Veterans Day Their Special Day

Honoring Veterans From All Time

James Esters Parden was born 10 May 

1954 in Port Arthur, Jefferson County,

Texas, Died 23 Mar 2013 in Duluth,

 Minnesota. He served in the United 

States Army. James "Ricky" as he was 

known to family died of leukemia at the age 

of fifty-nine.  

November 11 is a special day set aside in the United States to honor military veterans who served in the United States Military. It is a day where all military veterans are honored. Today this blog is dedicated to all our honor all my ancestors who served in wars.

Family history research takes time and dedication. It takes time to research the military veterans in our family lines. As we research each one it gives us time to focus and reflect on their service they provided for our country. Researching and learning about their life gives me a chance to connect mentally and emotionally with the ancestor and the service. Their stories give me an opportunity to see them as real people and with real life stories that needs to be told. It is because of records that have been made available through online databases that have made researching our veterans possible.  By keeping the historical records alive, by creating a family history, then sharing that history with others will preserve our veteran ancestor's legacy. If we don’t share their stories, the memory of their lives fades forever, and they will be forgotten

As I have researched over the past fifteen or more years, I have learned that several of my ancestors served in wars from the founding of the colonies to the present day. Researching those who came before me helps me understand the sacrifices made during their lifetime. An appreciation for the freedoms of today is forever in my mind because of my ancestors. There is a deep sense of appreciation and love for those who lived before me. Also, there is a sense of connection to this country’s past and its beginning because of those veterans did their part in making this country the “land of the free.”

There are several veterans in both my maternal and paternal line ancestors. There were men who served in the American Revolution, Patriots who supplied goods for the Revolutionary soldiers, Patriots of the Indian Wars, War of 1812, Confederate Veterans, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, and whose who served in branches of the military during peace times.

One of the reasons that I write articles for my blog is to honor my ancestors. Before I write an article about one of them, I research his or her life and gather all available information for that person’s life. One of the rewards of family history is learning about my ancestors and their unique stories. Researching, then analyzing each record to glean all the tidbits of information about an ancestor helps in creating a story of their lives. The stories help to bring these ancestors into real people who lived through real life events.

Discovering the military veterans and information about them gives me a better understanding of history and historical events. Although a distant ancestor might have fought in the Indian Wars, or he could be a living relative who served in the Vietnam War, getting to know the individual makes the events more realistic.

The veterans who served in this country’s military services deserve to be remembered and honor in a special way. Serving our country takes sacrifice and bravery. Every individual who has served in the military has contributed to our country's history. They contributed to building of a country where we live and where we have many freedoms – such as the freedom to worship and free speech.

Today, I thank each of the hero veterans within and outside of my family for their dedication to their service for our country and our country's history.  This blog article is a small way of saying thank you for your service and your service.

American soldiers examining their new rifles after turning in the old ones.

Thursday’s Thoughts Genetic Genealogy

The Proof is in the DNA

You may be asking, what is genetic genealogy? It is using DNA testing for genealogy. Genetic genealogy is the use of DNA testing to determine the relationships between individuals. Genetic genealogy is used in combination with old fashioned (or traditional) genealogy. Traditional genealogy is simply the study of an individual’s ancestry or family tree. Family historians have been using records, documents, stories from family members, cemetery research, etc. for decades to determine family relationships. Genetic genealogy is a way for family historians to go beyond the information collected from historical records, document, and relatives. Genealogists use DNA testing to answer questions about their ancestry, to confirm family relationships, it provides clues about ethnicity, it help to break through difficult research questions, and you find living relatives.

I started using DNA testing seven years ago when I decided to resolve a family story. and it has produced some amazing results. Using DNA test results, I have learned about my Lee surname and family through the Lee FTDNA Project, family stories have been proven. DNA testing is a powerful tool when used along with traditional genealogy and historical records. Using DNA testing in combination with traditional genealogical research to enhance your ancestral discovery requires skill as a genealogist, and you will need to commit to learning about DNA, interpreting the results and working with your matches. So, skills as a genetic genealogists are essential to get the most from DNA testing.

