks after the war of the states.  All our ancestors contributed to their families, communities and to history!

They may have been born during slavery but that didn’t make them slaves.

When the challenges are great, so are the possibilities for making real progress. Accept that those challenges exist, and yet do not be resigned to them.

Be clear and honest about where you are. Then begin moving boldly toward where you wish to go. Look realistically at the difficulties you face. In every single one of them, there is opportunity.

No one is better positioned than you to make the most of those unique and meaningful opportunities. For you know exactly where you are, where you intend to be, and what you have to work with. The road to real accomplishment leads directly through the challenges. Right now, you have what it takes to begin moving forward on that road.

You know what must be done, and more importantly, you know why you must do it. Step confidently into the challenges, and keep going until you reach the success that is on the other side. — Ralph Marsto