Robin R. Foster's Blog, page 8

For Some This is Not a Hobby

Some people do family history as a hobby, and that is fine. I felt impressed to share how it is not a hobby for me. It never was. I grew up getting to know my extended family: Great Aunt Cat, Great Uncle Liggon, Great Aunt Eppsyline, Uncle Larry, Uncle Willie, Uncle Ted, and the list goes on and on. Then there are my ancestors. I am thinking about my dad, Robert Foster (1983-1988).

My Dad

He died at fifty years old in 1988. He is the person in the photograph with his hand on is head. He is giving advice. Even today I love and miss him. Those feelings do not go away. He taught me very valuable lessons. The most important happened practically every week when I had to the dishes.

He would be sitting in the dining room. He would say if you would get a loan for X amount of dollars at X percent in thirty years how much would you pay? I was the only person in my family that he would do that to. I was in high school. I would try to give him the right answer. You see, he could teach me. He built houses, and never had a loan.

Hope

That was not the only thing, but that story will suffice. Just imagine when he died and how I felt. There was an empty hole. I knew about this scripture which is the last two verses of Malachi:

5 ¶ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

I came to myself. My dad is not dead. I have the opportunity to see him again. What joy that gives me! For me this is much more than a hobby.

How Have You Come to Know about the Maroons?

On May 14th, 2022, Jamestown Foundation was giving their African American Genealogy Workshop. I gave a segment explaining who maroon was and the need for African Americans to include them in their research.

My phone rang. It was Dr. Mildred Chang. A participant from the workshop had called her. I could not believe it. We had not even left the parking lot.

Dr. Chang authored her Doctoral dissertation on the Leeward Jamaican Accompong Maroons. I was so excited she spoke of wanting to expand her research to include Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia.

I interviewed Dr. Chang. I could listen to her all day. She has a broad perspective on the "Brave runaway Africans who went seeking freedom." They went deep into "inaccessible regions."

This is Dr. Chang's first interview. My hope is for those who have African ancestors that runaway or are missing they should consider they might be maroon.

Third Week of Release of New Book on Formerly Enslaved

This has really been a blast! Each day that I have been sharing "My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors" people have bought the book and practically devoured it. I keep one with me to read from it while eating, going in for the night, and getting up in the morning.

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Having all that information in one place is exciting. The oral history interviews and the documents really get those juices flowing. I am compiling a list of some of the places I want to research next.

I included the following places researched in the book: Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina. I realized there is a record that documents a child of my family that was formerly enslaved. Her name is Victoria, and her parents were Henderson and Lucy Nelms from Stewart Store, DeSoto County, Mississippi.

The document was the "Mississippi Enumeration of Educable Children, 1850-1892; 1908-1957." The document was from 1878. I included all the Nelm's children for that year.

I realize that I will eventually write about Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Georgia. Readers should know that they can at least see what records are available. For help with finding any record in their particular state, they should go to that state on Genealogy Just Ask.

I have a presentation for the Arna Bontemps African American Museum on Friday, August 26, 2022, at 3 pm Central. Anyone interested should go to the Arna Bontemps African American Museum Page. The museum is situated in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Get your book on Amazon!

Note from the Author of "My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors"

,Amazon

I know it has been too long since you heard from me. Just because I was not on this blog, I still was doing genealogy or family history. Some of you know that I have a new book that came out on 8 August 2022. Right now, the book is on Amazon. I will have a Kindle eBook. I first must learn Kindle Create. I took a tutorial, and I understand it now.

My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors is a compilation of much of the research I have done on my family. That coupled with all the people I have assisted since 1985 has given me a great perspective.

I want to take this opportunity to talk about what comes to mind that is not in the book. The first place that I will start is ,Fairview Cemetery in Greenwood, South Carolina. Just take a look at what it looks like now.

I just get so sad. I have people buried there. Senator Frank Gilbert Sr.'s (D. 1999) mother, Essie Johnson Gilbert (1895-1962) is buried there. When we were there in 2014, we cleaned the cemetery to find the burials there. It was a success. We documented eight hundred people. There were about seventy graves which were documented.

It just should not look the way it does. It is in a neighborhood where people could walk the grounds among heroes buried there. I pray that Heavenly Father helps me get back to have it cleaned.

My Ancestor and His Family were Freed at the Death of the Enslaver in 1841

As you can see, I found out before I went to the Anson County Historical Society in late April last year that in 1841 Presley Nelms, Jr. had freed my third great grandparents, David, and Lucy upon his death. He also freed their children in Anson County, North Carolina. Only Charlotte is mentioned here.