A few years ago, researching family meant trips to the courthouses, cemeteries, and libraries in several towns. A genealogist would search through records, search through documents, walk the cemetery, and interview relatives to gather information about an ancestor. This could be a daunting and time-consuming process. However, since we live in the age of technology, and there are innovative people who are willing to be ingenious when using technology and genealogy, combined with science, a new useful too is invented. This useful tool is used to solve problems in the field of genealogical research. That tool is called DNA testing. The tool of DNA testing is a very useful resource and fast growing in popularity among genealogists. Researching our ancestors and connecting relationships is made easier, and that is one of the benefits of DNA testing used along with traditional genealogical research.

I have used DNA testing more and more with traditional genealogy to prove or disprove surnames, infer relationships between individuals, find living cousins, and reconnect with long lost cousins. Since my husband and I led the genealogy group in our hometown, it was essential to learn about this new resource. First was the mtDNA test with Family Tree DNA. Next, my brother submitted his sample for the 67 Marker YDNA test to Family Tree DNA Testing Company. Later, the autosomal DNA test was released by the testing companies and submitted our samples for that test. We have tested with all three testing companies and have tested several family members on both paternal and maternal lines.

We use our DNA and traditional genealogy methods to show relationships, and to prove family surname lines. My father had been told at a young age who his biological father was; however, it was proven using the 67-Marker YDNA test results.

Surname lines on both maternal and paternal lines have been proven using DNA testing and working with matches from all three testing companies. 

My paternal line Meadows family was proven using autosomal DNA (atDNA). This family line was one that I relied on family members for information, now I am confident that I have the correct great grandmother Emma Meadows in my family tree.

Keep in mind that when you YDNA test there may be a family situation that you were not aware of and when the results come back it is revealed. This happened on my maternal line when I had one of my male cousins YDNA tested to verify one of the  surname lines. It wasn’t surprising since my cousin already knew about it and had shared it with me; although, I dismissed this story as I have most other family stories. When the results came in her story was proven to be true. YDNA testing in this case wasn’t any help; however, this particular surname line was proven by working with matches from 23andMe and Ancestry DNA. For some unknown reason that particular line of relatives don’t test with Family Tree DNA. I have one match on FTDNA with a fourth cousin match; however, his line is from another family line. We haven’t found the correct one yet.

Genetic genealogy and traditional genealogy are viable methods in the field of genealogical research. Using DNA testing with traditional genealogy helps in filling in the gaps in your research. I am currently using the YDNA 67 Marker test results and working with others to determine the branch of the Lee family that my great grandfather William Alfred Lee belongs. I had a Lee male second cousin YDNA tested on the 67 marker test. He only has one match in his test results list and is on the 37 marker, and a genetic distance of  two markers. He is a fourth cousin and we share a common colonial ancestor. Jordan Lee, our common ancestor,  was born in South Carolina about 1778. His ancestor is the son Burril Lee and mine is Benjamin, his brother.  A connection with the known branches of Lees has not been proven with genealogical research. Research on this Lee family origin is ongoing.

While DNA testing can be an awesome tool, it is not a replacement to traditional genealogical research. Beginners to genealogy should continue to focus on compiling their family tree back five or six generations using traditional research methodologies. The more information that can be compiled the better, as it will enable you to compare your family tree with others identifying common surnames and common locations where ancestors previously resided. And, you use this information along with DNA tests results to prove family relationships.

