Oh My Darling, Clementine

I had three ultimate geneamoments last year. I Think 2009 has been my best genealogy year ever. Finally responding to Randy Seavers' SNGF from January 2.

1. Going to the IBGS. Again, it was a great conference!

2. Finding my Simon (P. HARGROVE) as a slave in his owner's will. A couple of years ago, I ordered the Georgia will index FHLC film 1036842. Last April, I was fortunate to chose the Jackson County, Georgia, Will Abstracts FHLC 6038344 among the many will abstracts to chose from. James HARGROVE's will is listed there on pages 179-181. Seeing as how this is an abstract, I may want to send for the original. I figure I can wait until I am fortunate to go to Georgia which should be in September.

Sidenote: Here's a trick I learned a few years ago. One of the senior volunteers at the FHC told me that if you have a choice between ordering a microfilm or microfiche, order the fiche. They are less expensive and would stay in the FHC permanently without additional cost. Microfiche #s always start with 6.

3. I didn't conclude until November that Smith's mother may also be in that will even though Smith is not in it. Listed also in James' will was Clementine. I am actually still investigating if Clementine is my great great grandmother. But even if she is not Smith's mother, she surely is Simon's daughter. I previously showed you the 1870 with Smith and Simon in the same household. I found Clementine in the 1870 census in Hall county, next county northwest of Jackson County. I call Simon, My Simon because I have not been able to specifically put a relationship of him to me, so to keep from calling him "the old man who I think is my great great great grandfather", I call him My Simon.

So in November I had a great epiphany! I don't specifically remember what started it, but I was able to put 2 and 2 together and find Clementine in 1870 HALL county, found her again next door to Simon in 1880 and find Clementine's marriage record to Alexander ORR. I also noted that there is an Alexander in that will. James' slave holdings in Jackson county 1850 slave census does not show any that are close enough to be Alexander and Clementine but he does have four slaves in Talbot County that could be Clementine (14 years) and Alexander (30 years). btw, look also at the 1880 census down the street from Clementine and Simon is McNeese CHRISTLER. Note that in 1880 Simon is living with Jonas CHRISTLER. My thought is that Jonas is Simon's son, probably via another mother.

All that said, I have also already started on my great geneamoments for 2010. Two weeks ago when I found Alexander and Clementine's marriage record, guess who performed the ceremony? You won't guess in a million years, so I'll tell you. John W. HARGROVE. That would be James' son John, who is a Methodist minister. So I can add a county to my Georgia state map. I can add another surname ORR, to my list of surnames. Anyway, like I said, I'm still investigating. I have a death certificate for Albert (Clementine's son), marriage license for Cynthia GROBER (James daughter that Clementine was willed to) and marriage records for Mary and Martha (Clementine's daughters).