My Family Tree Genealogy Story Part 6: Extra Findings
This incredible journey involving studying my genealogical family tree has been audacious and sagacious. For the past few years, my consciousness has grown about many important topics about the Universe from atoms to architecture. Yet, I have understood so many poignant contents about my humanity. This situation (of me gathering the facts of my people) comes from my ancestors who always had a love for studying their past heritage. I did an investigation into my past in 2015, 2016, and 2017 and found little understanding about my family lineage beyond my great-grandparents. That would undoubtedly change in 2018. By 2018, I discovered truths about my ancestors on another level via Ancestry.com, 23andMe, and other sources. Now, in this year of 2024, I can trace my lineage back to the 1700's. From communicating with distant cousins online to identifying more details about Southampton County, Virginia (where my maternal ancestors like Susanna Field-Hurst Turner, Morefield Hurst-Turner, etc. existed. Their names are found also in mainstream, professional studies) and Cape Charles, Virginia (where many of my paternal relatives are from), it's a humbling experience to witness history on a personal level involving your own identity. Learning about DNA, maternal and paternal haplogroups, ribosomes, chromosomes, and other genetic components of life has always been a blessing. The reality of the unique genetic parts of DNA proves our gifts and our marvelous, distinctive wonder found in humanity greatly (i.e. there is a relationship between DNA and RNA. Not to mention that the proteins in our body contribute to our genotypes and phenotypes). Therefore, the inspirational research into my own history (both genealogical and genetic as most of my DNA is from Western and Central Africa) will always be a cherished part of my life forever and ever.
My mind is not monolithic as I like to research on a myriad of subjects. There are tons of numbers much higher than a trillion in the Universe. There are 8 planets in the solar system and 26 letters in the English alphabet. There are about 50,000 aircraft on Earth. When you get higher, you know that there are about 500,000 movies in existence. There are about 8.3 million people in New York City. There are over 42,000,000 heartbeats of a human being in one year. There are about 400 billion stars in our galaxy or the Milky Way Galaxy. There are about 3 trillion trees on Earth. There are over 37 trillion items of physical money being circulated on Earth. There are about 100 trillion cells in the human body. What is beyond a trillion? A quadrillion is beyond one trillion. There are 1.2 quadrillion dollars of financial assets on Earth. There are 10 quadrillion ants on Earth, there are about 260 quadrillion human beats of all humans on Earth in a single year, and there are about 7 quintillion grains of sand in an average-sized beach. There are 10 quintillion insects on Earth. There are about 100 quintillion data bytes created by human beings. It's time to go bigger. There are about 1 sextillion grains of sand on Earth. There are about 36 sextillion DNA base pairs in the human body.
There are about 600 sextillion atoms in one mole of substance. There are about 1 septillion stars in the observable Universe. That is the Universe that we know as the Universe can be much bigger than we know as light can travel only so far. There are 7 X 10 to the 27th power of all atoms in the human body (or 7 octillion atoms). There are 5 nonillion bacteria on Earth. There are about 1.3 X 10 to the 50th power of all atoms on Earth. The total mass of grams in the Observable Universe is 6 X 10 to the 55th power. Planck Time since the Big Bang is 8 novemdecillion. There are 1 vigintillion amount of grains of sand to fill the whole cosmos. Googlol is beyond these numbers as 10 to the 100th power. Beyond that, you have the Googolplex. Then, you have Googolplex to the Googolplex Power and to the Googolplex Power again. Then you go up to more numbers to SSCG (5), and then to Rayo's Number. Beyond that, you have Countable Infinity (even beyond Graham's Number). Later, you have Uncountable Infinity and go higher to Replacement Inaccessible Infinity, Indescrible Infinity, Impredicative Infinity, and finally to Absolute Infinity. Absolute Infinity is the final level of all numbers of all Creation. That is the end of the number system.
There is purpose in life and in the Universe. We are formed with a wonderful design. The quarks are the smallest particles of the Universe. Then, you have the parts of the atoms (being made of electrons, neutrons, and protons). Atoms are in constant motion in the Universe in this three-dimensional reality. Even in this reality, human beings can't see all things because there are electromagnetic waves that are not visible by human eyes (but these waves are very real in the world). From atoms, we see elements. Many atoms unified together make up molecules like DNA. DNA is one major building block of human life that helps to transmit genetic information from human life to human life. DNA is like a powerful drive of information that sends the genetic code necessary to make up future human lives in a miraculous fashion. DNA and RNA are made up of long chains of simple nucleotides. A nucleotide is made up of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus atoms. Carbon is heavily found in organic life on Earth. One of the powers of human life is to reproduce, copy genetic information, and pass it on to our offspring. So, DNA sends the genetic information, then RNA has the role of storing genetic information, copying itself, and doing metabolic functions like forming proteins. These acts are done inside the nucleus inside of the cell membrane. The cell has many parts like the mitochondrion, the nuclear membrane, the nucleus, the Golgi apparatus, the cell membrane, the endoplasmic reticulum, the cytoplasm, the ribosomes, the nucleolus, the centrioles, etc.
Therefore, the DNA (made up of four different bases of adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. These bases stand for A, T, G, and C) has the genetic material or the genetic instructions, the RNA transcribes the DNA (the RNA acts as the messenger carrying information from DNA to the protein building centers of the cell), and the instructions after RNA are transformed into amino acids then proteins (the proteins make up the phenotypes of human beings). So, the DNA is used in a code of like letters to send the plans to make proteins in a cell. DNA has many genes. Many strands of DNA are called chromosomes (each person has 22 pairs of chromosomes). We inherit our genetic material from our mother and our father. The phenotype is your physical appearance from the arms, skin color, eye color, head, etc. Proteins are vital to the structure and function of our cells, and they play an important role in forming our phenotype (or the observable characteristics of an organism). Versions of genes are called alleles. The genes working together influence how we look physically in this three-dimensional reality. The genotype is the genetic material in the cell. In other words, the genotype affects the phenotype by providing the instructions for making proteins. The human genotype is only made up of genes and alleles. The phenotype can be influenced by the genotype and the environment around us. For example, if genes for long arms have the code for long arm, a person may be born with long arms. Another example is that in a warner environment, genes may exist to make a darker melanin to live in a warmer environment.
There is the existence of haplogroups among human beings. A haplotype is a group of alleles in an organism that are inherited together from a single parent. A haplogroup is a group of similar haplotypes that share a common ancestor with a single nucleotide polymorphism mutation. Haplogroups pertain to a single line of descent. Maternal haplogroups are determined by sets of genetic variants in a tiny loop of DNA called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). mtDNA is found in the mitochondria, which are small but powerful structures in our cells that turn fuel from the food we eat into energy. Only mother pass their mtDNA down to their children. mtDNA is used to trace the history of maternal lines because of the way it is inherited. All humans have mtDNA. mtDNA is passed down from the mother to their children in copies. The copies are not always perfectly identical. New genetic variants can be passed down through generations. Paternal haplogroups are found among all men. Genetic men have a copy of their father's Y chromosomes along with a gene called SRY (or sex-determining region Y) that is important for men's sexual development. Only men have a copy of their father's chromosomes. Men pass down copies of their Y chromosomes. Small changes to the DNA sequence do occur called mutations. This can create new genetic variants on the Y chromosome. Letter/number codes are used to define the locations of both maternal and paternal haplogroups.
A lot of people are waking up about how complex and unique the Universe is. One of the many secrets of the Universe is how mathematics relates to the fabric of our reality in the Universe. Quantum physics (not disinformation) has proven in our generation that we have at least 11 dimensions in the Universe. Our current three-dimensional reality is filled with atoms and other particles that we can't see, yet energies from atoms and other particles are very real. The 1st law of thermodynamics clearly states that energy can never be created or destroyed but transferred into something else. Therefore, the Universe has vibration energies of atoms traveling in the cosmos constantly. Mathematical number patterns exist in DNA, in natural laws, and in the electromagnetic fields of the Universe. So, atoms and the life energies of the Universe are filled with information in dealing with mathematics and frequencies. They merge and that establishes consciousness, humanity, and all entities of the cosmos. All things have an origin from a higher dimension from a higher level of power. After millennia, we finally see the fractals, the mathematics, the dimensions, the importance of sound (as sound waves can influence humans in many ways. Sound was here during the start of the Universe and influenced ancient stars, galaxies, etc.), and the matrix of light involved in the Universe proving that we are not accidental motions. We are integrated, fully advanced beings with purpose and functions relevant to the Universe. Everything in existence rotates and oscillates with a frequency. Even atoms have a frequency. I believe God is the ultimate origin of all things. Almighty God to me has infinite Power, the Ultimate Creator of the Universe, and infinite Energy being part of Infinity (which is a mathematical concept).
Additional Paternal Family Information
Now, it is time to reveal more facts to the people. David Harrison is my 3rd paternal cousin as we share the same ancestor of Adam D. (b. 1862). He has a daughter named Nyla Harrison. David Harrison's parents are Lynwood Welsey Harrison Jr. (1952-2017) and Janie Vanesta D. (b. 1952). Janie Vanesta D.'s parents were Meddrict D. (1921-1977) and Rozella Opra Pickett (1933-2013). Meddrict D. was my 1st cousin who was part of the U.S. Army during the era of World War II. He was trained in North Carolina for the military, and he lived in Norfolk, Virginia. His parents were Arthur Lawrence D. (1889-1944) and Alanvia Station (1895-1996). Arthur Lawerence D.'s parents were Adam D. and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Also, I found out how David Harrison is related to both my father's and mother's sides of my family. The reason is that David Harrison's father, Lynwood Welsey Harrison Jr. is a descendant of my 6th great grandmother Winifred Woodson-Bozeman and my 6th great grandfather Burwell Williams. First Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) married Burwell Williams (a freeman African American). One of their children was John Bruwell Williams who married a woman named Mary. One of their children were Mary L. Williams (1855-1905), and she had a child with Eddie Drew Kello (b. 1851) named Rosa W. Peterson (1887-1966). Rosa W. Peterson married a man named James Edward Peterson (1885-1945). Their children are Mary Peterson (b. 1906), Irma J. Peterson (b. 1907), James L. Peterson (b. 1910), Florence Corene Peterson (b. 1915), Franklin W. Peterson (b. 1918), Carrie Ethel Peterson (1920-1976), Romine Sallie Peterson (b. 1921), Elizabeth Peterson (b. 1925), Leroy Peterson Sr. (b. 1923-1973), Eunice Roberta Peterson (1928-1992), and Willie Peterson (b. 1929). My 3rd cousin Carrie Ethel Peterson married Lynwood Harrison Sr. (1919-2006). Their children are Marion J. Hatcher (b. 1938), Carolyn T. Norman (1948-1996), Lynwood Harrison Jr. (b. 1952), Simone Harper, and Wiley Whitley. Lynwood Harrison Jr. was my 4th maternal cousin, and he married my paternal 2nd cousin Janie Vanesta D. Their child was my paternal 3rd cousin and my maternal 5th cousin David Harrison. So, everything comes into full circle.
Starlette Babsie Allen Edmonds (b. 1961) is my 2nd cousin as we share the same ancestor of Adam D. (b. 1862). Starlettee Babsie Edmonds's parents are Robert Allen and Helen Maxine D. (b. 1936). Starlette Edmonds was born on May 25, 1961, in Halifax, North Carolina. She married Claymetal Randolph Edmonds (b. 1959) on May 25, 1984, at Richmond, Virginia. Their daughter is my 3rd cousin named Whitney Cierra Edmonds (b. 1985). Sharlette's mother, Helen Maxine D.'s parents were Arthur Lawrence D. (1899-1944) and Alvania Station (1895-1996). Helen's siblings were Arthur, Meddrict, Iva Lena, Fred Edward, Annie V., Georgianna, Leland, Hubert Lawrence, and Mack. Arthur Lawerence D.'s parents were Adam D. and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Starlette Edmonds lives in Richmond, Virginia for many years now, and she was a former Clerk at the U.S. Postal Service. She is confirmed to be related to me by Ancestry.com which showed a DNA match with me and Starlette Edmonds.
I found out that Dwayne A. Roberson was my 3rd cousin, and she was born in March 1978. We are descendants of Adam D. (b. 1862). Dwayne A. Roberson is from the Washington, D.C. area, and her parents are Terrence Alan Robertson (b. 1953) and Jeanette F. Roberson. His siblings are Brendolyn Robertson (1976-2004) and Corey Roberson. My 2nd cousin Terrence Alan Roberson's parents are Elbert Lee Roberson (1913-2001) and Lucy Nanearl Holmes (b. 1926). Elbert Lee Roberson and Lucy Nanearl Holmes's children are Elbert Rudolph Robertson (b. 1948), Tia A. Roberson McClain (b. 1951), Terrence Alan Roberson (b. 1953), and Nannette Roberson Johnson (b.1956). Elbert Lee Roberson's parents are James Gus Henry Robertson (1883-1951) and Ada (Ettie) D. (1890-1960). My great grandaunt Ada D.'s parents are Adam D. and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954).
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My 3rd paternal cousin is Lisa Michelle D.-Flynn. She was born on May 11, 1988, at Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia). She married Julius B. Flynn (b. 1968) and their children are Dominque Flynn (b. 1999) and Skylar Flynn. Lisa's mother is Wilhelmenia Teresa D. (b. 1949). Wilhemenia Teresa D. worked at the U.S. Department of Transporation (as many African Americans in the DMV area work heavily in federal government jobs), and she studied at Southeast University. She is from New Church, Virginia. Wilhelmenia Teresa D.'s parents are Arthur D. Jr. (1919-1993) and Alma Virginia Douglas (1926-2013). The parents of Arthur D. Jr. are August D. Sr. (1889-1944) and Alvania Staton (1895-1996). Arthur Lawrence D.'s parents are Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). Lisa Michelle D.-Flynn lives in the city of Wilmington, Delaware.
Walter James Jr. (b. 1974) is my 5th cousin as we share the same ancestors of George and Esther Perkins. She is married to the Mayor of the city of Bladensburg, Maryland Takisha Dawnett James (b. 1976). Their daughter is Imani James. The parents of Walter James Jr. are Walter Lee James Sr. (b. 1948) and Lillian Virginia Hack (1953-2019). The siblings of Walter James Jr. are Rebekah James and Samuel Cornelius James. The parents of Walter Lee James Sr. (b. 1948) are Hezzie James and Dora Lee Fisher (1926-2009). Hezzie James and Dora Lee Fisher's other children are Charles Fisher James (b. 1939), Herbert Robert James (1946-2000), and Willie Lee James (1947-1968. He passed away in the Vietnam War as he was in the military). My 3rd cousin Dora Lee Fisher had a child with James Folk (1922-1996) named Veronica Lee James (b. 1958. She was born in Northampton County, Virginia). Veronica Lee James married Spencer J. Drummond Jr. on June 12, 1976, at Accomack, Virginia. Their daughter is my 5th cousin Alicia Drummond-Cottman (b. 1979). Dora Lee Fisher's parents are William B. Fisher (b. 1903) and Hall B. Fisher (1906-1985). Hallie B. Fisher's parents are John Satchell (b. 1882) and Ethel Kelly (b. 1885). Ethel Kelly's parents were George Kelly (B. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). Easter Perkins' parents are George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
Many of my distant paternal cousins do live in Brooklyn, New York City. My 2nd paternal cousin is Bishop Rothel Highsmith (who was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and now he lives in Jamaica, Queens, NYC). He was born on May 12, 1961, in New York City. His first wife is Jeanette Terry (b. 1962), and they married in 1983 in New York City. Their 2 daughters are Rotanetta M. Highsmith (b. 1984) and Jeathel J. Highsmith (b. 1990). These daughters are my 3rd cousins who are from Brooklyn. Bishop Rothel Highsmith's 2nd wife was Tawanda L. Wright being married on September 26, 1998, in New York City. His third wife was Vivian Nesbitt being married on January 22, 2005, in New York City. Their son is my 3rd cousin Jallen C. Highsmith (b. 2005). His current wife is Yolanda Shantell Taliaferro, and the couple married on October 24, 2014, in New York City. Bishop Rothel Highsmith's parents are Herbert Reed Highsmith (1930-1992) and Thelma Lee Whitehead (1933-2014). Bishop Rothel Highsmith's siblings are Herbert Reed High Smith Jr. (1951-1993), Eugene Highsmith (1954-2003), Leatha Highsmith (1956-1991), Reginald Highsmith (b. 1957), and Rhoda L. Highsmith Alexander (b. 1974).
