157 Years Later Our Harrell Families Reunite

Primus Harrell Descendants Zoom Meeting

I'm the 5th great-granddaughter of Primus Harrell. Primus was held as a slave on Leroy Harrell plantation.   Leroy"Fat Ole Levi" Harrell migrated from South Carolina with his family, livestock, belongings, and  enslaved people. I've spent decades researching and studying the Harrell history to learn more about my family. Yes, records can be very challenging to find for anyone whose ancestors were held as slaves. Prior to the 1870 United States Federal Census, our enslaved ancestors were listed in the slave schedules by gender and age only, making it very complex and difficult to find them.

I've traveled to Darlington, South Carolina, Virginia,  Mississippi, and East Feliciana in search of my ancestors. I know they want me to find them and tell their story; it's a very strong conviction that you get inside of you about those who came before you. I'm determined to listen to their voices and follow their path. 

Whenever I meet anyone from those places, I often wonder if they are related somehow. Genealogy research had evolved so much since I started researching decades ago. There is Ancestry DNA, more public trees, social media sites, and databases available now. 

Several years ago, I met Lenora Jenkins and Leon Coleman through their public trees. They are the descendants of Thomas Harrell. Thomas Harrell and my 4th great grandfather Randall Harrell were brothers. They are the only two sons we know that Primus Harrell had; however, that doesn't mean that there may not be others. 

I feel like I'm in a dream sometimes because I'm so excited to meet and learn more about a branch of our Harrell family and introduce them to others in the family. Using zoom, we meet on Sunday evenings, sharing oral history, documents, photographs, and discussing our brick walls in our research. 

One hundred and fifty-seven years later, Primus descendants are coming together for the first time. Often , you will hear stories about the slaveholders and the former enslaved children coming together.  Our story is uniques because we're  coming together to meet each other after our ancestors were sold off or given to other family members in their family.

Harrell Ancestry DNA

Without the Ancestry DNA and family trees, it would be very challenging to connect the family lineage. East Feliciana, Louisiana, is the common denominator for our families. Most of our connections link back to East Feliciana. We are diving hard into the slavery research, looking at slavery inventories, wills, and succession to find any information that could help reconnect our extended lost family once again. 

Suzette Dominque and Karran Harper Royal specialize in connecting our families through Ancestry DNA. Monteral Harrell is the keeper of Harrell's family photographs dating back to the late 1800s. Leon Coleman research, studies, and analyze slavery records. Jo-ann Lewis Frazier and Carolyn Adam-Rex share the oral history that was past down through the generations. Lenora spends a lot of time connecting the history of the Harrells in Caldwell parishes and has the family bible of her ancestors with genealogy records. 

We all are enthusiastic and excited to share, discover,  and document our Harrell family history. We have no idea where this journey will take us but one thing that is certain, we're ready to go where it leads us. I sat at my desk just thinking about how 157 years later and we are still searching for our family just like our ancestors did when they received their freedom. Some walked for miles and days on looking for their  children, husband, wife, and siblings.  Most African American who ancestors were enslaved will agree with me. That our genealogy research isn't a hobby, it is repairing and restoring knowledge of self. 

The History of Tennessee and Reba Matthews Jackson of St. Helena Parish

Reba Jackson 

Tennessee Jackson was born in April 1908 in Darlington, Louisiana. According to the 1920 United States Federal Census, Tennessee  lived in the household of his uncle Wesley Jackson and his aunt Francis. 

Tennessee attended Black Creek school, and Reba attended Crossroads schools. Although they didn't finish high school, they received an education that life taught them. One thing for sure they could count money. They made a good profit from their crops. Their thirteen children  worked on the farm with their parents farming, planting, and harvesting. They grew all kinds of vegetables and sold them on the market. The owners a two hundred plus acre farm and horses and mules. They also raised cattle for their meat and sold some.  

The family smokehouse was used to cook and sell the meat. Tennessee made homemade syrup for sell, and he gave some to the helpers on his farm. People in the community knew Tennessee and Reba as "Tennee" and "Rebbie." They both had a strong voice in their community and were pillars in  their community. The Jackson was independent farmers in Greensburg, Louisiana and help other farmers when they need a helping hand. All the farmers would help each other back in those days and barter with each other. Tennessee was well known for being the first farmer with the largest bales of cotton during the cotton season. In his senior years, he worked as a custodian at St. Helena elementary school. He also worked in the FHA office assisting others in the community with getting loans and grants to buy their own homes.  Some of his sons worked with their uncles, neighbors, and their grandfather and learned how to lay bricks, build houses and chimneys. Their daughters became homemakers and hairdresser. The youngest of their children left Greensburg, and started a new life as an entrepreneur in California. 

They were the parents of Charles, Jerry, Evelyn, Louise, Leola, Tennessee, Jr., Dorothy, Gloria, Ernest, Matthew, Leary, Lemard, and Emmitt Jackson. The family worshipped at Darlington Church of God in Christ. He served as a deacon and Reba served as a church mother. Some of their children served on the usher board and Sunday school staff. They were baptized in the Darlington River. Many of their deceased loved ones are buried in Darlington and Turner Cemetery. 

This family story was submitted to Dr. Antoinette Harrell by Elisha D. Jackson.