The Old Homestead #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

As I was growing up, I never thought of or heard of where my ancestors came from. But as I've come of age, I began to wonder. Where did my ancestors originally come from?


I have taken a DNA test. I discovered that I'm about 74 % African, and the other % are European and other regions. I'm thankful for my DNA.


The Family Homeland After 1865


On  My Father's Father's side
My ancestors came from Virginia area to settle and came back to Chariton and Howard Counties in Missouri. Most of the earlier ancestors choose to remain in the Forest Green, Missouri area. While some of their descendants moved Northward and Westward near the turning of the century 1900's.


 On My Mother's,  Mother's side.
My ancestors who came from Kentucky and Tennessee area  made their way to Buchanan County Missouri. Most settled in St. Joseph, Missouri area.  Some of their descendants  moved Northward and Westward through the years.

The Old Homestead is the place where our roots reunited. Our early ancestors traveled. Some where taken from their home land. They had to find a place where they could call home. They needed a resting place for the family.

It's good to go to the places where our ancestors once lived. To see the place where our history began. We as their descendants are living out the family history. We carry on what they have left off.

May we continue on the journey of our ancestors. May we leave a legacy for the next generation. May we see that what we do will impact the future.

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Holy Week: On The Journey To The Cross With Jesus

Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Happy Holy Days!

I had a wonderful 35th Anniversary Celebration on the journey with Jesus.
I'm pressing onward with Him.

May we enter into The Holy Week!

Holy Week Messages: The Last Week Series via Word Of Life Church

Palm Sunday         There's Always Some Dude On A Horse by Pastor Brian Zahnd

Holy Monday       When The Whip Comes Down by Pastor Brian Zahnd

Holy Tuesday        Getting Down To Brass Tacks by Pastor Jacob Taylor

Holy Wednesday   A Royal Waste of Time by Pastor Derek Vreeland

Maundy Thursday  A Place Called Gethsemane  by Pastor Brian Zahnd

Good Friday           The Singularity of Good Friday  by  Pastor Brian Zahnd

Holy Saturday:       Not posted yet.

Waiting for the 8th Day.
Easter Sunday!

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

On The Journey With Jesus: Celebrating 35 Years

 It's A New Day! Everyday is Holy! Enter in and enjoy today as it is present.

It's been a long journey since that Last Friday, 35 years ago on March the 25th. It falls on a Palm Sunday this year. Thank You, LORD!

I said, my I do to Jesus on that day.  And today,  I'll say it again. I do with no turning back, no turning back.

I'm following Jesus and staying on the journey with  Him.
Thanks for reading.
Happy Holy Week!
Enter in.

Enjoy today as it is present, a gift from God. God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Misfortune #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

As I went through my family connection list, I was thinking about my relatives.  I saw so much sadness.  May the LORD guide us through our misfortunes. Amen. This blog is in memory of some who passed to soon and those who had to live through their suffering.

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

We all have misfortune in our family lineage. Relatives died too soon. People separate / divided through divorce or whatever, encounters with the law. There are children who were born with a disability and some relatives who became disabled, relatives losing apart of their body parts or were injured. 

Sickness comes. It's having to live life with something missing or having to suffer through the pain....There are some who have taken their own lives and some didn't have a chance to live at birth.
 Stillborn

The daughter of Charlotta DADE LANKFORD / LANKFARD, May 23,1893

The daughter of Jennie BARTLETT BLAKLEY LYLE, daughter in Nov 10, 1902
Jennie had 7 other children died under the age of one.

Troy BLAKEY on March 25, 1978.
Son of Leroy and Lavonne (HOFFMAN) BLAKEY


Mother's Dying after giving birth.
Martha (SCOTT) BLAKEY ( 1847 - 1871)

Isabella V. (LANKFORD) Nickerson (1899 - 1938)

Children Dying too youngThe Children of Rachel (JACKSON) LEPHRIDGE BLAKEY:
She lost 6 children out of 18.

