Where Was Your Family in 1908?

Lisa, who has the energy to write several interesting blogs, posed the question, "Where was your family in 1908?" on, appropriately enough, her 100 Years in America blog.

A century ago, neither of my paternal grandparents had been born yet, although one, my grandmother Jessie Beatrice Bowie, was just a year away. Her parents, my great-grandparents, Hattie Bryant and Elias Bowie, Sr., had recently met and were living in San Antonio, Texas. Hattie's and Elias' parents were also in Texas. Guy Bryant and Maria Martin lived in Rockport, Aransas County, Texas, in 1908. Guy was a butcher. John Wesley Bowie and Amanda McCray made their home in the east Texas town of Longview in Gregg County. They lived at 114 Morgan Street and 63 year old John did "odd jobs."

My other paternal great-grandparents, Otis Manson and Bettie Sanford, lived on a farm near Rockdale, Milam County, Texas. My great-great-grandmother, Matilda Manson, lived near them. Bettie's father, Billie Sanford, a 98 year old former slave, was still alive, also in Milam County. Billie would live to be 106 years old.

My maternal grandfather, Eddie Gines, was 10 years old and lived with his parents, Richard William Gines and Sylvia LeJay, at 1540 Ashton Street, Shreveport, Louisiana. Great-grandpa Dick was a fireman at Shreveport's electric powerhouse. I know nothing of Dick's parents. Sylvia's parents were Lewis LeJay and Syntrilla Brayboy. By 1908, Lewis had probably passed away. Syntrilla, however, still lived in De Soto Parish, Louisiana, not far from where she had been held in slavery.

My maternal grandmother, Annie Florida Corrine Long, was six years old and lived with her parents, James William Long and Mary Elizabeth Johnson. Their house was at 2711 Wyoming Street, on the west side of Kansas City, Missouri. Great-grandpa James was a Baptist preacher and in 1908 was the pastor at Kansas City's Sunrise Baptist Church. His parents, Richard and Pauline Long, were deceased. My great-great-grandfather, Zeke Johnson, was still alive and well in Kansas City. My great-great-grandmother, Sarah Gilbert, may have been alive in 1908, but this is not certain. Zeke's father, Dan Carpenter, was alive at age 83, in Clay County, Missouri, just north of Kansas City. He died at age 95. There is some evidence that Zeke's mother, Harriet Mitchell, was alive and living in Johnson County, Kansas, but this is not certain. She would be about 83 years old as well.

In 1908, none of these ancestors could have foreseen me and life as it is today.

Another Cousin Found!

A few weeks ago, I met a cousin from the Brayboy branch of the family at a genealogical conference in Sacramento. That was a very fulfilling meeting on a number of levels and I'm still processing some of the information she gave me. One thing, among many, about that chance meeting, was that it was the first time ever that I had come face to face with a Brayboy cousin. A few days ago, a person left a comment on an older post here concerning the LeJay branch of the family. The LeJays have been the most difficult family to find. The commenter said she was researching the LeJays as well! Turns out that the commenter, a college student, is also a descendant of Sylvia LeJay Gines, my great-grandmother (and of course, therefore, also a descendant of Syntrilla Brayboy LeJay, Sylvia's mother). This cousin belongs to the Nacogdoches, Texas, branch of the Gines family. Richard William Gines (1860-?) and Sylvia LeJay (1863-1940) lived in Shreveport and had ten children, the oldest being Frank Gines (1883-1946). He married Willie V. Cole (1890-1983) and they ended up in Nacogdoches. The third of their eight children was Jennie V. Gines (1918-2006). Jennie became the great-grandmother of my commenting cousin. (And since it appears that the rest of that branch is still alive, I'll stop there). I'll be sending my newly discovered cousin further information on her family tree. It's a bit unusual to find someone at her stage of life interested in her ancestry. But she is a person with a bright and active mind (as I can tell from reading her own [non-genealogical] blog).