Monday, July 26, 2010

A Weekend of Genealogy for ME


This past weekend was the first weekend (since my knee problems began the first of May which ultimately led to surgery) that I have truly felt like myself. It's been a long, long almost 3 months for me. My knee is FINE ---but all of the other problems I encountered, due to the medications, really made it a rough time for me... ANYHOW--I felt so good that I spent almost the entire weekend working on the BALLARD Family History side of my family.

What prompted this was an email from ANOTHER new distant cousin of mine (whom I had never met). Adriel wrote me --after reading some of my Ballard posts online.. I began to do research to see where our connection was---and I found it... Our lines crossed at Col. Thomas Ballard and Katherine Hubbard. Thomas is my 7th Great Grandfather and Adriel's 9th. (She's ALOT younger than I am... ha)... Thomas and Katherine had 10 children. Their son John is my direct line relative and their son William is Adriel's direct line relative.

Adriel and I can trace our Ballard's all the way back to FULCO BALLARD (born sometime between 1250 and 1325 in England). Fulco is my 16th Great Grandfather... Is that not just amazing??????

Unfortunately, I have very few pictures --and only from my Grandfather Ballard's family. I have posted some of these before --but since I'm meeting more and more Ballard cousins, I decided to post them again.

Above is my Grandfather Ballard's family home in Bristol, Virginia. It originally belonged to my Great Grandfather, William Alexander Ballard (1831-1903). William was married to my Great Grandmother, Adeline Frances Doss in 1857. They had 3 children--one being my grandfather... Great Grandfather Ballard remarried Martha Susan Martin (1848-1919) and they had 7 children. I only remember my 4 Great Aunts (pictured at the bottom).

I really want to get back there and see if that home is still there. I know that there are no Ballards (that I know) left in that area, but I do remember that big home --and loved visiting my Great Aunts when I was a little girl. What I remember most about that old home is the smell and a ticking clock in almost every room... The house felt like being in a museum --and had that musty-like smell. (Funny what we remember, isn't it???) Below are more pictures!





This is a picture of my Grandmother and Grandfather Ballard (my mother's parents). My Grandmother was named Ida Elizabeth Bruce (1874-1904) and my Grandfather was named James Franklin Ballard (1861-1936). Both were dead before I was born. My Grandmother died when my mother was only about 4 yrs old. Mother was raised mostly by the Bruce Family in Big Stone Gap, VA (my hometown) --but she did spend time with her father (who remarried) and his sisters, my Great Aunts.





This is a picture of my mother and her father. This picture of Mom (Edith Marguerite Ballard Banks) was taken in the Roaring 20's!!!! Look at her hair!!!! Her Daddy died when she was 36 yrs. old.



These are my Grandfather Ballard's four sisters. I remember ALL of them--and enjoyed visiting them when we would go to Bristol. From left to right: Aunt Nanny (who was married to Fred Pate; had no children); Aunt Eunice (never married); Aunt Aileen (married to Jeter Cross; no children); and Aunt Lura (never married).

I remember that Aunt Nanny and Uncle Fred lived on the 2nd floor of that big home in Bristol--and we were NEVER invited to go upstairs... Aunt Aileen lived away from the family home until her husband died. She then moved back to the family home with her sisters. Aunt Lura was my favorite of the group. I even had a dolly named after her (Lulu).

I have SO much more to say about the Ballard Family---but that will have to happen in many more posts to come!!!!! I hope that my children and grandchildren enjoy all of this Family History sometime.

Hope you ALL had a wonderful weekend.
Hugs,

49 comments:

  1. It is good to hear that you are feeling better Betsy. I love seeing this beautiful old home and the family pictures are such treasures.

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  2. Good morning Betsy - Glad that you are feeling better. I always enjoy your family history posts!

    Jane

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  3. I always love reading these genealogical works. I have made a few feeble attempts to look up some of the Brannen and Jones (Mom's family) family tree - but never have the patience! :)

    Thank God for the improvement in your health. You have to have those knees working so you can continue your explorations outdoors. Blessings to you and yours.

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  4. Glad you are doing better! Love these pics - love that house!!

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  5. HI Betsy, I love photos black and white, these of your family are wonderful

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  6. So happy you are feeling better!! What a wonderful way to spend a weekend and a blessing to meet a new cousin. Stay cool!

