The Old Country And My DNA Connections

 As look back over my family connections journey,  I am amazed. In my early years, I  could only assume that my ancestors came from Africa.  Majority of my ancestors were the enslaved in America.

Oh, how I wish that someone could have past where our people came to generations to generations.   Or perhaps, they didn’t know where their ancestors came from just like me.  The country where my ancestors came from was lost.

On my father’s side, oral history states that a mother and her children came to America on a ship from Africa. They were sold as the enslaved in 1843 in New Orleans. Oral history states that the family came off the coast of Nigeria.

I’m thankful that I took the DNA test.  And I’ve discovered that I’m about  ? % Nigerian.  I’m thankful for that others took their DNA as well. That’s how I’m connecting.


Here's my Living DNA results on August 18, 2022 DNA.
 

• Africa

  87.1%

  • West Africa

    79.3%
  • East Africa

    5.8%
  • South and Central Africa

    2%

• Europe

  12.9%

  • Great Britain and Ireland

    12.9%

Ethnicity estimate from my DNA results from ancestry. com are listed below. 2020

    39%   Nigeria       

   17%   Cameroon, Congo & Southern Bantu Peoples
   12%   Mali   
   10%   England, Wales & Northwestern Europe   
     9%   Ireland & Scotland       
     4%   Senegal     
     3%   Norway     
     3 %  Benin & Togo
     2%   Sweden   
      1%  Eastern Bantu Peoples 

And as of March 2023 ancestry has my DNA as 

28%   Nigeria
23%   Ivory Coast & Ghana
17%    Cameroon, Congo & Western Bantu Peoples
10%   Scotland
 8%    England & Northwestern Europe
 6%    Senegal
 5%    Ireland
 2%    Wales

I have a DNA match with a person who is 99.9 % Nigerian. He says his ancestors are from the Igbo tribe in Africa.  I’ve been trying to learn more about the Igon culture.  This DNA cousins matches other’s who I match. This is awesome.

I hope that you are making discovery on the country where your ancestors came from.
The DNA test is the start for those who don’t have a clue.
Happy  Exploring!

May we  learn more about our ancestors’ culture through DNA.
May we explore, discover and share what we learn about our ancestors.

Thanks for reading.
The Old Country
God bless you.
S.A. Blakley

Week 30 (July 22-28): The Old Country And My DNA Connections

Posted on July 24, 2020 by Susan Ann Blakley

Help By Correspondence

 Welcome to the month of April

Thanks for reading.
April In Remembrance Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections

Blessings,
S.A. Blakley

I’m so thankful for all the wonderful correspondence who entered into my family connections journey with me through the years. Yes, this journey has felt like the LORD has been sending angels to assist me in this search. I thank God for all the discoveries. I truly appreciate correspondence.

During my early years, I began corresponding with family members and later on with helpful strangers who came along the way. I can’t remember how some of us got connected. I’m so thankful for those good Samaritans who were welling to help me in whatever way they could.

Family Connections Correspondence
On The Branch of Spencer Blakey Sr. and Lucinda Mary (Kinney) Blakey

Mary Jane Blakey Lighter (1941 – 2003)
She was the granddaughter of Spencer and L. Mary
Lucinda Mary (Kinney) Blakey, (1893 – 1985)
She was wife of Spencer Blakey Sr.

How did I come in contact with cousin, Mary Jane?
My sister Mary’s future sister in law, Terri knew Mary Jane.
I was able to receive Mary Jane’s addressed and to write her.
I was thankful that my sister Mary, cousin, Terri and cousin Mary Jane reached out to me.

This crop photo is part of the first letter from my cousin Mary Jane. It was dated in Sept of 1981,



Mary Jane and her Grandmother Mary were great help in sharing the family history.
They even spoke with other family members trying to find out about my Grandfather John Blakley.

This crop photo of the letter dated May of 1982 was from Mary Jane. She was speaking of our Great Grandpa Isaac Blakey. I didn’t know that Isaac Blakey was my Great Grandpa until Mary Jane told me.



As I re read Mary Jane’s letters, I was remained how she was sharing the family surname Blakey. She said that she was spelling her surname like I spell me. Her Grandpa Spencer. corrected her.

