Remembering The Fallen

The Memorial Day Holiday is more about honoring those that fought in the different American wars.  We remember their service, their dedication, their commitment to our country and their family.  There can't be a stronger more dedicated group of people. I am honored to know some and to know of some that were in my family.

But when you celebrate the Memorial Day holiday are the ones that fought in the Wars the only ones you remember?  There were other wars.  Wars with no official war name.  The holocaust for example yes it was caused by a war but it was also its own personal war for those that I had to live through it.  Do you remember them during this weekend?  Then there is slavery there personal war eventually caused a war do you remember your ancestors?

Today I read an article posted by who I would like to call one of my colleagues in genealogy.  The article (posted below) talks about the problems between blacks and whites after the civil war. 

.  When slaves were freed and the Emancipation Proclamation took effect whites and blacks trying to work together was to put it lightly difficult.  Of course you had some of those ex-slaves who went to look for their families they were separated from, but there were some who didn't.  More than likely all of those that were enslaved wanted to find the family members that were sold off but it wasn't possible for all so they stayed where they were and were now paid to do the work even though it was a small amount.  Due to not being educated some still went on not even knowing that slavery had ended. These problems that occurred were so disruptive that it caused what is now known in history as the first Great Negro Migration out of the south.

From 1910 to 1930 Black people African Americans left the southern states in droves.  My grandparents were apart of that Exodus.  According to my mother her sister told her "Daddy left the south with shades pulled down in the car.  It was like he was smuggling us out."  Learning about all of this makes me realize they need to remembered, they should be remembered they deserve to be remembered on this day.  So today I remember my fallen.  I remember and I call out the names of my fallen family to before the First Negro Migration and those that served in the American Wars both alive and dead:

The children of Martha Brooks who she had specifically for her Slave Owners to simply make more slaves

Priscilla and Dave children who were sold to Lemuel Brooks along with Martha in 1856

Martha Brooks b. 1834 d. Unknown

Ezra Adams b. 1844 d. Unknown

Joyce Ann Holloway b. 1847 d. Unknown

Rebecca Brooks b. 1856 d. Unknown

Robert Brooks (Yeldell)  b. 1864 d. Unknown

David Brooks (Yeldell) b. 1864 d. Unknown

Peter Brooks (Yeldell) b.1865 d. Unknown

Thomas Brooks b. 1868 d. Unknown

George Brooks b. 1868 d. Unknown

Katie Adams (Yeldell) b. 1867 d. 1919

Rhody Adams b. 1862 d. Unknown

Elvira Adams b. 1865 d. Unknown

Ellerape Adams b. 1870 d.Unknown

Gary Adams b. 1875 d. 1937

Mattie Freeman b. 1888 d. 1933

Jefferson D. Yeldell b. 1894 d. 1964

Annie Mae Yeldell b. 1898 d. 1950

Lt. Col. Thomas Yeldell b. 1914 d. 1994 (Korean War, World War II)

John Carlton Yeldell b. 1915 d. 1961

Edward Yeldell b. 1917 d. 1997

Ida Mae Yeldell b. 1919 d. 1971

Lula Robertson b. 1921 d. 2008

Jeannell Turner b. 1923 d. 1981

Staff Sgt. Davis Yeldell b. 1926 d. 2000 (Korean War)

1st Lt. Joseph Yeldell b. 1932 d. 2013 (was the third person in Washington, DC awarded the Medal of Honor

SP4 David Yeldell b. 1948 d. 1970 (Vietnam War Panel 11W - Line 119 )

Johnie Senior, Sr. b. 1834 d. Unknown

Jane Williams (Senior) b. 1835 d. Unknown

Versey Senior b. 1854 d. Unknown

Agnes Senior (Harrison) b. 1858 d. 

Allah Senior b. 1858 d. Unknown

Alice Senior b. 1860 d. 1938

Henderson Senior b. 1862 d. Unknown

Moses Senior b. 1864 d. Unknown

Johnie Senior, Jr.  b. 1867 d. 1944

Elvira Senior b. 1866 d. Unknown

Job Senior b. 1875 d. Unknown

Jane Senior b. 1877 d. Unknown

Enoch Peterson b. 1835 d. 1909

Ann Shefford b. 1842 d.Unknown

There are more than 70 Peterson children and grandchildren who were born prior to the first Negro Migration not listed but most definitely honored.  