My late 2nd cousin Eugene L. Highsmith was married to Wylina G. Cooks in 1981 in Manhattan, New York City. Their children are: Justine Malika Highsmith Luis (b. 1980. She has been married to Troy Antonie Luis since February 14, 2009, in Brooklyn, New York City), Gavin E. Highsmith (b. 1989. He is married to Shardae B. Hall since December 12, 2016, at Queens, New York City), and Janeice G. Highsmith (b. 1991). The parents of Thelma Lee Whitehead are Gustave Whitehead (b. 1892) and Penora D. (b. 1895). This is proven by the state of North Carolina marriage record of Thelma Whitehead and Hebert R. Highsmith being married on August 30, 1950, in Martin, North Carolina. The record showed her parents are my great-grandaunt Penora Whitehead and Gustave Whitehead. My great grand aunt Penora D. Whithead's parents are my 2nd great grandparents Adam D. (1862) and Georgianna Tillery (1868-1954).
My paternal 2nd cousin Patrice Martell Wilson Waller was born on July 2, 1953, in Pitt, North Carolina. She was married to Henry Thomas Waller Jr. (b. 1952) on April 16, 1976. They had 2 children together. Patrice Wilson Waller studied at the Piedmont Virginia Community College in August of 1994 in Graphic Design with a Minor in Art. Her parents were William James Wilson (b. 1931) and Clavon Irene D. (1933-1998). Irene's parents were Mancy D. and Hattie Burnett (1903-1993). Mancy D.'s parents were Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery (1868-1954). My 3rd paternal cousins are John Jasper Wilkins III (b. 1980) and the late religious leader Pastor Jared Carlton Wilkins (1982-2022). Pastor Jared Wilkins lived a blessed life being lived to 40 years old. He loved his wife Shauna Scott Wilkins (b. 1984) and their 4 children of Makena Wilkins (b. 2010), Declan Wilkins (b. 2012), Zoe Wilkins (b. 2015), and Naomi Wilkins. He was the young pastor of Parkcrest Christian Church. He helped a lot of people in Long Beach, California. He lived in North Carolina, Chicago, Oklahoma, and in California.
Jared Wilkins didn't just talk about racial justice. He was actively involved in promoting policies to help his church be inclusive of people of every color. He opposed racism and police brutality. Also, Jared Wilkins worked hard to condemn the January 6th, 2021, insurrection. He was 6 feet and 4.5 inches tall. He was born on April 25, 1982, in Raleigh, North Carolina his parents are John Jasper Wilkins Jr. (b. 1954) and Cheryl R. McDougald Wilkins (b. 1959). Jared Wilkins studied business law as an undergraduate. He graduated from Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He met his wife, Shauna Scott, at his father's Durham church. His father is a pastor. They married on August 30, 2008. In 2020, he wrote that "Civility and honor must return to our discourse." His wife started as a crime scene investigator for the Huntington Beach Police Department. My 2nd cousin John Jasper Wilkins Jr.'s parents were John Jasper Wilkins (1932-1991) and Inell Ava D. (b. 1935). Inell Ava D.'s parents were Mancy D. (1896-1964) and Hattie Burnett (1903-1993). Mancy D.'s parents were Adam D. (b. 1862) and Georganna Tillery D. (1868-1954). Therefore, I am learning a lot of facts about the courage found in my family tree.
I found information on the marriage bond document between Isham Tiller and Martha Jane Randolf. The couple was married on January 6, 1866, at North Carolina (in Halifax County). The bondsman was John Moore. The witness was Jas H. Whitaker. The ceremony was performed by Henry Epps, the African Minister of the Gospel. Ishan Tillery and Matha Jane Randolf are my 3rd great-grandparents. Ishan Tillery and Martha Jane Randolf had many children who were Walter Tillery (1868-1927), Georganna Tillery (1868-1954), Medrick Tillery (b. 1871), and John Tillery (b. 1873). My 2nd great-granduncle Walter Tillery married Sallie Gary (1869) in 1888. Their children are Carolina Tillery (b. 1890), Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955), Rufus Flint Tillery (1896-1965), and Lucy Tillery Smith (1906-1931). Walter Tillery later married Anna Page with the children of Noah Tillery (b. 1908), Bessie L. Tillery (1917-1978), and Walter Tillery Jr. (1919-1987). My first cousin Carolina Tillery married Cleveland Bigs on August 22, 1908, at Lenoir, North Carolina. Their daughter was Ethel Biggs (1928-1995). Ethel Biggs had 2 children, who are my 3rd cousins, with William Jordan (1930-1968) whose names are Arrasheed Jordan (b. 1953) and Mildred Dorrea Jordan (b. 1963). Mildred Dorrea Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York City. She married Charles Nathan Newton (b. 1961), and their child is Charles Nathan Amin Newton (b. 1981). The couple has lived in Ohio before.
Vivian D. was my 1st cousin who was born on June 25, 1934, in Halifax, North Carolina. She had the following children with John Henry Dew Sr. (b. 1918): Lauraine Dew (b. 1951), John H. Dew Jr. (b. 1952), Ashely C. Dew (b. 1957), and Edith Luevenia Dew (b. 1953). Later, Vivian D. married Sylvester Whitfield (1927-1981) in 1966 in New Jersey. Lauraine Dew had 2 children Barbara Ann Dew (b. 1968) and Nathaniel R. Dew (b. 1970). My 2nd cousin Edith Luevenia Dew had the child of Edith L. Dew (b. 1970), and Edith L. Dew's child is Tyra Murray (who is my 2nd cousin whose father was the late Tyree Murray).
On my father's side, I found out that Da'shaun L. Collins (b. 2003) is my 5th cousin as we are descendants of George and Esther Perkins. Da'shaun L. Collins's mother is my 5th cousin Latoya R. Collins (b. 1982). Latoya Collins's parents are Calvin Melton Collins Sr. (b. 1960) and Carolyn Renee Dukes (b. 1963). My 4th cousin Calvin Melton Collins Sr.'s parents were James Herbert Collins Jr. (1932-1988) and Lillian Catherine Savage (1937-2019). James Herbert Collins Jr. and Lillian Catherine Savage had the following children of: Darlene Collins (1955-2010), Joseph Lewis Collins Sr. (b. 1957), Calvin Melton Collins Sr. (b. 1960), John Wayne Collins Sr. (1961-2019), Severn Collins Sr., James Herbert Collins the 3rd, Larry Collins, and Geraldine Collins. The parents of James Herbert Collins Jr. are James Herbert Collins (1901-1979) and Olicia Upshur (1907-1963). The parents of my 2nd cousin Olivia Upshur were Charles Henry Upshur (1885-1964) and Messina Upshur (b. 1887). The parents of my 1st cousin Messina Upshur were Henry Upshur (1858-1940) and Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). The parents of my 3rd great grandaunt Caroline Perkins were George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
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Also, I found out more about my distant cousins who are part of the Wise family in Boston, Massachusetts (of the paternal side of my family) and other parts of the state of Massachusetts in the New England region of America. First, it is time to start at my 4th great grandparents of George and Esther Perkins. They had a child named Easter Perkins (1840-1910). She was my 3rd great-grandaunt. She had children with James Nottingham and George Kelly (b. 1830). One of her children with George Kelly was George Kelly Jr. George Kelly Jr. married Sarah Kelly (b. 1887) and had the children Rayfield Kelley (b. 1903) and Ernest Samuel Kelley (1906-1989). Ernest Samuel Kelly married Sereta Collins in Northampton County, Virginia (on the Eastern Shore) on September 11, 1930. The couple had many children who are Ethel Kelley (b. 1932), Cassell Kelley (b. 1933), Correll Kelley, Ernest Nelson Kelley (1935-1989), Rossley Ivin Kelley (1936-2008), Mae Ellen Kelley (1939-2022), and Sereta Kelley Wise (1940-2020). Mae Ellen Kelley Wise was my 3rd cousin born on March 4th, 1939, at Northampton County, Virginia (in the Virginian Eastern Shore). She loved to study in school, especially the subject of mathematics. She graduated from high school at the age of 16. Later, she married her high school sweetheart Robert Lee Wise (1936-1986), who joined the Navy. They married on September 24, 1955, at Franktown, Virginia. They had five boys and four girls or 9 children after their newborn babies passed away in 1956. Mae Wise was an educator in the Boston Public School system. She worked at a boutique with her daughter Sheila to make items and sell them. She had a religious faith constantly in prayer and helping fellow people. The children of Mae Ellen Kelly Wise and Robert Wise were Stephanie Van Loan, Kwame Wise Sr., Makeda Williams, Salahaldin Wise, Robert H. Wise, Ernest Wise, Rynel Wise, Yolanda Garraway, and Aisha Davis. These children are my 4th cousins. Salahaldin Wise (b. 1962) is married to the former Army veteran and businesswoman Lauren Marie Govan-Wise (b. 1964), and their children are Akeem Wise (b. 1985) and Tatiana Wise. Kwame Wise Sr. (b. 1961) had many children with Donna Alisa M. Wise (b. 1959) who are Kwame Wise II (b. 1984), Kwanna Wise (b. 1987), Dominique A. Wise, and Vambah Sillah Wise. Kwame Wise Sr. is now married to Andrea Weaver, who is from Chicago. Rynel G. Wise (b. 1966) is married to Renee Johnson with the children of Rashawn Wise (b. 1996) and Kiyanna Wise (b. 1999). Sheila Wise Rowe is married to Nicholas Rowe.
Additional Claud Family Descendants (and other Maternal Relatives)
It is important to celebrate the memory of the late Israel Claud who lived from February 4, 1936, to May 21, 2023. He was my late cousin who was born in Southampton County, Virginia. His parents were Guy and Viola Rogers Claud. Israel Claud was educated in the Southampton County school system and worshipped as a member in the Galilee Baptist Church. He moved into Suffolk working for the railroad industry. Later, Israel Claud was a mechanic with the Nansemond County Tractor sales. He loved to farm, so he was a farmer full time later during his life. Israel Claud for years was an active member of Pleasant Union Baptist Church under the leadership of the recently deceased Reverend Doctor Vaurice Chambers. Isarel was on the deacon board and served as Sunday School Superintendent. He was an advisor to the Farm Service Agency of the USDA. People knew of his wit, and he loved his tractor plus his shop. He married Carrie Elziabeth Parker on January 29, 1958, at Emporia, Virginia. Their three children are Valerie Lorraine Claud (b. 1958), Veronica Denise Claud (b. 1959), and Stanley Israel Claud (b. 1960). Ancestry.com confirmed that Israel Claud is genetically related to me in a very high level, as I'm a descendant of Zilphy Claud (just like Israel Claud). He was predeceased by his parents and siblings who are Frank, Naomi (1920-1950), Guy Franklin Claud Jr. (1925-1975), Sudie (1927-2003), Gabrilla (1930-2004), Doris (1918-2007), Lilia (1928-2005), James (1941-2020), Webster (1934-1997), Oliver (1923-2016), Viola (1937-2013), and Obadiah (1931-2014). Israel Claud was a heroic man who loved his wife and his family. Condolences do out to Israel Claud's family and friends.
My late 3rd cousin Rosetta Smith Sykes lived from July 22, 1913, to March 9, 2008. She was a descendant of my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). My mother knew of Rosetta Smith Sykes and people like Jasper Sykes and other human beings in that family too. Rosetta Smith Sykes's parents were Reuben Smith (1885-1952) and Annie Mason Claud (1887-1961). Annie Mason Claud's parents were Frank Thomas Claud (1856-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (1868-1939). Frank T. Claud is a direct descendant of Zilphy Claud. Mrs. Rosetta Smith Sykes transitioned to eternal life at Southside Regional Medical Center in Petersburg, Virginia. During her childhood and teenage years, she attended Southampton County, Virginia public schools. She loved to be a member of the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church at Drewryville, Virginia. She worked in many ministries of her church as Usher, Missions, and Food Services. Rosetta Sykes was a member of the Sunday school and Bible study. People referred to her as Mother Sykes, and she had a great love for the Lord. She was the Mother of the Church, and the church was headed by the pastorate of the Rev. William Dentson. In real life, Rosetta Sykes helped tons of human beings as a babysitter, housekeeper, and caregiver. She was a member of the Shiloh Association and other groups. Rosetta Smith Sykes married Jasper Sykes Sr. (b. 1912), and her children are James Lloyd Sykes (b. 1934), John Ruben Sykes (1936-2004), Rudolph Sykes (1938-1985), Floyd Sykes, Melvin Sykes, and Jasper Sykes Jr., Rev. Dr. Rosa Rynn (b. 1944-2009), and Delores Verronco Sykes (b. 1953). My 4th cousin Jasper Sykes Jr.'s first wife was Lynnette Elizabeth Mayes (b. 1945). His second wife was named Gloria J. Sykes (b. 1948). Jasper Sykes Jr.'s children with Lynnette Elizabeth Mayes are LaShonda Verrett Sykes (b. 1968), Areatha Sykes (b. 1969), and Aronda Sykes (b. 1971). His 2 stepchildren are Chandra Porter and Leonard Gilliam Jr. Jasper Sykes Jr.'s six grandchildren (or Rosetta Sykes's grandchildren) are Sameia, Areatha, Taurik, Maurik, Lyndsey, and Lauryn.
Jasper Sykes Jr. was a member of the First Union Baptist Church on Dill Road. He served the Trustee Ministry. He worked for 35 years in the United States Postal Service (from being a mail carrier to the supervisor of mail delivery). He retired in October of 1999. He was in the U.S. Army for 8 years and then served in the reserve unit for 20 years. He was a truck driver for the Atlantic Constructors. Rosetta Smith Sykes's son of James Lloyd Sykes (or my 4th cousin) married Margaret Ann Stevenson (b. 1937-2022) on April 8, 1955, at Norfolk, Virginia. Their children are Karen Sykes (b. 1955), Marietta Lavonne Sykes (b. 1957), Jane Elois Sykes (b. 1959), and Jay Lloyd Sykes (b. 1962). Karen Sykes married Burnell Jason Moore (b. 1954) on May 28, 1977, at Norfolk, Virginia. Marietta Lavonne Sykes married Willie Clay Woodard (b. 1957) at Norfolk, Virginia on August 13, 1983. Their children are Gabrielle Nicole Woodard (b. 1989), Sade Denise Woodard (b. 1993), and Willie Woodard Jr. (b. 1994. He is married to Allison Woodard). Jay Lloyd Sykes married Angela Priscilla Meyters on November 23, 1985, at Portsmouth, Virginia. Jane Elois Sykes married Aubrey Griffin McCoy at Norfolk, Virginia on April 3, 1982. Rosetta Smith Sykes had 31 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, and five great great grandchildren.
