Mitchell Heath: The Greatest Man on Earth in my Lifetime

Greetings family, friends, fellow genealogists and a special hello to the Ancestors! It has been several months since my last post in March, and yet there is so much to share and sometimes it seems like so little time. The Ancestors have been hard at work and the pathways have been ever so clear with so much more unfolding day by day. I have been truly blessed through an outpouring of new and exciting information regarding my Georgia lineage through my maternal Great-Grandfather with whom my maternal Georgia lineage begins through the Heath and Frazier families.


In the beginning of discovering what blogging was about, I created this blog as a means of sharing the rich legacy of my Ancestors. I first began with one of the biggest discoveries and special woman in our family, my 2x Great Grandmother Annie Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow. She is my maternal Great-Grandmother, Anna Lue Barrow-Heath's mother. Annie was affectionately called Grand Annie by her family and Anna Lue to me was always Granny. I share this story again as this has a special connection with my Great-Grandfather, Mitchell Heath (Granddaddy) who was married to the love of his life none other than Granny. Granny shared so many memories with us about her Alabama and Georgia family, and it is from Granny I found my niche and my calling to bridge the gaps between the past and the present. Granddaddy too left me with a rich legacy to share, uncover, and to honor. I thought I knew a lot, but my journey from March 2014 till now has proven I have only just begun. With the Ancestors guiding me along the way, I sincerely pray I am honoring them as I share their story.




Mitchell Heath
cir. 1959 Beulah Baptist Church
Usher Board Anniversary

Mitchell Heath, Granddaddy as he was affectionately called was born January 19, 1910 in Crawfordville, Taliaferro County, Georgia to the union of Phelps Heath III and Eunice Frazier-Heath. Granddaddy was truly a man after God's own heart and taught his family that faith in God and good works was key to making it to Heaven. Granddaddy did not talk much about his family, but what he did share was key to finding amazing discoveries about the Heath family. Granddaddy had many brothers and sisters and always said by the time he was born, some of his siblings were already grown and married themselves. His oldest sibling was his sister, Lena who was born in 1890 and his youngest sibling was his sister, Mattie Jane who was born in 1916. That is a huge span of years for siblings, but Phelps III and Eunie had several children. Granddaddy said that his mother had about 20 children, but he did not know all of them. There were several children he said had died before he was born. This is not hard to believe but yet it is difficult to find records for the deceased children as Georgia was not the best at good record keeping. My quest continues to identify Granddaddy's siblings who died young. Granddaddy's known siblings were Lena (previously mentioned as the oldest born in 1890), Nina born in 1893, Allen born in 1898, Essie born in 1900, Percy born in 1902, Martha born in 1903, Nancy born in 1905, Earnest born in 1906, Luna born in 1908, Earl born in 1913, and Mattie (previously mentioned as the youngest born in 1916). It is an amazing discovery of my southern roots to find that many of my Ancestors produced large families. Another amazing discovery has been the various family lines Granddaddy descends from and all connecting to Taliaferro, Hancock, and Warren Counties in Georgia through his parents, Phelps III and Eunie.


When it comes to relationships, Granddaddy was very fond of his sister, Essie Mae (nee Heath) Patterson-Tillman. I do not remember much except the family preparing for her homegoing services in 1981 and Granddaddy speaking of his fond memories of his older sister. He was also very close with his brother, Earnest Heath, and his baby sister, Mattie Jane (nee Heath) Montgomery. Out of all the family members on my Heath side, these were the names I heard the most. As I grew older, I began to hear more about Uncle Allen Heath, Aunt Nancy (nee Heath) Carter, and cousins Anna Bea and Casper (Uncle Allen's children). Granddaddy was man of few words when it came to his family, but he truly embraced his family with love and instilled in his daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to love and cherish family.


As a young boy, Granddaddy and his family had relocated to Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. By 1924, Granddaddy's parents were documented as Cincinnati residents living at 544 George Street which was then in the old historic West End community near downtown Cincinnati. There were many black families living in the West End who had migrated north from the south. Granddaddy would have been 14 years old in 1924 and own his way to becoming a man and establishing his place in Cincinnati. On September 16, 1928 Granddaddy married the love his life, my Granny and his precious Anna Lue Barrow. Together, their love story is amazing. Mitchell and Anna only had one child, their one and only Jessie Mae and my beloved Grandmother. Granddaddy worked hard to provide for his family as well as establish a strong sense of giving back to his community. By the mid to late 1960s, Mitchell and Anna had purchased their home located at 218 Donahue Street in the Corryville community of Cincinnati. This home was a part of the family through fives generations, and their are so many precious memories of family gatherings in which Mitchell and Anna ensured all the family enjoyed through their labor of love.