Genetic genealogy and traditional genealogy has immense power to help us understand who we are, and what regions our ancestors came from. If you are serious about building an accurate family tree, breaking down those brick walls, and even discovering old family heirlooms and photos, you want to get your DNA tested at one or more of the testing companies. Also, you will want to get relatives tested. Then you start communicating with your matches and find living cousins. It’s an adventure you’ll always be glad you began. It is probably the best thing you can do for your genealogy research and family tree building. Future generations will thank you for your work.

https://www.loc.gov/collections/fsa-owi-color-photographs/

Wedding Wednesday

James William Lee and Nancy Matilda Wynn

This Photo of James William Lee and Nancy Matilda Wynn
was given to me by their great granddaughter.  

Tombstone Tuesday

Honoring Those Who Have Passed

Rebecca Lee daughter of Burrell Lee and Mahalia Nelson. Rebecca was 

born in Muscogee County, Georgia and died in Paul, Conecuh County,

Alabama.. She is buried in Pleasant Grove Primitive Baptist Church 

Cemetery in Conecuh County. Burial information may be found on 
Findagrave.com.

A Snapshot of the James William Lee Family

Those Who Have Gone Before Us

James William Lee, was the oldest son of William Alfred Lee and wife Emma Meadows. Uncle Jim, as I will call him, since that is the only name I knew him by until I began researching the Lee family about fifteen or more years ago. James W. Lee was born July 1869 probably in Tallapoosa County, Alabama since great grandparents William and Emma were married there. therefore, Tallapoosa County, is the likely county where he was born. There are no living relatives with firsthand knowledge of his birth, so I will rely on records for information of his life.

Uncle Jim was my father’s mother’s brother, and that makes him a paternal grand uncle of mine. My father spoke fondly of “Uncle Jim” as I was growing up in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana. Aunt Nannie was widowed at the age of forty-nine. Uncle Jim died 27 June 1929 in West Carroll Parish. Aunt Nannie, his widow, lived near us in Concord Community in West Carroll Parish. Lula, Janie, Gussie, Hallie, her daughters lived nearby. Also, her granddaughter Martha Gray Sanders lived near her. J. W. Lee and N. M. Wynn married 03 July 1899 in Elmore County, Alabama. The ceremony was performed by H. J. Lancaster.

By the 1900 census Uncle Jim and Aunt Nannie were living in Tallassee, Elmore County, Alabama there was a son born Oct 1899 in Tallassee, Elmore County. At the time of the census taking James W. Lee, their son, was seven months old. There were a couple of boarders living with the Lee family, Lee Teal and William D. Smith. More research needed to determine how they connect to the Lee family.

James W. Lee and Nannie were living in District 53, Ward 1, Jackson Parish, Louisiana by 1910. There were seven additions to the Lee family by 1910 – Eula was ten years old. So, she was born about the time the 1900 census was taken. Mary was nine years old, Efflu was seven, Axem, a son, was six years old, Dollie O. was four, Mary (another Mary) was three, and Tiney was 1 year and three months old. The Lee family was living on Pine Bluff and Columbia Road area in Jackson Parish. This is where the Lee family lived on April 10, 1910. Uncle Jim was a farm laborer. All the Lee families were farmers during that era. Uncle Jim was forty-two years old on this census and Aunt Nannie was thirty-nine.

Censuses are taken every ten years in the United States and names, ages, places of birth, and family members change or disappear. In 1920 Uncle Jim and Aunt Nannie had more additions to their family. William is now twenty years old on the census, Eular’s name is slightly changed from Eula. There is now May age seventeen, Ethel age sixteen, Axem is Accum and he is fifteen years old. There is Lizzie who is now fourteen and Dollie is now twelve years old. Noah is a name for a daughter, and she is eleven years old. Then, there is Tinnie who is now eight years old, and Hallie is one year old. The new addition to the Lee family who were born during the ten-year span between the censuses are Janie age seven, Avis, six years old, Gussie four, and Hallie one year old. Listed last in the household is Rubbie a granddaughter of Uncle Jim and Aunt Nannie’s. She is the daughter of Eular the oldest daughter. Rubbie was two months old which would make her birth month Nov 1919. Uncle Jim was giving the information to the census taker. There is a mark by the person who gives the information to the census taker.

