My Genealogy Part 4 (2021 Updates)
It has been a long journey learning about my genealogical history. I never dreamed of learning so much of my great heritage. I certainly communicated many of my distant cousins too from across the United States of America. After tons of investigations, I have witnessed more of the truth about my family. For a long time, I didn't understand the long, complex composition of my family tree, especially beyond my grandparents. I heard of stories and did a little research, but there was always a limit in what I found out previously. That would change. In the year 2018, I started to learn about my family tree on another level. Today, there are even more discoveries about my ancestry. This discovery relates to DNA. DNA is the molecule that has the instructions for the development and reproduction of human life. We all have it. I took 2 DNA tests from Ancestry.com and 23 and Me. I found out that almost 90 percent of my DNA is sub-Saharan African, and over 1/3 of my DNA is Nigerian. So, most of ancestry came from West and Central Africa originally as much of my DNA is Congolese too. As an African American, learning more about myself is opening a door to find more about my own soul. My paternal ancestors came from North Carolina including parts of Virginia in America, and my maternal ancestors came from Virginia (at Southampton County) in America. So, I know about Virginia and North Carolina a great deal. Exciting facts has been found by me about my distant cousins living in California, New York, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and other places of the Untied States of America. The irony is that many of them don't know anything about me, but I know numerous facts about them. I researched this topic in an in-depth fashion, because I also believe in the truth that the keys of wisdom shouldn't be restricted from the people. In my perspective, the people have the right to know the truth.
There are always many links between African Americans and West/Central Africans. In 1619, slave traders forced Africans to get on a slave ship called the White Lion. They took these human beings to Virginia. There were about 20 Africans on the ship. They originally came from present day Angola. It was seized by the British crew from the Portuguese slave ship called the Sao Joao Bautista. This ship came into Hampton, Virginia in 1619. The whole culture of Afro-Brazilians in Brazil was influenced by Angola. Many slaves who came into Brazil came from Angola (which is in Central Africa). Almost 4 million black Africans were kidnapped and brought into Brazil. Afro-Brazilians in many cases follow the religion of Condomble, which came from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. The early history of capoeira is recorded by historians such as Dr. Desch-Obi. Originally, the ancestor tradition originated from Kingdom of Kongo and was called N'golo/Engolo (known as Angola today); a type of ritual dance that used several elements of kicking, slap boxing, etc. Many of the black people in Brazil established settlements, called quilombos, and used capoeira as a form of self-defense against imperialists. Correspondingly, Montinaro et al. (2014) observed that around 50% of the overall ancestry of African Americans traces back to the Niger-Congo-speaking Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria and southern Benin, reflecting the centrality of the his West African region in the Atlantic Slave Trade. The characteristic West African haplogroups L1b, L2b,c,d, and L3b,d and West-Central African haplogroups L1c and L3e in particular occur at high frequencies among African Americans.
Also, it is important to note that genes alone doesn't play a role in human development. Genes can exist in many forms and have different alleles. What is an allele? An allele is a variant form of a gene or different forms of a gene. The DNA that makes up the genes is capable of copying storing, and transmitting the genetic information in a cell. DNA has many jobs like store information involving heredity. DNA is a powerful, important molecule. DNA is a nucleic acid made up of nucleotides joined into long strands or chains by covalent bonds. These nucleotides are made up of a 5-carbon sugar called deoxyribose, a phosphate group, and an nitrogenous base. The four kinds of nitrogenous bases in DNA are: adenine, guanine, cytosine, and thymine. In science, the nucleotides in DNA (which exists in a double helix form) go by the first letters of their base names of A, G, C, and T. The nucleotide in a strand of DNA are joined by covalent bonds and formed between the sugar of one nucleotide and the phosphate group of the next. Before a cell divides, it duplicates its DNA in a copying process called replication. RNA is riboonucleic acid. RNA is involved into putting the genetic code into action. So, first you have DNA that have the genetic instructions that tell cells how to build proteins, then RNA uses the instructions to direct the production of proteins to help determine an organism's characteristics. RNA is single stranded, and DNA is double stranded. RNA has the sugar of ribose, and RNA has uracil instead of thymine.
DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell, and RNA molecules go to the protein building sites in the cytoplasm (at the ribosomes). To put it in other terms, DNA has the master plan of the organization of life functions, and the RNA has the blueprints to put it into use. RNA have many functions like protein synthesis and controlling the development of amino acids into proteins like a factory. The 3 major types of RNA are messenger RNA, ribosomal RNA, and transfer RNA. Messenger RNA carry copies of the instructions from DNA to other parts of the instructions to assemble amino acids into proteins). Ribosomal RNA deals with proteins being as assembled in ribosomes. They are sub-units. Transfer RNA transfers each amino acid to the ribosomes as it is specified by the coded messages in mRNA. Therefore, transfer RNA carries amino acids from the cytoplasm to the ribosome. A process called transcription makes RNA (by using the enzyme of RNA polymerase to take segments of DNA to be used as templates to produce RNA molecules). Translation is when at the ribosomes where there is the decoding of an mRNA message into a protein. Ribosomes use the sequence of codons in mRNA to make amino acids into polypeptide chains (i.e. proteins).
Proteins are made up of amino acids, and they are made by the ribosomes. So, the process is that our genetic information is transferred form DNA, to RNA, and finally to proteins (these proteins that deals with our human characteristics or physical traits. Living materials of the human body are made up of proteins. RNA can leave the nucleus). For us humans, proteins helps to fight disease, is part of the cell membrane, and build new body tissue. Amino acids come together like sentences to form our bones, blood, muscle, and the rest of the human body. At the basic level, you have genes, many genes make up of DNA, multiple amounts of DNA (and DNA has the genetic code of life which has all of your traits) are formed into chromosomes, and the chromosomes are found in the cell's nucleus. Foods with proteins that we eat have their amino acids broken in order for our DNA to use them for further activities. A codon is a series of three bases in a mRNA molecule. Polypeptide is another term for a protein. Genes gives instructions on how the body works and give directions to allow proteins to develop our bodies (i.e. It deals with processes from the genotype to the phenotype). Human development is influenced by both genes and the environment. In other words, the phenotype of any human being is determined by the environment and a person's genes. If there are genes for being tall in height or having dark melanin, the genes for those realities would cause a person to have those characteristics.
Therefore, we (who are African Americans) are heavily Bantu. Us (who are black Americans) have been in America for over four centuries now. Tons of us have been some of the greatest advocates for freedom in human history like Harriet Tubman, Malcolm X, Dr. King, Ella Baker, Septima Clark, Unita Blackwell, John Lewis, Fred Hampton, and other human beings who sacrificed their lives for our liberty. That is why we never take for granted the devotion to justice that these heroes encompass in their thinking. I also believe in Pan-African unity in that our black brothers and black sisters globally are part of our family from the Afro-Caribbeans to the black Africans in the Motherland of Africa. We won't stop, because we can't stop. Our cause is just, and monumental blessings are part of our long legacy. I am an African American with a lot of DNA from Western and Central Africa indeed (from the Bantu people).
The Christian family
There is a family with the surname Christian that is related to the Peeples family too. It starts with Raymond T. Peeples (1910-1978) or my first cousin. His parents were Ray Peeples (1879-1929) and Mary Anne Boyd (1887-1951). He married Eunice M. Everett on December 12, 1933. Their children are Shirley Mae Peeples (1934-2003) and George R. Peeples (1936-1996). Shirley Mae Peeples married Vernell Emanuel Christian (1935-2019) on December 28, 1957 at Newport News, Virginia. Their children are Brenda Ann Christian (b. 1956), Verneeda Christian (b. 1958), Mark Allen Christian (b. 1959), Vernon Emanuel Christian (b. 1961), Felicia Anne Christian (b. 1967), and Veronica Love Christian (b. 1972). My 3rd cousin Felicia Anne Christian married Quentin Delvet Graves on May 12, 1990 at Newport News, Virginia. Their children are Shelton Lamar Graves (b. 1989), Shanice Nicole Graves (b. 1992), and Nicholas Sean Graves (b. 1996). My 3rd cousin Verneeda Christian was born on March 26, 1958 at Southampton County, Virginia. She married Brockton Woodson on March 25, 1978 at Newport News, Virginia. Their children were Christina Angel Woodson (b. 1979), Marlon Oren Woodson (b. 1982), and Ryan Woodson. Verneeda Christian's current husband is Larry Lavonne Winder. My 3rd cousin Mark Allen Christian married Darlene Maria Fuller (b. 1958) on September 29, 1979 at Newport News, VA. Their children are: Kisha Christian-Lewis and Nick Christian. Mark Allen Christian ended his marriage to Darlene Maria Fuller on June 5, 2009 at Hampton, Virginia. My 3rd cousin Vernoica Love Christian was born on July 29, 1972. She married Rodney Rex Richmond on November 23, 2001 at Newport News, Virginia. Their children are Alexander Richmond and Laila Richmond (who are my 3rd cousins).
The Collins family
The African American Collins family in Virginia came from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Now, I do know that I'm related to many members of the Collins family on my paternal side of my family. My first cousin is Mallie G. Collins Brown. She was born in October 15, 1929, and she lives in Philadelphia. Her parents were my grand uncle Wilbert T. Collins (1909-1990) and Lillian Mapp Collins (1909-1996). Their children are Ralph William Collins (1928-2006), Mallie G. Collins Brown, and Richard Collins (b. 1935). Wilbert T. Collins' daughter with Hazel Doris Weeks Sr. (1926-2003) was Hazel Doris Weeks (1953-1973). Hazel Doris Weeks Jr. was my 1st cousin, and she married Clifton Robert Mack on January 7, 1972 at Eastville, Virginia (in the Eastern Shore). Wilbert T. Collins's parents were Jacob Collins (1869-1928) and my great grandmother Effie Sarah Bailey Bryant (1891-1977). Jacob Collins' parents were Caleb Collins (1834-1920) and Adah Collins (1838-1896). Jacob Collins married Sarah Felton (b. 1866) and they had the following children: Susan Anna Collins (1892-1949), Benjamin S. Collins, Louis Herman Collins (1895-1961), Jacob Collins Jr. (1896-1959), and Levin Collins (1896-1953). Caleb Collins' parents were Major Collins (1816-1877) and Lakey Collins (b. 1810). Caleb and Adah Collins had the following children: Caleb Collins Jr. (b. 1855), George Major Collins (b. 1858), William H. Collins (1861-1937), Louisa Collins (b. 1861), Annie Collins (b. 1863), John A. Collins (1865-1954), Severn T. Collins (b. 1867), Jacob Collins (1869-1928), Drucilla Collins (B. 1869), Ella Collins (b. 1869), Margaret Collins (b. 1871), Effie S. Collins (b. 1875), and Rich R. Collins (b. 1877). Major Collins' parents were Stephen Collins (b. 1770) and Sarah Collins. Joette Nichole Collins Rhodes (b. 1983) is my 5th cousin. She is related to the Upshur and Perkins families too.
