Early Photograph of Amite No 1 Church of God in Christ

Amite No. I Church of God in Christ
Photo Courtesy:  Rev. Raymond Foster, Sr. 

Over the past couple of months, I've set in the homes of many people whose family ties are deeply connected in St. Helena and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana.  Years ago Delores Zanders Levy passed away and her mother archival collection was passed down to Rev. Raymond Foster, Sr., and when I say that he was the right person to inherit the rich collection, I mean it with everything inside of me. Too often we hear that someone threw away all the pictures, documents, and other records that can help tell the story and history of African-American people of the two Louisiana Florida Parishes.

About two years before Delores passed away I visited her home to talk with her about the family history and photographs. My maternal great-grandmother Emma Mead Harrell was the aunt of her mother Colitidle Zanders." Mrs. Clotilde kept everything," said Rev. Foster. She did throw away anything.  In her own right, she was an archivist.

There are other women in the community that kept the history of churches, schools, civic and social organizations and well as their own family history and photographs. Rev. Foster is quite an oral history keeper himself. I learned more about the Foster Family history from him on this visit. Women such as; Grace Belvin Walker Perry,  Alma Harrison Vernon, Gertrude Love, Zemora "Hilda" Vining and I know there are others.

There was this one statement he made about the history of a small community in Tangipahoa Parish called Shiloh. He told Glyniss Vernon and me if we look at one of the old Plat Maps, we'll find that Shiloh was called "Congo Square" I can't wait to do more research on this subject.  It will be posted it right here on Nurturing Our Roots Blog Site.

This photo is the Amite NO.1 Church of God in Christ. From left to right; James Sheridan, Irma Della ?., Celestine Foster, Annie Edwards, Edna Buckley, Christine Alle, Algia Mae Spears, Irene Benton, Leola Buckhalter, Lolly Edwards, Mrs. Freddie Cage and husband Eld. Freddie Cage, Second Row: Left to Right; Celie Love, Mildred Warner, Tina Jackson. 

Documenting the History of a Civil Rights Icon Mrs. Vernia McCoy

Antoinette Harrell interviewing Mrs. Vernia McCoy

I spent an hour sitting and talking with Mrs. Vernia, a citizen of Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. We sat her dining room table looking at documents and photographs. Several years ago I interviewed her, and when I tell to you, it will take me a year to document her oral history and her rich photograph collection that tell the story and event of many African-American people in the Louisiana Florida Parishes.

Each time I learn so much about her life and the life of her deceased husband Mr. Fred McCoy and the many challenges they faced during integration in Tangipahoa Parish. She was born and reared in Franklinton, Louisiana with her parents and eleven brothers and sisters.  Mrs. McCoy is a retired A.M.E. Pastor of  St. James A.M. E. Church in Hammond,  Louisiana., and educator.

I feel honored to talk with people such as Mrs. McCoy, Dr. Kingley B. Garrison, Mrs. Ella Mae Badon, and Mrs. Grace Walker. They are the living history books that we must treasure and most importantly document according to their experiences as pioneers in the Louisiana Florida Parishes.  As of today,  Mrs. McCoy is involved in many community outreaches.

This is just the beginning of the many hours I will be sitting with her to assist her with organizing her collection for the repository at Southeastern Center for Louisiana Studies. She has accomplished and achieved so in her life and her career. She has so many awards for her accomplishments and achievements over her lifetime. 

A History Road Trip with Family

Bernard mailing his African Ancestry DNA in
Virginia

When my youngest son Bernard was a child, we visited many, archives, libraries, and museums.  By the time he turned twelve years old, he had traveled to twenty-two states. Tasting different food and meeting new people along the way. Sometimes we flew, and for the most part we would drive so that we could stop and visit some of the major attractions. 

With a big smile and his luggage packed he was all ready to travel on our summer adventure.  We made plans to take a road trip for two weeks driving up the East Coast and ending up in Washington, D.C, at the National Archives.  He was too young to go into the National Archives, so my ex-husband took him around College Park while I did some genealogy research.  I don't know how much of the history lessons he was retained at that time. I know I had to teach and expose him.

It was one of the best summer vacations we can remember. We purchased a map for him to follow along. We packed books and some of his favorite things he enjoyed playing with and hit the road headed  east.  During that time they didn't have a GPS to guide us on our trip. We made sure to purcahse postcards in each state to send back to the family at home. 

Reading records 

Years later we took another road trip with Moussa Albaka, a well known Tuareg silversmith to meet other Tuareg people from Niger, Africa who moved to Greensboro, North Carolina.  We're welcome with big smiles and hugs by the Tuareg people. We had dinner and wonderful conversation before head to the Atlantic ocean so that Bernard could take his African Ancestry DNA test.

He faced the ocean and imagined the ships coming to the Americas with his ancestors on it. We held each other in hopes that he will find out where in Africa his paternal ancestors come from. Six weeks later he finds out that his paternal lineage connected him to Nigeria, West Africa. 

Learning about our family history had taken us many beautiful places to meet some wonderful people and new family members along the way. As I write this blogpost, I can't help but think about the time Bernard and I drove to Chicago to visit our Harrell family member with my Uncle Raymond.  Bernard has just met his 3rd maternal cousins. He met cousins that his maternal grandmother hasn't met. I was happy that we took this trip that summer.

Uncle Raymond played one of his old-time gospel songs again and again. It seems like he played that song from the time we left Louisiana to we arrived in Chicago. Bernard asked him why did he keep playing the same song over and over again?  During our stay in Chicago, Uncle Raymond wanted us to meet the descendants of my great-uncle Warner Harrell.  So the three of us drove up to Wisconsin and met new family, and we really enjoyed our visit with cousin Dan Harrell and his family.

