this is my grandfather as a boy- he's on the horse. Loyd Earl Riggs born in Cisco Texas but they moved to Oklahoma where he lived the remainder of his life.

William Riley and Mittie A Douglass Riggs

children Hubert, Marie, Mittie, Alice, WR, Olen, I am blank and then Popsie.. my uncle Roger gave me this picture.

ok new family photo of the Ham, Willig, and Rogers families

this is what genealogy is all about to me- I think almost everyone in this picture has now passed on. In the 26 plus years I was been married - we only had 2 family get togethers. One on each side of the family. How sad.

this is one of the cool things I have learned to do taking this class with Sims library!

marva jean passing

well, this is another time to reflect on the loves of those who have now passed on. This is what genealogy is all about- the real reminder of who and what we were upon the earth, and what those who are left behind will remember.

If I had to tell my grandchildren about Nanny, what descriptives would best fit? Fireball, hell on wheels, most generous person I know with "things" -if it made you happy , take it..creampuffs, platnum haircolor, Bealls- and her smoking and loud laugh, her fudge at Christmas, pecan pies, her colorful vocabulary!?!, fear of being alone at the later part of her life and tornadoes. She loved to laugh, and could do the stupidest things to get you to, her quicksilver anger, that was just as easily forgotten. I remember when I was young and before I married her son, she would call me up and say Becky get ready cause I'mma coming! and she would come get me in her cadillac and who knows where we would go. These last three years we had a common bond that cant be described, I guess you could say that we shared the loss of the men in our lives, the disappointments from the people you care the most about, and motherhood and all its nuances. I loved her very much, she could infuriate you , but oh when she was on a roll she was wonderful. I will miss her very much. She was someone you most definitely would never forget. Godspeed Marva Jean Kelley. There will be no fanfare goodbye, just a simple service to bid the passing into night, so fly with the angels home- peace at last.

also can see photos

www.findagrave.com
waxahachie city cemetery

hmmmm.. now where are my photos? SAM!!??? lol!

collier monuments at city

ok here goes! I took three not so perfect monument stones for those in my family and those researching Colliers. This is great grandpa Caleb Marion Collier, the other is one of his sons' Thomas W. and his wife Alice Geneva Cheek Collier, and sadly the broken one is a baby that died. This is one of the things that infurates me so much about the lack of concern by the city as well as the carelessness of individuals who "take care" ie: perpetutal care, and the "visitors"
who wander and or play in the garden of rest .



I find Caleb fascinating and he is a very real presence in my tree . He was a volunteer in the confederacy- 55th Alabama volunteers, company B, in which he was a private.. from Cherokee county ..He was wounded seriously at Shiloh, but never filed a claim.- his wife Mary Ann Vandiver- dec 11, 1866 died presumably either in childbirth or thereafter. Her last living child was Nancy and she was born in 1865. They had the following children: George Caleb, Thomas W, James N, John Davis, Nancy Florence and a questionable William Edward. James died in Alabama and I have never found a word about where they died , where they are buried , or anything other than bible dates.



He came to Texas with his children. I was told by another researcher once that his mother in law came with him to take care of the children and later remarried herself . This has not been documented by myself and the woman who stated it has never reconnected with me. He later remarried January 8, 1885 Mrs. A.S. Alexander (my mysterious woman, since I cannot find out anything about her) and if my research is correct maybe twice! Caleb was a devoted father and son and an avid Christian. One of the greatest brick walls for me is locating Colliers Chapel. There does not seem to be any record of location, land donation, registry - even at the local museum. I do know it exsisted because I have found mention of it in the Waxahachie enterprise on microfilm., and is posted on the genweb also I believe..yes, here it is..http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~txellis/ghost-towns/collier.htm.



I know his first love was Mary Ann Vandiver because she is listed in his bible which is utterly falling apart. Now Mrs. AS Alexander , Annie, and Audrey Pact are all listed in the bible, but I cannot connect them . Mrs. AS Alexander is on the side of his monument but no dates are listed and none have been found yet, her daughter Annie is across the road from them.