More on the Peeples Family
Recently, I found more information about the Peeples family that I'm related to. My 2nd great uncle was Mack Franklin Peeples (1892-1939). He was the son of Charles and Fannie Peeples. He had 2 wives. His first wife was Daisy Claud Peeples (1899-1927). Their children are Fannie Mae Peeples (1922-1927), John Ralph Peeples (1923-1970), Joe Edgar Mack Peeples (1925-1972), and Wallace Frank Peeples. Daisey Claud Peeples is my 2nd cousin as she is part of the Claud family too. Daisy Claud's parents are Frank Thomas Claud (1861-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (b. 1868). After Daisy died, Mack Franklin Peeples married a woman named Josephine Charleston (1912-2011). The children of Mack and Josephine Peeples are: Ethel Justine Peeples (1936-2013), Arthur Lee Peeples (1932-1973), Albert Peeples (b. 1935), and Mary Neoma Peeples (b. 1938). Josephine Peeples had a child with William Henry Ivey named Gladys Elizabeth Peeples (b. August 31, 1948). My 3rd cousin or Joe Edgar Mack Peeples (1925-1972) was born on July 19, 1925 at Southampton County, Virginia. He married Deaconess Dorothy Rose Gholston on March 29, 1947 at Emporia, Virginia.Their children are Elger Wendell Peeples (1948-1999), Euvonne Arbodella Peeples (b. 1952), Earl Nelson Peeples (b. 1954), and Ervin Andre Peeples (1966-2013).
Deaconess Dororthy Peeples' parents are John Gholston and Sallie Turner. She received her education in the Southampton County Public School System. She graduated from Southampton County Training School and also received a degree from Cosmetology School. She owned and operated The Peeples Beauty Shop where she served many members of the community for several decades. Dorothy Peeples was a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church of Boykins, Virginia. Her sisters are Emma Harding and Sallie Harding. My 4th cousin Elger Wendell Peeples married Theresa Celestine Blunt on June 11, 1983 at Norfolk, Virginia. Their children are Brittany Nicole Peeples (b. 1984) and Brianna Noelle Peeples (b. 1987). Earl Nelson Peeples married Joyce Ann Boyd on June 19, 1982 at Clarksville, Virginia. Euvonne Arbodella Peeples married Albert Donnell Granby on November 27, 1982 at Boykins, Virginia. Their child is Albert Grandy Jr. The late Ervin Andre Peeples had a partner named Danielle Whitfield with the child named Tristen. Amber K. Peeples is the grandchild of Dorothy Peeples too. Dorothy Peeples' other sisters are Vashtire G. Peeples and Elder Mattie Hackney.
The Migrations of My Family (Regionally)
My ancestors didn't just stay in Virginia and North Carolina. They migrated all over America. These facts describe thoroughly the travels of my family in the many regions of the Untied States of America. The South ironically is the place where more black Americans are coming into from the rest of America. In the South, my paternal 3rd cousins of Shua Fyffe-Wally and Marland Fyffe moved from Connecticut to Atlanta, Georgia. They are descendants of the late Beatrice Latrice Williams (1918-2010). Beatrice was born in North Carolina and moved into Connecticut. Her mother was Leatte D. or my 2nd great aunt. My 3rd paternal cousin Vernon Sessons Junior lives in Hampton, Virginia. My 4th cousin Shawkeen Johnson is my paternal relative living in Maryland. My 3rd maternal cousin April Brown-Gordon lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. My 4th maternal cousin Tony Sanchious lives in Washington, D.C. My 4th maternal cousin Rosina Therea Lowe lives in Georgia. My 5th cousin Willette Roundtree Shalishali lives in Georgia too. My maternal 4th cousin Dr. Kimberly Munro lives in North Carolina. Many of my distant cousins live in Florida which is located in the South.
My 2nd cousin Velicia Renna Spencer was born on November 15, 1966, and she lives in Florida. Her daughter is Zandria Bashane Bryant (born in 1990). Zandria's father is Richardo Cardell Bryant. Zandria Bryant is my 2nd cousin, and she was born in Stuart, Florida. Zandria is a person with a Master's degree, studies mental health issues, and is an expert in helping others prodigiously. We share the same ancestor of the late Carl D. (1886-1968) or my great grandfather. Zandria's mother is Velicia Renna Spencer. Velicia's mother was Clarise D. (1934-2002). Clarise's parents were Linwood D. (1907-1971) and Bashie Ann Whitmore (1907-1963). Linwood D.'s parents were Carl D. (1886-1968) and Lizzie Trice (1885-1950). My fourth cousin Charles Anthony Whitehead (b. 1962) was born in Franklin, Virginia. He married Sabrina Denise Bailey on December 29, 1989. Charles Anthony Whitehead's parents are Elijah Whitehead Sr. (1934-2009) and Elizabeth Euince Ridley (b. 1938). Elizabeth Euince Ridley's parents are Arthur Ridley (1910-1990) and Etta Claud (1919-2106). Etta Claud's father was Richard Washington Claud (1874-1945). Richard Washington Claud's father was George Washington Claud (1854-1923), and George's mother was my 5th grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Charles Anthony Whitehead's siblings are Elijah Whitehead Jr., Natarcha Renee Whitehead, and Denise Sturdifen who are my 4th cousins.
The Midwest has a lot of black people from the South and other places of America. In fact, many black Midwesterners' cousins are from the Deep South like Mississippi, Alabama, etc. In the Midwest, my 5th cousin Josina Pittman Greene lives in St. Louis, Missouri. My 3rd cousin Shelton Lamar Graves is from Cincinnati, Ohio. Felicia Anne Christian is my maternal 3rd cousin from Ohio. My maternal 2nd cousin Abdul Rashad-Diaab (formerly Ray Bernard Darden) was born in Isle of Wright of Virginia, lived in Brooklyn, NYC, and now lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Many of my distant cousins live in Indiana and in Wisconsin too. Tommy L. Dye (b. 1973) is my 5th paternal cousin (as we share the ancestor of George Perkins I. He was born in 1815). His parents are Deborah Zoe Smallwood (b. 1955) and Tommy L. Dye Sr. (b. 1953). Tommy O. Dye was born in South Bend, Indiana, and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Many of the Smallwood family came from North Carolina, traveled into West Virginia, and from West Virginia came into Indiana. Also, in the Midwest, my 5th cousin Josina Pittman-Greene works at the St. Louis Community Foundation. She is a descendant of Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Josina's grandfather was the great Georgia activist Theopolis Melton Lowe (1925-2016). Josina is related also to the late woman Lydia Claud. She or Josina Pittman-Greene is from Columbus, Georgia, and graduated from the University of Georgia. She is married to Derrick Greene. St. Louis, Missouri has a long history involving the black freedom struggle. Missouri was a slave trade before the American Civil War. During the U.S. Civil War, it was part of the Union, but pro-Confederate sympathizers were common in the area too. After the Civil War, Jim Crow existed. Not to mention that St. Louis is one large epicenter of the freedom movement against oppression, police brutality, and other evils that still plague our world. Ferguson is just next door to St. Louis, and we know of the heroic protesters plus activists in Ferguson desiring real social change. Many people in Missouri have been heroic to stand up for truth and human liberty.
The North is a place common for large cities (like New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Boston, etc.), diverse cultures, and a major location of the Great Migration. Long ago, many black people from the South came into the North for economic opportunities. In the North, my maternal cousin Lisa M. Cousins is my 1st cousin from Westchester, New York. Ericka Walters or my 2nd paternal cousin lives in Philadelphia. Danielle Parks lives in New Jersey, and she is my paternal 3rd cousin. My 5th maternal cousin is Daryle Hundell and Doreen Hundell from New York City. My 5th cousin Aaron Peeples lives in Philadelphia. He is the son of Roy Chester Peeples Sr. (1949-2002) and Michelle Aleta Hannah (b. 1960). Aaron Peeples and I share the 2 ancestors of Zilphy Claud and Charles Peeples. My 3rd cousin from Connecticut (at the North) is Pastor Dwain V. Gatling, whose wife is First Lady Antoinette Gatling (Chapman). Pastor Gatling was born in 1970, and Antoinette Chapman was born in 1969. They have their own ministry at Bristol, Connecticut. Their children are Daniel Gatling and Naomi Gatling (who are my 3rd cousins too). Pastor Dwain V. Gatling is a descendant of Beatrice Latrice Williams (1918-2010) and Beatrice's grandfather Adam D. (b. 1862). Many of my relatives live in Connecticut, and their ancestors came from the South. Beatrice migrated to Connecticut from North Carolina. Another descendant of Beatrice Latrice Williams is my 3rd cousin Lynnette M. Sparkman McLaurin (she was born in 1977), and she married David M McLaurin. Both of them live in Connecticut. Lynnette M Sparkman McLaurin is part of my paternal family just like Pastor Dwain V. Gatling.
Back five years ago, if you would have told me that I have distant cousins living in Massachusetts today, then I wouldn't believe you. Yet, now with new research in 2021, I found out that many of my distant cousins do in fact live in Brockton, Massachusetts (and in other places of MA) which is south of Boston. I'm from Virginia obviously. Before showing who they are, it is time to show a story first. Long ago, by the end of the U.S. Civil War, Millie Turner had a relationship with a young man named Morefield Hurst. Morefield's father was a cooper by trade. Millie Turner lived on areas where the Nottoway Native Americans lived at. Morefield Hurst and Millie Turner (my 4th great grandparents) had many children. Many of their names are Susanna Hurst-Turner, Thomas Hurst, Josephine T. Hurst (1868-1929), etc. Josephine T. Hurst lived in Virginia (and later in North Carolina), and she was my 3rd great grand aunt. Josephine T. Hurst married Kenneth Sykes at Southampton County, Virginia on December 5, 1888. They had many sons and daughters. One of their daughters was a woman named Minne Eva Sykes (1906-1980). Minnie Eva Sykes was my 1st cousin. She was born in Virginia. She married Harry Cecil McPherson Sr. (1903-1982) on June 21, 1923 at Norfolk, Virginia. Their children are: James Albert McPherson (1925-2005), Lelia McPherson (1926-1928), Cecelia Elaine McPherson (b. 1927), Harry Cecil McPherson Jr. (1929-2000), Walter Ardonis McPherson (b. 1930), Virginia Ruth McPherson (b.1933), and Anne Levorn McPherson (1935-1992). Minne Eva Sykes had a divorce with Harry Cecil McPherson on April 25, 1950 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Minnie Eva Sykes married George Washington Bailey (1897-?) on September 2, 1950 at Norfolk, Virginia.
