Influential Women of the Family - Part 3

(Madam Ancestry's personal family photo)

Sickness (and tears) caused me to send this out late, but there was no way I was letting Women's History Month end without honoring...MY MAMA!

This picture of us is kind of blurry but it's still one of my favorites! I don't specifically remember this event, but I do know it was someone's birthday and we had birthday cake. There were a lot of us so it seemed like we had birthday cake quite often (smile). For a long time, mama used to make all of our birthday cakes. I can remember going with her to some place where she would take classes on cake decorating and voila! Perfectly decorated birthday cakes! It was the best to eat the leftover cake batter from the bowl - and so worth the smack on the hand for touching the cake piper and tasting the frosting inside! My Miss Piggy birthday cake was probably my favorite birthday cake! She made it for my 6th birthday and I'll never forget it!

(Madam Ancestry's personal family photo)

This year we're approaching a milestone anniversary of her passing and I honestly can't believe it's been this long. I was feeling a little low about how there is so much more I want to know about her that I won't get to know. She endured more than I could ever know being raised in a poor, single-parent family, and growing her own family to the standard she wanted her children to achieve. As I thought about her, I realized that I had already encapsulated so much about her.

BRAVE: She ventured off with "Deddy" to move to another state. They packed up the kiddos and left everything and everyone they new and started a new chapter in life. Oh, and did I mention she was two weeks from delivering a baby at the time?!

TOUGH AS NAILS: You've gotta be tough to raise 8 kids (and some grands)! Early on they made a decision that she would be a stay at home mom. I probably would've lost my mind if I had to listen to all those kids all day, everyday. But she did it. She was the type to let things roll off her back. I've only seen her emotional once...mabe twice...in my entire life, seriously!

RESOURCEFUL: She had many talents and would use whatever she had. I remember her sewing; baking; stretching those dollars (I thought I was a super shopper but I have nothing on her); being a doctor (she had a knack for making remedies by mixing medicine and whatever else she could find in the house...lol...but we always got well)! She could feed a multitude. To this day I do not know how there was always food to go around. I have the hardest time trying to keep leftovers with just me (smile)! She drove our shuttle aka the minivan. She drove all of us all over the city to where we needed to be, all in the same day! There must have been more than 24 hours in a day back then!

RESILIENT: I've watched her withstand setbacks in life, bounce back from major illness and keep it moving like she never missed a beat. When she couldn't talk she found a way to communicate. She fought it out until the end.

There is so much more I could say about how she loved us all in her own unique way. She was truly one of a kind. I'm glad to have had her for a short time than to have not had her at all. I'm thankful for our time, for the lessons, taking on her traits, and most of all for the memories!

I love you always and forever, Ma!

Happy Women's History Month!

Throwback Thursday - Let's try something a little different!

Recently I was going through some family papers and found some old letters, postcards, and other handwritten documents. I smiled as I admired the handwriting and the stories each record contained. We're now so caught up in the digital age, I got to thinking "Does anyone write letters anymore?"

Since today is "Throwback Thursday", I thought it was appropriate to talk about this today. Throwback Thursday is a social media trend where users share old photographs (usually with the hashtag #TBT), but I thought it would be fun to try something a little different! Today, let's skip the texting and the email and take the time to write someone in our family! You can write a nice letter, or send a postcard with a short note. Encourage your relative(s) to write back! You'll be helping keep family connections, and sharing memories for future generations to fondly look upon!

Happy writing! :-D

Influential Women of the Family - Part 2

Hey everybody! We're still in Women's History Month and for today's post, I chose to honor...my sisters! I blurred their faces because I didn't get permission in time to post this photo. I usually like to get my family's permission before posting them on "The WWW" as my Deddy would say (smile). If/when I get their permission, I'll be sure to update with their smiling faces!

(Madam Ancestry's personal family photo)

There is much I can say about them individually, but I'll keep it short and sweet! As long as I can remember, they've always been there. They have helped shaped some of my earliest encounters like teaching me to read, lady-like etiquette, cooking lessons, teamwork, coaching difficult situations, and much more. They're exceptional mothers/mother figures, career women, strong & supportive wives, and continuing their education! I also admire how they hold the family down in their unique way; always standing in the gap wherever needed, ready to assist however they can. We fight hard sometimes, but love even harder. When it's all said and done we're sisters made, and friends raised!

