Robert Tucker - Our English Roots

Robert Tucker is our direct great-grandfather (12 generations back).

He was born in Stockland, Devon, England, on 26 Nov. 1487. The village still exists. It would be so nice to visit the place one day. Or even live there.

In 1524, at the age of 37‏, Robert married 26-year-old Miss Joan Palmer who was born in 1498 in Thorverton, Devon, England, to John Palmer and Elizabeth Bilton. The marriage took place in Exeter, Devon.

Robert and Joan had possibly ten children - seven sons: John, Richard, Robert, William, Hugh, William (2), and Henrye, and three daughters: Martha, Johane, and Grace. I wrote "possibly" because I had found two daughters of the same name Martha. One of them was born in 1528, the year of birth of the other one is unknown. Maybe it is a research glitch and there was only one Martha, I am not sure.

When Robert was 52, on 7 Jan. 1540, his son and our direct ancestor, was born. His name was William Tucker, he was born in Exeter, Devonshire, England.

About the year 1565, William married Miss Honer Erisey born in 1529 in Cornwall. The couple had seven children: Robert, John, William, Florence, Thomas, Dorothie, and William Daniel. The youngest son is our main ancestry line.

William Daniel Tucker was born in Plymouth, Cornwall, England on 7 Jan. 1589. His father William died in 1582 in Exeter.

I have come across the information that in 1579, when he still lived in England, William married Miss Elizabeth Mansfield. It happened in Milton, Kent, England. The couple had two sons William and Daniel. If this is correct, maybe William Daniel's first wife died before he emigrated?
In 1610 William Daniel left England and went to America. No info on Elizabeth though.

William was a trading merchant and Virginia pioneer/colonist.

William Daniel married Miss Marye Elizabeth Thompson, a daughter of Mr. Robert Thompson and Ms. Elizabeth Harsnett. Marye was born around 1599 in Walton, Hertfordshire, England. Some sources say that the marriage took place in Jamestown, James City, Virginia, others that it was in Elizabeth city in Virginia. Anyway, William and Marye had seven children including 'our' John born on 8 Sept. 1626 in Westmoreland, Virginia.

There has been a confusion regarding William Daniel's parents. In some family trees, they appear to be John Tucker and Alice Pelham. According to the data which I found in Pedigree Files on familysearch.org, most likely there were  two different men of the name William Tucker born in the same year. However, the other one was born not on 7 January but on 6 April, not in Stockland but in Gravesend, England. Furthermore, in those trees William's grandparents are William Tucker and Honer Erisey. In our tree, they are William Daniel's parents. It looks as if there could be a mix-up and that second William's father John could have actually been 'our' William Daniel's brother.

Credits:
England flag by abFlags.com cc: by nc sa 
Map of England: By Nilfanion [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Mary Boone Gant & Boone Family

Probably you have heard about Daniel Boone - pioneer, frontiersman, Revolutionary War hero, founder of the village named Boonesborough, which was one of the very first settlements in Kentucky (Virginia then). Maybe you have also heard about his brother Squire, who was quite a person as well. Well, they are our indirect relatives, related to our family via Mary Gant nee Boone.
Daniel Boone was Mary's second cousin twice removed.

Daniel Boone

Wish I had a photograph of Mary's portrait bus since I do not have one, I can only include the image of her cousin's.

Here is the family line which connects the two of them:

Mary Gant (Boone) ➦
➦ her father Hiram Boone (b. 1765, Culpepper County, Virginia - d. 13 March 1826, Woodford, Kentucky) ➦
➦ his father Hezekiah Boone ( 22 May 1735, Exeter, Berks, PA - 20 Dec. 1823, Woodford, Kentucky) ➦
➦ his father George Boone (13 July 1690, Bradninch, Devonshire, England - 20 Nov. 1753, Exeter Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania) ➦
➦ his brother Squire Maugridge Boone, Sr. (25 Nov. 1696, Bradninch, Devonshire, England - 2 Jan. 1765, Salisbury, Rowan County, North Carolina, Colonial America) ➦
➦ his son Daniel Boone ( 2 Nov. 1734, Birdsboro near Reading, Oley Valley, Berks County, Province of Pennsylvania, Colonial America - 26 Sept. 1820, Nathan Boone's house, Defiance, Femme Osage Creek, St. Charles County, Missouri).

