BECOMING THE FAMILY HISTORIAN

by Esther Eley Jones

The idea of becoming the family historian may seem a bit overwhelming at first. You might ask, why am I doing this? Can’t someone else do this? The answer is probably, yes, they can, but the family history will become more alive and exciting with you doing the research yourself.  When I started tracing my family’s roots I had very little information to use in my quest. There was a deep longing to know where those roots started: Who are my ancestors? Where did my ancestors come from? How did they get here? When did they get here? Tracing families' roots would be a long, grueling process; however, it could be done by formulating a plan, and following the plan. This plan had to be uncomplicated and simple for it to be completed. How was the process developed?  First, I would began with myself and write my story.  Next, I would gather information about  my father, his mother, and her parents. In order to gather as much information as I could about the lives of my ancestors I would interview family members, and finally. I would learn about genealogy and how to be an expert family historian.   

Rather than the process of gathering information, I began with my story. Yes, my story was worth telling. So I started by asking simple questions and writing down the answers. Where was I born? When was I born? What were my parents’ names? Where did I live? Where did I go to school? Who were my neighbors? Then I thought of different events that went on during my early years. Was I alive during a war? The Vietnam War took place in my early twenties.  Were there any major events that took place during my life? President Kennedy was assassinated during my college years.  How did I feel about these events?   As I asked questions, I began to see the story of my life unfold. This was the beginning of my family history and I went through the same process with my parents. I was now becoming the family historian.

I started my story with myself; the next person was my father. I wrote down everything that I knew about my father. There was a family story about my father's birth. Was this story fact or just as another family story with little truth to it. I had some stories to share about my father so I also wrote those down. Now I was ready to add a new branch to the family tree. I wrote down everything that I knew about my grandmother, her first and last name, and birth date, place of birth, her parents’ names, and her marriage date. I remembered my grandmother’s visits with us so I shared some of those stories.

My grandmother was born in Alabama so I used the internet and researched the city and county and added that information to my research. I also looked for compiled records from previous researchers such as biographies, family histories, or family trees.  The Internet helped me and can help you trace family roots, and locate information about the culture of ancestors, traditions, homeland, and history. A vast amount of knowledge and information is instantly available by the click of a keystroke. I was able to trace my grandmother’s great-grandfather to South Carolina. At the present, I am unable to find information on my grandmother’s great-great-grandfather. However, I continue to search all available resources hoping that I will be able to get a break through. 

I wrote down everything I knew about my ancestors.  Then, I narrowed that process down to one ancestor by choosing a family member about who I wanted to learn more. Other things that I did in my quest for information and knowledge was to seek the help of family members and to find out how much information they could share with me about the family line that I was researching.  Several years before this I asked my mother to give me the names and birth dates of my father’s parents and his four sisters and brother. I had filed that information away in a safe place.  Now was the time to get that sheet that I filed away and start my journey. At this point I had enough information to help me in tracing the roots of my father’s family. I needed to decide whether to research my grandfather’s or my grandmother’s familial lineage. I knew more about my grandmother’s side of the family so I started with her line. Now I needed to gather documentation to confirm the dates and parent-child relationships of each generation. My oldest sister gave me enough information to help fill in some of the gaps on that family line.  Now I was really getting excited because I had enough information to go to census records and conduct a search. Also, I could look for birth records, death records, and expand my search even further by looking for land records, wills, church records, probate records, and military records.

I needed to learn more about genealogy. My desire was to become an expert family historian, so I knew that I had to become involved. The easiest and most enjoyable way to learn more about genealogy was to join a genealogical society. Another way to learn about genealogy is to read basic books about genealogy. There are excellent articles in popular genealogy periodicals such as Ancestry Magazine, Family Tree Magazine, and Heritage Quest Magazine. Other ways to learn about genealogy are take classes, listen to webinars, attend workshops, attend conferences, and lectures at the public library, or take a home study course.  I subscribed to several good genealogy blogs who share teaching articles with their subscribers.  There are several good genealogy blogs, and those blogs are a great way to stay connected to the genealogy world. Sign up for those blogs and you can learn tips from these genealogists. 