Possible Freedom

David had been a blacksmith. He was afforded the right to earn his own money. At the time he collected $2,000 to $3,000. I will share how I know this in my next book, My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors, due out in August.

If you remember, Steve Bailey assisted me with finding Lucy in 1880. You can refresh your memory by going to: Steve Bailey Found My Paternal 3rd Great Grandma. Well now the excitement about finding her has calmed down a bit, and I have been researching to find where she was in 1870. She started out in Anson County, NC in 1841. In 1880, she is living in DeSoto Conty, Mississippi. I will search until I find her.

David and Lucy's daughter, Charlotte, stayed in Anson County, NC, and she married York Smith: My Fourth Visit to Anson County Historical Society. The question is: What happened after Presley Nelms, Jr. died? Well, you had a family that was torn apart trying to escape enslavement.

I am working on how to explain it all to you. It will be in my next book, My Best Genealogy Tips: Finding Formerly Enslaved Ancestors.

Another Godsend from Steve Bailey

One of York and Charlotte's children, Cindy, married an Ingram. Hopefully, you noticed Jno. M. Ingram who signed Presley's will. I want you to know that I have gone down a rabbit hole. On the enslavers' side, there are plenty of Ingram's. Even Presley's wife was Ann Montgomery Ingram Nelms. Enslavers were Ingram's. The enslaved were Ingram's.

I got all these Ingram's out there. Some of them are my family. I put it on the back burner. Then, I got a Facebook message from none than Steve Bailey of the Anson County Historical Society. He says someone wants to meet me. Could we come down on July 4th? "Yes," I said.

Well, Steve, we have already started on Zoom. Don't worry. We will still come July 4th. William Ingram is his name from Kansas City, Missouri. Let me tell you that he knows his stuff! He has thoroughly researched Ingram's, and he is interested in how the Nelms' tie in.

Steve does not like it when I give him so much attention, but I want to say, "Thank you!" This is a lengthy process, but we will figure out these Ingrams and Nelms.

You are Invited Jamestown's African American Genealogy Workshop on May 14th, 2022

Hey! I just wanted you to know Jamestown is sponsoring their African American Genealogy Workshop this year at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. You can either come and be with everyone else, or you can enjoy the presenters from the comfort of your own home.

All are invited particularly folks with ancestors from South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. We are expecting our friends from the Gullah Geechee Corridor to also be there.

Those presenting will be:

Shannon Christmas a DNA Expert and Blogger at Through the Trees Brain Gandy the Director of Darlington County Historical Commission & Museum Janice Cross-Gilyard the President of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society - New Jersey Chapter (AAGS - NJ) Robin R. Foster the Owner of Genealogy Just Ask, LLC Steve D. Tuttle of SCDAH

You have a great line up! Come with your questions.

Any questions about the event email Terry James at jamest955@att.net

To pay:

PayPal: Send Money (log on) Put in Terry's email: jamest955@att.net Put in $20.00 (plus $15.00 if you want t-shirt). Click Continue. Send money now.

A Little More about Presenters

Shannon Christmas

Named an “essential blog for genetic genealogy education” by the Board of Certification for Genealogists, Through The Trees is a blog for genealogy enthusiasts seeking to locate and leverage new tools and emerging technologies to break through genealogical brick walls.

The blog’s author, Shannon Christmas, a genetic genealogy influencer, educator, practitioner, and thought leader featured on BBC, NPR, Radio Sweden, and The Atlantic, finds family as a Research Manager for Ancestry’s research arm, AncestryProGenealogists. A professional genealogist and biological family reunification specialist with over a decade of experience and deep roots in Virginia and The Carolinas, Shannon employs expertise in genetic genealogy, adoption/unknown parentage research, kinship determination, colonial American and African American genealogy to identify genetic ancestors (including unknown parents), solve genealogical mysteries, and facilitate the development of lineage society DNA evidence policies. Shannon’s technology consulting background informs his work advising direct-to-consumer DNA testing and genealogy technology firms on product development.

A former 23andMe Ancestry Ambassador and Ancestry.com Ace, Shannon Christmas manages The Captain Thomas Graves of Jamestown Autosomal DNA Project and serves as a co-administrator of The Hemings-Jefferson-Wayles-Eppes Autosomal DNA Project and The Macon DNA Project. A genetic genealogy instructor on the faculty of The Midwest African American Genealogy Institute, Shannon has a special interest in harnessing the power of autosomal DNA to verify and extend pedigrees, investigate oral history, and reconstruct ancestral genomes.