I’m thankful that my sister’s, her future husband, Roger and I made the journey to visit Terri, Mary Jane and their family in Oct of 1981. That was a journey of a lifetime to visit the places where my where our ancestors moved to.

Family Connections Correspondence.
On The Branch of Richard White Sr. and Jane (Ferguson) White Family Connections:

Willie (White) Winfrey (1904 – 1994)
She was the daughter of Richard Sr. and Jane.

How did I come in contact with cousin Willie.
I obtained her address from her son, Willie / William L. Terrill.
Willie shared what she knew about her side of the family.
She would speak of my Grandfather John as your, Uncle John. Though he was her cousin.
She said that there were other siblings of her father, Richard White.

The crop photo was written by Willie (White) Winfrey. She was sharing with me the story of what her son, William Terrill was telling her. And she added about how she and Ted Blakey were the first to gather the Blakey WHITE Family Reunion in August of 1971 in Sioux City, Iowa.



As I re read her letters, I learned more about cousin, Willie.
What she shared in her letters were about her relatives and herself.
She had a range of conversations. Out of all the correspondences she wrote the most.
I had the honor to have met cousin Willie (and her son William) at a family reunion.

Good Samaritans Correspondence Carolyn B.
Carolyn B. was a very helpful woman who knew about genealogy.
She made the discoveries about the Blakey WHITE Connections through documents.

I don’t know how I connected with Carolyn.
She explored probate records and spoke of some things that I didn’t know about.
I’m so thankful for Carolyn. She was so caring and wanting to assist with my journey.
At times, I go back over her letters. There’s so much there.
I believe she left me some clues I should be searching out.
The letter below was from Carolyn. She found the probate record about my relatives



Good Samaritans Correspondence : A librarian named Mark
Mark worked at the Missouri Historical Society and he read my letter..
He searched for my enslaved ancestors names in the newspapers.
This was what Carolyn was speaking about and Mark sent me the 1858 Ad in the paper.
Actually Mark sent me the copy of the whole page of the ad.
Mark was a caring person as well. I know it takes time to search through newspapers.

Glasgow Weekly Times: Glasgow, Missouri on 11 Feb 1858, Thu  •  Page 2

And with all this Ad,
I have DNA matches with the Isaac BLAKEY Sr. and Richard WHITE Sr. descendants.

Internet Correspondence: A hard cord searcher, cousin Jaz
Jaz was surfing the internet and found me.
He made the connections that we were related via photo.
He shared some of his family stories he heard from family members.
I’m so thankful for cousin Jaz persist in searching for his family connections.
Also Jaz made the discovery that our DNA matches.

In my lifetime, I have been blessed with many correspondences in regards to my family connections. There were people from courthouses, cemeteries, other family members, searchers via emails, and so forth through the communication on the internet or on paper.

Here are a few other family connections contacts who have helped me along the journey.
Mrs. T.A. White, Mrs. Mattie (Houston) Moore, Mr. Willie / William L. Terrill,
Mrs. Geneva (Lyle) Jones, Mr. Faris Lyle. Robert E. Blakley, Sr. Theodore Blakey Sr
May they rest in peace

There are other present day correspondence who are searching.
They have the leads that were past down.
Now, we hope that others would help in the search.
There are things left in the probate records yet to be discovered.

I googled the word HELP; for what does it mean?
And this was what I found. I put the words to make a statement.

Serve someone; The act of helping someone, Encourage , Support, Give assistant to
To be of use, Benefits

May we reach out and help someone. We may be holding the missing clue to what they are searching. I have reached out to many people over the coarse of my journey. I know that I have help many people out on their quest to discover more about their family connections. I pray that others will to.

It doesn’t take much to help someone. We can do as what we are able to do. We should at least encourage someone. That’s showing support and blessing the person as the continue to search. If you are at a brick wall on your search, keep searching on other people on your tree.

Believe that you cam be of some help to someone.
Be thankful for those who help you along your journey.
Think of ways to help others.
Keep asking others for help when others don’t show any interest.

Thanks for reading.
Help By Correspondence ~ Week 31 In 2022
This blog was a repost from another one of my blogs. 