In my quest for knowledge of my families’ roots, my reputation as the family historian has been established.  I am enjoying my journey in my quest for knowledge. It is an exciting journey! ■

Bernard Keith Midkiff: The Little Boy Who Wasn’t Forgotten Re-examined

By Esther Eley Jones

Death Certificate for Bernard Keith Midkiff

Back in July 215 I wrote an article, Bernard Keith Midkiff:  The Little Boy Who Wasn’t Forgotten. In the article I stated that little Bernard Keith died of SIDs. The 13 January 1959 when the baby died, the cause of death that was given to a family member was SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

This morning I received an email from my sister stating that my brother-in-law would like to order a headstone for the baby and his mother, our sister Jean who died 21 Feb 2012. My sister asked if I would  get the birth and death certificates for both of them? This request was a challenge for me since I don’t know the place of Jean’s death. I do have the birth dates and places of birth for both Jean and Baby Bernard Keith. I started the search by going to Ancestry.com and  begin the search for Bernard Keith. That search proved to be a good one since a volunteer had taken the time to take photos of the grave marker and the vital information and place it on Findagrave.com.  Bernard Keith’s interment was also on Findagrave.com, but not his mother Jean’s information.

Then, I decided to do a Google search to see if there were any online death certificates for them. There was a death certificate placed online for Bernard Keith Midkiff. As I read through the death record and came to the information for the cause of death I was shocked as to the cause of death listed on the record. After the initial shock of the cause of death wore off, I began to  realize now more than before how important it is to have records to verify family information. This information for the cause of death is an important fact for anyone who is doing a family medical history.

Why Trace Your Family’s History?

Photo from author's personal collection

People have many reasons for tracing their family history. The reason for tracing my family’s history is most likely different from yours. When I was growing up in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana paternal line relatives lived nearby our family. We visited aunts and uncles whom lived nearby, however; I did not know until I was an adult, that those were my Lee relatives. Our parents just didn’t talk about their families. When I retired and became interested in family history research, I wanted to learn about maternal relatives, and learn how the relatives who lived nearby our family in West Carroll Parish fit into our family. Therefore, I had a mission that became a hobby – tracing my maternal and paternal family history and find out who they are and where they came from. 

Regardless who you are and where you are in life, there are some reasons why you should learn about your family and become passionate about their history.

What are your reasons for tracing your family’s history? Maybe you would like learn about your family. You may be asking who they are or where did they come from?  Where do you fit into the family? Maybe you want to teach your children about family. Then you may just want to connect with living relatives. There are folks who want to learn about health risk so they delve into family history research for health reasons. There are various reasons people trace their families’ history.

Learn about family:  If family is important to you, then you may want to learn who your family is and where they came from. Perhaps there is a family story that you would like to know if it is true or not. The story that was told in my family was that, “Daddy’s father was Uncle Johnny Edwards.” When I started my journey to learn about family I didn’t set out to prove or disprove that story. I had recently retired and needed something that I would enjoy and that would keep me busy. Genealogy/family history filled that need.  You might want to know if some of those family stories that were told about Granny were true or were they just folklore. On the other hand, you might want to know who the Edwards folks were who came from Alabama to visit your family, and were given special treatment while visiting? Who was the aunt who came from Texas to visit and when she came, would bring clothes for the children in the family and would cut the girls’ hair? Daddy told stories about an Uncle Bob Lee and he talked about how he loved him.  Who is Uncle Bob Lee? Who is “ol Tack Lee?” Whatever questions have been nagging you, the answer will never come if you don’t start looking. The answers to these questions are out there you have to start at the beginning and work to find them.

Teach your children:  It doesn’t matter how old your children are tracing family history is an important way to teach them about family, where they came from, their roots, and their heritage. Teaching children about family strengthens family relationships, encourages family relationships and bonds the family. When you teach your children about their family’s history, it becomes personal for them. If you have a family member who served in the military during a war, tell the story of that person’s experience. If the family member was drafted share the draft registration papers with the children, and explain what the draft was during that time, or if enlisted share the enlistment papers. This makes the stories more interesting and personal.

To connect with living relatives:  I have connected with living relatives that I haven’t seen since I was a young girl growing up in West Carroll Parish. The family photo is one that a double first cousin that I reconnected with after about sixty years shared with me. Tracing your family history can open you up to a whole other family you didn't even know existed.  The further back in time you research, the more cousins you will discover.  Not only can you connect with new relatives and form new relationships, but also you might even discover that someone you've known your whole life is - in fact - related to you.I have two new found cousins in the local genealogy group. My husband has learned from tracing his Colvin lineage that most of his classmates in school and most of the folks who were his neighbors in Unionville, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana were in fact relatives.