Routinely invited to lecture at international genealogy conferences, Shannon Christmas was one of a select few genetic genealogists invited to participate in the American Society of Human Genetics’ Roundtable on Genetic Ancestry Inference. Shannon was tapped to investigate the genetic lineage of Governor Lawrence Douglas Wilder of Virginia and presented his findings at The 2015 Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society’s National Conference in Richmond, Virginia. In the past, Shannon Christmas has received invitations to lecture on genetic genealogy at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, James Madison’s Montpelier, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, The White House, and The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

A certified product manager, Shannon has a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Harvard University and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Brian Gandy

Janice Cross-Gilyard

Janice Cross-Gilyard joined the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society – New Jersey Chapter (AAHGS-NJ) in 2016 and served as Vice President and is currently serving her second term as President. She is the Editor of the Family Times Newsletter, and Programming Coordinator. Janice is also a proud member of Sons & Daughters of the United States Middle Passage.

As a Genealogist and Family Historian, Janice has conducted her family research for the past 25 years and documented her family’s history back to 1720. She is proud of her ancestors, which include farmers, educators (two founded universities), abolitionists, mariners, midwives, and pastors.

She has made numerous genealogy presentations at genealogical and lineage societies, churches, libraries, universities, and she has presented for Family Search during their RootsTech conferences.

In September, she became Host along with Co-Host, Cherekana Feliciano of the weekly podcast, Speak On It! History & Genealogy Conversations with Janice & Cherekana.

Her professional experience includes over 20 years in Public Relations providing various consulting services for several Fortune 500 companies.

Robin R. Foster

In 1985, I learned how to be successful at finding my own ancestors with the assistance of the spirit. Later, I combined that knowledge with the knowledge of how to successfully create social media groups for the purpose of answering genealogical questions.

I was a FamilySearch Missionary (2007-2014). Putting forth a great pioneering effort to share my knowledge on social platforms not originally used to disseminate genealogical information, I was selected as Family Tree Magazine's "Social Media Mavericks: 40 to Follow" in 2014.

I work to assist patrons of all colors with their ancestry. I am the co-founder and owner of Genealogy Just Ask at www.genealogyjustask.com (main Facebook Group with over 64,000 members).

I am a member of the South Carolina Genealogical Society - Columbia Chapter. I am a member of Anson County Historical Society, in Wadesboro, North Carolina (www.ansonhistoricalsociety.org). On February 28, 2015, and 2018, and February 2021, I presented at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society. I served as a volunteer at the Lawrence Local History and Genealogy Room of the Greenwood County Library, and the Greenwood, SC Family History Center director.

On February 1, 2020, I presented "Easily Finding My Union County, SC African American Ancestors" for Rose Hill Plantation, in Union, South Carolina. In October 2020, I presented "Genealogy Tips from a Pinterest Social Media Maverick" to the Milwaukee County Genealogy Society.

As of December 2020, I am actively compiling the research and history of Ervin James at Jamestown in Florence County, South Carolina on behalf of Jamestown Foundation. In March 2021, I presented "How I Found My 3rd Great Grandmother" to the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. New Jersey Chapter.

I taught "Researching on FamilySearch.org" for the Grand Strand Genealogy Club of Myrtle Beach, SC on April 10, 2021. On November 9, 2021, I authored the book, "My Best Genealogy Tips: Quick Keys to Research Ancestry" (https://amzn.to/3KlOmLm). That led to two great book reviews: https://bit.ly/32azhuS and https://ginaraemitchell.com/my-best-g....

Using Microsoft Teams, I presented "African American Genealogy: How to Start" for one of Merck’s Employee Business Resource Groups (EBRG), the League of Employees of African Descent on 16 February 2022. I also participated in the "Charlotte Observer" event, “Tracing Black roots: The process, challenges and emotional journey of exploring ancestry," held on February 24, 2022 (https://bit.ly/3HF4fK6).

Steve D. Tuttle

Steven D. Tuttle has worked at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History since 1984 and is

currently Deputy Director for Archives and Records Management.

He has a bachelor's degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Asheville (1981) and a master's degree in library and information science from the University of South Carolina (1992).

Steve is the author of two publications, ,Census Records at the Archives and ,African American Genealogical Research.