One week the white lines on the highway were calling me again. I asked Bernard if he wanted to go and visit the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee? He said yes and was eager to go. We packed our luggage on a sunny Friday afternoon and drove the five-hour trip. We went west to visit Alex Haley House Museum in Henning, Tennessee first.  We took the guided tour and took pictures before traveling back to Memphis to get dinner and checking in the hotel. 

The next morning after breakfast we headed to the National Civil Rights Museum and spent the day touring the Museum. What better way to teach a child about the history? He had a lot of questions to ask about the Civil Rights Movement.  I hope when he becomes a father, he'll take road trips with his children and teach them their history. One thing for sure the road trip we took by driving meant that we could stop all along the highway and get some good tasting food and site see. 

I hope he holds these memories dear to his heart like I hold them in my heart. This was our time spent together. Now that he is an adult we haven't taken a road trip and just because he is all grown-up, doesn't mean we shouldn't.  My grandchildren are taking road trips with me now.   They'll soon  become teenagers and they will have other plans. But the beautiful and sweet memories I hope will never be forgotten. 

I enjoyed taking him places with me and having him to be a part of the many events we went to. The only thing I regret is I wish that we could have had more time in his formative years. The time went by quickly that once little boy is now twenty-five years old. 

I want to make it a family tradition that we all take a road trip to visit museums, antique shops, fun attractions, and enjoy family time spent together. 

Ethel Williams Temple

Ethel Williams Temple
1919-1958

Ethel was born to Jim and Emma Vining Williams in 1919 in St, Helena Parish, Louisiana. Ethel died in 1958 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Jim and Emma had four children; Ethel, Jimmy, Arthur, and Dorothy.

Ethel married Walter Temple and they had two sons together; Cleveland and Johnell Temple. Oliver was by her first marriage to Oliver Jackson, Sr.,  Walter and Ethel lived in New Orleans at 2408 St. Andrew Street.

During several conversations with cousin Johnell, he told me that his mama taught her boys how to cook, clean, and how to take care of themselves. She didn't have any girls so the boys had to learn how to help out with the chores. I guess that explains why cousin Oliver and Johnell enjoy cooking so much, 

Her sons Oliver and Johnell were both in law enforcement. Oliver worked for the Amite Police Department and Johnell was a Louisiana State Trooper. They both served until they retired from their departments. Oliver serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Helena Multipurpose Center in St. Helena Parish, Louisiana. He and the board spent years developing the center.  A country boy at heart, he loves his horses and cows. 

Ethel's mother Emma was married twice. Emma first marriage was to Thomas Richardson. Thomas and Emma had four children also. Emma's children by her second marriage died before all their siblings from Emma's first marriage. 

She is buried in Mount Zion and Greater Refuge Temple Cemetery in Montpelier, St, Helena Parish, Louisiana.

Ethel Williams Temple
Courtesy of Ruth Landrew Jackson

Because Every Picture Tell A Story

Ruth Landrew Jackson

A couple of days ago cousin Oliver Jackson, Jr., called me and asked me to contact cousin Ruth to get pictures of him as a baby and a picture of his mother, Ethel Williams Temple.  Oliver mother and my maternal grandmother were sisters. After Aunt Ethel passed away and my maternal grandparents legally adopted Oliver as their son. 

After making arrangments to visit cousin Ruth to scan the images. I learned that cousin Ruth is a family archivist. She had envelopes of photographs of her family and some of my family.

Her oldest daughter Sheron arranged the meeting. She told me that her mother kept a lot of pictures and other family memorabilia. I was so excited to hear that she did because a lot of people throw old pictures and family memorabilia away. Some family members will not share family photographs at all.  With today technology a person can share photographs with their camera phone. Sharing the images with others is very simple these days.  This past weekend nine states had tornadoes to take place. Most people can have their homes restored or rebuilt if they had insurance to cover the loss. No amount of insurance can replace the priceless family pictures when it's loss.

Ruth Landrew Jackson
Photo Courtesy of Ruth L. Jackson

She pulled out pictures of her mother, grandmother, and children.  Every envelope had each one of her children names on it. I went back down memory lane with her as we looked at the pictures. Beginning with her childhood pictures to most recent. I didn't know that she was from McComb, Mississippi and migrated to Louisiana with her family.  One of the pictures had cousin Ruth, her mother, and her grandmother on it.  Now her children have grandchildren of their own. I know that one day the grandchildren will look at a picture that has three generation of their grandmothers.

Every picture tells a story and I love picture reading. When we were children and couldn't read we would picture read. We looked at the backgrounds, the clothes, the locations, and the main subject in the pictures. 

I could have sat there all day and look through the basket filled with envelopes of pictures.  Like cousin Ruth, I have so many pictures that I took over the years of family members and different events. Blogging about the images is one way to share with the family.  At our next family reunion, we will have a brief workshop on the importance of preserving our family photo collection.  I would like to sit down with cousin Ruth and help her scan them so they can be shared electronically. 

One of the things I notice about her in the photos was her beautiful smile and radiant beauty. She inherent her natural beauty from her mother and grandmother. Generation of women with poise and certainly having the epitome of grace and elegance. She spends a lot of time with her great-grandchildren these days. Teaching her great-grandchildren the lessons her ancestors taught her. I feel honored that she opened up just a bit of her collection to share with me. I can see the joy on her face when she looked at pictures that brought back so many fond memories.

