Pages

Friday, February 23, 2018

The 1890 Union of Felts "Tug" Heath and Eunice "Eunie" Frazier

Greetings to all and wishing you all great success in your research endeavors. As I continue along this ancestral journey, I stop and ponder on thought of how I overcame some obstacles in my family history research and one that comes to mind is breaking through the wall with respect to my 2x Great-Grandparents, Felts and Eunice Heath. It is through their son, my Great-Grandfather that my central Georgia roots begin with many extensions abroad.


My Great-Grandfather is Mitchell Heath who was born January 19, 1910 and is the son of Felts and Eunice Heath. You can read more about Granddaddy by reading Mitchell Heath: The Greatest Man on Earth in my Lifetime, and he was indeed a great man! Granddaddy, as we called him, was my mother's maternal Grandfather. And to my mother, he was the only father she knew and his legacy continues to live on in all of his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. But just where did Granddaddy come from and what is the story of his lineage? And to answer that question, I will need to introduce you to his parents.


Granddaddy's father was Felts "Tug" Heath who was born May 10, 1868 in the area known as Powellton, Hancock County, Georgia. Grandpa Felts was affectionately known as Tug to their family. I first saw the name Felts Heath in the obituary of Granddaddy's sister, but instead of Felts being spelled with an "F" it was spelled with "Ph" as Phelps. In the same obituary, I discovered who Granddaddy's mother was and her name was Eunie (nee Frazier) Heath. The year was 1981 as that was the year Granddaddy's older sister had passed and the first time I saw the names of their parents. But the actual first time I really acknowledged them was in 1986 when I was visiting with my Grandmother, Jessie Mae Heath-Eubanks, and helping her clean the house. During this causal and normal weekend visit, I stumbled across her obituary stash in the table. But I still didn't know them but I was a little older and really knew their names at this point. Grandmomma often spoke of her Grandmother Eunie often, but she rarely spoke of her Grandfather and then I discovered the reason why. Granddaddy Felts Heath died before my Grandmother was born and she was born in 1929. All I could think of was the hurt she must felt not never knowing her paternal Grandfather. But her Grandma Eunie was always a conversation piece and I'm glad my grandmother shared those stories.


Granddaddy's mother to my Grandmother (his daughter) was always known as Eunie. But I discovered through various records that her actual name was Eunice Frazier prior to her marriage to Grandpa Felts. Grandma Eunice, who was affectionately known to her family as "Eunie", was born August 5, 1875 in Taliaferro County, Georgia in the area known as Springfield just northwest of Crawfordville and just south of the Taliaferro and Greene county lines. As any pre-teen would be, I was excited to now know the names of my own Grandmother's grandparents. I mean WOW, I actually knew Granddaddy's parents' names and it was cool as this was a generation beyond my Great-Grandfather and that meant there was more family than what I knew I had in 1986. But in 1986, I was not into family names and who begot who but it was still cool nonetheless to know their names.




1890 Hancock County, Georgia Marriage License Index Record for Felts Heath and Eunice Frazier
The year was now 1987 and a middle school teacher had given an assignment for everyone to complete our family tree. So the excitement began for me then, but it was the year 2010 when I first saw the marriage certificate and marriage license index record that I gained new valuable information concerning my 2x Great-Grandparents, Felts and Eunie. And for starters, their names were spelled differently but somewhat consistent to what I knew.  Grandpa Felts and Grandma Eunie applied for their marriage license on January 29, 1890 in Hancock County, Georgia and were married on January 30, 1890 in Hancock County, Georgia by Rev. A.C. Rainwater. Rev. Rainwater was identified as a Minister of the Gospel on both the marriage certificate and the marriage license index record. Minister of the Gospel was illustrated as such, M.G. on both records. As illustrated in the image of the marriage certificate and marriage license index record, Grandma Eunie's name was spelled Unis Frazier on the marriage record but in the marriage license index record, her name was spelled Uinis Frazier. Grandpa Felts' name was spelled Phelps Heath just like on my 2x Great Aunt's obituary but not really surprising. WOW and very interesting is all that came to mind when I first saw the records. However, these spellings were consistent (even though inconsistent) with various records to include the U.S Census records for the years 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910, and 1920, Tax Digests records, U.S. Cities Directories for Cincinnati, Ohio for the years 1924, 1926, 1932, 1935, 1936, and 1938, and marriage and death records of their children.