Granddaddy was a faithful member of the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church also located in the old West End area of downtown Cincinnati. Granddaddy was instrumental in many church ministries to include the Male Chorus and the Usher Board. As a senior member of the Male Chorus, Granddaddy was a lead vocalist who certainly stirred up the church with his melodious rendition of "Have I Given Anything Today" and oh the memories that are flooding my mind and soul right now. Just as much as he loved singing, he was a faithful and dedicated usher for many years and instrumental in Beulah establishing a Senior and Junior Usher Board. Many church members as well as community members looked up to Granddaddy and he was an inspiration to all he came in contact with. Granddaddy was a true man of God, a man of distinction, a man of honor and integrity, and a legend in his own right. He is the greatest man on earth in my lifetime as he taught me to be a follower and believer in my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you Granddaddy for the message of faith!


Today, I am singing "Have I Given Anything Today?"
Have I given anything today?
Have I helped some needed soul on the way?
From the dawn till setting sun, have I wounded anyone?
Shall I weep for what I've done today?


Oh today, oh the day, oh the day
Have I failed some greater flame on the way
Just to know I've done my best as I go to take my rest
Let my name be blessed today.


Have I made some person glad today?
Did I help someone who had a mortal day?
Did I cancel with the sad try to make some poor heart glad.
Answer wisdom what I had today.


Oh today, oh the day, oh the day
Have I failed some greater flame on the way
Just to know I've done my best as I go to take my rest
Let my name be blessed today.


Thank you Thomas A. Dorsey for these words of a powerful testimony and thank you Granddaddy for singing from the heart! As I continue to my ancestry journey in discovering more of my Heath family, I continue to reflect upon Granddaddy's lifelong lesson of FAITH and FAMILY, the tie that binds! Granddaddy, thank you for asking "Have I given Anything Today!"

FAITH and FAMILY: The Tie That Binds

FAMILY is often a word many of use to describe a group of people we identify with on a regular basis as the backbone of our support system. FAMILY could include those related by blood lines as well as those we have established a great kinship with through friendship, loyalty, and respect. My mother taught me one simple principle throughout life and I continue to share it with my children and that is "if you don't have nothing else in this world, next to God you have FAMILY." These words have resonated with me through the years. As I approach my fourth decade of living, I too am reminded that FAITH in God and FAMILY are two great power sources of strength we just can't live without.


FAMILY: a group of people who are related to each other; a group of related people including people who lived in the past. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)


FAITH: strong belief or trust in someone or something; belief in the existence of God; strong religious feelings or beliefs. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)


After reading a soul stirring rendition of FAITH as recalled by a fellow genealogist and supporter of all things technology related with respect to genealogy and FAMILY history, I began to reach back to my childhood and remember the days of old. Thank you +Luckie Daniels for the revival and I must say again, thank you to your Uncle Jake for the sermon. Uncle Jake is of no relation to me (at the present moment but we share southern roots alike) and he was a beloved family member and great uncle of Luckie who wrote the beloved rendition 5th Edition Carnival of African American Genealogy ~ REBIRTH: Journeying By Faith post on her blog Our Georgia Roots. As I began to read and travel along Uncle Jake's journey and understood FAITH more and the connection with FAMILY, I immediately went back to my childhood memories of growing up on Cincinnati, Ohio and my beloved church family.


Going to church as a child was not a task, but it was FAMILY tradition. I remember going to church Sunday school promptly every Sunday while attending the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church. Sunday mornings consisted of eating breakfast with my great-grandparents Granny (Anna Lue Barrow-Heath) and Granddaddy (Mitchell Heath), their beautiful daughter my beloved Grandmother, Jessie Mae Heath-Eubanks, and my aunts who are like my big sisters, Darlene and Sherry. Sunday morning was about FAMILY. And after Sunday school, we held our lesson review which always included the church and family elders rendering praise to us 'young folk' for remembering our bible verse or simply being able to stand before the congregation and summarize what we learned in forty-five minutes.  Singing in the choir was not a task either, but it was so much fun because it was the one time children could stand in church and belt out melodious songs loudly without being scolded for being too loud. And we were a part of the worship experience! What's amazing to me now as I am writing this is the fact I called the church service a worship experience, because as child growing up old school - it was simply church. After church, we would travel back to Granny and Granddaddy's house to a home cooked meal like no other. Every Sunday was like Thanksgiving. And every meal was prepared with love and especially for the FAMILY.