Some names changed in this household, and family members’ ages varied from one census to the next census. Analyzing censuses and gleaning all relevant date from them are vital in researching our ancestors.

The next census was the 1930 census, and by the time that census was taken Uncle Jim had died. He was about sixty years old at the time of his death. One can only speculate the cause of his death, which was probably heart problems. Providing for a large family in difficult economic times was a strain on families. Farming was a laborious occupation and long hours, difficult working conditions, and very little money was a heavy burden to carry. On the 1930 census Aunt Nannie was living with her son Harrison, whom I found from researching him further. His full given name was Axum Harrison and his nickname was “Tack.”

Aunt Nannie had one more daughter, Lula, by the 1930 census, and Lula was listed as nine years old on this census. She was born 1920. Lula was Uncle Jim and Aunt Nannie’s last child. One can only surmise the heartache Aunt Nannie felt at the loss of her beloved Jim at the age of sixty. Leaving her with fifteen children to care for probably caused her unbearable anxiety and grief. How would she survive? What will happen to all her children? Survive she did. She lived to be seventy-eight years old. Her oldest son James William, Jr. was killed in 1945.

Family story has it that James W. was changing a tire on the side of the road and was hit and killed by another vehicle. He was only forty-six years old when he died and left a wife and four children, all daughters.

About a year after James W. died Eular, the oldest daughter died. Eular died 11 August 1946. She left to cherish her memories ten children and her husband, John Hulon Gray. Baby Annie Lou died of pneumonia at the age of nine months. It would be just a short time and the Gray children would lose their other parent, John Hulon Gray. He died 26 October 1947 leaving behind his nine children. The nine children made it through those difficult times. Life always will send hard, difficult, trying times our way, as it did with the Gray family. The children grew up, married, and had families of their own. They lived through the heartache and learned from those life lessons.

All of James William Lee and Nancy Matilda Wynn, children are deceased, and their descendants are many, and they have descendants living in various places throughout the United States. Their descendants have a variety of occupations, and most likely there are a few farmers among the descendants.

James William Lee and his wife Nancy Matilda Wynn had fifteen children two boys and thirteen girls, what an awesome responsibility for a couple who had meager resources to provide for their family. however, the two of them must have been strong, persistent, and determined, and kept moving and doing the things they needed to do to provide for their children. One can only surmise what life was like for them during their lifetime. Uncle Jim was a farmer, and the best that I can tell from census records he always rented on a farm. Uncle Jim died 27 October 1929 in West Carroll Parish, Louisiana.

James William Lee and Nancy Matilda Wynn
This photo was given to me by a descendant of
Uncle Jim's oldest daughter Eular's descendant.

A Look Back

One of the Lee Boys

The origin of the Lees of South Carolina has been difficult to tie down. In this case YDNA testing hasn’t proven to be beneficial in determining the origin of Jordan Lee and his descendants. However, it is a work in progress and more people are testing; therefore, one day there may be a breakthrough for the Jordan Lee line. The Benjamin Lee line has been proven down through the generations to my grandmother. My grandmother was a Lee and that I am confident of since she was living up to 1961, and there was firsthand knowledge of her origin.

Possibilities for Jordan Lee’s origin is that he received his surname from one of the three other Lee lines in South Carolina who were living there at the same time. There are trees on Ancestry that show them coming from Scotland; however, there are no sources to prove their claim. There are also family trees that show the father of Jordan Lee is John Lee and his mother is Elizabeth. Once again there are no sources to link them to Jordan Lee. The records haven’t been found by this researcher online to prove the parentage of Jordan Lee. There most likely are records in repositories that will prove the parentage of Jordan Lee or records that will link him to a parent; however, until those records are found to prove his parentage, he will be in my family tree without parents. The search continues, and the focus is on other Lee ancestors.

