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 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

Celebrating a Year of Accomplishments & Yes, I'm Irish Too!

Hello there readers! And thank you for taking time to stop by and check out my blog! I am so excited and so grateful for the Ancestors continually opening up new doors of discovery. And I am overjoyed as well for the Ancestors allowing me opportunities to share information across channels with my family and new found cousins. Since March 2014, I can honestly say it has been a year of accomplishments! So many things have transpired, so many discoveries, so much joy, loads of information, and even relatives from various states are now on the crusade of discovery as we share our roots to all generations.

In March 2014, there were two great discoveries that not only confirmed oral history but it also opened doors to discoveries abroad and the Ancestors are leading the charge onward and upward to heights I never imagined!!!! The first discovery was finding the March 8, 1855 Inventories and Appraisement record of Henry Heath of Warren County. You see, Henry Heath was the owner of my Heath Ancestors, and there in black in white was the name I always connected with, a slave named Felts. Felts (later spelled Phelps in U.S Census and marriage records) is my 3x Great-Grandfather as well as my maternal Great-Grandfather's, Mitchell Heath, Grandfather. Phelps was the second slave listed in the inventory and valued at $900.00 which was substantial in 1855. He is one of forty slaves accounted for in the appraisement record, and of the forty slaves recorded Phelps along with 3 others are individually valued at $900.00 or greater. This was awesome to see as my Ancestors had value!!!! Although I could look at this from a negative light, I choose not to and instead look at this from the positive, they had value and they were valued according to their skill. Finding the Heath slaves owned by Henry Heath was not just a coincidence but rather a blessing as I was researching something else entirely and then decided to look at the Henry Heath reference. I knew then, the Ancestors were at work!
 

Portion of the March 8, 1855 Inventory and Appraisement record of Henry Heath
Warren County, Georgia

After looking at the Heath slave inventory over and over, I began to notice that all the slaves listed were indeed FAMILY. I had the majority of the names recorded in my family tree which was purely based on oral history and stories passed down through the generations. I could now trace all the slaves and I was blessed when other cousins abroad with whom I have had the pleasure of collaborating with through the years confirmed names as well. A shift in my research took place as family names, places, and records I had researched for years were looking different and new. I then started retracing my years of research, starting anew and yet revisiting everything again, and again removing doubt that I would not find another clue. And then "cluster genealogy" and "triangulation research" took effect! I switched from researching my families to researching the white families! Can you say JACKPOT!!! Stay tuned for the journey continues!

The second great discovery was also in March 2014 where my Ancestors blessed me by receiving my AncestryDNA results, and I could not be more proud! I am 82% African descent, 16% Eurpoean descent, 1% Asian descent, and 1% Melenesian descent. The Melenesian descent was a shocker as I am connected to those whose roots are in the Papua New Guinea, Bougainville, Fiji, Aboriginal Australia, Solomon Islands, and New Caledonia regions of the world. Oh, it's getting good y'all!!!!!! But since it's St. Patrick's Day, Kiss Me because I'm IRISH!!!! Yes, I am 1% Irish and my AncestryDNA proved the oral history of my family's Irish roots. I couldn't be more happier now to actually have concrete evidence of my Irish ancestry. As I continue on my paths to discovery, I am emphatically enthused as well as amazed at the guidance and blessings of my Ancestors as they are paving the way while lighting the path! I encourage all to celebrate your heritage and always be proud of who you are!

From April 2014 to September 2014, I challenged myself in many ways. As I previously stated, I started retracing my years of research, starting anew and yet revisiting everything again, and again and again!!! What was so amazing and made me tremble was my Heath Ancestors were calling me and calling me morning, noon day, and night!!! Everything during these months somehow centered around my Heath family and associated families. For years, I would occasionally look at neighbors and occasionally look at occupations, but it was not until finding the 1855 inventory and appraisement record of Henry Heath that I really paid attention to occupation. Within the estate papers of Henry Heath were another set of documents documenting my Heath Ancestors occupations as well as payments given for their service. YES, my Ancestors not only worked for Henry Heath, but they were loaned out to the neighboring plantations, community, and sometimes the state and county governments all because of their mastery skills. I mentioned my 3x Great-Grandfather, Phelps, was valued at $900. Well, his brother, Clack, was valued at $1500 and was the most valued slave owned by Henry Heath according to the 1855 record. Can you say, WOW!!!!!! Clack was a blacksmith, carpenter, and repairman for so many things on the Heath plantation as well as in the Warren County area, Richmond County, Hancock County, Taliaferro County, and Wilkes County areas of Georgia. Clack was sought out by many among the prominent members of the Heath, Hubert, Ivey, Harrell, Felts, Rabun, Barksdale, and Chapple families. Moving on from the estate documentation and discoveries, I began looking at the occupations more closely in the U.S. Census records, and realized my Ancestors proved to be valuable as well as needed in society. There is so much more to share, so again stay tuned for the journey continues!

Clack was just the beginning and the beginning is still now! After discovering more on Clack, I began to notice how my Heath Ancestors always lived near and worked for the white families whose names I saw in many estate records (family names mentioned above). I began to ask myself, is there a connection? Is there some sort of loyalty? Is there some other information I am overlooking? And then I realized I was in the middle of "cluster genealogy" and "triangulation research" at it's best as I was seeing information from all angles and no longer walking away from my brick walls, but instead knocking the brink walls down by force. As I went back and retraced years of research as far back as 1987 and came forward not just with my Ancestors but now with the owners of my Ancestors and the owners' families. The slave owners were now becoming my focus as I realized there was indeed a connection and it all began with the union of the families through marriages and as neighbors. They were among those who helped to settle Wilkes County pre 1795 era and their beginnings in Virginia and migration to the Carolinas and Georgia laid a foundation and ultimately a trail to follow. Warren County was formed out of Wilkes County, and the white Heath families were a big part of Wilkes County and Warren County. Oh, did I mention it's getting good y'all!!!!

So what have I learned through all of this? What new information have I gained? Where are my Ancestors leading me? And what will I do next? These are all valid questions each one of us dedicated to genealogy must ask ourselves daily. I can tell you this, I am on the move upward and onward. As I research now, I read through everything and I cross check everything. I no longer discount information that appears to not connect with my Ancestors, but instead I follow the trail as I've learned it all triangulates back to somewhere which can connect to my Ancestors, a place, or time in history relative to my ancestry journey. Push forward and allow the Ancestors to guide you, and you will not be disappointed!! I've been on an incredible journey of rediscovery, accomplishments, and research firsts. It's been an awesome year from March 2014 to March 2015, and my journey continues!! There is so much more to share, and one that sticks out is on my Heath-Hubert connection through my 3x Great-Grandmother, Jane Hubert-Heath. She was my Granddaddy Mitchell's Grandmother and was married to Phelps Heath. Stay tuned as the best is yet to come!

I'm celebrating a year of accomplishments! Thank you again for stopping by and sharing in my amazing year of accomplishments and discoveries. I am celebrating Collaboration, Communication, and Support! I'm proud of my heritage, and yes I'm Irish too!!! 

Danté
St. Patrick's Day 2015