One of my favorite songs growing up was 'God Has Smiled On Me' and then for the choir director to pass each one us in the choir the microphone to sing a lead part, well you couldn't tell me nothing then and you can't tell me nothing now!


God has smiled on me, He has set me free.
God has smiled on me, He's been good to me.
He is the source of all my joy,  He fills me with His love.
Everything that I need,  He sends it down from above.
God has smiled on me, He has set me free.
God has smiled on me, He's been good to me.
A light unto my path is He, Without Him I would fall.
I don't know what He is to you, But to me He's my all and all.
God has smiled on me, He has set me free.
God has smiled on me, He's been good to me.


A simple song but with a powerful message for the young and the old. FAITH and FAMILY for me are joined at the hip. Why one may ask? Well for me it is simple and pure in nature. Our Ancestors lived on the promises there would be better days than their eyes had seen. The Ancestors had FAITH God would bring about change if not in their time, then in the time of their children and generations of grandchildren. The Ancestors believed in the power of prayer, believed in the FAMILY network, believed in the principle their is power in numbers, and more importantly believed in a higher power guiding them through the ages. So the Ancestors had FAITH which has been instilled in all of us whether we embrace it or not. And the Ancestors and how we identify with one another today is representative of our FAMILY.


On November 9, 2013, I joined the FaceBook group African American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research (AAGSAR) and immediately my life changed as a result of a group of individuals dedicated to our respective families' histories and honoring the Ancestors as they guide us along our journey. The group's founder is +Luckie Daniels and subsequently the founder of the new Google+ group +AAGSAR: You Got Roots?! which is another extension of the AAGSAR FAMILY. This group of professionals, mentors, supporters, teachers, and leaders of all things technology related has pushed so many of us newbies into an online experience uniting family history and genealogy research with online exposure like no other. I can tie the two experiences of church and social media together because for me it is FAITH in knowing I can reach the masses in a new way as well as building upon FAMILY connections in a way I never imagined. In November, I never thought I would be blogging. In November, I never thought I would create a Twitter account or even  Google+ account, and fast forward to today and I am doing all three. And it is simply because of the belief Luckie and the AAGSAR Tribe FAMILY has in me to rise to the occasion. It is because of countless family members who call upon me day and night asking how the branches connect? Where did various surnames originate? When did the FAMILY migrate north, west, and east? It is an honor and I count it a privilege to have the knowledge as well as the willingness to share it. FAITH and FAMILY, The Tie That Binds!

Through the years as I have journeyed searching and searching for answers to who I am and just where did my Ancestors come from, I have learned to rely on my FAITH trusting and believing I would find them. I would find the roots of the many branches, the lines that connect us all, the tree that keeps on growing and sprouting new branches and leaves in each new season. Yes, we are in a new season but filled with the 'ole time way' and yet I still feel like the little boy singing 'God Has Smiled On Me'. I am grateful for my 40 years of living, and I know my living will not be in vain. I am grateful the Ancestors called upon me and countless others to tell their stories, fill the pages so they can be read, post online so they can be found and families reunited, and take to the airwaves so all can listen to their voices. FAMILY is everything to me and my FAITH keeps me strong.


As I continue to bridge the gaps between the past and present, songs of old like Leaning On The Everlasting Arms, Down At The Cross, Glad To Be In The Service, and It Is Well With My Soul touch my heart and fill me with great joy and pride with a sense of belonging. To Some Ancestry studies and genealogical research is a chore or even a burden. To me and many others, it is rejuvenating and rewarding as we champion on behalf of the Ancestors as well as the generations of kinfolks searching for answers in hopes they too can find a connection as well as be found. I am living each day #WalkingInPurpose while leaning, trusting, believing, and praying I will make a difference and leave the legacy for the next generation to pay it forward. My FAITH is strong and the FAMILY is keeping me motivated. Thank you to my beloved family and my precious gifts, my children for believing in me and sharing in all the excitement as you have embarked on the journey along with me over the years. To Luckie and +AAGSAR: You Got Roots?! FAMILY, many thanks for the continued support and motivation!