Sheron and I were looking at cousin Ruth's beautiful hairstyles,  the glasses, and clothes she wore. Sheron laughed at one of her hairstyles that I found very cute. Look like she made her fashion statements as a young woman. I look forward to visiting with her again to finish looking at her collection of pictures that tells a story.

Gray's Quarter Neighborhood Reunion

Family Members Shared Their Photographs and Oral History

Jo-Ann Lewis Frazier

Jo-Ann Lewis Frazier is the oldest grandchild of my maternal grandparents Jasper and Josephine Richardson Harrell. Matter- of- fact she grew up with her youngest Auntie Delores in Amite, Louisiana. I guess she didn't call her auntie being that they were so close in age. In one of my blog post, I wrote about the photograph collection that our mutual maternal first cousin Monteral inherited from her deceased father. Jo-Ann mother Catherine and my mother Isabel are sisters.  Monteral's father Raymond is their youngest brothers. 

I'm excited that three first cousins are sharing our family history together. Jo-Ann is sharing through oral history and Monteral through photographs.  In addition to being the family griot, she creates and designs funeral programs that are sometimes called brochure or booklets that have somewhat summarize the deceased person life.  The higher percent of the programs designed are of African-American people and family members in Tangipahoa and St. Helena Parishes, Louisiana. She has an invaluable knowledge base of who is related and how. Not only for our family but for others in the community as well.

A couple of months back I interviewed Jo-Ann for our family documentary that premiered at 2017 family reunion. That's when I realized that Jo-Ann has a wealth of oral history information about her maternal side of the family. The oral history she shared was on the  Harrell, Richardson, Vining, and Temple Families from the Louisiana Florida Parishes. 

She often reminds me of her age, but I forget that so often because mother nature has graciously blessed her with the fountain of beauty and youth. I soon found out that she is blessed with the fountain of memories that connected us to our ancestors and history. 

Monteral Harrell
Photo Courtesy: Antoinette Harrell

Our grandparents gave birth to ten beautiful children. There are three remaining living children; my mother, her brother Henry, and youngest sibling Delores are living.  Jo-Ann grew-up in the house with some of her aunts and uncles.  She was a welcome addition to the family and the beginning of a new generation.  When I thought about it ―I'm the oldest of my siblings and Monteral is the oldest of her sibling. All three of us are the oldest of all our siblings and all are females. "What a  connection!" 

Monteral is working on her maternal side of her family. Collecting photos and researching her maternal lineage. What a great gift to give to her family? The family lineage and knowledge of self. I know everyone is going to appreciate her efforts and some may even join her.

Monteral shared her rich photograph collected she inherited from her father after he passed away. She remembered the boxes of pictures because of her father. She recalled how her father took the collection out to look at the photos and engage her in the family images history lessons whether she wanted to are not, she had to take his history class. That's one history class I know she is happy she took. I knew that her father inherited them from a cousin we called "Cousin Gert" after she passed away.  Cousin Gert was raised by Aunt Ella,  If; I'm not mistaken, Cousin Gert may have been legally adopted by Aunt Ella. Nevertheless, I need to find out!

The photograph went to the right person when Uncle Raymond inherited them. I say that because of his love for family. He was the kind of person who would visit relatives. It's through him that I learned about the Harrell family who migrated up North. He took me to visit my great Uncle Warner Harrell's family in Wisconsin, Milwaukee.  Uncle Raymond liked taking pictures and collecting them too. Jo-Ann and I were discussing the blog I posted about the pictures.  She informed me that Aunt Ella was a picture collector. Whenever anyone in the family or friends took pictures they had to make sure they sent Aunt Ella a photograph. 

Ella Harrell Harrison

Aunt Ella had pictures that dated back to the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. Matter-of-fact she had several tintype photographs. I just wish we knew the people in the photographs. I think Monteral and I should just sit down with Jo-Ann to see if she recognize any of the people in the photographs. I did recognize my great aunts and uncles and some cousins in the images. 

Writing letters was sometimes the only method families had of staying in touch with each other after some family members moved away from home. Some of the pictures were postcards. On the front, you can see the handwriting addressing the postcard to Aunt Ella and the return address information. Aunt Ella received a lot of photographs addressed to her.  In the same collection, I found a photo that was addressed to Mr. Buster Harrell, that was most people called my grandfather Jasper.  Just sitting here writing this blog makes me really appreciate having family photographs that have been in the family for at least five generations. In memory of our late Aunt Ella, we appreciate her contribution to our family. In her collection, we found a photograph of all her brothers, sister, and mother in front of the old Emma Mead Harrell homestead. They were all dress up with fancy suits and dress on. I was wondering if they could have attended a funeral of a family members. Could it have been grandpa Robert or grandpa Alexander funeral? 

I grateful for my cousins who are sharing the family images and oral history. If there are any other family members who want to share photographs with Nurturing Our Roots Blog, please contact me by email at nurturingourroots@gmail.com.

Who Are These Beautiful People in the Photographs

Unknown
Courtesy of Monteral Harrell

My maternal first cousin Monteral Harrell and I was looking through the photograph collection of her deceased father Raymond Harrell, Sr., and saw so many beautiful pictures that tell a story. We have no idea who these well dress people could be. Some of them could be people we are related to and just don't know it. My cousin whom I call Moni and I just looked at the beautiful pictures. 

They took taking a picture seriously. On most of the photographs, you will see people looking very serious. Unlike today, digital technology has taken us to new levels in photography. Making silly faces, taking selfies, and taking multi photographs without worrying about the loss of films and the cost of developing the films is the new way of taking pictures in today's time.  So that takes the edge off taking pictures today.

