Walter and Minnie James of Tangipahoa Parish

Walter was was born March 8, 1885 in Tangipahoa Parish. He died at the age of seventy-six in 1962 in Tangipahoa. His home was in Roseland, Louisiana. He was married to Minnie Pope and they were the parents children; Hardie, Solomon, Murdock, S. J, Lillie, Alfred, Albert, Annie, Magdalene, Rosa Lee, and Walter James. 

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.

Jeanette Miller Roberts Was Beaten in the Hammond City Jail in 1947

James Osby Roberts Registration Card

On  February 21, 1947,  Jeanette Miller Roberts was accused by her uncle of stealing his money. She was taken to Hammond City Jail by Marshal Victor G. Anderson and Chief of Police John Wesley Bales. She was questioned about the money and was forced to disrobe from waist down and was beaten.  Someone is looking for family members of Jeanette Miller Roberts. What happen to Jeanette? Are there any family members in the area that can recall the incident? How did she lose her baby? Did she have other children. Is she still living? 

Jeanette was married to a man named James O. Roberts in Amite, Louisiana. He was born in Amite, Louisiana in 1924. He moved to Hammond and was living in the household with Dorothy Robe After the incident, she moved to New Orleans to live with her uncle Lee Cook, and aunt Pearl Cook. They lived at 1303 Willow Street. 

James was born in Amite, Louisiana in 1924. He moved to Hammond and was living in the household with Dorothy Roberts. James died on December 28, 2014, in San Francisco, California. If anyone know of any Powell's and Roberts, please contact me. 

If you have information, please email me at afrigenah@yahoo.com

Finding My Harrell Family Connections Through DNA

Little Egypt Plantation, East Feliciana, LA
Source: Ancestry

Like most genealogists who are researching our family history for answers and clues to the past, searching for our ancestors could be a very long and tedious task. My Harrell ancestors were slaves on the Levi Harrell plantation. Levi and his family migrated from South Carolina to the Mississippi  Territory. The Territory of Mississippi was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 7, 1798, when the western half of the territory  was admitted to the Union of the State of Mississippi.  Levi moved with his family, belongings, his enslaved people in 1803. They settled on the Pretty Creek river in East Feliciana.

I had to trace the history of the slaveholders. Several years ago, I took the Ancestry DNA test to determine some of my lineages. I found that I matched with someone the  surname White.  I had to investigate a little further to see how I could be related to the Mahetabel's family. It turned out that I was connected to someone named Elizabeth Marter. She was predicted to be my 5th -8th cousin.  We shared DNA: 16 cM across one segment. On her tree,  there was a woman by the name fo Mahetabel Hannah Harrell. Mahetablel was married to John Alexander White in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. They were the parents of  Lewis H, James, John, Lydia, Matilda, Frances, Henry, Janet, Margaret, and Micajah White.

Mahetabel was born in 1814 in Pretty Creek, East Feliciana,  and died in 1889 in East Feliciana. She and her husband lived on a plantation called in Egypt in East Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. She was the daughter of Levi Harrell, Jr. and Elizabeth Brian Harrell. Her siblings were: Hezekiah R, Mercy P, Anna,  and Lewis Freeman Harrell.

My 4th great-grandfather was named Randall Harrell. In 1870, he was living in Union Parish in the household of Benjamin Harrell. Randall married Priscilla Blackburn on December 26, 1867, in Union Parish, Louisiana, seventy-years old. Priscilla was sixty-five years old.. After Randall died, Priscilla moved to East Feliciana where their son Robert Harrell was living with his wife Dinah and children.  Randall said his

Mahetabel Harrell White
Source: Ancestry

birthplace was North Carolina and he was born in 1800.

Randall's father was named Primus Harrell, as of yet we haven't been able to find who was his mother. Thomas descendants and Randall's descendants host a zoom conference call to share information and learn more about our family history.  The only two children of Primus that we know of right now is Thomas and Randall. Each Harrell genealogist present to the group their research on the Harrell family through powerpoint, oral history, and photographs. Suzette Domingue a descendants of Thomas and Karran Harper Royal a descendant of Randall, discuss the DNA connections through Ancestry and 23 And Me. We're seeing a lot of DNA connections with Thomas descendants on Ancestry and 23 And Me.

I've searched for public trees on Ancestry looking for others who are researching for their Harrell lineage. I found forty-two trees that mentioned Primus Harrell. The Harrell family's can be found in Winn, St. Helena, Rapides, Tangipahoa, Grant, Caldwell, Union,  East Carroll, West Carroll, East Feliciana, Iberville,  and Calcasieu Parishes, Louisiana.

Joseph Deamer, Sr. & Louella Richardson Deamer of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana

Joseph Deamer
Photo Courtesy: Lorriane Lizana

Joseph (Joe) Deamer was born  in September 1887 and died in 1965. According to his U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card, he said that his birthplace was Garyville, Louisiana.  His wife Louella Richardson Deamer was born in January of 1892 and died in April of 1979.

They were the parents of nine children: Leslie, Ernest, Clara, Ella, Joseph, Jr, Leroy, Pearl, Thelma, and Bertha. They lived in St. Helena Parish early in their marriage. Joe was and, entrepreneur and Louella was a homemaker. Joseph was a contractor of wooden ties for the railroad. The family later moved to the Neola Farm off Highway 51 in Amite and later purchased forty-acres in Fluker, Louisiana. 

He grew cotton, sugar cane, and a variety of vegetables. He made homemade syrup and packaged it in tin cans. As a truck farm, he often drove to New Orleans to sell his produce in the French Markets. Most of his children didn't like working on the farm and pursued their education. Four of their children earned their Master Degrees and one a PhD in education.  I was happy that E. Lorriane Lizana, MBA, share the Deamer's history with me to share with others. Lorriane is a Certified VA Real Estate Professional and Certified Pricing Strategy Advisor. Lorraine and her husband Chuck are the authors or Authentic Southern Cooking with Chuck and Miss Lorriane: Home Cooking with New Orleans.

Louella was the daughter of Thomas Richardson. Thomas was born about 1866 in St. Helena Parish,

Louella Richardson Deamer

Louisiana. He was listed as a mulatto, and his wife was deceased. Thomas's  mother's name was Rebecca Richardson. Living in the house with him was his children and mother: Louella, Nettie, Willie, and Ernest Richardson. His mother, Rebecca Cubard was living with him as well.

I found  both of his parents in the 1870 United States Federal Census. Tom's father was named Alfred Richardson. His sibling was: Wilson, Albert, Jr., Delphine, Josephine, William,  Minnie, and Tom Richardson.

My maternal 3rd great-grandparents Thomas and Amanda Breland Richardson, are buried in Rocky Hill AME Church Cemetery. I've seen the headstone with Rebecca's name on it and, I thought to myself, are Thomas and Rebecca related somehow. Rebecca was born around 1831 and died in 1916.

Now, I must research a little deeper to see if my Richardson family is related in any way to Tom Richardson and Rebecca Cubard Richardson. The one thing about small communities everyone is connected somehow, through marriages, distant cousins, are community families. 

Rebecca Richardson
Source: Find A Grave