Ancestral Discoveries: An Ancestor named Geert!

One of my long-standing little wishes in my Dutch genealogy was to find an ancestor named Geert. For some reason, I've always liked that name. And now I've found one- on my Bentheim side! My 6th great-grandmother, Fenne Tijink, died in Scheerhorn, Grafschaft Bentheim on December 12, 1863 and was buried at Arkel four days later. Her burial record lists her parents as Geert and Harmine Gruskamp! So there's one little wish down, as well as another interesting surname, and some more unanswered questions on my Bentheim side. 

Ancestral Discoveries: Four Christian Reformed Church Ancestors

In my previous article, I discussed a recent discovery I made, that my 4th great grandfather, Reiner Harkema (1850-1943), was a member of the Christian Reformed Church. This was a huge discovery, since previously all of my known Dutch American ancestors had been members of the Reformed Church in America as far as I had known. The Christian Reformed Church, or CRC, was founded in 1857, when four churches with around 130 families seceded from the Reformed Church in America, or RCA, because the RCA was supposedly theologically liberal, similar to the Dutch Reformed Church (the State Church) back in the Netherlands. After making this discovery of a CRC ancestor, I have subsequently learned of three more CRC ancestors!

• Minnie Harmsen, 2nd great grandmother: When my great-grandfather, Marvin John Ver Hoef, was growing up, he was apparently raised in a CRC household by his mother Minnie. His father Albert, meanwhile, rarely (if ever) attended church. Further confirming this is her obituary, which states: "She was a member of Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church". 
• Jan Hendrik Grote and Geertje Laarman, 4th great grandparents: The obituaries of my 4th great grandparents show that they were members of the CRC. Jan Hendrik's states: "The funeral will be held at 1 o'clock Tuesday afternoon at the East Saugatuck church". The East Saugatuck church in question was a Christian Reformed church. Meanwhile, Geertje's states: "The funeral will be held Friday at 12:30 from the Kolendorn church". Research strongly points to this church being Christian Reformed as well, if it isn't the same one Jan Hendrik's funeral was held at. 

One open question in my mind, is which denomination my Stephan and Karsten ancestors belonged to. The family of Willem Stephan immigrated to Holland, Michigan in 1873, while the family of Marten Karsten seems to have come here in 1881. Most of the later Dutch immigrants were members of the CRC, so it's possible they were also CRC, although I do not have any evidence on their beliefs at this time. 

Parsonage of Fourteenth Street Christian Reformed Church, 1909, Holland, Michigan 

Ancestral Discoveries: Reiner Harkema's Censuses and Religion

One of my most interesting maternal ancestors is my 4th great grandfather, Reiner Harkema (1850-1943). He was born on May 8, 1850 in Holland, Michigan to Jan Derks Harkema and Diewerke Simons Vinkers, immigrants from the Dutch Province of Groningen. The family came to Michigan the year before because Jan, a Kleermaker (tailor) could not afford to buy bread for his children, according to emigration records. Reiner lost his father when he was 7, and his mother remarried, although I do not know how that affected him. But Reiner's life took a sudden turn in the 1890s when he left Michigan and moved all the way out to Washington State, specifically Yakima County. For the longest time, I did not know that much about his time in Washington. I know he built a Church and he died in 1943, but that was about it. However, I just made a couple of discoveries that expand my knowledge of this fascinating ancestor. 

One unfortunate phenomenon in my family tree is missing censuses. One major example is my 3rd great grandfather, Joseph Franklin Winn Jr., who I cannot find in the 1930 Census at all. For a while, Reiner Harkema had several missing censuses: 1910, 1920, and 1940. A couple of days ago, I checked his hints on Ancestry and discovered two excellent ones: his 1910 and 1920 Censuses! Both were excellent additions. In 1910, he was a farmer working on a fruit farm that he owned on his own account in Zillah, Washington. In 1920, he was a retired farmer living in Orchardvale, Washington. This gives us two interesting facts: he owned a fruit farm, and apparently he retired from farming between 1910 and 1920. After looking at the 1940 Census, and using some search tricks, I was able to find him as well, completing his census record collection. In 1940, he was retired, apparently with no income, living on a farm he owned on the state highway. His education was of a 3rd grade level, and he did not live on a farm in 1935. 

The second major discovery on Reiner Harkema was something that I had just looked over in my previous research. In his obituary, he is listed as having built a church in Zillah and that he served as one of the two first elders. Upon researching this church, it appears that it is the current Faith Community Church in Zillah, which is a Christian Reformed Church! This is a major discovery because pretty much all of my other Dutch American ancestors sided with the Reformed Church of America after the 1857 split. Reiner is my first documented CRC ancestor that I know of. An article on the Church website called "History of the Christian Reformed Church in Zillah" says: "The story of Faith Community Church in Zillah, WA began officially in 1901, when Classis Iowa granted a petition by early Dutch settlers to organize a church to be known as “The First Reformed Church of the Sunnyside Valley.” Back in 1896, the family of Mr. and Mrs. Harkema arrived in the valley from Holland, MI and soon were joined by the families of J.W. Oord, J.B. Rammerman, R. Bajema, G.D. Wesselius, and P. Van Belle.  For the next 5 years, the families met in homes, alternating between the Sunnyside and Zillah groups with Mr. Harkema conducting all the reading services." This is of course with his second wife, as his first wife, the one I descend from, died in Holland in 1890. This gives a timeline of his migration to Washington as well, saying that it occurred in 1896. His obituary agrees with this, saying that he'd come to Washington "47 years ago" (in 1943). It's interesting that he conducted the reading services. As well as being an early settler and also an elder, he must have been an influential figure in the CRC of Yakima County. 

Overall, these discoveries give more life to this ancestor. Reiner Harkema, a son of Dutch immigrants from Groningen to West Michigan, moved to Yakima County, Washington in 1896 and was an early member of the Christian Reformed Church there, and had a fruit farm. What a fascinating person! 

From "History of the Christian Reformed Church in Zillah", photos of the church Reiner Harkema helped found 

Lineage Societies I am Eligible for

Genealogy as a hobby and passion has come a long way from its early roots, first as a passion of the aristocracy to document their blue blood, and then as a snobbish hobby in old America, where some would use it to show their superiority: that they had not come from immigrants, but from the earliest settlers. Through intermarriage, our genealogies have become so mixed that vast numbers of us can claim descent from both groups. For example, I descend from some of the earliest settlers of the Old South and of New England (the "city upon the hill" of Governor Winthrop), but I also descend from a clutch of more recent Dutch immigrants to West Michigan and Chicago in the 1800s. 

However, modern-day Genealogists of course have many motives for their research. Originally mine was to establish my European roots when I was obsessed with the continent, but a multitude of others, have a goal of proving their descent from some august figure, so they can join a lineage society. Many such groups exist, requiring the applicant to prove descent from a specific ancestor, or an ancestor involved in a specific historical event, in order to join. While reading over a list of lineage societies, I have discovered that I am eligible to join a great number of them, proving the vast amount of intermarriage through the centuries. This of course does not count groups I want to join, but haven't able to prove my eligibility for yet. This is of course a reference to my long running dream of finding a Mayflower or Huguenot ancestor, or one of the early Dutch settlers of New York, one of the New Swedes, or maybe even a specific person, such as Governor Thomas Dudley or Governor John Winthrop. In the interest of demonstrating the many different things I have found in my heritage, I have drawn up a list of some of the many lineage societies I am eligible to join. 

One note before I begin: some of these societies, while I do have the heritage necessary to join, are limited in membership, or are by invitation only. So I am technically not eligible to join some of these societies. There are also a great number of seemingly duplicate societies, with the same membership requirements as another. In those cases I will only be including one or two specific examples of that type of society. 

Enjoy!