According to an article in Time Magazine,  November 28, 2016, issue, the first photographs were taken in the late 1820s. Our family had to have some means of money because they took a lot of photographs. Some were taken in the studio and some were taken at different homes.  The bottom line is someone had access to a camera and money to have them develop unless they had their own darkroom for processing the images. I just wish I knew who it was. I found more pictures on my Harrell side of the family then the Richardson and Vining side of the family. I wish I could find more image in every branch of my family tree.

I can take my grandfathers' Jasper's sister Aunt Bertha Harrell for example, she appeared to be a lady that enjoyed fashions and taking photographs.  But the question is; who are these beautiful distinguished people in the photographs?

Unknown
Courtesy of Montreal Harrell

Every family has a keeper of the oral history, family photographs, and some are the keepers of the family heirlooms. Monteral like her father is the keeper of the family photographs. We are hoping that someone who may read this blog can identify someone in the images.  Many families had albums of unknown photographs and don't know what to do with them. Sometimes if you are lucky‒you can find an inscription on the back of the photograph and some may not have inscriptions or labels. 

We can interpret a lot from a photograph when we look at it closely.  The way they dress and the time period of the photograph. How they wore their hair and the location of the photograph! Looking at the images backgrounds. Did they take the photograph in a studio are did they take the photograph at home? Are there people that you recognize? 

One thing for sure, we should never throw away photographs. Especially pictures from the l800s and 20th century. Sometimes those pictures can be one of a kind and the only image there is that can connect us to a previous generation. Who wouldn't be happy to find a picture of an ancestor? I know I would be delighted and overly joyed.

I was browsing around on eBay and found an entire collection of African-American Photo Family Lot Talbot Ga Family Al 20s South Tintype selling for $99.00.  Vintage photographs can be pricey as well.  If you ever stop at a museum or antique shop, you can find that African-American images can be very expensive. 

Genealogist conferences, workshops, and family reunions are excellent places to start educating the family on the importance of keeping the old photo collection. Would you want your photo collection sitting outside in the trash? Have you thought about making plans for the collection? Do you know how to professionally archive your collection safely? 

I was happy to see that Monteral and her dad didn't laminate them. It best to use acid-free sleeves. And by all means please, avoid adhesives and please store your albums in a dry place free of all chemicals.  You do not want to use staples and paper clips that could stain and damages the photographs.  I strongly suggest wearing cloth gloves and avoiding latex gloves when looking at old photos. 

Please make sure you're in a clean area without in liquids or food when looking at the images. Some lights can be very harmful to the images, so do be careful when you are handling old and rare photos. I'm happy that Monteral and her father are two of the keepers of the Harrell family tree.

On the Vining side of the family, our cousin Ann Lee Vining Hurst inherit her mother Hilda" Zemora" Vining collection. Some of the photographs Ann was able to identify the people and others images she had no idea who the people were.

The Alexander Harrell Branches Linked Through A Photograph

Jo'elle and Baylee

We've all heard the someone say, " a picture is worth a thousand words" at one time or another.  My maternal first cousin Monteral Harrell inherit a family photograph collection after her father passed away. She understands the true value of the family photographs collections. It's the Harrell family treasure that holds images of our beautiful family. The collection consist of original black and white photographs and some metal printed photographs.  The tintype dates back to the period during the 1860s and 1870 and persisted into the early 20th century. 

"My daddy made sure I sit down and listen to him talk about the people he recognized in the image. Daddy would be so happy when  he shared the family oral  history through the photographs." He was proud of his family photograph collection," said his daughter.  I had to put them up to keep people from taking them becuase some are missing she said. 

Every genealogist wants to find family photographs while conducting their family research. The images tell stories and give clues. Just recently Monteral was going through her mother's photo albums when she came across a picture of my mother. She posted the images on Facebook and some people started commenting on the images.

Isabel Harrell
Courtesy: Monteral Harrell

A woman named Beverly Stewart Lewis saw the post and recognized my mother. She stated that she and my mother are cousins. I know the majority of my mother's paternal and maternal first cousins, and I didn't recognize Beverly.  I had to ask her to make the family connection for me. She then stated that my grandfather Jasper and Uncle Palmer Harrell use to visit her grandmother Rowena. Well, it turned out that Rowena was their sister. 

Mom often talks about the Stewart family in Arcola, Louisiana.  She recalled during an incident at the funeral of her father Jasper;  there were two ladies sitting on one of the front roll pews that were destinated for the immediate family and the usher asked them to please reserve the seats for the family. "One of the ladies said we are his sisters, that how close we are!"

At this point, the story is getting better. My granddaughter asked me could she have a sleepover with her friend Baylee who is her classmate. Baylee mom called me to confirm that it was alright. In the meantime, Beverly and I are communicating on Facebook and Baylee mother who is also a Stewart are talking by phone. I'm asking both of them questions at the same time. I found out that Beverly is Baylee great aunt and Baylee's grandfather is Beverly's brothers. I was so amazed that I couldn't sleep and I call another cousin and genealogist Karran Royal Harper with the news. Karran was excited to find a new Harrell branch.

My head is spinning with so many questions because I have been trying to make the connection between a woman named Corrine Harrell who is buried at Big Zion Cemetery in the same section of my branch of Harrell. It turned out to be that Corrine Harrell and Rowena were sisters.  I knew that my maternal great-grandfather Alexander had other children. No one ever said how many children he had or if it was males of females.

Beverly Stewart Lewis

I called my mom to asked her some questions about the Stewarts.  She remembers going to school with a young man by the name of Sheldon Stewart who was related to the Stewarts. Later she found out they were related. 

