Out On A Limb With Jean

            My previous post was on causes of death, so it seems natural to follow a discussion of death with a discussion of cemeteries.   I find it an interesting fact that every culture around the world and throughout history has some sort of ritual surrounding the disposition of human remains.   Depending on the cultural or religious practices of any given ethnic group, rituals surrounding the treatment of human remains might consist of a funeral pyre, funeral scaffold, burial cave or catacomb, in-ground burial, above-ground mausoleum or cremation niche, or an urn of cremains kept by a loved one.   American is a fairly young country, unlike most of the rest of the world, so most of the cemeteries in the U.S. do not practice strict perpetual care rules.   In places like Germany the body is removed after so many years to make room for another burial.   The practice is, if no relative is paying the annual $1000 to $5000 fee ...

          One thing our ancestors all have in common is the simple fact that they are deceased.   But the cause of death and the age vary.   Some died of disease, or during childbirth; some died of old age or a long-term physical ailment; still others were killed by someone else, and even a few died at their own hand.   I’m going to tell some of these stories.   Not all of these will be direct ancestors, and I will include their relationship to our nearest ancestor in their story.        One of the earliest causes of death I have a record of is John WOODSON (1586-1644), my 9x great-grandfather who was killed by Indians in Virginia.  His story can be found in my previous blog, “The Churchwell Family Tree,” published on July 27, 2020.  You can read an article on the Woodson story at https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion-article/hidden-in-a-potato-hole/        Deaths during war time to...

I have been very blessed to be the keeper of the family history.   Not only did I inherit my dad’s interest in the family tree, but as I asked relatives for their memories they in turn shared with me some family treasures.   Although they may  not have any real monetary value, they are valuable by the mere fact of who owned them.   Take for instance, a simple wooden box my mother kept.   She bought it in Brownwood, Texas, where she followed my dad there when he was in basic training for the Army.   I recall seeing it in her dresser and I would pick it up and shake it and hear the coins rattling inside.   When I acquired it after she had died it was empty, and I was glad she finally spent the coins she had saved for so long.   She also gave me a  goblet that was given to my dad by his mother who said it had  had belonged to her father, Clayborn Samson VANHOOSER (1859-1899).       I have many, many Bibles.   M...

This could be a really short post, because pretty much every one of my ancestral fathers was a farmer, for at least part of their lives.  That being said, it was not uncommon for a farmer to also hold a position in their community, whether through additional training, or serving on a board or ruling body in the local government.  My 2x great grandfather William DENBY, was not only a farmer, but also both a physician and a minister, and served in both capacities during the Civil War.   He was a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church denomination in Missouri. Daniel Morgan STOCKTON was a farmer as well as a Justice in the Court of Common Pleas for Rhea County, Tennessee.   He served his community from 1829 to 1834, when the Tennessee Constitution established different judicial positions and requirements. My Grandpa Will CHURCHWELL was a farmer in Eastern Colorado, but also worked odd jobs which sometimes took him away from his family for weeks at a time. ...

 I hope you enjoyed seeing some postcards from 100 years ago.  I have many, many Christmas postcards - they must have been very popular a century ago.  Several of these are my Christmas tree ornaments.  I placed them in 4 x 6 plastic recipe sleeves, punched a hole in the plastic and tied a ribbon to hang the postcard from a tree branch.   These are presented in no particular order, just as I scanned them in.  MERRY CHRISTMAS! (date illegible) to Willie Churchwell from his brother Henry Richard 1907 to Willie Churchwell from cousin Jewel Durrett 1909 to Miss Iva Wallis from Edna 1909 to Miss Iva Wallis from her Uncle Rufus 1909 to William T. Churchwell from his sister Mona 1909 to Willie Churchwell from friend Rosie 1910 to Miss Iva Wallace[sic] from  1910 to  Will Churchwell from his future wife Iva Wallis 1910 to Will from "Sis" 1910 to Will Churchwell from his "loving sis" 1912 Mr. Will Churchwell from sister Josie & Albert (Vawter) 191...