The two sons of Martha (BLAKEY) HAYES.
Died to the flu epidemic 1917 - 1919
Martha died in 1918.

The children of Julia Mary (BROWN) COLLINS:
 She  lost 4 children who were less than a year old

The children of Isabella V. (LANKFORD) NICKERSON.
She gave birth to twins. She died along with a twin who was buried in the same coffin.
She  had a son, Freddie NICKERSON who passed at passed young.

The Infant children of Mary (KINNEY) BLAKEY 
The Infant children of Maggie (WILLIAMS) BLAKEY
Junika Jewel BLAKEY passed in 1988 less than 2 months old.
The daughter of Jerry and  Jacqueline BLAKEY

Accidental Drowning
James A. Washington (1983 -1889)
He was swimming and had a cramp.

Virgil Lewis KING (1928 - 1941) drowned in a pit of water
Son of Barney and Hazel DADE King

Accidental Death
Bonnie Jean RICHARDSON (1949 -1968) Electrocuted while taking a bath.


Automobile accidents
Virgil Blakey (1916 - 1933) He was crushed again a house by a truck loaded with wood.

Frederick N. LANGFORD / LANKFARD (1931 - 1937) He died due to an accident.

James WESTON (1926 - 1949) He was killed in an automobile accident.

Christina Marie JOHNSON (1958 - 1985) She was killed due to an accident

Pamela Kaye STOCK (1964 - 1994) She was killed by head on collision.

Robert Jerome HEMSLEY Jr. (1987 - 2013) He was killed by a hit run driver.


Burned

Archie Blakey (1904 -1943)
He seriously burned while cleaning spark pugs with gasoline.
He passed six months later in the hospital.

Gertrude MOORE MADISON (1922 - 1943)
Her clothing caught on fire in her home while she was preparing breakfast.

Michael Lee BLAKEY (1951 - 1957)
He died due to a house fire.


Died while serving in the military

Michael Archie BLAKEY  (1949 - 1969)
He died from wounds during the Vietnam War

Frederick William LANKFORD (1930 - 1952)
He drowned during the Korean War

Murdered

Leroy E BLAKEY (1919 -1959) His body found in the river.

George BLAKEY (1911 - 1964)  He was shot to death.

Linda A. BLAKEY (1954 - 1990) She was murdered in a parking lot.

Patrick WHITE (1882 - 1906) He was in a fight.

Journey Within

It's been a wonderful 5th Sunday of Lent.  Yes! It's been a great day. God is good. All the time God is good. Thank You, Jesus for this day. Life is beautiful in Him.

Prayer for the week of March 18, 2018
Scripture of the Week Mark 14: 12- 25  March 18, 2018

Some of the tweet and a few thought on Sunday:
One Week away ~ Eight Days away ~ Twenty One days away, ~ In the Pre - Celebration Time ~ Living in the present ~

As I reflected by over this day, it turned out well. Thankful for the people in whom crossed my pathway. There were friends in the Upper Room with me. One brought me presents.

I made my rounds as I went to gather with the church.  It was a nice feeling to see people. There's such the love of God in the people.

I'm thankful for the journey within. When things come in our way, the LORD brings His peace to come the storms in life. That's what I felt today.  As the winds come, the peace of God surrounded me in the midst of the storm. Thank You, Jesus!

 The Church Message for Maundy Thursday. It was a good word by The Last Week Series:  "A Place Called Gethsemane" by Brian Zahnd ~ “We normally see Jesus in control.  In Gethsemane we find Jesus Christ under pressure.” Brian Zahnd.

My Church Life Anniversary is six months away and I'm still on the journey. ~ Thank You, Jesus! It's all about You.  I'm pressing on in the journey. I've come a long ways. I have much more ways to go. In the meanwhile, Living in the present moments of now.

Peace to you as you are on your way to where the LORD is leading you.
Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Lucky #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

Lucky me.  I think that I've been lucky as I'm searching for my family connections. I haven't found any one who has the surname Lucky or with the nickname "Lucky."