For health reasons:  Maybe there are certain diseases that seem to run in your family.  That seemed to be the case for my mother-in-law’s Colvin family. There were several family members who had died from cancer. I collect death certificates on my aunts, uncles, cousins, or anyone else where the information is pertinent to do a medical history. and to tract certain diseases in the family line. I have started a medical history on my family for my children, grandchildren, and me. The reason that some people choose to get involved in genealogy is health reasons and to trace their medical history.  That is possible now with DNA testing.  The cause of death is listed on death certificates, sometimes obituaries and funeral home records.  By tracing your family history, you might discover a pattern in the cause of death for some of your relatives.  The Colvin family members were diagnosed with cancer in the forty to fifty age ranges. Cancer as the cause of death would be something to look for on a death certificate. Learning that several of your family members died from a specific form of cancer or a rare disease might make you more inclined to stay on top of those physicals or seek out a specific screening test that you otherwise wouldn't have taken the time to get done.

The reasons for tracing family history vary from person to person. Knowing your family’s history gives a sense of accomplishment. It is a feeling of being connected to you family from the past, it may improves family relationships, it may mend family ties, and gives you a feeling of knowing your family and a feeling of belonging. 

Tracing family histories is so much easier now with the massive resources available online; however, there are documents and records in courthouses just waiting for the dust to come off, to be digitized and to be put online. Therefore, in your quest to trace your family’s history use those online resources, but make a research trip to courthouses also. And do get involved in an indexing project. That to is a rewarding hobby.  

By all means, start your journey into family history research. It is a rewarding hobby and future generations will love you for it. 

Family History: Why Research Family?

I have found the meaning of family history be different depending on the dictionary you use. The one I will use here is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Check out the article on Family Search Blog and you decide:  https://familysearch.org/blog/en/difference-genealogy-family-history/. You may be asking yourself why research family? There are many reasons for researching family. Here are a some of the reasons that I have heard as to why people research families.

• A hobby - needed something to do and family history piqued interest
• To learn about family - to learn about my ancestors and where they originated.
• Find birth parents - to determine the birth parents of an adopted child or to find children given up for adoption.
• Proof of biological father - to determine the biological father of a child.
• Trace Medical Diseases -  to assess the certain diseases medical that tend to run in families.
• Prove Native American - I am full blood Cherokee Indian and I want to prove it.
• Family Stories - to prove a family story that has been in the family.
• Linage Societies - to apply for membership into a linage society
• Reconnect with cousins - to find living cousins
• Family legacy – so our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will learn of their heritage.

Whatever the reason for deciding to take the journey into family history research, the consensus is it is rewarding and fun.  There is a deep desire within our human nature to search for to know who we are and where we came from. Where was mother born? Where did grandma and grandpa come from? Where did they originate? Where did they live? What were their lives like? What was grandpa’s occupation? Those questions are answered as you research your ancestors and collect a history of them. By collecting the history of your ancestors and the places they lived, you began to see them as real people, with families and with struggles. Gleaning the information from each record, you can then write stories of their lives.

One very important reason is the information you will find gives you a snapshot of what life was like for them. I have a snapshot of my mother' and her siblings lives after her mother became ill, taken away to a hospital, and never returned. They did not know what happened to her.  Mother was a small child of four and half years old at that time. That snapshot of their lives gives mea feeling that these were  people who had carry on with their lives. As you research your family will learn about your family and your place in that family allowing your children and grandchildren to learn of their heritage. You may find stories in your family such as my mother's that gives you a better understanding of the actions of certain family members.

As you begin your journey into family history choose one family line as your focus family. Beginning with yourself collect all the records available about you. You will most likely have a birth certificate, school records, baby’s book, school yearbooks, report cards, and doctor’s reports. Keeping in mind the method you will use to organize the records. You will want to organize as you go for that will save you time and frustration at a later date.