Miss Mary Boone connects us to quite a few other family lines/branches including such surnames as Eisenhower, Mitchell, Stover, Grant, Van Bibber, Evans, Sanders, Scott, Hays, Scholl, Mead, Hughes, Bennett, Patterson, Hulings, Whitaker, Thomas, Milton, Powell, and Moulton (to mention only the main ones). I am going to tell you more about some of those connections. Therefore, I think Mary and her immediate family need to be introduced here in a more detailed way.

Mary Boone was born on 26 May 1803 in Columbia, Adair, Kentucky to Hiram Boone and Lucy Ann Smith.

On 15 October 1822, Mary married our cousin six times removed Absalom Bobo Gant, son of Lewis Bobo Gant and Mary Armstrong. It happened in Clifton, Wayne County, Tennessee. Absalom Bobo was born on 25 February 1800 in Abbeville, Abbeville County, South Carolina.
Mary and Absalom had eleven children - seven daughters and four sons.

Daughters of Absalom and Mary's

• Lucy Ann - born 3 April 1824 in Stantonville, Harding, Tennessee/died 8 October 1875 in Hardin, TN. Lucy married Mr. E.A. Polk (around 1844 in Wayne Co., TN);
• Elizabeth Jane - b. 19 June 1826, Stantonville, Hardin Co, TN/d. 10 Dec. 1910, Weatherford, Parker Co, TX). On 2 Sept. 1826 in Clifton, Wayne Co., Tennessee, Elizabeth married  Thomas Jefferson Kindel (b.17 Nov. 1824) - ⭐ Texas connection;
•  Mary Huldah - b. 10 Dec. 1834, Martin, Weakley, TN/d. 25 April 1859 in Wayne, TN. Mary married Bruce Childress (b. around 1930);
• Nancy Emarintha - b. 19 Oct. 1837 in Martin Mills, Wayne, Tennesse/d. 19 May 1920 in Temple, Bell, Texas. On 25 Sept. 1850 Nacy married Mr. W. H. A. Atkins (born 1833) - ⭐ Texas connection;
• Irene (Martha J) - b. 6 Feb. 1840, Martin Mills, Wayne, Tennesse/d. 10 Feb. 1896 in Wayne, TN;
• Frances Elizabeth - b. 10 March 1842 in Martin Mills, Wayne, Tennesse/d. 13 March 1922 in Texas. Buried - old Kindel lot, Weatherford cemetery, Parker Co, TX -  ⭐ Texas connection;
•  Sarah Emma - b. 20 July 1840 in - Martin Mills, Wayne, Tennesse/d. 8 June 1846 in Gainesville, Cook Co., Texas - ⭐ Texas connection. Sarah got married on 12 Oct. 1869. Her husband was James Webb Montague (b. 15 Nov. 1846).

 

Sons of Absalom and Mary's

• Louis Boone Gant - b. 10 July 1828 TN/d. 25 Nov. 1865 in Wayne County, TN). In 1853 Louis married Miss Evaline Lina Parker (b. 1832);
• William Miles - b. 16 Jan. 1831 in Stantonville, Harding, Tennessee/d. 11 Feb. 1863 in TN. On 1 March 1857 he married Miss Sarah Croder (b. 1834);
• Absalom Bobo Gant, Jr. - b. 30 Oct. 1832, Martin, Weakley, TN/d. 2 May 1892, Graham, Young County, Texas. Absalom married Miss Julia Minerva Raines (b. 15 Sept. 1837) on 18 Dec. 1867 in Rusk, Cherokee Co, TX - ⭐Texas connection;
• Frances - b. 1843 in Tennessee.