I've notice some things as I'm searching over the years. I've been lucky enough to come across things out of nowhere. I've stumbled into things that I haven't thought about. Lucky I guess.

Indeed, I have had road blocks along my journey. I have hit brick walls. However there have been many occasions when I just got plain lucky. I'm blessed.

I'm thankful for all the people who have cross paths with me on my family connections journey. I have had strangers help me search for things. They lead me to information or gave me information.

I never thought that I would find out who owned my ancestors. If my Great Grandfather wasn't wounded during the Civil War. He lived to receive his pension.

I never thought I could see a slave ad of my ancestors. Thankful that someone knew where to search.  I have shared that ad with family connections.

I never thought I would contact a descendant who's ancestor was a former slave holder of my ancestors. That was interesting. Our Great Grandfathers knew each other.

There's so much that has come in my life. I believe that it comes for a reason. I can call it or it came by chance.  I'm lucky or not. However, I'm blessed. Either way,  it comes.

I hope you have good luck in searching your ancestors. There will come a time when luck will come your way. Keep searching. Don't give up.

Hope you  had a  Lucky Day
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

In The Act of Worshipping God

 The 4th Sunday in Lent! What a Beautiful Lord's Day it is! I did enjoy it!

I had the honor to greet some of the people at Word of Life Church, this morning. Indeed, the children were excited to get to their classes. And it was wonderful to greet some of the group of teenagers from Iowa. Glory be to God on this  Daylight Saving Time  Spring Forward

I had no trouble with getting out of bed on this Daylight Saving Time Spring Forward day. I woke up before my alarm went out. Right now, I'm not tired. Nor am I sleepy. I feel Good! Like I know I should. ~ Living in the present

The Gathering:
In The Act of Worshiping God.

The Last Week Series  Holy Wednesday Lent Message "A Royal Waste of Time" by Pastor Derek Vreeland This was a good message about what worship is.

We should worship God with all that we have in our being. His presence is everywhere. May we learn to acknowledge God wherever we go.  May we be in the act of worship that comes from the heart. May we waste ourselves on Jesus. ~  It's well worth the journey. ❤️

Prayer for the week of March 11, 2018
Scripture for the week: of March 11, 2018, Mark 14:1-11

I hope you enjoy the Last Full Week of Winter before Springtime comes.
I've been seeing the signs of Spring.
There were a lot of robins around town.
The grass is getting greener.
The buds are on the branches.
Yes, Spring cometh!

Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Strong Woman #52ancestors 52 Weeks

 

My mother, a very strong woman.
 
I had to honor of being with my mother for thirty years and 358 days while on the earth. She was a well spoken woman. She was the 5th of eleven children.

She gave birth to 19 children. She loss an infant daughter who was 30 days old.  My mother and our father thought their children good work ethics and pursue an education.

And through all that came my mother's way, she kept moving on. She was a fighter till the end. God blessed her soul.

I thank God for my mother.
Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Celebrating Life:

It's been a beautiful Lord's Day! And Happy 3rd Sunday in Lent
 The 1st Sunday of March. I've enjoyed it!

It was the 63rd Day of 2018. And it's been a wonderful day. Tee minus 35 Days and counting. That's 5 Weeks From this day! ~ Each day is a day to Celebrate Life. Thank You, LORD for the gift of Life You've given to me.

Gathered with the Church.

The Last Week Series: Holy Tuesday Message
"Getting Down To Brass Tacks." by Pastor Jacob  Taylor.

"Jesus said when we navigate through life there are two ways we can go. Don’t follow the crowds on the interstate with the big flashy signs. Let Jesus be you guide on the backroads that lead to life." Pastor Jacob Taylor.

Prayer for the week of March 4, 2018
Scripture for the week via  Mark 11:20-25

Some of us will be stepping back into day light savings time. My watch turned itself back last week. I hope it would turn itself up an hour next Sunday.

Hope all will have a wonderful week.
Thanks for reading.
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley