Our local Calvert County weather forecast for Friday, calls for a mostly cloudy day, which in Groundhog Day terms means if Punxsutawney Phil were here with us locally he wouldn't see his shadow and we would see an early Spring instead of six more weeks on Winter! Wel, guess what? Punxsutawney's forecast also calls for … Continue reading What’s All This Fuss About a Groundhog Named Phil and Punx’a’what?
Great grandfather
Native Americans, White People, and Scottish-Irish Emigrate to North Carolina
Native Americans A recent blog post focused on my maternal great-grandmother Mary Susan MORRIS's family--our Native American heritage through the Morris branch--and the freshly fallen bricks of a wall I had been up against for years. White People Not abandoning this wall, but continuing on, I returned to my maternal great-grandfather--Grandmother Susan's husband, John Carpenter Ford's (1864-1961) family. Similarly, I found … Continue reading Native Americans, White People, and Scottish-Irish Emigrate to North Carolina
157 Years Later: CSA Sgt. Gideon W. Morris–Our “Battle of Antietam” Survivor
Freshly Fallen Bricks of My Morris Family Wall After searching to uncover more information about my maternal great grandmother's (Mary Susan MORRIS Ford) family, I once again stumbled and fell upon freshly fallen bricks of a wall I had pushed against for many years. Until now, I primarily had focused on the origins of my Native American heritage through the Morris branch. And then, … Continue reading 157 Years Later: CSA Sgt. Gideon W. Morris–Our “Battle of Antietam” Survivor
Remembering Robert
About Grandsons Grandsons make us Proud. Grandsons listen to Family stories, even when they go on and on. Grandsons Surprise and delight us, and sometimes shock us a little. Grandsons know what's Cool, and they keep us up on it, too. Grandsons make us feel Important and wise. Grandsons add Fun to any occasion. Everybody should be … Continue reading Remembering Robert
Nearly 75 Years Later – A Family’s Unanswered Questions and Unsolved Mysteries Unravel
My Family of Secrets A year ago, nearly exactly to the day, I wrote a rather long and personal post about my paternal grandparents and great-grandparents--the Bollings and the Chambers. From its title, you can infer that there were some unanswered questions and mysteries surrounding these people and their relationships that dated back years before … Continue reading Nearly 75 Years Later – A Family’s Unanswered Questions and Unsolved Mysteries Unravel
Bi-racial Relationships of the 60’s–the 1860’s!
The Year 1868 Last week my genealogical research took me back to my second paternal great-grandfather, Lawrence T. "Larl" Boling. I already knew that Larl married Sarah Elizabeth "Bettie" Tapp in Fredericksburg, Virginia, but when I looked more closely I found that their wedding took place just one week before Christmas 1868--that was the Christmas day when our … Continue reading Bi-racial Relationships of the 60’s–the 1860’s!
ISO my Family’s Sociological “Big Bang!”
According to my most recent research into the Bolling-Chambers-Taylor families, I am descended from an ancient line of folks who were known to be bald, short, fat, stammerers, and some even barbarians! At my eldest grandson's wedding in Chicago last weekend, my third eldest grandson approached me for genealogical help. For his college sociology class, his assignment … Continue reading ISO my Family’s Sociological “Big Bang!”
What’s All This Fuss About a Groundhog Named Phil and Punx’a’what?
From my May 26, 2013, blog post, Busted "Brick Wall" Reveals More "Chambers" "…So again yesterday morning, I decided to start over once more with basic research techniques for the elusive Chambers within our family's ancestors. Among my review of earlier research and findings of Frank Maynard Chambers, through my contacts with the Las Vegas Bunker … Continue reading What’s All This Fuss About a Groundhog Named Phil and Punx’a’what?
An Inheritance of Deafness for the BollingS AND RANDOLPHS (1771-1816)
Almost ten years ago, Boling, Bolling, and Bowling family members discussed whether deafness and hearing loss were inherited. The answer is, in fact, that there have been Boling family members born deaf. Some of the lines that include deafness extend over to descendants of the John Randolphs (another branch in the Bolling ancestry). The short … Continue reading An Inheritance of Deafness for the BollingS AND RANDOLPHS (1771-1816)
My Family of Secrets
This morning, I received an alert about a new comment to a post of May 24, 2013, on my blog site (joannedi.wordpress.com), “My Family of Secrets.” The subject post tells the story, as I know it, of my paternal grandparents Helen Louise Chambers and Jesse Burton Boling and their parents Frank Maynard Chambers and Lottie Taylor.