It is important to remember the legacy of my late 5th cousin Laron Michael Vann. He lived from January 11, 1978, to September 28, 2021. We share the same ancestor of my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud. Laron Vann lived in Bangor Crescent in Chesapeake, Virginia. He was 43 years old. He was born in Suffolk, Virginia. His parents were Vanessa Almond Vann and Larry Wiggins. Laron was the graduate of Churchland High School from the class of 1996. He earned his Bachelor's of Science in Business degree from Hampton University in 2002. He was an employee of ADI for three forming friendships and professional relationships. His wife was Toni Latoya Vann (b. 1981. Toni Vann's parents are Tony Curtis Powell, who was born in 1953 and her mother was Viola S. Powell, who was born in 1958). His daughters are Sariyah Vann, Alivia Vann, and his stepdaughter Taniya Taylor. Laron Vann's mother was my 4th cousin Vanessa Almond Vann (1953-2008). Vanessa Almond Vann's parents were George Washington McDonald (1933-1993) and Catherine Eloise Langstone (1933-2001). Catherine Eloise Langston's parents were Andrew J. Langston (1915-1995) and Carlee Dorcus Evans (1920-1993). Carlee Dorcus Evans's parents were Rev. Edward Franklin Evans (b. 1876) and Mobie Lee Sykes (1885-1932). Mobie Lee Sykes's parents were Willis Sykes (b. 1832) and Lydia Claud (b. 1842). My 4th great grandaunt Lydia Claud's parents was my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Laron Michael Vann's sister is Kimberly M. Vann-Haynes, who is my 5th cousin. She was born on December 26, 1975, at Suffolk, Virginia. She married Eric Haynes on November 25, 2000, at Portsmouth, Virginia. Their children are Erica Haynes, Destiny Haynes, KaRon M. Vann, and Eric Haynes Jr. Laron Vann's aunts are Jacquelin A. Hicks and Mamie Sutton. Jacqueline A. Hicks is my 4th cousin, and she was born on August 30, 1968. She married Andrae David Hicks (1965-2007) on January 30, 1993, at Suffolk, Virginia. Their children are Andrae D. Hicks II, Travis Ward, Jada Anevay Hicks, and Daisha Andrea Knight.
My late 3rd cousin Carlton B. Harris III lived from 1971 to 2013. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia to Carlton Bernard Harris Jr. and Rosalynd Laverne Lee Harris on January 9, 1971. He attended Lee's Chapel A.M.E. Church where he sung in the Junior Choir. He was educated in the Chesapeake Public School System and graduated from Great Bridge High School in 1989. Great Bridge is close to North Carolina. He worked in many grocery stores like Food Lion and Walmart. He loved his fiancé Erin Williams. He also had many sons who are DeAngelo Gutierrez and Ka'Darian Cooper. His daughters are Nicole Ramirez, Cheavante Hunter, Chayla Chesson, and Taylor Isaac. Their 3 grandchildren are Mariah, Jaydn, and Chaise. His sisters are Crystal H. Goodman, Carlisa Forbes, Mianekee S. Johnson, Andrae Cherry, Shannon Settles, and Candace Murrell. His brothers are Marcus Adams, Antwan Johnson, and Mauricio Paige. Carlton B. Harris III and I share the same ancestor of Alex Bynum (b. 1843). His father, Carlton Bernard Harris Jr.'s parents are Carlton Bernad Harris (b. 1921) and Margaret Marion Artis (1930-1967). Margaret Marion Artis's parents were Garfield Artis (1879-1938) and Annie Mildred Bynum (1891-1967). Annie Mildred Bynum's parents were Alex Bynum (b. 1843) and Susanna Joyner (1843-1936).
I found out that Kira Tillery (b. 1998) is my 5th cousin, because we share the same ancestor of my 5th grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1892). Kira's mother is Glenda Yvonne Tiller (b. 1978), and her parents are Harry Lee Tillery (b. 1949) and Brenda Yvonne Williams (b. 1949). My 3rd cousin Brenda Yvonne Williams's parents are Theodore Lewis Williams (1906-1993) and Ethel Lena Gilliam (1911-2001). My 2nd cousin Theodore Lewis Williams's parents are Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949) and Hattie E. Joyner (1881-1959). My 1st cousin Peter Percy Williams's parents are John Henry Williams (1857-1921) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Adeline Hill's parents are Tom Hill (1838-1915) and Sarah Claud (1842-1892). Sarah Claud's parent is Zilphy Claud.
I was researching the Ridley family and found out that Ciera Chante Ridley (b. 1990) is my 5th cousin as we both are descendants of my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud. Ciera Ridley's parents are Donnel Donald Ridley (1962-2005) and Lisa Johnson (b. 1968). Donnell Ridley's parents were Alfred Kernel Ridley (1939-2007) and Delsey Lee Robinson (b. 1942). Alfred and Delsey's children are Lowrenzo Pernell Ridley (1967-1975), Nelson Dennis Junior Ridley (1968-2019), Sheila Laverne Ridley (b. 1969) and Donnell Donald Ridley (1962-2005). Alfred Kernel Ridley's parents were Arthur Ridley (1910-1990) and Etta Claud (1919-2016). Etta Claud's parents were Richard Washington Claud (1874-1945) and Ann Elizabeth Claud (1876-1960). Richard Washington Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Zilphy Claud was born a slave, and she was free after the Civil War. She wore a necklace, and she lived in Portsmouth, VA before her passing. Zilphy Claud's parents are A. and F. Blount. I trust my intuition and I knew by my intuition that this information must be shown to the people. DNA evidence confirmed that I'm related to the Claud family too.
Christy Nicole Williams Godwin (b. 1983) is related to me via our ancestor of Zilphy Claud. She is married to Javon Godwin. She is my 4th maternal cousin. Her parents are Payton Joyner Williams (b. 1955) and Sharon Lynicia Graves (b. 1957). Payton Joyner Williams's parents are Payton John Williams Sr. (1922-2002) and Ethel Redell Wright Whitfield (1925-1991). Payton John Williams Sr.'s parents are Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949) and Hattie E. Joyner (1881-1959). Peter Percy Williams's parents were John Henry Williams (1857-1921) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Adaline Hill's parents were the freeman Tom Hill (1838-1915) and Sarah Claud (1842-1892). Sarah's Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
I recently found out on August 28, 2023, that Taylor Jordon Shannon Pigram is my 3rd maternal cousin as we are both descendants of my 3rd great-grandparents of Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926) and Nottoway descendant Susanna Field Hurst-Turner (1862-1949). Her parents are Gale Denise Butler (b. 1952) and Arthur Caliph Pigram. Taylor Jordon Shannon Pigram's siblings are Danielle Alisha Uzzle (b. 1973), Larry Uzzle Jr. (b. 1975), Marcus Lamont Uzzle (b. 1979), and Darnell L. Uzzle (b. 1986). My 2nd cousin Gale Denise Butler's parents were William Butler Jr. and Doreatha E. Faltz Butler (1930-2019). Doreatha E. Faltz Butler's parents were Joseph Nathan Faltz Sr. (1901-1952) and Alice Rosetta Claud (1906-1988). My 2nd great-grandaunt Alice Rosetta Claud's parents were Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926) and Susanna Field Hurst-Turner Claud (1862-1949).
Randi-Paige Kneisha Hill is my 5th cousin who was born on September 28, 1983, in Portsmouth, Virginia. We are descendants of Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Her parents are Randall Calester Hill (b. 1950) and Terri Ann Morris (b. 1958). My 4th cousin Terri Ann Morris's parents are Jesse Morris Jr. (1932-2020) and Frances Elizabeth Ricks (b. 1932). Frances Elizabeth Ricks's parents were McGrath Louis Ricks (1913-1984) and Page Williams (1915-1986). Page Williams's parents were James Edward Williams (1879-1950) and Miranda Williams (1880-1964). James Edward Williams's parents were Nottoway descendants John Henry Williams (1857-1921) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Adaline Hill's parents were Sarah Claud (1842-1892) and African American freeman Tom Hill (1838-1915). Sarah Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud.
I found out recently that Autumn Lanay Ashe is my 5th paternal cousin (b. 1998) as we are both descendants of my 5th great-grandmother of Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Where does this journey start? First, Autumn Ashe was a great basketball player when she was in school. Her parents are Andrew Fitzgerald Ashe (b. 1964) and Yulonda Denea Carter (b. 1969). Yulonda Denea Carter's parents (or Autumn's grandparents) were James Peter Carter (1945-2023) and Alma Ora Carter, as the couple married on March 14, 1969. My 4th cousin Andrew Fitzgerald Ashe's parents were Nathaniel Herman Ashe Sr. (1934-2015) and Shirley Marie Langston (1937-2003). My 3rd cousin Shirley Marie Langston's parents were Andrew J. Langston (1915-1995) and Carlee Dorcus Evans (1920-1993). My 2nd cousin Carlee Dorcus Evans's parents were Rev. Edward Franklin Evans (b. 1876) and Mobie Lee Sykes (1885-1932). My 1st cousin Mobie Lee Sykes's parents were Willis Sykes (b. 1832) and Lydia Claud (b. 1842). My 4th great-grandaunt Lydia Claud's mother was Zilphy Claud. Autumn Ashe earned the 2012 African American Academic Excellence Award. Autumn Ashe loves her child Kai Ashe-Hardy (or my 6th cousin).
There is more information about my family tree too. The late Linda Dianne Claud Fothergill is from the Claud family, and she lived from 1951 to 2000. Her parents are Joe Frank Claud (1930-2018) and Ruth Elizabeth Pugh (b. 1934). Their children are Tisha Fothergill (b. 1970) and Shannon Fothergill-Armour (b. 1975. She married Hakiem S. Armour and their children are Nia Armour and Nicole Armour). Joe Frank Claud and Ruth Elizabeth Pugh's son is Frankie Gerond Claud Sr. (b. 1952). He married Sharon E. Crooms (b. 1952) and their daughter is Tonya Lynn Claud (b. 1973). Tonya Lynn Claud lives in the state of Connecticut. Joe Frank Claud's parents were Peter L. Claud (1891-1969) and Joeanna Claud (b. 1891). Peter L. Claud's parents were Frank Thomas Claud (1856-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (1868-1939). Frank Thomas Claud is a descendant of Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). I found out about this information today.
My late 4th maternal cousin Lenhart Elijah Brown lived from January 17, 1973, to January 7, 2021. He was born in New York City and passed away at Salt Lake City, Utah. He lived in Brooklyn, NYC for years, and his children are Isaiah Brown and Genesis Victoria Brown (of Brooklyn, New York City). His parents are Eddie Lenhart Brown (1948-2020) and Susa Jane Cue. His siblings are Eddie Lenhart Brown Jr. (b. 1973) and Tiffany Alice Brown Goosby (b. 1981. She lives in Brooklyn, NYC and is married to Kenward J. Goosby since July 19, 2016. He was born in 1969). Eddie Lenhart Brown's parents were Jim Brown (1918-2007) and Alice Beatrice Evans (1922-2003). Alice Beatrice Evans's parents were Rev. Edward Franklin Evans (b. 1876) and Mobie Lee Sykes (1885-1932). Mobie Lee Sykes's parents were Willis Sykes (b. 1832) and Lydia Claud (b. 1842). Lydia Claud's mother was my 5th great grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Lenhart Elijah Brown graduated from Nansemond River high school in Suffolk, Virginia in 1992 and Eagle Gate College with an Associate's Degree of science degree in paralegal studies. He was a notary and worked for Utah's legal Aid Society for 11 years.
My 4th cousin Victoria Joi Cason (b. 1993) is the daughter of Associate Pastor Allen Dewayne Cason (b. 1958) and Frieda Elaine Williams (b. 1959). Victoria Cason is the Principal Security Advisor at Gartner. She is a cybersecurity expert in keeping us safe from cyber-attacks. Victoria Cason earned her Bachelor of Science degree in communication and Media Studies by 2015. She also earned a Graduate Certificate in Cybersecurity Management and Policy from the University of Maryland Global Campus. My 3rd cousin Frieda Elaine Williams has a son named Shaun Anthony Williams (b. 1978). Shaun is the brother to Victoria Cason and Alanna Grace Cason (b. 1999) being my 4th cousins. Shaun Anthony Williams married Dana Cherie Brown (b. 1981) on July 3, 1999, at Suffolk, Virginia. Dana Brown Williams brings spiritual messages to the people. Shaun and Dana Williams love their children who are Cayla Alexis Williams (b. 2002), Colin Williams, Corey Williams, and Christopher B. Williams. Victoria Joi Cason and her mother Frieda Elaine Williams and I are descendants of Zilphy Claud. Frieda Elaine Williams's parents were Johnnie Thomas Williams (1912-1977) and Irene Turner (1921-1994). Johnnie Thomas Williams's parents were Peter Percy Williams (1880-1949) and Hattie E. Joyner (1881-1959). Peter Percy Williams's parents were John Henry Williams (1857-1921) and Adaline Hill (1862-1930). Adaline Hill's parents are Sarah Claud (1842-1892) and Tom Hill (1838-1915). Sarah Claud's mother was my 5th great grandmother Ziilphy Claud (1820-1890).
As many people know, I am related to many people of the Artis family found in Southampton County, Virginia and all over the world. Recently, I had a DNA match to a person named Celeste Artis on my maternal side of my family. Ancestry.com stated that she is my 4th to 6th cousin. In my family, genealogical research is part of my culture. So, I did a lot of research to find out that we share the same common ancestor of Zilphy Claud, and that Celeste Artis is my 5th cousin. Celeste Artis was born on November 17, 1977, at Norfolk, Virginia. Her parents are Lawrence Harry Artis and the late Vivian Artis (1950-1997). Her siblings are Nya Francheri Artis (b. 1973) and Tiffany Monique Artis (b. 1980). Vivian Artis was my 4th cousin, and her parents are Clarence Lee Rollins (b. 1920) and Ruth Victoria Claude (1923-2009). Ruth Victoria Claude's parents are Joseph James Claud (1894-1988) and Georgia Bynum (1893-1975). Joseph James Claud's parents were Frank Thomas Claud (1856-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (1868-1939). Frank Thomas Claud is a direct descendant of Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Zilphy Claud is my 5th great grandmother. Kyle Mekeo Sallis Bynum (b. 1993 at Chesapeake, Virginia) is related to both the Claud and Bynum families. He is my 6th cousin, and his parents are Ghana Mekeo Bynum (b. 1973) and Shivaun Corrine Sallis (b. 1971. She is from Midland, Pennsylvania). Ghana Bynum's parents are Joseph Adom Bynum (b. 1951) and Joyce Evette Holloway (b. 1951). Joseph Adom Bynum's parents were Jimmy Lewis Bynum Sr. (1920-2003) and Laura Elizabeth Claud (1923-1985). Laura Elizabeth Claud's parents are Peter L. Claud (1891-1969) and Nettie Rogers (1894-1924). Peter L. Claud's parents were Frank Thomas Claud (1856-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (1868-1939).
I have a distant 4th cousin named Jacquelyn Dawn Claude who is a professional nurse. She was born in December of 1977 in Suffolk, Virginia. She has helped people for years in Newport News, Virginia, and in other places of the world. She earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2002 and her Master's Degree of Science in Public Health from Walden University in 2011. She has been a registered nurse for over 20 years, earning her certification as Faith Community Nurse. Jacqueline Dawn Claude's parents were Frank Daniel Claude (1929-1988) and Mary Frances Miller (1931-1999). Her siblings include: Philip Claud (b. 1949), Leslie Douglas Claude (b. 1951), Gregory Ricordo Claude (b. 1952), Francine Claude (b. 1954), David Burnette Claude (b. 1956), Jeffrey Daniel Claude (b. 1957), Constance Denise Claude (b. 1959), Michael Thomas Claude (b. 196), Diana Yvonne Claude (b. 1963), Debra Louise Claude (b. 1965), Sherlene Teresa Claude (b. 1966), Samuel Jason Claude), Evangelist Queen Esther Claude (b. 1970), Sandra Danielle Claude (b. 1973), Kevin Levon Claude (1975-1993), and Barry Allen Miller. Frank Daniel Claude's parents were Joseph James Claud (1894-1988) and Georgia Bynum (1893-975). Joseph James Claud's parents were Frank Thomas Claud (1856-1948) and Elizabeth Whitehead (1868-1939). Frank Thomas Claud is a direct descendant of my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893).