My 2nd cousin Walter Adroinis McPherson (b. 1930) is the son of Harry Cecil McPherson Sr. and Minnie Eva Sykes. Walter married Martha Marie Tabb on September 26, 1948 at Norfolk, Virginia. They had the following children (who are my 3rd cousins): Darlene Regeaner McPherson (b. 1949), Cynthia Therese Muhammad (b. 1950), Laurel Donnette McPherson Johnson (b. 1952), Walter Adonis McPherson (b. 1953), Marthell McPherson Chance (b. 1954), Aquilla Rayeen McPherson Crosby (b. 195), Shavell McPherson Rayburn (b. 1958), Stryone Prado McPherson Sr. (1959-2006), Rodney F. McPherson (b. 1965). Cynthia Therese Muhammad was born on July 22, 1950 at Norfolk. Later, Cynthia, and the rest of her brothers and sisters moved into Brockton, Massachusetts when they were children. Cynthia Therese Muhammad married Lawrence Kareem Muhammad (b. 1950), and one of their children is my 4th cousin named Sharif A. Muhammad. Sharif A. Muhammad (who lives in Massachusetts now in 2021) is married to Jennifer Clerkin (b. 1978), and the couple have children too. My 4th cousin Taneekah Marie Freeman (b. 1976) is the daughter of my 3rd cousin Marthell Marie McPherson (b. 1954). My 4th cousin Shaneek Donnette Johnson (b. 1977) is married to a man whose last name is Sudler, and her mother is my 3rd cousin Laurel Donnette McPherson Johnson (b. 1952). Styrone P. McPherson Jr. is my 4th cousin whose father is the late Styrone Prado McPherson Sr. (1959-2006).
The West Coast has a long history of black people. Tons of the black Americans in the West came there via the Great Migration from the South. In 2019, I visited Los Angeles, California. I saw California's people and architecture. I walked around the campus of the University of Southern California, I saw the Staples Center, I have been on Figueroa Street, and I enjoyed myself at various restaurants. Therefore, the West Coast is always a very powerful part of world culture. On the West Coast, my 3rd cousin Treana Renee Jones on my paternal side is from Ventura, California. Her brother is Larry Jones. Both Treana Renee Jones and Larry Jones are my 3rd cousins. We share the same ancestor of Adam D. (b. 1862). Also, they are descendants of the great heroic ancestor of Beatrice Latrice Williams (1918-2010) who traveled from her home area of North Carolina to the Northern state of Connecticut. The parents of Treana Renee Jones (who is a registered nurse at Ventura County Medical Center at Ventura, California) and Larry Jones are Larry Rufus Jones (b. 1954) and Maionette Louise Thomas (b. 1954). Another group of 3rd cousins who live in the West Coast of California are Taylor Hunter (b. 2001) and her brother Jordan Bilal Hunter (b. 1994). Their parents are Eugene Hunter Jr. (b. 1963) and Tracie Linette Bilal (b. 1965). Taylor and Jordan Hunter share my ancestor of Adam D. (b. 1863) and they are the grandchildren of Delores Williams Major (b. 1945). Taylor Hunter competed in volleyball all four years at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, California. Now, she is in college. Taylor Hunter red-shirted her first season at CSUN in 2019 as an expert volleyball player. Jordan attended CSU Monterey Bay and Washington State. Their mother, Tracie Linette Bilal is a Rutgers graduate (as she lived in New Jersey for years).
The Mystery of Zell Peeples (1921-1971) and the Battle of Normandy (during World War II)
There is always the mystery about the life of my late first cousin Zell B. Peeples (1921-1971). She lived from April 28, 1921 at Southampton County, Virginia to 1971 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia is an important city of my family tree, because many of my maternal and paternal relatives traveled from Virginia into Philadelphia. I have many cousins who have lived or visited Philadelphia to this day. Zell Peeples was found passed away at the West Section area of Philadelphia on a street. Her descendants described her as tall, strong, and very prominent in her community. Zell Peeples and I share the ancestry of the same couple of Charles Peeples (1855-1922) and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown (1857-1946). Charles and Fannie Peeples are my 2nd great grandparents. Zell Peeples' parents were Ray Peeples (1879-1929) and Mary Anne Boyd (1887-1957). Charles Peeples is Zell's grandfather. Zell Peeples' Brothers and Sisters are Lula M. Peeples (b. 1906), Ounn Peeples (b. 1908), David I. Peeples (1908-1966), Raymond T. Peeples (1910-1978), Lucy M. Peeples, Lucy M. Peeples (b. 1914), Ida Peeples Eppes (1916-2000), Richard Peeples (1917-1999), and Charles R. Peeples (b. 1919). Zell Peeples later migrated from Virginia to Philadelphia at a young age. This is the first time I revealed this information here. I found out that there were many black Americans involved in the Normandy Invasion of World War II. This invasion was about Allied Forces coming into France to liberate people from Nazi tyranny. The Allied heroism and sacrifice are honored always. Lula Peeples (was Zell Peeples' sister) was my first cousin who was born in 1906 at Southampton County, Virginia. Her parents were Ray Peeples (1879-1929) and Mary Anne Boyd (1887-1951). Her grandfather was Charles Peeples (1855-1922). Charles Peeples is my 2nd great grandfather.
Lula Peeples once married a man named Leslie Goffigon Sr. on the date of May 15, 1928 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the town of Capeville, VA on the Eastern Shore). Lula and Leslie's son was Mr. Leslie Goffigon Jr. Leslie Goffigon Jr. was not only a World War II veteran. He was part of the 239 Port Company 393 Port Battalion during World War II. He was inducted into the United States Army on March 23, 1943 at the age of 20 years old. Also, he participated in Normandy and the Northern France Campaign. He was one of the many thousands of soldiers who landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 (on D-Day). Leslie Goffigon Jr. (1923-2018) worked for the U.S. Postal Service for 38 years. He lived from April 4, 1923 at Capevlille, Virginia at Northampton County to July 28, 2018 being 95 years old. He lived at the Bronx, NYC. His daughter is Saundra Goffigon-Rudolph or my 3rd cousin, and she lives in New York state. She was born on September 2, 1956. Saundra's son is W. Aaron Steele or my 3rd cousin. Saundra Goffigon-Rudolph's current husband is Phillip Rudolph III. On D-Day, almost 2,000 African American troops landed on the Omaha and Utah Beaches. A book that describes African American involvement in the Normandy, D-Day invasion is entitled, "Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day Black Heroes, At Home and At War" by Linda Hervieux. This is the first time of my life that I knew of Leslie Goffigon Jr. Now, I know. Now, Zell Peeples had a child with Victor Brown named Alfreda P. Brown (1946-1996). Alfreda P. Brown lived in Philadelphia. Alfreda P. Brown had many children named April Brown Gordon and Janet Marie Bost (b. 1970). These 2 women are my 3rd cousins related to the Peeples family back in Virginia.
*Recently, I found out new information about my ancestors (this new information came heavily from the research from grand aunt Lear Anna Peeples. She was born in 1939). This is the first time that I revealed it to the public right here. Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown (Peeples) is the name of my late 2nd great grandmother. She lived from March 1857 to February 18, 1946. I didn't know much about her ancestry until now. Fannie was born a slave in Southampton County, Virginia. She was born in Boykins, Virginia which is near North Carolina. Boykins was also called Jerusalem. She lived to see Lee surrendered to General Grant at the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865. Fannie was 9 years old. Fannie said that the Union soldiers took supplies and food including livestock from the lands. Fannie's sister was Ida, and Ida married a Whitehead family member. Ida was kidnapped by another white family, and she experienced slavery. Fannie had a brother too.
Fannie's mother was a slave named Thirsty Ann Brown. Thirsty Ann Brown (or my 3rd great grandmother) was freed after the Civil War. Thirsty left with Fannie's brother. Fannie's father was a white slave owner named Bill Rawles. Fannie married a man named Charles Peeples. Charles Peeples lived from ca. 1855 to 1922. Charles didn't like to take pictures and he wanted people to be on time constantly, especially when it came time for church. Sources say that Charles was a short, dark skinned black man. Charles Peeples was my 2nd great grandfather, and he was a deacon at Boykins Baptist Church. Charles's mother was Annie Peeples. Charles and Fannie Peeples had over 10 children. I am a descendant of their child named Joseph Henry Peeples (1898-1972). Joseph married Hollie Ethel Seaborn (1908-1996). Everybody in my family knows about Hollie.
The Tillery family
The Tillery family has a long, mysterious history too. My 2nd great grandmother was Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Her parents were Isam Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847). Georganna's brothers were Walter Tillery (1868-1927), Medrick Tillery (b. 1871), and John Tillery (b. 1873). Walter Tillery was my 3rd great uncle. His first wife was Sallie Gary, and they were married at 1888. Their children are Carlena Tillery (b. 1890), Core Lee Tillery (1895-1955), Rufus Flint Tillery (1896-1965), and Lucy Tillery Smith (1906-1931). His 2nd wife was Anna Page (b. 1886). Their children were Noah Tillery (b. 1908), Bessie L. Tillery (b. 1918), and Walter Tillery Jr. (1919-1987). My 1st cousin Cora Lee Tillery married Walker Beech on September 21, 1911 at Northampton County, Virginia. Their children were Rose B. Beach (b. 1916), Malvin T. Beach (b. 1918), Dale E. Beach (b. 1920), Lois Carolyn Beach (b. 1923), Dariold M. Beach (b. 1926), Filbert T. Beach (b. 1930), Carry W. Beach (b. 1930), and Barbara Ann Beach (b. 1934). My 2nd cousin Lois Carolyn Beeach was born on August 3, 1923 at Northampton County, Virginia. Her first husband was Odessa Ivery (b. 1923), and her 2nd husband was Wesley Floyd Jacobs Jr. (1923-1998) on June 14, 1948 at Cape Charles, Virginia. The children of Lois Carolyn Beach and Wesley Floyd Jacobs Jr. are Sandra Jean Jacobs (b. 1947), Thomasine Cheryl Jacobs Mcintosh (b. 1950), Crystal Louivenia Jacobs (b. 1952), and Wesley Floyd Jacobs III (b. 1954). My third cousin Crystal Louvenia Jacobs had a daughter named Crylucia Keisa Riley (b. 1981). Crylucia's father is Lucky Riley. Crylucia Keisa Riley is my 4th cousin. Therefore, the Tillery family originated from North Carolina and traveled all over America.
