Color #52Ancestor 52 Weeks

Color is what brings out the light of life that God Almighty has created.  I was thinking about color. The different shades and tones what beauty that comes from. Humanity and nature are full of living color. 

I was looking at my DNA results.  I'm was thinking about the different nationalities in my family connections. What a beautiful DNA match up! I have a rich heritage.

Ancestry.com has me as...
20% Ivory Coast/Ghana 
18% Cameroon/Congo 
13% Nigeria 
13% Senegal 
12% Great Britain 
7% Europe West
       Others

On myhertiage.com
I have 1.3% of Ashkenazi Jewish 

On 23and Me
I have 0.9 % of East Asian & Native American 

I've been discovering more DNA cousins. They are from different nationalities. What a beautiful family are we! I looked at photos of some my cousins that I've found on facebook. There are some cousins with blue eyes and blonde hair. There are cousins seeking to know more on their Native Americans lineage and some their African Americans lineage.

The different shades of color is amazing. The styles and shapes create beauty. We have texture with how we represent ourselves. We are all created in God's image. We are beautiful and colorful. Amen!

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

Music #52Ancestors 52 Weeks ~ Frederick A. "Fred" LANKFORD / LANKFARD

Music! I have relatives who were and are artists.
The photo below was a musician. That was his profession.

Mr. Frederick A. "Fred" LANKFORD / LANKFARD was born on Jan 28, 1878 in Canton MO.
He was the son of Robert and Charlotta (DADE) LANKFORD / LANKFARD.
Fred was the husband of  Mollie Bell (BURTCH / BURICH) LANKFARD.
Fred was professional musician.

He was a "Tango Banjoist" in Denver, Colorado, New Mexico and other States.

Frederick A. Lankfard
(1878- 1963)



 Fred worked: as a Laborer, Did odd Jobs, Cook, Porter,
An Attendant at R.R.  Fred passed on February 6, 1963 in  NY. 

Frederick A. Lankfard with his group.
Year unknown.

 

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

Fred was my Great Uncle.

Travel #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

 I was thinking about my Grandfather, John Blakey / Blakley Sr.  ~ July 10, 2018 marked the 100th year since his passing. I wondered. How did my ancestors traveled back in the days?

My Grandfather, John was born in Woodville, Mississippi on June 21, 1871. His father, Private Isaac Blakey MS Union Veteran and his mother was Martha (Scott) Blakey. Martha passed when John was an infant.  John was the twin, Andrew who passed as baby.

Isaac married to Rachel Lephridge Jackson Blakey in July of 1873. He moved his family to Forest Green, Missouri around March of 1880. What a journey that must have been! Moving a family from Natchez, Mississippi to Chariton, County in Missouri.

I've found my Grandfather, John listed on the 1900 census in Carrollton, Missouri. His surname was  spelled  Blackedy / Blakely. I believe that was where he met and later married my Grandmother, Jennie Bartlett. They married in Excelsior Springs, Clay, Missouri in 1902. His surname was spelled Blakye. John and Jennie moved to St. Joseph, Missouri where a daughter passed in November of 1902.

I can only imagine how much traveling my Grandpa John went through. From 1871 - 1918.  John had made his way from his birth place of Woodville, MS,  and journeyed with his family throught Natchez, MS,  Forest Green, MO, Carrollton, MO, Excelsior Spring, MO and to St. Joseph, MO. He later made his way to Yankton, South Dakota where he passed  and was buried.

Why was John in South Dakota? John was preparing to bring his wife and children to Yankton. John was sick and grow sicker. He didn't make the journey back to Missouri. He passed in a covered wagon near his brother, Henry Blakey's home. John's widow and 7children remained in St. Joseph, Missouri.

I took the journey to Yankton, by car in late October of 1981 and July of 1985. The journey seemed as a long by car ride.  My  Grandfather and ancestors had it harder.  Oh, my!  The luxury of modern days has no match to the days of old. Our ancestors were tough.

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

Independence #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

I don't know of any ancestors who were in the Revolutionary War.  However, I have a 3rd Great Grandmother who was living at that time.  I wouldn't imagine that. She was about eleven in 1776.

My 3rd Great Grandmother was Hannah ? HOOPER. The only record I've found on her is the Carrollton Missouri 1880 census. She was listed as my 2nd Great Grandfather Elias' Grandmother.  Elias was listed with his 2nd wife Harriett and his 5 children.

The family surname was misspelled Barllett on the 1880 MO census.
The surname was Bartlett.

