In 1926, Mrs. G. J. Wilkins of Atlanta Georgia wrote to the Office of Indian Affairs, “My great-grandfather on my father’s side was a full-blooded Indian with tribal relations with the Cherokees of Georgia.” Mrs. Wilkins was referring to Abraham Helton, known by his family as Young Chicken Chetiganete. He was born in 1843. He…
What would Hattie say? I’ve mentioned Hattie Potter Chase before if you read my earlier blog post, The Shameful Secret of David Edgar Chase. She was left a widow at age 45 in 1900 when her husband, David, put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger in their upstairs hallway while she was eating breakfast…
The arrival of the Sears Wishbook and the JC Penney Christmas catalog was almost as exciting of Christmas day itself. If you grew up in the 1970’s like me, you’ll understand what I mean. I was astonished to read recently that these catalogs came out in August of every year. I didn’t remember that. Mom…
This is a continuing blog thread on my ancestor, David Edgar Chase and the on-going answers I find on the mystery of his death at age 47 in 1900 by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. To read my first entry on David, click here. What we do know about David is that from 1887 to 1890…
#RootsTech is running a Photo Story Competition and I feel like I could fill up my blog with past and present photos. Here is the latest. This grainy, creased photo could tell a hundred stories. It was 1978. My youngest brother had finally gotten his life together and joined the Air Force. He was stationed in New Jersey…
#RootsTech is running a Photo Story Competition and I feel like I could fill up my blog with past and present photos. I’ll be sharing more, but here is one. My grandmother, Jeanette, always compared herself to her older sister, Merah. She wrote in her journal, “Merah was small and dainty and I was chubby and plain looking….