Honoring Alma Rose Claude Hundell (1943-2019)
The late Anna Rose Claude Hundell (1943-2019) was a very heroic woman. She lived from March 8, 1943 to July 15, 2019 at Jamaica, Queens, New York City. She lived a well rounded life. Her parents were Norfleet Claud (1920-2004) and Anna Rose Turner (1921-2011). Anna Rose Claude Hundell is related to the Claud family. We share the ancestor Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Alma was born in Norfolk, Virginia. She graduated from I.C. Norcom High School in 1961. Her siblings are Norfleet Little Claude Jr. (b. 1954), Cynthia Marie Claude (b. 1947), and Eleanora Virginia Claude (b. 1951). Alma Rose Claude married John Gordon Hudnell on July 15, 1972 at Portsmouth, Virginia. The couple had 2 children whose names are Daryle Norfleet Hudnell (b. 1975) and Doreen A. Hudnell (b. 1981). These 2 human beings are my 5th cousins. Daryle Norfleet Hudnell is a lieutenant firefighter part of the FDNY institution. My 4th cousin and the sister of Anna Rose Claude Hundell is Cynthia Marie Claude (b. 1947). She married Ulus Lee Battle on the date of June 15, 1968 at Portsmouth, Virginia. They divorced by 1998. Their children are Ulus Terrell Battle (b. 1965) and Shaun Lamont Battle (b. 1973). Ulus Terrell Battle of my 5th cousin married Glenda Dinese Cherry on November 30, 1985 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Their children are the opera singer Denise Nicole Battle (b. 1988), and the culinary expert Maria Christina Battle (b. 1992). Both of them are my 6th cousins.
The late musician David Williams (and his family)
The late David Williams (who was related to me) was a famous musician and guitarist who lived from November 21, 1950 to March 6, 2009. He was a singer, a songwriter, a musician, a producer, and worked with artists like Michael Jackson. He was born in Hampton, Virginia. As a young child, he was influenced by jazz artists like Kenny Burrell and Wes Montgomery. Later, he worked with The Dells. He served in the military during the Vietnam War. He worked with the Temptations. He was working with the R&B group Canson. David Williams worked with Michael Jackson on his 1979 Off The Wall album. As a premier guitarist, David Williams was placed on albums made by the Pointer Sisters (1980), Peter Allen (1980), Aretha Franklin (1980), and the Four Tops (1981). He performed on Jackson's album Bad in 1987. He made guitar session with people from Dionne Warwick, Shalamar, Go West, Mariah Carey, Chaka Khan, and other legends. He made 2 solo albums of Take The Ball and Run (1983) and Somethin' Special (1991). I found out that David Williams (1950-2009) was my 2nd cousin, because we share the same ancestor of Adam D. (He was my 2nd great grandfather, and he was born in 1862). David Williams' parents were Larry Lamont Williams (1920-1968) and Reatha Mackine Knight (1922-1978).
Larry Lamont Williams' parents are Robert Floyd Williams (1898-1976) and Leatte D. (b. 1897). Leatte D.'s parents are Adam D. (born in 1862) and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). David Williams' siblings are Elbert Larry Williams (b. 1941), Delores Williams Major (b. 1945), Doris Jean Carmichael (1946-2017), Clarence Williams (1947-2020. He was a military veteran of the Vietnam War like David was), and Elaine Williams Patterson (b. 1949). David Williams had many children. Many of his children are Kenya Williams, Michelle Perry, Kimberly Perry, and Skyler David Williams. Her children with Debbi Ciaburri are Davida Brittany Williams (b. 1986) and Dana Mary Williams (b. 1989). Davida Brittany Williams is my 3rd cousin. She is an American actress, singer, dancer, photographer, director, and producer. She was on the shows Lizzie McGuire, and Raise Your Voice. She made music too. Davida was born in Los Angeles, California. Dana Williams is a songwriter, singer, and guitarist, including poet who lives in Los Angeles. Her debut album EP called The Lonely One. David Williams' daughter Kenya Williams is a well known actress and producer. She was on Even Stevens in 2000 and in Touched by an Angel in 1994. She had a role on Moesha, the Parkers, and other programming. Kenya Williams has been an educator in Compton Unified School District for years. My 2nd cousin Elaine Williams Patterson had a child named Tracey Elise Williams (b. 1966) with Charles Norman Langford (1944-1969). Tracey Elise Williams is my 3rd cousin, and she was born on December 28, 1966 at Hampton, Virginia. She had the children of Mareo Lamon Williams (born in 1990. His father is Jose Luis Rodriguez Montanez Jr. Jose Montanez Jr. was born in 1966), Marquita Elise Williams (born in 1989 and her father is Mark Anthony Harris), and Marshawn T. Williams. Mareo, Marquita, and Marshawn are all my 3rd cousins. Marquita Elise Williams married Antonio Devon Harmon on September 16, 2011 at Hampton, Virginia. Marquita was born in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6, 1989. Mareo Lamon Williams married Latonya Arielle Abrams on February 7, 2014 at Hampton, Virginia.
More on my Paternal Relatives
One of the most interesting finds of my ancestry was finding out that many of my distant paternal cousins live in West Virginia and Indiana. Many of them don't know a single thing about me, but I know my ancestry. To start, many of my paternal ancestors came from the Eastern Shore in Virginia. My 4th great grandfather was George Perkins I who was born in 1815. His wife was Esther Perkins. Their son was George Perkins II (1847-1932). His daughter was Sophonia Perkins (1870-1926).She was my first cousin. She married Sam Casey (1863-1938) and the couple lived in North Carolina. Their daughter was Nannie Rebecca Casey (1890-1943). She married Charles W. Smallwood (b. 1888). This couple moved from North Carolina into West Virginia. The couple had many children like James Bethel Smallwood (1923-1981). James was my 3rd cousin. His wife was Geneva L. Cox (1922-1995). One of their children are Deborah Zoe Smallwood (born in 1955). She was born in West Virginia and moved into South Bend, Indiana.
The late Mollie Mae Smith (1932-2009) had a long, historic history. Many people know of her life, and she was my 2nd cousin. She was born in Halifax County, North Carolina. Her transition came about on Tuesday, October 13, 2009. She retired from Newport News Public Schools after her 30 years of service there. Mollie's brothers are Samuel Lee Smith (1930-1984), Ernest Smith (1933-2007), and George Smith Junior. Her late sister was Argerie Smith (1934-1937). Mollie's mother Eartie Lou D. was my 1st cousin, and her father was George Smith (b. 1866). Eartie's parents were Daniel D. (1866-?) and Mollie Demry (1868-?). Mollie Mae Smith's great grandfather was Alfred D. (b. 1828-?) or my 3rd great grandfather. Mollie Mae Smith had the following children with Alphonso Smith: Angie Marie Smith (b. 1949), Mary Jane Smith (b. 1954), Diana Smith Brown (b. 1955), Reginald Smith, and Mildred Smith. Mollie also married Willie Richard Smith on April 10, 1958 at Newport News, Virginia. Their child was John Smith (1961-1962).
One of my late distant relatives was my 3rd cousin named Elder Carol Lovette Cohen Robertson (1939-2019).She was born on November 20, 1939 at Eden, North Carolina. She was the fifth child born to her parents of the late Deacon William Henry Cohen Sr. (1908-1985) and Dr. Lettie Lee Perkins Cohen (1910-1997). Elder Carol Lovette Cohen's siblings are Doris Jean Cohen (born in 1929), Annie Pearl Hairston (1932-1994), William Herbert Cohen (1934-1982), Harold Lee Cohen (born 1937), Dr. James Roland Cohen (who was born in 1947. His wife was Carlene Dillard Clark. His son is James Roland Cohen Jr. born in 1966), Bishop Harry Cohen (whose wife is Elder Linda Cohen of Burlington, North Carolina). and Mary Esther Cohen (born 1942). Elder Carol Cohen Robertson married Elder Bobby Robertson (born 1961) at Leaksville, Rockingham, North Carolina on May 20, 1961. Their 4 children are Dr. Andrea Lovette Robertson Byers (born 1963), Valerie Denise Robertson Atkins (whose husband is Douglas Akins), Joseph Lamont Robertson (whose wife is Dennice), and Walter Dulane Robertson. Carol Cohen Robertson was an accompanist for her mother and Gospel Light Untied Holy Church in Axton, Virginia. She loved to play music being influenced by the jazz pianist Errol Gardner. In 2011, she earned an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity Degree from the United Holy Churches of America, Inc. Carol Cohen Robertson have 8 grandchildren. Their names are: Josef Akins of Brooklyn, NYC, Loren Byers of Greensboro, North Carolina, Jasmine Akins of Greensboro, North Carolina, Chelci Robertson, Ashleigh Robertson, Zachary Robertson, Caroline Robertson, and Quincy Robertson (all of which are from High Point, North Carolina). Elder Carol Lovette Cohen Robertson is related to me by sharing my 4th great grandfather named George Perkins I, who was born in 1815 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore).
This image is from Yvonne Ada Upshur Duffy's Yearbook Photo from Indian River High School at Frankford, Delaware (in 1969). She was born on September 1951. She is my 3rd cousin. My parents always tell me that we are related to the Upshur family.
Constantly, I have discovered new information about my genealogy. Cory Lee Duffy is my 4th cousin (born in 1979) as we share the same paternal ancestor of Esther Perkins (b. 1816). Cory's parents are Yvonne Ada Upshur Duffy (B. 1951) and Elmer Lee Duffy (b. 1951). Ada Yvonne Upshur is my 3rd cousin, and she was born in September 1951. She once lived in Delaware, and now she lives in North Carolina. Ada's parents were Charles Edward Upshur (1918-1964) and Annie Virginia Sample (b. 1918). Ada Yvonne Upshur's brothers and Sisters are Gail Upshur (b. 1955), Cherie Linnett Upshur (b. 1958), Gladys D. Usphur (b. 1959), Charles Upshur, Elton Upshur, Elton Upshur, Fayne Upshur, and Gloria Upshur, Carolyn Upshur, and Doris Upshur. My 2nd cousin Charles Edward Upshur (1918-1964) had the parents of Charles Henry Upshur (1885-1964) and Messina Upshur (b. 1887). Messina Upshur (1887) had the parents of Henry Upshur (1858-1940) and Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). My 2rd great grand aunt Carolina Perkins' parents are my 4th great grandparents of George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
On my father's side, there are always stories on the Upshur family. My parents always say that I'm related to them, and I found out tons of information about them. To start, the African American Upshur family came from the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Later, the migrated from Virginia into Maryland, into Delaware, into New Jersey (in places like Trenton), and as north as New York state. One woman, who is the late Mary Lena Upshur, was my 3rd cousin. Delaware is a state where many of my paternal distant cousins live at. Delaware has a lot of underrated African American culture. One of the most prominent Upshurs living today are my 3rd cousins Gloria Garnetta Upshur, Elton Upshur, Doris Upshur, Purnell, and others who live in Delaware and all over America. They share my ancestor of my 4th great grandfather George Perkins I.
I was told that the Upshur family were cousins to us, and DNA plus genealogical evidence prove that to be 100% true.
