Family

We all grow up with the weight of history on us. Our ancestors dwell in the attics of our brains as they do in the spiraling chains of knowledge hidden in every cell of our bodies. ~Shirley Abbott

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

DNA Success Stories!!

HAPPY DANCING
Jackson and Martha Davis-Tidwell


One of my first success stories in genetic geneaology was on my Tidwell side. Neoma Tidwell my dad's mother died in his infancy. My dad doesn't have any recollection of her because she died before he formed a memory. Neoma married my grandfather Roosevelt Bass Sr. at a young age. Her father Millard Tidwell also died young he was working at the Bradley Sawmill in Warren, Arkansas when his heart failed. When I first performed 23 and me I had a cousin match to Aubrey G.  23 and me predicted our relationship to be 4th cousins 3rd to Distant. After communicating with Aubrey I learned that he also had Tidwell in his list of matches, he told me:

Aubrey: "My grandfather's name was Steven Jones, and his mother's name was Ocie Tidwell, and his father's name was Johnnie Jones. Ocie Tidwell's father was Jackson Tidwell...

Jackson Tidwell is Aubrey G.'s great great grandfather! I reviewed my family tree. My great grandfather Millard Tidwell lived in the household of his father Andrew Tidwell and Eveline Bragg Faulkner in 1880 with their children:

Sarah A. (Sallie) Tidwell  F  14
  William Tidwell                M  12
   July Ann Tidwell            F  10
Jackson Tidwell             M  9
Edgar Tidwell                  M  8
Marsellar Tidwell            F  4
Millard Tidwell             M 2
      Columbus Tidwell           M 6mos

Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Clay, Bradley, Arkansas; Roll: M593_48; Page: 498B; Image: 203; Family History Library Film: 545547Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1870 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

Excited, I wrote Aubrey back: Your great grandmother Ocie Tidwell was the neice of my great grandfather! My great grandfather Millard was the brother of your great great grandfather Jackson Tidwell, their parents were our shared ancestors Andrew J. Tidwell and Evaline Bragg Faulkner-Tidwell! Andrew J. Tidwell was Aubrey's great great great grandfather  Andrew Tidwell was my great great grandfather making us 3rd cousins!

Then there are the times when you KNOW that you KNOW you are cousins but you have limited information to go on just gut feeling, like with my cousin Lee. I met Leona Meadows-Walker on the message in-box of Ancestry.com in July 2003. She was researching Hollands and so was I at the time, Holland is my maternal lineage, my mother's mother was Alma Holland. Lee was also researching her maternal lineage her mother's name was Louvenia Holland. Louvenia Holland  was the daughter of John Holland and Annie Owens. Alma Holland and John Holland were brother and sister. The children of Lewis Holland and Clarissy Owens.

Leona sent me an invite to her tree on 07/07/07 and JACKPOT! We have been in communication ever since. Excited! I told my family about it who didn't necessarily respond as graciously as I had hoped. Some were skeptical of our relationship based on documentation alone.  They said, they doubted that John Holland even had children! Then, right before my Aunt Helen passed away she blessed me with a wealth of obituaries including Uncle John Hollands.

Funeral Services for John Holland 16 Apr 1977


Then, when I talked Leona into taking the DNA test last year 
C O N F I R M A T I O N!!!! Leona and I match as seconds cousins should! That shut up the naysayers! Woot woot!

Family Inheritance Chromosome Tool 23 and me



7 comments:

  1. Cousin Victori. This is a great blog! It is a good testament to your sprit of not giving up and dedicating time, an enormous amount of time, on following through on your researches. You are the true "Water-walker".

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    1. Thank you, Cousin Ade! What a great honor to have you visit my blog and leave a comment!

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  2. Hello I left u comment on Google plus but just in case u haven't seen it let me introduce myself, my name is Jamie Jones my grandparents where George Jones and Susie Tidwell Jones. My great grandparents where Jackson Tidwell and Martha Davis Tidwell. I would love to discuss the possibility of being related so if you can call me at 619 - 607-8513 it would be gladly appreciated hope to talk to you soon.

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