Roots

My daughter Lauren asked me last night how long it generally took me to find a piece of family information on the Internet, once I started looking. I told her the truth: If I don't find it within about 10 or 15 minutes, I may not find it at all, or I may spend weeks before I do.

The Internet has simplified so much. When I started blogging about my Alawine roots, I remarked that it had taken me days, weeks, even months of sitting in libraries, winding microfilm, shifting microfiche around, poring through books.

Now, I just have to subscribe to certain web pages and start clicking. 

However, there are still times when the glitches hit. Yesterday afternoon was one of those times. It had to do with finding a Thead ancestor named John Oscar Lovett. 

He was in Mississippi in 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920. (For those of you who don't know about 1890's United States census: It burned, almost completely. Not much use looking for anybody in that year, at least not on a census record.) 

However, though John Oscar SAID he was born in Mississippi, I can't find him back past 1880. The frustration I felt last night was intense.

Here's a photo of him, apparently taken some time after maybe 1945 or -50. (In choosing that particular time range, I'm judging by clothing.)

He's buried in Lauderdale County, and everyone knew he was married twice; the first wife died in childbirth. But last night I discovered that there was an even earlier marriage than that one, to Lillian Denton, who also apparently died. So, surprises for genealogists are still out there!

While I enjoy having time off from school and take a day trip today for fun, here's a beginning family tree to help you sort out who's who.

And, by the way, where you see David White (right side) having lines to both James and Green Berry, that's accurate: both were his sons. 

Next post: Lottie Belle Lovett. 

Ælfwine