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  7. Looks like you had some fun with a lot of relatives this weekend Betsy! :) Good for you.

    Have a great Monday!
    xo Catherine

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  8. Glad to hear you are feeling more your old self again. Bill has fully recovered. You have some valuable information and photos of your family there. It is interesting reading about other people's families. The house looks a beauty.
    I must get into my family history again....one day.

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  9. Betsy, I love family history and need to update ours. Wonderful that you are finding unknown-before-geneology-via-technology, family like your distant cousin. That floors me.
    Your GGrandfathers home sure was a lovely Victorian. Don't you wonder the stories it could tell. Wouldn't that be something if it still stands and you get a chance to tour it? I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
    Glad the knee is finally on the mend. My back took nearly a year.
    BlessYourHeartAndWeek

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  10. I am so very glad you are finally feeling like the old Betsy!! It's been a long road for you and certainly never one that I foresaw. I would love to wlak through that house, especially inside that little turret! We have several like that around here, and I've been tempted to snap and post them. Now that you are feeling better, you should go!! Maybe the ownder will let you inside. I read once where smell is the most evocotave sense of all for bringing back memories! But I sure wouldn't like to listen to time flying away in every room! Wonderful pictures, I love the one of the aunts.

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  11. Betsy, so glad you are feeling well enough to do the things you enjoy! I had some issues after I feel down the stairs and broke my ankle the Sunday before Christmas and had to have surgery. It just takes a while to get over ALL of it!

    Anyway...I love, love this post. Especially the part about your memory of the aunts! I visited my dad's favorite aunt in Rutledge, GA, when I was young. I still remember the feeling of "museum" in that old home. Good memories, aren't they?!

    I'm eager to hear more of what you've uncovered!

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  12. So glad you are back to your old self. It has been a long struggle.
    I am so impressed you can go back to the 13th century. You have done a great job.

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  13. i love looking at really old photos, i like to look at hair styles and dresses and the way they looked way back when. these are great. and I like that old house. it might just still be standing. you are blessed to know all this about your family history

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  14. I'm sure your family will enjoy having this information. What a beautiful house, you really should try to find out if it is still there. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. Hey Betsy, I like how you have found some of your family that you haven't met before. How neat!

    Always enjoy seeing the black/white photos.

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  16. I'm happy you're feeling better!! That's really good news!

    I adore that beautiful big house and would love to see it too. I wonder what secrets or mysteries were upstairs???

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  17. I'm glad to hear that you are feeling more like yourself. Medication, while helping one thing, can really mess up your system.
    Genealogy is so much fun to research, you never know who may be hiding in the branches of the family tree!
    Have a great day.
    ☼ Sunny

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  18. Hey Betsy, didn't know you'd been down too! Glad we are both on the mend! Love that family history! XOXO

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  19. I'm glad you're feeling better, Betsy!

    Loved seeing the pictures, and my grandmother had four sisters, too! I do genealogy research as well, and I've found a lot of interesting information from various cousins online. It's a lot of fun. A lot of mine was already done, but I have found some fascinating connections which I have documented and some which I am in the throes of documenting. It took a back seat when I started blogging, so I think I might start it up again.

    Loved reading yours. I have some early colonial Virginia lines, too. Wish we could find a connection!

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  20. Hi Betsy, wish we lived closer. It would be fun to have someone to go to libraries, cemeteries, etc with.

    I forgot to look at my family names for a connection. Must tie a string around my finger or something to help me remember.
    Marnie

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  21. So happy that you are feeling better and working on this makes YOU so happy too.
    Love those old photos...funny how they hardly ever smiled back then. :)
    Have a great day.

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  22. I'm so glad you are feeling better Betsy. How wonderful to trace your family way back to the 13th century. I love the shot of your Great Aunts, they look so much like each other, no mistaking that they are sisters.

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  23. I sure do enjoy hearing your family history...so interesting.

    I am so glad you are feeling like yourself again...I was wondering about you last night.