Decide how you will organize the information. Notebook binders are a great way to save paper copies of the records collected. Labeling each binder with a family surname will help to organize the family’s information. Then, collect all the information available on your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. Do not tackle more than one family at a time to research. If you tackle too much at one time you may get overwhelmed with it, and give up researching all together. You may choose to use cloud storage for your family history. The choice is yours, and you will need to decide what works best for you.

Take your time and enjoy researching your ancestors.  They will still be there when you get to them.

by Esther Eley Jones

Bernard Keith Midkiff: The Little Boy Who Wasn't Forgotten

The Little Boy Who Wasn’t Forgotten

Back on 03 January 1959 when the family lived in Clay, Jackson Parish, Louisiana, our next-door neighbor came to give us the news. I was in the tenth grade at Quitman High School at the time. I was just an immature, carefree teenager who did not know much about the world! My sister Jean was two years older than me. She had left home to visit our oldest sister and help her with her children for the summer.  While there she met a man, Roy Midkiff, married, and in 23 December 1958 had a baby boy, Bernard Keith Midkiff.

Well, news that we received from our next-door neighbor on that day back on 03 January 1959 was that the baby, Bernard Keith Midkiff, had died. My mother, my father, my sister, my brother, and I were grief stricken. This was the first time we had a death in our immediate family. Bernard Keith died from SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome. Our family made plans to go to Jean and attend the funeral for the baby. Little Bernard Keith Midkiff was a beautiful baby. He looked like an angel in his little tiny casket. Our family had the assurance this little angel boy was in heaven. He was so peaceful and quiet lying in his eternal bed.

You may be wondering now, “Why is she writing about a child who has been gone for so long?” The reason I am writing is that I have thought of this precious baby so many times over the years and wondered where he was buried. Remember now, I was only sixteen years old when he died! Jean, his mom died 21 February 2012 and all hope of getting this information from her is gone. Jean’s son, Dell, called to tell me the plans for Jean’s memorial, where she will be laid to rest, and she will be with Bernard Keith. I now have the name of a cemetery.

The next thing I did was get on http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=36412502

and do a search for Bernard Keith Midkiff. Walla! I found him! I was happy now. This beautiful baby boy has been remembered and someone had taken his or her time to take a picture of the cemetery and put this information on Findagrave. This was a random genealogical act of kindness for which I am grateful.  I have the information, and can now add this to Jean’s family tree. You see, I am a family historian/genealogist and this is important information to have for future generations. Jean’s grandchildren or great grandchildren possibly in the future will research their families and this information will be important to them.

Random acts of genealogical kindness are what volunteer genealogists do on a regular basis. The digitized records that are on websites such as https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Random_Acts_of_Genealogical_Kindness are done by volunteers. These volunteers have gone into courthouses and made photocopies of records. One might think since these records are readily available with the click of a mouse that they magically appear on these websites. That is not the case. Someone somewhere has taken his or her time to go and make photocopies of records. There are also volunteers who index census records so those can be put on the internet. Again, someone has taken his or her time to volunteer to do these random acts of kindness. This is how family historians/genealogists are able to do the research.  Let’s not take this service for granted. This will be done only as long as we have volunteers to give of his or her time to provide this service for us.

Little Bernard Keith Midkiff will be remembered now. I have him in my family tree and when I look at my family tree he will be there in his place with the family.

Bernard Keith Midkiff

Birth: 23 December 1958

Texas, USA

Death:   Jan. 13, 1959

Kountze, Hardin County, Texas, USA

Son of Roy and Jean (Eley) Midkiff

Burial: Resthaven Cemetery

Silsbee, Hardin County, Texas, USA

Cemetery notes and/or description:

Directions: Take US Hwy 96 North into Silsbee, Texas. Just before you reach the Silsbee Post Office there is a traffic light. Turn right, at the traffic light, onto Avenue R. At the end of Ave R (cemetery will be straight ahead) turn right and the entrance to the cemetery will be on the left.

Find A Grave Memorial# 36412502

Record added: Apr 26, 2009

Note:  Another way to get to Bernad Keith Midkiff's Finadgrave.com webpage is to do a Google search by putting in Bernard Keith Midkiff Findagrave in the search box. Then click on search. The site will come up in the search results and by clicking on that search results it will take you to the website.

