52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History - Cars

Week 3: Cars. What was your first car? Describe the make, model and color, but also any memories you have of the vehicle. You can also expand on this topic and describe the car(s) your parents drove and any childhood memories attached to it.

This challenge runs from Saturday, January 15, 2011 through Friday, January 21, 2011.


My first car? I had a love/hate relationship with that thing. Love? Kind of a gift from Daddy. Well, he didn't give it to me. He sold it to me for $10. It was four years old and I was So Grateful! Grateful that I didn't have car payments to make. I kind of didn't like the color but that was a trivial thing. 1970 Ford Fairlaine 500. Mine was a pukey pea green close to this.

Mine was a four door with a black interior. I put an 8-track player in it and ja ja ja jaaaamed to work everyday. Please note that I didn't have a lot of 8-track tapes. Playing mostly The Tavares, my favorite tracks over and over again. Too Late, It Only Takes A Minute, Remember What I Told you To Forget and Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel. Maybe New Birth, Dream Merchant or It's Been a Long Time, Stylistics... You get it. You might be a youngster and you don't get it. LOL

Oh, my goodness, this is bringing back great memories!!! I was just going to do a quick love/hate. While I'm reminiscing, it reminds me of the cost of gas! I'm remembering about $0.85. Timeframe I'm talking was from about the fall of 74 to summer of 75. OPEC oil embargo, lines at the gas station. Youngsters also have to remember that we weren't in so much of a hurry then. We complained a little about the high cost of gas but otherwise life was pretty good. Waiting in line at the gas station was an opportunity to socialize... with the other people in line. And there was still plenty of excitement going on in my beloved Youngstown. I left the following year. Oh yeah, the love/hate and back to the Ford.

OK Hate. This car caused me to never consider ever owning another Ford again, and I haven't, currently driving my 7th car. Back then, I was considering that I just happened to be the stuckee of one 'defective vehicle'. About two or three years ago when I was charting my vehicles (yes, I have them all imaged), there stirred up a discussion of our first one. An older and wiser gentleman explained that some of the manufacturers were building vehicles 'well enough' in the 70s. Mine had some kind of electrical problem that I, nor my mechanic had ever found. Whatever this electrical problem was would cause me to have to get a jump frequently, let's say about once or twice a month. The battery, alternator and regulator had all been checked out. What's left? Wiring in the steering column and wiring in the firewall.

Well, time was quickly passing by during that year. I decided to go into the military and had to decide what to do with Betsy. My first consideration was to get her rewired, get some minor bodywork done and get her painted black. She would have been beautiful! Circumstances changed my mind. For one, the transmission started to slip. Then about a month before I left for basic training, some speed demon hit me. More the transmission than the accident changed my mind to have her restored. I also had nobody trustworthy to leave her with. Somebody who would accept the money I gave them, get the work done and not drive her as if she were their own. Nobody. So about a week before I left home, I sold her. You know what's funny? The guy I sold her to had a long way to go to school, one of my classmates' brother. When I saw David at our 30^th reunion, he said his bro drove Betsy for several years with no problems.


52 Weeks of Personal Genealogy & History by Amy Coffin are some genealogy blog prompts to document your personal genealogy. There are 52 in all, one for each week of the year. Amy says,

"I hope you like it and do take the time to write down the details of your own life.

Please make this a fun event. Don't get upset if you don't do all 52 weeks. That was never the intention."

Oliver HARGROVE

Today is 59 years since my grandfather passed. He was born 18 Oct 1888 according to his WWI, WWII draft records and according to his death certificate. Looks like he may be one of the few persons in my database with no name or date conflicts. His WWI draft registration was my first knowledge of him having a middle name, Turner. After connecting with my 2nd cousins, I learned that his nickname was Uncle Bud. I got a kick out of that. I wonder what it would have been like to know him. I expect it may have likely been something similar to the relationship with my dad; I love him but... I'll get back to that in a few moments.

