---Back Row, Left To Right, Nancy Alberta (Bertie), 13; Johanna (Josie), 21; George William, 26; David Andrew (Dave), 30; Martha Adaline, 18; Mary Jane (Mamie), 16.
---Front Row, Left To Right, Walter Calvin, 23; John Conley, 52; Mary Elizabeth, 53; Loyd Harold, 10; John Sanford (Sam), 28.
---(Note: The tall, handsome gentleman in the back row is my maternal grandfather, Dave Cates, for whom I was named.)
---Throughout my sojourn on this planet, I've had the pleasure of a full and varied existence, including, through the efforts of my educated parents, the opportunity of being exposed to an eclectic blend of topics, experiences and issues. This quarter's topic, GENEALOGY, is one that has always fascinated me from the time I was a young boy growing up in Oklahoma.
---Although having no brothers and sisters, I was part of a large extended family of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents who were never far away. This unity of loved ones gave me an appreciation for family that I hold dear to this day. It also instilled in me an abiding interest in finding out from where and who I came. In other words, what ancestral factors contributed to the mix of genetics, values and perhaps beliefs that I now shared. What foundation of building blocks in the past led to the "house" in which I now lived? The old adage that we may never always know where we are going but at least we should know from whence we came has always seemed to ring true for me.
---Thank you for letting me share these experiences with you. Perhaps you will find something here that strikes a related chord in your life. If so, please e-mail me and let me know of your experiences in tracing your family roots.
---My first experience at serious genealogy occured years ago on the dining room floor at my uncle and aunt's farmhouse in western Oklahoma. Prior to that I had been asking numerous questions of the relatives gathered there and soon found myself confused by the sheer volume of information I was trying to absorb. My aunt graciously found a roll of brown paper which I unrolled on the dining room floor and I began to transcribe the information into a pedigree chart format. (I still have that roll of paper).
---Later, looking over some old, tattered and faded documents that had been passed down through the generations, I became determined (some individuals have described genealogists as "obsessed;" I prefer "determined") to seek and find every detail possible on both my paternal and maternal ancestors.
---This brings up a pet peeve of mine re: genealogy. Some of us seem to only be interested in our paternal surname and give less importance to our maternal side of the family. For example, if my father's surname is Jones and my mother's maiden name is Smith, I'm just as much John Smith as I am John Jones. By the same token, if my paternal and maternal grandparents names were Jones, Smith, Brown and Green, I am equally, genetically-speaking, John Jones, John Smith, John Brown or John Green. (How many other researchers out there wish we would have, long ago, done away with the archaic practice of women losing their names and taking their husband's surnames when they married?)
---Later, I continued my quest for ancestral information by contacting other relatives, visiting the famed library in Salt Lake City, studying cemetery records, poring over old dusty volumes in musty courthouse basements and writing to bureaus of vital statistics for certificates. The LDS library in Utah is an absolutely excellent place to research ancestors as all of the helpful records imaginable are located there. Plan on spending at least 4-5 days there. That's the amount of time it took me, at 8-10 hours per day, to complete my basic research.
---While pursuing this desire for ancestral information and uncovering all of the extended families of those in my direct lines, I became interested in the concept of a descendants directory---sort of a "I wonder where they all are now." This was to become a much larger project than I had envisioned; however, for most branches of those extended families of my direct lines, I have compiled data for descendants down to newborns just recently arrived.
---Some of this effort was brought to fruition recently when I took my Dad back to Oklahoma on a trip to see relatives, friends and places of his youth. There were gatherings where virtually every type of relationship was represented---1st, 2nd, 3rd cousins, nephews, nieces, etc. etc.---it was a real genealogy melting pot.
---Cousins, cousins, cousins....it's incredible how many you uncover once you begin. Knowing your 1st cousins is usually pretty easy. You grow up around aunts and uncles, and their kids are your 1st cousins. Now 2nd cousins are a different story. (I'm not talking about the Oklahoma method of determing cousins where your 1st cousin's children are your 2nd cousins; no, they are your 1st cousins, once-removed. Your children and the children of your 1st cousins are 2nd cousins). 1st cousins share the same grandparents, 2nd cousins share the same great grandparents, 3rd cousins share the same great-great grandparents and so on.
---The number of cousins seems to grow geometrically, especially when ancestors have a dozen children and each of them has seven or eight offspring. At last count, I had about 15 1st cousins and over 50 2nd cousins. Finding, let alone ever meeting, a 3rd or 4th cousin is rare, even though you probably have a hundred or more. Enough about cousins, already...
---The descendants charts have almost been more fun compiling than the ancestry charts as you get to chat with people who are alive insteading of poring over records of those gone before us. This initially presents a challenge as the first response you might get from people you call is the same one they would give to a telemarketer. But once you explain that they are actually RELATED to you, it usually warms up the conversation. Most relatives I have dealt with have been very accomodating in providing me with data and other information on their branches of the family tree. Sometimes you even pique their interest enough that you eventually convert yet another to the hobby of genealogy. And it is a hobby, and hobbies take time. A pitfall to avoid is allowing the hobby to become an obsession that crowds out the other real aspects of your life.
