Tuesday, July 14, 2015

52 Ancestors Week 28: Genealogy Road Trip~Why Didn't I Take Them?



  "Which ancestor would you like to take on a genealogical road trip?"
    This question from Amy Johnson Crow's blog prompt series called  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks 2015 Edition, got me thinking. What I quickly realized was I wished I had taken the advantage of road trips with my ancestors when they were still living.
  
  I have interviewed,recorded and noted memories and important events of parents, grandparents, and other family members.
 While this helped me learn about my family, questions about childhood, school, marriage and so on would have produced more information had I asked them on or near the actual places they occurred.

   Why didn't I take my maternal Grandmother, Azile Juanita (Daughrity) Roberts Sullivan (1921-2009) to Church St. in Sumter, South Carolina? The lot that her family home was on is still there. Now a city park, it would, I am sure, still bring back memories of her parents, grandparents and sisters. The stories she told of playing with childhood friends, skating down the street and climbing trees would have been so much richer.  
  The schools and the church she attended, and the trips made with her mother to see the Nuns at St. Ann's could have come to life as we visited these places together.
  
Property on Church St., Sumter, South Carolina
Once owned by the M. David Daughrity family

  
Azile with sister Loretta Daughrity
Outside their family home
Mid 1930's Sumter, South Carolina


  My maternal grandmother, Mary (Baker) Hudson (1920-2010), could have told me about her growing up on her grandparent's farm in Sumter if I had taken her there. What memories would have been triggered of her wedding to my grandfather at the Baptist parsonage in Turbeville and their early married years living with her in-laws in Alcolu if we had visited those towns together? Would she have been more open with her memories than she was when I sat her down with a tape recorder and asked her questions?

Mary (Baker) Hudson
Early 1930's
Baker family home
Sumter County, South Carolina
©Cheri Hudson Passey


Remnants of the Turbeville Baptist Parsonage
Mid 1990's
It has since been torn down.
©Cheri Hudson Passey

Taking  either of them to these places is not an option as they have both passed away. However, there are those that are still living, others to accompany me on a genealogy road trip.
 Former homes, schools, churches, and first date locations all to visit and reminisce about the past.
An opportunity to make happen now, before it's too late.
 Time to start planning a living ancestor genealogy road trip.
Who are you going to take?

Are we kin? Contact me. Together we can find our people.
Thanks so much for stopping by!





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