Information that I have learned about the Lee family from YDNA testing is helpful. I will know what Lee lines not to waste time researching. That means more time for research for other possibilities. One of my male second cousins  on the paternal line volunteered to submit his DNA for the YDNA test with Family Tree DNA. The test was the sixty-seven marker YDNA test. The results show the Haplogroup for this unnamed Lee group is R-M269 the largest haplogroup for males of the Western European heritage. Which means this is a common haplogroup.

There are many defined subgroups of Lees. There are the Lees of Virginia, the John Lee group from Nansemond which is a large group. There are the Hugh Lee group, the Mary Lee of Maryland group, the Richmond County, Virginia Lees, the Lees from Middlesex County, Virginia, the Leas of Leasburgh and our Lee group will have a subgroup since there are two of us in the group now. For a researcher who has been researching the Lee family line for over fifteen years now, I know there are many many Lees and they came through Virginia and North Carolina. They were all unrelated biologically. Possibly with the Jordan Lee of South Carolina there is a non-paternal event or misattributed parentage event that happened. Or a surname switch event. If that is the case then, unless a male who is from the line where the  event happened is DNA tested, I will never find the parents of Jordan Lee. In the meantime, our Jordan Lee group will have a subgroup of its own since this group doesn’t match the others. There are no matches to these groups and the hunt continues.

Rumor has it that our Lee family is related to the famous Lees from Virginia. Robert E. Lee. Everyone wants to be related to a famous person or every family claims Native American heritage. That is the great thing about DNA testing for genealogy, those stories can be proven or disproven. The Lees from Virginia are from another haplogroup and our group doesn’t match. The John Lee, Esq. group from Johnston County, North Carolina is a group that our Lee male group does most closely match, however, it is forty to sixty generations back and before surnames began to be used; and that makes it impossible to name a common ancestor for our Jordan Lee group. Our group doesn’t match the John Lee, Esq. group’s profile.

Another possibility is the father of Jordan Lee was the only son who immigrated and there are no other Lee branches to match Jordan. Another possibility is Jordan Lee is a son of one of the three Lee men who originally settled in South Carolina.

There are Lee family members who are known, and the origin is documented and proven; therefore, the focus will be on them. But, the research on the Jordan Lee line and proving his parentage will continue as an ongoing research plan. One of the Lee men that I am familiar with through researching and family stories is William Alfred Lee a descendant of Jordan Lee through his son Benjamin from South Carolina. William is a paternal great grandfather. William and Emma lived in Oak Grove in West Carroll Parish where my father grew up.

On September 1, 1869 Druciller Lee signed a surety note stating, “September the 1 1869 This is to scailyly that thear is a Marige contract Between my son William Lee and Emer Meadows.” The note here is written as she wrote it with the original spelling exactly noted by Druciller Lee. What Druciller is saying is this is to certify that there is marriage contract between her son William Lee and Emer Meadows. William Alfred would have been about twenty-two years old at the time of the writing of the note. This note is a treasure for a family historian, since Druciller names her son William Lee and his future wife Emer Meadows. That is proof Druciller is William’s mother. Some folks would say this isn’t proof and you need at least two more documents for proof. There are census records that link Druciller to William. This is proof for me along with family stories.

This note was found three years ago on the Family Search database when I was looking for the marriage record for William Alfred Lee and Emma Meadows. The marriage bond and marriage license were on Family Search as well. Those can be found here. There is also a note for her son Henry to marry Sarah Ann Black.

The note for Drusila Lee’s son Henry Lee and his future wife Sarah Ann Black. This note is proof of her being the mother to Henry Lee, Benjamin William Henry.

The note from J. C. Meaders is also a treasure for a family historian because it links J. C. Meaders to his daughter Emer. There is a post on Friday, April 3, 2015 from my blog that shows the marriage information for William Alfred Lee and Sophronia Emma Meadows.

