Memory Tree Genealogy Journal

This week, my brain has been on overdrive.  As in, mind-exhausting working.  Twisting, turning, stretching, crunching, typing, wondering, connecting, wondering, searching, finding, giving up kind of work. Can you relate? Here's my genealogical topic of choice for the week.  You know, the one that's driving me crazy?!? Here's where it all starting.  Going to just blame this one on my dear ol' Dad  (he's the Hughes, after all!).  He blessed me with a surprise bundle of historical digital photos of our Parrish, McMath, and Mercer families.  One such piece of info he shared was an obituary for his mother's late sister, Christine Parrish (1927-1941).  In the article was a mention of a "Betty Hughes" (she and Christine both died in a tragic car accident) and "Otis Hughes", Betty's brother (a passenger in the car).  This got me thinking about, well, one of my biggest brick walls at the moment - my HUGHES family line beyond my great-gra...

1896 Map of Henry County, Alabama.  IMAGE SOURCE Have you discovered interesting connections among ancestors in your family tree? Several years ago, I remember hearing my father speak about " two sisters marrying two brothers " somewhere in his family line...but I can't remember specifics.  Kept that tidbit in the back of my mind while setting out on this grand adventure of exploring our family history!  What do you know...I found one such set of siblings.  It's possible this isn't even the one to which was referring.  Maybe there are more to discover! Only a couple of generations back, I located sisters Minnie Cora McMath and "Dutch" Isabelle McMath.  I added the quotes to "Dutch", because it seems like a nickname; I'm not positive of its origins (maybe Dad can enlighten me?) or whether or not it was in fact a nickname.  All census reports list her name as Dutch.  Interesting! I also located brothers Johnnie Levey (I think this...

(Photo passed along to me from my father.  Photocopy of an original held by his cousin, Vivian Jordan) Instead, should I entitle this post, "Fishing Friday" - since I'm really and truly fishing for more information?  A few long lost cousins with information to share? One of my current puzzles at the moment is my 2nd great-grandmother, Mary Woodcock Hughes.  Mary is the mother of my father's grandfather, Dallas Jackson Hughes.  At this point...I'm fairly "puzzled" about both Mary and her husband William J. Hughes (spelled 'Hughs' in a handful of places).  Not much that I've been able to definitively trace beyond their immediate family.  Some guesses, but nothing concrete.  I've been sidetracked with other projects, and now I have a bit of time to devote to examining what I've heard referred to as the "FAN Club" - Friends and Neighbors.  Taking time to examine each census telling, making note of each of the surrounding ...

Dallas Jackson Hughes was my father's grandfather.  Born in 1880 in Henry County, Alabama, Dallas later married Hattie Bruner and had several children - among them, my grandfather Alto Hughes.  Below is an image of Dallas' WWI draft registration card from September 1918, almost a year after congress passed the Selective Service Act ( Wikipedia ).  WWI draft registration cards have been very helpful for me personally, because they include such detailed information.  Place of birth, next of kin, occupation, citizenship, physical description.  According to his card, Dallas was of medium height, medium build, had gray eyes and dark brown hair.  This definitely helps me form a mental picture. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.  Accessed 24 January 2013. Dallas is at the heart of one of my currently genealogical mysteries - a "brick wall" in resear...