We failed to mention that just before going to Texas, J. B. Clark placed in our care an old single barrel shot gun, saying. “I want you to give this gun to Mat Hicks; his father, Doc Hicks, left it here with my father before the Civil War. Mr. Hicks came here on that occasion to spend the night with my father, carrying with him this old hunting piece. He became seriously ill that night and died here.” Mrs. A. K. Barnes tells us Mr. Hicks was seized with an attack of pneumonia and lived only three days. Mat was only about three years old when his father died. His mother died a short time before, at the age of 25 years. Mat and a sister, Miss Docia, made their home with an uncle, the late Judge John W. Hall. Mat, come and visit us and get the gun.

Wow okay this newspaper article ftw?? I love newspaper omg

Centralia Fireside Guard
Fri, Dec 26, 1919

1878 land deed between Matthew F Hicks, Docia E Hulen and her husband, and David La Hue in Boone Co, Missouri

Then I found a land deed with Docia, her husband, and Matthew from 1878, about a year after she got married.

I feel like I've had to have seen this before... but you'd think I would've dug into the Matthew Hicks already! 🤷

Matthew's obituary just names his (their?) parents as Dock and Elizabeth Hicks, so more research needed.
But Docia had a little brother! And ancestry has photos of him!

It's so interesting to see how family stories have little kernels of truth... but a LOT of myth, lol.

Excerpt from the 1870 census. Surnames are a mess. Household of Hall, John W , 62, white, Farmer -, Sarah, 60, W, keeps home -, Wm Stewart, 60, W, works on farm -, Theodocia, 20, W -, Matthew F, 15, W, works on farm -, Judy Williams, 50, B, works in home

Matthew's obituary says he became an orphan at 18 months, and was raised by his Uncle and Aunt Hall (namesake of Hallsville, Missouri).

They're not with him on the 1860 census, but... 🥁.... the 1870 census shows a 15 yr old Matthew F living with the Halls... and the live above, a Theodocia, age 20!

Idk why I didn't do this earlier. I have my mom's DNA on Ancestry, and she's my mom's great-great grandma.

Sure enough, I quickly came across a Hicks match on that branch, with an ancestor born a few years after Docia. But not a little sister- a possible little brother! Matthew Fountain Hicks.

I've written about my ancestor, Theodocia Hicks, and how the Hulen family lore was that she was an "orphaned Indian child" found on an expedition with a younger sister by Young E Hicks.

Timeline wise, this didn't make sense with Y. E.'s death in 1849.

I finally explored DNA... #genealogy

Oh I don't care 🤣 it was a pretty funny way to find this out, all things considered

Oh no lol. I really like their shoes. I have 2 pairs 🤣

Accidentally pressing AI things feels so much like accidentally hitting the internet button on your 2006 flip phone.

Don't you people have better things to do than prey on people who stutter? Endlessly enraging.

The same old grift where they call stuttering "just" a "pattern" or a "behavior".

Speech therapists who say they can help you be "more fluent" are part of the problem that feed to the culture.

I've taken a long break from my #stuttering public advocacy (though still doing other things behind the scenes), and it's been challenging to accept that this is where I am right now.

It's really hard to care about the dumb grifters we have in our community who are just relentless.

It was a moment I was glad my gramma was as bad at eye contact as I am, because my jaw was hanging there for a moment lol.

It was so earnest, which is what makes me chuckle.

she goes "because Catholics don't really read the Bible".

😂😂😂 this woman made us go to Catholic school for 9 years, and she went for decades without getting Communion (bc she married a Lutheran so she couldn't get it anymore), and she said it so casually!

Just a lil fact according to grandma.

This is so silly but one of my favorite #genealogy moments with my grandma was after her husband showed us his family bible, and my grandma says, "Yeah, I guess Catholics don't have family bibles because Catholics don't-"

and I THOUGHT she was going to say Catholics don't write in bibles, BUT-

They had a son born Dec 10, 1927, so we are cutting it close. It having her (misspelled) maiden name is helpful though it really shortens my window.

Newspaper clipping from 1927 "Jimmie Goodin was a Stotts City visitor Sunday. - Clover Seed $18.00 per bushel - Norman Smith - Miss Velva Hewlett of Crane was an Mt. Vernon visitor Monday.

Ohh hold on a moment! I decided to search her first name (as it is unusual) and caught this, from Thurs, March 3, 1927.

Velva says on the 1940 census that she married at age 18. Her 19th birthday was Wed, March 2, 1927.

Could these two (Jimmie and her) be working on getting wed? 👀

I've gone page by page through marriage records for countries they lived in and counties adjacent. Ive even called the county records my g-gma was from to make sure I wasn't missing anything.

I was hoping for some mention, given how popular my g-gpa was. Oh well lol

Was excited Lawrence County, Missouri released a boatload of newspapers, and my great-grandparents and their family are filled with them.

HOWEVER. Despite having newspapers for then, still NO MENTION of their marriage. I'm becoming convinced they forgot to do paperwork even in 1927. #genealogy

reps against Trump is "left leaning"? lol I feel like those blue dots aren't so blue

So important to tell their stories 💙

Was looking at one of my ancestor's sisters, who lost 3 of her 4 children within a few days in 1879, while the 4th one was extremely sick. I cannot imagine.

Years later, her husband beat her so badly he was put in an institution. Newspaper referenced that loss

I agree! The county's seat has digitalized papers at least, which has been great.

I haven't found anything from the hometown paper online except recent obituaries (but I'd want pre-1940). I don't see it listed as even being held anywhere outside of South Carolina. But maybe one day... 🤞

The frequency at which I debate flying across the country to spend days in a South Carolina library or university looking page by page through newspapers.

How I wish I could do this from home lol #genealogy

Yeah my SIL believes this, and like. Not every person out there needs to be platformed... and they def shouldn't be platformed while being taken seriously. Or without challenge.

More like, "here's how woman hate themselves so much they ruin other people's lives as much as possible"

Realizing two of my ancestors were right next door to each other on the 1830 census...

But their descendants don't marry each other until about 1875...

And most of the family of 1 moved away so no other overlap I've found.

Fun little #genealogy surprises lol

I wish more people would do this. My mom would just buy a new TV, lol, but most aren't as committed as her

The reactions of all these famous people unable to describe why these things are so impactful to learn. But they are.

Processing this as I watch Tony Danza start crying and saying, "I think everyone should go through this" lol full agree, Tony.

Watching "finding your roots" is convincing me that #genealogy storytelling can be one of the best uses of connecting us to history and to each other.

We all have ancestors who at some point were on the right side and others who were on the wrong side of history. And they were all humans.

About half of her family - including this line - lived in Spartanburg District, SC, where the records were sparse at time, and those done were pretty awful lol.

Also, both of her grandfathers were PNE. So I feel quite lucky to have her DNA results lol

Her brothers had light eyes and dark complexion - noted not just in photos, but in 3 of their Civil War (Confederacy) records. So either very mixed, or a grandparent is their closest ancestor possible if full.

Have to say. My gma doing DNA is unmatchable in how much it's given me.

Binge watching Finding Your Roots has got me curious about my grandma's 2% West African DNA. Based on her DNA matches, it is coming from matches with our Gregory line.

I'm self-conscious looking at photos of my ancestor's brothers trying to determine if possibly mixed, lol. #genealogy