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09 Oct 2015 – Thomas Coleman

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Thomas Coleman

Thomas Coleman

Thomas Coleman was born 2 Jan 1901 in Mobile, AL.  He met Isabel in Chicago, and she became the love of his life.  I’m not sure where they married, but he took the train to Mobile to introduce his new wife to the family.  Isabel was so light-skinned, she passed for white and they made her ride in the front of the train.  Thomas went to the back of the train.

Thomas Coleman worked as a Pullman Porter on the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio (GM&O) Railroad.  He directed guests to their rooms in the Pullman car, served drinks, cleaned, and helped people with their luggage.

 

Library of Congress Pullman porters, known for their white jackets, played an important role in luxury train travel for a century.

Library of Congress Pullman porters, known for their white jackets, played an important role in luxury train travel for a century.

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3 Oct 2015 – Thanks Goodness For Social Media!

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My parents, grandparents and great grandparents lived during a time when their relatives lived in the same neighborhood.  There were relatives next door, on the same street and around the corner!  The environment was such that not only did their parents reprimand them, but the neighborhood did as well because they were your relatives!

In my generation, everyone literally lives around the world.  My sister lives in Florida, my brother in Illinois, and a nephew in Singapore!  Today, there is no reprimanding someone else’s child, you must keep your hands to your self!  My generation may not have families that live close, but does that really matter when we have social media?

Social Media Images

Social Media Images

 

I love social media!  It’s  part of my life, and I don’t know what I would do without it!  When I talk social media, I am referring to Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter.  These are all sites that are good options for spreading the word about family history and genealogy.  I get the most feedback on Facebook, and hardly any on the other sites. But that’s ok.  I post anyway.  🙂 Continue reading →

28 Sep 2015 – Genealogy Apps!

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There are a lot of genealogy apps available to build and update your family tree on the go.  If you have an online family tree, always check to see if there is an app for you phone.  The following are apps are free, but require online accounts (some free and some with fees).  Some recommendations:

  • Ancestry – Explore more than 14 billion records, photos and stories with hints to help build your family tree.  Add family members to your tree from Facebook.  Syncs across all devices.  This is a paid service.  Also syncs with Apple Watch.
  • Ancestry Shoebox – allows you to scan photos with your phone.  You can upload to Ancestry or share with family and friends.
  • Find A Grave – one of the many databases accessible via Ancestry (as well as directly online) with more than 100 million graves from around the world.

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21 Sep 2015 – Eva Marie Davis

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Eva Davis

Eva Davis

Eva was born on 19 Sep 1958 in Mobile, AL.  I will always remember Eva’s birthday because we were born a week apart.  Eva and I attended Fermi Elementary School in Chicago, IL.  On those days that Eva made it home before I did, Alice, asked, “Eva, where is your sister?”

Eva hung her head and responded, “The children down the street are fighting Debra, but I had to use the restroom!”  🙂

Our parents had to find other options besides the Chicago Public School system.  They joined the Catholic Church so that we could attend their schools, and St. Laurence Catholic Elementary School was our first.

In 1968, while attending St. Laurence, they selected Eva and I to attend St. Nicholas Middle School in Evanston, IL.  This was a difficult transition for us because the kids on our bus were the only African-American children that attended that school.  The travel time was one hour if traffic was good, but most days it would take up to two hours.   Once we arrived, the students and teachers didn’t really want us there! Continue reading →

19 Sep 2015 – Alice Ruth Coleman

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Alice Ruth Colemand and Her Sister Elouise Parker

Alice Ruth Coleman (left)  and Her Sister Elouise Parker (right)

 

Alice Ruth Coleman, mother of Melzar Williams, was born 20 Feb 1893 in Mobile, AL.  She married Ervin Williams, from Mobile, AL,  in 1909 at the age of 17 yrs old, and Melzar was born in 1912 (at age of 19 yrs old).  They had another child, but he died from pneumonia after only living two months.  According to the 1910 census, Alice Ruth and her husband lived with her parents, and by the 1920 census, they lived with Ervin’s parents.  She was a laundress, and Ervin was a truck driver for the Grain Mill.  Alice Ruth had four sisters and two brothers.   Continue reading →