William Alfred Lee and his wife Emma were living in Newsite, Tallapoosa County, Alabama in 1880 with their two children James W. and Dolly O. Lee. Emma was expecting when she and William married so James W. was nine years old by the 1880 census taking and Dolly O. was one. There is a eight year span between James and Dolly. On the 1900 census Emma says she is the mother of nine children, five living. Those children most likely died during that eight-year span. The missing child born between Dollie and Robert has been identified as Flora.

Willie and Emma were married twenty-nine years by the time the 1900 census was taken. There was a twenty-year span from the 1880 census to the next census since the 1890 census was destroyed. The 1900 census shows two other children were born during that twenty-year span – Robert and Alice. Robert was born Sep 1882 and was seventeen and Alice was born Nov 1887 and was twelve years old. Willie was a farmer, however, previously in 1880 he was a blacksmith. The family is living in Channahatchee in Elmore County, Alabama. Emma was the mother of nine children and five were living. Three of the children were living elsewhere, probably married. The oldest James W. would have been thirty-one years old by the 1900 census taking. Flora would have been twenty-five years old, Dolly O. twenty-one years old, and they are all were at the age for marriage. The year of the 1900 census changes were made in the information required of the citizens. The data is more helpful and gives a snapshot of a family, and names the relationship of the head of the house to the people named in the household.

The William Lee family migrated to Louisiana about 1903 and lived on Pine Bluff and Columbia Road in District 53, Ward 1, Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Several families migrated with the Lee family. The Axiom Winn family lives nearby William A. Lee and Emma. The John Houston Edwards family lives nearby. John Houston married William and Emma’s oldest daughter Dollie Ophelia. Also, James W. Lee, William and Emma’s oldest son lives nearby. The Axiom Winn family is related to Nannie, James’ wife. She was Nancy Winn (Wynn) before she married. Families migrated as a group and often their intentions were to permanently settle in the new location. There probably were family members or related families already in the area where the Lees settled. The Lees and related families were looking for a better way of life. In 1900 six percent of people born in Alabama lived in other states in the South. The Lee, Edwards, and Wynn families were included in the six percent of the people who left Alabama and settled in the south, Louisiana.

Louisiana is where William Alfred Lee and Emma Meadows made their home until their deaths. Their descendants live in Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, and parts unknown.

Marriage Records

Glean All the Clues from a Marriage Record

What do I mean by glean? Glean means to gather information piece by piece. It means to gather bit by bit. Analyzing the marriage record making sure there are no clues overlooked. When researching a record, we often do not see all the vital information that is in the record.  We may be focused on the name, spouse, and possibly the birth date of the ancestor. That is what I did with the marriage record for Flora Lee, the missing daughter of William Alfred and Emma Lee.

Last year I wrote an article about "The Missing Lee Daughter." The missing daughter was Flora Elizabeth Lee daughter of William Alfred and Emma Meadows Lee. The known children of William and Emma, my paternal great grandparents, were Uncle Jim, James William, Aunt Dollie, Dollie Ophelia, Uncle Bob, Robert E. and Granny, Alice Lee. What started me on the quest for Flora Lee was that a second cousin on the Lee paternal line asked, “if I had heard of Flora, another daughter of Emma’s.” I was surprised to find out there possibly was another child since I had done extensive research on the Lee family line, and no one had ever mentioned a child named Flora.

Armed with information; a name, spouse’s name, parents’ names and location I was off on a research quest. I was very curious about this child named Flora. Researching for Flora was relatively easy since the cousin provided her name and the surname of her spouse. The area Flora would have been living was around Shelby, Elmore, or Tallapoosa County areas.

The first record that I looked for was the censuses. I only had an estimated birth year from looking at the birth years of the other children. I found a Florey E. West living in District 56, Tallassee, Elmore County, Alabama in 1900. She married in 1893 according the 1900 census information. She had been married seven years. She was the mother of two children, both living. Flora E. was born July 1875 in Alabama. It states on the 1900 census that her relation to head of house is wife. The link from her to a husband. Her husband Lon West was by occupation a teamster, a shoe maker. It also states on the census that her parents were born in Alabama. A clue that I was on the right track. Florey E. West was living in Tallassee, Elmore County, in 1900. The area where her parents lived when they left for Louisiana about 1904. She married in 1893 according the 1900 census information. She had been married seven years. She was the mother of two children, both living.

By 1910 Florine West was living in District 50, Police Jury Ward 6, Franklin Parish, Louisiana. The William Alfred Lee family, the children, grandchildren, spouses and related families migrated from Alabama about 1904 to Jackson Parish, Louisiana. Apparently, for reasons unknown the West family moved on down to Franklin Parish, south of Jackson Parish. William L.’s occupation in 1910 was tiemaker and woods. The general nature of industry, business, or establishment in which William L. worked was woods. He worked on his own account and was out of work for only four weeks in 1909. Florine apparently had lost a child during the ten-year span, because she was the mother of three children with two living. 

Marriage records can provide important genealogical information about our ancestors and may point us to a new path for researching our ancestors. The marriage records are one of  the most valuable sources of genealogical research, providing data about the geographical location of ancestors, birth information, and information about their parents.

Marriage records are often over looked in researching our ancestors. We often overlook them as clues to family members and their families. I was focused on finding Flora, the unknown daughter of William and Emma, and overlooked some important clues in the marriage license for the couple. On the 1900 census it stated she married in 1893; however, on the marriage license it stated she married 29 December 1899. Her middle initial was also written on the marriage license. This marriage license states the place of the marriage as Claud, Alabama. That town has popped up in other records while I was researching. Claud is in Elmore County, Alabama.

A marriage record can lead to another family member. Or the marriage record might have names of witnesses who will help in identifying the bride or groom. The signature of the clerk, ordinary or probate judge may be on the record. This was the case with the marriage record of Flora E. Lee. The Justice of the Peace who married Flora E. Lee and L. W. West was A. J. Langley. One of the witnesses on the Marriage Bond was J. H. Edwards. This was a very important clue that I overlooked when I first found the marriage license. J. H. is John Houston Edwards husband of Dollie Ophelia Lee, sister of Flora Elizabeth Lee. What a find that was! Her brother-in-law was a witness to his wife’s marriage. Also, the Justice of the Peace was related to the Edwards family.

A marriage record most likely will have the name of the bride, maiden name, or her married name if previously married, and the groom, the date and location of the marriage, the name of the official such as the clergy, justice of the peace, or judge, who performed the ceremony, and the names of at least two witnesses. Also, the ages of the bride and groom may be included. Some licenses have the names of parents.

On the affidavit for marriage license it stated that Flora E. was over eighteen years old. That gives me a time frame to estimate her year of birth.

When researching for a record we sometimes do not see all the vital information that is on the record and overlook clues that will lead us to other family members or other records. There is so much to be gleaned from a marriage record.

Marriage records can provide important genealogical details about our ancestors and information on a marriage record may lead us to further research. Most marriage records will likely contain some of the vital information. Take the time to glean all the information from the record. The marriage record for Flora E. Lee contained valuable information and this daughter of William Alfred and Emma Meadows Lee now has her rightful place in the family tree. 

I concluded that Flora Elizabeth died sometime after the 1910 census but before the 1920 census. She wasn’t found on any other records after 1910. She would have been about thirty-five years old at the time of her death. 

_______________________

Source Citations
Ancestry.com. 1900-910 United States Federal Census
Ancestry.com. Alabama, County Marriages, 1805-1967 

Marriage Records. Alabama Marriages. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, UT.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Tallassee, Elmore, Alabama; Roll: 14; Page: 19B; Enumeration District: 0056; FHL microfilm: 1240014
Year: 1910; Census Place: Police Jury Ward 6, Franklin, Louisiana; Roll: T624_514; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0050; FHL microfilm: 1374527