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

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

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

Thank you for the "One Lovely Blog Award"....It's all about Collaboration, Communication, & Support!

On September 28, 2014, I received a very nice surprise and one I never expected being new to the blogging community.  I was nominated for the "One Lovely Blog Award" by my new found DNA Cousin, Bernita Allen author of "Voices Inside my Head".  http://alhupartu.blogspot.com/  In addition to Cousin Bernita's nomination, I was also nominated by Tracey Hughes, author of "Tracey's Tree". http://traceystree.blogspot.com/

I never created a post for the "One Lovely Blog Award" in 2014 but today I thought to myself, there's no better time than the present to jump start another round of recognizing many who are pioneers in their own right in the genealogy community.  I want to give a special Thank you to both  Cousin Bernita and Tracey as I am just as honored today as I was in 2014 and humbled to be nominated by you both.  Anyone reading Cousin Bernita and Tracey's blogs will find them both amazing, interesting and very informative as well as give you a sense of pride and love for the Ancestors.



Here are the rules for this award:
   1.  Thank the person who nominated you and link to that blog.
   2.  Share seven things about yourself.
   3.  Nominate 15 bloggers you admire (or as many as you can think of!)
   4.  Contact your bloggers, let them know that you've tagged them for the One Lovely Blog Award.

Seven Things About Me:
   1.  I have been in Ministry since February 1995 and Pastoring since December 2014.
   2.  I am considered the walking family tree.
   3.  I love reading history.
   4.  My son Isaiah is named for my favorite book in the Bible.
   5.  I love walking through cemeteries (for me, it's connecting with the Ancestors).
   6.  I love movies and have a huge movie collection.
   7.  I am the father of 9 children.

15 Bloggers I Admire:
There are so many awesome genealogy blogs that it was really hard to narrow down to 15.
Here is my list (in no particular order):


   1. Finding Eliza by Kristin Cleage     
   2. Genealogy Circle by Cindy Freed
   3. Our Alabama Roots by Luckie Daniels
   4. Claiming Kin by Marlive Taylor-Harris
   5. My True Roots by True A. Lewis
   6. Tracey's Tree by Tracey Hughes
   7. Roots Revealed by Melvin Collier
   8. Ancient Echos from the past by Xzanthia  Zuber
   9. Saving Stories by Robin Foster
 10. The Legal Genealogist by Judy Russell
 11. Pieces of Me by Stephani Miller
 12. Geneabloggers by Thomas MacEntee
 13. Repurposed Genealogy by Jennifer Campbell
 14. Carolina Girl Genealogy by  Cheri Hudson Passey
 15. Tracing Amy by Amy Cole


As I continue to explore my own Ancestry and conduct genealogy research, I am reminded I am here to honor the Ancestors. This experience is rewarding but there is no greater reward than to honor and cherish the legacy of those who have gone before us. This blog is a sincere tribute to my Ancestors, and I am truly appreciative of the those above for sharing the knowledge of their Ancestors as well as contributing to helping others in the genealogy community. It's all about Collaboration, Communication, and Support!


Humbly Submitted,


Dante' Eubanks

The History of Talbot, Taylor, Wilkes, and Warren Counties in Georgia

The East Central Georgia to West Central Georgia Connection: A Brief Synopsis into the Georgia Counties of Talbot, Taylor, Warren, and Wilkes and Their Family Affiliations

Wilkes County

Wilkes County, named for British politician and supporter of American independence, John Wilkes, is considered Georgia's first county established by European Americans. It was the first of eight original counties created in the first state constitution on February 5, 1777 with the other seven counties being organized from existing colonial parishes.

Wilkes was unique in being land ceded in 1773 by the Creek and Cherokee nations in their respective Treaties of Augusta. It is located in the Piedmont above the fall line on the Savannah River. Interestingly, between the years 1790 and 1854, Wilkes County's area was reduced as it was divided to organize new counties as population increased in the area. This is a very significant fact in history as the Heath, Hubert, Barrow Searcy, Dickson/Dixon, Flewellyn/Fluellen, Harrell, Thweatt (also spelled Thweat, Threatt, Threat), Barksdale, Bonner, Ivey, Cody, Battle, Skrine, Hillsman, Felts, and other allied families first came to Georgia by way of Wilkes County before migrating to other surrounding counties and further migration westward to Talbot, Taylor, Harris, Macon, and Muscogee counties in west central Georgia. The Georgia legislature formed the counties of Elbert, Oglethorpe, and Lincoln entirely from portions of Wilkes County whereas Madison, Warren, Taliaferro, Hart, McDuffie, and Greene counties  were created partially from Wilkes County lands.

Since Wilkes County played an important part in the fabric of the Unites States history, it also has played an important role within the fabric of the Hubert, Heath, Barksdale, Runnels, Greene, Thweatt, Searcy, Ivey and Battle families whose long standing history and ties to Wilkes County as well as subsequent counties formed from Wilkes or portions of Wilkes County. Wilkes County was the site of one of the most important battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in Georgia. During the Battle of Kettle Creek in 1779, the American Patriot forces were victorious over British Loyalists which in that time was a huge victory for the new nation fighting for independence and freedom.