Mary's husband Absalom Bobo passed on the day of her 73rd birthday, on 26 May 1876 in Clifton, Wayne, Tennessee. Mary Gant departed twenty years later, on 8 August 1896, in Martin Mills, Wayne, Tennessee.
The couple was buried at Mount Hebron Cemetery, Houston, Wayne Co., TN.

You can read more about Mary's son Absalom Bobo Gant, Jr., his ancestors and children in one of my previous posts.

Credits:
Photo of Daniel Boone: Chester Harding

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons;
Photo of gravestone: Judy Griffin;

Information based on MyHeritage research.

Thomas Gant - English Roots

Thomas Gant (our 7 times-great-grandfather) was born on 27 July 1667, in Northamptonshire, England. His parents were Thomas Gent and Sarah Newton.

Thomas married a few times. One of his wives and the mother of his son John was Mary Jennings (born 30 May 1668 — died 21 Feb. 1724, in Charles City, VA). Unfortunately, it is not known when Thomas came to America. He died on 22 April 1721, in Charles City, Prince George Co., Virginia, when he was only 53 years old.

Thomas' son John Gent, our 6 times-great-grandfather, was born in Charles City, Prince George Co., Virginia, on 11 April 1687. In 1717, John purchased land from Richard Washington, who, like John's father, also used to live in England in Northamptonshire.

On 22 June 1708, 21-year-old John married 38-year-old Sarah Boone (born 17 July 1670, in Biddulph, Staffordshire, England), daughter of John Boone and Mary Harper. Well, there was quite a big age difference between the spouses.
John passed in Isle of Wight, VA, on 3 December 1727.

Credits:
England flag by abFlags.com cc: by nc sa  

Our Connection to Luckenbach Family

If you asked us what our favorite part of Texas is, the answer would be: "Hill Country".

If you wanted to know which part of the Hill Country - we would say: "Fredericksburg. And Luckenbach."

Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, TX - 'our fountain'

Fredericksburg is quite a special town, whenever I am there, I always feel as if I was close to my home place in Poland. Maybe because, despite being situated in the heart of Texas, Fredericksburg seems to have such a European spirit that is close to my heart. Another reason for that maybe the fact that the town was founded by German immigrants, and Germany borders Poland. Or maybe it is part of my DNA inherited after some of the ancestors who were born and lived in the area of Poland which had been taken over by Prussia. Who knows.

Luckenbach is quite a place of its own kind. Once, we almost got married there - well, we could have (I wrote about that and our visit to Luckenbach here).

Among the twenty thousand and fifty-one persons (yes, 20.051 - a lot of ancestors to write about!) whom I found in our extended family tree there are the ones who are less or more known from history books, housewives, businessmen, farmers, politicians, army men (privates and generals), followers of different religions, presidents and quite average individuals as well. Quite unexpectedly, I recently also came across a Luckenbach family and our connection to them.

To be more specific:

First I found Mr. Rufus Monroe Angel - our third cousin once removed. Rufus was born on November 26, 1892, in Denton, Texas, died April 28, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas. His parents were James Monroe Angel/Anglea and Leanner Catherine Brock.

Then, it was Elizabeth Hart, daughter of Charles H Hart and Emilie Biesenbach. Emilie was born in San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, on June 21, 1892.

Rufus and Elizabeth got married in 1924.

Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965
Name: R M Angel
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 18 Jun 1924
Event Place: Bexar, Texas, United States
Gender: Male
Spouse's Name: Elizabeth Hart
Spouse's Gender: Female
Page: 638
Record Source:
"Texas, County Marriage Records, 1837-1965," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K61G-GW3 : accessed 23 March 2018), R M Angel and Elizabeth Hart, 18 Jun 1924, Marriage; citing Bexar, Texas, United States, various county clerk offices, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Texas Dept. of State Health Services and Golightly-Payne-Coon Co.; FHL microfilm 24,949.

Elizabeth's sister and Rufus' sister-in-law was Jeannie Katherine Hart born on December 20, 1887, in Bexar, Texas.

Jeannie married Mr. Louis Carl Luckenbach (born in Willow City, Gillespie County, Texas, on October 25, 1885*).

