Teaching Family Members How to Conduct Genealogy Research in St. Helena Parish

Monteral and I are first cousins, and both were given the gift of preserving family history. Her father, the late Raymond Harrell, Sr., passed away and left her a rich collection of family photographs. She had shared this collection with me for various reasons. Several of the images are in the newly published book entitled " Images of America" African Americans in Tangipahoa and St. Helena. These rich images help tell the stories of the lives of African American people in the two Florida Parishes.  Her father took pride in preserving the collection and so does Monteral. 

Last summer, she and I packed lunches for my grandchildren and her daughter, and we took the four and a half hours to drive to Union Parish to research our Randall and Priscilla Blackburn Harrell. When we reached the courthouse, the lights had just gone out, and we were astonished. We waited about for a couple of hours before heading back. 

 

Last week we went to the St. Helena Parish Clerk of Court for more research. That was the first time that Monteral went inside the vault and researched for slavery records. She found one inventory of a mother and her three children being sold in St. Helena Parish. That was somewhat emotional for her. 

In the pictures above Wanda Knighten, Glyniss Vernon Gordon, Thomas Cook, and Monteral Harrell all are related and have family ties to St. Helena Parish. Everyone found something that day and was very happy with their research. 

Photo Credit: Walter C. Black, Sr.