Shayla Inez Taylor is my 2nd cousin, and she was born on November 1, 1981, in Bellevue, Nebraska. She attended Bellevue West High School. Her parents are Robert A. Taylor (b. 1942) and Thelma Thomasa Claude (b. 1953). My first cousin Thelema Thomasa Claude's parents were Edgerton Claud (1916-1962) and Thelma Ruth Smith (1919-1961). My great-granduncle Edgerton Claud's parents were Arthur Boss Claud (1891-1974) and Martha Jane Claude (1880-1949). Arthur Boss's parents were Rev. James Thompson Claud (1857-1926) and Susanna Field Hurst-Turner (1862-1949). Rev. James Thompson Claud's mother was Sarah Claud, and Sarah Claud's mother was my 5th great-grandmother Zilphy Claud (1820-1893). Shayla Inez Taylor studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and lives in Washington, D.C. The children of Shayla Taylor Jackson and Christopher Jackson are Kayla and Zeke.
Mysteries are being revealed constantly. Recently, I found out about a person named Ameerah Salhah Ahmad (b. 1979) who appears to be my maternal 6th cousin as we share the same ancestors as Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams, who are my 6th great grandparents. To start, it is time to go backwards chronologically. Ameerah Salah Ahmad has a child named Ramiz. Ameerah Ahmad lives in Massachusetts (like many of my maternal and paternal distant cousins live) and her parents are Nadir S. Ahmad (b. 1979) and Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad (b. 1953). Her family are black Muslim Americans as Ameerah Ahmad follows Islam too. My 5th cousin Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad was born on March 1953, and her parents are George Washington Artis (1925-1994) and Julia Mae Newsome (1929-2005). Ameerah's siblings are her brother Salih Ahmad and her sister Balayla Ahmad. The African American Artis family was from Southampton County originally. Many of them moved to Sussex County, Virginia (which is near Suffolk, Virginia). From Sussex County, the Artis family traveled all over America like Petersburg, Virginia, Richmond, Virginia, New York City, and beyond. George Washington Artis and Julia Mae Newsome had the following children: Frances Artis Reed (b. 1949), George Carol Artis (1950-1989), Hadiyah Sabreen Ahmad (b. 1953), Veronic Eliane Artis Clifford (b. 1954), Rose Marie Artis Gupton (b. 1956), Larry Darnell Artis (b. 1958), Doris Jean Artis (b. 1960), Vera Annette Artis (b. 1963), and Sophia Lorraine Artis (b. 1966). The parents of George Washington Artis (1925-1994) or my 4th cousin were William Artis (1894-1956) and Sallie Greene (b. 1900). William Artis's parents were William W. Artis (b. 1862) and Rebecca Mylick (b. 1863). William W. Artis's parents were William Artis and my 1st cousin Indiana Bozeman Crocker (1831-1896). This is proven by many sources. One is the 1880 United Federal Federal Census Document showing William W. Artis being 17 and the son of William Artis and Indiana Artis citing his siblings of Washington Artis, Ben Artis, Clara J. Artis, and George Artis. Also, the Virginia U.S. Marriage Registers document (1853-1935) citied William Walter Artis being married to Rebecca Mylick citing his parents as William and Indiana.
Indiana Bozeman Crocker's parents were Thomas Crocker (1810-1877) and Pasty Williams Crocker (1810-1870). Patsy Williams Crocker's parents were again my 6th grandparents of Winifred Woodson Crocker (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams. Winifred's daughter was Mary Woodson-Williams (1811-1870). Mary Woodson-Williams's daughter was my 4th great grandmother Milly Woodson-Bozeman (1830-1910), and Milly Woodson-Bozeman's daughter was my 3rd great grandmother Susanna Field Hurst-Turner (1862-1949), who was a descendant of the Nottoway Native American people of Southampton County, Virginia. She married Rev. James Thompson Claud to have many children like my 2nd great grandfather Arthur Boss Claud (1891-1974). Arthur Boss Claud's daughter was my great-grandmother Ella Mae Claud (1913-1991). Ella Mae Claud's son was my grandfather Robert, and then Robert and Fannie had my mother. After my mother and my father, I was born.
Remembering Elton Trower Sr.
Elton Trower (who was my 3rd cousin) was a famous person of the Trower family of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. He was a great martial artist, and he lived form March 6, 1936, to July 22, 2015. His parents were Milton Norwood Trower (1909-1981) and Carrie Bernice Satchell (1910-1979). He married Margaret Jone Collins (b. 1934) on January 22, 1957, at Northampton County, Virginia. Their children are Colonial Trower (b. 1956), Roxane Trower Fisher (b. 1962), Alpheus Trower (b. 1967), Felicia Lynn Trower (b. 1982), Jason Trower, Joseph Trower, Lynwood Trower, Elton Trower Jr., and Eltenia Trower. Elton Trower lived to be 79 years old and was a member of the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame. and was a nine-time East Coast Champion. His honors spanning more than 60 years in martial arts. He was the first person inducted into the Founder's Hall of the United States World Breaking Association in 2013. Elton Trower taught people karate at the age of 17 years old. He had his Karate Warriors school in Melfa, where he taught local children and adults for years. Trower helped to lead weekly exercise sessions for senior citizens and brain injury survivors in the community. Elton Trower was a very humble human being known in the Eastern Shore of Virginia as a humanitarian. His mother, Carrie Bernice Satchell's parents were John Satchell (b. 1882) and Ethel Kelly (b. 1885). Ethel Kelly's parents were George Kelly (b. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). Eastern Perkins's parents were George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
John Burwell Williams's and Mary Williams's Descendants
The daughter of John Burwell Willaims (b. 1815) and Mary (b. 1824) was Mary L. Williams. Mary L. Williams's daughter was Ida Williams Artis (1883-1963). Ida Artis's father was Eddie Drew Kello (b. 1851). Ida Artis married Ivy Artis (b. 1883), and their children were Willie Artis (b. 1902), James Robert Artis (1905-1968), Pearl Artis (b. 1908), George Artis (1912-1939), Booker T. Washington Artis Sr. (1915-1980), Thomas Artis (1917-1990), and Lucy Mae Bainty Artis (1919-2006). Booker T. Washington Artis Sr. married Evelyn Ricks on December 30, 1937, in Sedley, Virginia. Their children are Booker T. Washington Artis Jr. (1938-1958) and Melvin Lee Artis Sr. (b. 1940). One daughter of Ivy Artis and Ida Williams Artis was Lucy Mae Bainty Artis (1919-2006). She married Ervin Hicks (1918-2002) on June 3, 1939, at Sedley, Virginia. The marriage documents show Lucy Artis's parents as Ivory Artis (her father) and Ida Williams (her mother). Their children are Lloyd Hicks (b. 1938), Grace Mae Hicks Ricks (b. 1939), Annie B. Hicks (b. 1948), and Robert Lee Hicks (1952-1988).
By early June of 2023, I found out about a history about my 5th cousin Shem Jermmott (b. 1986). He was born in East Orange, New Jersey and now lives in Detroit, Michigan with his wife Morgan Jemmott. His parents are Marshall Ernest Jemmott (1961-2021) and Kenyatta W. Jackson (b. 1963). The parents of Kenyatta W. Jackson (or my 4th cousin) are James Jackson (1930-1988) and Mary Lou Wiggins (1940-1991). Kenyatta Jackson was born on April 30, 1963, at Orange, Essex, New Jersey. Mary Lou Wiggins's parents are Bennie Wiggins (1918-1993) and Marie Harris (b. 1914). Bennie Wiggins's parents are William Wiggins (1878-1931) and Annie L. Barnes (b. 1878). My 1st cousin William Wiggins's parents are Nottoway descendant John Henry Wiggins (b. 1853) and Cordelia (Candy) Turner (1860-1934). Cordelia Turner married John Henry Wiggins on December 14, 1876, at Southampton County, Virginia. Cordelia Turner or my 3rd great-grandaunt's parents are my 4th great grandparents of African American freeman Morefield Hurst Turner (1827-1918) and Milly Woodson Bozeman (1830-1910). So, everything goes full circle.
All of the time, information about my family tree existed. Recently, I found information about Joan Mae Howell Artell, who is my 4th cousin as we are descendants of my 7th grandmother Nanny Woodson (the Nottoway matriarch of so many human beings in Southampton County, Virginia). Nanny Woodson had many children who were Anny Woodson, Winny Woodson, William G. Bozeman, and Jincy Woodson. Winny Woodson, or my 6th grandmother was born in ca. 1791, and she married Burwell Williams (a freeman African Americans). Their children were Pasty Woodson-Williams, John Burwell Williams, Mary Woodson-Williams, and Sally Woodson-Williams. My 5th great grandaunt Sally Williams-Woodson married Robert Wiggins, and they had many children. One of their children were Mary J. Wiggins (b. 1843). My 1st cousin Mary J. Wiggins had a child with William B. Lamb named William Lamb (1875-1958). William Lamb was my 2nd cousin and married Della Jones. Their child was Mabell Lamb (1916-1968). Mabel Lamb was my third cousin, and she married Horace Howell (1908-1981) on May 12, 1941, at Southampton County, Virginia. Their children are Joan Mae Howell (b. 1942), Horace Howell (1946-1973), and William Howell (b. 1947). Joan Mae Howell was my 4th cousin, and she married Herbert E. Atwell (b. 1942). Their child is Nicole M. Atwell (b. 1969) My 5th cousin Nicole M. Atwell lived in New Jersey and married Delando Lyle Braxton (b. 1965) on November 15, 1998, at Berkeley Heights Township, Union, New Jersey. They have many children like Kaela Braxton (b. 2001. She lives in the state of Florida. She recently graduated from Florida State University. Her major is Criminology, and her hometown in Orlando, Florida. She wants to promote equity and inclusion for students of color), Courtney Chanel Braxton, and a younger sister named Deon Braxton. Delando Lyle Braxton's parents are Oliver Chester Braxton and Aida Luz Martinez.
I found out about a person who is Alexia M. Colacicco (b. 1996) who is my 6th cousin. Her parents are Robert Lee Hicks Jr. (b. 1973) and Kim M. Colacicco (b. 1971). My 5th cousin Robert Lee Hicks Jr.'s parents are Robert Lee Hicks (1952-1989) and Linda Du Milton. Robert Lee Lee Hicks's parents are Irvin P. Hicks (1918-2002) and Lucy Mae Bainty Artis (1919-2006). Lucy Mae Bainty Artis's parents are Ivy Artis (b. 1883) and Ida Artis (1883-1963). Ida Artis's parents are Mary L. Williams (1855-1905) and Eddie Drew Kello (1851-1905). Mary L. Williams's parents are John Burwell Williams (b. 1815) and Mary (b. 1824). John Burwell Williams's parents are my 6th great grandparents of Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) and Burwell Williams. So, Alexia M. Colacicco and I shared my 6th great grandparents as direct ancestors.
My late maternal 4th cousin Mabel Lee Artis (1945-2021) is a descendant of my 6th great grandparents of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791). To start, Mabel Lee Artis was born on April 26, 1945, at Nansemond, Virginia (or Suffolk, Virginia today). She married Thomas Lee Roberts (b. 1944) on December 31, 1987, at Suffolk, Virginia. She and James Edward Speller had the child of Rosemary Artis (b. 1960). She and Norman Skinner had the child of Phebe Annette Artis (b. 1963). Her other children are Melvin McKinley Artis Jr. (b. 1964), Norman McCoy Artis (b. 1967), and Ruby Artis. Mabe Lee Artis's parents were Harry Columbus Artis Sr. (1925-2003) and Gladys Earline Ash (1925-2004). Harry Columbus Artis Sr. and Gladys Earline Ash had the following children: Mabel Lee Artis (1945-2021), Alton Artis (1948-1987), Harry Artis (b. 1950), Susie Mae Artis (1951-1967), and Jessie Lee Artis (1954-1992). Harry Columbus Artis Sr.'s parents are Harry Washington Artis (1876-1958) and Mary Alice Brown (1877-1953). Henry Washington Artis's parents are Jimmie Artis (b. 1853) and Margaret Wiggins (b. 1847). Margaret Wiggins's parents are Sally Williams-Woods Wiggins (b. 1825) and Robert Wiggins. Sally Williams-Woodson Wiggins's parents are Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman.
There is more information that I found out about Lucy Williams (the descendant of Nancy Woodson) and her descendants. She was my late 1st cousin. My distant cousin Larry Darden had an obituary of Lucy Williams from back in 1964 that described her life and legacy. The eulogy of her funeral was done by the Rev. R. L. Steele. The obituary confirmed that Lucy Williams was born in November 1875 at Southampton County, Virginia whose parents were John Henry Williams and Mary Williams. The document showed that Lucy Williams married Ridley Worrell, and the couple had 8 children. She passed away on May 8, 1964, at the home of her son and daughter-in-law Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Worrell at 5:15 pm. Lucy Williams was a kind mother and a dedicated Christian. Lucy Williams and Ridley Worrell's children are Mrs. Gladys Worrell Boone, foster daughter, Mrs. Lynie Green, Rev. James Henry Worrell (1899-1982), Hattie Worrell (1903-1942), Lewis Worrell (1908-1984), Tommie Worrell (1905-1987), Pearl Worrell (1898-1925), Gladys Lillie Worrell (1915-1985), Mary Etta Worrell (1910-1955), and Frank Worrell (b. 1912). Lucy Williams in 1964 had 20 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren. Lucy Williams's son was Rev. James Henry Worrell (1899-1982). Rev. James Henry Worrell's second wife was Sadie Lee Myrick (b. 1900), and their daughter was Sarah Lee Worrell Graves (1930-2019). Sarah Lee Worrell Graves married Ozzie Harvey (1920-2011) on June 5, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia. Their children are Pamela Odett Harvey (b. 1963), Christeen J. Harvey (b. 1970), Kevin Harvey, Rudine Harvey Jenkins, Otis Harvey, Adolphus Graves, and Darrell Harvey. Rev. James Henry Worrell married Josephine Artis (1900-1933). Their children are Susanna Edna Worell (1920-2006), James Worrell Jr. (1921-2015), Roman Worrell (b. 1924), Vernon Randolph Worrell (1925-2015), Bessie Mae Worrell (b. 1927), and Josephine Lutheran Worrell (b. 1933). James Harrell Worrell Jr. married Leah Cynthia Morris and had the child of Gary Worrell (b. 1953) or my 4th cousin. Gary Worrell married Sharon Lee Spratley (b. 1956) on March 21, 1976, at Hampton, Virginia. Their child is Jaime Deshawn Worrell (b. 1978), and she married Ralph Bernad Cypress Junior on May 7, 2010, at Virginia Beach, Virginia.
