Horace Calvin Crofford, 1894-1968

Horace was born in Newcastle, Wyoming, and grew up on his father's ranch. His father was Horace Calvin Crofford, Sr.; his mother was Ada Clemina Hall. Horace and Ada had four children:  my grandfather Horace born in 1894, Oliver born in 1896, Abram born in 1898, and the baby Miriam born in 1900. The four siblings grew up and scattered all over the northern part of the mid-west, in Montana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.

Horace C. Crofford
on the beach in 
Normany, France

Horace enlisted in the army on July 1, 1917 at age 22. He trained as a telegrapher, and was stationed in France in 1918 and 1919. (I remember him teaching me the Morse Code when I was a child). His rank was Sergeant. From September 26 to October 12, 1918, he was in the Gerardmer Sector (in German territory); from November 2nd to 9th he was in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, also called Battle of the Argonne Forest.* Once, as he later told his children, Horace had to walk in knee-deep water for weeks and developed a leg infection. He also shared that he was up a telephone pole when the Armistice was announced. He was honorably discharged on June 22, 1919.

*Interesting that in later years, his son, "Sonny," also named Horace Calvin Crofford, lived with his wife and four children on Argonne Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia.

Horace's closest friend was Joe Pivernitz.
They remained friends and in touch after
leaving the army.

After the war, he lived with his widowed mother in Waukagan, Illinois, where she was a telephone operator. He used his telegrapher skills with the railroad for a time. He attended school at the AMBU Engineering Institute in Chicago, training as an electrician.

...to be continued...

Brick Walls

Research problems in genealogy are known as "brick walls." I have several brick walls, but the one that gets my goat the most is the Allen family. You may have gathered this from previous posts.

A new approach
I need to find valid and verifiable documentation of the parentage of Robert Scott Allen. I looked at my DNA matches and tried to find a descendant of Robert. Nada.

So I went into the Ancestry search feature and typed in the names of Robert Allen's children, hoping to find another family tree that had living descendants. The most fruitful search seemed to be Sarah Hilen Allen, who married George Wilson (for some reason there are many Wilsons among my DNA matches). I contacted someone who had these people in their tree.

She wrote back that Sarah was her 3rd great aunt (Sarah would be my 2nd great aunt), but that our DNA does not match. I wrote back with more questions, praying that her information does not add mortar to the brick wall.

19th Century Immigrants to America

Most of my ancestors were among the earliest settlers in America, in either New England or Virginia. There are just a few who came to America more recently. Not much is known about their roots in the homeland:

Germany: John Adam Zaun and Elizabeth Louise Wellner, 2X great grandparents
John Adam Zaun was born in Germany in 1837 in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. He migrated to America in 1867 (1900 U.S. Census). On Oct. 25, 1868, he married Elizabeth Louise Wellner, a fellow passenger on the ship from Germany, and they made their home in Dumbarton, Virginia. They had four children, Louisa, b. 1876, Adam, b. 1879, Charles, b. 1886, and Henry, b. 1888.

England: John C. Abbott - 3X great grandfather
Born in England in 1815, John came to America and had a piano-making business in New York City. He married Sarah Godfrey Whitfield, from an old family in New York. He settled in Fort Lee, New Jersey, later opening a hotel/boarding house in Hackensack, where many of his employees lived. He hired workers, including his family members, from New York, Germany, Ireland, and South America to build action parts for pianos in his factory on Lemoine Ave. John and Sarah had three children, Clark Webster Abbott, b. 1842, Whitfield Barrie Abbott b. 1844, and James b. 1868.

Scotland: Horace Crawford - 3X great grandfather
Born in Scotland around 1780, Horace came to America and settled in the Genessee Valley in New York. He married Lois Hopkins, and they had a son, Calvin, who was born in 1806. Horace was a well-known millwright.

A Noteworthy Generation

I have observed that my ancestors from a certain generation were notable or influential in their time. All are my great-great-great grandfathers from both maternal and paternal sides:

Orrin Bishop Judd, 1816-1892 (my paternal 3X great grandfather)
A famous preacher in the Baptist Church in Hartford, Connecticut. He authored several books, including a translation of the Bible, and wrote the foreword in several other books. He was a trustee at Colgate University (his 1st wife was Maria Colgate), and his descendants followed this tradition. He became notorious during a highly publicized divorce scandal - front page news! Elizabeth (my 3X great grandmother) eventually committed suicide over losing her children in the divorce. Orrin then married Susanna, the housekeeper who was his co-conspirator in the purported abuses against Elizabeth.