The Eleys from Drew County, Arkansas

Early Settlers of Drew County, Arkansas

Written by Esther Eley Jones 

http://www.argenweb.net/drew/Towns/drewtown.gif

Little is known of Joseph “Joe” Eley other than he was shown on 1850-1880 censuses as being born in Mississippi about 1844. On the censuses, it states that Joseph’s father was born in Georgia and his mother was born in Mississippi. Robert Lawrence Eley, Joseph’s father, apparently left Mississippi and migrated to Arkansas before 1850.  Robert L. Eley was living in Tippah County, Mississippi in 1840. On the 1840 census Robert L. Ely was head and in the age category 20 thru 29 was 2 free white persons – males. Robert would fit that category since he was born about 1816. One free white person – female was in the 15 thru 19-age category. Martha would fit in that category since she was born about 1823 in Mississippi. R. L. Eley is on the Tippah County, 1841 State Census for Mississippi.

Robert L. Eley is listed on the 1850 Census in Spring Hill, Drew County, Arkansas.  Robert was a saddler and his birthplace was Georgia. His wife, was named Martha, Josiah, his son, was six years old. Robert and Martha’s daughter, Frances A. Eley, was three years old at time of this census taking. A saddler is one who makes, repairs or sells saddles or other furnishings for horses.

Both Robert Lawrence Eley and his son Joseph served in the Confederate Army. One important lesson learned in genealogical research is to look for spelling variations of surnames. The Eley name is an example of variant spellings that it is found in documents. On the Confederate Service Record Eley was spelled Ealey. The surname has also been spelled Ely. The spelling for the surname that my family uses is Eley.

Joseph Eley’s Confederate Service Record shows that he was a private- served in the 10th Regiment Arkansas Militia Company B. This company mustered at Clarksville, Arkansas, from February 22 to March 19, 1862, with 99 men present. Captain John W. King was in command during this muster. * Later most of these men enlisted in regular Confederate regiments. Joseph later served in Co. H, 34th Arkansas Infantry.

Joseph Ealy’s later service record showed that he was a private enlisted 25 August 1862 at Camp Cunningham, AR. Deserted 25 Nov 1862.*See the note on explanation of the term "deserted."

Robert Lawrence had enlisted in the War Between the States in 1861 and left home to serve in the war.  Robert Lawrence Eley (Ealey) was on the 1860 Lacy, Veasey Township, Drew County, Arkansas the last census that he was found on and this was his place of residence as of 1 June 1860. His value of real estate was $600. In addition, the value of his personal estate was $300. The census was enumerated 15 July 1860.

Josiah was fourteen years old on the 1860 census.  April 2, 1960 Robert Lawrence acquired 80 acres of land in Drew County, Arkansas, and it was a cash sale.

Joseph’s estimated time of death is sometime after 1882 in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. He was the eldest son of Martha and Robert Eley. Joseph married Eliza Jane Green in Bastrop, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana 14 January 1879. Josiah Eley is 26 years old and shown on the 1870 census for Ward 6, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana with his wife Marry born in Mississippi age 20 and their son William born in Louisiana age 1 year. Living with Josiah, Marry and William is Robert Eley age 13 Josiah’s youngest sibling. Apparently, Marry and William died sometime after 1870 because they are not listed on another census.

Joseph and Eliza Jane had two known children, Pamelia A. and Jackson Lawrence Eley. Pamelia A. is on the 1880 census for 10 th Ward, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. Pamela was 7 months old at the 21 June 1880 census taking and that was the place of residence for the family 1 June 1880. Jackson Lawrence was born 4 June 1882. Family lore says he was born in Ashley County, Arkansas; however, I believe from the history of his father that Jack was born in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. It states on his World War I Draft Registration Card his place of birth is Louisiana and the 1942 Draft Registration Card the “Old Man’s Draft” his place of birth is Morehouse Parish, Louisiana. Jack Eley died 30 October 1944, in Pioneer, West Carroll Parish, Louisiana.


Sources:
U.S. Civil War Soldiers Records;
U. S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907;
U. S. Federal Census Records 1840, 1850, 1860
Tutorship Papers

Marriage Bond, Number 106, State of Louisiana Parish of Morehouse, 14^th Judicial District Court, Bastrop, Louisiana, 1879.

Joseph enlisted in the Confederate Army and on the record, it states that he deserted 25 November 1862.