Ancestors, I am listening, honored, and thankful for the Ancestors Call! FAITH and FAMILY, The Tie That Binds!


Dante

Thinking of Grandma Jessie Mae Heath-Eubanks: Her Life, Her Story, Her Legacy

As time passes by, I am always pondering the memories of time spent with my Grandmother, her parents, and all my aunts and uncles. As a little boy growing up in Cincinnati, I was lucky because I spent every weekend at my Grandmother's house. And every weekend, my Grandmother made me feel extra special just by sharing any and everything with me. And to think, we did so much just on Saturday and Sunday. My Grandmother was a special lady with class and style like no other. To many, she was the neighborhood popcorn lady or simply the best chocolate cake baker, and she could even make the best potato salad in the midwest. She was awesome and even on what we thought were her bad days, my Grandmother always smiled with grace, dignity, and love! Her smile was infectious and her laughter was memorable. Her name is Jessie Mae Heath-Eubanks.

Affectionately known as Momma, Grandmomma, or Aunt Jessie Mae to family, Sister Eubanks to her church family, or simply Jessie, she was known by everyone! In 1929, the lives of Mitchell Heath and Anna Lue Barrow changed forever as their one and only child, Jessie Mae, was born. Jessie Mae Heath was born on February 19, 1929 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Grandmomma was raised and reared in the old West End section of Cincinnati along with several of her Alabama and Georgia relatives.

Grandmomma, like her mother Anna, often spoke of her family members especially her maternal grandmother, Annie Elizabeth Hunter Nelloms-Barrow, she affectionately called Grand Annie. Grandmomma spent her younger years under the wings of her maternal grandparents and many of her extended family members. Her extended family included the Barrow, Hunter, Nelloms, Heath, Carter, Stonestreet, Griffin, and Montgomery families to name a few. Yes, between Grandmomma's parents, she was from a big family and she knew them all.

As a young girl, Grandmomma attendend Cincinnati Public Schools and graduated from the old Woodward High School which was located in downtown Cincinnati at that time. She had also attended church with her family and became a member of the Beulah Missionary Baptist Church at the age of 14. During her younger years, Grandmomma worshiped under the leadership of Rev. Johnson, Rev. David S. Glenn, Rev. James E. Martin, and Rev. Dr. John B. Ivey. She loved her Pastors and faithfully served God until her health began to fail. Grandmomma had held many positions in the church, but one close to her heart was serving through song as a choir member. Grandmomma was actually one of the original Junior Choir members when she joined as a teenager. She remained with the same choir through the years as the choir changed names and evolved as well bringing many new members and families to the church. Church was everything to Grandmomma, and there wasn't any doubt where you could find her on Sunday mornings.


Grandmomma would talk for days about family, and for that I am grateful! On one of  my many days of interviews and discussions about our family history, Grandmomma shared with me about her trips down south with her aunt on her father's side, Aunt Ornnie Smith-Heath. Her trips south were one of many fond memories of family, but it truly is a fond memory of mine recalling how Grandmomma would tell the story. She enjoyed going down to Georgia visiting relatives and spending quality time with them, and this is what I believe began her knowledge of our family history. She talked about going to see her Nelloms family and a few Barrow cousins too, but her favorite part of the trips south were visiting with Uncle Clem, Uncle Tom, and Cousins Effie and Tess, the Atlanta Nelloms family members. The trips were something she looked forward to every summer as little girl, and she could recall names just as quick as you asked her who someone was or how they were related. On one particular trip down south, while going out on the town visiting and shopping, Aunt Ornnie and Grandmomma got on the bus. Aunt Ornnie paid for the both of them, and Grandmomma sat down in a seat in the front!! During the 1930s, this was not the thing to do for blacks, but my Grandmother did not know as she was born up north. The bus driver talked very sternly to Aunt Ornnie and told her to get "that gal" to the back or there would be trouble. Grandmomma said she moved quickly while Aunt Ornnie talked softly letting her know what she had done wrong. It was this trip that changed my Grandmother's view of the south, and according to her it was her last trip down south to visit family.