Louis' parents were Friedrich Wilhelm Luckenbach (born September 14, 1823 in Stein-Neukirch, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia and Anna Katherina Kallenberg, born on Oct. 29, 1839 in Saxony, Germany).

According to the online Handbook of Texas, Friedrich Wilhelm came to America on the ship Johann Dethardt, at the end of December in 1845. He was accompanied by his brothers and three sisters: 6 years older Albert Jacob b. Oct 6, 1817, Duchy of Nassau, Germany), Friedrich August (b. March 7, 1833, Prussia), Juliane (b. Feb 10, 1827, Prussia), and Henriette (b. Oct 13, 1829, Prussia).

Fredericksburg - the building of the Pioneers' Museum

 

I am not sure whether the third sister was Wilhelmine (b. Oct. 12, 1820) or Lottie (born circa 1838). Considering how old they both were at that time, it seems it more likely that it was Wilhelmine. Probably, Lottie came to Texas later with their mother Anne Elizabeth (born Oct 24, 1791, Stein, Marienberg, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia). Very likely, it was after the death of Anne's husband and the father of her children Johannes peter Luckenbach (b. July 29, 1784 - d. Jan 14, 1849, in Stein, Marienberg, Hesse-Nassau, Prussia). My assumption is based on the fact that Anne Elisabeth died in Fredericksburg, TX on Oct. 18, 1888 (the information found on MyHeritage).

The Luckenbach family, including 'our' Wilhelm Friedrich, Louis' father, were some of the first settlers in Fredericksburg. They became American citizens in 1852 and not long after that, the family moved to the area which is called Luckenbach.

How cool it is to find out it all thanks to my own research!

Coming back to our connection to the Luckenbach family - on July 22, 1885, Friedrich Wilhelm Luckenbach married Anne Katherine Kallenberg in Fredericksburg (where we did marry many, many years later). Anne Katherine was a daughter of Mr. Johannes Heinrich Kallenberg.

Louis Carl was the youngest and the 12th child of Friedrich and Anne's. He had blue eyes and light brown hair.**

Except of Carl, they also had six sons: Ernst (about 1856), Charles F (1860), Friedrich (about 1863), Paul (1867), Max William (1869), and Wilhelm (1879), and five daughters: Louisa L (1858), Paulina (1863), Emma L (1872), Anna Elise (1874), and Louise Mina (1877).

Louis married at the age of 27. His bride 22-year-old Miss Jeannie Katherine Hart on September 19, 1909, in Bexar County, TX. She was born on December 20, 1880, in Bexar, TX to Miss Charles H Hart and Ms. Emilie Biesenbach.

The couple had four children:

Hazel Anna (1910 - 1912 died of scarlatina),

Record Source:
"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3WP-G57 : 13 March 2018), Hazel Anna Luckenbach, 25 Jun 1912; citing certificate number 14387, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,050,830.

Everest Alexander (1913-2001),

Beatrice Emilie (1915-1918) - died of diphtheria,

"Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K3ZP-PL3 : 13 March 2018), Beatrice Emilie Luckanbach, 14 Aug 1918; citing certificate number 30483, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,073,268.

Olive Hazel (1916-2002).

In 1919 Louis and Jeannie lived in La Coste, Medina, TX. Louis worked as Hard Ward & Implement Dealer at Luckenbach H.D. & I. Co.**

Registration Card
Serial Number: 196 Order Number: 665
Name: Louis Carl Luckenbach
Permanent Home Address: La Coste Medina Tex.
Age in Years: 35
Date of Birth: October 25 1882
Race
White: Yes
US Citizen
Native Born: Yes
Present Occupation: Hard Ward & Implement Dealer
Employer's name: Luckenbach H.D. & I. Co.
Place of Employment or Business: La Coste Medina Texas
Nearest Relative: Jeannie Luckenbach Adress: La Coste Medina State: Texas
Registrar's Report: 42-1-54-C
Description of Registrant
Height: Medium, Build: Slender, Color of Eyes: Blue, Color of Hair: L.Brown
Signed: Thomas H Brickett
Date of Registration: Sep 9, 1918
Stamp: Local Board for the County
             of Medina, State of Texas
             Hondo, Texas 

Record Source:
"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXL-76N : 13 March 2018), Louis Carl Luckenbach, 1917-1918; citing Medina County, Texas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,983,489.

