My cousin, Debbie, is the biggest history fanatic..or should I say, the most passionate about family stuff. For the last few years, she has been researching our side of the family, and I'm impressed with what she has found. Her findings have helped me to do a search of my own-for both my mother's and my father's people. Thus far, I was able to trace three or four generations of family, going as far back as 1840.
Can we talk about the census records though? The number of misspelled names-first and last; the inexact birth years; and the recording of ONE birth parent in some records was staggering. Those variables often made it difficult to find relevant, consistent information. Which is why I am going to pay a visit to the historical society and the department of archives very soon to get some clarification. Before I visit, I want to know if anyone anywhere has information on the following people-all on the paternal side of the family:
1. My paternal great-grandmother, Melissia(circa 1880-circa 1935). Her maiden name is recorded as Railey in some records, and in others, her married name, Simmons. I searched under both and was not able to come up with any solid leads. Furthermore, I am hitting a road block with regard to any siblings she may have had. But what I do know is that she had a niece named Bertha Lee Williams, who had two sons, James (Lilly) and Kenney (recorded in the 1940s census as Kenney Williams). What I don't know is whether Bertha's father or Bertha's mother was Melissia's sibling. Knowing THAT information will help me to trace her origins and her parentage.
2. Julia Winkfield. This was my paternal great-great grandmother, who was married to William Simmons (1840-1915 and was known at the time to be the wealthiest black man in Versailles), was the mother of my grandfather, Lewis Sr., and the mother-in-law of Melissia.
3. John T. Simmons, the brother of Lewis Sr, who was living with him and Melissia at the time of the 1910 Census.
4. Ethel Simmons, who was born circa 1910 in Versailles, Kentucky, but who was presumed to have been living down south-possibly in Alabama, Georgia, or Florida before her death-and who had six children. What is not known is whom she was married to in the 1940 Census. I tried finding her whereabouts, but no luck. I inferred that she was married because, at that time, she was not listed as a member of the Simmons household.
5. Emma Railey, the daughter of Melissia. She is one of those examples I mentioned about having ONE known parent. I may not NEED to know who her birth father is, but that information is helpful. What I DO want to know is if Emma, like Ethel, re-located in another area of Kentucky or out of state, if she married, if she had children, grandchildren, etc. I cannot locate any information on her.
But here's what I DO know:
1. Lewis Simmons, Jr. was a Private First Class who served in WWII.
2. The Old Simmons School in Wooldridgetown (no longer standing) was named in honor of Julia Simmons (nee Winkfield), who was apparently a beloved figure at the school. In what capacity she served, that is not known.
3. William T. Simmons, my paternal grandfather, was the youngest of all the children in the family and shows up on the 1920s Census as a mere eleven-month-old. I have been told that, like his brother, Lewis Jr., he was a war veteran. Which war? Unclear.
4. My grandfather's older sister, Julia, whom I got to know and who also had a hand in raising me until her death in 1982, was living with Lewis Sr. in 1940, along with her husband Wallace Clay and her daughter, Melissia, and son, James (Coney). Melissia, Lewis Sr.'s wife, had since passed away.
So many questions, and so many mysteries to unravel. I am not seeking this information to be meddling, but to understand who my family is and who I am, most importantly. I understand, because of the nature of slavery, some of the family records may not be available or even lost. In doing some of my research, I discovered that the 1890s Census records were burned in a fire!
The above are just the questions and the answers that I got from investigating my paternal lineage. I have also investigated my maternal side, but that is another post. For now, what I have will suffice. As I said before, I am impressed with what I was already able to do in one short month of focused researching and connecting dots!
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