January 1890 Hancock County, Georgia Marriage Certificate of Felts Heath and Eunice Frazier
Another item of interest to me on the 1890 marriage certificate was the use of the abbreviated term Cold, which stood for Colored. I was now looking at differently terminology in my research that described my Ancestors. In the U.S. Census records, I had only seen them referenced as Mulatto or Black but not Colored. This was different and sometimes a bit overwhelming. What I can say is that was proud to have found a record that actually documented my 2x Great-Grandparents marriage as well as provided proof that they were indeed married. Overjoyed, elated, and extremely excited are just mere descriptive words of how I felt when I actually saw the records and read their names aloud as now I felt closer to them and more proud of my Heath and Frazier heritage. It is an honor to be one of their many descendants.


The 1890 union of Grandpa Felts and Grandma Eunie was a launching point years later for my family research. A Launchpad I never would know even existed until the year 2010 as I began to actually see records in a whole new light. As 2010 opened many new doors, I began to take years of hard research and piece together many new branches, new family lines as a result of the marriage records, and crossing county lines tracking the movements of the Ancestors. But what I am most grateful for and treasure in the 1890 union of Felts and Eunie is the birth of their son, my Great-Grandfather Mitchell Heath. I am blessed because of their union and blessed because their son, my Granddaddy will always be the greatest man on earth in my lifetime.


To my Ancestors, thank you Grandpa Felts and Grandma Eunie for your blessed union!


Humbly Submitted,


Dante' Eubanks
Great-Great Grandson of Felts "Tug" Heath and Eunice "Eunie" Frazier-Heath

Thursday, February 22, 2018

52 Ancestors Week 2: Reflecting Upon Grandma Jessie Mae and The Cross



The Cross in front of New Covenant Christian Worship Center
Photo Taken by Patrice Hopkins, November 2016
As I am learning day by day along my Christian walk and every day walk of life I am reminded of the cross I must bear and would not be the person I am today without it! This picture to the left is of the wooden cross which stands in front of the church where I currently serve as pastor in Hollywood, Maryland. This photo was taken by Patrice Hopkins, a church member and avid photographer with a keen eye. But what the image reminds me of is it's symbolism and pure meaning of faith. Faith is and has been a big part of my life since I can remember and I owe my upbringing to and involvement in church to my family. And for that, I am forever grateful for the Ancestors.


For many, a fond memory is Mom's cooking, Mom's nurturing, the family dinners and playing with cousins. It could also be family travels and meeting new family members you may only see once and never again or even seeing new places. But for me, one memory that stands out is the cross. The cross represents a symbol of faith, perseverance, troubles, accomplishments, and triumphs. The cross also reminds me of my Christian journey which aligns with my purpose in life and the Ancestors.

I refer to my Ancestors a lot and I thank them a lot because I feel chosen and set apart by them in every aspect of my family's history and my research journey, but more importantly because of my faith and commitment to serve others. Service to others comes naturally and I feel it has been passed down from generation to generation in my family. My Mother serves others to the full extent and she ask for nothing in return because that is a part of her makeup, her bloodline, and her persona. Her siblings also serve others and without question, and that all was passed down from the generation before them through my Grandmother, Jessie Mae. Grandmomma still is remembered to this day as the community mother, the faithful church member, and the apple of our eye as the family's matriarch. She lived a full life and in her life's work, service to others was at the center of her core.