In 1942, the family had already lived at 119 Nelson St. in San Antonio, TX. Probably he ran a hardware store.

Registration Card 9
Serial Number: 1405
Name: Louis Carl Luckenbach
Place of Residence: 119 Nelson St, San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Mailing Address: Same
Age in Years: 59
Date of Birth: October 25 1882
Place of Birth: Willow City, Texas
Name And Address of Person Who Will Always Know Your Address: Mrs. Jeannie Luckenbach, 119 Nelson St., San Antonio, Tx.
Employer's Name And Address: Self - 119 Nelson St., San Antonio, Texas
Place of Employment or Business: 812 Comerce St., San Antonio, Bexar, Texas
Signature: Louis Carl Luckenbach

Record Source
"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XP53-GX3 : 6 November 2017), Louis Carl Luckenbach, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Louis died at Normandy Terrace Nursing Home in San Antonio when he was 70 at 8:45 PM on Feb. 20, 1975. He was buried at Roselawn Memorial Park.***

Louis Carl Luckenbach
⇒ his wife Jeannie Katherine Hart
⇒ her sister Elizabeth (Hart) Angel
⇒ her husband Rufus Monroe Angel - our 3rd cousin once removed
⇒ his father James Monroe Angel
⇒ his mother Elizabeth Sarah (Gant) Angel
⇒ her father Benjamin Thomas Gant
⇒ his brother Jacob Rippy Gant - our great-great-grandfather


Source:
The Handbook of Texas
familysearch.org
*Texas Births and Christenings, 1840-1981," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6P9-724 : 11 February 2018), Louis Carl Luckenbach, 25 Oct 1882; citing Gillespie Co., Texas, reference item 5 p 135; FHL microfilm 1,764,046.
** "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZXL-76N : 13 March 2018), Louis Carl Luckenbach, 1917-1918; citing Medina County, Texas, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,983,489.
*** "Texas Deaths, 1890-1976," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSYR-PB6 : 13 March 2018), Louis C Luckenbach, 20 Feb 1975; citing certificate number 07226, State Registrar Office, Austin; FHL microfilm 2,243,682.
Photo of gravestone: Mr. Emry Schnuriger

Mom's WW2 Stories: Red Box

Some time after the war officially ended, mom got a new pair of shoes. Well, not from a store as footwear was still not available in regular shops. A lady who lived in the neighborhood presented them to mom. The shoes used to belong to the woman's daughter but the girl no longer needed them. No, not because she grew out of them. She just did not need them anymore.

Why?

One day the girl played out together with three boys. They found an unexploded bomb, maybe they tried to move it or just trifled with it, nobody knows. Anyhow, the bomb went off and all the kids were killed. And the girl did not need those shoes anymore.

One day, mom and her friend R, a girl around her age, were walking to a girl scouts meeting. The girls were talking and playing, chasing each other from time to time. Suddenly R noticed something on the road, close to the pavement.

"Ah, what a nice red box!", she cried.

The box looked lovely indeed. It was small, red, round and shiny. Like a cute little gift waiting there to be found.

"Kick it!", mom said to her friend.

And R did. At the very same moment the nice, red, and shiny box turned into a blast - fire, and shrapnel. The former one hit R who ignited the detonation with the kick. Mom got all the shrapnel.

Instead of reaching the girl scouts meeting point, the two girls were rushed to a nearby hospital. R was injured, one of her legs was terribly burned. Mom had pieces of metal stuck in her eyes, chest, legs, and arms.