Joseph Bucklin Bosworth, 1790-1850 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
Leader in the Mormon Church and close friend to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon Church in America. His preaching is well-documented, his "visions" recounted, and his name can be found in Joseph Smith's diaries. Joseph Smith wrote, "Bro. Bozworth was strong in the faith - he is a good man, and may, if faithful, do much good."  He was born in Providence, RI, and fought in the War of 1812. He died in Illinois.

John C. Abbott, 1815-1989 (my paternal 3X great grandfather)
Award-winning piano-maker; established a piano factory in NY City. All of his brothers came to America to work with him. Possibly the son of John Abbott, a famous "music table" maker in London. Later opened the Abbott and Sons piano parts factory in Palisades Park, NJ.

John Dillingham, 1773-1861 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
Pioneer, born in Rhode Island or Massachusetts, traveled through Ohio to Indiana. A first settler in the township of Liberty, Indiana. Fought in the War of 1812. Well known especially for his hospitality to travelers. "Dillingham" is a prevalent place name to this day in Liberty.

Capt. Jacob Wandell, 1779-1868 (my maternal 3X great grandfather)
A 2nd generation Dutch settler in NY City - son of the wealthy and prosperous shipping magnate, Jacob Wandell, also born of the famous Stillwell family in NY. Parents were connected to the famous Vanderbilts. Fought in the War of 1812, but apparently deserted. Worked as a mariner on the Hudson River. Buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Riches in Discovery! Nina and Albert Hall

In my research on my great grandmother Ada C. [Hall] Crofford, I have often wondered where her siblings, Nina and Albert, were as they were not listed with the family on the 1870 U. S. Census.  Nina and Albert would be my grandfather's aunt and uncle. Both were born in Michigan. Ada had an older brother Benjamin F., born in 1855 in Oswego,NY (New York State Census), but I am assuming he died in childhood.

Today, I hit upon a gold mine of sources about the lives of both Nina and Albert. I am still wading through all of the information, but couldn't wait to tell about this exciting break through! Both siblings were born around the time of the Civil War, between 1859 and 1862. Nina was born in 1859, according to census documents. Albert was probably conceived before his father joined the army in September 1861. The family endured extreme hardship during Andrew's year-long absence in 1861-1862, nearly starving to death and wearing nothing but rags. It is hard to imagine how Miriam Olivia held her family together with two infants to care for during that time.

Brief summary of what I already knew:  In 1860, the Halls were living in Marquette, Michigan. At the 1870 Census, the Halls lived in Delton, Michigan, where Andrew worked at the Furnace (an ore refinery). By 1871, they were among the first settlers in Fargo, ND. (Ada wrote about this time in Fargo, but never mentioned her younger siblings). They moved south to Fort Lincoln for a year in 1876, and went from there by wagon train to South Dakota. They are all listed together on the 1880 Census in Bear Butte, South Dakota.

New Information! and Pictures!

Nina Caroline Hall was born around 1859 in Marquette, Michigan. At the 1860 Census, she was 6 months old. [She is not listed with the family in the 1870 Census]. In 1880, she was 21 years old and living with her family in Bear Butte, SD. Nina married William Nathan Curington in 1892 at age 30. They had four children: Albert, Ruth, Stanley, and Eva. She was "widowed" by 1930, and went to live with her daughter Ruth in Florida where she died sometime after 1940. The information about her marriage gets fuzzy after 1915; William N. Curington, her husband, may not have died until 1948, also claiming to be widowed. It may take me a while to straighten out this conflicting information.  

Albert, called "Ed," married an Indian girl from the Cheyenne (Sioux) tribe named Mary Amiotte in 1897. After they married, they lived with her family on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They had five children: Walter, Steven, William, Alice, and Alfred. Albert died in 1942, and was buried on the reservation.

Walter, Mary, Steven, Ed, William (front), and Alice

Robert Scott Allen, 1797-1864

My great great grandfather, Robert Scott Allen, is the genealogical end of the trail in tracing back the Allen family. He was born in Virginia, and it appears that he died in Illinois during the Civil War. His life is a perfect picture of the pioneer spirit in America.

According to several sources, Robert Allen's father was John Allen, or possibly John Watson Allen, and his mother was Rebekkah "Becky" Scott, both from Virginia. In this reconstruction of his life, I hope to clarify my thinking and develop better questions for further research.

To find out what I learned about Robert Allen's father John Allen, please CLICK HERE.

Augustus D. Allen, son of Robert S. Allen and father of my grandmother, Teresa Allen
Augustus was born in Illinois in 1859, the youngest of nine children. His parents were Robert S. Allen of Virginia and Elizabeth Heylands of Ohio. Robert and Elizabeth Allen lived in Kentucky for many years before moving to Hancock, Illinois where Augustus was born. Summary of evidence of parentage:

• 1860 U. S. Census, Hancock, Illinois - parents Robert S., b. Va, and Elizabeth Allen, b. Ohio.
• 1870 U. S. Census, Hancock, Illinois - mother, Elizabeth Allen, 54, b. Ohio living with John W. Allen
• 1883 Illinois Marriage License - parents, Robert S. Allen (deceased) and Elis [sic] House.
• 1900 U. S. Census, Wichita, Kansas - parents both born in Kentucky* 
• 1910 U. S. Census, Wichita, Kansas - parents both born in Kentucky* 
• 1910 History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas - born in 1865 in Hancock, Illinois; "parents died when he was small."**

*The misinformation about Kentucky is understandable. Robert and Elizabeth were married in Kentucky and had their first seven children there. Augustus may not have known their actual birthplace. Ironically, his brother Harrison tells the census taker that both parents were born in Virginia.
** Augustus married a younger woman after he divorced my great grandmother Eva - possibly lied about his age? It is not true that both of his parents died - there is evidence that his mother Elizabeth was alive until 1895, but no indication that he ever saw her again after he moved to Wichita. 

Robert Scott Allen
Robert Scott Allen was born in 1797 in Lunenburg, County, Virginia. He moved to Kentucky, along with many others from Southside Virginia. He married Elizabeth Heylands (Highlands, Hilen) in 1834. Elizabeth was from Hamilton County, Ohio which is just across the river from Robert's home in Covington, Kentucky. Timeline and summary of sources:

• 1797 - Thomas/Steinhauser & Associated Family Genealogy (unverified source***) - Robert Scott Allen, born May 28, 1797 in Lunenburg, County, Virginia. Father: John Watson Allen; mother: Rebecca Scott, born November 25, 1795.
• 1797 - Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume 2 - Robert Scott Allen, born May 28, 1797. His father was John Watson Allen
• 1797 - Findagrave.com - Robert S. Allen, father of Harrison Perry Allen - born May 28, 1797 in Lunenburg County, Va. 
• 1812 - Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume 2 - Robert Scott Allen served in the war as a young boy (again, family lore).
• 1833 - Thomas/Steinhauser & Associated Family Genealogy (unverified source***) - Robert Scott Allen married Elizabeth Hilen, born 1815 (?) in PA (?) on Aug. 2, 1833 (?).    
• 1834 Hamilton County Marriage Records - Robert S. Allen and Elizabeth Heylands were married in Hamilton, Ohio by a Justice of the Peace on August 2, 1834 (ages not given, but Robert should have been about 37 and Elizabeth, about 26 - 29 years old).  
• 1850 U. S. Census, Kenton, Covington Ward, Kentucky - Robert S. Allen, 54, carpenter, born in Virginia; Elizabeth, 37, born in Ohio, Mardissa, 15, John/James (twins), 13, Sarah, 10, Rebecca, 8, Jacob (6).
• 1855 Illinois State Census, 1825-1865 Walker, Hancock County, Illinois - Robert S. Allen; one male under age ten (Augustus), three males under age 20 (John, James, Jacob), one male age 60-70 (Robert); two females age 10-20 (Sarah, Rebecca) , one female age 20-40 (Mardicia). Total in household=8; 2 in the militia. (Where was Elizabeth? She should have been about 42.)
• 1860 U. S. Census, Walker Township, Hancock County, Illinois - Robert S. Allen, 64, farmer, born in Virginia; Elizabeth, 45 (She should be 47. Is this a different Elizabeth?), born in Ohio, James/John, 23, born in KY, Sarah, 20, born in KY, Jacob, 16, born in KY, Harrison P., 8, born in Illinois, Augustus, 1, born in Illinois.
• 1864 Thomas/Steinhauser & Associated Family Genealogy (unverified source***) - Robert Scott Allen, died October 16, 1864 at Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois. Burial at Buckeye Schoolhouse, Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois.
• 1864 - Findagrave.com - died October 16 in Tioga, Hancock County, Illinois.
• 1864 - Illinois Infantry Roster - Robert Allen, enlisted in Springfield, d. 13 Sep 1864 in Memphis. (death date does not match other records which gives death date as 16 Oct 1864 - not positive this is our Robert S. Allen).
• 1864 U. S., Civil War Pension Index: General Index to Pension Files, 1861-1934 - Nov. 17, 1864 - Elizabeth J. (?) Allen, widow, Robert S. Allen, P.114, Illinois Infantry.
• 1865 Illinois, State Census Collection, 1825-1865 - Elisabeth Allen - one person under 10 (Augustus); one person between 10 and 20 (Harrison); two between 20 and 30 (Jacob, Rebecca); one between 40 and 50 (Elizabeth).  (Robert presumed deceased)
• 1870 U. S. Census, Hancock County, Illinois - Elizabeth, age 54 (should be 57?), born in Ohio, living with John W. and younger brothers.
• 1895 - Findagrave.com - Elizabeth A. Highland Allen, mother of Harrison Perry Allen - born 1815 in Ohio, died 1895 in Illinois. (Confirmation of this birthdate would have made her 29 years old at her marriage date).
• 1918 - Missouri Death Certificate, Harrison Perry Crawford Allen (brother of Augustus) - parents: Robert S. Allen and Elizabeth Hilen.

***Thomas/Steinhauser & Associated Family Genealogy -  I attempted to contact the researcher Jim Thomas but got no response. His information is not to be considered reliable until I can learn of his sources.

Note: Walker Township had two villages:  Tioga and Breckenridge. Tioga was established in 1855 on the former Mormon site, Yelrome (Morley Town). 

CAUTION:
There is another man named "Robert S. Allen" in Montgomery County, Illinois, who also received a land grant for service in 1854 around the same time that our Allen family moved to Hancock County. This other Robert S. Allen left a will dated in the 1890's, proving that he is could not be our Robert Scott Allen (d. 1864). Here is the land grant information for this other Robert S. Allen:

• 1854 Illinois, Public Land Purchase Records, 1813-1909, v. 340, p. 151 - Robert S. Allen - Sep. 29, 1854 - 40 acres ($5.20 @ .13/acre), township 08N, range 04W, meridian 3  (Montgomery County). 

I cannot find any record of a land grant for Robert S. Allen in Hancock County. I have exhausted the online records and scoured every landowner map I could find from the 1850's. I found a David Allen who owned property in the northwestern part of Walker Township, but it is nowhere near Tioga where Robert S. Allen lived.

Teresa Allen - new info!

Found a couple of new sources of information on Ancestry this evening! They might seem to be inconsequential, but they changed an assumption that I had made about my grandmother, Teresa Allen. I thought she lived in Chicago before she met my grandfather. Turns out she lived in Waukegan...in fact, she lived on the very street where she later lived as a married woman and mother. 

The two sources were the 1922 and 1925 city directories for Waukegan. Teresa M. Allen lived on Sherman Avenue in 1922, and on Washington Street in 1925. 

These sources also confirmed what my mother told me, that her mother Teresa worked for a Dr. E. B. Jolley, and ear nose and throat doctor in Waukegan. In 1922 she was his "assistant." In 1925, the directory used the abbreviation "sten" meaning possibly stenographer.

So exciting to find new bits of information after such a long dry spell in my research.

Update on Research Activity

Sadly, genealogy research has taken a back seat to so many other wonderful and fulfilling activities in retirement. I have a written plan outlining my goals and intentions for the year, which includes primary research in person - visits to such places as the Library of Virginia, the Southampton County Courthouse, the San Jose Mission in Texas, and possibly the Pt. Lookout prison camp in Maryland. The plan also includes writing for information from various agencies, such as the Board of Mental Health in Oklahoma and in Kansas. Time management has become a delicate balance!