There is information about my late 3rd cousin Martha E. Artis (1878-1960) that must be shown to the public. She was the daughter of Benjamin Thomas Artis (1852-1936) and Indiana Briggs (1855-1923). Martha E. Artis married Herbert F. Ramey (1878-1966) on December 26, 1901, at Sussex, Virginia when she was 23 years old. Martha E. Artis and Herbert F. Ramey Rainey had many children who are: Willie Rainey (b. 1904), Marea Rainey (b. 1906), Vaton Rainey (b. 1908), Ruth Rainey (b. 1912), Bessie R. Matthews (b. 1914), Mary V. Rainey (b. 1920), and Gladys E. Rainey). One of the daughters of Martha and Herbert Rainey was Bessie Mae Rainey. She married Charles Elmer Matthews (b. 1911) on June 20, 1936, at Petersburg, Virginia. Their children are Shirley Marie Matthews (1936-1990), Charles Matthews (b. 1938), Reginald Matthews (b. 1940), Maria Matthews (b. 1944), and Cynthia Matthews (b. 1947). The daughter of Martha E. Artis and Herbert F. Rainey was my 4th cousin Ruth Caronale Rainey Morgan (1912-1993). She married Leonard O. Morgan (b. 1911) with the child of Richard Lewis Morgan (b. 1929). Her 2nd husband was James Edward Flowers on December 5, 1944, at Petersburg, Virginia. My 5th cousin Richard Lewis Morgan (b. 1929) married Lois Josephine Fountain on February 20, 1960, at Pasquotank, North Carolina. They had a child named Anita Richelle Morgan (b. 1961). She was born in Norfolk, Virginia and married Dale Alan Harris (b. 1958) on August 28, 1981. The marriage ended on July 25, 1988. Martha E. Artis and I are descendants of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson Bozeman (my 6th great grandparents). Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman had the child named Patsy Williams Crocker (1810-1870). Patsy Williams Crocker had a child named Indian Bozeman Crocker (1831-1896), her child was Benjamin Thomas Artis (1852-1936), and his daughter is Martha E. Artis.
My late 4th cousin Richelieu L. Davis Sr. (1906-1957) married Estelle Pasham (b. 1909). Their children are Davis (1928-1928) and Richelieu L. Davis (1929-1995). My 5th cousin Richelieu L. Davis (1929-1995) married Vivian Solomon Davis. Their children are Richelieu Leroy Davis III (b. 1981), Marvin Davis, Michelle Davis, Derryck Davis, Cassandra Davis, Jerome Davis, and Lisa Davis. The family has lived in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for years.
There are a group of human beings related to my 3rd cousin David Harrison and me. David Harrison's aunt and my 4th cousin Marion Jeanette Harrison (b. 1937) married Roland Linwood Hatcher (1927-1995) on October 15, 1964, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Their children are Marlon Terrace Hatcher Sr. (b. 1955), Cheryl Winifred Hatcher (b. 1956), Vernet Daphine Hatcher (b. 1960), and Lynnette Dionne Hatcher (b. 1964). Marlon, Cheryl, Vernet, and Lynnette Hatcher are my 5th cousins. The reason is that all of us are descendants of my 6th great-grandparents of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791). My 5th cousin Marlon Terrace Hatcher Sr. married Vanessa Amanda Sparrow in 1976 at Pasquotank, North Carolina. Their children are Marion Hatcher Jr. (b. 1980) and Jenile Nichole Hatcher (b. 1976. She is married to Ricky Kenneth Wilson on May 12, 1997, at Norfolk, Virginia). Marion Hatcher Jr. and Jenile Nichole Hatcher are my 6th cousins. Later, Marlon Terrace Hatcher Sr. married Leslie Althea Adarkwa. Cheryl Winifred Hatcher (b. 1956) married Henry L. Riser (b. 1946) on April 25, 1993, in Clark, Nevada. Their child is my 6th cousin Chanel Attiya Riser (b. 1990. She was born in Harris, Texas, and graduated from the University of Tennessee). Later, Cheryl Winifred Hatcher married Calvin Springfield (b. 1954) on May 6, 2017. Vernet Daphine Hatcher once married Randolph B. Long. Their child is Alivia Randi Long (b. 1992), and she is my 6th cousin.
Alivia Long is a professional actress who is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a degree in Theater (a Minor in Film and Media Studies). She loves to use performance art and wants to inspire children to show their gifts involving the arts. She worked in the Virginia Stage Company for a time. he has roles in Eather: Beat in 2019, Breathe in 2019, and That Quarantine Life in 2020. She earned an MFA in Acting from the East 15 Acting School in the United Kingdom (on May 31, 2018). She has been on web shows, commercials, etc. She now lives in Burbank, California. Lynnette Dionne Hatcher was once married to the late Stefon Bruce Shorts (b. 1961) and their child is the spiritual woman Nia Shorts (b. 1999. She is my 6th cousin). Now, Lynnette Dionne Hatcher is married to Howard Cee Cary (b. 1960). Marion Jeanette Harrison's parents were Lynwood Harrison Sr. (1919-2006) and Carrie Ethel Peterson (1920-1976). Carrie Ethel Peterson's parents were James Edward Peterson (1885-1945) and Rosa W. Peterson (1887-1966). Rosa W. Peterson's parents were Mary L. Williams (1855-1905) and Eddie Drew Kello (1851-1922). Mary L. Williams's parents were John Burwell Williams (b. 1815) and Mary Williams (b. 1832). John Burwell Williams's parents were Burwell Williams (a freeman African American) and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791. His father was Micajah Woodson). Winifred's mother was my 7th great grandmother Nancy Woodson (1760-1808. She was a Nottoway Native American human being).
Here is a source on story of Millie Woodson Turner (from the story of "Nottoway land added to Virginia Landmarks Register." It was published at 4:17 pm. on Thursday, September 24, 2020). The article was written by Stephen Faleski):
"...By the early 19th century, much of the two tracts had been sold off. Around 1830, the Nottoway began deeding the remaining lands under tribal control to individual tribe members — a process that continued for roughly 50 years. Millie Woodson-Turner, a Nottoway descendant born sometime in the early 1830s, received such an allotment around 1850 when she came of age. “Millie and her sisters all received shares,” said Dr. Buck Woodard, an American University anthropologist who served as one of the co-principal investigators in the process of getting the Millie Woodson-Turner farm listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register. Turner is sometimes listed in land records as Millie Woodson, owing to the surname of her father. Turner was her mother’s surname. She later married a man with the last name of Hurst. Her children used different last names, one of them being Hurst. Turner’s daughter, Susanna, who sometimes used the surname Hurst and sometimes Turner, died in 1949, which resulted in the family losing control of their allotment around 1950 due to back taxes. “Native peoples controlled this tract of land from before Christopher Columbus through circa 1950,” Woodard said. “It’s an untold story. That’s what’s amazing.” “The Nottoway Indian Tribe of Virginia has worked on this designation for the past five years in collaboration with DHR [Virginia’s Department of Historic Resources], archeologists and academic historians,” said Nottoway Chief Lynette Allston..."
Read more at: https://www.thetidewaternews.com/2020/09/24/nottoway-land-added-to-virginia-landmarks-register/
The Heroic Life of Shani-Jinaki Whipple
This is a story about a brave, young woman who passed away at 26 years old but whose legacy is wide ranging. She was my 3rd cousin Shani-Jinaki Whipple. She lived in Maryland for years, and we share the same ancestors of Merrit and Mary Sykes (who are my 3rd great grandparents from Virginia). Shani's parents were Earl Varnet Whipple (1922-2021) and my 2nd cousin Elena Julia Pearson Murray (born March 21, 1939, in Massachusetts). Shani lived a life of heart and courage. She graduated from the high school of School Without Walls in 1995. Elena Whipple was close to her daughter Shani. Elena and her husband Earl live in Annapolis for years. Shani-Jinaki Whipple could read at 3 years old and write at 4. Elean taught her the alphabet, math, and Swahili with a big chalkboard. Later, she was diagnosed with lupus when she was 6 years old. This was during the summer at Maryland's Eastern Shore. Lupus is a disease that attacks the human immune system. Shani-Jinaki experienced epilepsy, inflammation of her joints, skin issues, etc. She had kidney damage and took many treatments. She earned to win valedictorian from her high school. She loved to ride horses. She went to the College of Southern Maryland to peruse her education. She had a knew kidney, and a fungal infection and the complications from lupus caused her transition.
Her family and her cats with her. Shani-Jinaki loved to read literature from authors constantly from Mark Twain to Jane Austen. Earl and Elana Whipple formed the Shani-Jinaki Whipple Endowed Scholarship for the Physically Challenged in honor of their daughter. We believe in human rights for fellow people. This scholarship has helped many human beings at The College of Southern Maryland. Shani-Jinaki's half-sister is Tanya Lavette Murray (b. 1956. Her father is Cyril Augustus Murray) who married Dexter Lernard Jenkins (b. 1958) at Fairfax, Virginia on January 28, 1980. Elena Julia Pearson's parents are George Henry Pearson Sr. (1911-1970) and Bertha Mildred Sykes (1910-2001). Bertha Mildred Sykes's parents were Micojah Sykes (1878-1923) and Lena Jones (1878-1928). Micojah Syke's parents were Merrit Sykes (b. 1841) and Mary Francis (b. 1848).
The Beech and Ayers families
I found out a lot of information about the Beech family (who are related to my paternal relatives). Russell Walker Beech (b. 1960) is my 3rd cousin, and his parents are Darrel Morgan Beech (1926-1991) and Charlotte Ann Stokes (b. 1925). Darrel Morgan Beech was a Navy veteran who married Jessie Curtis Berlena Bailey (b. 1929) on October 2, 1947, in Northampton County, Virginia. Later, he married Charlotte Ann Stokes on April 26, 1958, in Richmond, Virginia. His third wife was Loretta Elizabeth Johnson Beech (1932-2007). Darrell Morgan Beech's parents are Walker Dumas Beech Jr. (1885-1966) and Cora Lee Tillery (1896-1955). 1st cousin Cora Lee Tillery married Walker Dumas Beech Jr. on September 21, 1911, at Northampton County, Virginia. Their children are Dumas Beach Jr. (1914-1921), Rose D. Beech (1916-1939), Melvin Thomas Beech (1917-1968), Earl Dale Beech (1919-1991), Lois Carolyn Beech (1923-2020), Darrel Morgan Beech Sr. (1926-1991), Carrie Webster Beech (b. 1930), Philbert Dutel Beech (b. 1930), Vivian Garfield Beech (b. 1931), and Barbara Ann Beech (1934-1998).
My 2nd cousin Earl Dale Beech married Francenia May Bundy (1918-2016) on September 28, 1941, at Essex, Virginia. Their children are Rose B. Graham (b. 1943), Francenia Beech-Martin (b. 1949), Leslie Tillery Beech-Morris (b. 1951), and Valerie B. Siler. Earl Dale Beech was also a Monfort Point Marine 51st Defense Battalion too. Cora Lee Tillery's parents are Walter Tillery (1868-1927 and Sallie Gary (b. 1869). My 2nd great-granduncle Walter Tillery's parents are my 3rd great grandparents who are Isam Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847) as they lived in Halifax County, North Carolina. My 4th cousins of Devin Jovan McCants (his first wife was Melissa Tabon, and his 2nd wife is Carla Nikole Riche since 2016), and Tira McCants are children of my 3rd cousin Paulette C. Ayers (b. 1952. She was married to the late William Banks Carter, who lived from 1950 to 2014). Paulette C. Ayers's parents are Paul Lawrence Ayers Sr. (1933-1990) and Barbara Ann Beech (1934-1998). Barbara Ann Beech is a descendant of Isam Tillery and Martha Jane Randolf. Many of the Ayers family lives in Trenton, New Jersey, Cape Charles, Virginia, and all over America.
My 4th cousins of Paul Ayers (b. 1974)., Devion Ayers (b. 1975), and A'yanna Ayers are siblings. Their parents are Paul Lawrence Ayers Jr. (b. 1955) and the late Denise Yvette Hall-Jones (1958-2015). My 3rd cousin Paul Lawrence married Denise Yvette Hall-Jones in October 1974 at Trenton, New Jersey, and his second wife is Lorraine Covington (b. 1967. He married her on January 23, 2001, at Trenton, New Jersey too). His parents were Paul Lawrence Ayers Sr. (1933-1990) and Barbara Ann Beech (1934-1998). Barbara Ann Beech's parents are Walker Dumas Beech Jr. (1885-1966) and Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955). Cora Lee Tillery's parents are Walter Tillery (1868-1927) and Sallie Gary (b. 1869). Walter Tillery's parents are my 3rd great grandparents of Isam Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847). Devion Dermont Ayers Sr. married Janine Tricia Butler on December 12,2012 at Eastampton Township, Burlington, New Jersey. Their children are Kaeli Ayers (b. 2015), Kameron Ayers, and Devion Ayers Jr.
You always find new information on family trees. I found out that Aisha Camille Bennett is my paternal 4th cousin as she is related to the Tillery family. She was born on August 31, 1972, and she has lived in New Jersey. She married Harry Hayes on August 23, 2003, at Willingboro Township, Burlington, New Jersey. Aisha Bennett and Harry Hayes's children are Jaidon Hayes and Cameron Hayes (my 4th cousins). Her parents are Calvin L. Bennett (b. 1971) and my 3rd cousin Bessie Teresa Ayres (b. 1954). Calvin L. Bennett married Bessie Teresa Ayres in June 1971 in Trenton, New Jersey. Aisha Camille Bennett's sister is Charmel Bennett Bloodshaw. Bessie Teresa Ayres's parents are Elton Douglas Garland Ayres (1930-1983) and Vivian Garfield Beech (b. 1931). Vivian Garfield Beech's parents are Cora Lee Tillery (1895-1955) and Walker Dumas Beech Jr. (1885-1966). Cora Lee Tillery's parents are Sallie Gary (b. 1869) and my 2nd great granduncle Walter Tillery (1868-1927). Walter Tillery's parents are my 3rd great grandparents Isam Tillery (b. 1835) and Martha Jane Randolf (b. 1847).
The Worrell Family
My 3rd cousin Josephine Lutheran Worrell married Clarence Julian McCarthy (b. 1923) on December 1, 1958, at Prince George County, Virginia. Their child is Sharon Beverly McCarthy Berry (b. 1956). She married Lawerence Marshall Berry (1954-1977) and later Charles H. Robinson. My 3rd cousin Sarah Lee Worrell Graves (1930-2019) married Adolphus Graves (b. 1925) at first and had the children of Rudine Wynette Graves (b. 1949 and Adolphus Malcolm Graves Sr. (b. 1951). Rudine Wynette Graves married John Mark Jenkins Jr. (b. 1949) on December 31, 1968, at Prince George County, Virginia. Their child is John Mark Jenkins III (b. 1969). John Mark Jenkins III married Tanya Renee McCollough (b. 1971) in 1995 and their children are: John Jenkins IV (b. 1996), Aaron Jenkins (b. 1998), and Jayahna Renee Jenkins (b. 2011) who are my 6th cousins. Adolphus Malcolm Graves Sr. married Katrina Mae Hamilton on August 25, 1973, at South Boston, Virginia, and their child is Adolphus Malcolm Graves Jr. Adolphus Malcolm Graves Jr. lives in Georgia and is married to Cora Lee Williams Graves (b. 1975). They have 4 children together. My 4th cousin Otis Mershell Harvey is married to Valtroud Ellerete Smith on December 21, 1990, at Fairfax, Virginia.
Lucy Williams and Ridley Worrell's son of Louis Worrell married Lillian Johnson (b. 1911) and had the children of Herbert H. Worrell (B. 1925), Harwood H. Worrell (b. 1928), Charles Edward Worrell (1929-1995), Paige Elizabeth Worrell (1930-2014), Thomas Worrell (b. 1935) and Arthur Lee Worrell (1937-2014). Arthur Lee Worrell married Dorothy Mae Worrell (1939-2020) on April 16, 1956. Their children are Robin R. Worrell Combs (b. 1956), Donna Ushekia Worrell Hall (b. 1958), Arthur Ricardo Worrell (b. 1960), and Ronnie Louis Worrell Sr. (b. 1966). My 4th cousin Donna Ushekia Worrell Hall works in the Post Office and lives in Washington, D.C. She is married to Sherwood Mauricio Hall (b. 1956) and their children are Bridgette Sherre Clark Bridges (b. 1976) and Paulette Usheka Hall (b. 1985). Bridgette Bridges married Donnell Bridges.
