The Essence of Our Ancestry

"We can, at times, feel the hands of our ancestors as they touch us, as they gently turn us, and point us in the right direction, as we search for the indelible marks they left on the eternity of time. When they touch us, the feeling is always good. We believe we do them great honor when we think and speak of them. We believe they look upon us, from their vantage point, with love and pride. It is no different than when our own children and grandchildren in this world treat us with that same love and respect that brings us to the bursting point of pride." --K. M. King

Goldie's Grandson Found Us

My husband Larry and I have always adored this photo of his grandaunt, Goldie Roberts (Mrs. Samuel Leasure) King. She was born in 1892 and died in 1972 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. We were surprised and excited last week to receive an email from her grandson whom we didn't know. I suppose her grandson had met Larry when they were small children living in Waynesburg, Greene, Pennsylvania, since their grandparents were siblings. But my husband doesn't remember him. 

As I've done our family's research over the past decade, we've connected with hundreds of relatives, but most were either very remotely related or were related to my family. Seldom have we met a relative of Larry who also shares an interest in their family. So we were really thrilled to hear from this gentleman last week. And he's equally happy to have "found" us, since I've done quite a bit of research on their mutual ancestors over the last decade. 

It was through our Public Family Trees at Ancestry.com that he made the discovery of his "relatives in Colorado" and wrote to me. There's been a lot of discussion on blogs recently about the validity of information found on Public Family Trees, but I've found them to be quite valuable for making connections with others who are researching the same family, or are related to us! The tree I put up on Ancestry of Larry's ancestors is not totally documented, sourced or proven. But it's value has been established, if in no other way, by this recent connecting and getting acquainted with Larry's 2nd cousin. We'll be able to share stories, photos and family information that we'd be deprived of otherwise. And we'll know cousins that were unknown until now! What a blessing. We're sure that Goldie is smiling on all of us right now!

Tuberculosis Took These Two Young Women

This photo has obviously had a pretty rough life, but we treasure it and share it, even in it's bad condition. Pictured here are (l to r) Mabel King (1901-1988), Della Grace King (1903-1925), and Ackie Ellen King (1898-1919), daughters of Jacob and Sarah Permelia Glover King of Marion County, West Virginia. They were all grandaunts of my husband, Larry Jamison. Their next older sister was Hester Lily Day (King) Roberts (1895-1985), my husband's grandmother.

From research I'd done a few years ago, I knew that both Della and Ackie died as young women, but I had no relatives to interview to discover the causes of their early deaths. I was grateful when the West Virginia Death Certificates became available online, as I was able to view (and save) their death certificates.

This death certificate for Ackie Ellen King shows that her death was caused by Tuberculosis at age 21 years, 3 months and 21 days. Ackie was the wife of David Lawrence Efaw and was the mother of Hester and Edward Efaw.

This is the death certificate of Della Grace King, who died unmarried at the age of 21 years, 7 months and 1 day, also from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Della was the youngest of the 10 children in the family. What losses this family suffered, and what pain they must have felt upon the deaths from Tuberculosis of these two precious young daughters.

I think of my husband's Grandmother, Hettie. At age 23 she lost her next younger 21-year-old sister, then at age 29 she lost her baby sister to tuberculosis. I feel for her even now.

Kings in White

Erma "Aldine" King (1914-1997)

and brother Robert P. King (1919-1987)

Franklin, Greene, Pennsylvania

Children of Samuel L. and Goldie Roberts King

Aldine and Robert are first cousins, once removed, of my husband, Larry Jamison.

Wordless Wednesday: Goldie Roberts