Be assured that I have not been completely neglectful of this important project. I am still working on the preservation and digitization of old family photos and have done some undocumented dabbling on Ancestry. I am most persistent in making attempts to break down the brick wall in the Allen family. My most recent accomplishment is verifying that Robert Scott Allen (the father of Augustus) did indeed come from Virginia and not from New England as one Allen family expert suggested. Proving his parentage is my greatest challenge. The Library of Virginia is my next great hope. If I can accomplish that one thing, I will die happy.

TV Genealogy Shows, a Popular trend

Genealogy is a major trend right now. More people than ever are engaged in researching their family trees. Libraries are offering classes and professional assistance. Ancestry.com, among other genealogy websites, is one of the fastest growing databases online. TV shows are based on genealogy of celebrities and regular folks. It would be interesting to determine the cause of this social phenomenon.

I don't miss an episode of any of these shows! It is fascinating to me to follow the research trail of expert genealogists as they uncover the family histories of people of all races and nationalities. The emotional reactions of these subjects as they learn the personal and sometimes tragic stories of their ancestors are completely understandable to me. I've experienced some of the most emotional moments of my life during my own family tree explorations.

Popular TV shows include:

Finding Your Roots (TLC)
Who Do You Think You Are (TLC)
Genealogy Roadshow (PBS)
Long Lost Family (TLC)

This morning I am catching up on the latest episode of Who Do You Think You Are. This episode features the ancestry of actress Courteney Cox. As the genealogist quickly traces Courteney's line back to England, some familiar names begin to pop up...Thomas Berkeley...Edward II...and I realize that they are also my own ancestors! The stories in this episode are shocking and terrible.

Here is the lineage back in time (forgive the lengthy list - just want to establish the connection):
Me
my father
my paternal grandfather, Ernest Earl Zaun, 1909-1959
my great grandmother, Georgia Powell, 1885-1973
her mother, Marie Louis Judd, 1859-1925
3X gg Orrin Bishop Judd, 1816-1892
4X gg Jotham Chester Judd, 1773-1850
5X gg Elnathan Judd, 1738-1808
6X gg Joseph Judd, Jr., 1707-1757
7X gg Joseph Judd, Sr., 1672-1757
8X gg John Judd, Deacon, 1640-1714
9X gg Thomas Judd, Deacon, 1608-1688 (the 1st ancestor to come to America)
10X gg Katherine Elizabeth Norwood, 1575-1632
11X gg  Lady Catherine Throckmorton, 1532-1581
12X gg Sir Robert Throckmorton, High Sheriff of Warwick, 1510-1581 (married Muriel Berkeley, daughter of  Lord Thomas Berkeley V)
13X gg Anna Catherine Vaux, 1488-1571
14X gg Lady Elizabeth Fitzhugh of Ravensworth, 1465-1513
15X gg Alice De Neville, Lady Fitzhugh, 1436-1503
16X gg Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, 1400-1460 (beheaded)
17X gg Joan De Beaufort, 1379-1440
18X gg John Plantagenet, Duke of Lancaster, 1340-1399 (also called John of Gaunt, or Ghent)
19X gg King Edward III, 1312-1377
20X gg King Edward II, 1284-1327 and Isabella, 1295-1358 (daughter of Phillip IV of France)

According to the expert genealogist on the show, this line can be traced all the way back to William the Conqueror. Queen Isabella was the granddaughter of Queen Isabelle of Aragon. I wish I had paid more attention in history class!

There are all kinds of sordid affairs, gruesome executions, and murderous plots among the various members of  this tree. The Courteney Cox episode of the TV show focused on the plot to overthrow King Edward II (he was apparently a terrible king). His wife Isabella conspired with her lover Roger Mortimer to seize the throne for her son. King Edward II (thereafter referred to as "the king's father") was imprisoned for months and later murdered in his chamber at Berkeley Castle (which you can visit today).

The Berkeleys - pronounced "bark-lee"- were an important family, second only to royalty in England. My ancestor Thomas Berkeley I was tried and found not guilty of the murder of King Edward II. To add to the family history drama, King Edward II's chamberlain Hugh DeSpenser was publicly executed - we are also directly descended from him through his daughter Elizabeth who married Maurice de Berkeley, son of Thomas. Side note: we are connected to the famous Berkeleys of Virginia, but not directly.

