Genealogist Karran Royal Visit the Land of Her Great Grandfather Shelton Harrell, Sr.

The Homestead of her gg grandmother Emma Mead Harrell
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Karran and I met over fifteen years ago in New Orleans, La., I had just finished writing and publishing the Harrell family history book. The Times Picayune Newspaper published and article about my book and Karran contacted me after reading the article. She said to me, "I think we are related through my great grandfather Shelton." After talking with her indeed she and I are related through my maternal grandfather Jasper Harrell, Sr., and her paternal great grandfather Shelton Harrell, Sr. 

Just recently I asked her if she had ever been to the homestead of her great grandfather in Tangiphaoa Parish, she told me no. I had to arrange a road trip to the  old Emma Mead Harrell Homestead for her. This past December the genealogy bug bit Karran and she had been hooked every since. She researched her mother's side of the family and her husband's side of the family. 

We  visited  Big Zion cemetery where the Harrell family is buried at in Roseland, Louisiana. It was her first time going to the gravesite of her Harrell family members. Having someone in the family who is committed to researching, documenting and preserving our family history is exciting and rewarding for me, but especially for our family.

Karran has joined me as the co-host of "Nurturing Our Roots Educational Television Talk Show" the show where we're growing new branches. This is the beginning of our road trips. We would like to invite other family members to take the road trip with us to learn about our family history.

This land has been in our family since 1896. Our great grandmother Emma Mead Harrell worked hard to save enough money to purchase land for  her heirs. Our next road trip will be visiting the Harrell cemeteries in East Feliciana Parish. From there we'll visit the Amite County, Mississippi. We'll keep you posted right here on Preserving Our History in Tangipahoa Parish Blog and Nurturing Our Roots Educational Television Program. If you would like to join Karran and me, please contact me by email at afrigenah@yahoo.com.

Harrell's from East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana Connecting Their Lineage

Nurturing Our Roots Producer and Host
Antoinette Harrell and Stephen Harrell, Sr.
Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

Today my cousin Karran Harper Royal co-host of Nurturing Our Roots Television Program and I drove to Clinton, Louisiana with Stephen and Elton Harrell from New Orleans, LA. Stephen and his brother knew their grandfather Garrett Harrell was from Clinton, Louisiana., This was the oral history that was told to them by another family member.

My Harrell oral history was told to me by my mother Isabell Harrell. My mother said that her father Jasper Harrell, Sr., told her that his father's family were from Clinton as well.  I traveled many times to Clinton to make a connection with Harrell's who never left the small town. Last year Stephen and I talked about his family genealogy to find out if we're related.  We won't stop until we find out if we are related. Stephen's great grandfather Beaugard Harrell was born in 1860 in Clinton. Louisiana. Beauregard married a woman name Louise. To their union ten children was born; John Thomas, Lucy, Mary, Margaret, Walter, Clara, Cornelia, Carrie, Garrett, Emma and Octavia Harrell. 

 Karran Royal co-host  of Nurturing Our Roots
Television Talk Show, Elton and Stephen Harrell

According to the 1880 U.S. Census Beauregard lived in the 7th Ward, East Feliciana, Louisiana. He's listed as a mulatto. He was living in the house with a cousin by the name of Admiral C. Spears. Beauregard was a farmer by trade.

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.

After we spent several hours in the clerk's office in Clinton researching the Harrell lineage we went to see James Harrell. James is the owner of a mechanic shop in Clinton and I knew if anyone could help us it would be James. He stopped working and talked with us a while about his family lineage. James' father was Gus Harrell and Gus is the son of Beauregard Harrell. While sitting down waiting for James to call his sister Hazel and cousin Jack to talk with us, Elton was just saying how James reminded him of his male family members on the Harrell side of the family. That's when James said that Gus father was Beauregard Harrell, "we all started laughing with joy knowing that a family lineage connection was made."  

Hazel was so excited to meet everyone. It felt like we had known them all of our life. Before we left we exchanged phone numbers and planned  a date to meet up again and visit the Harrell cemeteries in Clinton and meet other Harrell families.  At this point Karran and I are looking into researching and documenting all the Harrell's who live in  Clinton, Louisiana. Although we have a lot of help from other Harrell's who are trying to make a lineage connections as well. This week I received many phone calls from other people who carry the surname Harrell. Some people have sent me photographs, documents and family trees. So that tell me that we're on the right track.