Irene Broadnax was my 3rd cousin, and she lived from 1920 to 2015. She was a descendant of George Perkins I like me. She married King David Sam William Founatin on March 31, 1936 at Henry, Virginia. Their children are: Clyde William Fountain (1937-1992), Bishop Franklin David Fountain (1939-2005), Norman R. Fountain (1941-2010), Alvestico Fountain Sr. (b. 1943), Zorene F. Fountain Meekins (b. 1945), Erma Fountain Johnson (b. 1946), Betty Treva Fountain (1947-2015), Bishop Venoal Fountain (b. 1949), Jo Anne Fountain (1953-2002), Yvette Fountain Drummond (b. 1956), Sharon Fountain Whitmore (b. 1957), Madeira Fountain Walker (b. 1963), Donald Fountain, Robert L. Fountain, and Jacqueline Fountain Campbell. These children are my 4th cousins. Sharon Fountain married James June Whitmore Jr. on January 15, 1977 at Bridgeport, Connecticut. Their children are James L. Whitmore (b. 1977), Quentin Ross Whitmore(b. 1979, SharRene Jean Whitmore (b. 1981), Lorenzo Marcus Whitmore (b. 1989), and KimMore E. Whitmore. These people are my 5th cousins.
My paternal 4th cousin is David Christian (born in May 14, 1964). Both of us are descendants of the same common ancestor of George Perkins I (b. 1815). George's son was James Perkins (b. 1841). James's son was George W. Perkins (b. 1870). His daughter was Minnie L. Perkins (b. 1919). Her daughter was Mary Magdalene Thomas (1941-2017). Her son was David Christian. His siblings are Kathy Ann Christian (b. 1970), Kevin Christian, and Willis Lee Christian. David Christian's father was David Christian Sr. (1941-1985).
One of the biggest secrets about my genealogy is that the famous comedian and director Jordan H. Peele being my 3rd cousin on my father's side of the family. I found this out many months ago. His parents are Lucinda Williams and Haywood Earle Peele (1939-1999). His mother had ancestors who were involved in Revolutionary War history. Haywood Earle Peele is my 2nd cousin or Jordan's father. Haywood Earle Peele lived a mysterious life. Haywood's parents are Matthew Haywood Peele (1919-1984) and Lucy Mae Peele (1922-2002). Lucy Mae Peele was my 1st cousin. Lucy's parents were Mancy D. (1896-1964) and Hattie Burnett (1903-1993). Mancy D.'s parents are Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Adam D. and Georganna Tillery are my 2nd great grandparents. Jordan Peele's grandfather was Matthew Haywood Peele. Matthew's parents were Burk Haywood Peele (1889-1957) and Emma Ebron (b. 1885). Burk Haywood Peele's parents were Luke Peele and Alvania Little Peele (1848-1920). Alvania was stripped from her family and sold into slavery when she was 12 on 1860. Alvania Little Peele was Jordan Peele's great great grandmother. These ancestors lived in Pitt County, North Carolina. Alvania Little Peele's parents were Israel Adams (1804-1880) and Easter Little (b. 1810).
One of the most interesting finds of my ancestry was finding out that many of my distant paternal cousins live in West Virginia and Indiana. Many of them don't know a single thing about me, but I know my ancestry. To start, many of my paternal ancestors came from the Eastern Shore in Virginia. My 4th great grandfather was George Perkins I who was born in 1815. His wife was Esther Perkins. Their son was George Perkins II (1847-1932). His son was Sophonia Perkins (1870-1926).She was my first cousin. She married Sam Casey (1863-1938) and the couple lived in North Carolina. Their daughter was Nannie Rebecca Casey (1890-1943). She married Charles W. Smallwood (b. 1888). This couple moved from North Carolina into West Virginia. The couple had many children like James Bethel Smallwood (1923-1981). James was my 3rd cousin. His wife was Geneva L. Cox (1922-1995). James Bethel Smallwood was born in Glen Ferris, West Virginia. His children are the following people with Geneva L. Cox: Kay Frances Joyner Sr. (1940-1997), Doretta Ann Smallwood (1941-1995), James B. Smallwood Jr. (1944-1981), Mary Letty Smallwood 9b. 1947), Geneva Smallwood (1949-2006), Sarah Jane Smallwood (b. 1953), Debroah Zoe Smallwood (b. 1955), Emma Smallwood (b. 1956), Sandra Jean Smallwood (1958-2015), Ricky N. Smallwood Sr. (1962-2000), Joseph Smallwood, and Howard Smallwood. My 4th cousin Deborah Zoe Smallwood (born in 1955). She was born in West Virginia (at Oak Hill, Fayette, West Virginia on February 18, 1955) and moved into South Bend, Indiana. She married a man named Thomas L. Dye (b. 1953). Their 2 children are Tommy L. Dye Jr. (b. 1973) and Ophelia Geneva Dye (b. 1986). Both Thomas Dye and Ophelia Dye are my 5th cousins.
For a while, both of my parents said that I'm related to the Sample family in Virginia. Recently, I found genealogical and genetic evidence to prove it. Ravyn Lavay Sample (Ancestry.com said she is my 5th-8th cousin) is proven to be my paternal 5th cousin as both of us are descendants of my 4th great grandfather George Perkins I (b. 1815). Rayn Lavay Sample's grandmother was Alexzenia Sanford (1947-2019). Ravyn's father is Frederick Lurell Sample Jr. (b. 1973), and Ravyn's mother is Alysia Danielle Mitchell (b. 1974). Ravyn Sample's half sister is Brianna Nicole Sample (Briana's mother is Dr. Angela Denise Flowers of Portsmouth). Ravyn's grandparents are Frederick Lurell Sample Sr. (b. 1950) and Margaret Louise Baines (b. 1951. Their daughter is my 4th cousin Sabrina Lavay Sample, and she was born in 1970). Frederick Lurell Sample Sr.'s parents were James Velton Sample Sr. (1917-1997) and Beatrice Elizabeth Sample (1918-1993). Beatrice Elizabeth Sample's parents are Arthur James Collins (1891-1950) and Daisey Ellen Collins (1897-1975). Daisey Ellen Collins' parents were Jackson Stachel (b. 1845) and Harriet Susan Kelly (1860-1927). Harriet Susan Kelley's parents were George Kelly (b. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). My 3rd great-grandaunt Easter Perkins' parents were my 4th great grandparents of George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
There is constant research about my paternal relatives too. Derrick Alan Galloway is my 4th cousin as we share the same ancestor of George Perkins I (b. 1815). Derrick Alan Galloway was born on March 26, 1964, and he lived in Washington, DC. He married the late Vanessa Lynette Howard on December 17, 1988 at Caroline, Virginia. They had twin daughters whose names are Danielle Ashley Galloway and Deaven Alycia Galloway. They were born in 1989, and they are my 5th cousins. Derrick Alan Galloway's siblings are Charles Theodore Galloway Jr. (b. 1956) and Douglas Anthony Galloway (b. 1961). Their parents are Charles Theodore Galloway Sr. (1931-2003) and Nannie Lou Hampton (b. 1934). My 4th cousin Charles Theodore Galloway Jr. had many children like: Charles Theodore Galloway III (B. 1984), Gabrielle Alissa Galloway (b. 1989), Lateisha Marchelle Galloway, etc. My 3rd cousin Nannie Lou Hampton's parents are Joe Hatrice Hampton (1902-2001) and Verglene Casey (1906-1981). Nannie Lou Hampton's siblings are Joseph Samuel Hampton (1927-1990), James Andrew Hampton (1930-2012), Virginia Dare Hampton (b. 1932), Estell Hampton (b. 1938), Malissa Florence Hampton (1940-2005), Hila Mae Hampton (1942-2016), Samuel Lee Hampton (b. 1945), and Patricia Jane Hampton (B. 1947). Verglene Casey's mother was Sophronia Perkins (1870-1926), and her father was George Perkins II (1847-1932). George Perkins II's father was George Perkins I. My 3rd cousin Maissa Florence Hampton was born on April 16, 1940 at North Carolina. She married Curtis D. Mooty (1936-2015), and their child is Cheryl Denise Mooty (b. 1969). My 4th cousin Cheryl Denise Mooty Oliver was born on February 19, 1969. She married Ernest Oliver, and their 2 children are Bryan Olvier and Brent Olvier (or my 5th cousins).
Corrine Ashley Ogiste is my 5th cousin as we share the same ancestor of George Perkins I (b. 1815). She was born on August 20, 1984, and she lives in North Carolina. Her parents are Christopher Ogiste and Deborah Lorraine Shelton (b. 1958). Deborah Shelton Ogiste is my 5th cousin and is a spiritual woman. Her brother is Roland Eugene Shelton Jr. (b. 1960). Her parents are the late Deacon Roland Eugene Shelton Sr. (1939-2020) and Cora Rebecca Shelton (1939-1986). The late Cora Rebecca Shelton was my 4th cousin. Her siblings are Genevieve Charlene Brown (b. 1942) and Charles Walker Smallwood III (b. 1951). Cora's parents are my 3rd cousin Charles Walker Smallwood Jr. (1915-1975) and Genevieve Jones (1918-2004). Charles Walker Smallwood Jr.'s parents are Charles W. Smallwood (1888-1966) and Nannie Rebecca Casey (1890-1943). Charles and Nannie's other children are: Alex Zander Smallwood (1909-1981), Ellis Smallwood (b. 1910), Lettie Mae Smallwood (1914-1972), Bethel Smallwood (b. 1920), James B. Smallwood (1923-1981), Helen Eve Smallwood (1925-1961), Ruby Smallwood (b. 1926), Lucy Smallwood (b. 1927), and Paul Solomon Smallwood (1929-1974). My 2nd cousin Nannie Rebecca Casey's parents are Sam Casey (1863-1938) and Sophronia Perkins (1870-1926). Sophronia Perkins' parents are George Perkins II (1847-1932) and Fannie Lou Blackstock (1848-1949). Nannie Casey's grandparents are George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
On Ancestry.com, there was a name of another of my distant cousins named Charlene Denise Ayres-Britt, who is my paternal 3rd cousin. DNA tests prove that we are related to each other. She was born on February 6, 1951 at Northampton County, Virginia (at the Eastern Shore). Her parents are Elton Douglas Ayres (1930), and Vivian Garfield Beech (b. 1931). Charlene's siblings are: Darisel Darcel Ayres (1952-1953), Elton Douglas Ayres Jr. (1953), Ernestine Ayres Dean (1955-2004), Carolyn Louise Ayres (b. 1957), and Bessie Ayres Bennett. Vivian Garfield Beech's parents are Walker Beech (b. 1885) and Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955). Cora Lee Tillery was my first cousin, and her parents are Walter Tillery (1868-1927) and Sallie Gary (b. 1869). Walter Tillery was my 2nd great grand uncle and his parents are Isam Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847). Isam Tillery is my 3rd great grandfather, and he married Martha Jane Randolf at Halifax, North Carolina on January 6, 1866.