I was able to determine from his WWI draft card that Oliver's middle name was Turner. I expect that was a name passed down from the slaveowner family. I have seen at least two Turners in the caucasian HARGROVE group and at least one last name TURNER associated with them. He and my grandmother Clara married 12 Feb 1919 and their daughter, Agnes was born 30 Nov 1919. Just in time huh? Legacy, RootsMagic and PAF calculated that as 9 months 18 days. Second child, James was born November 1920. In November 1921, Clara was six months pregnant with their third. Moses was born Feb 1922 and Obie November 1923. Four children in five years. Fast forward to September 1927. Can't specifically say when, between 1923 and 1927 did they move to Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania but I was saying before that Mom was the only one of them not born in Georgia. Mom was born in Pricedale, Westmoreland County, just southeast of Pittsburgh in 1927. Also between 1924 and 1926, there was a pair of twins stillborn to them. I don't know and will probably never discover if that was Georgia, Pennsylvania or between. Note to self: You actually have no evidence that Oliver himself, ever lived in Pennsylvania.

1928 found them moved from Pricedale to Youngstown. Couple of things confirmed their move to Youngstown in 1928. On my inaugural visit to the OGS, I was able to look at a lot of Youngstown City Directories. They were not in the 1927 but were in the 1929 I found them on Oak Street, confirming the address they were in the 1930 census. I had found his WWII old man's draft online (prior to that first OGS visit) and did see that the address on Rayen Ave in 1942 was changed to Berkley Avenue in 1943. I thought nothing of that, assuming that the family moved. From that OGS, visit, I saw the family did stay on Oak Street until 1936/37. They all moved not far to Rayen Ave. I found no City Directory addresses for any of them on Berkley but did see that Clara and the children went from Rayen to Blaine Ave. Oliver wasn't there. Wait a minute, he was still alive. Oliver lived on Cherry Street in 1949. I admit I did do some skipping in the 1930s. And the HARGROVES were not the only family I was following. I was also searching for the BARNES, BRIMMERs, DRAPERs and coincidentally also found some WORKMANs. I know it's supposed to be the stay with one family group... but my logic, this being a one day visit to OGS, find everybody I can, in each book I search. Well finding Oliver at these different addresses and Clara not being with him on Cherry Street (and I think I also found him on McGuffey Road, but missed documenting that one or making a copy). By that time, I was so caught up in the realization... They were separated! My calculations say for at least seven years, 1943-1950. One other thing I was doing during this OGS visit was tracking all the residents of Oliver & Clara's home on Myrtle Ave. This is Clara's home that I remember and where I also lived for 12 years. So, my logic takes me back to his WWII registration and saw that his registration changed Oliver's address but not Clara's. Clara continued to be his alternate contact on Rayen Ave but he moved by himself to Berkley Avenue. Looking him up in these City Directories also found him working in the steel mill when they first arrived in Youngstown but later that Oliver was a barber. The detective genealogist in me did some further investigation and found that they were also evidently separated at some time or another in Georgia. When my cousin, Fran sent Uncle Obie's photo, she also included his birth certificate. Looking again at Obie's birth certificate, 16 Nov 1923, I see the residence of his mother in Athens, Clarke County Georgia and residence of his father, Oliver, as DK! Did Oliver move away from Georgia during or before 1923? My thought was though, even for those husbands fathers who moved away from their family to find better jobs etc, the wives & mothers still knew their address, didn't they? Maybe he moved to Pennsylvania but likely not to Ohio until 1928. Oliver's death certificate specifies that he lived in Youngstown for 24 years as of his death. This again confirms that Oliver moved to Ohio in 1928, again whether he lived in Pennsylvania or not. So I expect that when Obie was born, that Oliver was still in Georgia but Clara didn't know where. To Do List: Check to see if there are City Directories for Athens in the 1920s. Hopefully, if they do exist, they include colored people.

Fast forward again to about a year and a half ago. I was talking to my cousin Benny and mentioned to him that our grandparents were separated. He asked, "yeah, you didn't know that?" Earlier I said that none of then nieces and nephews were born before Uncle Obie died. Also true that grandfather Oliver passed about 3 weeks before his first grandchild was born. Continuing the conversation with Benny... He told me of grandfather being a barber. Confirmed. Then he told me that when Oliver was a barber, he used to hide money in the center pole of the barber chair and grandmother busted him. Benny's saying that's why they were separated. Well, my thought process tells me it's not that simple. They probably separated, not simply because he was hiding the money but for what reason he was hiding the money. In any case he wasn't bringing it home to take care of his family. I have suspicions that alcohol may have been involved and likely other women. Someday, I hope to hear his side of the story.

