March 5

Richard Melvin Thomas, Jr. married Polly Ellen Nimeth 05 March 2004

Happy 20th anniversary!

March 3

 Dorothy Mae Arnold was born 03 March 1930

Dorothy Mae was the daughter of Marlie Arnold and Birdie Hays

Marlie was a brother of my great-grandmother Annie Arnold Hicks

PHOTO: Birdie and Marlie Arnold

PHOTO: Arnold and Hicks cousins. Annie's kids: Olan, Evalee, Lowell, Bernice, Vernell, granddaughter Oma Dell. Marlie's kids: Noel, Dorothy Mae, Lois, Hope, Arbon.

 

PHOTOS: Dorothy Mae.                    Noel, Hope, Sylvia.

These pictures include Dorothy Mae's sisters Hope and Sylvia. The photo on the right was taken at the annual Carter/Arnold reunion in 1994.

Dorothy Mae married Lee Rapert and had two children - Sarah Lee and Larry Wayne. Dorothy had two more children with her second husband Bill Lafkin - Noma and Clinton.

PHOTO: Larry Wayne Rapert

On the FindAGrave website today I found some new pictures!

Lee Rapert

Bill Lafkin

PHOTO: Aunt Birdie holding Dorothy Mae

March 2

Chad Jonathan Hicks was born 02 March 1980

Chad is the son of Chuck and Melinda Hicks (grandson of Olan and Barbara Hicks)

Donna Kay Hawley was born 02 March 1955

Donna is the daughter of Oma Dell and Donald Hawley (granddaughter of Ruby Hicks Barnett)

Faun Herdman McDonald Henderson died 02 March 2002, age 91

PHOTO: Bob and Faun McDonald

Faun was a cousin of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas

Floy Elizabeth 'Bill' Castleberry Hicks was born 02 March 1912

PHOTO L-R: Bess and her brother Jack Hicks, Jack's wife 'Bill'

Isabel Matilda Carter Cartee died 02 March 1900, age 25

PHOTO: Tom and Matilda Carter Cartee

Matilda was a sister of my great-great-grandmother Adaline Carter

Janis Carol Couch Hicks was born 02 March 1943

PHOTO: Junior and Janis Hicks

Janis is the wife of Elvin Hicks, Junior

Madge Eleanor Treat Till died 02 March 1999

PHOTO: Madge and Leonard Till

Madge was the sister of my grandmother Christie Treat Thomas

Pearl Sylvester Stoner was born 02 March 1904

PHOTO: Fairy, John, Alice, and Pearl Stoner

Pearl was the son of Alice Parker, sister of my great-great-grandmother Celia Campbell Parker

Willie Mae Goad Burford was born 02 March 1903

PHOTO: Willie Mae and George Burford

George was a brother of my grandfather Lester Burford

March 1

 John Thomas was born in 1640 in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

He died 08 October 1729, age 89, in Kingston, Rhode Island.

Needless to say, I don't have any photographs of him. But I'm starting my post with him today because today is St. David's Day -- the national holiday of Wales. For some reason it gives me joy to have Welsh ancestors, even if I had to go back 500 years to find them. (Maybe latent memories of a past life there?) 

John's wife was named Abigail, and they had a son George, who was born in 1681. That's as far back as we've been able to trace the Thomas family lineage -- ten generations.

And... in honor of St. David's Day and my Welsh ancestors, I've finally finished organizing and publishing last year's blog posts in book form. (Kindle format. I haven't re-worked it for paperback yet.) It is actually two books, because there were too many pages to put it all in one book.

The Kindle version is now available on Amazon

February 29

 Cynthia Jewell Bridges was born 29 February 1952

Leslie Ellis Leeth was born 29 February 1884

February 28

 Sarah Lovada Carter married William Earl Tatum 28 February 1930

Earl and Vada had two children - Elvin and Olla Mae.

Lovada Carter was the daughter of John Martin Carter and Amy Tamsett Carter

John was the brother of Adaline Carter Arnold (my great-great-grandmother).

Amy was the daughter of Sarah Tamsett.

PHOTOS: Adaline Arnold, Sarah Tamsett 

(The original of this photograph had both of these women sitting side by side, but I don't have the original)

Sarah's daughter Amy married Adaline's brother John Carter, and

Sarah's daughter Jessie married Adaline's son George Arnold.

So the Tamsetts were related by marriage to both the Arnold and the Carter branches of the family tree.

(And George Bullard married Josie Tamsett... but let's not get into that particular tangle of the Bullard/Tamsett/Arnold connections today.)

(Oh, and Earl Tatum's half-brother Hershel married George's daughter Opie Arnold...)

February 27

 Fiina Herranen Ford was born 27 February 1905 in Montana

She married Otho Simeon Ford 17 November 1928 in Tijuana, Mexico

Otho was the grandson of Charles McMillan Ford, who was the brother of my great-grandmother Nancy Ford Thomas.

Otho and Fiina had two daughters - Della and Effie

The last I knew Della was still living in Montana. She and my dad had a lively correspondence during the years he was working on the family history. I know my grandmother (Christie Thomas) kept in touch with Fiina and Otho by mail, even though they lived in Montana. I remember hearing their names mentioned from time to time, but I don't think I ever met them.

This picture is only labeled with the names of Effie and Charles Ford (back left). I think the couple kneeling in front may well be Fiina and Otho. Don't know who the other women are -- I wonder if they could be Luttie and Lottie Thomas (just because they are dressed in matching outfits) ???

February 26

Hazel Amy Burford Johnson died 26 February 1967, age 75

Hazel was the 2nd child of Alexander Oscar Burford, Jr. and his first wife Helen Virginia Lockard

PHOTO L-R: Edith, Hazel, Raymond Burford

In this group photo, Raymond is on the far right. George (holding the baby) is Raymond's half-brother - son of Alexander Burford and his 2nd wife Lora Gibson (my great-great-grandmother).

PHOTO: Hazel is on the right. The other woman is Juanita Burford Hombs (half-sister of Hazel) and her two sons Jim and Jerry.

February 25

 Bertha Ann 'Annie' Arnold was born 25 February 1893

John Davidson Arnold was born 25 February 1895

Annie Arnold was my great-grandmother. John was her brother. They were born on the same date 2 years apart. They were the children of John Henry Arnold and Adaline Carter Arnold. Henry and Adaline had three other children - George, Marlie, and Etta (called 'Ettie').

Back: George and Annie. Front: Aunt Peggy Bullard, Adaline holding Etta, John, Henry holding Marlie

(Aunt Peggy and her brother George Bullard raised Henry Arnold. He was their nephew.)

L-R: Marlie, John, Henry, Adaline, Annie, Etta

(George is not in this picture)

L-R: George, Annie, John, Marlie, Etta

February 24

Amos Doyle Arnold was born 24 February 1912

Amos was the son of George Arnold and Jessie Tamsett

*   *   *

Amy Lorene Tamsett Carter was born 24 February 1882

Amy was the wife of John Carter

*   *   *

Odice Hallmark Hicks was born 24 February 1908

Odice was the son of Felix Hicks and Ida Sandefur

*   *   *

Stella Marqueta Reed was born 24 February 1932

Stella was the daughter of Elvin Reed and Wilma Arnold

*   *   *

Vernie Davidson was born 24 February 1915

Vernie was the husband of Obie Arnold

*   *   *

Joanie Colman Treat was born 24 February 1935

Joanie was the wife of Jack Treat