52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 21): Nickname

 "Their real name is what?" 

The writing prompt for Week 21 in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge is titled "Nickname". 

That word brought back a flood of memories for me and the people in my mother's family. It wasn't until I was in college that I knew the real names of some of mother's first cousins. 

It seems that mother's grandmother, Mamie TEEL Stuart, loved to give nicknames to her "kids". Well, at least to a son or two, and most of her grandsons. 

Mamie (TEEL) Stuart, Fisher Co., Texas

I knew these family members as "Chine", "Puggin", "Shorty", "Jug", "Scooter", "Frog", "Jimbo", "Chick", "Pookey", "Tadpole", etc. when I was growing up.

As I got older (college aged), my mother would call them by their birth names, and I often asked, "Wait?? Who are you talking about?" 

I asked more than one time, "Why did she give them nicknames like that?" No one could answer that question.

Years later, I still don't know the answer to "why", but I have learned from my mother, obituaries and genealogy research, what their birth names are/were. 

Was giving nicknames common in your family? My dad's family didn't seem to give nicknames. Was this a tradition in some families and not in other families? 

Let me know if your family gave nicknames, too. 

 - Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Nickname" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 16): Step - A Step-Parent and DNA

 Step by Step: mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) and auDNA (autosomal DNA) 

Participating in Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge has been an enlightening journey, and this week's prompt, "Step," brings a multitude of meanings to mind. Whether it's taking a physical step, progressing through tasks, or the steps in musical scales, the concept of "step" resonates in diverse ways. However, for this blog post, I'm exploring a more personal dimension of "step" — my experience as a stepmother.

In late 1986, I married a young widower, and embraced the role of stepmother to his daughter, who was just shy of her fourth birthday, having lost her mother in 1985. Our family included my biological daughter, making our household a blend of laughter, challenges, and sisterly bonds.

As the girls grew up, the advent of DNA testing added a new layer to our family's story. Initially, my interest in DNA testing was sparked by a desire to learn more about my own roots. Through mtDNA testing at Family Tree DNA, I discovered that I belong to the rare Haplogroup I, a group intriguingly nicknamed "Iris".

The real surprise came when we learned that my stepdaughter also belonged to Haplogroup I, though she is Haplogroup I2. Considering we're both this rare mtDNA haplogroup, I couldn't help but wonder about the odds of such a coincidence. 

Though she and I are both I's, there is a difference because my Haplogroup I includes some mutations that aren't found in other "I's". My mtFull Sequence test was completed in July of 2014 at Family Tree DNA, and we had no matches until December of 2014. As of the date of this blog post, that match in December 2014 is the only Genetic Distance - 0 match on our match list.  

Over the years, DNA testing has not only fascinated us with such revelations but also united us in unexpected ways. Our family now boasts several "Irises," including six granddaughters and a grandson, who also carries his mother's mtDNA haplogroup.

Another surprise was in the early days of auDNA (autosomal DNA), she shared small segments of DNA with my father. I believe that I know where the connection is, and one day I will write about it. 

This journey through genetics has redefined what family means to us, blurring the lines between step and biological relations. Our journey is also a testament to the fact that family isn't just about DNA; it's about the steps we take to embrace, love, and understand each other, making every discovery a step toward greater unity.

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Step" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 15) School Days: Ringing the Bell at Sylvester School (TX)

This week in the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge of Amy John Crow's is "School Days". What do you think of when you hear the words "School Days"?

When I saw the word "school" I immediately thought of one of my favorite old pictures in my scrapbook album. The sons and daughters of Jefferson Davis Stuart and Mamie (Teel) Stuart, including my grandmomie, Eva Nell, attended school at Sylvester, Fisher County, Texas. 

The page from my album below includes a picture of one of the Stuart sisters ringing the bell at the school. She has the biggest smile and is probably pulling the rope as hard as she can. It also looks like she's getting help from the man standing close by. 

Eva Nell and sister, Lucille

Old Sylvester, Texas, schoolhouse in 2019

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "School Days" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 14) "Favorite Recipe": Black Cherry Salad

My family had – and still has – a lot of good cooks. What I remember most as a child was my paternal grandmother Cauble’s “Chocolate Pie”! Yum!! And then my “Mama Stuart” (my maternal great-grandmother) made a “Big Ben Cake”. 

How can I choose a favorite as asked to do in 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 14) "Favorite Recipe"? Don’t make me, please. I'll try, but honestly, there is not one favorite recipe for me. 

My maternal grandmomie Dennis made the following BLACK CHERRY SALAD. It was one of my favorites as a kid growing up so I'll put it in the spotlight in this blog post.

Black Cherry Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 package black cherry Jell-O
• 1 can black cherries
• 1 can pineapple
• 1 small package cream cheese
• ½ pint whipping cream
• 1 cup pecans
• Miniature marshmallows

Instructions:

1. Drain the juice from the canned cherries and pineapple.
2. Prepare the Jell-O according to the directions on the package, substituting the cherry and pineapple juice for the liquid.
3. Dissolve the cream cheese in the warm Jell-O mixture.
4. Add the drained cherries, pineapple, miniature marshmallows, and pecans to the Jell-O mixture.
5. Whip the cream and fold it into the mixture.
6. Refrigerate until set.
7. Serve chilled and enjoy!

It's easy to make and a cool, refreshing dessert. With the hot southwest Texas heat we're having right now, this Black Cherry Salad may be on our table this weekend. 

I asked ChatGPT 4o to put the ingredients and instructions into recipe form. Above is it's format. And I got something extra. Here's a little limerick ChatGPT 4o wrote for me: 

"In a dish of black cherry delight, 

With fruit, nuts, and cream pure white, 

Mix Jell-O with care, 

Marshmallows in there, 

A salad that's truly a bite!"    

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Favorite Recipe" this week. 

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks (Week 13) Worship: A Mix of Traditions

Week 13 of Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks has us looking at "Worship". 

My ancestors come from a variety of religious traditions. Here's a quick glimpse into the different denominations some of my ancestors were affiliated with in records. 

Ancestor/Family	Church Affiliation
Kolb (Palatinate, PA, SC, GA, TX)	Quaker, Mennonite, Welsh Neck Baptist, Unitarian Universalist, Methodist
Ziegenfuss (Prussia, TX)	Evangelische (Protestant), Lutheran, Methodist
Wright (CT, GA, TX)	Congregationalists, Baptist (early missionaries into TX)
Clower (PA, VA, NC, GA, AL)	Presbyterian, Methodist
Musgrove (MD, VA, SC, MS, TX)	Church of England, Baptist
Ham (SC, AL, TX, OK)	Baptist

 Where did your ancestors worship? Did they attend church, temple or synagogue? 

Keep looking and learning! 

- Revis 

This content was crafted for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge, focusing on the theme "Worship" this week.