Formerly Enslaved Ancestor's Descendants Meet

Robin R. Foster and Andrea (Drea) Clark comparing notes in person for the first time at Anson County Historical Society in Wadesboro, NC. Steve Bailey is in the background. Photo taken by Ellis McClure on 5 March 2022.

It started out a couple weeks ago when I was answering a question in one of my groups. Out of the blue (genealogists and family historians get excited at these occurrences), I received a Facebook message from Drea Clark. She told me she had read Learning About the Nelms Family at Anson County Historical Society, and she wanted to speak to me.

She left a message saying: "I have discovered that I am the great-great-great-great-great granddaughter of David and Lucy Nelms." Drea knows what happened to David Nelms. We will reveal that once we get a document that has been ordered from the NC Archives (ncdcr.gov).

Next, Drea said, "I was never sure of what happened to Lucy. I'm finding myself stuck at this point. Well, she did not have to be stuck any longer. "Lucy Nelms lived near her son, Buck Nelms, my second great grandfather. Buck Nelms was enslaved by Eben's brother, Charles G. Nelms in DeSoto County, Mississippi. Two pages of the 1880 Census you will see at the bottom Buck Nelms, Lucy Bradford - his daughter on the top of the next page, and Lucy Nelms, wife of David Nelms, in the house of Ed Nelms (Steve Bailey Found My Paternal 3rd Great Grandma)," said Robin.

Meeting Family

I guess you can tell we were excited. Drea brought to Anson County Historical Society her father, Nathaniel Clark, Jr., and aunt, Marilyn, who they affectionately call Mal. They live very close by.

Marilyn (Mal), Robin, Steve, Drea, and Nathaniel Clark, Jr. getting acquainted. Photo taken by Ellis McClure on 5 March 2022.

The time that we spent there was much needed. We compared our findings. We spoke of our people and how happy they must be. I must still be in shock, because you could see Drea's sweet emotion. Mine never surfaced. Ellis commented on how unusual that was.

Robin, Drea, and Nathaniel Clark, Jr. catching up to the past. Photo taken by Ellis McClure on 5 March 2022.

Reminiscing

This was a gift given to us from above. I know that it was important to them. We were not strangers. We had never seen each other but knew that we shared ancestors. Last year, I was told by Heavenly Father that I would find the parents and siblings of Buck Nelms (1830-?). I trusted and believed Him. We now know his parents, David and Lucy Nelms (1805-?). We know the names of three of his siblings.

This is a great miracle to us because the children of David and Lucy Nelms never knew each other in this life due to enslavement. They were taken from each other. Now after all those years, some of the children of Charlotte Nelms Smith (1822-?) and a child of Buck Nelms met. If you believe like we do, we know all the children and their parents know that we met. That is the beginning of healing.

Marilyn, Robin, Drea, Nathaniel Clark, Jr. totally absorbed in conversation. Steve is at the desk.

Shady Oaks Plantation is Important

Drea showed us where Shady Oaks Plantation is. This is the place where York Smith was enslaved. Since Charlotte Nelms Smith was not freed at the request Presley Nelms after he died in 1841, we are determining whether she was enslaved here with York. York Smith worked here for William Allexander Smith after enslavement.

Now known as The Oaks, this was Shady Oaks Plantation where York Smith was enslaved. Photo taken by Ellis McClure on 5 March 2022.

There is something special about meeting on the grounds of the plantation that you know family used to be enslaved. You know they were there. You look across at the tiny houses where they lived. You looked out over the field where they were required to spend days toiling.

I guess I was still in shock. I saw the tears Drea shed that I could only feel. We took the photo at the front of the house, and that is special because our ancestors would have not been allowed to enter that way. We have plans to get together again.

I hope Drea and her family really know what they mean to me. I was taught by my father what family means.

Robin and Drea at the front of Shady Oaks Plantation. Photo taken by Ellis McClure on 5 March 2022.

We know Presley Nelms would have had his plantation at Cedar Creek in Lilesville. That is where David and Lucy and their family were enslaved before 1841.

My Fourth Visit to Anson County Historical Society

It was the day after Thanksgiving. Yes. That's when most people are out shopping, but I had to take advantage of Steve being at the Anson County Historical Society in Wadesboro. NC. He got his copy of My Best Genealogy Tips.

I had been preparing for my visit by trying to find Lucy Nelms (born abt. 1805), the mother of Buck Nelms. Steve had found her, if you can remember, in 1880. She was living in DeSoto County, Mississippi with Ed Nelms and his children. Lucy, her granddaughter, and her family were living next door. Next to Lucy lived Buck and Mary Nelms and their family.