God bless
S.A.Blakley

 Week 31: Help ~ Amy Johnson Crow ~ Generations Café #52Ancestors 52 Weeks ~ facebook group

When did an ancestor give or receive help? My first thought is of the neighbors who brought meals to my great-grandparents and their children while they were sick with the Spanish Flu. Another route you could take is when you’ve received help in your genealogy research. Who helped you and what did they help you discover? Feel free to post your links and stories in the comment

“Lawman” Bentley: On The Wrong Side Of The Law

I stumbled across the name “Lawman” Bentley while searching for the name Ella Bentley. He was listed as Ella’s father on her 1919, Iowa marriage license to Pleas Carr. (Bob Ella Bentley Carr (1883 – 1923) was her full name.) Her mother was Martha “Mattie” “Matt” White who was my Great Grandfather, Isaac Blakey’s sister.

At first, I thought “Lawman” had to be his nickname. And with a name like this, he could have been a law man. Or he may have had a reputation with the law. For years. I couldn’t discover anything about “Lawman”. I wondered. Whatever become of him?

Then I began to google. I discovered that “Lawman” Bentley and his brothers had encounters with the law. And it appears that “Lawman” took some matters into his own hands.

As I began to explore the newspapers (and other sources,) I discovered more about “Lawman”. He was reported as being in crap games, stealing and fights. He was charged with assault with intent to kill Sidney “Sid” Cason who was shot and wounded seriously in the head. “Lawman” was sentenced to five years in the Missouri penitentiary

His first name was either Laramie, Larmon or Lorman. I did locate a Lorman Bently at age 15 on the the 1880 Missouri census. He was working on a farm in Chariton County. Other sources list his first name as “Lawman”. He had half brothers. One was named Frank Bentley. And another was John Crop who was hung in 1880 for killing a white man.

Description of Lorman “Lawman” Bentley: source prison record
His trade was a houseboy.
He was 28 years old and born in Missouri.
His hair was black and eyes brown,
He had no whiskers, no education, no religion, no former imprisonment
He had a wife and father in Forest Green, Missouri. (It’s more like he was a father.)

He was 5 foot 7 and 3/4 ”
His foot length was 10 1/2″
His skin complexion was cooper

Scars on this body.
Left side of forehead
Eye brawl
Between the eye brawl
Right side of cheek
Left thigh
Calf right leg

“Lawman” Bentley (1866 – 1899)
Lorman Bentley was regarded as a “bad man”. And “he is said to have a disliked for manual labor.”

About three months after being released from prison on Jan 25, 1899.
“Lawman”…”kicked up a rumpus with his wife and daughter , and attempted to kill them with a knife. ”
James Jackson interfered… shot and killed “Lawman” Bentley in self defense.
“Lawman” was about 33 years old when he was killed.
(I’m wondering if that James Jackson had some family connections with the White Family.)

I’m not for sure who “Lawman’s” wife was in the article. I have not located a marriage record of “Lawman” / Lorman Bentley and Martha “Mattie” White in Chariton County, Missouri. Mattie did have four children living at this time. Pat, Alice, Ella and Jane White. Ella was the only one known who carried the Bentley surname.

As for Martha “Mattie” White, she was listed as a widow on the 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930 and the 1940 censuses in Missouri. I can’t locate her death record. She was said to had passed in April of 1947 in Forest Green, Missouri.

I came across this article in April of 2017.
Source from the Chariton Courier , Keytesville, Missouri 05 May 1899, Fri  •  Page 4

Other interesting facts about Sidney “Sid” Cason: family connections:

Sidney had a son,  Leon Moline CASON by Lee Berta White, who was the niece of “Mattie” White. Sidney’s sister Dora (Cason ) White Craig had a daughter, Obenatta “Bennett” (Craig ) Pearl by Spencer White, who was Mattie White’s brother.

Thanks for reading.
“Lawman” Bentley: On The Wrong Side Of The Law ~ Week 47 In 2022

I posted this on November 25, 2022 by Susan Ann Blakley

I added In Remembrance Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections. 

God bless you,

S.A. Blakley

“Wrong Side Of The Law” Theme
Amy Johnson Crow ~ Generations Café #52Ancestors 52 Weeks facebook group

This week’s theme is “Wrong Side of the Law.” Scoundrels. Ne’er-do-wells. Criminals. Every family has them. This week, explore someone like that in your family tree.

