between the dashes

7 Aug 2015 – The Family Businesses

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Around 1945, Melzar (my grandfather) purchased and opened the Williams Seafood business on Virginia Street in Mobile, AL.  At the time, Melzar was working full-time at the post office delivering mail.  Ervin (Melzar’s father) and Uncle Luke convinced Melzar to open the seafood business stating that they would run it while he delivered mail.

Has anyone ever worked with a family member?  Well, if you have never experienced this first hand, it can be really trying!  Job descriptions are not well-defined, income can be fuzzy, and opportunities for advancement can be slim.  It’s just not the same as working with professionals.  I do not recommend it!  Ervin and Luke quickly found out that the seafood business was more time consuming than originally thought.  In fact, within a couple of months, Ervin and Luke quit the business and turned it over to Melzar so that they could do more fishing!  This created a problem with Melzar already working full-time! Continue reading →

7 Aug 2015 – The Island Of Cannibals…And Doughnuts!

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You’re probably thinking, “what do cannibals and doughnuts have in common?”  Hmmm…well, read on to find out!

At the age of 28 years old, Melzar (my grandfather) and his best friend, Julius Jackson, joined the Merchant Marines as cooks.  Melzar and Julius did not know how to cook, but they could read so that’s exactly what they did!  Who can’t follow a recipe?

This job provided much-needed income and gave them a different perspective of the world. They traveled on the Agwi Prince and the Booneborough vessels during World War II, and were able to go beyond Mobile to places like London, New York, California, and New Guinea.  Can you believe the manifest identified Melzar as 33 years old, 6 feet 2 inches tall, and 178 pounds.  I’m sure he had a striking appearance! Continue reading →

7 Aug 2015 – Introducing The Grandparents

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Inell&Melzar Williams

Inell and Melzar Williams

When you start your family tree, start with yourself and gradually move through your tree by adding parents, grandparents and great grandparents. Capture what you know, then search the data bases on Ancestry (ancestry.com) or other genealogy sites for more information.  If you have the ability to visit your home town, you should visit the local library, churches attended by your family, and seek out living members to fill in the blanks.

Between the Dashes was created because I desired more than just the birth and death dates.   When you search the genealogical databases you find lots of information.  One of the challenges is filling in the stories between the dashes.  Who were they?  What were their hobbies?  What did they love to do?  What were some of their challenges?  Between the Dashes will focus on answering some of those questions about my family.  Let’s start with my grandparents.  

Continue reading →

7 Aug 2015 – Introducing The Parents

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Alice and Roland Davis – Sometime After 1957

 

They met in high school.  He came up to her in the cafeteria and said, “Hi, I’m Roland.  I’m on the football team.  What’s your name?”  She responded, “Alice”.

“Nice to meet you.  Do you have a phone at home?  Can I call you sometime?” Roland asked hoping the answers to all his questions were yes!

Alice thought Roland was handsome.  She hoped he really would call.

The year was around 1950.  Both Alice and Roland attended Central High School in Mobile, AL.  Roland was one of the star running backs (or wide receivers – we are researching this).  Everyone that attended Central High’s football games knew that if Roland got the ball, he was going to score a touchdown.  He was always in the local newspaper for his many achievements with football and track.  He was truly a star at Central High! Continue reading →