More Digging into the Bryant Family History

Another absolutely delightful day spent with Charlie Fletcher and his daughter, Terry (my 3rd cousin, as we found out). When we three get together, one never knows what direction the day will take!

The Fletcher home on Kent Lane, built 51 years ago. See the new tea house on the point to the left.

We started out with a tour of Charlie's "man cave" and private apartment over the garage. There are artifacts from our family's past everywhere. I took photos and hope to attribute them to the correct forefathers in the Bryant-Fletcher family.

The first thing I saw was the antique car - this is the actual vehicle that was taken to family outings to Afton mountain when Charlie was a youth. I have written previously about the fateful accident involving another family car, in which cousin Idarene suffered severe facial injuries that left scars. Charlie would have been in that other car if his mother had allowed it.

Next we toured the upstairs apartment. Here are some of the family heirlooms that decorate this space:

Kitchen table from the Fletcher family home in Blackwater.

Bed tray made by Charlie's father, Bluke.

Buffet table made by Blucher, Sr. for Addie. The table opens up for silver utensil storage.

Side table made by Bluke.

Plant stand - one of dozens made by Bluke.

A ride in the golf cart took us over to the Tea House built in honor of Terry's mother, Juanita. The little house is mostly glass on one side facing the sunset over the water. Inside, the house is decorated in Asian-style furnishings in soft greens. The tea house has two lofts - one for playing games and one for sleeping. Below are sitting and dining areas, and a bathroom/closet. Basic kitchen appliances and supplies are hidden away in a beautifully refinished armoire.

The tea house and footbridge to the house.

I enlarged this photo so the COLLARD GREENS FOR SALE sign could be seen above the sleeping loft.
Blucher, Sr. made this sign to sell produce from his farm in Blackwater. In the corner is a small desk and lamp made by Bluke, Jr. The lamp was fashioned from old colorful metal Venetian blind slats.

Toy chest made for Charlie by his father.

Vegetable bin made by Blucher, Sr. Each bin drains moisture to a pan underneath the bin.

Table made of wood scavenged from the Blackwater farm.

Chess set made by Charlie's father, Bluke. The pieces are stored in an old wooden nail-sorting container.

We ate fancy sandwiches for lunch, drank tea, and headed over to the main house to look through some old papers and photos. A letter written to Bluke, Jr. by my great grandmother Ida's was discovered in this old box:

This box contains piles of old letters and documents dating back to the early 1900's.

Terry brought out another large box of her grandmother's old photos and we realized that this job would not be completed in one sitting. But we did discover a few new facts to add to our family tree! For instance, Charlie had told us the story about his Uncle Billie (William Thomas Bryant) visiting the family home on Peachtree Street in Ocean View. Uncle Billie had an old wound on the inside of his right calf that wouldn't heal. Charlie recalled Billie sitting on the porch in a rocking chair and digging at the wound with a pocket knife. We wondered how he got this "war" wound, as it was described. Well, wouldn't you know, in the box we found a letter written in 1924 to Bluke, Jr. from his uncle Charles Bryant in New Jersey, and in the letter, Charles mentions "Billie's" leg wound that had occurred the previous year. There was no war in 1923 that we could recall! 

The letter from Charles Bryant is a treasure - it revealed other important new information that I have yet to assimilate into our family tree. The letterhead was from his piano company and gave both his business and home addresses. Who knows where these new clues will lead! 

The large box of photos contained mostly pictures of the Fletchers, but we found some amazing photos of the Bryant side of the family. We actually found a photo of the twins - Ida and Addie. I did not know that such a photo even existed.

Addie and Ida Rene, left and right. I think Charlie's mother Catherine is in the middle.
I'm guessing that the one on the right is Ida... she looks most like the photos I've seen of her.

Many, many more new photos and writings were gleaned from this afternoon's work. They will all be identified where possible, and will be posted to Ancestry. Plans were discussed with Terry for future genealogy road trips - to Southampton County, to the Library of Virginia in Richmond, and to Point Lookout, MD, where our mutual great great grandfather Eley Bryant was POW for a year.