And much to my surprise this morning, the best Christmas present of 2013 arrived online at my site. From a great uncle, Maynard, that I never knew existed was a message that knocked down several more bricks from my Chambers family genealogical wall. It seems as my post alluded to in May, that Frank Maynard Chambers, in fact, did father additional children after he relocated to Las Vegas. Maynard advises that he is the eldest of three and that he has two sisters. So, my grandmother, Helen Chambers, who died before I was born, was actually the first of four children fathered by Frank Maynard Chambers. In my great excitement I quickly responded back to Maynard to say, “definitely, yes, I’d like to exchange stories and to learn more.” I next went to FaceBook and easy as that, I found Maynard’s page. I can’t wait to explore more and share the unfolding saga as it happens. So, stay with me, folks, there will be more that follows.
Helen Louise Chambers Boling (1 Jul 1911 – 16 Mar 1944) My Paternal Great Grandmother:
| Obituary On Thursday, March 16, 1944, at Baltimore, MD., Helen L. Boling, the wife of Jessie Boling, mother of Frank, Dolores and Barbara Boling and daughter of Frank and Lottie Chambers. Services at the Chambers funeral home, 517 11th st. se., on Wednesday, March 22, at 1 p.m. Interment Columbia Gardens Cemetery. Washington Post (1877-1954) Mar 23, 1944; page 12 |
| Burial: Columbia Gardens Cemetery Arlington Arlington County Virginia, USA |
I expect this post will be one of my more personal and difficult to write. There remain many blanks to my paternal grandmother’s (Helen Louise Chambers Boling) life that we cannot fill in and some of the answers we have found aren’t what we had hoped for by any means. Helen was estranged from her family and living in Baltimore City, Maryland, when in March 1944…
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My Life’s Five Most Embarrassing Moments
In no specific order: I was 7, some people referred to me as being very demure for my age, and I was usually seen and not heard (because my Great Grandfather preferred children this way). My Uncle John, Grandfather, Roy, and Dad, Frank, had just returned to the farm in Glenn Dale, Maryland, with a … Continue reading My Life’s Five Most Embarrassing Moments
Dogs Are Family, Too!
To borrow just a few words from my good friends at Google, "the loyalty, affection, and exploits" of my dogs throughout my years on this earth have inspired a rich body of true, sometimes hilarious and sometimes sad stories that have only added to my life events. My blog would be incomplete without at least a … Continue reading Dogs Are Family, Too!
Johannes Eustacius “John” Rolfe…My 11th Great Grandfather
Johannes Eustacius "John" Rolfe, Father of John Rolfe, Jr. Who Married Pocahontas Birth: Oct. 17, 1562, Heacham, Norfolk, England Death: Nov. 29, 1594, Heacham, Norfolk, England (Age 32) Buried: Dec. 1, 1594, Heacham Church, Heacham, Norfolk, England Norfolk County in which Heacham resides is known for its industry in Lavender. It is thought that settlers … Continue reading Johannes Eustacius “John” Rolfe…My 11th Great Grandfather
Up Close and Personal in my Ancestor’s Home–The American Revolutionary War
Towns of Petersburg, Blandford, and Pocahontas and the suburbs of Ravenscroft and Bollingbrook become one town called Petersburg. (My 7th paternal great grandfather's home.) The colonial town of Petersburg, Virginia, was established by law in 1748. Petersburg elected John Banister (father-in-law of my 7th great grandfather), as it's first mayor in 1781. It achieved the dignity of … Continue reading Up Close and Personal in my Ancestor’s Home–The American Revolutionary War
Five Generations Together, If Only For A Day!
Easter 2013 Easter always has meant church first and giving thanks to Jesus for his sacrifices for us, then spending the day with our earthly family of loved ones, breaking bread together, hunting for Easter eggs, and giving everyone—young to old--a chocolate Easter bunny on their way home. This year, we are especially fortunate because … Continue reading Five Generations Together, If Only For A Day!
Pipers Piping, Ladies Dancing, and Lords a Leaping
And we’re off to Scotland in our ‘Reflections of the past and mirrors to the future…’ It’s a wee country, full of contradictions and BIG surprises! In Scotland, you can… See tiny, stone cottages nestled at the foot of huge, rugged mountains Watch ominous steel-grey clouds part suddenly to reveal vivid blue skies and bright sunshine Look … Continue reading Pipers Piping, Ladies Dancing, and Lords a Leaping
Our Unbounded Heritage: 12th Century & Beyond 