Kowalczyk Family Photos from Poland

One of the (mixed) blessings of being the family historian is ending up with thousands of photographs, some originally belonging to people I neither knew nor was related to. My father's sister had most of her family photos and records. She also had some photos that originally belonged to her mother-in-law. 

Marianna (Mary) Kowalczyk was born in Gaczyska, Poland about 1892, a daughter of Franciszek Kowalczyk and Rozalia Mydlo. She married John Wiktorek after emigrating to the United States and had four sons - including her son Tony who was wise enough to marry my aunt Rose. She died in Johnson City, New York in 1985. These are photographs of her Kowalczyk family in Poland. A few are labeled. In Polish. Not a language I can decipher especially well. 

I share them hoping her family may find them here. I will be glad to provide what information is on the back of the photos upon request. With luck I can forward these on to someone for whom these will have more meaning. Though I do adore seeing them. 

 

Catherine & Gee Sawyer Revealed

 My Sawyer great-grandparents lived large. Large family. Large personalities. The stories are numerous, full of love and laughter. Much like their children. But since they died long before I was born, my images of them were constrained by the few photos I'd seen. Especially for Gee Sawyer (Jehu Stokely Sawyer, 1855-1940). My great-great aunts Selma and Mary Kathryn resembled their mother Catherine. I knew them well. I could imagine her cooking, or chatting, or chasing down a stray child. But the only photos I'd seen of Gee were a formal portrait at the time of his marriage, and this one of him not long before he died. 

Sawyer family, c. 1940 (from left to right, Clevel Sawyer Luttrell, Gee Sawyer, unknown man (perhaps Clevel's husband Hardin Luttrell), Mary Kathryn Sawyer McKenzie, Emma Sawyer)

It was hard to get the sense of him that I knew from the stories. However....

Looking through my aunt Mary Kathryn's photo album from the 1920s I found what I am certain is a snapshot of her parents. Faded, and not the greatest image of her mother. But, after I put it through the photo enhancement program at MyHeritage.com,  I can see Gee now. His little smile. Sparkling eyes. The relaxed embrace he and Catherine share. 

Catherine Conway and Gee Sawyer, c. 1927

That caption says it all. For me, too. Happy? Yes.

Social Media 1880s Style

I recently found a small collection of my great-grandmother's social media. Circa 1887. Her daughter kept the calling cards and autograph album tucked away in one of later boxes I've been examining. 

Late 19th c. calling cards and autograph album

The autograph book is from the years 1887-1888, when Flora McAdams (1867-1945) was finishing her schooling and getting married. The calling cards appear to be from the 1880s. 

The cards belonged to Flora's family and friends. I've identified all but one of people who visited her. Moving clockwise from the top left, the cards belonged to Maggie S. Bayless, Elmer E. McAdams, Ed McAdams, Della S. Hicks, Annie M. Williams, J. B. Mulkey, and Lizzie H. Range. 

Maggie Bayless (Sarah Margaret, 1868-1947) was Flora's first cousin, school mate, and life long friend. Their mother's were sisters. Elmer (1869-1925) and Ed McAdams (1874-1930) were Flora's younger brothers. Della Hicks (1868-1915) was a neighbor in the county west of Leesburg, Washington, Tennessee. I haven't identified Annie M. Williams. She may be a cousin of Flora's husband, R.J. Williams, but not one I've previously identified. J.B. Mulkey (James B., 1856-1883) was her mother's first cousin. Lizzie Range (1867-1899) was likely a classmate. She and her family lived across the county near the church Flora's Mulkey ancestors founded. I believe it was the church she attended with her family. 

The album was given to her by one of her teachers as a graduation present in December 1887. Most of the entries are from the holiday season that year and from the time of her marriage in March. Many of them were written in pencil and a challenge to read, but I had no trouble reading the first entry.  Dated January 14th, it reads "Miss Flora how can you love and thrive and be without a mate to comfort thee? Written by your friend R.J. Williams". They married in March. I suspect she kept the first page for him, for an entry dated in December is on a later page. 

Flora McAdams Autograph Album, R. J. Williams page dated Jan. 14, 1888.
 

Flora McAdams Autograph Album, R. J. Williams page, undated. 

Later in the album another message from R.J appears. This one is undated. I suspect it is nearer to their wedding. It reads "Every joy that Heaven can send, wealth and every kind of Treasure; health and love to thee my Friend and happiness without measure. Yours, R.J. Williams."