Extra Facts on My Maternal Relatives
The person Mobie Lee Sykes (1886-1932) is my late 1st cousin. She is the daughter of Lydia Claud and Willis Sykes. Mobie is the granddaughter of Zilphy Claud or my 5th great grandmother. Mobie Lee Sykes' daughter was Alice Beatrice Evans (1922-2003). For months, I didn't know about her descendants. It was difficult to find information on her and her children until recently. By early October of 2020, I discovered tons of information about her and her children. Alice Beatrice Evans was born on September 19, 1922 at Virginia. She married James S. Brown on April 28, 1940 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Portsmouth is a city where many people from Southampton County, Virginia traveled to. James S. Brown lived from 1918 to 2007. Alice Beatrice Evans lived from September 19, 1922 to March 20, 2003. She passed away at Suffolk, Virginia. Alice Beatrice Evans and James S. Brown had many children. Their children are Constellar Murella Brown (1942-present), Mobie L. Hurt (1943-present), Anita Bernice Brown (1946-2018), Eddie Lenhart Brown (1948-2020), Linda Maegora Brown (1951-present), Lessie Elnora Brown (1954-present), Dwight G. Brown, Willis Brown, and James Brown Jr. These children of James and Alice Brown are my 3rd cousins.
Anita Bernice Brown Mitchell was born on March 26, 2018 at Suffolk, Virginia, and she passed away on August 22, 2018 at Chesapeake, Virginia. She married Van Buren Mitchell Sr. (1943-present) on August 15, 1966 at Nansemond, Virginia. They divorced on July 30, 1996 at Norfolk, Virginia. The couple had 3 children whose names are Anita Bernice Mitchell (1967-present), Van Buren Mitchell Jr. (1971-present), and Brandon Omar Mitchell (1985-present). These 3 children are my 4th cousins. Anita Bernice Mitchell (born on January 25, 1967 at Nansemond, Virginia) married Eddie Robinson on June 23, 2001 at Norfolk, Virginia. Van Buren Mitchell Jr. married Janice Denice James on October 2, 2004 at Chesapeake, Virginia. His son is Kyeon Rashard Mitchel (1990-present whose mother is Natasha L. Johnson). Brandon Omar Mitchell was born on June 4, 1985 at Norfolk, Virginia. My 3rd cousin Costellar Murella Brown was born on June 21, 1942 at Portsmouth, Virginia. She married Romie Linwood Ledbetter on June 22, 1960 at Nansemond, Virginia. The couple's children are Rosaline Bonita Ledbetter (b. 1960), Romie Linwood Ledbetter (b. 1962), and Monet Alyce Ledbetter (b. 1968), who are my 4th cousins. Rosalind Bonita Ledbetter married Ronald Maurice Lacy at Suffolk, Virginia on June 18, 1983. They divorced on November 15, 1993. Monet Ledbetter was born on January 20, 1968 at Nansemond, Virginia. She married Ian Glaude (b. 1962). Their child is Chriftoff Jamal Glaude (b. 1966. He is my 5th cousin). Alice and James Brown's son of Eddie Lenhart Brown Sr. lived from 1948-2020). Eddie's children are Eddie Lenhart Brown Jr. (b. 1973) and Tiffany Brown Goosby (b. 1981), who are my 4th cousins. Eddie Brown Sr. lived in Brooklyn, NYC. Lessie Elnora Brown was born on March 30, 1954 at Nansemond, Virginia. She married Clyde Wilson Lewter on July 4, 1973 at Nansemond, Virginia. Nansemond is an old name for Suffolk, Virginia back in the day.
It is important to remember the legacy of James Emmanuel Claud. He lived from April 11, 1941 to June 1, 2020. He was born in Branchville, Virginia at Southampton County. His parents are Guy Franklin Claud and Viola Rogers. He was the youngest son of the 13 brothers and sisters (of 7 boys and 6 girls) including a great sister Gwendolyn. James Emanuel Claud's first wife was Emma Jean Allen (1943-present). They married on March 2, 1963 at Greensville, Virginia. Their 3 children are Sonja Faye Claud (b. 1963), Anthony James Claud (b. 1969), and Obadiah Emanuel Claud (b. 1971). Later in life (after 1981), James Emanuel Claud married Pearlie Mae Smith on July 14, 1995 at Emporia, Virginia. James worked as a farmer, he had a job on the CSX Railroad, and he joined Ebeneezer Baptist Church at Portsmouth, Virginia. His brothers and sisters are Doris Virginia Claud Moody (1918-2007), Naomi Claud (1920-1950), Mildred Claud (b. 1921), Oliver Theodore Claud (1923-2016), Guy Claud Jr. (1925-1972), Frank Claud (1926-present), Sudie Odell Claud (1927-2003), Lilia Lorraine Claud Hayes (1928-2005), Beady Gabrilla Claud (1930-2004), Obadiah Claud (1931-2014), Webster Claud (1933-1997), Israel Claud (1936-present), and Lula Viola Claud (1937-2013). James' daughter Sonja Claud Kearney lives in Suffolk, Virginia and is married to Haywood Lee Kearney on November 11, 2006 at Suffolk, Virginia. James' son Anthony Claud (b. 1969) is married to Janice Henderson, and James Claud's other son of Obadiah Claud (b. 1971 and he has studied martial arts) is married to Stephanie Yvonne Moore (of Portsmouth, Virginia. Their children are Kwanna Teesha Claud born in 1991, Kiana Miasia Claud born in 2000, and Kayla Jeanette Claud born in 2006). My 3rd cousin Israel Claud married Carrie Elizabeth Parker (b. 1939) with the following children: Valerie Lorraine Claud (b. 1958), Veronica Denise Claud (b. 1959), and Stanley Israel Claud (b. 1960).
My 1st cousin Everett Lee Cousins Jr. (b. 1965) have parents named Everett Lee Cousins and Louise Blanch Peeples (b. 1941). Everett Lee Cousins Jr.' sisters are Lisa M. Cousins (b. 1963) and Wanda Yvette Cousins Thomas (b. 1966). Everett Lee Cousins Jr. married a woman named Cheryl Ruth Fuller (b. 1962). Their children are Alex J. Cousins (b. 1992) and Avery S. Cousins. This family lives in Georgia. Everett and Cheryl grew up at Westchester, NY. Now, Cheryl Fuller Cousins is an expert interior design specialist in the state of Georgia. My 4th cousin Lisa M. Cousins was born on December 24, 1963 at Mount Vernon, New York. Her son is the basketball player Isaiah Cousins (b. 1994).
One of my distant cousins is a human being named Danyelle Ashi Gibson-Gonzalez. She is related to me, because we share the same ancestor of Sarah Claud. Sarah Claud and Tom Hill's daughter was Adeline Hill (1862-1930). Adeline Hill's son was Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949). These people lived in the Southampton County, Virginia region. Peter Percy Williams had a daughter named Eunice Magdalene Williams (1909-1990). Her son was Ben Berlin Wright Sr. (1931-2005). Ben's son was Randy Darnell Wright (1956-2004). Randy Darnell Wright's daughter is Danyelle Ashi Gibson Gonzalez (she was born in 1972). Danyelle's grandparents were Dougall Plunkett (1916-2004) and Celia Eleanor Gibson (1925-1998). Her grandparents came into New York City from Jamaica. So, they are of Afro-Caribbean Jamaican descent. Danyelle Gibson lives in New York City.
Fareedah Zarinah Moore (b. 1978) is my 3rd cousin, as we are related to the Peeples family of Southampton County, Virginia. She was born in Norfolk, Virginia and lives in Fairfax, Virginia. Fareedah Moore is married with Billy Jones Moore II with their daughter Lailah Moore (b. 2017). Fareedah's parents are Abbas Fatih Mahdi (formerly David King Bullock) and Khayriyyah Tuaheedah Peeples Mahdi (formerly Janette Peeoples. b. 1953). Kharyriyyah Mahdi's parents are James Wilson Peeples Sr. (1929-1979) and Mary Hannah Lampley (1925-2001). James Peeples Sr.'s father and mothers are Glaster W. Peeples (1904-1956) and Irene Lashey. Glaster W. Peeples's parents are my 2nd great grandfathers Charles Peeples (1855-1922) and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown (1857-1946).
Virgie Lee Claud Ricks lived from 1927-2015. Her parents were Thomas Jefferson Claud (1907-1997) and Elsie Elizabeth Owens (1912-2003). Virgie Lee Claud Ricks was part of the Bryant Baptist Church, and she was in the Senior Choir of that group. She was also part of the Senior Choir at Zoar Baptist Church too. She was my 3rd cousin. Her first husband was William Thomas Jordan as they married April 8, 1950 at Southampton County, Virginia. Her child of Shelia Diane Claude was born in 1953. Her last husband was James Junious Ricks as they married on February 21, 1958 at Southampton County, virginia. Their children were James Junious Ricks Jr. (b. 1954), Barbara Ricks Everette (b. 1955), Alonzo Leon Ricks (b. 1959), Rudolph Alvester Ricks (b. 1960), Nina Mashell Ricks (b. 1962), Teresa Ricks Hatch, and Rosa Ricks Claude. These people are my 4th cousins. Virgie Lee Claud Ricks' father was Thomas Jefferson Claud, Thomas Jefferson's parents were Richard Washington Claud (1874-1945) and Ann Elizabeth Claud. Richard Washington Claude's mother was my 5th grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
Doreatha E. Faltz Bulter was my 1st cousin. She lived from May 10, 1930 to October 9, 2019. She was my maternal relative. We shared the common ancestor of Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926). Doreatha E. Faltz Bulter was born at Courtland, Virginia. Her parents were Joseph Faltz (1902-1952) and my 2nd great grand aunt Alice Rosetta Claud (1902-1987). Alice Rosetta Claud's parents were Rev. James Thompson Claud and Susanna Field Hurst-Turner Claud (1862-1949). Doreatha Faltz Butler was the oldest woman of 10 siblings. She was heavily educated in the Southampton County public school system. By 1989, she earned a Certificate in Religious Studies from the School of Theology, Virginia Union University. She was part of the A.M.E. David Temple in Courtland, Virginia and later worshiped at Oakland Chapel Church of Christ in 1955. She was a missionary and taught Sunday School. In Norfolk, Virginia she was part of Social Services. She had a sense of humor, gardened, and cook meals for her family and friends. Her Brothers and Sisters are Wilbert Randolph Faltz Sr. (1923-1985), William Faltz (b. 1924), Joseph Nathan Faltz (1925-1959), Mary Alice Faltz (b. 1929), Ernest Calvin Faltz (1931-2007), James Louis Faltz (1932-1985), Viola Faltz (b. 1933), Leman Faltz (b. 1935), Clarence Sylvester Faltz (1936-2016), and Thelma R. Faltz (1938-2009). Doreatha Faltz Butler married William Butler Jr. in 1952 at Monroe, Florida. Doreatha Faltz Butler had 3 children. Their names are: Gale Denise Butler (b. 1952. She lives in Virginia Beach, VA), Michael Butler, and Allen Todd Butler. These 3 people are my 2nd cousins. Gale Butler was born on October 15, 1952. She at first married Larry Uzzle in 1972 at Pasquotank, North Carolina.