Look Again - Look Next Door

I found my great grandmother, Pinky Ann HOPE as a child! Her name was actually HANCOCK. And where was she living? Next door to Smith (My Simon & Nancy), who eventually became her husband. This was my very first census page find back in 2002. (Yes folks, I know. I have since backtracked starting from me to get back to them). You have to consider, me being a genealogy newbie, very excited to find that I had ancestors, was hoping to have descendants and was wondering "Who are these people?"

All this time I had been connecting Pinky Ann to the HOPE family (Henry, Mariah, Simon & Lula) in Burke County, GA. This HOPE family is the family I found within weeks of my initial searching and I was headstrong believing that was my Pinky, until now. I did get clues that there was something wrong with my logic when I got Pinky's death certificate. Her death certificate specifies her parents as Thomas HOPE and Fannie HOPE. In actuality, it is likely Thomas HANCOCK and Frances/Fannie HOPE. Note that her husband, Smith, provided the death certificate information. He just lost his wife of 46 years. I'm sure he was heartbroken, probably not thinking clearly. Smith lost his only living daughter almost three years before that and now he has three grandchildren to care for by himself, the youngest being about 3. His two living sons? One moved to Alabama where his wife lived and the other, my grandfather moved his family to Pennsylvania then Ohio. Don't leave out that he was about 75 years old.

Then I further sidetracked after getting Pinky's death cert. Because of the other HOPE family being in Burke County, I was also attempting to follow them connecting to the John HOPE family in Richmond County. It certainly is not my desire to necessarily be related to someone famous, I'm just trying to find my folks. For those not aware, that John HOPE is the one who eventually became to be president of Morehouse. Coincidentally, his Mother's name is Mary Frances AKA Fannie/Fanny. So I guess for now, I can drop Burke County from my Georgia map. I'm going to unlink Pinky Ann from the Burke County family but I'm not deleting them from my database. Keeping them as a family, individuals of interest until I prove otherwise; they are not related to me at all. And I can return this ILL, A Clashing of the Soul, that I recently borrowed from Cincinnati. That is John's biography.

This is GREAT! It's been almost a year now since I have had an epiphany or any significant genealogical find. So now, anybody heard of any HANCOCKs? jk Remember the movie Out of Time, when Alex inquires of the entire squad room, "Cabot, anybody hear of a (forgot his first name, Jeffrey?) Cabot". They weren't dissing her but nobody answered until she asked again. Substitute Cabot for HANCOCK. Anybody heard of any HANCOCKs? LOL

So besides wanting you all to see my significant find, I was going to ask you to help me identify Pinky's brother and sister's names. Reading this handwriting is pretty bad along with some fading ink. Another light bulb moment, look them up in Familysearch. The record page will show all of the household member's names. Sure did!

The LANDANs are an indexing mistake. They are in a different household from the bottom of the previous page.

I'm also going to keep an eye on these HANSEL people. There are HANSELs living in the neighborhood of Smith & Pinky along with Pinky's (brother?) Tom HOPE in 1910. I feel so intoxicated, I just can't stop. OK, time to calm down, Darlene. You have to cite this find then follow up. Before I close, I just want to add a couple more things. I suspect Pinky's brother John (look there is two of them) also changed his name to HOPE. Pinky's oldest child that lived, his first name was Ben along with one of my first cousin's middle name Benjamin, nickname is Benny. My middle name is Frances.

Last, you know better than this. Let this be a lesson learned to you. When you find somebody new, study the entire document; along with several pages before and aft if it is city directories, cemeteries, census, etc. I'm going to let you off with a short scolding this time, only because you were a rookie when you found Nancy, Smith and Simon! For that matter, consider yourself already punished. Just think how much farther eight years of research in the right direction would be.

ANOTHER Upcoming Special Event

I am subscribed to the Allen County (Fort Wayne, IN) Public Library Genealogy Gems, monthly E-zine on their website. One thing I can say about their Genealogy Gems is that it comes promptly, on the last day of every month. Last Friday evening I got my January issue and it included the announcement shown below. Don't be confused. There is an International Genealogy Summit and a National Genealogy Summit. To put it simply, Curt Witcher and his folks are wanting to continue supporting the African-American genealogy community as they did for the 2009 IBGS.