Finding Former Enslaved in 1870

Buck, Ed, and Lucy, their mother, had come from Anson County, NC. I don't know yet when Lucy came to live in DeSoto County. I could not find her in 1870 in DeSoto County or Anson County. I was glad to spend the time at the society last Friday. Just being in that atmosphere helped me to figure out what to do next.

Lucy, my great grandmother, died in Poinsett County, Arkansas. However, she was buried in Walls, Mississippi. Buck and Mary Nelms were living in that area, so I need to see if I can find out if they were buried in Walls, Mississippi. Lucy the 75-year-old, my 3rd great grandmother, may also be buried in Walls, Mississippi.

I am so grateful that the death certificate is now online for Lucy, my great grandmother. For a long time, there was just the death index. That's how I found out she died in Arkansas, but was buried in Walls, Mississippi:

I guess I should look for even Hence to be buried there. Being at society has also brought me to the conclusion that I will have to search each census page for DeSoto County, Mississippi in 1870. Their names may have been abbreviated or misspelled. We have found a whole lot so far, and formulated all these questions.

Documenting the Death of a Former Enslaved Person

There was an obituary Steve was telling me did exist. York Smith was the husband of Charlotte Nelms Smith. Charlotte was the daughter of David and Lucy Nelms and the sister to Buck.

Here are York and Charlotte Nelms Smith in the 1880 Census with few of their children:

All the people I have described for you so far, I can sum them up in one word: Family. That's exactly how I feel. Keep that in mind as I tell you what happened just before I wrote this blog post. There is no end to this. I could go in any direction. There all family. Family that I never knew in this life.

Here you go Steve:

That's right. You told me that it existed, and tonight I found it:

W A. Smith was the grandson of Presley Nelms, the son of Elizabeth Nelms Smith. The Nelms were the enslavers of my Nelms family. Charlotte passed away before York. York worked for W. A. Smith. He had been enslaved by the family of W. A. Smith. W. A. Smith was the writer of this obituary.

I suppose you might wonder why I would even post this obituary, but don't worry.

My Nelms Family Were Enslaved on What Was Native American Land

Pam Robinson Porterfield at Walls, Mississippi on the Middle Woodland Native American mound while an undergrad in anthropology and archaeology at Memphis State.

In December of 2020, I posted The Power of Connecting to Researchers in Your Ancestor's Area to some of my Facebook Groups. Little did I know that I would get this response in Alabama Genealogy! Just Ask! I have always been a believer in the power of social media particularly on Facebook.

My New GenFriend

Pam Robinson Porterfield is a member of Alabama Genealogy! Just Ask! I should not have had this to happen in Alabama Genealogy! Just Ask! Mississippi Genealogy! Just Ask! is where I would have expected Pam to respond. It shows me that I was meant to meet Pam.

This was her first response on the post:

Pam: We visited the site when I was an undergrad in anthropology/archaeology at Memphis state!

My immediate answer was:

Robin: Wow! Does anything stick out in your memory?

History of Native American's in Walls, Mississippi

Pam: This was pre-Tunica so the mound was down a 2 lane road out in the middle of a huge cotton field that went on for miles! . lots of arrowheads…pot sherds…. Mud… the ruins of the house were on top of the Middle Woodland Indian mound. The Indians were Quiz Quiz and related to the Natchez tribes. In the Mississippi vicinity houses were often built on top of the mounds to stay above potential floodwaters. There were Native American graves at the base of the mound with some bones exposed… there were some small grave goods like beads and pot sherds with them. I’m sure it’s protected now. I gave The house ruins little to no attention…there was some foundation, a well, bricks …. I may have a pic…I’ll look

I was so excited. I could see my Uncle Buddy back when I had taken his oral history interview. Suddenly, what he told me came back. He had said when he was little his grandmother would take him around with her. She would carry him upon her back like the Native Americans did. I did not know of the importance at the time. Some things he told me I cannot remember. It had to do with the influence of the Native American during enslavement.

All I could say was:

Robin: Wow!

Seeing the Land

Pam gave me the photo above.

Pam: This is all I had digital…dig my 80’s gear?…lol..this is only a partial of it…it is one of the biggest mounds in Mississippi (if I remember correctly). Mississippi State was researching it and maybe had it deeded to them. It was really fun visiting all the mound sites back in the day.

Robin: Oh my goodness! Thank you so much! There is great power in these groups. I could have never imagined someone having this experience and sharing it with me. Can I blog about this?

