52 Ancestors - Week 1 -2025 - IN THE BEGINNING

52 Ancestors – WEEK 1 – In the Beginning

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

In the beginning of my genealogy journey my husband had just lost his mother and he wanted to search more diligently for her ancestors and his birthfather, that he had been estranged from since his was a baby.

I sat by his side at the local LDS Genealogy Room requesting films using the Soundex forms and returned for our allotted appointments to review the rolls and rolls of film for people with the names BAILEY (B400) or HAMNER (H560), KEEFER (K160) or MAHANNA (M500).

Today there is a nifty converter to help us determine the Soundex if we still have a need for it.

https://www.creativyst.com/Doc/Articles/SoundEx1/SoundEx1.shtml#SoundExConverter

Once he determined that a lot of original vital records would be in Barnwell, South Carolina for his Bailey family, we were off on a journey. We took our Chevrolet van, or less than willing ten-year-old son and mapped out where we needed to visit. There we found a wealth of information about his forefather—Samuel Johnston Bailey, born in 1783 in Charlotte County, Virginia and died on Valentine’s Day in 1862 in Barnwell, South Carolina.

We went to the South Carolina to libraries and archives. We searched books and papers. We did get a xerox copy of Samuel Bailey’s will and discovered that he was a doctor and others in his family had been lawyers.

Today, with just the click of the mouse I can review the 1850 census and learn more about this family that my late husband sought so hard to discover. Another few clicks and I happened upon the 1850 census for Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia[1] where son Samuel Johnston, Jr. was with his new little family after the death of his first wife during childbirth.

First I want to say, OMG what beautiful handwriting the census taker had. Would be that ALL census enumerators had that kind of penmanship. I studied the entries and transcribed what I found.

    Samuel J. Bailey, 29, a timber merchant, born in Barnwell District, South Carolina

    Georgiana H Bailey, 20, his wife from Mississippi with land a value of $5000 [she had the money in this relationship]

    Sarah, 5 ½ born in Barnwell. This is Georgiana’s stepdaughter

    Elizabeth, 3, born in Barnwell. Her mother Elizabeth Ann Trotti died giving birth to her on 13 Oct 1856.[2]

    Anderson B. Bailey, 1 3/12, born there in Savannah, Georgia.

A younger, far less experienced genealogists would have missed all those clues. The fact that Georgiana was likely too young to be Sarah’s mother. And that it was her that had wealth, not Samuel the head of household. He had travelled from South Carolina back to Mississippi to get and marry Georgiana after losing his young wife. My new research question is: When and where did Samuel J. Bailey, Jr. meet his future wife Georgiana Bean from Maben, Mississippi?

So, in the beginning I was curious and eager to do genealogy research. Now I am more confident and ready to revisit the work done by my late husband and bring it up to the Genealogy Standards.

 [1] 1860, U.S. census, Chatham County, Georgia, population schedule, Savannah, District 1 p.1 (penned), dwelling 1, family 1, Samuel J Bailey; digital image, (http://ancestry.com: accessed 2 Jan 2025); citing National Archives microfilm M653, roll 115.

[2] Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18750337/elizabeth-t.-bailey: accessed December 10, 2024), memorial page for Elizabeth Trotti Bailey (-1856), Find a Grave Memorial ID 182750337, citing Barnwell Baptist Church Cemetery, old Barnwell, Barnwell County, South Carolina, USA; Maintained by Wimsang (contributor 47338429).

52 Ancestors - Week 52 - Resolution

 52 Ancestors – WEEK 52 – Resolution

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

Here we are at the end of this year's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I feel good about my participation. I ended up posting 27 blogposts. I learned a lot. I cried a lot. I had to think twice about what I posted taking into consideration of living relatives.

I definitely expanded my research. I reached a larger audience of genealogy clients and friends. I am happy I have left albeit a small footprint in the forever web of stories. I hope they still exist in some form 50 years from now, but who knows. Where were we 50 years ago in terms of the types of media we used to share our stories?

My resolution for the year 2025 is to continue this journey, but with a little moderation. I will pick my favorite prompt each month and write 12 blogposts.

My second resolution is to shift away from client work and focus on my own family story--making me the client.

My third resolution is to continue seeking ways to preserve and share our family stories with repositories and historical societies in the areas that our family came from.

My wish for everyone is a Happy and Prosperous New Year and much success in tracing your family roots and telling their remarkable stories.

 

52 Ancestors - Week 50 - Chosen Family

52 Ancestors – WEEK 50 – Chosen Family

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

I am the lucky, lucky mother of an adopted son. Our chosen family. When I tried for 10 years to conceive, but suffered two ectopic pregnancies, tubal repair surgery, and attempts at in-vitro, my late husband and I arrived at the conclusion that we would add to our family through adoption.

Of course we had worries. What if the child didn't love us? What if we didn't love them? What if our family didn't accept this child? Would my husband feel differently than about his two biological children?

I was young and headstrong and nothing could deter me through the process. There was a lot of paperwork, costs for healthcare for the bio mother. Legal documents, waiting, heartache, and more waiting. Part of our journey including allowing another pregnant girl to live in our home for three months as she awaited the childbirth. This kept the costs down overall for all the adoptive parents working with our private agency.