Their children are Danielle Alisha Uzzle (b. 1973), Larry Uzzle Jr. (b. 1975), Marcus Lamont Uzzle (b. 1979), and Darnell Uzzle (b. 1986). These 4 human beings are my 3rd cousins. Later, Gale married Arthur Caliph Pigram on 1993, and her current husband before she passed away was Anthony Lee Midgette since 2010. Daneille Alisha Uzzle married Trent Lavell Foreman on February 14, 1995 at Virginia Beach, Virginia. Their children are my 4th cousins who are Paris De'jah Foreman (b. 1996), Isaiah Foreman, and Trent Foreman Jr. Allen Todd Butler is married to Wanda Lyn Owens on December 31, 1998 at Norfolk, Virginia. Doreatha Faltz Butler had 11 grandchildren of: Danielle Foreman (Trent) of Virginia Beach, VA, Larry Uzzle, Jr. of Seattle, Washington, Marcus Uzzle (Andrea) of Washington DC, Darnell Uzzle (Erica) of Chesapeake, VA, Taylor Pigram of Arlington, VA, Shene Midgette, Omari Midgette of Virginia Beach, VA, Andre Butler, Alex Butler, Andrew Butler of Norfolk, VA, and Sheldon Whitaker of Georgia, eight great-grand children, Trent Foreman, Jr., Paris Foreman, Isaiah Foreman, Mycka Uzzle, Codie Entrekin, Jewel Curry, London Uzzle, and Princeton Uzzle, three sisters, Mary A. Boyd of Virginia Beach, VA, Viola Warren of Norfolk, VA and Thelma Bell of Philadelphia, PA, special cousins, Alfred and Rena Whittaker, Barbara Jackson, Theophylis Artis, etc.
My late 1st cousin James Elliot Reese Sr. (1909-1982) married a great woman named Hortense Elizabeth Jackson (1923-2007) on the date of December 15, 1951 at Newport News, Virginia. The Reese family came from Southampton Country, Virginia. Many of the family migrated to Disputanta, Virginia too. James Elliot Reese Sr. and I are descended from one man in the Reese family named Richard Reese (b. 1835). Richard Reese was born a slave. Richard Reese's first wife was a slave named Ann Howell (b. 1845). Richard Reese and Ann Howell had the following children: Thomas Reese (1863-1946), Todie Reese (b. 1866), Indiana Reese (1866-1946), and William Reese (1867-1942). Richard Reese was my 3rd great grandfather, and Indiana Reese was my 2nd great grandmother. Later, my 3rd great grandfather Richard Reese had another wife named Jane Redman (b. 1835). Richard Reese and Jane Redman had the following children: Eldridge Reese (1870-1931), John Henry Reese (1873-1945), Benjamin Reese (1874-1935), and Daniel Reese (1879-1939). Now, Eldridge Reese was my 2nd great uncle. Eldridge married Gertrude Blow (1876-1932) at 1891. Eldridge and Gertrude Reese had the following children: Nettie Jane Reese (1893-1958), Washington Reese (b. 1895), Ursula Reese (b. 1898), Erslin Ann Reese (b. 1899), Johnnie Burrell Reese (b. 1903), Georgianne Reese (b. 1905), James Elliot Reese Sr. (1909-1982), Ernest Reese (1911-1990), Mary Gertrude Reese (b. 1913), and Harris Reese (b. 1916). Now, James Elliot Reese Sr. also had children with his 1st wife named Virgie Lee Everett (1912-1962), who are: Leroy Reese (1930-1930) and Helen Marie Reese (1932-1970). Helen Marie Reese was my 2nd cousin. She married James Chester from January 1949 to September 1956 at Warwick, Newport News. Their child is James Chester Jr. Helen's 2nd husband was James Clinton Minns (1920-2006). Their children are George Michael Minns (b. 1954) and Murad Waheed Nuriddin (formerly Edward Clinton Minns. He was born in in 1953).
The children of James Elliot Reese Sr. and Hortense Elizabeth Jackson (these children are my 2nd cousins) are: Brenda Elizabeth Reese Outlaw (b. 1945. Her first husband was Jessie Willie Hampton, and her current husband is Linwood Galting Outlaw), Earnest Monore Reese (b. 1947), James Elliot Reese Jr. (b. 1948), Margo Reese Jones Gwaltney (b. 1951), Barbara Louise Reese Dunlap (b. 1952), and Malaria Hortense Reese Eldridge (b. 1954).
James Elliot Reese Sr. and Hortense Elizabeth Jackson have the following grandchildren (these are my 3rd cousins): Corinthia Renee Hampton (b. 1964. She married William Arthur Knight on the date of February 2, 1988 at Newport News, Virginia. Their child is my 4th cousin Arnetta Renee Knight who was born in 1989), Regina Angela Hampton (b. 1963. She married Aubrey Donnell Herbin on August 17, 1991 at Newport News, Virginia. Corinthia and Regina are the children of Brenda Elizabeth Reese and Jessie Willie Hampton), Earnest Monroe Reese Jr., Angela Marie Reese (b. 1971. Angela and Dewayne are children of James Elliot Reese Jr. and Bertha Louise Holloway. My 3rd cousin Angela Marie Reese married William Jacques Washington on December 17, 1994), Dewayne Elliot Reese (b. 1972. He married a woman named Monica Esther Collazo), James Jones (1969-1969), Antionette Yolanda Jones (b. 1973. She married Donneil O Bryan Payne on August 11, 2012 at Newport News, Virginia. Antionette Yolanda Jones' parents are James Harvey Jones and Margo Reese. Margo Reese is married to James N. Gwatlney today), Cleveland Dunlap III (b. 1969), Christopher Dunlap (b. 1973. He married Chanda Patrice Jordan on October 18, 2008 at Newport News, Virginia. Christopher and Cleveland are children of Barbara Louise Reese and Cleveland Dunlap Jr.), Ebony Love Eldridge (b. 1977. Both Ebony and Najee are children of Clarence Lee Eldridge, who was born in 1953, and Malaria Hortense Reese), Najee Terrence Eldridge (b. 1988), and Antoine Miles. I know my kinfolks now.
There are many descendants of my 3rd great grandaunt named Josephine T. Hurst. Her parents were Morefeld Hurst and Mille Woodson Bozeman (who are my 4th great grandparents). Morefield Hurst-Turner and Millie Bozeman (she was a descendant of the Nottoway Native American human beings) were farmers who raised apples and peaches. They carried many crops to market in Courtland, Virginia. The couple lived in lands once owned by the Iroquoian Nottoway people. The Hurst couple had many children like Josephine T. Hurst. Many of the Nottoway people. Josephine lived from 1868 to July 20, 1929. She passed away at Tyrrell, North Carolina. She married a man named Kenneth Sykes (1865-1949) at Southampton County on December 5, 1888. They had the following children: Lelia Sykes Watts (1892-1994), Annie Bell Sykes (1894-1987), Harvey L. Sykes (1894-1952), the famous Mahala Lue Sykes (1895-1994), Rebecca Sykes (1898-1918), No Name Sykes (1898-?), Shug Charles Sykes (1899-1983), Corine Estell Sykes (1901-1996), Kenneth Sykes Jr. (1902-?), and Minnie Eva Sykes (1906-1980). My 1st cousin Annie Bell Sykes' first husband was John R. Poindexter. Her 2nd husband was John Stanley Everett (b. 1892). Their children are James Madison Everett (1918-1981), Ethel Lee Everett Goodwin (1919-2007), Joe Anderson Everett (1921-2000), Georganna Everett (b. 1922), Thelma Laurene Everett (b. 1924), Timothy Everett (1925-2015), Theodore Everett (1926-2012), Dorothy Louise Evetrett (b. 1929), Inez Ruby Everett Midley (12930-2016), Lucy Everett (b. 1932), Christine Elizabeth Everett Garrsion (1933-2006). My 2nd cousin Timothy Everett (1925-2015) was born on September 13, 1925 in Southampton County, Virginia. His first child with Rosa Mae Williams (1931-2012) was Betty Ann Williams (1946-2017). Timothy Everett married Willie Odell Whitehead on April 21, 1951 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Their children are Eula Mae Whitehead (b. 1947), Myra Valjean Everett (b. 1951), and Joyce Ann Everett (b. 1955). These are my 3rd cousins.
My 3rd cousin Joyce Ann Everett married Harvey Hudson Flyte on August 11, 1973 at Nasnemond, Virginia. The interesting thing is that Harvey Hudson Flythe is my 3rd cousin too. Harvey is a descendant of Sarah Claud. Harvey's parents are William Henry Flythe (1909-1971) and Virginia Mae Bailey (1926-2000). Joyce and Harvey Flythe's children are Stephanie Aldrina Flythe (b. 1978), Harvey H. Flythe Jr., (1979-1985), and Jonell Larie Flythe (b. 1983). These children are my 4th cousins. Stephanie Aldrina Flythe is married to Sean Julian Elliot on October 9, 2004. My 3rd cousin Betty Williams had the following children with Charles Richard Riddick Jr. (b. 1933): Tamra Anissa Riddick (b. 1970), Myra Yvette Riddick (b. 1971), and Karen Lavette Riddick Cooper (b. 1972). Her children with Alton Earl Futrell (b. 1951) are: Alton Earl Futrell Jr. (b. 1981) and Dionte Earl Futrell. These children are my 4th cousins. My 2nd cousin Inez Ruby Everett Midley Lassiter lived from February 17, 1931 to February 14, 2016. She was the wife to the late Earnest Lassiter (of the Lassiter's Bus Service, Inc.). Her parents are John Stanley Everett and Annie Belle Sykes (1894-1987). Inez was the ninth of 10 children. She was part of the Canaan Baptist Church where she was a singer. She joined 2 of her sisters (Christine and Dorothy) to be a gospel singing group called The Everett Sisters. She lived in Suffolk, VA. Her children are John Ashley Lassiter (b. 1953), Gwendolyn Marie Lassiter (b. 1955), and Eric L. Lassiter.