I found more information about my family tree in January of 2024. I was looking at my Ancestry.com family tree and found out that a woman named Jessica Reid-Myrick (b. 1981) was looking at it. She is married to my 5th cousin Jesse Junius Myrick II (we share the same ancestors as my 6th great-grandparents of Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman). Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791) had a child named John Burwell Williams (b. 1815). John Burwell Williams married a woman named Mary, and their child was Lucy Alice Williams (1875-1964). Lucy Alice Williams was born in November 1875 and married Ridley Worrell (b. 1874) in Southampton County, Virginia on January 19, 1896. One of their children was Louis Worrell (1908-1984), and Louis Worrell married Lilian Johnson (b. 1911) One of their children was Thomas Theodore Worrell (1935-2017). Thomas Theodore Worrell married Margaret Elizabeth Kello, and their children are Etta Juanita Worrell (b. 1957), Bervin Theodore Worrell (b. 1958), and Deborah Signora Worrell (b. 1959). The son of Etta Juanita Worrell and Jesse Junius Myrick (b. 1953) is Jesse Junius Myrick II (b. 1981. He married Jessica Reid-Myrick). My 4th cousin Deborah Signora Worrell married Clifton Jeffrey Irving (1961-2013) and their daughter is Kimberly Dineens Irving (b. 1989). Kimberly Dineens Irving married Keenan Girad Felder.
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Mysteries about the Seaborn Family
There is more information about my 2nd great-grandparents of Indiana Reese (1866-1946) and George Seaborn (b. 1862). There is a marriage document from the Virginia U.S. Marriage Registers, 1853-1935 showing that my 2nd great grandfather George Seaborn married Indiana Reese in Sussex, Virginia on March 1, 1883. William Bassett was the person who performed the marriage ceremony. George Seaborn's parents were Berry Seaborn and Georgianna Squire (1831-1921). From many years ago, my mother had a document saying that George Seaborn's parents were slaves named Berry Seaborn and Georgianna Squire. She is right. My 3rd great-grandmother's father was George Squire. Berry Seaborn and Georgianna Squire had many children like George Seaborn (b. 1862), Ella Seaborn (1869-1943), John Seaborn (b. 1870), Louvinia Seaborn (b. 1871), and Loula Taylor (1872-1914). Recently, I found out that Oretha Hope Allen Millage (b. 1959) is my 3rd cousin. We are linked genetically as proven by her being my DNA match on Ancestry.com. She married Greg Anthony Millage, and the couple has the child of Kimberly Kay Milage (b. 1984) and Britney Marie Millage Tinker (b. 1994). These 2 children are my 4th cousins. Kimberly Kay Millage is married to Tron Moses. Britney Marie Millage is married to Patrick Tinker, and their son is Oliver Tinker. Oretha Hope Allen Millage's parents were Ollie Lee Allen (b. 1927) and Innie Moore (1920-1980). Inna Moore's parents were James Moore and Willie Grigg (1893-1984). Innie Moore and Ollie Lee Allen's children are Alveta M. Allen Corbett (b. 1954. She is confirmed as being related to me by Ancestry.com DNA's match too), Catherin Hinton, Leron Allen, and Oretha Hope Allen Millage. Willie Grigg's parents were George Gregg (b. 1864) and Ella Seaborn (1869-1943). Ella Seaborn was my 2nd great grandaunt whose parents were Berry Seaborn and Georgianna Squire.
There is some new information I found about my great granduncle George Harrison Seaborn (who is the brother of my great-grandmother Hollie Ethel Seaborn Peeples). George Harrison Seaborn lived to be 70 years old as he lived from 1889 to 1959. George Harrison Seaborn's parents were George Seaborn (b. 1862) and Indiana Reese (1866-1946). George Harrison Seaborn married Jennie Ivey (1895-1985) and their children are George Robert Seaborn (1915-1993), Bernard Oberry Seaborn (1919-1989), Selestine Seaborn (1925-1998), Wallace James Seaborn (1928-1987), and Queen Esther Seaborn Rawlings (1913-1991). I haven't heard of Queen Esther until today. My mother knew of Queen Esther Seaborn for years. Queen Esther Seaborn married James Henry Rawlings, and their child was my 2nd cousin Mary Elizabeth Rawlings (1934-2011). Mary Elizabeth Rawlings married James Roosevelt Postell (b. 1932) on July 1, 1950, in Courtland, Virginia. Their children are James Roosevelt Postell Jr. (b. 1950) and Rudolph Pike Postell (b. 1951). My 3rd cousin James Roosevelt Postell Jr. married Fred Lee Leonard (b. 1959) at December 22, 1979, at Franklin, Virginia. Their children are my 3rd cousins of Cordee Lee Postell (b. 1992. One of his children is Layla) and Conya La'queen Postell (b. 1993. One of her children is Jaimee).
Extra Descendants of Susanna Field-Hurst Turner and Morefield Hurst
My late 3rd cousin James Nelson Harris Jr. lived from 1956 to 2016. His parents are James Nelson Harris Sr. (b. 1936) and Ruth Marie Taylor (b. 1936). James Nelson Sr. married Gina Delise McAdoo, and their children are Janel N. Harris-Hamiel (who is married to Johnathan Hamiel. Janel Harris-Hamiel was born in 1981) and Giana Harris (b. 1983). He was a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Duke team. His granddaughters are Olivia, Gabrielle, and Kennedy. His grandson is Josiah (his mother is Giana Harris). His brothers are Kevin R. Harris and Ivan C. Harris. His sister is Tia M. Lee who is married to Ronald Lee. We are 3rd cousins, because we are both descendants of my 4th great-grandmother Sarah Claud (1842-1892). Sarah Claud had a daughter with Tom Hill (1838-1915) named Susanna Sarah M. Hill (b. 1867). Susanna Hill had a daughter with Nelson Harris Sr. named Nelson Harris Jr. (1902-1975). Nelson Harris Jr. and his wife Rosa Harris had a child named James Nelson Sr. James Nelson Sr. and his wife Ruth Marie Taylor gave birth to James Nelson Jr. So, everything comes together.
More secrets are being revealed about my family in this time period. The late Evelyn Louise Harris lived from November 5, 1936, in Southampton County, Virginia to March 24, 2022. She married James Henry Price (1938-2016) on December 24, 1960, at Southampton County, Virginia. Evelyn Louise Harris was my late 2nd cousin as we are both descendants of Zilphy Claud via my 4th great grandmother Sarah Claud. Evelyn's daughter with James Henry Price is Symea Ardell Price (b. 1963). Symea Ardell Price was born on June 4, 1963, in Franklin, Virginia, and she married Raymond Carl Fitts on August 26, 1989, at Richmond, Virginia. Their child is Evan Raymond Fitts (b. 1994), who is my 4th cousin. Evelyn Louis Harris's siblings are Bessie Elizabeth Harris (1914-1968. She married Samuel Westly Johnson with the children of Marien Ardell Johnson, Samuel W. Johnson Jr., and Theodore Johnson), Andrew Lee Harris Jr. (1916-1994), Marian Virginia Harris (1918-2016. She taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Boykins, Southampton County, Virginia), James Hurley Harris (1919-1944), Delaware Floyd Harris (1921-2010), Virgie Lee Mildred Harris (1924-2023), and Henry Cranting Harris (1926-1983). Evelyn Harris Price was a great teacher in Richmond, Virginia, and a church leader. Mrs. Price was best known for her role as a teacher at Blackwell Primary and Blackwell Elementary for more than 30 years and for her service to Second Baptist Church in Randolph. She had a great sense of humor and was always giving. Evelyn Harris Price loved to play the piano when she was growing up. She graduated from the Southampton County Training School and earned her bachelor’s degree at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. She supported the Second Baptist church ministry and other programs. Evelyn Louise Harris's parents were Andrew Jackson Harris (1892-1984) and Emma Mason Harris (1893-1980).
My late 2nd cousin Virgie Lee Mildred Harris lived from March 28, 1924, at Southampton County, Virginia to June 25, 2023. She married Galvin Lewis Jenkins (b. 1920) on July 9, 1949, at Lunenburg, Virginia. Their daughter is my 3rd cousin Avis Vanessa Jenkins (b. 1953). Avis Jenkins married Donnie Wayne Gresby on July 18, 1981, at Lunenburg, Virginia on July 18, 1981. Virgie Mildred Harris Jenkins was the seventh of nine children, and she lived to be 99 years old. Her foster brother is Maynard Boykins. Mrs. Jenkins joined Mount Tabor Baptist Church in Newsoms, VA. After marriage, the family moved to Chase City, VA where she became affiliated with the Calvary Baptist Church in Rehoboth, VA (1952—1966). Finally, the family moved to Victoria, VA, where she became a faithful member of the First Baptist Church. During her active membership, she was a Deaconess (Treasurer and Financial Secretary), a member of the Pastor’s Aide Circle (Treasurer) where she became an Emeritus member, a member of the Program Committee (Treasurer), and a member of the Church Women’s Auxiliary. Mrs. Jenkins was a graduate of Southampton County Training School in Courtland, VA in 1942. Upon graduation, she attended Virginia State College (Petersburg, VA) where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 1946. She also continued coursework through Longwood College in Farmville, VA, William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA, and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. After graduating from college, she began her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in Southampton County for 6 years (1946—1952).
Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins moved to Chase City, VA in 1952 where she became employed as an elementary school teacher in the Lunenburg County Public School System in 1954. She served a total of 36 years of dedicated service to the children of Southampton County and Lunenburg County (grades 1-3). Her students respect her to this day, and she retired from teaching on June 9, 1984. Mrs. Jenkins was in the NAACP and other educational organizations in Virginia. Honors that Mrs. Jenkins earned included Outstanding Elementary Teacher of America (1975), the Virginia Education Association’s Honor Award for 25 Years of Service, etc. Her niece is Francine Delbra Harris Silver (b. 1950. She is the daughter of Henry Cranting Harris and Barbara Lee Williams. She married Floyd Silver on June 9, 1979, at Hampton, Virginia. Their children are Geoffrey Harris Silver [1981-2009] and Gerard Silver, who was born in 1984).
My 2nd cousin Dotsie Lee Barrett (1908-2008) had the parents of Sarah Harris and Frank Barrett. She married Martin Luther Pinkston on August 21, 1949, in Newport News, Virginia. Sarah's parents are Nelson Harris (b. 1861) and Susanna Sarah M. Hill (b. 1867). Dotsie Barrett Pinkston's 2nd great-grandmother was my 4th great-grandmother of Sarah Claud. Dotsie Barrett Pinkston grew up in the Capron and Courtland area of Virginia. During her early adult life, she lived in Hampton, Virginia with her late Uncle and Aunt, Nelson and Rosa Harris. She also joined Lincoln Park Baptist (now Canaan Baptist Church), where she served in the capacity of Organist, Church Clerk, and Custodian for many, many years. She also sang in the Inspirational Choir and served as a Gleaner until her failing health. Dotsie made her own clothes as a master seamstress, and she was a self-taught pianist. She loved to sing religious songs about God. Dotsie Lee Barrett and Augustus McNeil had the child of Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. (b. 1947). Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. married Mary Louise Mills (b. 1949) on August 19, 1947, in Newport News, Virginia. Their child is Benjamin Frank Barrett Jr. She has six grandchildren, Terethia (Terri) Denai Barrett of Portsmouth (she is the daughter of Benjamin Frank Barrett Sr. and Mary Louise Mills. Terethia was born in 1970), Benjamin ("BJ") Barrett, Jr. and James A. Barrett both of Hampton, James Harris stationed in Germany, and Jerome Anthony Barrett (he was born on October 6, 1972, at Hampton, Virginia, and he is married to Angela Marci Bowles [b. 1973] since February 19, 2011, at Hampton, Virginia), and Timothy Barrett, both of Brooklyn, N.Y. Dotsie Lee Barrett has 29 great-grandchildren; one great-great grandson; a special niece, Carrie Glymph of Hampton; a special great-niece, Antoinette Whitts of Hampton, and a host of other loving family members and caring friends.
The Reese family has a long history. Many of them are my distant cousins like my 2nd cousin Rhonda Felicia Reese (b. 1959). She was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. She married a man from West Africa named Amadu Salu Bangura on May 28, 1991, in Portsmouth, Virginia. The couple met in May of 1979, and they moved to New York City to start their family. Their three daughters are Kadiaja Hawanatu Bangura (b. 1980), Felicia Salamatu Henry (b. 1986), and Destiny Betty Bangura (b. 1993). Rhonda Felicia Reese's parents are David Sylvester Reese (b. 1939) and Betty Mae Brown (b. 1940). David Sylvester Reese's parents were John Henry Reese (1875-1945) and Helen Catherine Overton (1915-2008). My 2nd great-granduncle John Henry Reese's parents were Richard Reese and Jane Redman.
The Satchell Family
There are new discoveries all of the time about my family tree. There is a woman on Ancestry.com called Lady Juanita Family 1 who has many people in her family tree that is related to my paternal family members. Here is a summary of these family members' stories. My 4th great grandparents were the couple of George Perkins I (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816). One of their children was my 3rd great grandaunt Easter Perkins (1840-1910). Her first husband was James Nottingham with the children of Leah Nottingham (1865-1936) and Lou Henry Nottingham (1872-1956). Her 2nd husband was George Kelly (b. 1830) with the following children of: Harriet Susan Kelley (1860-1927), John Kelly (b. 1873), George Kelly Jr. (1880), Daniel Kelly (b. 1883), Ethel Kelly (b. 1885), Bertha Perkins (b. 1887), and Lizzie Kelly. My 1st cousin Harriet Susan Kelley or the child of George Kelly and Easter Perkins married Jackson Satchel (b. 1845) in 1880. Their children are William Satchel (b. 1882), Annie Bailey (b. 1882), Teagle Satchel (1886-1939), Elmer H. Satchel (1887-1966), Basil Satchel (1891-1935), Marian Satchel (1892-1972), Lagsey Satchel (b. 1895), Andrew Phillips Satchel (1897-1957). Daisey Ellen Collins (1897-1975), Nobel Satchel (b. 1900), and David Satchel (1900-1985). Many members of this family migrated from Cape Charles, Virginia to New York City and other parts of the North. My 3rd cousin Bernice Satchell was married to George Washington Coles (1916-1985). The couple had children like Glaston Coles (1940-1940), George Coles Jr. (1938-2011), Marvin L. Coles (1941-2017), Joseph N. Coles (1943-1995), Robert Allen Coles (b 1947), and Gloria Marlena Coles (b. 1956). George Coles Jr. was a military veteran, and he had many children. One daughter of his is Parthenia G. Coles. Parthenia's grandparents from France were Edmar Adolphe Biver (1909-1998) and Catherine Maas (d. 2011). My 5th cousin Parthenia G. Coles married Fred L. Norfleet (b. 1950) and their children are my 5th cousins Carter Lee Norfleet (b. 1990) and Brittany G. Norfleet (b. 1993. She is married to Ryan Royce).
There is more genealogical research that I found out. My fourth cousin Edward Alonzo Capers (b. 1984) is married to Shaquana Lavette Williams Capers (b. 1981). Edward Alonzo Capers's parents are Raymond Alonzo Capters (B. 1955) and Doreen Burton (b. 1957). Raymond Alonzo Capers's parents are Frank Arnold Capers and Beulah Savage Capers (1928-1983). Raymond's siblings are Buster Dale Capers (1956-1982), David Arnold Capers (b. 1957), and Albert L. Capers Sr. (b. 1960). Beulah Savage Capers's parents were George Savage (b. 1887) and Corinthia Upshur (b. 1897). Corinthia Upshur's parents were Henry Upshur (1858-1940) and Caroline Perkins (1862-1927). Caroline Perkins's parents were my 4th great-grandparents of George Perkins (b. 1815) and Esther Perkins (b. 1816).