Continue To Update Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections

I have been on a pause on searching on the Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections. I continue to do my weekly challenge of #52Ancestors in 52 weeks.  This is where I journal about my parents' ancestors and relatives and post weekly. 

Also, I've been going back over the In Remembrance for the month. I've been updating them. I'm in the process of re arranging what I have been doing for years. I'm going by days of birth and death dates. It's a task in doing. But, I see this as a good thing to do.  

Here's an example: In Remembrance: February Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections

I will start back up on my search. I continue to check my DNA matches and obituaries. I'm still looking for clues. I hope to connect the dots in the years to come. 

Thanks for reading.
Continue To Update: Blakey Blakey WHITE Family Connections

God bless
S.A. Blakey 

I’d Like To Meet My Great Grandfather Isaac Blakey

Why would I like to meet my Great Grandfather Isaac Blakey?

First of all, I’m one of his great granddaughters. And out of all my earlier ancestors and relatives, he’s the most, in which I’ve written about with documentation. I have discovered so much about him through the years.

How did I become interested in my Great Grandfather Isaac?

On Saturday, October 31, 1981, I was visiting some family members in Yankton, South Dakota to hear more about our family history. I was told by my cousin, Mary Jane (Blakey) Ligthner that Isaac was my great grandfather. This was a surprise to me because I had thought that he was my great uncle. This made things more interesting.

Then I began to search for information on my Great Grandfather Isaac and discovered more about him through his pension records and through documents about his health. Isaac, as a teenager and a freeman enlisted into the Civil War. And after the War, he lived out his freedom for at least 54 more years.




I will share the clearer photo of Isaac Blakey in week two. The theme is Favorite Photo.

Here’s a brief introduction about Isaac Blakey.

Isaac Blakey was born in 1845 in Howard County, Missouri. He the son of Andrew White and Julia (Finney) White from Virginia. Isaac was rise as pone of the enslaved in Missouri and was separated from his family between 1858 to 1861. It was about the time in 1861 when Isaac and his mother. were sold and they went south. Oral history states that Isaac ran away to join the Civil War.

It was on Sunday, Nov 1, 1863, Isaac, at the age of about 16, enlisted as Private Isaac Blaker in Natchez, Mississippi. He was stationed in Natchez, Mississippi with Company H. Regiment 2, 5, and 6, Untied States Colored Heavy Artillery.

It was during the Spring on 1864, Isaac was accidently wounded by a bayonet to his left leg. His wound was a running sore since that day. He was honorable discharged on Sunday, May 13, 1866.

My why to why I’d Like To Meet My Great Grandfather Isaac who lived on the earth from 1845 – 1917. Although, in a way, I feel as though I have already met him while I’ve been searching for him through his paper trail.

And I believe that Great Grandfather Isaac and I will meet face to face in person some day in heaven along with all our other relatives. (I believe that Isaac did called upon Jesus as his Lord and Savoir. I have called upon Jesus as well.)

What would I ask my Great Grandfather Isaac?
I gave this some thought. Then again, I have so many questions to asked him. Still again, I see the most important thing to do, would be to meet him. I don’t want to drill him with questions. But, I see that as in meeting him as my great grandfather would be an honor in itself.

If could ask a few questions, I would ask him: How did he make the transition from being in bondage since as an enslaved child to his freedom years in his teen years through the rest of his life on earth ? And what can he share about his life and his ancestors?

This was an interesting theme to ponder. I did something like this in September of 2010 and December of 2015 with the title If I Could Choose (Repost With Updated Information. ) I did ask some questions in those years. But, this time around. I feel the want to meet him is the most honorable thing to say.

Thanks for reading
I’d Like To Meet My Great Grandfather Isaac Blakey

God bless
S.A. Blakley

I’d Like To Meet My Great Grandfather Isaac Blakey #52Ancestors ~ Week One In 2023 

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Susan Ann Blakley on word press 

 I’d Like To Meet is the theme for week one from Amy Johnson Crow’s Generations Café #52Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge for 2023.

Prompt for this theme: “Most of us have an ancestor who we’d like to meet (even if it’s to ask, “What are your parents’ names?”) This week, write about that ancestor or why you’d want to meet him or her. Feel free to be creative! (And feel free to leave your links and stories in the comments!)” Amy Johnson Crow

Extended Family: Julia White’s Household In 1880

 Welcome to 20 Twenty Three! 