Geology.com Georgia County Map



Another great role in history involved enslaved African Americans (during this time in history referred to as Negroes) forced to reside and work on the new formed southern plantations.  During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, colonists used enslaved African Americans to clear land, cultivate plantations, and create elaborate estates for the slave owners, and process the cotton in this area. Many may not realize that in the new America during the late 1700s, the cotton crop growing was long-staple cotton. Long-staple cotton would not grow in this area of Georgia and short-staple cotton required much labor to process. A prominent and well known man, General Nathaniel Greene was associated with the Hubert family though the marriage of one of his officers to a Hubert woman. Colonel John Rutherford was married to Mary Hubert, daughter of Benjamin B. Hubert and Mary Williams-Hubert. As mentioned, the Hubert family is one of Wilkes County’s oldest and prominent families which eventually settled in an area of Wilkes County that became a part of Warren County in 1793. Not far the Hubert plantation, Gen. Greene owned a plantation donated to him by the state of Georgia called “Mulberry Grove” where Catherine Greene employed a tutor working at Mulberry Grove by the name of Eli Whitney. In 1793, Eli Whitney, a Yale graduate,  and his fellow Yale graduate, Phineas Miller, patented a cotton gin which in one day could process hundreds of pounds of cotton. Because of this new machine, slavery in the south became more important and vital to the plantations survival and to the wealth of the slave owner community. 

Because of the newly developed cotton gin, the machine allowed mechanization of processing of short-staple cotton making its cultivation profitable in the upland areas. As a result, there was a dramatic increase in the development of new cotton plantations throughout the Deep South to cultivate short-staple cotton and this affected the Heath, Hubert, Battle, Barksdale, Searcy, Ivey, Sibley, Dixon/Dickson, Felts, and Thweatt families on a grand scales as they required manual labor to maintain production and to maintain the ever growing plantations thereby acquiring more slaves which contributed to the ever present southern divide from the northern states. In addition, settlers increased pressure on the federal government to remove Native Americans, including the Five Civilized Tribes from the Southeast. As a result of the Georgia settler’s pressure, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act in 1830.

Warren County

Warren County was created on December 19, 1793 and is named after General Joseph Warren, who was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American Revolutionary War. The county seat, Warrenton, was founded in 1797 as seat of Warren County. It was incorporated as a town in 1810 and as a city in 1908. Other cities and communities include Cadley, Camak, Elim, Jewell, Mesena, and Norwood. Warren County’s history and association with the Heath, Hubert, Harrell, Barrow, Bonner, Cody, Barksdale, Battle, Dickson/Dixon, Skrine, Hillsman, Rudiselle/Rudsille/Rudison, Flewellyn/Fluellen, and Ivey families to name a few is directly associated with the history of Wilkes County displayed above.

I had the distinct honor and privilege to visit Warren County in October 2014 for the Hubert Family Reunion which was my first time visiting as well as my first time attending a Hubert Family Reunion. More to come in another post on the Warren County visit and Hubert Family Reunion. Warren County's history is directly related to Wilkes County as stated above as Warren was formed out of Wilkes County and as a direct result, much of my family research in Georgia ties directly to both Wilkes and Warren counties and ultimately back to the Carolinas and Virginia.

Talbot County

Talbot County was created by a December 14, 1827, act of the Georgia General Assembly from a portion of Muscogee County. Taylor County was created from a portion of Talbot County in 1852. The County was named after Georgia Governor Matthew Talbot.  Talbotton, which was also named after Governor Talbot, was founded in 1828 as seat of the newly formed Talbot County. Talbotton may be best known in history as the place where the immigrant Straus family got their start in retail sales in the 19th century. Decades later, the Straus family acquired R.H. Macy & Co. in New York and eventually turned it into the famous Macy's chain. Other districts and cities include Junction City, Woodland, Manchester, Geneva, Box Springs, Centerville, Roughedge, and Tax.

Many families from Wilkes, Warren, and surrounding counties to include Monroe, Hancock, Greene, and Jones migrated to Talbot County in the mid 1800s during a time of the great westward expansion and association with the building of the Georgia railroad. Anyone conduction genealogical research in Talbot (which is West Central Georgia) will most definitely have ties back to Wilkes and Warren counties (which is East Central Georgia). As for my direct family research, the families that surface the majority of times includes the Heath, Hubert, Ivey, Flewellyn/Fluellen, Searcy, Adams, Sibley, Carraker, Bonner, Harrell, and Matthews to name a few. More specifically, my key interest lies with the Heath and Hubert families and their direct migration to from Georgia to east Texas. But no just the Heaths and Huberts as I'm learning more and more through cluster genealogy research, all families were connected at some point and many migrated together. For more information on the Georgia to Texas migration, see Roots of the Tree: Understanding the Georgia to Alabama to Texas Connection.

Taylor County

Taylor County was created on January 15, 1852, by an act of the Georgia General Assembly from portions of Macon, Marion and Talbot counties. The county is named for Zachary Taylor, twelfth President of the United States. The land for building the courthouse was purchased from Andrew McCants, John T. Gray, John Sturdivant, John L. Parker, and a Mr. Covington (from  assembly meeting minutes dated March 8, 1852). Militia Districts and towns (listed with associated District numbers) in the county included Prattsburg 737, Hall 743, Reynolds 741, Butler 757, Cedar Creek 1071, and Whitewater 853.

Taylor County is directly related to the families of Talbot County and surrounding counties to include Harris, Macon, Dooly, Muscogee, Randolph, Marion, Upson, Schley, Houston, Peach, Bibb, and Meriwether. Many of the aforementioned families, especially the Heath, Ivey, Searcy, Adams, and Sibley families have strong ties to Taylor County and surrounding counties and the very fabric of west Georgia and east Alabama. Ongoing family research is being conducted to continually document the family ties as well as bridge the gaps between our Ancestors and present day generations of their descendants.

Originally Written and Submitted September 22, 2015 via my online Ancestry Family Tree with Additional Family Information updated March 2017

Dante' Eubanks