Family history for the 21st century
I'm thrilled to finally be able to transcribe and publish another one of the letters from the late 1800's my cousin Ron West sent to me. These letters are from my West ancestors and are true treasures! The other two I've already transcribed can be found here: A Letter from Jennet Cowen West, 1888 A … Continue reading Letter from George W. West to Paschal West, 1887
Yesterday I inadvertently had a War Movie Day. I happened to be at my mom’s while she watched Monuments Men, and then I went with my dad to see the new Brad Pitt WWII tank movie, Fury. Strangely enough, I had just hours earlier been perusing the Compiled Civil War Service Records for my 3rd … Continue reading Lightner West and the Horrors of War
Early on in the year, genealogist Amy Crow of No Story Too Small challenged all blogging genealogists to write about one ancestor per week for 52 weeks. This is my first entry in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I think it's fitting that the first ancestor I blog about in the 52 Ancestors … Continue reading [52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks] Edward West, My Rabble-Rousing 87-Year-Old Grandfather
I'm just popping by to point out that I found some of my West family living a few doors down from the "Clampitt" clan in Franklin County, Arkansas. The origins of the famous Clampetts, late of Beverly Hills, has oft been in dispute. Maybe I just found them? 😉
How are you guys today? I am pleased to write that I am tolerably well and I hope you are well, too. (Sorry, I can't help it. After getting buried in all of these old West family letters I want to talk like the writers do!) This letter is from my 3rd Great Aunt Edith … Continue reading Letter from Edith West Harris to Paschal P. West, July 1882
I'm so very excited to be posting the first in a series of four transcribed letters from the family of my 4th great-grandfather, George W. West (b. abt. 1819 in Spartanburg, SC - d. 1895 in Forsyth County, Georgia.) I received these letters from Ron West, a distant cousin I recently reconnected with. He's of … Continue reading Amanuensis Monday: Letter from Jennet Cowen West to Paschal P. West and Rebecca Westray West
Thanks to my long lost Arkansas cousin, Ron West, whom I located through FamilyTreenDNA.com, I have just read 5 letters written from relatives in the family of my 4th great-grandfather, George W. West (abt. 1819-1895). One letter was even penned by my 4th great-grandmother, Jennet Cowen West, herself. If I can stop bawling my eyes … Continue reading I’ve Located Letters from my 4th Great-Grandparents!
I know, right? War is hell. And from the transcripts of the interview you are about to read, you'll see that that my grandpa Edward West's war experiences were extremely hellish. But he was also very fortunate in that, having a relatively late date of birth, he wasn't drafted at the end of the war. … Continue reading Military Monday: Papa Remembers WWII and the Really Awesome-Sounding Aftermath
I spent all this time transcribing these land records having to do with my 4th Great-Grandfather, George W. West, so I thought I would share them with you. The Book and Page where they can be found is at the top of each record. This is my first experience with land records so I have … Continue reading Some Forsyth County, Georgia West Land Records Transcribed
Today I got over myself and headed up to the Forsyth County, Georgia courthouse to look at old land records. I didn't find everything I wanted, but after seeing which parcels of land my ancestors sold off, I've narrowed it down... THIS is where I have to find the cemetery. Yep, there is a highway … Continue reading Narrowing Down the West Burial Site
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