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

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