Collier's Chapel

Christmas has come and gone and many hearts made happy thereby, but our entire community was saddened by the death of Mr. C. M. Collier. He was a patient sufferer for over two months. He bore it with a christian fortitude, only now and then a murmur. "Thy will be done." He has been feeble for the last two years and at his death the severy-fourth milepost of his life was almost reached. He was a devoted husband, loving father and a true devout christian. The sad intelligence was received with deep and unfeigned sorrow by numerous friends, as well as by those who knew an loved him through the state and elsewhere. The final sad and tender tribute was paid at Collier's Chapel at noon, Dec. 18, by Bro. C.W. Perry whose words were touching and impressive. Upon the conclusion of the services teh remains were borne to the hearse and then accompanied by a large concourse of relatives and friends, it was escorted to the home of the dead and given back to mother earth.



Caleb Collier is listed in the Cherokee county Alabama census and later in the Ellis county TX census. His son George is listed as one of the eight pioneer families in the town of Lone Cedar area, which I guess is now indeed a ghost town. George C. passed away fairly young I guess and his wife remarried and had a larger family. Thomas W- I am told is Woodard or Woolard. They had a nice farm but apparently lost it as many did during the depression times. As you can see their monument has been vandalized and someday I hope that I will be able to afford to replace it as well. So if anyone is connected to this family and researching it also please contact me!

I must admit finding time is sometimes a challenge

I love genealogy and it truely is my passion, so this course for me is a real adventure and hopefully will turn into a resource and plethera of clues and kinsmen! LOL ! I am not such a fascinating author that other bloggers or readers would search me out, but perhaps someday I may have information that might help someone else, or even an answer to something they have been looking for.



I searched through my meager photographs to scan some photos, but I have so few. I promise to do my best to at least put the one of my grandfather as a young boy. My uncle Roger Riggs gave it to me and I treasure it more than I can say. I know that he has some others but lives so far away (Ponca City) otherwise I would ask if I could scan them. My uncle Ray has promised to send me the slides my grandparents took so that they can be cataloged and shared, but they havent arrived yet from Ark. BUT! as soon as they do! lol- cant wait!

One of the greatest helps for me (Amazingly!) has been the discovery that I can print quite a few of my familys' death certificates online from http://www.familysearch.org/. There have been moments of frustration when the ones I want so desperately are the ones that wont display , or tell me to try another time. I have contacted the help line, but so far have only gotten the generic message " this is an automated reply" . However it has enormously provided those lost children of aunts and uncles of my nefarious Morgan lines. I just wish that all the states provided these valuable pieces of information online, since it is so hard for many people to get to the library, archives, or even to our county court houses - (working daytime doesnt allow much research time ).



I am still a little timid about adding my own research online because of the " giants" who come steal family trees, but may post at least the basics soon. Once I get it where I can put my hands on it all at once! Anyway I am thrilled at some of the great blogs available out there- if only I could remember how to add them to my favs! : ) see ya next time.. have a good day!

what I have discovered so far :

since I am so limited for time, and trying to learn as much as possible- I have been searching other genealogical blogs and checking out websights to see what is new and available and am discovering a wonderful world of locations that I have not known about. Blogging is quickly becoming one of the most informative tools I have experienced! I very highly recommend them. Although I am extremely discriminating with online information , especially posted family trees, there is usually a good deal of clues to lead me to true documentation.

One of the things I find to be so FRUSTRATING is that all of these available FREE trials, you must input credit card information and since I do not own one (or rather it own me) I am ineligble to try them out to see if any are worth me subscribing to!
Thankfully Sims does have a basic version of Ancestry online which I am able to use, it doesnt allow me to check very many trees to see if someone else is also searching my families in depth or to contact someone who is. If I am wrong please do contact me and educate me. I sincerely want accurate information, and I want to learn!

this is just one of the few I looked at- and it is just for designing a blog like this one!
http://amberskyline.com/treasuremaps/create-genealogy-blog-1.html
she has great information on things like tombstone rubbings which I LOVE ! : )

oh the graveyard rabbit !! I LOVE CEMETERIES !!!! I like to search for them online, but far too often get carried away by looking at the beautiful and unique monuments! LOL!

the one I like best and use as a starting place is www. findagrave.com then I tried these
www.cemeterysuverysinc.org
http://www.thegraveyardrabbit.com/

I began my seach with the 10 best websights to see dead people !! Ooo.. like the Sixth Sence! not really- lol , but lots of abandoned and discovered photographs of someone's loved ones.