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National Black Genealogy Summit--Save The Date
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The African American Genealogy Society of Fort Wayne and the Allen County Public Library with its Genealogy Center proudly present this unique opportunity: National Black Genealogy Summit. The theme of the summit is African Diaspora: Awakening Our Legacy. Prospective, novice, intermediate, and advanced genealogists will convene for the National Black Genealogy Summit, October 20 – 22, 2011 at the Grand Wayne Center and Allen County Public Library (ACPL). This conference promises an innovative, comprehensive, and hands-on approach to genealogical and historical research. Experts in African American genealogy will demonstrate research strategies, provide useful tips, and explore new resources. Extended research hours in the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center will be available exclusively to conference attendees.

The ACPL Genealogy Center is internationally acclaimed for being the world’s second largest repository of genealogy resources. The comprehensive collection contains more than one million textual items and access to billions of searchable records offered through major online genealogical databases. All are available for free use in the Center. Expert staff, well-versed in genealogical research, is always available to assist researchers.

Conference Planning Committee consists of the Allen County Public Library (Curt Witcher and Josette Jordan); African American Genealogy Society of Fort Wayne (Roberta Ridley); It is Well With My Soul & Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (A Public Service Organization) Fort Wayne Alumnae Chapter (Dr. Ruby Cain); African/African American Historical Museum (Dr. Miles S. Edwards and Condra Ridley); and It is Well With My Soul & The Links, Incorporated Fort Wayne Chapter (Linda Durril).

Information about lodging accommodations and the program for the National Black Genealogy Summit will be available in January 2011. Save the dates October 20-22, 2011. And visit the website often for new details; www.BlackGenealogyConference.Info.

This was only an excerpt of their monthly newsletter. I highly suggest that you might want to subscribe and keep in touch with the haps at the ACPL Genealogy Center.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Don't Let This Happen to You

Two of my favorite posts this year from my own blog, I responded to one of Randy Seaver's SNGF posts, "Who Do I Blame?". I followed that one up with "Who Do I Blame for Not Starting Sooner?". One thing I did not mention in those posts because I was unable to think of some of the dialogue I wanted to convey is, "Don't Let This Happen to You".  Another one of the many reasons I do genealogy and why do I write these blogs is to think of and relay some of the things going on in my life and some things that have happened to some of my ancestors that I hope my descendants won't have to experience. Up until yesterday, I was thinking specifically of some addictions that are not necessarily genetic, but seem to be running rampant in my family. I'm specifying of alcoholism and nicotine addictions. My father and all of his brothers were alcoholics; then there is nicotine... Many, many of my ancestors smoked cigarettes. That addiction has me by the throat and won't let go. I previously wanted to write more about these addictions but still haven't felt all of the words come through. Recent discussion with a doctor, referred me to a movie of all things. The Insider, starring Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. Good flick, watch it; especially if you are nicotine addicted. For now, all I have to say about nicotine is, if you don't start, you won't have to worry about how hard it will be for you to quit. I know, I know. You are already smoking and you say "you can quit any time you want to". Well, 30 years ago, I said I can quit if I want to and ... Sorry. Addictions are not the point in writing this post.

My point in writing this post today is that hopefully my descendants will read and understand, "Don't let this Happen to You". Sometimes when you get a signal or even just maybe a gut feeling that something is wrong, go check it out!

Earlier this week, the tire sensor light came on in my car. Isn't it wonderful that the newer cars have indicators to tell you when your tire is going flat? In the olden days, vehicles didn't even have turn signals. You had to stick your arm out of the window to indicate turning. Anyway, I did not ignore the tire sensor light, but did put it on the back burner for what turned out to be tooooo looooong! Yesterday, I was on I-75 and headed to the library when my tire blew. I was very lucky. I had a tire blow before and wasn't going as fast as I was yesterday and with less traffic. That other blowout felt more horrific than this one did. Fortunately, by the grace of God, I was in the right hand lane yesterday and rush hour traffic was slowing down to where I had no choice but to slow down also.

My point in writing this post is not about the tire or my near miss, but simply to pass on what I hope is another lesson in life. Anytime that you get into and behind the wheel of yours or anybody else' vehicle, if you or that vehicle are not 100%, your life is at risk. Even if you and the vehicle are 100%, your life is still at risk for the other drivers, all of their circumstances and anything else that you cannot control. I request beg and plead that you constantly consider your safety and security as you go throughout your day to day activities. Frequently, I think about my Grandma Clara, when she used to say her prayers at night and she would repeat the Serenity Prayer.

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

I said, I frequently think about that prayer and I should also mention that I don't think about it as often as I think I should. I may not have been able to control that blowout happening yesterday but I could have taken just a few moments to look at the tire earlier this week.



