Got any roots in Union County, NC?

If so, you may want to check out this new online treasure trove of genealogical information:

http://history.union.lib.nc.us

Yours truly has been having a field day at the site as one of his great-gradmothers was born in Union County back in 1900 . . .

1910 Census

OK, getting off the political soapbox I've been on lately . . .

Today, yours truly is contemplating the census, instead.

I saw on TV today, that we should be receiving our 2010 census forms in the mail in March.

It got me wondering how this year's stats will stack up to the data collected a hundred years ago.

I pulled out the file of 1910 Census data I've collected on my forebears.

I found my Morgan ancestors were living over in Crystal River, while my Cox family was already living here in Orlando. Within a couple of years they would become next door neighbors in the latter place.

My Macy great-grandfather was still living with his folks in Pine Castle, a little town south of Orlando. His wife was still living on her father's farm up in Chambers County, Alabama.

My mother's people were still clustered in the crowded neighborhoods of Jersey City, New Jersey; though her Jackson forebears were working in the not-too-distant beach resort town of Long Branch. Every one of the households included at least one person who was born in a foreign country (Ireland).

The average household included six people. Nearly half were engaged in some form of agriculture. And, one was still working as a blacksmith, a line of work that has definitely tapered-off over the last century.

As peculiar as these enumerations may seem to those of us living in 2010, I wonder how much more peculiar they will seem to some as-yet-unborn descendants in 2110. Probably only slightly moreso than the data we'll be submitting on our own households this year . . .

Ok, this is getting way out of hand

Lately, it seems like every time I turn around I find some relative's name in the obituaries.

Today's sad news concerns Mrs. Gail Cox (12 Sept 1917 - 14 Sept 2009) of Mount Dora. Gail was the widow of Herman Cox, one of the sons of my great-uncle Jim Cox. A native of Clermont, she was a lifelong resident of Lake County. She lived in Astatula before moving to Mount Dora in 1942. There she was a member of the First Baptist Church, serving as its secretary for twenty years.

Condolences go out to her 4 children, 13 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren.

Hopefully, this will be the last such post I'll have to toss in the dryer for a long while . . .

A sad week indeed

It began with the news that Tom McQuoid lost his battle with cancer. Then there was the anniversary of 9/11.

Today, I am sad to report to ye socks that our extended family also incurred a triple loss this week.

The first two were not entirely unexpected, but the third was a shock:

1. Bernice Bradley Cox passed away at the age of 96, actually just a few days short of her 97th birthday. Her late husband Gerald was the son of my great-uncle Henry Cox (one of the 14 older siblings of my great-grandmother Sarah Cox Morgan).

2. Eva Hand Cox passed away at the age of 86 up in Tavares with her 4 daughters by her side. I always enjoyed visiting with her at our reunions in Montverde, and was inspired by her strength of spirit. She raised those girls on her own after her husband Carl's untimely death back in 1951, and will be buried by his side on Monday in the little cemetery adjoining our reunion hall. Carl was the son of my great-uncle Jim Cox (another one of those 14 older siblings I mentioned above).

And, finally

3. Stephen Robert Lee was taken at the relatively young age of 47 at a hospice in Altamonte. He was the son of one of the sweetest ladies I have ever known, Lois Newell Lee, who survives him. (Lois' mother Agnes Morgan Newell was the eldest of my great-grandfather's sisters.) Stephen is also survived by his wife Dawn; son Sam; sisters Patricia and Joanna; three nephews; and a niece.

My heartfelt condolences go out to all the members of my extended family who are feeling these losses most closely.

Visiting in Tallahassee

I'm enjoying a quiet day up in Tallahassee today, visiting with Gaga Lois and her daughters Joanna and Patricia.

One of the things we're doing to occupy our time is going thru some old family photos.

I thought ye socks might enjoy this one in particular.

It was taken in front of the old family home at #1 East Princeton Street in Orlando, in early 1926.

Left to right are my great-aunt Agnes Morgan Newell, her newborn daughter Lois (Gaga) who was born 1/25, my great-grandmother Sarah Cox Morgan, and her newborn son Billy who was born 1/18. (The cousins were born just one week apart!)

Somewhere near Laredo, 1916

Our intrepid documentarian Cliff Curley is still working on gathering local history for his project with our PBS station (WMFE-24).

One of the things I gave him was this photo of the Orlando National Guard from 1916, when they were dispatched to the Texas-Mexico border to guard against Pancho Villa's raids.

Somewhere in that surly group are my great-uncles Frank and Cy Cox.

Can you spot them?!