52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 21): Nickname

 "Their real name is what?" 

The writing prompt for Week 21 in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is titled "Nickname". 

That word brought back a flood of memories for me and the people in my mother's family. It wasn't until I was in college that I knew the real names of some of mother's first cousins. 

It seems that mother's grandmother, Mamie TEEL Stuart, loved to give nicknames to her "kids". Well, at least to a son or two, and most of her grandsons. 

Mamie (TEEL) Stuart, Fisher Co., Texas

I knew these family members as "Chine", "Puggin", "Shorty", "Jug", "Scooter", "Frog", "Jimbo", "Chick", "Pookey", "Tadpole", etc. when I was growing up.

As I got older (college aged), my mother would call them by their birth names, and I often asked, "Wait?? Who are you talking about?" 

I asked more than one time, "Why did she give them nicknames like that?" No one could answer that question.

Years later, I still don't know the answer to "why", but I have learned from my mother, obituaries and genealogy research, what their birth names are/were. 

Was giving nicknames common in your family? My dad's family didn't seem to give nicknames. Was this a tradition in some families and not in other families? 

Let me know if your family gave nicknames, too. 

 - Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Nickname" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 15) School Days: Ringing the Bell at Sylvester School (TX)

This week in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge of Amy John Crow's is "School Days". What do you think of when you hear the words "School Days"?

When I saw the word "school" I immediately thought of one of my favorite old pictures in my scrapbook album. The sons and daughters of Jefferson Davis Stuart and Mamie (Teel) Stuart, including my grandmomie, Eva Nell, attended school at Sylvester, Fisher County, Texas. 

The page from my album below includes a picture of one of the Stuart sisters ringing the bell at the school. She has the biggest smile and is probably pulling the rope as hard as she can. It also looks like she's getting help from the man standing close by. 

Eva Nell and sister, Lucille

Old Sylvester, Texas, schoolhouse in 2019

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "School Days" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 14) "Favorite Recipe": Black Cherry Salad

My family had – and still has – a lot of good cooks. What I remember most as a child was my paternal grandmother Cauble’s “Chocolate Pie”! Yum!! And then my “Mama Stuart” (my maternal great-grandmother) made a “Big Ben Cake”. 

How can I choose a favorite as asked to do in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 14) "Favorite Recipe"? Don’t make me, please. I'll try, but honestly, there is not one favorite recipe for me. 

My maternal grandmomie Dennis made the following BLACK CHERRY SALAD. It was one of my favorites as a kid growing up so I'll put it in the spotlight in this blog post.

Black Cherry Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package black cherry Jell-O
• 1 can black cherries
• 1 can pineapple
• 1 small package cream cheese
• ½ pint whipping cream
• 1 cup pecans
• Miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Drain the juice from the canned cherries and pineapple.
2. Prepare the Jell-O according to the directions on the package, substituting the cherry and pineapple juice for the liquid.
3. Dissolve the cream cheese in the warm Jell-O mixture.
4. Add the drained cherries, pineapple, miniature marshmallows, and pecans to the Jell-O mixture.
5. Whip the cream and fold it into the mixture.
6. Refrigerate until set.
7. Serve chilled and enjoy!

It's easy to make and a cool, refreshing dessert. With the hot southwest Texas heat we're having right now, this Black Cherry Salad may be on our table this weekend. 

I asked ChatGPT 4o to put the ingredients and instructions into recipe form. Above is it's format. And I got something extra. Here's a little limerick ChatGPT 4o wrote for me: 

"In a dish of black cherry delight, 

With fruit, nuts, and cream pure white, 

Mix Jell-O with care, 

Marshmallows in there, 

A salad that's truly a bite!"    

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Favorite Recipe" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: (Week 1) Family Lore - Unraveling Family Myth of the Stuart Families of Mississippi and Texas

Welcome to 2024 and another engaging round of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge, initiated by Amy Johnson Crow. This year, we kick off with a theme close to many of our hearts: family lore. Let me share a personal anecdote that turns a family myth on its head.

Growing up in Texas, my family always proudly identified as the Stuarts. There was another clan in town, the Stewarts. Our family lore was firm: "We are not related to any Stewarts, only Stuarts." This was a line drawn in the sand, separating us from them.