Another fond memory I recall was hearing my Grandmother talk of her aunt on her mother's side, Aunt Jennie (Granny's oldest sister). Aunt Jennie was the oldest daughter of Papa Ervin and Grand Annie, and she was beautiful! Grandmomma always said Aunt Jennie was her favorite aunt and just watching my Grandmother talk of her was a joy in itself because you felt the love Aunt Jennie had for Grandmomma and the love Grandmomma had for Aunt Jennie. Now Aunt Jennie passed away before my mother was born which was in the early 1950s. Aunt Jennie was married to Uncle John Henry Harper, and they had two daughters, Janice & JoAnn (affectionately known as Peaches and Puddin respectively). Stay tuned for a post on Aunt Jennie and Uncle John Henry. Grandmomma always said Aunt Jennie was sweet as sugar with a heart pure as gold. As I am typing, I am tearing up as I am reminded of my Grandmother's love and all the memories are racing through my mind.


Now, I could go on and on about Grandma Jessie Mae but I must save some information for more posts. As a family, we honored her on her 85th birthday by remembering her love of family, church family, and community. She indeed was a classy woman with style, grace, and poise. Thank you Grandmomma for loving life to the fullest and for sharing a rich heritage with us all.

Honoring My Cincinnati Matriarch: Getting to Know Granny, My Great-Grandmother Anna Lue Barrow-Heath Part II

I have always wondered what life was life for Granny, her parents, and the many relatives she often spoke of and shared with us all. This post about Granny is Part II and just another piece of her beautiful legacy. If you have not read Part I, then check it out here. I will follow-up more on how she grew up and the life of her parents in another post. My Granny was like no other. She enjoyed any and everything that had to do with her family. Granny was our matriarch and she possessed the patience of Job and the caring spirit a mother has for her children from birth till her last breath. I have always said Granny is the beginning of my genealogy experience as she shared so much with me and I listened.



Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, Cir 1940s Cincinnati, Ohio

Granny was the fourth child born to her parents, the third daughter, and devoted to family. Granny was well known by everyone or at least in my eyes she was as she was the glue that held the Cincinnati families together. Granny was the mother of my maternal grandmother, Jessie Mae Heath, and Jessie Mae was the only child. But only having one child did not stop Granny from loving on all her nieces and nephews. She had that much love for us all. And Granny showed her love to family in many ways, but one way always holds close to everyone's heart and I believe it was Granny's favorite thing to do.


I would have to say Granny's favorite things were her love of God, family, and cooking! Yes, Granny could cook like no other and no other could cook like Granny!!! Oh my, I can smell the fried chicken, ox tails and spaghetti, her famous oven baked barbeque ribs, and did I mention the fried corn!!!! YES INDEED, Granny could make meals that looked to pretty to eat, but you guessed right- we ate everything and savored each and every bite till the plate was clean. Granny put love in her cooking, and that is what made the difference. So you may ask, what is so unique about her cooking? And I will answer and say Granny put her heart and soul in everything she did, and cooking was just another way she shared her love with family.


Granny loved cooking so much that she cooked three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You see, Granny took care of her man! Granny loved her some Mitchell Heath, and Granddaddy, as we called him, loved him some Anna Lue. The two of them were two peas in a pod and created a home filled with love which spread across generations. And in loving her Mitchell, Granny saw to him being well fed each and every day. It was breakfast with my great-grandparents when I first remembered drinking coffee, and I thought it was the best thing. I even had my own cup, and Granny made sure everyone knew it was indeed my cup. Breakfast consisted of meat, usually sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs, grits, and toast. And Granny's breakfast, well there just wasn't any other like it! Lunch was always some good soup and possibly a good sandwich, but then dinner was like eating at a five star restaurant simply because it was Granny's cooking!


There is one traditional holiday gathering in Granny's lineage that never has changed over the years and has consistently took place through five generations and that is Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving was always held in Granny and Granddaddy's home. Granny would begin cooking early in the week, but bet your last dollar the meal was all done, table set, and tea made by early afternoon. There was so much food with enough to feed an army. Yes, I know such a cliché, but it's true! Granny cooked enough for everybody and if someone stopped by just for a quick visit, they left with a plate. That is how much love Granny had and how much she put it in her cooking. Granny showered us all in love, comfort, and with her wisdom. Cooking is not all she mastered, but to me it is the one thing filled with her love and exemplified her love for her family!


Granny's love of cooking and sharing with the family passed onto to her daughter, my grandmother, and in turn to the granddaughters, my mother and her two sisters who continue the Thanksgiving tradition to this day. I'm thinking of the song sang by Tina Turner, 'What's Love Got to Do with It?' and I can honestly say, EVERYTHING!!