I found out recently that Jasmine Cherie Ames (b. 1988) is my 5th cousin. We are descendants of my 4th great-grandparents George Perkins and Esther Perkins. Jasmine Cherie Ames's parents are Theodore Abron Wescott and the late Francine Georgette Ames (1964-2004). My 5th cousin Francine Georgette Ames's parents were George Francis Ames (b. 1939) and Annie Treherne (1939-1994). My 4th cousin Annie Treherne's parents were Amos Treherne (b. 198) and Marie Satchel (1923-1979). Marie Satchel and Amos Treherne had these children: James Rose (b. 1936), Gladys Rose (b. 1937), and Annie Treherne. My 3rd cousin Marie Satchell's parents were Noble Satchel (1904-1961) and Maggie Giddings (b. 1905). Nobel Satchel and Maggie Giddings's children are: Welton Noble Satchell (1920-2004), Norman Satchell (b. 1922), Marie Satchel (1923-1979), Jeremiah Satchell (b. 1927), Lena Satchell (b. 1928), Roosevelt Satchell (1930-2006), Maggie L. Satchell (b. 1933), Nobel Satchel Jr. (b. 1936), Pauline Satchell (b. 1939), and Solomon Satchell (1941-2011). My 2nd cousin Nobel Satchel's parents were Jackson Satchel (b. 1845) and Harriet Susan Kelley (1860-1927). My 1st cousin Harriet Susan Kelley's parents were George Kelly (b. 1830) and Easter Perkins (1840-1910). My 3rd great-grandaunt Easter Perkins's parents were my 4th great grandparents George Perkins and Esther Perkins.
Extra Facts on the Peeples Family
There is more information I found about my late maternal cousin Catherine Lee Peeples (1933-2006). Both of us are descendants of Fannie Peeples and Charles Peeples. Catherine Lee Peeples was born on November 20, 1933, at Pocomoke, Maryland. Pocomoke is located in the Eastern Shore of Maryland where cities like Cambridge, Eaton, and other places are found at. I have been to the Eastern shore of Maryland in real life too. Catherine Lee Peeples's parents were William Rouser Peeples Sr. (1898-1952) and Goldie Elizabeth Taylor (1902-1985). Catherine Lee Peeples married Aaron P. Nottingham Jr. (1932-1989). The Nottingham African American family heavily lives in the Eastern Shore of Virginia at Northampton County. The couple had the following children: Deborah Lee Nottingham (b. 1953), Patricia Ann Nottingham (b. 1960), William Aaron Nottingham (b. 1961), Cynthia Nottingham (b. 1964), and Kimberly Michone Nottingham (b. 1968). Kimberly Michone Nottingham and Troy Lamont Jackson had the child of Taneckia Jackson (b. 1985). My 2nd cousin Deborah Lee Nottingham married Aurthur Wayne Onley (1953-2009) on March 16, 1974, at Northampton County, Virginia. Their children are my 3rd cousins whose names are Wayne Tiaz Onley (b. 1976. He married Kimberly Candace Burnett, and Dimitra Onley.
I found out more information about my late maternal 1st cousin Ida Peeples Eppes (1916-2000). She was born on October 4, 1916, at Boykins, Virginia. She married Robert Eppes (b. 1911) on October 12, 1933, in Virginia. Ida Peeples Eppes's parents were Ray Peeples (1879-1929) and Mary Anne Boyd (1887-1951). Ray Peeples's parents were Charles Peeples (1855-1922) and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown (1857-1946). Fannie Brown's parents were Thirsty Ann Brown and Bill Rawles. Charles Peeples's mother was Annie Peeples. I am a descendant of Charles and Fannie Peeples's son Joseph Henry Peeples. Also, Ida Peeples Eppes had a child with Jesse Lee Manor (b. 1909) named Helena Manor (1948-2007). There is a 1950 United States Federal Census document showing Helena Manor as 2 years old. The document said that Helena was born in Connecticut, and she lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania too. Also, it showed her as being the niece of Lucy Peeples Brown which means that Lucy Peeples Brown is the sister of Ida Peeples Eppes Manor. My 1st cousin Lucy M. Peeples married Walter Emory Brown (1906-1962) on August 16, 1939, at Mecklenburg, Virginia. Their child is Queen Esther Brown (b. 1942). Helena Manor and Nathaniel Wilson (1949-2013) had the child of Tito V. Manor (b. 1964). My 3rd cousin Tito V. Manor and Shareen L. Jordan (b. 1981) had the following children of Jahmir Jordan (b. 2003), Ashton Jordan (b. 2004), Tabitha Manor, and Nino Jordan (who are my 3rd cousins).
New discoveries about my family tree happen constantly. On Ancestry.com, a talented young woman matched me genetically, and she is my 3rd maternal cousin. Her name is Xylia Adell Abiola Ye Ajose, and she was born in 1997. Her parents are David O. Ajose (b. 1972) and Aricia M. Cottman (b. 1973). Aylia Ajose and I are descendants of Charles and Fannie Peeples. Aricia M. Cottman's parents are Randolph E. Cottman (b. 1954) and Arvenia Viola Brittingham Saunders (b. 1954). Arvenia's sister was Randolynn Pleshette Cottman, who earned a Master's Degree in Education Guidance and Counseling from Wilmington University in 2012. She lived on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Arvenia Saunders's parents are Richard Thomas Brittingham Sr. 1929-2007) and Fannie B. Moses Brittingham (1928-2004). Fannie B. Moses Brittingham's parents were Levin A. Moses Jr. (1905-1986) and Viola Emily Jones (1909-1958). Viola Emily Jones's parents were Jessie Jones (1887-1951) and Lizzie Peeples Jones Spady (1887-1964). Lizze Peeples Jones Spady's parents were Charles Peeples (1855-1922) and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown (Peeples) (1857-1946).
Epilogue
The research into my family history has been an excellent journey. I have learned more facts than I could ever dreamed of. In life, you have to realize your blessings. One of the greatest blessings in the Universe is to live life now. I am fortunate to live life in the early 21st century and to realize what is truly important. The older you get, the more you realize clearly that family, friends, and loved ones have more value than all of the money in the world. Also, it is important to work hard if you desire to live a long, quality life. Eating more fruits and vegetables, regulating meat eating content (if you want to eat meat), participating in activities, communicating with fellow people (in building social bonds among the human family), drinking water, and going about to exercise will make your longevity to be filled with quality, inspiration, and a longer period of longevity. I knew about great-grandmother Hollie and other relatives for years long before 2015. Yet, I wanted to discover more about my ancestors. So, I researched hard in 2015 and 2016 on my genealogical history. I didn't get too far. That changed in the Summer of 2018 when I first discovered many of my ancestors and distant cousins at the next level. Over 5 years later in 2023, I am still learning new, exciting facts about my heritage continuously.
D-Day: 80 Years Later
The events of the Normandy landings including D-Day was one of the most important parts of human history. This occurred in 1944 during the start of the end of World War II. America got into the War just a few years ago, and the Allied Powers needed American help to defeat the evil Axis Powers. By this time, there was a debate on how America should invade France. America repelled Nazi forces in North Africa with help from the UK and other nations. Hitler couldn't conquer Russia, and the Axis Powers were on the ropes with the victory of Stalingrad by Allied Soviet Union forces. There were many debates on how the liberation of France ought to take place. Yet, Allied Powers including the Soviet Union agreed that D-Day must occur. President Franklin Roosevelt was running for President again, and his popularity was in incredibly positive straights. Codenamed Operation Neptune, this exercise was the largest seaborne invasion in history. General Dwight Eisenhower was a key human being who organized the strategies and logistics on how the landings would occur in a focused, comprehensive fashion. Without his leadership, D-Day would have never existed in a complete, thorough victory. D-Day helped to liberate France and Western Europe from Nazi oppression and fascism. The Nazis committed genocide, promoted anti-Semitism, followed authoritarianism, agreed with racism, and harbor anti-democratic policies (that is antithetical to the pro-democratic views that we stand for). Two of my relatives were active members of the D-Day Normandy landings, so this story has a very special place in my mind and in my heart. Liberating people from tyranny is always a blessing. The sacrifice of the heroes during that historic occurrence was priceless.
Preparation
The Normandy landings started by a long process of debates and negotiations among America, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom. These three nations had to work together in order for the invasion on D-Day to commence. First, the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. The Soviet Leader Jospeh Stalin wanted the Allied Powers to create a second front in western Europe in order to ease the burden of fighting the Nazis and to defeat the Nazis faster. FDR was eager to open a second front soon, but Churchill wanted it delayed because everyone knew that he hated Communism and distrusted Stalin because of Stalin's ideological views. By late May of 1942, the Soviet Union and the United States made a joint announcement that, "...full understanding was reached with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942." However, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill persuaded U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt to postpone the promised invasion as, even with U.S. help, the Allies did not have adequate forces for such an activity. Instead of an immediate return to France, the western Allies staged offensives in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations, where British troops were already stationed. By mid-1943, the campaign in North Africa had been won. The Allies then launched the invasion of Sicily in July 1943 and subsequently invaded the Italian mainland in September the same year. By then, Soviet forces were on the offensive and had won a major victory at the Battle of Stalingrad. The decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion within the next year was taken at the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943. Initial planning was constrained by the number of available landing craft, most of which were already committed in the Mediterranean and Pacific. At the Tehran Conference in November 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill promised Stalin that they would open the long-delayed second front in May 1944.
The Allies considered four sites for the landings: Brittany, the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy, and the Pas-de-Calais. As Brittany and Cotentin are peninsulas, it would have been possible for the Germans to cut off the Allied advance at a relatively narrow isthmus, so these sites were rejected. With the Pas-de-Calais being the closest point in continental Europe to Britain, the Germans considered it to be the most likely initial landing zone, so it was the most heavily fortified region. But it offered few opportunities for expansion, as the area is bounded by numerous rivers and canals, whereas landings on a broad front in Normandy would permit simultaneous threats against the port of Cherbourg, coastal ports further west in Brittany, and an overland attack towards Paris and eventually into Germany. Normandy was hence chosen as the landing site. The most serious drawback of the Normandy coast—the lack of port facilities—would be overcome through the development of artificial Mulberry harbors. A series of modified tanks, nicknamed Hobart's Funnies, dealt with specific requirements expected for the Normandy Campaign such as mine clearing, demolishing bunkers, and mobile bridging. At first, the Allies planned to launch the invasion on May 1, 1944. The initial draft was accepted at the Quebec Conference in August 1943. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. General Bernard Montgomery was named commander of the 21st Army Group, which comprised all land forces involved in the invasion. On December 31, 1943, Eisenhower and Montgomery first saw the plan, which proposed amphibious landings by three divisions with two more divisions in support. The two generals insisted that the scale of the initial invasion be expanded to five divisions, with airborne descents by three additional divisions, to allow operations on a wider front and to hasten the capture of Cherbourg. The need to acquire or produce extra landing craft for the expanded operation meant that the invasion had to be delayed to June. Eventually, thirty-nine Allied divisions would be committed to the Battle of Normandy: twenty-two American, twelve British, three Canadian, one Polish, and one French, totaling over a million troops.
The Early Stage
Operation Overlord was the name assigned to the establishment of a large-scale lodgment on the continent. The first phase, the amphibious invasion and establishment of a secure foothold, was codenamed Operation Neptune. To gain the air superiority needed to ensure a successful invasion, the Allies undertook a bombing campaign (codenamed Operation Pointblank) that targeted German aircraft production, fuel supplies, and airfields. Elaborate deceptions, codenamed Operation Bodyguard, were undertaken in the months leading up to the invasion to prevent the Germans from learning the timing and location of the invasion. The landings were to be preceded by airborne operations near Caen on the eastern flank to secure the Orne River bridges and north of Carentan on the western flank. The Americans, assigned to land at Utah Beach and Omaha Beach, were to attempt to capture Carentan and Saint-Lô the first day, then cut off the Cotentin Peninsula and eventually capture the port facilities at Cherbourg. The British at Sword and Gold Beaches and Canadians at Juno Beach would protect the U.S. flank and attempt to establish airfields near Caen on the first day (A sixth beach, code-named "Band", was considered to the east of the Orne). A secure lodgment would be established with all invading forces linked together, with an attempt to hold all territory north of the Avranches-Falaise line within the first three weeks. Montgomery envisaged a ninety-day battle, lasting until all Allied forces reached the Seine River.
The Allied Powers wanted to deceive the Nazis in making sure that they didn't know their locations via Operation Bodyguard. Operation Fortitude including Fortitude North, a misinformation campaign using fake radio traffic to lead the Germans into expecting an attack on Norway, and Fortitude South was a major deception involving the creation of a fictitious First United States Army Group under Lieutenant General George S. Patton, supposedly located in Kent and Sussex. Fortitude South was intended to deceive the Germans into believing that the main attack would take place at Calais. Genuine radio messages from the 21st Army Group were first routed to Kent via landline and then broadcast, to give the Germans the impression that most of the Allied troops were stationed there. Patton was stationed in England until July 6, thus continuing to deceive the Germans into believing a second attack would take place at Calais.
Many of the German radar stations on the French coast were destroyed in preparation for the landings. In addition, on the night before the invasion, a small group of Special Air Service operators deployed dummy paratroopers over Le Havre and Isigny. These dummies led the Germans to believe that an additional airborne landing had occurred. On that same night, in Operation Taxable, No. 617 Squadron RAF dropped strips of "window", metal foil that caused a radar return which was mistakenly interpreted by German radar operators as a naval convoy near Le Havre. The illusion was bolstered by a group of small vessels towing barrage balloons. A similar deception was undertaken near Boulogne-sur-Mer in the Pas de Calais area by No. 218 Squadron RAF in Operation Glimmer.
The invasion planners wanted the weather to be right. The moon, the tides, and the time of day must be in order. They wanted a full moon because it would provide illumination for aircraft pilots and have the highest tides. The Allies wanted to schedule the landings for shortly before dawn, midway between low and high tide, with the tide coming in. This would improve the visibility of obstacles on the beach while minimizing the amount of time the men would be exposed in the open. Eisenhower had tentatively selected June 5 as the date for the assault. However, on June 4, conditions were unsuitable for a landing: high winds and heavy seas made it impossible to launch landing craft, and low clouds would prevent aircraft from finding their targets. Surface weather analysis map showing weather fronts on June 5.
Group Captain James Stagg of the Royal Air Force (RAF) met Eisenhower on the evening of June 4. He and his meteorological team predicted that the weather would improve enough for the invasion to proceed on June 6. The Allied leaders debated the dates on when to go as a major storm going to the Normandy coast from June 19 to 22 would make the beach landings impossible. So, they decided to proceed on June 6, 1944. Allied control of the Atlantic meant German meteorologists had less information than the Allies on incoming weather patterns. As the Luftwaffe meteorological center in Paris was predicting two weeks of stormy weather, many Wehrmacht commanders left their posts to attend war games in Rennes, and men in many units were given leave. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel returned to Germany for his wife's birthday and to petition Hitler for additional Panzer divisions. The Nazi depleted much of their forces after the Eastern Front battles. There were 50 Nazi divisions in France and the Low Countries. In early 1944, the German Western Front (OB West) was significantly weakened by personnel and materiel transfers to the Eastern Front. During the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian offensive (24 December 1943 – 17 April 1944), the German High Command was forced to transfer the entire II SS Panzer Corps from France, consisting of the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions, as well as the 349th Infantry Division, 507th Heavy Panzer Battalion and the 311th and 322nd StuG Assault Gun Brigades. All told, the German forces stationed in France were deprived of 45,827 troops and 363 tanks, assault guns, and self-propelled anti-tank guns. It was the first major transfer of forces from France to the east since the creation of Führer Directive 51, which eased restrictions on troop transfers to the eastern front.