R's burns were treated but her leg got crippled in the result of the injuries. However, according to the doctors, the disability was possibly temporary if the follow-up physical therapy would be exerted at home. R was released from the hospital. Mom does not know whether the girl's leg was treated/exercised afterward. Probably it was not as R limped since then and her condition never improved.

Mom (a few-year-old girl at the time) spent quite a long time at the hospital. Nevertheless not much was done to help her. The girl's body was powdered every day and covered with paper bandages. Mom says it was toilet paper - well, possibly it was, I guess, the hospital supply was rather poor those days. Anyway, her condition was getting worse, she could not see either - her eyes were seriously wounded. As for the only effective treatment, the doctors suggested removing both mom's eyes and her left leg. The limb - not cleansed but powdered only - was hit with gangrene. Fortunately, mom's mother did not agree to that radical procedure and took her little girl back home.

Not only mom's leg but her entire body, covered with powder, was in a terrible condition. Grandma started treating her daughter on her own. The lady bought kali hyper manganicum in a pharmacy. The tiny purple crystals which are to be dissolved in some amount of water have antiseptic properties (they are still available without a prescription in Poland - to be used on the body surface only).

Anyway, grandma cleansed her daughter's body and started removing the shrapnel pieces from her arms and legs with sterilized tweezers . Mom recalls it was all very painful. Her mother patiently took out a few bits of metal at a time. However, she did not try to touch the ones which were stuck too deep in the girl's eyes and chest. Grandma's care and the kali manganicum washes saved mom and her left leg. Even though the convalescence lasted long. Mom's eyes healed and the vision in her right eye came back. Thanks to grandma her daughter could live and play as she had before the calamitous incident.

What stayed with mom was the shrapnel which could not be removed and the thought which has bothered her all her life: "If I had not told R to kick that box, nothing would have happened to her".

I advised mom to consider something else. Very likely, if her friend had not kicked that red box, attracted by the look of the item, she would have possibly picked it up and tried to open it. The result of that would have been even more tragic then. Possibly, she actually saved her friend's life.

The war was over, life was slowly coming back to normal but such (often lethal) accidents happened almost every day. People who were lucky to survive WW2 died or got seriously injured due to booby traps, delayed bomb, and missile explosions.

Mom and her mom - picture taken during the war

 

More Mom's WW2 Stories

• Gustloff and Narrow Escape
• Wilie 
• Air Rides, Bicycle and Dugouts
• School
• Hilda, Song and Gestapo Man 
• Grandma Arrested
• Cemetery & Clogs

Wywiady Klubowe: Rozmowa z Weroniką

Po ponad miesięcznej przerwie, dzisiaj kolejny wywiad Klubu Polki. Zapraszamy do przeczytania tego, co opowiedziała nam o sobie nasza klubowa Koleżanka Weronika.

Weroniko, gdzie jest Twoje miejsce w Polsce?

Tam, gdzie jest moja rodzina – rodzice, siostra z rodziną, tam jest moje miejsce w Polsce. Pochodzę z Małego Trójmiasta Kaszubskiego i to właśnie te okolice. Otoczenie, w którym dorastałam, poznawałam świat, a także siebie, chyba na zawsze zostanie najbliższe mojemu sercu. Niestety podczas mojej nieobecności czas nie staje w miejscu i po każdym powrocie zastaję zmiany. Nie zawsze potrafię sobie z tym od razu poradzić. Lubię wspominać… Zabrzmiało jak wyznania staruszki, a do „poważnego” wieku jeszcze trochę mi brakuje.

Jak dawno temu wyjechałaś z Polski?

Z Polski wyjechałam jesienią 2014 roku. Przez 3 lata mieszkałam w Szwajcarii, a we wrześniu ubiegłego roku przeprowadziłam się do Włoch.

Jakie były kraje oraz przyczyna Twojej emigracji?

Po siedmiu latach bycia w związku na odległość, wraz z moim partnerem postanowiliśmy w końcu spróbować pobyć ze sobą na co dzień. Sprawdzić, czy faktycznie jesteśmy sobie przeznaczeni, czy sterta brudnych naczyń, rachunki do opłacenia i szara codzienność są w stanie nas pokonać. Poznaliśmy się, gdy ja rozpoczynałam studia, a on był w trakcie swoich. Wcześniej nie było możliwości, aby spróbować wspólnego życia. Dziś jesteśmy po ślubie i mamy córeczkę. Warto było zaryzykować!