Pam: of course…genealogy are all family…literally… and determined to find the ancestors that connect us!

There it is. It's that special bond between two people who know genealogy is more than hobby.

Professor Dr. Dye and the Prehistoric Native American Village

An hour so later, Pam shared an article about Professor Dr. Dye:

Pam: Check this out. Dr. Dye was who we went on field trips with back in the day. Tunica May have built all over this place now… Construction Crew Uncovers Artifacts in Walls, MS (actionnews5.com)

Robin: Wow! I am so excited on so many levels. First, I get to learn more about my family. Second, I get to learn about the Native American in the same place.

The C.H. Nash Museum at the Prehistoric Chucalissa Archaeological Site

Pam also let me know about Chucalissa, a prehistoric Native American site:

Pam: Try to get to Memphis and tour Chucalissa it’s fascinating…I haven’t been in 30+ years and I’d love to go back!

Chucalissa

Robin: Oh my! Yes. I will have to go.

Pam: Also, there is an Egyptian museum that is so awesome on Memphis State campus…being a sister city they received artifacts from everywhere… it was amazing to sit in there and study…mummies and large statues and tomb artifacts…it’s amazing.

Robin: Oh I bet it was. I love finding those places .... all because of you. Thank you so much.

Gratitude

First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Pam who shared all this with me. I know she doesn't know what this does for me.

This has affected me on so many levels. The two most important things to me are family and Church.

Knowing that I can visit the Memphis museums and universities plus maybe even the land in Walls, Desoto County, Mississippi has made it possible for me to find out more about the Nelms family. I can develop a greater understanding about what my uncle was trying to express to me.

I am very interested in researching the Native Americans. They had a prehistoric village on the same property where my ancestors, Buck and Lucy Nelms and their family, were enslaved. Those Native Americans are connected to the Nephite or

Lamanite people.

Second, I will comb through our conversation and make a list of all the places where I plan to research. Are you stuck on an ancestor? Try out one of my Facebook Groups: Genealogy Just Ask.

New Book! November 9, 2021

Found: James Foster (1897-1962) on Death Index at FamilySearch.org

James Foster (1897-1962) is mowing the grass at his home in Sacramento, California. This photo was among Robert (Bobby) Foster's personal papers.

I guess you would say that this photo has been through the mill. It's the one photo I have of my grandfather, James Foster (1897-1962). He passed away in 1962. I was born a few years after that. He and my grandma, Ora, had twelve children. This photo is in the same condition that it was in when my father, Robert (Bobby) Foster, passed away in 1988.

Grandfather James was a travelling carpenter belonging to the Local Union 586 in Sacramento, California. Somehow his occupation had landed him here, but his family had travelled much before that living in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. One thing that my father would say is that his father worked hard. Grandma Ora had a small grocery store, and his mother and father kept the family together. I think about that now. My grandfather would leave his family to travel to anyplace he was needed for work.

The Son of Former Enslaved People

One child died when he was young, but the remaining eleven grew up, of course, having to move around. They were together. The first generation out of enslavement they knew the importance of church and school. I have no other photo of my grandfather. I cannot see his face, but I can tell his arm, his overall structure, and his stance mowing the lawn. He definitely looks like my father and my father's brothers.

I really love him. That is why I, with the help of the Lord, will find his ancestors. No one knows this, but this why I have kept my maiden name. I received a call from Terry James last weekend. He was prompted to tell me about a movie. I had not seen it. Prince Among Slaves is on YouTube.

I was excited because I have been stuck on James and father, John Henry Foster, since I first began researching. Prince Among Slaves has given me some good leads with descendants with the name Foster. The owner's name was Thomas Foster who was in the Revolutionary War and lived in Natchez, Mississippi.

I discovered Thomas had come from South Carolina. He was born there in 1762. He had two or three brothers. Right now, I am studying the migration patterns of the Foster's.

Finding James' Death Index

I decided I would work from both ends, so I went to FamilySearch.org to do a search like I have done countless times for James Foster and his father:

I clicked on FamilySearch to perform my search. I was surprised to see this come up:

It was the first record, a death index for James Foster who died 23 March 1962. I had his obituary, but not a death index. I immediately added it to the Family Tree which created a Source:

Next, I found the Sacramento County Clerk's Office where I would order the death certificate which will give more important details about James' death that are not included on the death index:

I will let you know when I order and receive the death certificate.

My Best Genealogy Tips by Robin R. Foster (globalpublishingsolutions.com)