 *Note: The meaning of deserted at this time in history had a different connotation. Many of these soldiers have the word "deserted" after their names. We would like you to know that this is from the Microfilm from the National Archives. These soldiers may have been separated from their Units in the heat of battle, joined up with other Units and continued to fight this war. They may have families back home who were starving and no one to plant their crops or gardens... They may have gone home to visit awhile with loved ones.  They returned to their units, only to find that there were so many miles between them and their original Unit that rejoining them was an impossibility; therefore, they joined with another unit to continue to fight in the war.

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Jordan Lee – from South Carolina to Alabama

Image from the  Library of Congress

Who is this Jordan Lee of South Carolina? He is an ancestor who is obscure and one who is almost without a paper trail of his existence.  His origin or parentage is mysterious.  Jordan Lee would be a third great grandfather the progenitor of the Lee family. His wife was Lydia Hodge daughter of Benjamin Hodge and Nancy (Rains) Hodge. An estimated marriage date of about 1805 was determined from the birth year of their first child.

As I have researched the Lee lines, I have found the records to be scarce, and have had to rely on census records and a couple of land records to trace Jordan Lee’s path. I have used his father-in-law Benjamin Hodge’s Revolutionary War pension record as a guide to verify that I am following the correct Jordan Lee. In addition, a Lee cousin has YDNA tested and the DNA tool used along with census and land records have helped in proving the lineage.

As records about Jordan Lee are found, they are analyzed and scrutinized to make sure he is the correct Jordan Lee, father of Benjamin Lee.Trinity Martin, daughter of Benjamin Hodge and Nancy (Rains), applied for a Revolutionary War Pension 13 Oct 1847, for the service time that Benjamin served in the War. Both Benjamin and Nancy were deceased at that time. Trinity Martin, wife of Joseph Martin deceased, filed for the pension on behalf of herself and her siblings: Sarah Grant, wife of Randell Grant deceased, Letty Lee, wife of Jordan Lee deceased, Lucy Sims, wife of John Sims, Rachel Martin, wife of David Martin, Sarah Cusa, wife of Reuben Cusa, Margaret Brown, wife of William Brown, and Zady Hodge. The children of Benjamin Hodge understood that he had been a private soldier in the Army of the Revolutionary War.

The Lee project that I have undertaken has taken several years to do.  Follow along as I take you on the journey of tracing the Jordan Lee line from Richland District, South Carolina to Tallapoosa County, Alabama using census records and land records.

  

The census records from 1810 to 1840 show that Jordan Lee was the father of at least seven children, possibly more.  He was a farmer and would have been about twenty-two years old in 1800. This age was estimated from information from a Daughter of the American Revolution application for a prospective member.

Jordan Lee was listed as head of the family on the 1810 census in Columbia Township, Richland District, South Carolina and as a free white male in the age category of 26-44. Jordan was about thirty-two years old in 1810 and would fit in that category. There was a free white female in the age range of 16-25. His wife Lydia would fit in that age category since she was born about 1780 and that was the only choice of categories for female where she would fit. There were five children in two age categories.

Listed on the 1820 census in Richland District, South Carolina was a Jordan Lee and again he fit in the age category of 26-44 since he would have been about forty-two years old. Lydia was about thirty-five years old in 1830 so she fit in the age category free white persons females 26 thru 44. There were nine children listed in the male and female age categories.

On the 1830 Richland, South Carolina Jordan Lee was head of the family and fit in the category of 50 thru 59 age range since he was about fifty-two years old at that time.  Ten children were in the age categories for males and females. Looking at the age categories and ages of the adults’ possibly two sons and daughters-in-law were living with the family. The category was free white males and females 20 thru 29. Therefore, I concluded sons Benjamin and Isaiah would fit in that category. 

There was not a Jordan Lee in Richland, South Carolina in 1840; therefore, I concluded the family was on the move due to expansion of the land in the territories of Mississippi and Alabama. The Lee family migrated after the 1830 census. On the 1840 Tallapoosa County, Alabama census, Jordan Lee was listed in the age category with free white persons males 60 thru 69. Jordan Lee fit in this age category since he was about 62 years old at that time. In 1845, Jordan acquired land in a cash entry sale. Jordan Lee was issued a certificate on 01 June 1845, No. 8198 for 40.13 and half-hundredth acres of land in Tallapoosa County, Alabama.

