On This Day in Family History - November 20

Amanda Jean 'Mandy' Waller was born 20 November 1977

Photo: Rick and Donna Waller with children Mandy and Aaron

Mandy is the daughter of Donna Kay Hawley. Donna Kay is the daughter of Oma Dell Barnett Hawley. Oma Dell was the daughter of Ruby Hicks and Arvil Barnett.

Ella Goade-Irby died 20 November 1958 age 82 (mother of Willie Mae Goad Burford)

Photo: Ella and Willie Mae (wife of George Burford)

Here's a better picture of Ella --

Photo L-R: Raymond, Juanita, Ella (front), Juanita's son Jim (back), Florence Burford 

Juanita Frazee was born 20 November 1924

Juanita was the daughter of Luttie Thomas and Fred Frazee

Raymond Milton Treat was born 20 November 1897 in Ohio

Ray was the son of Marcus and Massie Parker Treat (brother of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas)

Sally Joice Thomas died 20 November 1938 age 3 months, daughter of Charles and Johanna Speisz Thomas. (Charles was the son of Clarence Thomas, brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas)

Wanda Ann Searcy Johnson was born 20 November 1941

This picture was taken in 1948 or 1949. I believe the three girls sitting in front are Sue, Linda, and Wanda (not including the girl sitting behind them) - daughters of Estelle. They would be granddaughters of Edith Burford Searcy.

On This Day in Family History - November 19

Luttie Thomas married Fred Frazee 19 November 1914

Photo: twins Luttie and Lottie Thomas

I don't have a picture of Luttie as an adult. At least I don't think I have one... 

unless...

This photo is Effie and Charles Ford (back left). The others in the picture are not identified, but I think there is a good chance that the couple in front are Fiina and Otho Simeon Ford, and the two women (back right) dressed alike may be... maybe... Luttie and Lottie Thomas?

I don't have a picture of Fred Frazee. I have some pictures of a Fred Frazee from Watervliet, and he is related somehow to the other Frazee relatives in our family. But he was born in 1960 and I haven't been able to figure out yet exactly how he is related -- got to be the son or grandson of some of 'em.

Luttie Thomas and Fred Frazee were the parents of four daughters -- Juanita, Claudine, Mary Lou, and Barbara.

 

Photo: Mary Lou and Barbara with my dad, Richard Thomas

Juanita holding her great-granddaughter

Claudine with son Rick and husband Joseph

Luttie was the daughter of William G. Thomas and Nettie Durren Thomas

(I take it back -- I do have a picture of Fred Frazee)

Photo: Fred Frazee (left), William G Thomas (right)

William G Thomas was a barber in Watervliet, Michigan, for many years

Photo: William G Thomas in his barbershop, Watervliet, Michigan

On This Day in Family History - November 18

Aaron Duane White, Jr. was born 18 November 1946

Tracy Marie Jones Jones was born 18 November 1966

Winfolee 'Winnie' Miller Childers died 18 November 2005 age 82

On This Day in Family History - November 17

 Richard Melvin Thomas was born 17 November 1934 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan

Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad. 

On This Day in Family History - November 16

 Charles H. Thomas was born 16 November 1851 in Bangor, Van Buren County, Michigan

Charles was my great-grandfather

He married Nancy Ford

Charles and Nancy were the parents of six children - Clarence, Roy, Effie, Melvin, Renue, and William (my grandfather)

Back: Nancy Thomas, cousin Wilsie McMurtry, William Ford (Nancy's father), Renue, Charles. 

Front: Mel and Bill. The little girl is Georganna -- a granddaughter of Charles and Nancy, the daughter of Roy Thomas (not pictured).

On This Day in Family History - November 15

Charles McMillan Ford was born 15 November 1855 in New York

Charles was the brother of my great-great-grandmother Nancy Ford Thomas

David Thomas Spayde died 15 November 2013 age 80

David was the son of Georganna Thomas

Georganna's father Roy was a brother of my grandfather Bill Thomas

Dwaine Merele Rice was born 15 November 1921 in North Dakota

Dwaine was a brother of my aunt Eileen Rice Thomas (wife of my dad's brother Bernarde Thomas)

Ernest Timothy Hicks died 15 November 2018 age 63 

Ernie was the son of Lowell and Elaine Hicks 

Lowell was the brother of my grandmother Cleffie Hicks Burford

Helen Virginia Lockard Burford died 15 November 1897 age 41

Helen Virginia was the first wife of my great-grandfather Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr., and the mother of his first 3 children - Raymond, Edith, and Hazel.

Margaret Gard married David S Reel 15 November 1855

This is a photo of David S. Reel. I am assuming the woman in the picture is his wife Margaret Gard.