We were blessed to get to know a wonderful young woman and watch her life altering decision to give her little girl to a waiting couple. It allowed us to see all sides of the process. 

I prayed on New Year's Day of 1988 that my dream to become a mother would be fulfilled that year. In anticipation and with faith I furnished a nursery and bought tiny baby clothes. I kept this close to my heart, not sharing with many others. The girl living with us gave birth in early September and not five days later after we said goodbye to her at the bus station, we got the call that our child--a baby boy--had been born.

He would have had to have been conceived late December or perhaps even New Year's Eve. God is good and there are no mistakes. My chosen family grew to include his lovely wife, my sweet grandchild, my daughter-in-law's mother, and so many more people.

PS I couldn't have loved anyone more, his father adored him, and he has been a total blessing in my life.

52 Ancestors - Week 49- Handed Down

52 Ancestors – WEEK 49 – Handed Down

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

On of my favorite things to "hand down" are recipes. With each recipe comes a flood of memories. Who made it, where we ate it, what the house smelled like while it was cooking. My late husband Shephard H. Patton, Sr. loved to cook. He cooked Southern and Cajun specialties because he was born and raised in Southern Mississippi.

While going through some boxes (yes 14 years since he passed away) I came across a notebook with some handwritten recipes. He wrote like this, mostly block letters. Not ever cursive. He loved this dish and we had it on a lot of Mondays. That is a New Orleans thing. Wash day. IFKYK.

I miss him a lot. He was a great man. Make these and I promise you won't regret it. PS You can use any type of sausage, even turkey sausage.

52 Ancestors - Week 45 - Colorful

52 Ancestors – WEEK 45 – Colorful

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Ireland. A definite bucket list item, based on my ever-changing Irish heritage (currently at 18%, with Scotland jumping up to 34%).

To say the least it is colorful! The hues of greens and blues actually hurt your eyes. While we were there we say four rainbows breaking through clouds with a brilliant sun. No wonder the connection about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is linked to the Irish culture. 

We took a couple of tours that taught us all about the history and peoples of both Northern Ireland, U.K. and the country of Ireland. I really loved how colorful the country was.

Dunluce Castle, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

52 Ancestors - Week 43 - Lost Contact

52 Ancestors – WEEK 43 – Lost Contact

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

All my life I remember my mother telling me about her baby brother Melvin. How she missed him. How she really didn't get a lot of time living with him in their home because she married so young. How she wished he would keep in contact with her more.

She tried, but for whatever reason he was elusive. She only got occasional updates from our Grandmother Mahanna (Nana) on his whereabouts. We knew he married several times. We knew he had some daughters. We knew he lived in New York. We knew he worked as a fireman. My little brother Kevin Keefer also worked as a firefighter and Mom often commented on how "alike" he was to her own brother. His quiet reserved demeanor and his overwhelming kindness for others.

I was doing some broad searches on the Mahanna name last week and came across his obituary. I was looking for my cousins information, hoping to plan a reunion in the coming years. So I wasn't shocked to see he was gone. But sad. I also found his most recent wife's obituary. They had relocated to North Carolina from New York and that is where he spent his final days. 

Melvin Mahanna and older brother Donald, Jr. (home from his time in the service) Personal photo in possession of author

I wish I had known my Uncle Melvin better. I wish I had known his daughters. I hope I can contact them and try to overcome our lost contact.

His obituary confirms most of what I was told: https://www.27east.com/southampton-press/melvin-j-mahanna-of-north-carolina-and-formerly-of-north-sea-dies-june-26-2176721/   

52 Ancestors - Week 42- Full House

52 Ancestors – WEEK 42 – Full House

By Cynthia Keefer Patton 

Many of my paternal families had large families. There were LOTS of children. There MUST have been full houses where people congregated, ate, and slept. One of the families was Abram S. Keefer married to Susanna I. Miller. I am not certain but think his middle name may have been Stabutz or Stouffer which was his mother's maiden name.

    Abram S. Keefer, born 7 Mar 1847, Saltlick Township, Fayette, Pennsylvania. Married Susanna I. Miller, born 14 Feb 1854 in Pennsylvania in 1871. She died on 2 Oct 1925 in Bullskin Township, Fayette, Pennsylvania. Abram lived 17 more years and finally passed at the age of 95 on 17 Nov 1942 in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. They had the following children:

1. George Washington Keefer, 1872-1931
2. Benjamin Franklin Keefer, 1874-1950
3. Elizabeth Keefer, 1876-1952
4. Minerva Keefer, 1878-1948
5. Daniel M. Keefer, 1880-1942
6. Cyrus M. Keefer, 1882-1910
7. Jacob Miller Keefer, 1884-1962
8. Grant Edward Keefer, 1886-1962
9. Sarah Jane (Sadie) Keefer, 1889-1957
10. Nevada Mae Keefer, 1892-1980
11. Harry Abraham Keefer, 1894-1976
12. Ethel Blanche Keefer, 1896-1976
13. Anna Manilla Keefer, 1898-1984
14. Lloyd Austin Keefer, 1901-1963

When he died, his obituary named off his large family. A full house.

The Daily American, Somerset, PA, 20 Nov 1942, p. 2; newspapers.com