He was not found on any censuses or records after 1845, which led me to believe he died after acquiring the land in 1845. Lydia (Lidia) his wife was on the 1850 census for Township 24, Tallapoosa County, Alabama. On the 1850 census Lydia (Lidia) Lee was listed on the census as head of the family; age 60, a farmer, with a value of real estate owned 150 and occupation or trade farm, and born in South Carolina. Benjamin and his family were on the 1840 census for Tallapoosa County, Alabama so they had migrated along with his parents.

An estimated death date for Jordan was about 1847 since the date on Benjamin Hodge’s pension is Oct 1847, and Jordan was stated as being deceased at that time.  Lydia’s place of birth listed as South Carolina, and was listed consistently as her place of birth in the censuses from 1850-1870. 

While analyzing the1850 Census for Tallapoosa County Township 24 Alabama,  I noticed that living next door to Lydia Lee was  Zachariah Lee age 25, Martha E. age 20, and Susan L. age 1. Zachariah's was born in South Carolina. Zachariah’s wife Martha’s place of birth was Georgia and Susan L.'s place of birth as Alabama. They were farmers.  Jordan and Lydia had a son named Zachariah. 

On the 1860 census Letty (Lydia) Lee was listed with a family in Precinct 6 Butler County, Alabama. The enumeration date for this census was August 8, 1860.

Letty Lee was enumerated on 08 July 1870 in Township 22 County of Randolph State of Alabama. Letty, age 94, is living with James and Betsy Fetner. James was 65 and born in Georgia and Betsy was 56 and born in South Carolina. Their real estate was 40 and value of personal property was 100. James was a farmer. It was inferred that this is Lydia widow of Jordan, and Betsy was Lydia’s daughter.

Benjamin Hodge and Nancy parents of  Lydia Lee’s was proven from the Revolutionary War Pension of Benjamin Hodge. Lydia and Jordan Lee’s relationships were proven by the will of Benjamin as well. Lydia Lee’s father, Benjamin Hodge of the Richland District, served in the Revolutionary War for one year as a private in the Company of Captain Godwin  of the Regiment commanded by Colonel William Thomson in the Third Regiment of the Continental Line of the South Carolina Infantry.

Jordan Lee possibly was born in South Carolina circa 1778, but since I have not found an 1800 census, I cannot place his birth in a particular location. He would have been about twenty-two years old at the time of the 1800 census. He was married to Lydia Hodge, daughter of Benjamin Hodge and Nancy (Rains) Hodge, in Richland District, South Carolina. Jordan Lee was third great grandfather and father of Benjamin Lee, who was the father of William Alfred Lee, the father of “Granny” Alice Lee. 

Alice Lee, daughter of William Alfred Lee and Sophronia Emma Meadows was born 07 November 1887 in Tecumseh, Cherokee, Alabama. The Lee family moved to Louisiana between 1900 and 1910 and settled in Eros, Jackson Parish, Louisiana. The family was listed on the 1900 Federal Census for Jackson Parish Ward 1 for May 13.

Alice was 24 years old living with William A. and Emma Lee her parents. She was listed as having been born in Alabama. William was 64 years old and Emma 61 years old at the time of the 1900 census.  Robert E. Lee and Leaky, Alice’s brother and sister-in-law, were living there with William, Emma, and Alice. Robert was 26 years old and Leaky 23 years old. Robert and Leakey had three children listed with them. The children were Emma age 2, Willie age 3, and Mary age 8 months. Esters was not listed with this family at the time of this census taking.

DNA testing is a tool used along with the paper trail of research to prove the Lee familial lineage. Using the DNA matches along with records I am working to locate and prove the parents of Jordan Lee. According to the YDNA test results for the Lee project, this Lee line is not related to the Lees of Virginia. Knowing that the Jordan Lee line is a separate line helped eliminate that well-known and famous Lee family line. One of the matches from the atDNA test results showed a match to a descendant of Col. William Lee from North Carolina. Consequently, this is an avenue that I will continue to research.

Jordan Lee is the ancestor of this Lee clan. Jordan’s parents have not been located or identified; therefore, this will be an ongoing research project on the Lee family line.

Happy Lee Hunting

Esther