---Instead of a genealogy "program," I created my own style that's a combination of an outline/prose format. The data I include is everyone's full name---first, middle and last---, birthdate, birthplace, marriage date, marriage place, deathdate, deathplace, burial place if different, divorce date, spouse's parents full name, children from other marriages if half-siblings to my relatives, adopted children, cause of death and any vignettes regarding any of the persons in the family. The only disadvantage is that I have to remember all of the names as there is no way, without a program, to punch in a person's name and have it retrieved. This was not originally a difficulty but I now have over 200 single-spaced typewritten pages and it now becomes a stretch on the memory banks.
---One side benefit to this pursuit of a nationwide descendants directory I have jokingly referred to is having a relative every 300 miles thus creating a chain of free motels and meals if I should ever decide to tour the United States. Did I say jokingly?
---If reading this enhances your interest in tracing your family roots, I have lots of internet links available to help you get started. Some of them can be found on my genealogy page---the link is listed at the bottom of this homepage. I would also be interested in hearing about your experiences in genealogical research.
---Finally, what discourse on genealogy would be complete without the surname list. Who knows, you may recognize one of these names as your own and we may have a common link to the past or the present. The surnames I have been researching include: Harris, Elam, Looney, Briggance, Singletary, Cates, Holman, Kelley, Shelton, Doan(e), Peckham, Masonhall, Sample, Grieger, Hockenberry, Beckett, Foley, Davis, Hickman, Asbury, Reuters, Compton, Drake, Winsell, Metcalf, Smith, Paul, Gile, Flinn, Menefee, McRae, Milgrim, Epperly, Moore, Leslie, Miller, Oder, Pogue, Robertson, Hultman, Palmer, Kopf, Coyle, Whitehead, Pickens, Newman, Urban, Williams, Wears, Becker, King, Miles, Ames, Walters, Johnson, Blakeman, Koth, Anderson, Kramer, Hephner, Darter, Weir, Habbershaw, Denton, Pratt, Boyd, Stockman, McDaniel, Spina, Vuletich, Jordan, Pollock, Perisol, Haines, Hunsperger, Outhier, Burrow, Kabriel, Bryant, Hutton, Wedel, Furnas, Willaman, Waugh, Patrone, Gaunt, Westergaard, Eidson, Ballew, Thomas, Burke, Josephs, Winn, Cato, Howe, Bakewell, Cason, Motl, Galloway, Cox, Henson, Ewing, Henley, Hurlburt, Eldridge, Gudgell, Byers, Tischoff, Phillips, Denham, Dirksen, Georgeson, Schales, Qualls and several more I've probably forgotten to include.
---How did I come to have some sort of genealogical tie to each of the above surnames? Easy. Just refer back to the above paragraphs on cousins and do the math. Of course, with today's shrinking family size, the numbers in our descendants' "extended families" will be much smaller than now. (Maybe I should have waited for another 50 years to do this---at least the phone bill wouldn't have been so high!)
---Since we all came from Adam and Eve, that question is moot, but if you ever look back into your past and find the following couples, give me a call because we definitely share a link...a link with the past.
---My maternal great-great grandparents were Isaiah Cates and Nancy Shelton; David Kelly and Helen Holman; James and Elizabeth Singletary; William Russell Looney and Sara Emily Elam. My paternal great-great grandparents were John William Mesenholl and Charlotte Grieger; John C. Peckham and Isabella Hockenberry; Richard Thomas Doane and Anna Eliza Beckett; David A. Sample and Nancy Foley.
---My maternal great grandparents were John Conley Cates and Mary Elizabeth Kelly; William Harrison Singletary and Sarah Emily "Sallie" Looney. My paternal great grandparents were George Henry Masonhall and Sarah Jane Peckham; Benjamin Grant Doan(e) and Rebecca Jane Sample.
---If you decide to embark upon the journey to find your ancestors and/or extended family relatives, be prepared to spend the time necessary and remember, as with other hobbies, you do not have to have a reason to do it that makes sense to others---your own personal satisfaction will quite suffice.
---Happy hunting...
---Back Row, Left To Right, Anna Rachel Cates, 13; David Elmer Cates, 9; Mary Emily Cates, 11.
---Front Row, Left To Right, John Charles (J.C.) Cates, 2; David Andrew Cates, 38; Ina Isola Singletary-Cates, 29.
The Lure Of The Open Road --- TRAVEL
The Recreational Side Of Life --- SPORTS
Looking Back Into Time --- LINKS WITH THE PAST
Are We Related? --- MY ANCESTORS
A Special Couple --- ALBERT MASONHALL & ADDIE DOAN (A Biography)
"We're Playing Your Song" --- SANTIAM RIVER BAND
Dedication and Skill --- SIERRA SWEETHEARTS SOFTBALL TEAM
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