Jakie masz wykształcenie?

Z wykształcenia jestem Architektem Krajobrazu, a także Florystką. Przed wyjazdem z Polski zajmowałam się jednym i drugim. Niestety po przeprowadzce nie miałam okazji kontynuować pracy w swoim zawodzie.

Czym zajmujesz się na co dzień?

Obecnie jestem mamą na pełen etat. Dwa miesiące po narodzinach córki musieliśmy się przeprowadzić. Był to zarówno najszczęśliwszy i najtrudniejszy okres w naszym życiu. Malutkie dziecko, nowy kraj, język… Trzeba było od początku wypracować sobie naszą codzienność. Powoli wszystko zaczyna się układać, uspokajać (jeśli można tak powiedzieć przy ośmiomiesięcznym wulkanie energii), a ja po cichutku zaczynam myśleć o zawodowej sferze mojego życia.

Jakie masz hobby, co lubisz robić w czasie wolnym?

Zawsze ciągnęło mnie do kreatywnych zajęć. Po wyjeździe z Polski bardzo często czułam się samotna. Brak pracy, bliskości rodziny i przyjaciół źle wpływały na mój nastrój. Pewnego razu zakupiłam włóczkę i postanowiłam nauczyć się szydełkować. Pierwsze prace wykonywałam z dokładnymi filmikami instruktażowymi. Obecnie szydełkuję głównie lalki i maskotki według własnych pomysłów. Drugą moją wielką pasją, do której wróciłam po latach, jest malowanie. Chyba miałam pewien uraz po studenckich czasach, a teraz na nowo coraz bardziej zakochuję się w akwarelach.

Z czego jesteś dumna?

Dumna jestem ze swojej rodziny – córki, męża, a także siebie. Nie zawsze jest łatwo - tu sami w obcym mieście, ale jakoś sobie radzimy. Jesteśmy szczęściarzami, że mamy siebie.

Kiedy zaczęłaś pisać bloga / o czym piszesz na blogu?

Bloga zaczęłam pisać w sierpniu 2015 roku. Miało być to takie moje „miejsce” w wirtualnym świecie, gdzie chciałam spisywać relacje z podróży, publikować szydełkowe prace i pisać na dowolne tematy. Publikowałam regularnie do czasu narodzin córki. Od lipca zeszłego roku panuje pewien przestój. Powoli dojrzewam do pewnych decyzji, które już nie długo zacznę wprowadzać w życie. Zderzyłam się z rzeczywistością i ze względu na brak czasu jestem zmuszona zmienić dotychczasową formę. Obecnie Instagram skradł moje serce i na nim jestem najbardziej aktywna.

 Czym jest dla Ciebie Klub Polki?

Do Klubu dołączyłam stosunkowo niedawno, bo w lutym ubiegłego roku. Ze względu na sytuację w życiu osobistym niestety na razie nie mogłam dać z siebie tyle, ile chciałam. Jak zaczęłam wracać do wirtualnego świata, to w Klubie zaczęły się zmiany. Z tych powodów na razie stoję z boku i obserwuję. A zresztą taki mam też charakter. Niemniej jednak dobrze jest mieć poczucie przynależności do grupy wspaniałych, inspirujących i życzliwych osób, które tak jak ja przekonali się na własnej skórze, jak to jest zamienić to, co się zna od podszewki, na zupełnie obce.

Co jeszcze chciałabyś nam powiedzieć o sobie?

Chciałabym prosić o trzymanie kciuków, aby spełniły się moje marzenia związane z życiem zawodowym. A w podziękowaniu życzyć jak najwięcej pięknych i słonecznych dni!

WERONIKA PIETRUSZKA 

Strony Weroniki:
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Weroniko, dziękujemy za rozmowę i trzymamy kciuki!