Corinne was born in 1890 in Tangipahoa and her sister Rowena was born in 1892 to Elsie Williams.   Corinne and Rowena were the daughters of Alexander Harrell. Rowena married Lance Brown and they became the parents of; Excel, Miller, Clarice, Ora Lee, Lancine, Marlan, Maceen and, Clara Brown. 

Baylee is the great-granddaughter of Clarice and the 4th great-granddaughter of Alexander. My granddaughter Jo'elle is the 5th great-granddaughter of Alexander. The little girls who thought that they were just good friends found out during the sleepover that they are actually cousins who share 4th and 5th great-grandfather. That connection that brought them together as friends have now brought them together as cousins. They kept looking at each other smiling and giggling like girls do.  The girls are calling each other cousins. They started face timing their other friends to tell them.  Baylee called other family members her age and introduce Jo'elle to them as their cousin. 

Because Monteral posted a photograph of my mother, we have now found a branch of our Harrell family tree. Yes, pictures can tell a story and often times give us a clue. In this case, a picture introduced me to new family members. We all can find ways to share family photographs with others in the family. It's one sure way to make sure the photograph will never be lost.

Hidden Family Treasures in Photographs

The Wedding of Sidney and Isabel Harrell Cook
Photo Courtesy: Monteral Harrell

Whenever we start researching our family tree, we hope that we will find photographs and other family treasures. Sometimes those treasures can be hand-written letters, postcards, and priceless family heirlooms. Anyone who is a genealogist can tell you how excited they get with someone shares a family photograph of a person they are researching. 

In 1994, the genealogy bug came for me on a weekday morning. I was on the phone talking with my mother and, she started talking about the family history as always. But it was something special about that morning. That morning I heard her voice like never before, " a voice spoke to me and said start recording what your mother is telling you." Without hesitating, I walked over to the desk in my home office and started writing down what she was telling me.  You could hear the excitement in her voice as she shared the oral history with me. I don't know which one of us was more excited! Was it her telling me or me wanting to listen for more?

Isabel Harrell

I was living on N. Miro Street in New Orleans and couldn't wait to go to the Louisiana Division Department at the Main Branch in New Orleans. I learned how to use the microfilms. The first people I found on the microfilms were my maternal 3rd great-grandfather Robert Harrell and his family. The same day I  found my maternal 3rd great-grandfather Thomas Richardson and his family. Just looking at their names on census came alive for me. I was looking at the family lineage that took me back three generations. 

I started shaking that family tree to find what else I could shake off that tree. I started at the roots of the tree; the roots took me to the Louisiana Florida Parishes. There I met with family members who held on to the oral history, family heirlooms, and pictures. Years ago my mother's youngest brother Raymond Harrell, Sr.  passed away. His daughter Monteral inherit his rich collection. Now she had passed the collection to me to help her preserve it.

In that collection, I found pictures of my mother.  Growing up in the family house in Amite, Louisiana., I didn't see any pictures of my mother growing up through the years. My eyes were fixated on the shoe box that Monteral put on the table with all the photographs. I didn't know what photograph I would find in the box. Inside of the box was a lot of photographs that are related to the Harrell side of my family. I picked up a stack very careful and started looking at the images with focused eyes.  I realized that some of the pictures dated back to the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s.

Isabel Harrell
Westside Class of 1958

I soon came across my mother high school graduation picture and finally, I kept looking and I soon came across a picture of her wedding. "I asked Monteral if she knew who's wedding this was?" she said no. I told her that this was my mother's wedding.  I was so surprised and happy to find these priceless photographs of my mom.

My mother graduated from West Side High School in 1958. She told me she played basketball and she had a picture of her with the girl's basketball team but somehow it was misplaced or lost. My mother and her groom Sidney Cook, Jr.,  stood dress in their wedding attire in the living room of my maternal grandparents home in Amite, Louisiana.

Mom's beautiful lace dress and her white gloves fit her so perfectly with her white pearls to accent her beauty.  I couldn't believe that these treasures were in the shoebox with all the other family photograph collection. 

My brothers will be happy to read the blog post and, see photographs of mom's life cycle. A treasure I want to share with them and it's all because of family images preservers like Monteral. There are genealogy clues in old photographs that can tell us a lot about our family history. My brothers, nieces, and nephews appreciate her sharing these photographs with our family. Now that they are in my collection I will share them with my siblings, nieces, and nephews.

Isabel Harrell Cook
Photo Courtesy: Antoinette Harrell

Mom's kept a lot of family photographs herself. During hurricane Katrina, she lost a  lot of the pictures, so over the years, I have been giving her family photographs as a gift. Mother's Day is soon approaching and, I guess I will find a way to share these priceless photographs with her.  

Over two decades later, I'm still shaking that family tree and pictures, documents and oral history is still falling off the tree.   My mission is to share family photographs through my family blog.  Sharing photographs is a sure way of making sure that our priceless family photographs will not be lost forever. We are living in a digital age where it is easy to share family photographs with each other.

Now, I have something to share with Monteral. I took a lot of photographs at her parents wedding and I want to give the album to her. I'm happy to share what I have with others. Other family members like Wendell Richardson, Alex Richardson, Cletis Gordon and Shan Gordon has shared a lot of photographs from their family collection on facebook. Let's keep sharing photographs and keeping our history alive. 

