Sunday, March 29, 2020

Reaching out to cousins


I've been doing some reaching out via the Internet to family I've not been in touch with for a while - like southern cousins. I re-established contact with Frances Gardner via Facebook and got her email address. She is 92 and lives in Mississippi.  She is the daughter of my father's sister, Annie Williamson. I first met her in 1946 at my grandmother Crockett's funeral in Breman, GA, and more recently saw her at a Williamson family reunion in Florida about 10-12 years ago.  She is my favorite cousin, but I had lost her current address and hadn't gotten a Christmas card from her recently. But I got an email from her -  she still drives!

I've also reached out to Wiley Crockett whom I may have met back in 1946, but have not seen since. Wiley is the son of my father's younger brother, Bernard.  I haven't heard back from him yet.

Meanwhile, Tristan Crockett, my grand-nephew, had been doing some family research and had heard from a Lily Jinkins who turns out to be a descendant of my father's younger sister Otsie Maude. I had never heard of Lily before, but I was able to find a photo of dad and Maude and provide Tristan with  other information on dad's siblings.
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My dad's family in 1946. I am the 13-year-old boy in the next to back row fifth from the right. My mother is just in front of me to my right. Cousin Frances is two to the left of mother (or two down on her right) in a plum-colored suit jacket.

Maude Crockett with my dad, c. 1924. I think this was taken at Piedmont College, GA where they overlapped a year.
The Williamson Family reunion. Cousin Frances is almost center in the first seated row, white hair, and wearing a white blouse and black vest.  The three older folks to her right are all first cousins to me - Etta, Randall and Clyde. I'm in the back row, second from left.





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