Przy okazji zapraszamy też do odwiedzenia portalu Polki na Obczyźnie (Klub Polki w nowych szatach), który miał swoją premierę ósmego marca - w Dniu Kobiet - tego roku.


Zdjęcia ilustrujące wywiad: Weronika Pietruszka

Ledbetter Ancestors

Some time ago, I wrote about our direct ancestor Jurita Elizabeth Ledbetter. Since then I found some information regarding Jurita's father's possible siblings and ancestors.

Jurita's grandparents:

Grandfather: Moses Ledbetter, born circa 1813, in Rutheford County, Davidson County, TN.

In 1840*, Moses lived in Georgia in Cumming, Forsyth, Georgia.

Moses moved from South Carolina to Georgia with his uncle Johnson Ledbetter and Moses' mother Mary "Polly" Ledbetter nee Whiteside. Probably, it was before Moses got married.

Grandmother: Mary "Pollie" Hammon - born circa 1820 in NC, died around 1870 in GA.

Moses and Mary married** on July 12, 1831 in Hall, Georgia.

Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967
Name: Moses Ledbetter
Spouse's Name: Mary Hammon
Event Date: 12 Jul 1831
Event Place: Hall, Georgia

Jurita's father Charles, born in 1833, was the first child of Moses and Mary's Ledbetter. Cherles had three brothers and five sisters.

According to the information found on MyHeritage, Charle's father Moses fought in the second Seminole War in 1830s. He was a member of the Beaver Ruin Baptist Church.

Moses Ledbetter was said to be one of those men who were part of California Gold Rush in 1849 and also got rich then. He buried the gold in a secret place not known to his family members.

Later, after 1851, he worked as a lumberjack. Moses died suddenly on Feb. 3, 1855, due to a logging accident, in Hurricane Creek, Forsyth, Cherokee, GA. His family did not have a clue where the family treasure (the gold) had been hidden. Moses' heritage got lost forever.

Jurita'sgreat-grandparents

Great-grandfather : Richard B Ledbetter IV (1779, Montford Cove, Rutheford, NC - Feb. 1859, Harris, NC),
Great-grandmother: Mary "Polly" Whiteside (Aug. 13, 1783, Buffalo Creek, Rutheford, NC - Oct. 30, 1870, Gasper, Pickens, Georgia).

I tried to trace other Ledbetter men (besides Jurita's father Charles) who came to Texas in the 1800s. So far, I "found" only one - Lewis Johnson Ledbetter (b. Feb. 10, 1840 in Alabama), son of Whilliam Whittenton Ledbetter. Lewis Johnson was Charles' second cousin. He lived in Georgia but must have moved to Texas by 1869 as Alsey, one of his daughters, was born in Texas, in 1869. The child did not survive - the girl is not mentioned in the later records.

In 1880 the family of Lewis Ledbetter (a farmer) and his wife Nancy Jackson (35) lived in Precinct 7, in Johnson, TX (Census 1880***). The record says that two of their sons Alvarado (13) and Oswald (11) were farm workers already. Did they have anything to do with the town Ledbetter in Fayette County, Texas? Well, maybe - I found the grave marker of little F. A. Ledbetter, born in 1869, died 1871. The little girl could be Alsey. Anyway, she was buried in La Grange, Fayette County.


Source:
MyHeritage;
familysearch.org;

* "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHBN-7M9 : 15 August 2017), Moses Ledbetter, Cumming, Forsyth, Georgia, United States; citing p. 287, NARA microfilm publication M704, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 41; FHL microfilm 7,043.

**"Georgia Marriages, 1808-1967," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWHC-GYH : 11 February 2018), Moses Ledbetter and Mary Hammon, 12 Jul 1831; citing , Hall, Georgia; FHL microfilm 424,630.

*** "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFNP-KS5 : 15 July 2017), J Ledbetter, Precinct 7, Johnson, Texas, United States; citing enumeration district ED 87, sheet 393A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 1313; FHL microfilm 1,255,313. 

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