The Sons of Jasper and Josephine Richardson Harrell

The offsprings of Jasper and Josephine R. Harrell
Photo Courtesy: Monteral Harrell

My first cousin Monteral Harrell shared her father's photographs with me to preserve his collection.   One of the pictures in his collection was the sons of Jasper and Josephine. The images had March  25, 1968; written on the back of it. 

This photograph was taken at their mother's funeral. All of them had on black suits. The only one missing is Uncle Jasper, although it looks like that could be him on the left end. 

From left to right; Frank Harrell, Sr., Roosevelt Harrell, Sr., Henry Harrell, Raymond Harrell, Sr. Herbert Harrell, and Oliver Jackson. Uncle Herbert's son Rodney looks so much like his father in his father's younger days. After looking at the photograph over and over, I think that the image on the right end is uncle Jasper. 

My grandparents legal adopted their nephew Oliver Jackson after his mother passed away. Jasper and Josephine had seven sons and one adopted son and three daughters. Oliver's mother Ethel was the sister of Josephine. 

One of the Women of Bennett Road " Ada Coleman Wren"

Ada Coleman Wren
Photo Courtesy: Walter Wren III

It is estimated that Mrs. Ada was born abt 1916, she married Walter Wren. They had three children: Deloris, Dorothy, and Walter. According to the 1920 United States Federal Census, her parents were Dave and Jennie Coleman. 

Dave was born abt 1897 and was living in Kentwood, Louisiana. He was born in St. Helena Parish. He worked Kent Mills Co. His mother was named Ada Meredith Brown Coleman and his father was named William Coleman.

Mrs. Ada and her husband Walter lived on Bennett Road in Amite, Louisiana upon their death. They both worked hard to provide for their family.  She was a nurse and her husband was a farmer. 

My grandmother Josephine Richardson Harrell was very close friends. My grandmother didn't drive and on some Sunday's Mrs. Ada would drive home after church. She kept a beautiful smile on her face all the time. No matter when you saw her, she was always very neat. It was women on Bennett road like Mrs. Ada, Mrs. Genora Johnson Wheeler, Mrs. Helen Edwards, and my Aunt Lena Temple that help make their community a strong community. She passed away in 1991. 

Traveling Down Memory Lane Through Pictures

Her 6th Grade  Class at O.W. Dillion
Photo Credit: Ian Brown

The journey of family research has allowed me to meet other families throughout the Louisiana Florida Parishes.  Whether it is oral history or a collection of photographs everyone had something they are proud to hold on too. I couldn't wait to visit with Mrs. Grace Sanders Walker to see her collections of family photographs. Years ago she donated the first African-American community album book to the Amite Genealogy Library. 

Mrs. Walker understands the importance of holding on to the family photographs and heirlooms. She comes from the Vernon Clan of Tangipahoa Parish.  When she started pulling out all her pictures and naming the people in the photographs. "I said to myself what a piece of history we would lose if we if it wasn't for people like her!"

I was walking back down memory lane with her. Each time I look at photographs with individuals who are willing to share the image and the story with me. I feel like I'm traveling back with them and learning something about the person in the image.

Mrs. Grace S. Walker and Glyniss Vernon Gordon
Photo Credit: Ian Brown

Old photographs are treasures that many people hold on too tightly. Pictures that make them smile and often time they reflected upon a loved one who has passed on. Learning how to label the photographs are important. Everyone has photographs in their collection and may not know some of the people in the photograph. 

Her pictures are in great condition and you can tell that she handles them with gentle care. Our family photograph tells stories about our family and ancestors. There is an old saying that says...a picture is worth a thousand words. In earlier times taking a picture was a big deal. Everyone put on their Sunday's best and pose for the pictures. Most of the time everybody looked so serious. The women dressed up in the fancy dress and some wore hats. The men put on their finest suit and shine their shoes to get their pictures taken.  I can't forget the children how nicely dressed they were.  

Sitting on her dresser was pictures of her parents and other family members. She made several trips to bring out more pictures. One of the pictures she brought out for display was of Robert "Free Bob" Vernon. She is a descendant of Robert. The Vernon family had deep roots in the Florida Parishes. Nurturing Our Roots really appreciate everyone who has preserved their family photograph.

The Photograph Collection of the Late Raymond Harrell, Sr.

My uncle Raymond Harrell, Sr. was just like his older sister Isabell in preserving family photographs. After he passed away, his daughter Montreal Harrell inherited her father's collection. I met with her years ago to scan the images, and just recently she and I discussed donating his collection to Southeastern Center for Louisiana Studies in his name. Uncle Raymond had two children. One daughter and one son; Monteral is the oldest.  I don't know if her brother Raymond, Jr., paid attention as Monteral did.  I like to think of it as her family history lessons taught to her by her father.

Uncle Raymond was the kind of person that would visit with family members and take photographs. I remember one time he and I traveled to Chicago to see his first cousins; Bobbie and Audrey. He took me to meet the descendants of uncle Warner Harrell in Wisconsin. I met his first cousin Dan Harrell and his beautiful wife. My mother never met them so it was an honor for me to meet them. 

Monteral said that she went to Chicago with her dad too. "I helped him drive," said Monteral . I know that was a great experience for her. Spending quality time with her father. I know he would be proud to see the beautiful and caring woman she is. 

Ella Harrell Harrison
Courtesy of Monteral Harrell

After our discussion about the images, she decided that she would allow me to guide her through the process. In memory of her dad, she is giving the family and parish an educational gift. I took the collection to help organize it for the repository.

Too often family images can get lost or thrown away.  He kept all his photograph in a box and from time to time he would take them out and share stories about the people in the image. Looking through the box and I found my mother's wedding picture.