Flash forward to 2004. Curiosity and a bit of genealogical mystery led my male Stuart cousins in Mississippi to take Family Tree DNA's Y-DNA test. Our aim? To trace the elusive father of William Davis Stuart (b. 22 February 1823 in Alabama - d. 20 July 1907 in Neshoba County, Mississippi) (pictured below with his wife, Hannah Jones, who is being incorrectly listed in trees now as "Hannah Mariah Delbridge" of Missouri. Hannah Delbridge married a different William Stuart in Clark County, Missouri).

The results were nothing short of a revelation. Our Y-DNA matched with descendants of the Cowpasture Stewarts from Augusta County, Virginia, originally hailing from Perthshire, Scotland. In a single test, the long-held belief of our unique Stuart lineage was debunked.

As an interesting footnote to this tale, my Stuarts lived near the families of William Stewart in Winston and Neshoba Counties, Mississippi. Despite the proximity, our family narrative was firm even after Y-DNA testing showed we were Stewarts: we were not related to those Mississippi Stewarts.

Intrigued and determined to uncover the truth, we found a descendant of William Stewart willing to undergo a Y-DNA test. The results were eye-opening: he matched with our Stuart men. Subsequent research unveiled that the William Stewart family is, in fact, closely related to our William Davis Stuart family.

This twist adds another layer to our family's rich tapestry, reminding us that sometimes, family lore and historical facts can converge in the most unexpected ways.

Yes, we are indeed connected to those who spell their name as Stewart. This discovery not only reshaped our family's story but also underlined the power of DNA in genealogy. It goes to show, sometimes the tales we grow up hearing might just be waiting for a twist in the tale.

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Family Lore" this week.

- Revis

Valentine's Day 2023

Today is Valentine's Day 2023. I was thinking about the excitement as a kid of taking Valentine's to school for classmates. Would I get candy? Do you remember these "Sweetheart" candies? You can still buy these "full of sugar" hearts! 

Going through my never-ending stash of photographs and memoraphilia, which my mother kept for years, I came across this Valentine that my sister and I sent to my maternal Grandmomie, Eva Nell Stuart Dennis. 

Do you remember giving Valentine's to your parents or grandparents? Girlfriend/boyfriend? Best friends? Did you give candy or flowers?

From my furry buddies (Callie and DT) to all of you, I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!  

- Revis

Treasure Chest Thursday - Old Things!

 What's a heirloom, really? As I pondered this (yes, I ponder...it's an old saying we said in the red sand area of Texas where I grew up known as the "rolling plains"), I wondered, was it something very old? Was it something special, but rare? Just what does it mean to me? Or to you? 

Merriam-Webster's definition includes: something of special value handed down from one generation to another.

I'm lucky. No, I'm blessed. As I look around my home, I have quite a few "heirlooms". Pieces of furniture that belonged to my family and my husband's family. Paintings. Dishes. Silver set and gold flatware set. Old bible(s). Jewelry. 

Jewelry. 

Not expensive jewelry, but special jewelry. I have a few pieces that belonged to my Mother's mother, my Grandmomie, Eva Nell Stuart (b. 10 Mar 1914-Roby, Fisher County, Texas - d. 11 Jul 1981, Roby, Fisher County, Texas).

What makes this jewelry so special (besides being hers) is that Eva Nell and her family suffered at least two (that I can recall) fires that destroyed their homes and all that was in it. Pictures gone. Furniture gone. Everything lost in the fires. So having anything that was hers is a keepsake and special to my family.

Here's my Grandmomie Eva Nell Stuart Dennis and two of her sisters, Marjorie Stuart McCuistion, and Lucille Stuart Carter. Notice my Grandmomie has a brooch or pin on in this picture. 

L to R: Eva Nell Stuart Dennis, Marjorie "Marge" Allen Stuart
McCuistion and Mamie Lucille Stuart Carter

 And below are the pieces of jewelry I have in my possession that were Eva Nell's. How I would love to talk to her and ask her where she got the pieces.  

1st Picture: Top Left: Bracelet, Brooch. Lower left: Pins
2nd Picture: Closeup of the bracelet

I hope that these pieces will continue to be passed down in my family. But you never know what will happen to them. The trend today is minimalist. Many younger people don't want anything that belonged to older family members. The "china" plates (used only for special occasions back in the day), the flatware (silver), old photo albums and beautiful armoires or buffets are thrown out or given to Goodwill (or other organizations). 