• American Descendants of the House of Burgesses 1619-1699: Possibly eligible through the Reverend Robert Bracewell, who was briefly a member of the House of Burgesses before being asked to leave due to the separation of powers, since he was a Cleric. 
• Baronial Order of Magna Charta: Through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt of Jamestown, Virginia, I am eligible to join- Wyatt had documented descents from multiple Sureties of the Magna Carta. 
• Chicago Genealogical Society: Eligible for Ancestor Certificates as a descendant of early residents of Chicago, in two categories: Pioneer, through Hendrik Otte, who settled in Chicago in 1856, and Rebuilder, through Jan Peter Huyser, who settled in Chicago in the late 1880s. 
• Colonial Order of the Acorn: One of the more restrictive lineage societies, which requires a person to have a patrilineal descent from a resident of one of the thirteen original Colonies of the United States before 1776. My patrilineal immigrant ancestor, Michael Sadler of Germany, immigrated in 1751 to the Colony of Pennsylvania, and resided there, making him an eligible ancestor. 
• Descendants of Fossors: Possibly eligible through Clifton Bowen Jr. and Sr., who both served on the Coroners Inquest to the death of John Register in 1763 in Duplin County, North Carolina. 
• Descendants of Founders of New Jersey: Possibly eligible through Samuel Bowen, who between February 12, 1701 and December 30, 1703, came from Swansea, Massachusetts with his family to New Jersey to join the Baptist Meeting of Reverend Timothy Brooks. Supposedly, the family came to New Jersey prior to February 24, 1702, which would make him a qualifying ancestor for admission, however, more research is needed. 
• Descendants of Sheriffs and Constables of Colonial and Antebellum America: Eligible through Colonel Thomas Avent, a 1700s Colonial English immigrant who served as Sheriff of Sussex County, Virginia. He was holding this position at least by 1728, when Governor William Gooch called him in to investigate some troubles involving local Indian Tribes. 
• Descendants of the Illegitimate Sons & Daughters of the Kings of Britain: My gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, has several descents from illegitimate children of British Kings. These include Robert de Caen, 1st Earl of Gloucester (illegitimate son of King Henry I of England); Matilda FitzRoy, Duchess of Brittany (illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England); William Longespée, 3rd Earl of Salisbury (illegitimate son of King Henry II of England); Richard FitzRoy (illegitimate son of King John of England); Joan, Lady of Wales (illegitimate daughter of King John of England), and Isabella Mac William (illegitimate daughter of William the Lion, King of Scots), among others. 
• Edmund Rice (1638) Association: Eligible as a descendant of Deacon Edmund Rice. 
• First Families of Georgia 1733-1797: Eligible through Joshua Stafford, a Revolutionary War Veteran from North Carolina who settled in Georgia before his death. Proof of his residence in Georgia before 1797 comes from his 1794 marriage in Screven County, as well as the land surveyed in that county for him, also in 1794. 
• First Families of Pennsylvania: Eligible for all three categories: Colony and Commonwealth (through Johan Michael Grauel, Hans Michael Krieger, and Michael Sadler Sr.), Keystone and Cornerstone (Catherine Wise), and Pennsylvania Proud (Abraham Wise). 
• First Families of Wythe County: Eligible through Michael Creger of Elk Pond, who seemingly settled in Wythe County before 1799, when he appears on the county land tax records. 
• Flagon and Trencher: Eligible through Marshal Jonathan Gilbert of Hartford, Connecticut; who kept an inn at Hartford until his death. His widow, Mary, and his son, Samuel succeeded him as innkeepers there, and are thus also eligible ancestors of mine for admission. 
• General Society of Colonial Wars: Eligible through Thomas Stanton and James Rogers, who both fought in the Pequot War, and possibly through Ensign John Divoll, who was killed defending a garrison house in an Indian attack during King Philip's War. 
• General Society of the War of 1812: Eligible through Marmaduke Hart, who served six weeks as a draftee in the South Carolina Militia during the war. 
• Hereditary Order of the First Families of Massachusetts: Eligible through multiple ancestors, but one specific ancestor is Deacon Edmund Rice, who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1638.
• Hereditary Society of Teachers: Eligible through my mother, who was educated as a substitute teacher. She would be categorized as an ancestor who taught in the 20th century, and thus represented by an open book. 
• Jamestowne Society: Eligible through several ancestors, including the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who was a Minister of Jamestowne, the Reverend Robert Braswell, Alexander Mountney, and Hannah Boyle (Mountney's wife).
• Military Order of Agincourt: Eligible through at least six ancestors: Sir John Tyrrell, later Speaker of the House of Commons; Hamon Belknap; Sir Thomas Hoo; William Gulby; Sir Richard Waller, who supposedly captured the Duke of Orleans at the battle; and John Pympe. 
• Military Order of the Crusades: Eligible through a great many ancestors, a few of note include the French Crusader King Saint Louis IX, Count Stephen of Blois, and Count Hugh of Vermandois. 
• Military Order of the Purple Heart: Eligible as a hereditary member through my great-grandfather, John Washington Winn Jr., who was awarded the Purple Heart during World War II. 
• Military Order of the World Wars: Eligible as a hereditary member through my paternal grandfather, Luther Allen Saddler Jr., and my great-grandfather, John Washington Winn Jr., who both served in World War II. 
• National Guild of Saint Margaret of Scotland: Eligible as a descendant of Saint Margaret through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt. 
