G is for ...

GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

Recently, I have been doing a little research on my family tree attempting to figure out the who, what, where and when’s of it all. Genealogical research is often times quite interesting as you can find out so many unique facts about your distant relatives and where they came from, what they did, how they died and all sorts of little interesting tidbits that you may not have been aware of. So much of that information is available today and free of charge for you to use, and I, for one, am going to take advantage of that opportunity when time permits (which these days, it is very hard to find a free minute or two to do something).

Growing up, I only had the opportunity to know one of my great-grandparents as all the others had passed on many years before my birth. My Great-Grandmother Sorrell (more affectionately known as Mama Sorrell) lived right near my house and I would always go out to entertain her by playing her a tune on the piano or doing something else to spend a little time with her. She would often fall asleep while I was playing or just doze off while people were talking to her, and we loved having a little fun with her when she did. My Great Aunt Maydelle would often tell me to go tear off a piece of the old straw broom and run it across Mama Sorrell’s upper lip just beneath her nose to make her think a fly or something was after her. It would take several attempts before she would finally awaken, but it was still quite humorous watching her sleep and trying to swat at her face. Those were some fun memories. Mama Sorrell died three days after my birthday, a few months shy of her 100th birthday – oh, to have her genes !! But, she left a legacy that many people still remember.

I wish I had known my Grandpa Baker’s parents, Edd & Pattie Baker. I have heard numerous stories from Grandpa about what such hard-workers they were and how they provided for their ten children (good grief! that just blows my mind to think about it). They were farmers and just epitomized, to me, a typical hard-working Southern family. I just love looking at their pictures as they just are so adorable. I love hearing Grandpa tell his stories – I guess when you are 95 years old you have a lot of stories and memories to share. Grandpa Edd passed away even before my mother was born, but I remember my Grandpa saying how Grandpa Edd had such huge hands and was a very large man – a true sign of a hard-working man! Grandma Pattie passed away a few years before I was born. So, I never was able to meet either of them, but fortunately we have photos of them so that those of us in the latter generations can at least reflect back upon them and see what they looked like.

Another of my great-grandparents that I wish I could have known was my Granddad Foster’s father, Willie Foster. In Willie’s case, we have no photographs or any real information on him. Granddad never really said much about him, but then again, none of us really probably ever thought to ask him much about him. We have plenty of pictures of Willie’s wife, my great-grandmother Alma, but nothing of Willie. I have always had a mental image of what I pictured him to look like, and so many times over, I wish I could actually find a picture of him to see what he looks like. Even when researching the family tree on his side, there is not much we can find about him other than that he came from the North Carolina / Virginia line near Yanceyville. I had heard many times over that Willie did serve as the chief of police of the then Fuquay Springs Police Department. When I went to the research library, I did a search on him and was pleased to find a small article that was written in a local paper about Willie at his death. It pleased me to read about him being described as possessing a kind and friendly character, as well as being highly esteemed in his community. That reminds me so much of my Granddad Bill Foster and his character. He always was quiet and had a humble smile on his face and never really got angry or upset. I have always figured Willie would be much the same way.

Copy of article from microfilm courtesy of the Fuquay-Varina Independent

I hope in my continued research that I am able to uncover some more pieces of the puzzle and learn more unique and fun facts about my heritage. And it would surely be amazing to find more pictures, too! While many are turned off from the idea of researching genealogy, give it a shot! You never know who you may uncover that you are related to – it could be someone who is super famous or just someone who is a well-liked character within their own community and revered for who they are not from what they may or may not have come from. You can be a very simple person and still have lot of advantages in life – advantages that far exceed those of the rich and famous. Get to digging and let the roads lead you on!