Family Story Matters

The only photo I have of my great-father: John Elias Bryan Sometimes genealogy research answers questions I never thought to ask. I started my research this weekend with the goal of learning more about my great-grandfather: Jack Bryan.  I knew he was a barber in his home state of Mississippi -- he registered for the WWI draft in Memphis, TN -- he moved to San Antonio, Texas circa 1921. However, he seemed to disappear after the 1922 San Antonio city directory was published. I have yet to find any record of his death or burial. He is not listed as living in the San Antonio area after that date. I suppose he could have returned to Mississippi (or Memphis) but I have yet to research that possibility. BUT... you can imagine my surprise when I discovered his wife, my great-grandmother, listed her marital status as "divorced" in the 1930 census! This little fact was NEVER discussed in the family.  After a bit more sleuthing, I reasoned Jack must have died sometime between 1941 and 1...

  The "M" name tradition goes back to the mid-1800s.  It wasn't necessarily planned. The mothers just happened to like girls' names that began with the letter M. Or at least that was true until 1993. At that point, the tradition had a life of its own. Genealogy research shows the first "M" name started with my great-great-grandmother, Mary "Mollie" Cole , who was born in 1848. She gave birth to Mary Faye Crane in 1879. And Mary Faye gave birth to my grandmother, Maida Lee Dowdy , in 1907. Maida Lee had three daughters: Billie Maxine in 1929, Maida Joan in 1946, and Marian in 1952. Maxine gave birth to Molly in 1959, and Marian gave birth to Meredith in 1982. (Maida Joan named her daughter Kari to coordinate with her son, Kevin). I named my firstborn Megan (1986) because I fell in love with the name in high school. When I was expecting my third child in 1993, however, I thought Emily would be a good name. It sounded like "M", right?...