• National Society Descendants of American Farmers: The vast majority of my ancestors between 1776 and 1914 lived on farms, so I am eligible for membership in this society many times over. 
• National Society of Saints and Sinners: Eligible through several ancestors, a few specific ones are Bishop Arnulf of Metz, King David I of Scotland, King Fernando III of Castile and Leon, Duchess Ludmila of Bohemia, King Olaf II of Norway, and Grand Prince Vladimir I of Kiev.
• National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution: Eligible through my many Patriot ancestors, a few specific ones are Elijah Bowen, James Bullard, Michael Sadler Sr., and Jasper Saxton. 
• National Society Sons and Daughters of the Pilgrims: Eligible through many ancestors, a few of note are Deacon Edmund Rice, Thomas Gilbert, and Deacon Samuel Wright. 
• National Society Sons of Colonial New England: Eligible through many ancestors, as my 3rd great grandmother, born in 1853, was entirely of Colonial New England descent.
• Order of Alba: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who had a descent from the Scottish royal house. 
• Order of Descendants of Ancient Planters: Eligible through Alexander Mountney, an Ancient Planter. 
• Order of Descendants of the Justiciars: Eligible through many different Justiciars, including Richard "Strongbow" de Clare, Earl Richard "Copped Hat" Fitz Alan of Arundel, and Earl Saer de Quincy of Winchester.
• Order of First Families of Connecticut: Eligible through several ancestors, including Jonathan Gilbert, James Rogers, Thomas Stanton, and Andrew Warner. 
• Order of First Families of North Carolina: Eligible through John Browne, an Indian trader who died before April 7, 1713 in Chowan Precinct, North Carolina. 
• Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United States of America: Eligible as a descendant of the Emperor Charlemagne through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt. 
• Order of the First Families of Maryland: Eligible through William Crump, who was living in Talbot County, Maryland in 1671 and appears to have remained there until his death around 1695.
• Order of the Founders of North America 1492-1692: Eligible through my mother's many 1630s Puritan immigrant ancestors to New England. 
• Order of the House of Wessex: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who was descended from the House of Wessex through Saint Margaret of Scotland (earlier mentioned).
• Order of the Kings and Queens in the Holy Lands: Eligible through several ancestors, including King John of Jerusalem (John of Brienne) and Prince Raynald of Antioch (Raynald of Châtillon).
• Order of the Monarchs of Rheims: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who descended from the House of Capet, of which many Monarchs were crowned at Rheims. 
• Order of the Norman Conquest: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who descended from William the Conqueror as well as several of his companions at the Battle of Hastings. 
• Order of Three Crusades 1096-1192: Eligible through several ancestors, including Count Stephen of Blois (First Crusade), King Louis VII of France (Second Crusade), and Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa (Third Crusade).
• Plymouth Hereditary Society: Eligible through Richard Bowen, who settled in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony. 
• Presidential Families of America: Eligible through many different connections, but one in particular is Deacon Edmund Rice, who is a common ancestor of me and President Calvin Coolidge. 
• Society of Descendants of Knights of the Most Noble Order of the Garter: Eligible through many ancestors, including Earl William de Bohun of Northampton and Sir Richard Guildford.
• Society of Descendants of Ireland: Eligible as a Royal Life Member through descent from High King Brian Boru, King Diarmait Mac Murchada of Leinster, and several other Irish Kings. 
• Society of Descendants of Lady Godiva: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who was a descendant of Lady Godiva. 
• Society of Descendants of Scotland: Eligible through my gateway ancestor, the Reverend Hawte Wyatt, who descended from several Scottish Kings, including Kenneth MacAlpin and King Saint David I. 
• Society of Descendants of the Conquest: Eligible as a descendant of the Conqueror and of multiple companions. 
• Society of Descendants of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem: Eligible through John of Brienne, King of Jerusalem. 
• Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy: Eligible through the Reverend Robert Braswell and the Reverend Hawte Wyatt. 
• Society of the Descendants of the Founders of Hartford: Eligible through three Hartford founders: Thomas Lord, Thomas Stanton, and Andrew Warner. 
• Society of the Order of the Southern Cross: Eligible through a few ancestors, including James F. Benton, Noah Gideon Pittman, and Joseph Franklin Winn Sr. 
• Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861: Eligible through Ezekiel Stafford, who served as a Justice of the Peace in Montgomery County, Georgia 1799-1801 and Tattnall County, Georgia 1823-1827. 
• Sons and Daughters of Virginia Founding Fathers: Eligible through the Reverend Robert Braswell, Alexander Mountney, and others. 
• Sons of Confederate Veterans: Eligible through several ancestors, including Bartholomew K. Bragg and William J. Humphreys. 
• Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War: Eligible through my three Union ancestors: Jan François Joseph Frederik Goossen, Roelof Strick, and John Harter Wise. 
• Thomas Stanton Society: Eligible as a descendant of Thomas Stanton. 
• United States Cavalry Association: Eligible as a Heritage Trooper through Roelof Strick, who served in the 9th Michigan Cavalry Regiment during the American Civil War. 