Let me pass on another lesson learned while I'm at it. While I was at the tire shop today, I asked the young man if there was an extra charge for disposal. He said, $2. I said jokingly, "Great, cause if it were much more, I'd have to take that tire and ditch it on the side of the road". His response, "Yea I always tell my customers you can pay me $2 or take a chance you won't get caught when you ditch it. That will cost you a $5000 fine". Pay the $2. Or even if it were $5, It's still insurance that the tire is taken care of and you are not arrested.

As a closing thought, my Uncle Elmer used to always say, "I hope you have a safe and prosperous New Year".

Merry Christmas

Our tree before it was disguised with toys and other gifts. Photo taken by the owner of this blog.

An Upcoming Special Event

Those of you who tweet and those on Facebook may already know of this news. Others of you, it might be brand new. You may notice that over a month ago, I put a countdown calendar on my blog. Today it reads 667 days until A Special (Secret) Event. Secret should be revealed in about 7 days. Well here is the reveal.

Drum roll please?

The 2^nd International Black Genealogy Summit will be held 18-20 October 2012 in Salt Lake City. Here is the notice I got from the chair, Algurie Wilson, last week.

SAVE THE DATE, OCTOBER 18-20, 2012, FOR THE 2ND INTERNATIONAL BLACK GENEALOGY SUMMIT---Genealogists-Beginner through Seasoned Levels Will Have the Opportunity to Explore The Many Genealogical Resources at the Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah at the 2nd International Black Genealogy Summit.


The International Black Genealogy Summit Committee will be hosting the 2nd genealogy summit in Salt Lake at the Radisson Hotel. Many people who attended the first summit have been encouraging the committee to regroup and host another conference. Wait no more because plans are in progress to make this another successful summit. Beginner, intermediate, and advanced genealogists will convene for the 2nd International Black Genealogy Summit, October 18-20, 2012 at the Radisson Hotel, Salt Lake City. This conference will continue its legacy to bring innovative speakers, something special and hands-on approach to genealogical and historical research. Docents at the world’s largest repository of genealogical information will demonstrate research strategies, provide useful tips, and explore resources that will open doors to hidden treasures.

The Salt Lake Family History Library is known to have the world’s largest repository of genealogy resources. The comprehensive collection contains more than 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 727,000 microfiche; 356,000 books, serials and other formats; over 4,500 periodicals; 3,725 electronic resources including online genealogical databases. The library is open to the general public at no charge. There are approximately 700 trained volunteers who are knowledgeable in genealogical research and are always available to assist researchers.

Summit Planning Committee consists of Algurie Wilson, Chair; Deborah Abbot, Co-Chair, California African American Genealogical Society and a host of others. Any questions can be sent to information deleted from this blog. See 29 Dec 2010 note below.


General information about the summit will be forth coming. Please save the date October 18-20, 2012 for the 2nd International Black Genealogy Summit.

Well now. My genealogy social calendar for 2012 is filling up pretty quickly. First of all, our HARGROVE-WILSON family meets every other year. This year was Labor Day weekend in Madison, Morgan County Georgia. Madison is about 40 miles east of Atlanta. So the next reunion is scheduled for 2012. It is undecided at this time where the next reunion will be but I had submitted my vote for the location of my choice. Then, browsing around here and there, I found that the 2012 NGS Conference will be in Cincinnati Ohio 9-12 May. I live less than 20 miles away and was planning to attend. Now here is this one. Well, out of the three events, one of them may have to be eliminated. Tell you what, the eliminated one will certainly not be the 2^nd Black Genealogy Summit. So, let me figure out how much in airfare and lodging I need to save up to actually attend all three... A Lot!

Decisions, decisions.

Added Note 24 Dec 2010: I forgot to note their website. BlackGenealogySummit.com/. Please be patient, they will update it soon.

Additional Update 29 Dec 2010: I decided to delete Algurie's phone # off of my blog and updated to change her email address to not be phished. Contact her at Chairman AT blackgenealogysummit DOT com.

A Little Christmas Story

This is a guest post from my friend PM. You know how you get those email funnies? I read most of them but don't pass most of them on. This one is a keeper.

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.

Then Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.

When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.

Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.

Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shot of rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the cider and hidden the liquor.. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.

Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree.

The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'

And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree.

Not a lot of people know this.