So what does the cross and Grandma Jessie Mae have in common? Well for me, EVERYTHING! The cross is a representation of my faith in God and a reminder of the cross I bear daily spiritually, physically, and in remembrance of the Ancestors. My mother ensured I was involved in our family's church and that is because my Grandma Jessie Mae ensure her children were raised in the church. Many may not understand and that's ok, but church is a part of our makeup and a big part of our faith in God and knowing through him all things are possible if you only believe! Thank you Grandmomma for always reminding us to trust God in EVERYTHING!

This week my family and I celebrated our matriarch's 89th birthday by remembering her spirit, her tenacity, and her love for her family. Grandma Jessie Mae was born February 19, 1929 and every year since her passing, my mother and her sisters commemorate her birthday celebration with her favorite foods, fun conversation, and cherishing the memories by retelling the many funny stories we all remember. It is one of our favorite times of the year as we are reminded of the love in our family and our faith in God. It is the cross we bear and our cup is running over!

I'm grateful for this time of remembrance and for being reminded to continue my journey as it is the cross I must bear.

Humbly submitted,

Dante' Eubanks

Thursday, February 1, 2018

52 Ancestors Week 1: My Genealogy Journey and My Inspiration

Thank you for visiting my blog! The year is now 2018 and Faith, Family, and Ministry remain my life's passion! Who am I and just what is this all about. Well for 2018, I have decided to join the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks blog challenge, and yes I'm already behind. 
 
Photo Credit: Amy Johnson Crow


I am Dante Eubanks, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. My interest in family history and wanting to know more about my roots began in the spring of 1987 when my 7th grade 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 of the family and so I began the task of asking questions. Because I saw my Grandmother and Great-Grandparents every weekend, developing a family tree was going to be easy for me and the excitement was interesting for me at the tender age of 13 years old. What questions was I going to ask? What was my Grandmother, her mother, and father going to tell me in regards to their family? And where did they migrate from and when? So many questions and so many details to discover and I was excited. 


I knew the assignment would be easy as I spent every weekend and every summer at my great-grandparents house. So I knew the family history or at least I thought I did, and learning more was something exciting and what I had looked forward to when my journey began in 1987. My grandmother's parents were Mitchell Heath and Anna Lue Barrow, and there story is told thru this blog. My true inspiration and zest for learning more and more really was gifted to me by my Great-Grandmother, Anna Lue. She was a jewel and the matriarch of my family as I knew it. And to this day, Granny, as I affectionately called her, still inspires me to do more and to share the Ancestors' journey as well as their legacy. To learn more about Granny, our Anna Lue Barrow-Heath, read  Honoring My Cincinnati Matriarch: Getting to Know Granny, My Great-Grandmother Anna Lue Barrow-Heath Part I and Honoring My Cincinnati Matriarch: Getting to Know Granny, My Great-Grandmother Anna Lue Barrow-Heath Part II.

In the beginning of my journey, knowing the names on the family tree was important, but now it's knowing the Ancestors' legacy and sharing them among the living generations today. Genealogy to me is more than just family research, but it is discovering the journey of my Ancestors, their life's story, and what they want to be shared with the generations of today. I have always felt this was my calling, and I am honored to have answered the Ancestors' call! My journey began with a then simple assignment in 1987, but my dedication to my ancestry research truly began in 1989, and I have not regretted one moment of getting to know more about my family.

On this genealogy journey, I also discovered my maternal grandfather, William Eubanks' lineage through his parents with emphasis on his mother, Henrietta Jones-Eubanks' family which is my Mississippi, Maryland, Kentucky, and South Carolina connection many times over. This journey also introduced me to more in-depth knowledge of my paternal Butler family and allied families of southern Maryland with incredible history and ties to our nations overall history. From 1987 to now, I have learned so much on all sides of my family, traced back to the mid 1600s on some lines, and have connected with cousins from all over. And because of the ever changing migration patterns, I have also learned that all sides of my family have crossed one another in more ways than one. What can I say, it's an amazing journey and I am ever more excited to learn more!!!

Thank you for sharing in my genealogy journey and for better understanding my inspiration. This is just the beginning and I'm excited to continue my journey!



Granny, thank you for inspiring me and for allowing me to listen!


Dante