Granny, thank you for loving us all and for allowing me to share your amazing journey!


Dante

Honoring My Cincinnati Matriarch: Getting to Know Granny, My Great-Grandmother Anna Lue Barrow-Heath Part I

I was pondering on the thought of why I love genealogy. What is my passion you might ask? What sparked my curiosity? What drives me to research hours upon hours? Well it all began as a simple school assignment and through time has evolved into a hobby and ultimately my purpose. Many family members from across the states call me the "walking family tree" given my wide range of knowledge of our ancestral ties to the south as well as my ability to run down the family tree backwards and forwards without looking at a single piece of paper. I call it “my purpose” in life to help bridge the gaps between our Ancestors and present generations. My journey to the online world of blogging began with my membership in the African American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research Facebook group and the support of the Tribe. Granny, this one's for you.

My Great-Grandmother, who I affectionately called Granny, on my maternal Grandmother's side is Anna Lue Barrow-Heath. She was the fourth of eight children born on March 8, 1913 to the union of Irvin Barrow and Annie Elizabeth Hunter Nelloms (Grand Annie). For Grand Annie See The Hunter-Nelloms Connection. Granny is my Cincinnati family matriarch, and the first family member I interviewed about our family's southern roots.


In 1988 on one of many visits to my Grandmother’s house, the family was all together which included my Mom, Joyce, her sisters Aunt Darlene and Aunt Sherry, my Great-Grandparents, Mitchell Heath and Anne Lue Barrow, and of course my Grandmother, Jessie Mae who I loved dearly and spent every weekend with listening to old Sunday worship services while sitting on the porch. To some, one may ask what teenager did that. And I would respond by saying, well I did. We were all gathered on the first floor of the house. You see, Granny and Granddaddy lived on the first floor and Grandmamma lived on the second floor. But anytime we were all together, the gathering place was on the first floor. The conversation somehow migrated from what was on television to Granny and Granddaddy’s childhood years in Georgia. Granny always talked about her Papa and Grand Annie. Granddaddy on the other hand did not like to talk much about his parents (more on the Georgia Heath lineage later). It was this conversation Granny talked about where she was born.


Granny used to say she was born in Atlanta, Ga. In fact, on her obituary my Grandmamma had written her was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Irvin and Annie Barrow. After years of searching through the soundex indexes and the census records, I learned that Granny was born in Chambers County, Alabama along with her older siblings Jennie, Amos, and Leola. I first found Papa and Grand Annie in the 1910 Census married and living on Five Points Road #1 in Fredonia, Chambers County, Alabama (Enumeration District 0022, Precinct 6) with two of their children, Jennie Lou (born 1907) and Amos (born 1909).

1910 Census of Granny's parents, Irvin "Pete" Barrow & Annie E. Hunter Nelloms-Barrow

In the 1920 Census for Fulton County, Georgia, Granny is a little girl at age 7 living with her parents in East Point, Fulton County, Georgia (Enumeration District 161, East Point District) along with her siblings Jennie, Amos, Leola, Sarah, and Ruth. In 1920, Granny's birth place is listed as Alabama along with her older siblings. But as you notice in the 1910 Census, her older siblings are listed as being born in Georgia. This has been a mystery for the family for years.


Granny lived in Georgia and grew up East Point which is a surburb of until the family relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1922 when her father received employment. Moving up north as the family down south called it. There were many migrations from the south to the north all based on better jobs and increased opportunities for the family to prosper. Upon moving to Cincinnati, Granny always stated the family was very close. She said there were many gatherings with family members who had also migrated north. But one gathering Granny always enjoyed and carried forward with her own family was Sunday dinners Granny enjoyed spending time with family and she enjoyed cooking too. Granny was famous for her fried corn, oxtails, pound cakes, and her holiday meals especially those on Thanksgiving and Christmas.


Granny met the love of her life, Mitchell, and on September 16, 1928 the two were married. They only had once child, my Grandmother Jessie Mae. More to come later on Mitchell and Anna's love story and their beautiful daughter. It was my Granny who taught me about her mother, affectionately known as Grand Annie, and her father, Papa Irvin, her aunts, uncles, and cousins. She often talked about two of her favorite uncles, her Uncle Bossie and Uncle Tom, as if they lived right there in the house with her. Family meant everything to her, and I guess in a sense that has passed down through the generations to me. There are so many fond memories of Granny and I intend to pass down her legacy to family and friends alike. I learned a lot from Granny and I swear I was her favorite great-grandson. Stay tuned!