Sally Bartlett
Charles Bartlett
Lucy Bartlett
Elias Bartlett
William Bartlett

What I've learned for the 1880 census, Hannah was born in South Carolina around 1765. She was listed as black at 115 years old and an invalid.   Her father and mother were from Virginia. The year of Hannah's death is unknown. The census was taken on June 22, 1880.

I'm thankful that my 3rd Great Grandmother lived to be on the 1880 census. I wouldn't have never known who she was if she didn't live as long as she did. Hannah is the oldest ancestor that I have come across on my family connections search. 

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

Black Sheep #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

I have a lot of relatives. Many I don't know about. Some know their family tree. While others are searching to find theirs. Some families don't know about the lost long relatives. I guess we call them the black sheep in the family. The relatives that people don't talk about. Are those the ones born out of wedlock?

As I'm coming across my DNA relatives, I'm coming across cousins, I didn't know about. Some of them know who their parent (s) are or were. And some I'm discovering who were adopted searching for their biological parents.

I don't see people as "Black Sheep". There shouldn't be no "black sheep" in the family. Family is family. We have our in laws and our out laws. The connections is still there through the off springs.

 We should be some connections with family. We have our dislikes and our opinions. We have to learn to get along. Blood is thicker than water.

We are born into the family that God has chosen for us. We are not born by accident. God has a  plan for each of us. There are no black sheep relatives.  May we learn to love and live with one another.  For we are family. Family is important.

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

Same Names #52Ancestors 52 Weeks

Over the coarse of my family history journey, I've seen a lot of common names and same name relatives. Some of my relatives went by their middle names. I can see why. There had to be nicknames. It would be a lot of confusion if there weren't.

Here are a few relatives born with the same names that I came across. The ones with the * by it's female relatives who married into the family with surname changes adding more same name relatives. Example. There were 3 Mary Blakeys born with the name and *3 other Marys became a Blakey. That's 6 Mary Blakeys


Mary Blakey, 3 *3                                            Louis Lankford, 2
Mary Blakley, 2                                                Leo Lankford, 4
D. W. Blakley, 3                                               Mary Lankford, 1, *2
David Blakey, 5                                                Robert L. Lankford 4 (Lankfard)
Charles Lankford, 3 (Langford)                       A.W. Lankfard, 2

Isaac Blakey, 5 or 6                                          Laura Bell Blakey, 2
Isaac Blakley, 2                                                Spencer Blakey, 3
Michael Blakey, 3                                            Lula Lankford, 2 *1
Roberta Blakey, 1  *2                                      John Blakey, 3
Robert Blakey, 2                                              John Blakley, 3
Robert Blakley, 3                                             Frederick Lankford, 3
Paul Blakey, 3                                                  Daniel Lankford, 3
Paul Blakley, 3                                                 Richard Blakley, 2
Theodore Blakey, 2                                          Richard Blakey, 3

Julia Blakey, 2                                                  Andrew White, 2
Fred Blakey, 2                                                  Annie Blakey, 2
Daniel Blakey, 2                                               Raymond Blakey, 2

Doris Blakey, 2                                                  Henry Blakey, 2
Candy Blakey, 2                                                James Blakey, 3
Elizabeth Blakey, 2 *1                                      Jean Blakey, 2
Ella Blakey, 2                                                    Joan Blakey, 2
Floyd Blakey, 2                                                 Kathryn Blakey, 3
George Blakey, 2                                               Kevin Blakey, 2

Rachel Blakey, 2 *1                                           Martha Blakey, 1 *1
Leroy Blakey, 2                                                  Pasconnill Blakey, 2
Lucille Blakey, 2                                                L.J. Blakley, 2
Michelle Blakey, 2                                             R.W. Blakley, 3
Ollie Blakey, 2                                                   Sarah Lankford, 1 *2
Jane White, 2 * 1                                               Mary White, 4
Thomas White, 4                                               John White, 2
Jasmine Nicole Blakley, 2                                 Carolyn Blakey, 1 *1
Irene Blakey, 1 *1                                              C.V. Blakley, 2
Donald Blakley, 2 Donte 1                                Charlotta / Charlotte Lankford, *2

Thanks for reading the list of about 66 names. This was just a few. I could imagine the whole list. It took me a while to compile this on.

God Bless you.
S.A. Blakey

Father's Day #52Ancestor 52 Weeks

My father, David on the left. On the right, my father's Grandfather, Private Isaac Blaker, aka Isaac Blakey

Happy Father's Day to all!