I wish my uncle were here to share the stories and name some of the people in the photograph. "Daddy used to pull the box out and talk about the people," said Montreal. Unless someone has lost all their family photographs in a natural catastrophic incident, you can imagine the pain that it causes. We traveled down memory lane looking at our Harrell ancestors. They were dressed so elegantly and classy to say they were the children and grandchildren of former slaves. 

We couldn't identify some of the people in some of the photographs. Nevertheless, we wanted to save them anyway. Perhaps someone else may be able to identify the people. Monteral is an educator in the Tangipahoa Parish School System. She understands the importance of the photographs and how important it is to our history. 

The photographs keep her feeling connected to her father. Looking at her beautiful smile, I can see the feeling of connection. She knew just how much the collection meant to her father.  Our great aunt Ella Harrell Harrison had the collection and when she died, our cousin named Gert inherit the

Image Unknown
Courtesy of Monteral Harrell

collection. After cousin Gert passed away my uncle Raymond inherit the collection. 

The collection couldn't have fallen in better hands. Now, Monteral has entrusted me with the collection. I can't wait until the collection is ready for view at Southeastern Center for Louisiana Studies.

Doing something in memory of my uncle means so much to me. When I was a little girl he would take me for a ride in his car and we always stop to get an ice cream cone. His love for family is the reason that these photographs meant so much to him. What a great way to honor his memory by honoring the legacy he left to all of us!

Monteral is to be commended for sharing that gift and legacy. The beautiful images speak volumes about African-American families who lived in the Louisiana Florida Parishes. 

The Slavery Detective of the South

Our History "Our Story"

What You May Not Know About Willie Temple!

Willie Temple
Photo Courtesty: Edwin Temple

Willie Temple was born in 1933 in Amite, Louisiana. There were six children born to the union of  Charlie Temple and Lena Vining Temple. His siblings were: Caretha, Doretha, Maude, Jacob, and Mary.  Willie grew on fifty-four aces farm on Bennett Road. His family raised livestock, and every kind of produce a farmer could grow. His father Charlie was married twice, first to Eliza Marshall. They had five children: Augustine, Elouise, Margie, Stanley, and Ellis.

Willie's mother and my great-grandmother Emma were sisters. Lena and Emma had the same father.  Their father Allen was married twice. His first marriage was to Emma's mother Rosa Hart. After Rosa passed away, he married Pheby Self. Pheby was Lena's mother.

This would make him and my maternal grandmother Josephine first cousins. He's one of the three first cousins my grandmother have living to this day. Everyone else had passed away that I'm aware of. If there are anymore living first cousin. I would really like to meet them.

No one knows what school he attended or if he went to school.  He could read somewhat said his son Edwin. He worked at the Amite Feed and & Co-op, as a delivery man. He delivered feed and other supplies to local farmers. He was employed at Louisiana Power and Light as a lineman. 

Everyone that knew him called him "Pap," some said they remember him smoking cigars. It takes my mother to talk about the role he played in registering African-Americans people as register voters. "He drove people to the voting polls," said Isabel Harrell-Cook. He was a very smart person she said. Willie farmed, he took some of his produce to J.D. Atkins packing shed. The next morning J.D., took the produce to the French Market in New Orleans to be sold. Some of Willie produce was sold around the town of Amite.  He used his horse "Jim" to plow the field until he purchased his mule called red. His favorite past time was playing cards with some of his neighbors in the community. 

Old Red

Sometime he would visit his sisters in Los Angeles, California. His mother Lena moved to Los Angles with her daughters until her death.  He lived his entire life in Amite, Louisiana.  Willie met and married Helen Johnson Temple and to their union, five children were born. Three of his sons served in the Military. Two sons in the Air Force and one in the Army.One son drove trucks for a living. His only daughter work at the St. Helena Headstart. One of his sons made Alaska his home. 

Many people in the community may not know that Willie put his life on the line to help register African-American people in Tangipahoa Parish to become register voters. Mother said that he was beaten up by some white men for taking the role he did. "He wasn't the same after the beat him," she said.  I want to say before we make a judgment about a person, we should take the time out to learn about that person. This month during Black History, Nurturing Our Roots would like to remember people like Willie who put their life on the line for equality. He knew that he had to do something to change the conditions for African-American people of Tangipahoa Parish, even if it meant him dying for the cause. Now in his 80s, he doesn't talk much about those days. He spends his time sitting on his front porch getting a cool breeze are enjoying the beautiful sunlight. 

Dr. Kingsley B. Garrison Donating His Rich Collection to the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies

Dr. Kingsley B. Garrison
Photo Credit:  Dr. Antoinette Harrell

For the past several months I have had the honorable pleasure to interview Dr. Garrison about his family history.  During the interview, I learned that he is an archivist. Dr. Garrison was a former teacher in the Tangipahoa Parish School System. 

I asked him if he had any pictures I could look at? After I looked at his rich African- American images, at that point, I realized that I needed to talk with him about preserving his collection.  "I know that my daughter will probably throw a lot of it away when I pass, " he said.  "I think about that quite often!" said Dr. Garrison. I had to tell him that he didn't have to wait and that he can do something now.  He is the kind of person that listens to sound advice and guidance. I took this opportunity to educate him on the process. Losing his collection would be losing a big part of African-American history of the Louisiana Florida Parishes.

That was one of the decisions I had to make about my collection. "What would happen to my collection when I passed away?" It was time for me to make a decision about the collection. Most of the collection consists of images, documents, and other research materials of African-American people in the Louisiana Florida Parishes.  I decided that the Center for Southeast Louisiana  Studies was the best place for the collection. 

