Author: Connie Kelly
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Remembrance of family I never knew

Ancestry.com reminded me tomorrow, May 4th, marks the 128th anniversary of the date when John William Phillips married Ida Velleta Reynolds. These are the parents of Elmer Radcliff, my maternal grandmother’s father. It’s an odd thing to consider. Their marriage was very short lived. The family took the time to report the wedding in the… Read more
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It’s a Wonderful Life

My husband did a DNA test for ancestry so we could use the results to add to the tree through the new feature they have that helps you map your DNA matches to your tree. He has hundreds, maybe thousands of matches I’m wading through. The other night I added a 4th cousin 2x removed… Read more
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Grandma Hendricks and Deer Creek

I drove through Deer Creek today, as I have hundreds of times, on my way to Washington from Carlock. I like to drive Main Street because I remember Grandma Carroll telling me her grandma, Grandma Nannie Hendricks, lived on Main St. Today I looked up the census records so I would know exactly which house… Read more
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Henry “Lace” Hoots

Henry Hoots, my 5x great grandfather, was born about 1827 in McMinn County, Tennessee. McMinn County is northeast of Chattanooga southwest of Knoxville. He was the third son of David and Hannah (Welch) Hoots’ 14 children. David was a farmer, born in Deep Creek, Surry County, North Carolina in 1804, raised mostly in Cumberland county… Read more
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Samuel David Hatton

Samuel David Hatton was born in 1749. He was my 6th great-grandfather. Samuel was born in Stony Stafford, Buckinghamshire, England to Thomas Hatton/ Heighton (B 1729 D 1797) and Hester Hall (B 1729- D 1759) my 7x great grandparents. In 1754 they lived in London, England. Hester died when he was just 9 and at… Read more
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Desperately Seeking Sam Myers

My grandmother, Clema (Myers) Starr never really knew her father I’m told. I never talked to her about it personally, but it’s my understanding he abandoned the family when she was very young. After I joined ancestry.com and learned how to investigate such things I began researching what happened to her father, Raymond Jasper Myers.… Read more
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From Clarissa to Clema

Clarissa Jane Wishon (DNA match confirmed) was my 4x great grandmother; she was born in Kentucky in 1830, the last of seven children for Adam and Nancy Miller Wishon (5x great grandparents). Adam was a plasterer and later a farmer. The Wishons moved to West Central Illinois shortly after her birth from Kentucky, from North… Read more
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Webster Holden Starr

William Holden, my 2x great grandfather was born in 1858 in Ridgeway, New York to Charles and Deborah Cramer Holden, my 3x great grandparents. Charles ran an Inn in Schenectady with Deborah and his brother Aaron. He served in the civil war at the age of 42 with the NY 90th Regiment and then by… Read more
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The Brent Women

The photo above is of Phoebe Ann Moore Brent and daughters Vesper, Eva, Jessie and Ida circa 1885. Ida Brent Married Emory Starr in 1898 and raised Ernest Starr from the age of 3. Emory is my 2x great grandfather and Ernest is my great grandfather. After Emory was killed by a lightning strike in… Read more
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Almeda Noakes

Almeda Noakes was born in 1870 in Ellison, Illinois to William and Minerva Wilcox Noakes, the fourth of 8 children William had with Minerva after fathering 6 children with a previous wife. William was a farmer. Almeda married Emory Starr in 1892 at the age of 21. Two years later in Stronghurst Illinois she gave… Read more