Current Soldiers

Theresa Carter  (currently in Afghanistan)

Tekisha Green (War in Afghanistan, Iraq War)

All who have been listed or not listed I honor on this day and every day. I thank you for doing what you have done and what you are doing which has allowed me to become who I am and continues to protect my rights.

Until Next Time...

The Ancestor's are Compromising

Well this is the first post on the new blog site.  It is a work in progress but please be patient with me as I learn how to maneuver.  Well as you all know my research went from focusing on one family to learning about several more families.  Since the past three years of writing this online journal I have gone back and forth between my 2x great-grandmother on my grandfather side and my great grandmother on my grandmother.  With most of my focus on the 2x great-grandmother Martha my great-grandmother Mama Lula began to force some things upon me.  She allowed me to find out about Martha being a slave who her owner was, learn that she was a breeder and learn about the other two children.  I found a huge and significant amount of stuff for Martha more than I ever could dream of and since I feel that she felt that same sentiment Mama Lula started to make things more and more difficult to find something on the Yeldell side.

Martha understood but I did not but no matter how much I tried to stay on the Yeldell's Mama Lula would always bring me right back to her. For example every time I thought I found something for the Yeldell's it would always get turned around and be about the Senior/Peterson side. So on my last post I gave in I realized that the Senior/Peterson voice was going to be heard and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  Because of her persistence and the inclusion of other family members Mama Lula made it possible to learn and meet her brother Enoch Jr. children. We were able to add Maxine and her children to our clan as well as learn more about the children of Enoch.  There are still two of Enoch's grandchildren still alive today that I will hopefully get the chance to meet real soon one of which is I believe 102 years old.  We were also connected to Mama Lula's great-grandchildren.  Her daughter Essie grandson Derek Harrison was found at the beginning of the year.  He is the son to Annie Lou Ryans and John Harrison and according to Derek's wife they had been trying to find Mama Lula's family for years.  Mama Lula had definitely taken her turn in the spotlight.

Now that I have done this DNA testing it seems that Mama Lula and Granny Martha are kind of battling it out.  Because of them I am connected to people that I never even thought about being connected to (people I actually know) and there has been a definite battle for my attention.  I guess they realized they were driving me a little crazy and came to a compromise.  Today through the DNA testing I met a cousin by the name of Steve Handy.  Steve is probably related to us on Mama Lula side because of some mutual cousin between the two of us and he has this DNA stuff down to a tee.  He gave me websites and helping me with other links that I never even knew about.  Now don't get me wrong my cousin Charles was excellent in helping me and now with the two of them together I know that I will never not understand again.

On Martha's side I shared genomes with a person who is definitely related to me on the Yeldell side.  I know that it is the Yeldell side because of how he matches with other Yeldell cousins.  he, my mom and her two cousins information are stacked on top of each other like you stack bricks on the same chromosome. What makes it even more interesting is this is a man of Caucasian background.  This brings me closer to my goal than I have ever truly been.  Sure we have met several whit men and women  Yeldell's.  There is one set that we both claim each other as family even though we don't have definitive proof, so to get in touch with this man gives proof.  It gives a name for other white Yeldell's to compare too, it gives a starting point.

I know he may be related through my grandfather's mother side but then again he might not.  Either way this is a step towards my original research finding out about Yeldell's.  I wrote this family member a lengthy email explaining my excitement what this could do, how I feel and how my ultimate goal is to just bring our families together as one.  I will keep you posted on his response.

Until next time...

We Are Yeldell's has moved

Welcome to the New and improved We Are Yeldell's blog site.  As you can see I have changed the name because the Yeldell's are so much more.  We have many family names who should all be recognized. My goal is the same but just a bit larger.  The site has changed but the contents of the blog is still the same.

Until Next time...