Dr. Samuel Hyde looking at the collection
Photo Credit: Dr. Antoinette Harrell

I explained to Dr. Garrison the importance of making that decision while he could. After our discussion, we talked about him visiting the center with me. Having him to look at the process of preserving his collection would help him to make that decision. Dr. Garrison made that decision today.

Dr. Samuel Hyde, Director of the Center Southeast Louisiana Studies,  said that the Louisiana  Florida Parishes is lacking the history of African-American people. 

We're proud to announce that the Dr. Kingsley B. Garrison Collection is coming to the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies. The collection will consist of images from the Ponchatoula Color School, Baptismal, and images of people in the community. Whenever I'm talking with him,  I feel like I'm sitting with a talking library,  I learn so much.  I must mention that he is putting me in contact with others who had rich collections in the Ponchatoula, Louisiana. 

Proclamation Proclaim Genealogy Awareness Week

 Genealogy Proclamation

February 5, 2004, the African American Genealogy Connection, Inc., requested that the City of New Orleans Proclaim February 8th - `4th as Genealogy Awareness Week. In honor of Black History Month, Antoinette Harrell and Karran Harper Royal host of Nurturing Our Roots Genealogy Educational Talk Show would like to encourage African American families to study their own family through self-discovery. 

Genealogy can help a person who is researching their family history look at the local history, the community their ancestors and family lived in.  What kind of occupations did they have? Did they attend school? Where did they attend church? Certainly not omitting the local politics and business matters of the community your family lived in. 

Sharing photographs, memories, and family stories can strengthen and bring the family closer. This week in Honor of Black History, I would like to honor my own family and extended community in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana by blogging, sharing photographs, conducting new interviews and lastly placing new information in the archival collections. Some families still have the original photographs from the early 1900s in their collection.  Almost everyone that I have interviewed has a funeral program collection. Several people family member passed away and they inherited all the photographs and other records.  Let me just say that I'm glad they are sharing them with me. 

This year is the fourteen year anniversary since this Proclamation was proclaimed Genealogy Awareness Week. How quickly the time went by! My youngest son was twelve-years-old at the time.  The Florida Parishes was home to my ancestors and family on my paternal and maternal side of the family. Because I lived in the Florida Parishes it makes my search very easy for me when I need to travel to the genealogy library and courthouse to research records. I want to also point out that helping others in the community understand the importance of preserving their family history is vital to the history of the Florida Parishes from an African-American perspective. 

New Orleans City Council Proclaimed
Feb 8th-14th as Genealogy Awareness Week

The history of African-Americans in the Florida Parishes is at large an undocumented history. We can't have the history of the Florida Parishes without the history of African-American people who history is interwoven in the history of Florida Parishes. 

Hard working men and women who faced the many challenges of oppression to triumphs during slavery and Jim Crow. Many who knew the faces of segregation and its effects on them and their families.  Some left the Bayou State of Louisiana, leaving the agricultural fields in search of a better life up north in the 1920s. Many returned after retirement and some never returned. When it was time to come home to visit, they looked forward to coming back south to visit their family members.  One thing I learned during this journey of self-discovery is that it never ends. I spend countless hours in my home office researching and preparing photographs and other records for electronic archiving and the university. 

What Could the Tombstones Tell Us?

Thomas Richardson
Photo Credit: Bobby

If you look at Thomas Richardson, Sr., headstone and the headstone of Andrew Richardson, you will find some similarities. One being the shapes of the headstones and if you look at the top of the headstones, you will find little circles on the top. It looks like the same lettering was used. These two men are one year apart. Thomas was born in 1853 and Andrew was born in 1852. 

Thomas is buried in Rocky Hill AME Church Cemetery. Andrew is buried in Black Creek AME Church Cemetery. Andrew's parents were N. Richardson and Dicy Richardson. What does the "N" stand for?  We only have Thomas mother's name. Her name was Carrie.  I couldn't find any of Carrie's sibling or her parents.  

Thomas Richardson died on February 28, 1923, and Andrew Richardson died on September 10, 1908.  The fact that both men were AME members and the headstones reveal some similarities clues. I think my next step would be to visit the Louisiana State Archives to look at death records. Although we know Andrew's parents' name, I want to find out more on N. Richardson, could this be the Nathan Richardson, whose name in on the inventory list of Benjamin and Celia Bankston Richardson 1853 inventory. 

Andrew Richardson
Photo Credit: Jane Holiday

It's time for me to make a genealogy field trip to Black Creek Church and cemetery in Greensburg, Louisiana. I know there are other Richardson's buried there.  Andrew and Sarah Ann Foster Richardson had nine children. It appears that the family used Black Creek Church Cemetery and Darlington Church of God in Christ for their family church and to bury their loved ones.

I think we're long overdue to find out the kinship of the two Richardson families. Supt. Alexander Richardson has two sons living out of ten children: Supt Emmitt N. Richardson, Sr., and Darnell Richardson, Sr. I don't know much about the family lineage Pastor Alonzo Richardson. He had a son named Pastor Jimmy Richardson who resides in Roseland, Louisiana. Hopefully, the remaining offsprings can help us shed some light and make the genealogy connections.

Supt. Alexander Richardson is the son of Thomas Richardson, Sr. and Amanda Breland Richardson.

Study questions to think about

1. Why are the headstones so similar?

2. Did Carrie Richardson have other siblings and children?

3. Could Andrew be one of her siblings' children?

4. What funeral home did the family use?

5. Did someone make the headstones for the family?
6. Could any of the other people on the plantation be Carrie's siblings?