In Search of Their Louisiana Florida Parish Family Roots

Researching in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Three years ago Carla Butler and Karma M Ede contacted Dr. Antoinette Harrell concerning researching their Richardson, Gordon,  and Johnson family history in Louisiana. The next day,  Harrell met with the group and shared information concerning the places she would like to take the group to  conduct research. The group of seven traveled from Milwaukee, Georgia, Ohio, and Missouri to meet new family members and research their southern roots for the first time. "The Ties That Bind Louisiana Roots" Gordon, Johnson, Steptoe,  Washington's Descendants Reunion is the message their purple and gold tee shirts said.

Harrell set up a meeting with some of her Richardson relatives to meet with the group. Dr. Valarie Richardson and Earl Scott Richardson, Jr.,  owners of Richardson Funeral Home, Inc, Amite, welcome their extended family with opened arms. The following day, Harrell took the group to Rocky Hill AME Church and the church cemetery to visit the gravesite of their 4th and 5th great grandparents Thomas Richardson and Amanda Breland Richardson in St Helena Parish, Louisiana.  After a discussion about the cemetery and church they learned about Rocky Hill AME Church which was founded in 1874.

Zuri  Amuleru-Marshall, Carol Richardson Carter
Karma M Ede, Stacy Rene
Photo Credit:  Dr. Antoinette Harrell

Following the cemetery visit, Dr. Harrell took the group to the St. Helena Parish Clerk's Office to  conduct genealogical research. Among the research sources, "Harrell recommended researching marriage records,  Land Deeds,  and slavery inventory also known as chattel property." Everyone was so happy to find records on their ancestors. Zuri Amuleru-Marshall stated. "We always has a desire to meet our family down south she said." This has been an amazing journey in search of our ancestral roots in the South, said Marshall." Meanwhile, Carol Richardson Carter continues to search the files of the records in order to find a marriage license of her ancestors that was filed in St. Helena Parish. Her eyes lit up with such gleam when  she found their marriage licenses. It was time to leave and visit the St. Helena Genealogy Department at the library. The librarian brought a rolling shelf of genealogy material for the group to review. They looked at books and discuss their findings. I enjoyed looking at the excitement on their faces and the smiles that revealed the joy of finding their ancestors. 

After the group left St. Helena Parish Clerk of Court,  several of the group members traveled to Amite to research at the clerk's office. Before going to the Amite Clerk's Office, Harrell had them to stop a Gordon Richardson Temple of Deliverance C,O,G.I.C in Amite to visit the church cemetery. They found Richardson, Harrell, and Gordon family members gravesites. 

Once they arrived at the Amite Clerk of Court,  they started researching and finding marriage records of their ancestors. Karma met Dedria Brown, and employee who work at the clerk office. Harrell introduce the group to  Dedria Brown who descends from the Dillon family in Mississippi and Tangipahoa. As it turns out they were distantly related. Once again another family connection for the researchers.