I  hope to make new discoveries this year.

Thanks for reading.
May God bless you and protect you and your family throughout the year.

Peace
S.A. Blakley 

In Remembrance Blakey Blakley WHITE Family Connections: January 

Extended Family: Julia White’s Household In 1880  

I was thinking about the household of my 2nd Great Grandmother, Julia (Finney) WHITE. She was listed as a 60 year old widow on the1880 Missouri Federal Census with her 6 children, a daughter in law and 7 grandchildren. Her children were Isaac (White) BLAKEY, age 30 and her children who carried the WHITE surname were Spencer, age 28, John, age 26, David, age 22, Josh, age 20 and Martha, age 18 who was a widow with no children. The siblings were all laborers.

The crop photo listed below is of the1880 Federal United States Census for Chariton County Missouri for the household of Julia White. Some of this information was incorrect. And some of this information got me pondering.

I even wonder who was the person who gave the census taker the information? I don’t think Julia was the one. Why was some of the grandchildren’s identified as her children? And her daughter in law was her daughter? All had the WHITE surname?



The others listed in Julia’s household were Isaac’s wife, Rachel, age 29 who was the mother of Mary, age 8, (? son Andrew, age 6), Julia, age 4 and Henry, age 2. Isaac’s son, John, age 10 was by Martha (Scott) Blakey who was Isaac’s first wife.

There were some unknown grandchildren listed; Who were they ?
The grandchildren; Rebecca, age 10, mulatto and Andrew White, age 2.
Their parents weren’t listed on the census.

Who was the first Andrew age of 6 , born about 1873?
Did Rachel and Isaac have a son named Andrew?
Isaac had a son named Andrew by Martha.
That Andrew was he twin of John born in Mississippi in 1871.

Who was the last Andrew age of 2; born about 1878?
He doesn’t appear to be the child of any of the adult listed.
His name is listed after Martha.

Who was Rebeca’s Virginian parents?
This suggest that Julia had a child in Virginia..
It appears that Julia was caring for her grandchild.
Where both of Rebeca’s parents deceased?

There were two of Julia’s grandchildren who were not listed:
Isaac BLAKEY Jr. who was born either in 1873 or 1877 in Mississippi..
Jordan BLAKEY who was the twin of Julia. They were born in Mississippi in 1878.
It appears that the first Andrew could have been Isaac and the 2nd one was Jordan?

And what more of a mystery of the household of Isaac WHITE.?
This is the family unit listed above Julia White’s household in 1880.

I think that they are most likely related to Julia as an in laws and a child and grandchildren.
Julia had a son named Andrew White. (Isaac was born in 1845).
The Andrew White age about 30 is said to have been Isaac Blakey’s brother.
The Isaac White age 80 was perhaps the grandfather of Andrew.

What about Julia’s youngest son, Richard White?
He wasn’t listed with her household.
I was wondering where he was.
I believe that I located him with the household of Daniel WHITE.

Richard was 13 years old and a farmhand living not to far from Julia.
Daniel White was the brother of the former slave owners of Julia White and her family.
Daniel’s sister was Frances (WHITE) BLAKEY.

Before I began this blog, I googled. What’s a definition of Extended family?
– “grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, either all living nearby or within the same household.”
That’s how Julia and her household came to my thinking. This fits the extended family in one household. There were 15 in that household.

Our extended family are important part in our family journey.
It leaves us clues to missing family members and to how the family lived together.
I see that family members lived in the same general area on both my parents sides.

May include our extended family in our searches.
May we realized that they are apart of the family as well.
Happy Searching for more family connections.

Thanks for reading.
Extended Family Julia White’s Household In 1880: Week 27 In 2022

 Posted on July 8, 2022 by Susan Ann Blakley on another site. 
I added the In Remembrance: Januaryy

God bless
S.A. Blakley

Week 27
The theme for Week 27 is “Extended Family.” We often focus on those people from whom we descend. But what about their siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins? They played a role in our ancestors’ lives, just like those people play a role in our own lives. This is a good week to explre the lives of these other people in the family tree.