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