Research Leads: The Wise Homestead in Leesport, Pennsylvania

Last night, I was looking over a packet of photos that I've seen before, from the Wise and Harkema families of my great-grandmother, Gertrude Alyce Wise. While I was most interested in the photos of Gertrude's father Fred Edwin Wise Sr., who was electrocuted in 1927, two photos in particular stood out to me. 

One was captioned "Reading, PA., July 1927. Erma Sterner, Edna Wise, sisters. Cousin Kate Sell in the chair." I do not know currently who any of these people are, but they're definitely relatives and could be research leads. Regardless, it shows some of my relatives were still living in Pennsylvania as late as the 1920s. It reminds me of the vibrancy of the Pennsylvania Dutch people, and the continued existence of our people in eastern Pennsylvania.

The most interesting one was captioned "Wise Homestead, Leesport, PA." It's a small, seemingly two part building surrounded by a big tree and looks like some crops. When looked at closely, it looks like there's a porch on the side of the home. I wonder if this is where Gertrude's paternal grandfather, John Harter Wise Sr., a Civil War Veteran, grew up. While he was born in Reading, the county seat of Berks County, in 1846, in the 1850 Census the Wise family is listed as living in Alsace, Berks County. In 1860, they're in Ontelaunee, Berks County. John's father, Abraham Wise, is recorded as living in Ontelaunee in 1870 and 1880 as well. His probate file also lists him as residing in Ontelaunee. However, he died in Leesport in 1896, and was buried there, at Saint John's Gernants. His obituary states he was "residing near Gernant's church", and worked for many years for the Leesport Iron Company as a Blacksmith. In 1884 a newspaper article notes that thieves broke open Abraham's corn crib and stole corn, and that he was "near Leesport". Google Maps shows that it takes around 8 minutes to drive from Ontelaunee to Leesport, although it'd definitely take more time to walk. So my theory is that the Wise Homestead pictured may have been purchased by Abraham between 1850 and 1860, and may be the location of the Wise family in the 1860-1880 Censuses. Of course, this is all speculative for now. More research is needed. 

The Wise family has always been one of my favorite families to research, and one of the most frustrating as well. John Harter Wise Sr. is one of my personal heroes, because of how much he endured in the Civil War, when he was only around 18-19 years old. Younger then I am now, and I'd never be able to do the same thing. The Pennsylvania Dutch people are fascinating to me, and it is a great source of pride for me that my true surname, Saddler, comes from this community. Pennsylvania is a Rust Belt state just like my home state of Michigan, and imagining Abraham Wise the Blacksmith is a great source of interest as well. Someday, I'd like to visit Berks County, and walk where my ancestors once walked. To see the Keystone State in all her glory. 

Photo Perspectives: Elizabeth Maddox (c. 1814- c. 1860)

One of my most frustrating brick walls is the Freels and Maddox family of Hardeman County, Tennessee. All I know is that my 4th great grandfather, Thomas Jefferson Freels, was born on Christmas 1846 to Thomas and Elizabeth (Maddox) Freels, who appear on the 1850 and 1860 Censuses as illiterate farmers in Hardeman County, western Tennessee. This county borders Hardin County, Tennessee, where they seem to show up in the 1840 Census, as well as Tippah County, Mississippi, where their son moved to in 1870, before returning to Tennessee. One of my most valuable finds in my genealogical research, is a photo of Elizabeth, the mother of Thomas J. Freels: 

I have a lot to say about this photo of my 5th great grandmother. First of all, it is definitely very old. She probably died between 1860 and 1870, and I would assume this photo was taken around then, due to her apparent advanced age in this photo. Honestly, this photo is kind of creepy. It looks like it was taken on the porch, and she appears to be sitting in an old rocking chair. The building is probably their farmhouse, and it looks like it's a very old wood house, possibly a log house. There are a few trees in the background which add to the creepy, haunted area feel of the photo in my opinion. She's wearing a very big, thick jacket with a hood, which makes me think this photo was taken in winter, because there's no way she would be wearing something like that in the dead of summer, down in Tennessee. Her facial expression seems very serious and kind of angry- she strikes me as one of those strict, authoritative Southern mothers. I don't think I would want to disobey her. Also, I wonder what that is on her lap? Maybe she was sewing or knitting something? Obviously on the farm she would have had a role in the domestic aspects of the Freels household, so maybe she was making clothing. 