The 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", 9th, 11th, 19th and 116th Panzer divisions, alongside the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", had only arrived in March–May 1944 to France for extensive refit after being badly damaged during the Dnieper-Carpathian operation. Seven of the eleven panzer or panzergrenadier divisions stationed in France were not fully operational or only partially mobile in early June 1944. The Nazi Rommel believed that the Allied forces would invade on the Normandy coast, so he advocated fortifications on the coast. The battle was about to start. General D. Eisenhower was the Commander of Allied Fores in the Normandy invasion. Commander of the UK General Bernard Montgomery (of the 21st Army Group) was involved too. The Allied forces worked with the French Resistance too. The French Resistance with the Allied backing wanted to sabotage the rail system, destroy electrical facilities, cutting underground telephone plus teleprinter cables and delay the Axis forces from reinforce the Nazis at Normandy. A 1965 report from the Counter-insurgency Information Analysis Center details the results of the French Resistance's sabotage efforts: "In the southeast, 52 locomotives were destroyed on 6 June and the railway line cut in more than 500 places. Normandy was isolated as of 7 June."
In the naval operation, the overall command was British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, who had served as Flag officer at Dover during the Dunkirk evacuation four years earlier. He had also been responsible for the naval planning of the invasion of North Africa in 1942, and one of the two fleets carrying troops for the invasion of Sicily the following year. command was British Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, who had served as Flag officer at Dover during the Dunkirk evacuation four years earlier. He had also been responsible for the naval planning of the invasion of North Africa in 1942, and one of the two fleets carrying troops for the invasion of Sicily the following year. The Nazis attacked many ships. The bombing of Normandy began around midnight with more than 2,200 British, Canadian, and U.S. bombers attacking targets along the coast and further inland. The coastal bombing attack was largely ineffective at Omaha, because low cloud cover made the assigned targets difficult to see. Concerned about inflicting casualties on their own troops, many bombers delayed their attacks too long and failed to hit the beach defenses. The Germans had 570 aircraft stationed in Normandy and the Low Countries on D-Day, and another 964 in Germany. Minesweepers began clearing channels for the invasion fleet shortly after midnight and finished just after dawn without encountering the enemy. The Western Task Force included the battleships Arkansas, Nevada, and Texas, plus eight cruisers, twenty-eight destroyers, and one monitor. The Eastern Task Force included the battleships Ramillies and Warspite and the monitor Roberts, twelve cruisers, and thirty-seven destroyers. Naval bombardment of areas behind the beach commenced at 05:45, while it was still dark, with the gunners switching to pre-assigned targets on the beach as soon as it was light enough to see, at 05:50. Since troops were scheduled to land at Utah and Omaha starting at 06:30 (an hour earlier than the British beaches), these areas received only about 40 minutes of naval bombardment before the assault troops began to land on the shore.
Airborne operations were involved in Normandy too. The airborne mission was to allow military forces to seize bridges, road crossing, and terrain features (like the eastern and western ranks of the landing areas), so the Axis Powers will not have enough time to counterstrike. The U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were assigned to objectives west of Utah Beach, where they hoped to capture and control the few narrow causeways through terrain that had been intentionally flooded by the Germans. Reports from Allied intelligence in mid-May of the arrival of the German 91st Infantry Division meant the intended drop zones had to be shifted eastward and to the south. The British 6th Airborne Division, on the eastern flank, was assigned to capture intact the bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne, destroy five bridges over the Dives 6 miles (9.7 km) to the east, and destroy the Merville Gun Battery overlooking Sword Beach. Free French paratroopers from the British SAS Brigade were assigned to objectives in Brittany from 5 June until August in Operations Dingson, Samwest, and Cooney. The U.S. airborne landings started early too. Troops of the 82nd Airborne began arriving around 02:30, with the primary objective of capturing two bridges over the River Merderet and destroying two bridges over the Douve. The first Allied action of D-Day was the capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges via a glider assault at 00:16 (since renamed Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge). Both bridges were quickly captured intact, with light casualties by the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment. They were then reinforced by members of the 5th Parachute Brigade and the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion. More gliders came on the scene. British and Canadian forces had a key role in the Normandy landings indeed.
Some of the landing craft had been modified to provide close support fire, and self-propelled amphibious Duplex-Drive tanks (DD tanks), specially designed for the Normandy landings, were to land shortly before the infantry to provide covering fire. However, few arrived in advance of the infantry, and many sank before reaching the shore, especially at Omaha. There were many beaches involved in the landing. Utah Beach was defended by the two battalions of the 919th Grenadier Regiment. Members of the 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division were the first to land, arriving at 06:30. Their landing craft was pushed to the south by strong currents, and they found themselves about 2,000 yards (1.8 km) from their intended landing zone.
Pointe du Hoc, a prominent headland situated between Utah and Omaha, was assigned to two hundred men of the 2nd Ranger Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Rudder. Their task was to scale the 30 m (98 ft) cliffs with grappling hooks, ropes, and ladders to destroy the coastal gun battery located at the top. The cliffs were defended by the German 352nd Infantry Division and French collaborators firing from above. Allied destroyers USS Satterlee and HMS Talybont provided fire support. After scaling the cliffs, the Rangers discovered that the guns had already been withdrawn. They located the weapons, unguarded but ready to use, in an orchard some 550 metres (600 yd) south of the point and disabled them with explosives.
The Rangers fended off numerous counter-attacks from the German 914th Grenadier Regiment. The men were isolated, and some were captured. By dawn on 7 June, Rudder had only 90 men able to fight. Relief did not arrive until 8 June, when members of the 743rd Tank Battalion and others arrived. By then, Rudder's men had run out of ammunition and were using captured German weapons. Several men were killed as a result, because the German weapons made a distinctive noise, and the men were mistaken for the enemy. By the end of the battle, the Rangers casualties were 135 dead and wounded, while German casualties were 50 killed and 40 captured. An unknown number of French collaborators were executed.
Omaha Beach was the most defended beach shown in the movies and documentaries heavily about D-Day. This area was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division and the 29th Infantry Division. They allied with the 352nd Infantry Division rather than the expected single regiment. Strong currents forced many landing craft east of their intended position or caused them to be delayed. For fear of hitting the landing craft, U.S. bombers delayed releasing their loads and as a result most of the beach obstacles at Omaha remained undamaged when the men came ashore. Many of the landing craft ran aground on sandbars, and the men had to wade 50–100m in water up to their necks while under fire to get to the beach. In spite of the rough seas, DD tanks of two companies of the 741st Tank Battalion were dropped 5,000 yards (4,600 m) from shore. However, 27 of the 32 flooded and sank, with the loss of 33 crew. Some tanks, disabled on the beach, continued to provide covering fire until their ammunition ran out or they were swamped by the rising tide.
Casualties were around 2,000, as the men were subjected to fire from the cliffs above. Problems clearing the beach of obstructions led to the beachmaster calling a halt to further landings of vehicles at 08:30. A group of destroyers arrived around this time to provide fire support so landings could resume. Exit from the beach was possible only via five heavily defended gullies, and by late morning barely 600 men had reached the higher ground. By noon, as the artillery fire took its toll and the Germans started to run out of ammunition, the Americans were able to clear some lanes on the beaches. They also started clearing the gullies of enemy defenses so that vehicles could move off the beach. The tenuous beachhead was expanded over the following days, and the D-Day objectives for Omaha were accomplished by June 9. Landings on Gold Beach took place on 07:25. There was a landing on Juno Beach too. Many Canadian soldiers were on Gold Beach. Sword Beach had many British forces. French liberation leader Commander Phillippe Kieffer helped the Allied Forces in battle too. Allied casualties on Sword Beach were as high as 1,000.
The Massive, Heroic Invasion
The landing on Juno Beach was delayed because of choppy seas. The men arrived with lax supporting armor. That is why many causalities were there while disembarking. Most of the offshore bombardment had missed the German defenses. Several exits from the beach were created, but not without difficulty. At Mike Beach on the western flank, a large crater was filled using an abandoned AVRE tank and several rolls of fascine, which were then covered by a temporary bridge. The tank remained in place until 1972 when it was removed and restored by members of the Royal Engineers. The beach and nearby streets were clogged with traffic for most of the day, making it difficult to move inland.
Major German strongpoints with 75 mm guns, machine-gun nests, concrete fortifications, barbed wire, and mines were located at Courseulles-sur-Mer, St Aubin-sur-Mer, and Bernières-sur-Mer. The towns had to be cleared in house-to-house fighting. Soldiers on their way to Bény-sur-Mer, 3 miles (5 km) inland, discovered that the road was well covered by machine gun emplacements that had to be outflanked before the advance could proceed. Elements of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade advanced to within sight of the Carpiquet airfield late in the afternoon, but by this time their supporting armor was low on ammunition, so the Canadians dug in for the night. The airfield was not captured until a month later as the area became the scene of fierce fighting. By nightfall, the contiguous Juno and Gold beachheads covered an area 12 miles (19 km) wide and 7 miles (10 km) deep. Casualties at Juno were 961 men.
On Sword Beach, 21 of 25 DD tanks of the first wave were successful in getting safely ashore to provide cover for the infantry, who began disembarking at 07:30. The beach was heavily mined and peppered with obstacles, making the work of the beach clearing teams difficult and dangerous. In the windy conditions, the tide came in more quickly than expected, so maneuvering the armor was difficult. The beach quickly became congested. Brigadier Simon Fraser, 15th Lord Lovat, and his 1st Special Service Brigade arrived in the second wave, piped ashore by Private Bill Millin, Lovat's personal piper. Members of No. 4 Commando moved through Ouistreham to attack from the rear a German gun battery on the shore. A concrete observation and control tower at this emplacement had to be bypassed and was not captured until several days later. French forces under Commander Philippe Kieffer (the first French soldiers to arrive in Normandy) attacked and cleared the heavily fortified strongpoint at the casino at Riva Bella, with the aid of one of the DD tanks.
The 'Morris' strongpoint near Colleville-sur-Orne was captured after about an hour of fighting. The nearby 'Hillman' strongpoint, headquarters of the 736th Infantry Regiment, was a large complex defensive work that had come through the morning's bombardment essentially undamaged. It was not captured until 20:15. The 2nd Battalion, King's Shropshire Light Infantry began advancing to Caen on foot, coming within a few kilometres of the town, but had to withdraw due to lack of armor support. At 16:00, the 21st Panzer Division mounted a counter-attack between Sword and Juno and nearly succeeded in reaching the Channel. It met stiff resistance from the British 3rd Division and was soon recalled to assist in the area between Caen and Bayeux. Estimates of Allied casualties on Sword Beach are as high as 1,000.
The Aftermath
The aftermath of the Normandy landings (D-Day) was very important. The Normandy landings were part of the largest seaborne invasion in human history, with nearly 5,000 landings and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers participating. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on D-Day, with 875,000 men disembarking by the end of June. Allied casualties on the first day were at least 10,000, with 4,414 confirmed dead. The Germans lost 1,000 men. The Allied invasion plans had called for the capture of Carentan, Saint-Lô, Caen, and Bayeux on the first day, with all the beaches (other than Utah) linked with a front line 10 to 16 kilometers (6 to 10 mi) from the beaches; none of these objectives were achieved. The five beachheads were not connected until 12 June, by which time the Allies held a front around 97 kilometers (60 mi) long and 24 kilometers (15 mi) deep. Caen, a major objective, was still in German hands at the end of D-Day and would not be completely captured until 21 July. The Germans had ordered French civilians other than those deemed essential to the war effort to leave potential combat zones in Normandy. Civilian casualties on D-Day and D+1 are estimated at 3,000.
The Allied victory in Normandy stemmed from several factors. German preparations along the Atlantic Wall were only partially finished; shortly before D-Day Rommel reported that construction was only 18 percent complete in some areas as resources were diverted elsewhere. The deceptions undertaken in Operation Fortitude were successful, leaving the Germans obliged to defend a huge stretch of coastline. The Allies achieved and maintained air supremacy, which meant that the Germans were unable to make observations of the preparations underway in Britain and were unable to interfere via bomber attacks. Infrastructure for transport in France was severely disrupted by Allied bombers and the French Resistance, making it difficult for the Germans to bring up reinforcements and supplies. Some of the opening bombardment was off-target or not concentrated enough to have any impact, but the specialized armor worked well except on Omaha, providing close artillery support for the troops as they disembarked onto the beaches. Indecisiveness and an overly complicated command structure on the part of the German high command were also factors in the Allied success.
Honoring Heroes
There are tons of unsung heroes during the time of D-Day. One hero was Cliff Morris. He was a young soldier in 6 Commando who was to take part in the race to a vital bridge. Morris and his comrades from 6 Commando reached the village of St. Aubin-d'Arquenay, less than a mile from the bridge, at ca. 11am. They were joined soon after by Lord Lovat and his officers. These men including Stan Scott played an important role in securing the eastern perimeter of the Allies' D-Day landing zone. A lot of people don't know that many black men were involved in fighting during D-Day. Out of the 31,912 U.S. soldiers landing on Utah Beach, about 1,200 were black people and included troops of the remaining battery of the 320th Balloon Battalion, the 582nd Engineer Dump Turck Company, the 385th Quartermaster Truck Company, and the 590th Port Battalion with its 226th, 227th, 228th, and 229 Port Companies. My late 2nd cousin Leslie Goffigon Jr. was part of the Normandy invasion during World War Two. Lesley Goffigon (1902-1975) and my late 1st cousin Lula Peeples Goffigon (b. 1906. Lula's parents are Ray Pepples and Mary Anne Boyd. Lula's grandparents were Charles Peeples and Fannie Fronianna Susanna Virginia Brown). Leslie Goffigon Jr.'s children are Saundra Goffigon-Rudolph and Leslie Goffigon III (1958-2015). Leslie Goffigon Jr. was inducted into the United States Army on March 23, 1943, when he was 20 years old. He was assigned to the 239 Port Company 393 Port Battalion during WWII. He also was part of the Northern Franc Company which landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944 (on D-Day). He lived in New York state to work with the U.S. Postal Service for 38 years. His grandson is W. Aaron Steel, his sister is Helen M. Goffigon, and his nephew is Syeed A. Goffigon.
Epilogue
In a time of almost 80 years, we have seen a transformation of the world after the Normandy landings by the heroic Allied powers. Over the course of many decades, the fascism shown by the evil Axis Powers didn't end. We see a rise of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other evils plaguing the world from universities to others in the street. We have authoritarian leaders from Orban to others who don't care about democratic rights. We are in the midst of a 2024 Presidential election with Trump calling people who disagree with him "vermin" which harkens back to Nazi rhetoric. Like the fascists of the American Liberty League back in the 1930's and 1940's, we have a MAGA movement that rejects democracy, hates women, hates minorities (especially black and brown people), and seeks to obsess with cultural wars as a means to promote overt, heinous bigotry, not human or spiritual enlightenment. During the Normandy invasion, America, Britain, Canada, French freedom fighters, and other nations united for the goal of liberating millions of people from the tyranny of Nazism. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Omar Bradley, General Bernard Montgomery, and other leaders caused D-Day to be an overt victory over the forces of tyranny. The Nazis lost D-Day because of many reasons. Many Nazi forces were in Eastern Europe, the Allied forces used decoys to manipulate Nazi leaders, and the Normandy invasions were specifically planned for a positive result. D-Day involved the largest maritime invasion in human history with 156,000 soldiers and 195,700 naval personnel being used by the Allied heroes on the Western Front. Thousands of people lost their lives, and we remember their sacrifice to this very day. The Normandy landings came about on June 6, 1944, as part of Operation Overlord. France would be liberated fully, and this invasion laid a great foundation for the Allied victory on the Western Front indeed.
By Timothy
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