On the Trail of the Great-Grandmothers

There must be a gene that compels certain people to want to be on the move. And I'm pretty sure I inherited it. Throughout my fifty-plus years on this planet, I have always wanted to see as much of it as possible. Circumstances prevented much travel when I was growing up, but we did get to St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, Dallas, and we lived in Kansas for a time (yeah, I know...).

But that has never been enough. When I got the chance after college, I moved to New York. Then trips out west and back east, mostly to see my mom at her various nursing assignments. (Did I mention this urge might be inherited?)  And after I started teaching, I discovered that if you could get enough kids to sign up and pay for a trip, you could go to Europe for FREE! Hot dog! I was all over that. Three times.

That brief rambling leads to my point: my great-grandmothers, who never seemed to stay in one place for too long. And for a family researcher, that means I chase leads and head to unexpected locales to track down documents. Not that I mind that, really. It means I get to see new places, and explore some totally new libraries or courthouses.

So this week, I am off on a week-long excursion to Georgia and Alabama, and I'm taking my aunt Reta with me. I have come to a wall in the online material on these two little old ladies, and have made two trips to Oklahoma looking for documents, so now we're headed to where they were born and lived for many years. Having aunt Reta's eyes on some of these old newspapers and things will help me immensely. Besides she's nearly as curious as I am.

We are looking for any information on my great-grandmother, Ella Elizabeth Gregory Gillihan, who was born on January 29, 1875 in Dawsonville, Georgia, and her mother, Kissiah Rhoden Manning Gregory, born in 1845 in Lumpkin County, Georgia. I have made some connections with people online who have provided some information, but I need the proof, so we're headed there to see what we can find.

I mentioned before that these ladies never stayed very long in any place. Both were widowed when they had young children at home. Once on their own, these ladies moved around the country, living for months at a time with each of their children. That's genius, really. Who's gonna say no?

My next post will probably be next week, after I get a chance to process what I (might) find on this trip. If nothing else, I should have some pretty swell photos to post for you.