Here, for interest's sake, is a colorized version of the photo from MyHeritage: 

My Ancestors in the 1850 and 1860 Slave Schedules

In the 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, for the first time, households in Slave-owning States reported on how many Slaves they owned. Because my Southern ancestry is drenched in Slavery, I have found several ancestors who showed up in the Slave Schedules. This is important both for African American Genealogists seeking to discover the possible identity of the owner of their ancestor, as well as for white descendants of Slave owners (like me) seeking to document their brutal legacy. The following ancestors of mine are included in the Slave Schedules: 

1850: 

• Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 45 year old black female, 42 year old black female, 38 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 13 year old black male, 6 year old black female, 21 year old black female, and a 15 year old black male. 
• Ezekiel Stafford of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 21 Slaves. These were a 60 year old black female, 40 year old black male, 38 year old black female, 36 year old black female, 34 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black female, 19 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 15 year old black male, 12 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old black male, 5 year old black male, another 5 year old black male, 2 year old black male, 8 year old black female, 6 year old black male, 3 year old black female, 1 year old black male, and a 14 year old mulatto male. 
• John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 15 year old black male. 
• Marmaduke Hart of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 22 year old black female and a 19 year old black male. 
• Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 8 Slaves. These were a 44 year old black female, 25 year old black male, 17 year old mulatto female, 13 year old black male, 11 year old black male, 9 year old mulatto female, 9 year old black female, and a 6 year old mulatto female. The 11 year old black male was reported as being deaf or blind. 
• William Fuller Sr. of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 18 Slaves. These were a 41 year old black male, 42 year old black male, 37 year old black male, 30 year old black male, 28 year old black male, 10 year old black male, 8 year old black male, 8 year old mulatto male, 6 year old black male, 7 year old black male, 32 year old black female, 28 year old black female, 14 year old black female, 12 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 4 year old black female, 2 year old black female, and a 75 year old black female.

The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1850 was 58. Fifty-eight human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors 

1860: 

• Aaron B. Strickland of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 19 Slaves. These were a 32 year old black male, 25 year old black male, 22 year old black male, 16 year old black male, 6 year old black male, another 6 year old black male, 4 year old black male, 3 year old black male, 1 year old black male, 47 year old black female, 35 year old black male, 28 year old black female, 25 year old mulatto female, 22 year old black female, 18 year old black female, 7 year old black female, 2 year old black female, another 2 year old black female, and yet another 2 year old black female. Unfortunately, the amount of slave houses was not recorded. 
• George Washington Winn of Laurens County, South Carolina: Owned 3 Slaves. These were a 30 year old black female, 3 year old black male, and a 2 year old black female. There was one slave house. 
• James F. Benton of Colleton County, South Carolina: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 12 year old black female, 18 year old mulatto male, 17 year old mulatto female, and a 2 year old mulatto male. There were 2 slave houses. 
• John James of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 5 Slaves. These were a 25 year old black male, 16 year old black female, 12 year old mulatto male, 5 year old black female, and an 8 month old black male (listed as 8/12). There was one slave house. 
• John Pittman of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 1 Slave, a 20 year old black female. 
• Michael McKenzie Eason of Tattnall County, Georgia: Owned 10 Slaves. These were a 37 year old black male, 29 year old mulatto female, 18 year old black female, another 18 year old black female, 16 year old mulatto female, 5 year old mulatto male, 3 year old black female, 2 year old black female, 1 year old mulatto male, and another 1 year old mulatto male. There were three slave houses. 
• Mourning Collum of Twiggs County, Georgia: Owned 2 Slaves. These were a 31 year old black female and a 2 year old black female. 

The total number of human beings enslaved by my family in 1860 was 45. Forty-five human beings held in bondage to my family, to my ancestors 

So much is unknown about the lives of these individuals, whose stories are lost to history. These were human beings with desires, interests, romances, stories, and memories, all regarded as property by the individuals I descend from. So many questions exist: how were conditions under my ancestors? Were there overseers? What happened to them after Emancipation? So many questions, and so few answers. 

We can only truly build the future by remembering the past