Are you relying on family stories in your research? Sometimes family stories may be incorrect and may actually hinder further progress on your family tree. It’s often difficult to go against a story that has been repeated many times within the family, but sometimes that is the only way to move forward.
If you’ve reached the proverbial ‘brickwall’ in your research, try stepping back and evaluate the evidence for your information.
Perhaps you’ve been following the wrong trail. Search for all resources to prove or disprove the family story…but be prepared to face some disgruntled family members when you shatter a long repeated story that has become deeply ingrained and in your family history.
Would you like to start researching your family genealogy, but don’t know where to start? Start your family genealogy research in minutes with FREE online links! This Ebook has simple instructions on where to start.
Download the best-selling EBook WHERE DO I START? Hints and Tips for Beginning Genealogists with On-line resources
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Click here to see all books by Donna R Causey
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About Donna R Causey
Donna R. Causey, resident of Alabama, was a teacher in the public school system for twenty years. When she retired, Donna found time to focus on her lifetime passion for historical writing. She developed the websites www.alabamapioneers and www.daysgoneby.me All her books can be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. She has authored numerous genealogy books. RIBBON OF LOVE: A Novel Of Colonial America (TAPESTRY OF LOVE) is her first novel in the Tapestry of Love about her family where she uses actual characters, facts, dates and places to create a story about life as it might have happened in colonial Virginia. Faith and Courage: Tapestry of Love (Volume 2) is the second book and the third FreeHearts: A Novel of Colonial America (Book 3 in the Tapestry of Love Series) Discordance: The Cottinghams (Volume 1) is the continuation of the story. . For a complete list of books, visit Donna R Causey
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Do family and friends ask you for help in their genealogy research? This book may help
I have had several lines from Alabama. James L. Watts (1847), Laura Jane Hendon (1851), William Hendon (1853), John Lee Carter (1864), William Mitchell Denton (1822), Nancy Anne Malone (ca. 1825). I have an ancestor that moved from Tennessee to Alabama, his name was John Andes Pewitt.
Here’s on of my family stories. A man came back to MS after visiting my Great Aunt and her husband in TX. He told her sisters that she and her hubby were out on the front porch (of their luncheonette/home) visiting with him. Then the couple went inside. A short time later, the husband came out and the house was ablaze. My poor dear Great Aunt died in the fire…….supposedly. The visitor suspected that there was foul play and that the hubby murdered her for her money and set the house on fire to cover it.
Finding a fellow researching in the Houston area, I found out that there weren’t any fires reported that day. I eventually connected with my Great Aunt’s stepson, who was also visiting that fateful day. Yes, Auntie went inside and laid down on the divan, where she had a heart attack and died. She had been sickly for several months. The stepson’s 4 year old daughter went up to visit and found her “sleeping.” She went for help, and they called the Dr. who pronounced her dead. There was even a newspaper article about the whole incident, which her stepson sent me.
So how the old coot got arson, greed and murder out of all of this, we’ll never know. At least, I’m glad I found the truth and was able to share it with her family. I’m sure it put their minds at ease to know she died a natural death.
A cousin from an earlier generation had carefully written down that our ancestor had given his oldest son the middle name of Monroe as a token of his esteem for President James Monroe, as the President and our ancestor were boyhood friends who played together growing up in Virginia. They did live in reasonable proximity, but when I began trying to confirm the story, it turns out Mr. Monroe and our ancestor were born 40 years apart ! But it made for a nice family story while it lasted !
My maternal grandfather Deforest Henry Kilgo was born in Cedar Bluff, Cherokee County, Alabama in 1892. According to oral family history, his grandfather Osburn Kilgo was killed for his horse by outlaws on his way home from fighting in the Civil War. While researching Kilgo genealogy 2 years ago, I found that Osburn Kilgo did not die in the war, but in 1898 near Wilsonville, AL.
In 1861 Osburn apparently abandoned his wife, Nancy Rainwater and 2 sons (one of whom was my GGrandfather, Henry Allen Kilgo. Nancy was still pregnant with a 3rd son when he married Sofia Hardy about 50 miles away in Cass/Bartow County, GA. He joined Company F, 1st Regiment, Stateline Guards in early 1862 and Sofia accompanied him throughout the war “washing and cooking for the soldiers” according to her Confederate Veteran’s pension application. They had 2 daughters after the war and wound up in Shelby & St Clair counties AL where he worked as a “collier”. Sofia Kilgo collected her husband’s veterans pension until her death in 1921 in Westover, Shelby County, AL. She is buried in Mt Tabor Methodist Church Cemetery, Westover, AL.
My GGrandmother, Nancy Rainwater Kilgo died in 1902 and is buried in Livingston Cemetery in Floyd County, GA (just east of Cherokee County, AL)
I think Nancy Rainwater concocted the “died in the war” tale to explain why she had 3 sons and no husband. She never remarried.
Some of my relatives still don’t believe what my research shows. My grandfather Dee Kilgo and mother both died long before I discovered the truth about Osburn Kilgo, and I’m glad I didn’t have to tell them my findings as the oral history made for a more “honorable” story.
Terry…This is great sleuth work! I was just asked about Nancy Rainwater today, and was asked to find out more about her. I can’t believe you wrote her history here!
I’m interested in finding more about Elizabeth Catherine Kilgo…I’m guessing she was Osburn’s brother. I can’t seem to find who her parents were or siblings. I have everything beyond that. If you read this…please respond. Thanks Lawrence Laurato
Talking about a brick wall…mine is still standing. It involves SC, GA, and AL. My ancestor William T. Turner was born in SC (According to family and Census Records) in 1825-29 he married Lucinda Haywood born 1822 Henry County GA. This couple lived in Taledaga AL in 1860 Census. Williams borthers and sisters, Matilda, Jane A., John F., Andrew J., James, *Littleberry, *Newberry (*twins), Simon, Thomas David. These children were born somewhere in SC, Gwinette Co. GA, and AL. Now we have been told that William T Turners parents were John and Sarah Turner….both born in SC (According to Census Records) But this hasn’t been proven. So what about John Turner the Legislator that died in 1837??? Well Benjamin Denny Turner was his brother and named as the admin. of his estate in AL, but my father had DNA test done on the Turner Surname project and…DNA proves that my father, great grand son of William T. Turner does not match DNA of the John Turner/Benjamin Denny Turner line. Neither does the DNA results of William brothers that have also had DNA tested. there are three other brothers of William that have matched by DNA. Some get upset with me because I want to have sources for each generation and prove who the parents are, or should I say disprove who the parents are said to be. I know John, William, Thomas, Andrew, Jane, Sarah, are all very common names and in nearly every line of Turners, as well as any other line. That just makes research harder. I cannot find any information such as a will of the Turner family that tells who the parents are, nor even death dates for either John or Sarah Turner. Have found Sarah and the children in Census records in Benton/Calhoun/Cleburne County AL from 1850 to 1880. Haven’t found a census record that list John. Many of the children grew up and still descendants of theirs are there in AL, some moved on to LaGrange GA. But my William T. came to Mississippi and can be found there in the 1870 Lafayette County Census. Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.