Margaret was a half-sister to my great-great-grandmother Adaline Lucretia Gard. Adaline married Asa Gibson and they were the parents of my great-grandmother Lora Gibson Burford.

On This Day in Family History - November 14

 John Dallas Treat married Mabel Gertrude Myers 14 November 1925

John and Mabel had one child, a son, Jack

John was the brother of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas.

Photo L-R: John and Mabel Treat, Jack and Joanie Treat, Christie and Bill Thomas

Jack married Joanie Colman and they had 3 children - Terry, Jeff, and Jackie Jo

This group picture was taken on John and Mabel's 25th wedding anniversary, 1950.

Back Row L to R: Madge Till, Mabel’s father, Leonard Till holding “Little Eddie” Heinze, Mabel’s brother, Myra (wife of Mabel’s brother), Eddie Heinze, Ruth Heinze holding Rita Heinze, Eileen Thomas holding Mick Thomas, Bernarde Thomas, Mary (Junior Till’s wife) holding Doug (Junior and Mary’s son), Junior (Leonard Elmer) Till holding Cindy (Junior and Mary’s daughter), Marcus Treat, Jackie Dallas “Jack” Treat. Front Row L to R: Christie Thomas, Massie Treat, Bill Thomas (kneeling), Mabel and John Treat (with cake), Mabel’s mother (Mrs. Myers), Richard Thomas. 

Some excerpts from my book Secret and Resolute:

Notes from Jackie Dallas Treat:  John married Mabel Gertrude Myers on November 14th 1925 in Galesburg, Illinois. They had one son Jackie Dallas who was born on November 21 1932 in Galesburg, Illinois.   John left home to work on farms at the age of thirteen years old. He loved to work with horses and became an outstanding teamster. He also had a good ear for music and learned to play the fiddle which later involved joining his sister Madge who played piano and a drummer, John Brown, to form a trio that played for round and square dances, they were also in demand to play for "Silent Movies" because they played by ear therefore did not require lights which interfered with the show. He worked many different jobs including Fireman for the CB&Q Railroad out of Galesburg to Chicago, He was a farmer and trucked produce over much of the Midwest. He worked for the Van Buren County Road Commission for many years from whom he retired in 1965.  He was a slim man who stood about five feet ten inches and weighed about one hundred fifty to sixty pounds. 

Notes from Jackie Dallas Treat:  Mabel was a short woman around five feet two or so inches who like her mother was a good cook and homemaker. She baked excellent pies but had problems getting cakes to rise properly. She liked to knit and sew while listening to or watching baseball and sometimes both at the same time while still doing her needlework. She liked all teams, but especially the Cubs or White Sox. "Nellie Fox” the White Sox second baseman was her favorite player.  She worked outside their home for the Bangor Fruit Exchange where she packed fruit for the markets during the fall season. Later she worked quite a few years for "Keller’s Dime Store" in Bangor. She was an excellent and devoted Mother to their son. 

Jackie Dallas Treat was born 21 November 1932 in Galesburg, Illinois, and died 07 May 2014.  He married Joan Louise Colman 04 June 1955.   Jackie, usually known as Jack, moved to the Bangor, Michigan area in 1933 and lived in this vicinity all of his childhood, graduating from Bangor High School in 1950.  He joined the U.S. Air Force 1/24/1953 and trained as a teletype operator, serving from August 1952 until June 1954 in Japan at Miho Air Force Base.  He was discharged 1/23/1956 from Donaldson Air Force Base, Greenville, South Carolina.  Jack always worked with horses and owned a team of large ponies.  He went to fairs and parades driving them with a wagon.  He had 23 different ponies. Jack has worked at several occupations including banking, piano manufacturing and musical band instrument repair. He retired in June 1995 from the Grand Rapids public school system.  After retirement he worked part time for Meyer Music Co. in Muskegon as a repairman of musical instruments.  Jack was the only member of his class who was in the band from 6th grade through graduation from high school.  He started playing trap drums at age 12 and played through his school days and Air Force duty.  He started his own trio after his discharge.  This group was together over seven years.  As late as December of 2000 Jack still played with a church praise band and several other groups.  

On This Day in Family History - November 13

 Neil Wallace Burford was born 13 November 1914

Neil was the brother of my grandfather Lester Burford

Photo L-R: George, Lester, Neil Burford 1956

Neil married Mildred Cooper

Neil and Mildred had one child, a daughter, Donnie Jeneal Burford

 

Here's a cute snapshot of Donnie (that I'll bet she doesn't know I have)

Photo L-R: Ronnie, Donnie, Bobby Burford 

(Ronnie and Bobby are her cousins, my uncles. Their father Lester and Donnie's father Neil were brothers.)