Do you have heirlooms from your family? If not, do you buy old pieces of furniture or jewelry at antique stores or auctions? 

As I look around my house at the things that belonged to my ancestors, I am left with this thought: "Oh, if you could only talk!! What things we might could learn!!"

-Revis 

Friday Faces From the Past - The Unknown Boys

The "Unknown Boys"  - that's what we call this picture we found among my Grandmomie's things after she died. Over the years, I've shown it to numerous family members at family reunions and other get-togethers from Texas to Mississippi.

What's interesting is that my Mother and her immediate family lost everything in two house fires. Everything. 

The pictures my maternal Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis had in her possession when she died had come from family and friends after the fires. She and my Grandfather Dennis divorced after my Mother married. Looking through the pictures, it was pretty obvious that none of the pictures were of my paternal Grandfather Dennis' family. And surprisingly, many pictures were marked with names. The few unmarked pictures have been hard to trace. I thought it would be easy since they must have been acquired by my Grandmomie Stuart-Dennis recently in time (post-fire). 

My family believes that these are pictures of some of the family (or maybe friends) of the Teel's or Stuart's of Fisher County, Texas.

The Teel's came to Texas by way of Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa and Virginia and included the Ham's of Bibb County, Alabama and (Indian Territory) Oklahoma, Other surnames are Parker, Cassidy and Lawrence. 

The Stuart's came to Texas from Neshoba County, Mississippi, and included surnames Yates, Musgrove, Cooksey, Barber, Jones, Stainton/Stanton, Hester and more.

Here's cropped versions of the young men, who I assume are brothers, in the group picture.

If you have any ideas or think they might be from your family, please contact me.

 Revis

52 Ancestors: Week 2

Week 2: Favorite Photo

The prompt for this week is “Favorite Photo”. I have to admit that I can’t begin to pick one. I like them all! But the favorites I pick for this post are that of my great-grandfather, Jeff Stuart, and his two sisters, Orpha and Emma. They were the children of James Monroe Stuart (1863-Neshoba Co. MS – 1947-Fisher Co., TX) and Nancy Emma Musgrove (1871-Nehosba Co. MS – 1899-OK).

Orpha Abigail Stuart Terry was born 15 May 1889 in Neshoba Co. Mississippi and died 3 June 1976 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas. Sometime after her birth, her parents and her maternal grandparents, Moncier Nowell Musgrove Jr. (1841-SC – 1908-Houston Co. TX) and Susan Frances Yates Musgrove (1844-AL – 1929-Houston Co. TX) left their home near Arlington in Neshoba County, Mississippi for Ratcliff in Houston County, Texas. Some of Susan's Yates family members had moved to Houston County, Texas, a few years earlier.   

Jefferson Davis Stuart was born 4 July 1891 in Brown County, Texas as James Monroe Stuart and Nancy Emma Musgrove Stuart traveled northward into Oklahoma. Jeff died on 13 August 1949 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas.   

Emma Cora Lee Stuart was born 30 May 1893 in Texas (probably Callahan County). She died 7 October 1983 at Roby, Fisher County, Texas.

The children’s mother (my great-great-grandmother), Emma Musgrove Stuart, died in Oklahoma and left “Monroe” (as he was called by family in Neshoba County, Mississippi) with three young children to raise by himself. The picture below is the only one I have of her.    

I grew up at Roby, Fisher County, Texas, where a young “Monroe” Stuart brought his three children to be near friends they had met in Oklahoma who had moved to Texas. He never remarried after their mother’s death. 

I never knew my great-grandfather, Jeff Stuart (called “Dad”) because he died about nine years before I was born. But I grew up calling his sisters “Aunt Orpha” and “Aunt Emma” and remember them fondly.

These pictures are part of the collection that led to my start in genealogy! 

James Monroe Stuart ("Monroe), Nancy Emma Musgrove Stuart,
children Orpha, Jefferson Davis.
Picture taken after July 1891 birth of baby Jeff.

Orpha Abigail, Jefferson Davis and Emma Cora Lee Stuart

Do you have favorite photos? And if so, do you know their stories? 

Revis