 

The Hunter-Nelloms Connection: Discovering My 2nd Great-Grandmother Annie Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow

I never imagined I would create a blog about the ancestors, but I am excited about sharing their story. Thanks to kindred spirit, Luckie Daniels, and her sincere desire to see all new bloggers get online and honor our ancestors, she has inspired many to dig deep and listen to the ancestors in order for their voice to be heard. Thank you Luckie and thank you African American Genealogy and Slave Ancestor Research (AAGSAR) family for all the support. Ancestors, this blog is for you.

It was the spring of 1987 when my English Teacher tasked our class with our research project which was to develop a family tree. At the time I knew my maternal great-grandparents on my grandmother, Jessie Mae Heath-Eubanks' side and so I began the task of asking questions. I knew the assignment would be easy as I spent every summer and weekends at my great-grandparents house, so I knew the family history or at least I thought I did. My grandmother's parents were Mitchell Heath and Anna Lue Barrow, and there story will be told in another post.

My Great-Grandmother, Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, often talked about her family and our southern roots. Granny, as I called her, was born in Chambers County, Alabama near the state line and near West Point, Troup County, Georgia. Granny went down south every year to visit family and sometimes her sister, Sarah Barrow-Thompson, traveled with her. Each trip south consisted of visiting the Nelloms families in Atlanta as well as Troup County in the areas of LaGrange and West Point and some visits even back to Chambers County in Alabama. I knew Granny's maiden name was Barrow, but she always talked about the Nelloms. So my first question to Granny was "Who are the Nelloms?"

Granny always talked about Uncle Mans, Uncle Bossie, Uncle Clem, Uncle Tom, and Uncle Henry. But many stories were told about Uncle Bossie and Uncle Tom which were two of her favorite uncles, and they were Nelloms. They were the brothers of Granny's mother, Annie Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow. Granny died in 1989 and I felt like my ancestral journey was closing in as Granny possessed generations of knowledge until I turned to her sisters, Sarah and Clara Mae. Through Aunt Sarah and Aunt Clara Mae I learned that Grand Annie's mother's name was Minerva and that she was married to a Hunter. Granny always said her mother was a Hunter before marrying Granny's father, and later becoming Annie Barrow. So who are the Hunters I asked and wondered as Granny always said her mother's maiden name was Hunter and yet the family name was Nelloms. As you see, my journey started off with confusion.

 

Annie Elizabeth Nelloms-Barrow

Sitting in front of her house on Richmond Street in Cincinnati, Ohio

 



For years, Granny and her surviving sisters always said Grand Annie was a Hunter, but Grand Annie's brothers went by Nelloms. I searched and searched for the family in Alabama and Georgia for years only finding Grand Annie married in the 1920 Census living in East Point, Georgia. My big discovery of Grand Annie did not come until 2010, when I found her as a girl in the 1900 Census living with her parents in Lee County, AL. Grand Annie, as she was called, was born in June 1891 in Opelika, Lee County, Alabama and was the daughter of Edward Hunter and Minerva Hunter. She was listed along with her sisters and brothers, whose names were slightly different than what I had been told for years (more on that story later), but it was indeed the family I had been searching for years. Then I found the family again in 1910 Census living in Troup County, GA but this time under the surname Nelms ( an original form of the Nelloms surname).

 

 

Edward Hunter and Minerva Nelms Family,

1900 Census Image for Lee County, Alabama

My Nelloms mystery continued until I noticed Minerva, now listed as NervyAnne Nelms, was listed as a widow living with her son Henry Nelms in 1910. I continued searching till I finally discovered the marriage certificate of Edward & Minerva which provided proof of the Nelms family connection as Minerva's maiden name was Nelms. I finally understood the Hunter and Nelloms connection, but wondered why Edward and Minerva's children went by the surname Nelloms. Grand Annie and her siblings were listed with the Hunter surname in the 1900 Census, Nelms in the 1910 Census and thereafter. After further research and discoveries, I learned the Hunter children of Edward and Minerva all went under the Nelms surname after the death of their father. The Nelloms spelling came later.

Discovering Grand Annie among the records was a joy and bridged the gaps in our family's history after many years of searching and speculating over the Hunter and Nelloms connection. Grand Annie is the matriarch of our Alabama and Georgia connection, and her story is being discovered more and more each day.