Happy Family Friday!

P.S. - This is all they get since they always tell me I don't have any emotions (but I really do)...LOL!

Stay tuned this month for stories on more influential women in my family! You can share your stories of influential women in your family by emailing me at madamancestry@gmail.com!

Influential Women of the Family - Part 1

Due to technical issues, this Family Friday post is on Sunday! Enjoy!

I'm sure it goes without saying, but women are phenomenal! March is Women's History Month and I've decided (beginning) today to use the remaining Fridays in this month to honor influential women in my family.

Today, I'll talk to you about my aunt - whom I'll call "AP" for the sake of this post. I thought it would be appropriate to have her also talk about who she views as the most influential woman in our family. For the sake of this post, we'll call her pick "Granny CC". 

"AP"

(Madam Ancestry's personal family photo)

AP is hands down one of the most amazing women I know. I hope she knows how much I truly love and admire her. Recently, my sister went out of town and her children were talking to her about bringing souvenirs home. One asked if she could bring AP back with her. We had a good laugh about that. I shared the story with someone and she remarked with a smile "AP must sure be something! It seems like everybody in your family has a wonderful story to tell about her." I told her about all the amazing things she does from making clothes, to making candy, to making the best home-made rolls, interior decorating, and much, more more - seriously, the woman can do it all! Out of the many things I admire about her, there are a couple that stand out: (1) How she works to keep the family together and (2) How she makes each person feel special. She's always doing things to let me know how special I am...since I am the favorite niece (smile)! 

I started thinking that I was close to my niece's age (about 6) when she created one of my favorite memories that I still think about until this day! I remember receiving a child's tea party set for Christmas and she was coming to visit in the Spring. I had my very own serving set and I was saving it just for AP! I remember talking to her on the phone and telling her about my plans and she told me she was excited and couldn't wait to have a tea party. 

When she got there, I had everything all set - fruit punch, grapes, cheese and crackers. This was a big deal! I had a little table in my room with a couple of chairs. When she came upstairs, she told me how much she liked my room and she was so glad I had invited her to a tea party. She ooh'd and ahh'd and I felt like I had hosted the party of the century! 

I recently mentioned it to her and she laughed. She vaguely remembered it. She reminisced about how we used to work on crafts together, like making t-shirts, and when I had begged my parents to buy me some Mickey Mouse designer jeans, and she looked at the pattern and made it for me before she went back home. She's a strong woman who is the epitome of you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. She has raised 5 children, 20 foster children, has about 3 god-children, and has enough grandchildren and great-grandchildren that I've lost count :-) She creates memories and that's one of the many things I love about her!

                              "Granny CC"

MA: Who doyou think is the most influential woman in the family?