Sources: 

Flora McAdams Williams Papers.  c. 1883. Privately held by Susan Popp Clark . 2000

1880 U.S. census, Washington, Tennessee, pop. sch., District 17, ED 035, p. 563B, dwell. 262, fam. Samuel McAdams. 

1880 U.S. census, Washington, Tennessee, pop. sch., District 4, ED 030, p. 467D, dwell. 34, fam. 8, Margaret Bayless. 

1880 U.S. census, Washington, Tennessee, pop. sch., District 17, ED 035, p. 561A, dwell. 216, fam. 221, Delia Hicks. 

1880 U.S. census, Washington, Tennessee, pop. sch., District 4, ED 030, p. 484B, dwell. 342, fam. James B. Mulkey.

1870 U.S. census, Carter, Tennessee, pop. sch., District 5, p. 32B, dwell. 10, fam. James C. Range, Lizzie H. Range. 

Claiming Robert Hampton ~ a DNA victory

This is worth briefly returning to blogging. I am elated! 

Rachel Hampton Mulkey, my 4th great-grandmother has been a focus of my research efforts from my earliest days as a family historian. Given that I've been at this a while, she and I are nearing 50 years of rampant curiosity on my part and maddening discretion/mystery/stubborn refusal on her part to share her parentage. 

I've written about this before. More than once. I gave up believing the Andrew Hampton story decades ago when not a shred of any believable evidence linking her to ANY Andrew Hampton could be found. What could be found were a myriad of clues connecting her to the family of a Robert Hampton who died in 1796 in Washington County, Tennessee. 

Robert's will named his wife, Mary, five sons and no daughters. There is however, evidence  that Elizabeth Hampton Edwards (abt 1787-1840), the wife of Abel Edwards, and Sarah Hampton Bayless (abt. 1786), the wife of Samuel Bayless may have been his daughters. Abel Edwards and Hampton's sons attended a crying sale together and a marriage record exists for Sarah Hampton and Samuel Bayless. Hardly conclusive, but this is the frontier. Conclusive documentation is scant. There are also no records suggesting any other Hampton family lived in the area at the time Rachel, Elizabeth and Sarah Hampton were born. 

Rachel Hampton Mulkey lived near Jesse Hampton, a son of Robert Hampton. Rachel and Isaac Mulkey named one of their own sons Robert Hampton Mulkey. Their children served as witnesses on documents relating to the family of Robert Hampton, another son of Robert. They were members of the same church. 

A few years ago, after spending days pouring through the last boxes of documents from the era at the Archives of Appalachia and finding nothing naming Isaac or Rachel Mulkey and Robert Hampton I declared my reasonably exhaustive search complete. While I can build a convincing case, there were enough holes that I did not feel I could declare Rachel's parentage solved to my own satisfaction. 

Ancestry tree showing DNA matches to family of Robert Hampton. Rachel, as my direct line, is shown with green arrows. 

Enter DNA. I was thrilled when my maternal aunt (Rachel's 3rd great-granddaughter) matched a descendant of Elizabeth Hampton Edwards. And thrilled again when she or I matched three different Robert Hampton, Jr. descendants. And yet... The match to Elizabeth did not prove their parentage, only their kinship. One of the matches to Robert Jr. also shared other lines, so I could not be certain all of them supported the Hampton kinship. This week I found a match to a descendant of Robert's son John Hampton. That makes matches to three different documented children of Robert Hampton. The aggregate data persuaded me. I am waving the victory flag. 

Now who were Robert Hampton's parents? Who was his wife, Mary? 

Goldene Fillers Burgner, Washington County, Tennessee Wills 1777-1872 (Southern Historical Press, 1983, Easley, SC), p. 6. 

Washington County Inventories of Estates, Vol. OO, 1779-1821(WPA records), p. 113-122. Samuel Culbertson's Estate May Sessions 1799

  

Blog Caroling 2016

One of the women I admire most in the world has requested Christmas carols. She is one I joyfully obey!

So, dear fM, here is one of my favorite, favorite carols. One I heard constantly as a child and hear still today. I never tire of Harry Belafonte's voice. Nor of his version of Mary's Boy Child. Written by Jester Hairston in 1956 (a REALLY good year) it topped the charts the next year when Belafonte recorded it. It still tops mine.
#BlogCaroling2016 #fMRules#MerryChristmas

Long time ago in Bethlehem
So the Holy Bible say
Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ
Was born on Christmas day.

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forever more
Because of Christmas day.

While shepherds watched their flock by night
And see a bright new shining star
And hear a choir sing
The music seem to come from afar.

Now Joseph and his wife Mary
Come to Bethlehem that night
And find no place to borne she child
Not a single room was in sight.

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forever more
Because of Christmas day.

By and by they find a little nook
In a stable all forlorn
And in a manger cold and dark
Mary's little boy was born.

Hark, now hear the angels sing
A new King born today
And man will live forever more
Because of Christmas day.