I went through the 10 best virtual libraries also through familytree magazine too and found some pretty interesting . I guess this may be the most underutilized method for many, but almost always gives me a positive result- my best and favorite are :
Illinois:
www.cyberdriveillinois.com?departments?archives/databases.html
www.ilsos.gov/GenealogyMWeb/MiarrageSearchServlet
where I found my great grandmother wedding date William A. Freeman and Mrs. Neliie McCloughry 1895/7/10
also her death date and certificate information

another area I am searching is Jackson, Missouri
http:jacksongov.org/localization/menu.asp

this is where I found numerous records for the Ketchum/Holloway families-
marriage and death records , death certs are often available to print online!
david f ketchum married his first wife lucinda holloway on 04/5/1856.

I have been rabidly seaching online digital records.. I must say that some of these do have many wonderful photographs, usually military or blacks- which I think is oddly interesting how many black records are archived digitally. I would hope that this would make it wonderful to those who think that there is limited information out there. My advice would be to google the location you desire and search online digital records. I know personally Kentuckty, West VA, and Missouri have many black photographs and other valid information online. Such a wonderful resource tool that many overlook.

speaking of cemeteries- before my significant other left - I had begun walking out city cemetery, drawing locations and noting the condition, or lack of, monuments with the intention of photographing and making a book for Sims Library, a place near and dear to my heart. In 1955 the genealogy society went out and listed the known stones. Since then many markers have disappeared, been damaged by irresponsible mowers and uncaring citizens- or have not accurately been registered, soooo.. a fellow lover of cemeteries and I have made a pledge to go through this orignal registry and walk the park and re-record and photograph the stones for future genealogists and families of the area. It is a fair sized cemetery but it is something we both feel are of vital importance. Pat also does a lot of photograph and lots of extra research for people through the findagrave.com websight. PAT is an amazingly gifted genealogist and has done a lot of seraching for families simply because she loves the hunt and has an incredibly generous spirit. I admire and respect people like her because she gives so freely. Also Sam, who does the same yet gets such limited acknowledgement for all her efforts. My love and hat is off to you both. God Bless you for who and what you do!

some of the names and places I personally am searching for are:

Ketchum, Kellam - Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, and Tennessee. There are many Holloway, Hickman, Browns tied to both of these families. along with Martin, Cook, Hickman, Christianson. these are some of my mothers family. lol anywhere named Benton! the other side are from Cook County , Chicago illinois and one of the hardest for me - Cury/currie from Ireland, McCloury/McClaughry, Freeman, Rohr, Voss, Driscoll/Driskoll. PLEASE help me here! my gr-grand mother Nellie (Ellen Jane Curry) was supposed to be one of the first involved in the Salvation Army in Chicago.

Riggs, Patterson, Douglas, Stanley, Kidd, Hearn- from Okla, Texas, Alabama, Kty, Tenn, Ga, Ark
s and n carolinas, Virginia. these are my daddy's lines. so many of these have the same old name! Gotta love the family heritage- it is what makes it sooo hard to document, four abrahams in series honestly! gotta love it-

as for my ex and my childrens side and YES I am still researching them just as I was:
Ham, Collier, Fields, Park, Kelley, Andrews, Wood, Morgan, Berry, VanDiver, Cheek, Beach/basbeech/beech - these are whom my children descend and therefore part of their history. Their father could care less about where he came from but I feel it is their right and privelge to know. These are all southern states as well Giles tn, williamson tn, wilson, maury tn
cherokee, fayette lauderdale alabama, so far.

I think one of the things I am saddest about is all the lost valuables- bibles and pictures that fall into the hands of those who dont care about them or are selfish and wont share the incredibly helpful information with in them. I have an aunt who owns a dress that belonged to my great grandmother . I dont want it, but she does bring it out to show us. I love that dress! and Marlene is the bomb! I just love her.. There are lots of relatives who own pictures that I can identify and want copies of, but just wont allow it.. If families would just take their pictures down to Kinkos or Office Depot and make clear paper copies I would be OVERJOYED !!! better yet, scan them and post them somewhere like Dead fred, or find a grave, lost and found old photographs.. my daughter and I sometimes go through flea markets, and antique shops- whenever I see these old photos, I want to take them home and make them mine.. How said it is to me that these people lived, laughed, cried, and died, and no one cared about them enought to pass the photos on to others to remember them.