AP: My Granny CC! She was a strong-willed woman and I spent a lot of time with her - so I have many great memories. I have many memories of going between Monroe and Detroit to go fishing with her each summer. 
MA: What is your favorite memory of her?
AP: There are so many. I think I'd have to say how she collected sea shells for me - a bag full! I loved them and always held on to them. She used to make me bacon and eggs, and sometimes grits if we had time. We'd get a bag full of green grapes - they were ten cents per pound back then. 
MA: (laughs) I would love to get grapes for ten cents per pound!
AP: She also made the best cakes! It smelled like heaven smelling those cakes (fruit cake and pound cake) under the bed. She also stored sacks of apples and potatoes under the bed. 
MA: Why did she store these items under the bed? 
AP: They didn't have a lot of space back then and you also didn't want anyone coming around eating up your cake! The cakes were tightly wrapped and stored in tin cans. I could hardly sleep from the aroma of those cakes coming from under the bed!
MA: What did you admire most about her? 
AP: The unconditional love she showed me. She always treated me the same and did whatever she could for me. I always admired her spirit - she was a determined, strong-willed, and saved woman. She was a homemaker but was also business savvy. I can remember she bought several properties - even purchasing a farm when she was in her 70's. She would be on that farm catching chickens and plucking feathers. She made the best fried chicken you'd ever taste in your life!
MA: How do you think Granny CC helped shaped the family? 
AP: She created some strong women with that same mindset. She passed those traits down to my mother, and my mother passed them down to me.
MA: What specifically do you think you gained from her?
AP: Mostly her determination and strong-will. I've raised 5 kids by myself after a divorce, been an entrepreneur, paid off my home, bought property on a resort, remodeling my home on my own several times. Just being good at whatever I put my mind to. 
MA: I remember all those home renovations! They always turned out great! 
AP: My mom was good like that too. I remember coming home from school one day to find that mama had knocked down walls in my bedroom to enlarge the living and removed a door to put a 12 foot picture window. Can you imagine coming home from school to find out your room is gone? (laughs)
MA: (laughs) That is pretty funny! Is there anything else you want to tell me about Granny CC? 
AP: When I would visit her or she would visit us, she and I would always share a bed. She had a rocking chair in the room. One night she got up and asked if I saw someone sitting in the rocking chair. I told her no. She said it was her sister. It wasn't too long after that occurrence that she passed away. Maybe she saw something, I don't know. I hate that I didn't get to see her before she passed away (I was in the hospital). I loved my Granny CC, she was a remarkable woman. Even though she's gone, she will always stand tall in the minds of the family.


Stay tuned this month for stories on more influential women in my family! You can share your stories of influential women in your family by emailing me at madamancestry@gmail.com!

Women's History Month

In case you didn't know, March is Women's History Month! Beginning today, I'm going to use each Friday in this month to acknowledge influential women in my family. So be on the lookout for the blog update later this afternoon! I'm excited to share with you all the woman I chose to start this segment off with, and also share the memories of the most influential woman she chose to honor.

I'm sure you all have some great and influential women in your families also, and I'd love to hear about them! You can pick anyone - your mom, sister, grandma, or even "2x Great Aunt Gertrude" from the 1880 Census (smile)! You can share your story with me via email or on Facebook. Who knows, your story may even be featured on my blog! I look forward to hearing from you and sharing our stories of the amazing women we descend from! :-)

Happy Family Friday!

Finding Sammy Davis, Jr.

Happy Family Friday!!! I thought I'd let you all know that I'm on yet another mission...Finding Sammy Davis, Jr.! For all those side eyes and eyebrows that went up, let me explain. You know how you can recall hearing something, but in that moment it doesn't really mean much until your memory recalls it? Well that's kind of what has brought me back around to this. I remember being told and overhearing conversations about being related to Sammy Davis, Jr. I guess as a child I kind of knew who Sammy Davis, Jr. was but didn't really think much of it. I remember seeing him on TV a few times, and that was about all I could tell you.

I remember my mom's aunt stating the claim of relation. She's gone and so is mom, so I kind of chalked it up to one of those "family fables". That is until I recently discovered an interesting family photo. A couple of weeks ago, I was meeting with my uncle to go through some information and photos as we're planning for our family reunion. He asked me to bring whatever photos I had so we could go through them. As I was going through my box of information, I discovered a picture; although I'm not sure if the picture was taken in my grandmother's home or her sister's home (the one who claimed the relation to Sammy Davis, Jr.). Something in the picture caught my attention. I noticed a wall that had pictures of various people in the family. As I glanced over those faces trying to see if I could recognize everyone, I noticed a face I did not expect to see - you guessed it, Sammy Davis, Jr.! This was the first piece of evidence that could lend credibility to the claim of his relation.

When I met with my uncle, I brought it up to him. He said that he knows he's a cousin but he couldn't remember the exact break down as his aunt could relay. He said that he also remembers that his aunt and Sammy would write letters to each other and exchange birthday cards and Christmas cards. "Well what happened to all of those letters and cards?" I asked. He didn't know what became of it after her passing.

So now my wheels are spinning and I'm trying to make sense of all of this. His picture wouldn't be on a wall in my relative's home with other family members if he's not part of the family, right? We will find out! Stay tuned!


Happy searching! :-)