This is a story that I never revealed here before. Dr. Alysia Nicole Harris is a well known American poet and performer. She was born in California (in 1988) and has lived in Virginia plus Atlanta. She loves the art of spoken word poetry especially. Traveling constantly, she has performed spoken word poetry in America, South Africa, the UK, Canada, and Slovakia, including other locations. She loves to write, Dr. Harris has received awards, and she is an editor. She is also an expert on language and culture. Being a professed Christian, she said that you don't have to be perfect to be a believer in the Christian religion. Recently, I found out that we are 3rd cousins as we share the same common ancestor of Rev. James Thompson Claud (or my 3rd great grandfather. He was a born a slave and later married Susanna Field Hurst-Turner). Alysia was raised in Alexandria, Virginia. Dr. Alysia Nicole Harris' parents are Frances Tresa Faltz (b. 1961) and Bennie Lee Harris II (b. 1956). My 2nd cousin Frances Tresa Faltz's parents are James Lewis Faltz (1932-1985) and Doris O'Dell Davis (b. 1935). James Lewis Faltz's parents are Joseph Nathan Faltz Sr. (1901-1952). and Alice Rosetta Claud (1902-1987). Alice Rosetta Claud's parents are Rev. James Thompson Claud and Susanna Field-Hurst Turner Claud. Dr. Alysia Nicole Harris is an editor in chief of the Southern new media publication named Scalawag Magazine. The lesson here is that many people that you are related to are people from across the world.
I found new information about my 3 cousin Frank Daniel Claude (1929-1988) and Mary Frances Miller (1931-1999). The couple had a lot of children like Philip Claude (b. 1949), Leslie Douglas Claude (b. 1951), Gregory Ricordo Claude (b. 1952), Francine Claude (b. 1954), David Burnette Claude (b. 1956), Jeffrey Daneil Claude (B. 19570, Constance Denise Claude (b. 1959(, Michael Thomas Claude (B. 1961), Diana Yvonne Claude (b. 1963), Debra Louise Claude (b. 1965), Sherlene Teresa Claude (b. 1966), Samuel Jason Claude (b. 1968), Evangelist Queen Esther Claude (b. 1970), Sandra Danielle CLaude (b. 1973), Kevin Levon Claude (1975-1993), Jacquelyn Claude (b. 1977), and Barry Allen Miller.
Another group of my maternal distant cousins live in the state of Massachusetts. To start, a story must be shown. My maternal grandfather Robert lived from 1932 to 2020. His parents were Ella Claude Bynum (1913-1991) and Fenton Albert Bynum Jr. (1912-1979). Fenton Albert Bynum Jr.'s parents were Fenton Bynum Sr. (b. 1885) and Mary Belle Sykes (1888-1936). Mary Belle Sykes was my 2nd great-grandmother. Mary Belle Sykes' parents were Merrit Sykes (b. 1841) and Mary Francis (b. 1848). These parents lived in Southampton County, Virginia. Merrit Sykes was my 3rd great-grandfather. Merrit Sykes and Mary Francis had many children like: William Sykes (b. 1871), Linward Sykes (1872-191), Kayer Sykes (b. 1875), Micojah Sykes (1878-1923), Anna Sykes (1880-1959), and Mary Belle Sykes (1894-1936). My late 2nd great granduncle Micojah Sykes traveled from Southampton County, Virginia to Massachusetts.
His wife was Adaline (Lena) Jones (b. 1881), and they both married on January 2, 1901 at Malden, Massachusetts. Their children were Mabel Sykes (b. 1903), Evelyn Sykes (1907-1923), Bertha Sykes (1910-2001), and Ernest Constantine Sykes (1918-1985). These children are my 1st cousins. My 1st cousin Bertha Sykes was born in Massachusetts on July 30, 1910. She married George Henry Pearson Sr. (1911-1970) at March 8, 1934 at Manhattan, New York City. Their children are Carole Victoria Pearson (1934-1980), George Henry Pearson Jr. (1936-1979), Donald Micajah Pearson (b. 1937), and Elan Julia Pearson Murray (b. 1939). These people are my 2nd cousins. My 2nd cousin Donald Micajah Pearson married a woman named Yolanda Paje Cruz (b. 1951) on August 18, 1975 at Clark County, Nevada. They lived in Alameda, California. Their child is Elsa Cruz Pearson who was born on December 25, 1978 at Alameda, California. She was raised in Oberlin, Ohio. Her father is African American, and her mother is Filipina America. Yolanda Cruz's father was Dalmacio Augustin Cruz (who was born in the Philippines). Elsa Cruz Pearson (she is my 3rd cousin) lives in the Bronx, NYC as a great attorney and social activist in favor of justice. She loves to dance. My 3rd cousin George (Skip) Pearson III (b. 1957) married Helena Jane Fraize (b. 1969) and had the following children: Charmagne Pearson (b. 1996) and George Pearson IV. These are my 4th cousins.
My 2nd cousin George Henry Pearson Jr. was born on January 26, 1936 at Boston. He married Carmen L. Francis Pearson (b. 1934) and their children are: Rene Denise Pearson (b. 1958. She is retired from the US Air Force), Rocheen Dawn Pearson (b. 1960), Robin Danette Pearson (1961-2020), Gregory H. Pearson (1964-1984), Gerald Henry Pearson Sr. (b. 1965), and George (Skip) Pearson IIII. These are my 3rd cousins. My 3rd cousin Rocheen Dawn Pearson (who is a US Navy veteran) lived in Brockton, Massachusetts and lives in Atlanta, Georgia today. Rocheen Pearson's 2 daughters are my 4th cousins Shyri Rocheen Butler (b. 1981) and Angela Jayne Butler Hopewell (b. 1980). Angela Hopewell married Kamau Lamumba Hopewell on November 18, 2010. They have a son named Kamau Hopewell Jr. and a daughter (they are my 4th cousins). Shyri Rocheen Butler's daughter is the great, young athlete Misia (or my 4th cousin).
I never stopped researching my genealogy. I certainly found out that Darlyne Ledora Whitehurst Tabbanor is my fourth cousin, because we share the same 4th grandparents of Millie Turner (1830-1910) and Morefeld Hurst (1827-1918). These people lived in Southampton County, Virginia. The couple raised a farm during Reconstruction. They had many children including a daughter named Josephine T. Hurst (1868-1929). Josephine was my 4th great aunt. Josephine's daughter was Mahala Lue Sykes (1895-1994). Her daughter was Mary Lue Brown (Born in 1925). Mary Brown's daughter was Eunice Brown Stewart (born in 1943). Eunice's daughter was Darlyne Ledora Whitehurst Tabbanor (b. 1964). Darlyne married Edward Noble Tabbanor (whose father was a civil rights activist and a late Tuskegee Airman of WWII). Darlyne and Edward have many children like the recent Ph.D. Dr. Michelle Adora Tabbanor (or my 5th cousin), Erica Christine Tabbanor Coleman (b. 1989), Edward Noble Tabbanor Jr. (b. 1985), and Elizabeth Joy Tabbanor (b. 1997). Dr. Michelle Tabbanor is a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication from Regent University (on May 9, 2020). She is an adjunct professor at Tidewater Community College and at Regent University. She is an adjunct faculty at Christopher Newport University (in Newport News, Virginia). Dr. Michelle Tabbanor is a spiritual woman who loves her Christian faith. There is nothing wrong with that. Erica Christine Tabbanor loves her husband John Earl Coleman III and their child John Earl Coleman IV (who is my 5th cousin).
Conclusion
The world is much more different than years ago. We witness new laws coming about, a new President, and people fighting for racial plus economic justice. Now, Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris are the current President and Vice-President respectively. After 2018, I have learned much more facts about my genealogy. I have communicated with many of my distant cousins on Ancestry.com. The lesson that I have learned about my research is how interconnected we are with fellow people. We have massive differences in terms of our cultures, interests, styles, and gifts. Yet, we are still part of the same human family, and our origins ultimately came from Africa.
It is always important to understand the origin of Black History Month. It was created by one person named Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950). In America, it was first called Negro History Week during the 2nd week of February. It was done in 1926. So, Black History Month has been around for 95 years. Carter G. Woodson was a civil rights activist and one of the greatest historians of all time. Woodson spent his life to promote the history and culture of our black people. That is why he advanced his "The Journal of Negro History." Then, Black History Month as we know it today came about decades later. It was first proposed by black educators and the Black United Students at Kent State University in February 1969. The first celebration of Black History Month took place at Kent State from January 2 to February 28, 1970. By 1976, Black History month was celebrated nationwide. President Gerald Ford recognized it during the United States bicentennial. From 1976 to the present, Black History Month has grown as a cultural iconic celebration. Black History Month has been celebrated in the United Kingdom since October of 1987. Black History Month was recognized in Canada by 1995. In Ireland, it has been celebrated since 2010. It has been celebrated in the Netherlands and all over the world. The black African Diaspora represents excellence, courage, and strength. When we celebrate Black Joy and Black Excellence, we are promoting our glory. There is nothing wrong with that as Black is always Beautiful.
One of my greatest relatives was my late 3rd cousin named Antionette Beniece Bridgeford (who is a descendant of the late Rev. James Thompson Claud and Susanna Turner Field-Hurst Claud). She lived from 1967 to 2005. Her parents were James Edward Bridgeford (b. 1943 ) and Flossie Louise McCleese (b. 1946). Her daughter is Danielle Bridgeford. Antionette Bridgeford married Alfred Randolph Colander Junior on May 9, 1998 at Portsmouth, Virginia. Antionette Bridgeford Colander was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Antionette Beniece Bridgeford was part of the Fourth Baptist Church at Portsmouth, Virginia and the Girl Scouts of America. She promoted the I.C. Norcom Majorette Squad and worked as an organizer of marching unit for the youth. His brother is John Henry Bridgeford (born in 1965) of Chesapeake, Virginia. Her father, James Edward Bridgeford (b. 1945), had the following parents: James H. Bridgeford (1905-1967) and Mary Louise Wright (1909-1964). My 1st cousin Mary Louise Wright's parents were William Moses Wright Jr. (1880-1937) and Sarah Claud (1885-1961). Sarah Claud's parents are my 3rd great grandparents are Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926) and Susanna Field Hurst-Turner Claud (1862-1949). During this generation, tons of human beings are waking up about the necessity to promote justice. The protests for respecting the memories of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor have been inspiring. The origin of my family tree is only one place. It is the continent of Africa. Most African Americans came from Western Africa and Central Africa. That is why pro-African DNA services have found that many black Americans are related to the Yoruba, Hausa, and other ethnic groups. My paternal ancestors came from North Carolina and the Eastern shore of Virginia. My maternal ancestors came from Southampton County, Virginia. We live in a new millennium, a new century, and the 3rd decade of the 21st century. Wisdom continues to be known, and the journey of life definitely continues. I'm glad to be alive, and I will continue to outline the truth of my family tree.
By Timothy