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  24. Odd that the 4 sisters never had any children to carry on the gene. And two never married. But they had you to entertain and I bet they enjoyed it.
    I am glad you are recovering from the icky meds and are on the mend.
    You sound so much better. YAY!!
    PS: I think people didn't smile in photos back then because picture taking was such a solemn occasion.
    MB

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  25. 16th grandfather-yes that is toally AMAZING!! I love the picture of your Grandmothe Ballard-I love her dress and jewlery too.

    So glad you're feeling better!!!

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  26. Hi Betsy, Nice post today. I enjoy genealogy myself. I have Hubbard distant cousins from Rutland, Vermont and various places in Texas. Have a great week!

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  27. ONe thing that struck me was the solemn look in the formal picture.I have some of these old pictures as well and it is strange how the people always look so serious.I think I prefer today's style better.A smile makes the picture look so much better.
    BLessings,Ruth

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  28. SO good to read you are feeling like your self again!
    Love these old pics. Bad hair days-ha. Somethings never change. But from the looks of some of those styles I bet they spent a long time on their hair.

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  29. To be able to go back to your 16th Great Grandfather... Is truely amazing. So glad you are able to do more of what you want to....and looking forward to more on your family.....its to bad people didn't think two leave more records...for us isn't it. Tell me which one was lura top or botton...the top one and botton could pass for twins. Nice house I would like to know if its still standing. Trish

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  30. Betsy, you make these people come alive for us...enjoyed your post...and hoping you are staying cool inside these days!!!

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  31. Thanks Betsy ,you just reminded me I need to get back to tracing my roots and putting it all together on my other blog. I had only gotten 2 post done when all this happened with my son,so I definitely need to get back to it.
    Blessings to you,so glad you're all better,I told son I think he will also be better in another month,which will be 3 months for him also.
    Have a great day
    Marilyn

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  32. Sorry to hear about the knee and med issues Betsy, boo, but glad you're feeling better!

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  33. It was amazing what I found when I did a genealogy on my family. I found it a most interesting process. Glad one of your issues has improved. Hang in as all things will be better in time.

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  34. I'm glad that you are starting to feel like yourself! What a great family project you are doing - I just love history! Our family tree has been a little difficult but my aunt has been working on it. I'm interested to see more of your photos and what you find!
    Hugs,
    Shelley

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  35. There's a good chance that it might still be there because it's such a beautiful old Victorian. I love the pictures of the four ladies, what cuties! Do you use Ancestry? Diane

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  36. What treasures you have! Glad to hear that you are feeling more like yourself!

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  37. Betsy: What neat photos you have from the past.

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  38. I love old photos like these. Gives us a "link" to our past and makes us wonder what their lives were like.

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  39. I am always so envious of those that can trace their ancestors back so many generations, Betsy.I can only go as far as my immigrant grandparents. The Europeon records are all a mystery.

    You have a fascinating family! I love the vintage photos.

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  40. How interesting & amazing how much information you've been able to find! Great to find long lost family too!
    I am so glad that you are feeling better!! So glad! :-)
    Hugs,
    Coreen

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  41. I really enjoyed seeing all of your family photos Betsy. That house is gorgeous, I do hope the house is still standing when you get a chance to visit. Have you thought about checking on it via Google Earth?

    Glad to hear your knee has healed and you are feeling fine.

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  42. Interesting your family history with great memories and emotions.

    I'm glad your knee is better

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  43. So glad that you are feeling better!!!

    Your children and grandchildren will love you for writing down your memories and the family's history!

    Did you know that the shutter speed of the cameras back then was so slow, that folks would rather put on a serious expression, than try and hold a smile.(Exposures varying from 30 to 90 seconds was not uncommon!)

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  44. I have Hubbards in my family tree. My great grandma was a Hubbard. They hail from Texas.

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

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  45. I'm so glad you're feeling well again.
    How fun that you made another connection with someone through geneology. You've really learned a lot about your family. I'm impressed and inspired to do more work on mine.
    Great old photos of family members. It's wonderful to have so much family history preserved.

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  46. I love that old Ballards home.
    There is something empowering through family history work.
    Knowing where we come from, the strengths of our ancestors.

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  47. I love that house! What a terrific place. I bet it was beautiful inside.

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  48. NOTE to some cousin of mine named BOGGS --who sent me an email... Somehow I lost the email ---so please email me again... So sorry!!! I do want to talk to you --if I can catch up with you!
    Betsy

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