I found the following article tonight in Missing Links: AFRICAN AMERICAN GENEALOGY IS WORK AND FUN by Vircher Floyd [email protected] Descendants and heirs of Aaron and Fannie FLOYD have just begun to look into the past of that family and are finding that black genealogy is not easy. It is challenging, though, so should be begun as early as any black family has the urge to trot down that trail. A great-aunt told the family back in 1952 that: . . . a slave owner by the name of Mr. GRIFFITH, who with a family, wife and children, had in their employ a Cherokee Indian female, with the name of Clarissa, by whom he (Mr. --?—- GRIFFITH, or GRIFIETH, or GRIFFIN) fathered a girl child, who was given the name of Fannie GRIFFITH. I never learned just what became of Clarissa (the mother) but the child Fannie remained and was reared in the same household with his wife and children. As a young woman, Fannie met and later married a black by the name of Wallace COWAN. But after a period of time, Fannie's father, Mr. GRIFFITH, decided that Wallace COWAN was no longer suitable for his daughter and subsequently sold him off. As a result of this ill- fated union, a daughter named Alice was born, and Fannie later married Aaron FLOYD taking Alice to that marriage. Fannie and Aaron, together, had two children, John and Nanny FLOYD. Of the three children, Alice was the first to marry. She married a man named Mr. GIBBS and had 15 children, ten of whom I can remember: Sophia, Fannie, Clara, Ann, Rob, John, Will, Ben, Asilee, and Hugh. Nanny later married Rob RICE and to that union six children were born. They were George, Alma, Lillie, Eva, Elbert and Joseph. Joseph was the first World War soldier from Lancaster, Kentucky to die in the service of his country. The American Legion Post of Lancaster, Kentucky was named in his honor "The Joseph RICE Post." Nanny and Alice's brother, John, married Martha BURDETT. Martha was the step-daughter of Josh BURDETT, who much later had married John's mother Fannie. John and Martha had seven children. They were named James, Addie, Commodore, Vircher, and Walker. Two other children, Birdie and Tommy, died in childhood. Now, after Aunt Sophie and virtually all of the relations of her generation have died, FLOYDs who have "skipped a generation" are seeking to learn more about great-grandparents and everyone in between. We are learning that the Indian female was probably not a Cherokee but a Wyandot from Virginia. We have no way of ascertaining for sure the facts in this case, but continue to look. We are pretty sure that Wallace COWAN at first worked on the same farm as Aaron and Fannie FLOYD. We understand that when he was sold or left that GRIFFIETH, GRIFFITH, GRIFFIN, or Christopher FLOYD farm, he bought his freedom or was freed by an Elizabeth COWAN (Mercer or Boyle County, Kentucky), who obtained him from his former owner, whoever that was. He joined the 124th Colored Infantry, USCT. He was twice married "legitimately," first to Ann HARDIN and then to Rachel MUCHS, and last lived in Springfield, Ohio. Why is he so important? Because if we can verify that he was on the first farm with Aaron and Fannie FLOYD, it will help to find the name of the farmer and slave owner and then the county where the farm was located. It will also help to trace Clarissa [--?--] and learn much more about the circumstances under which they all lived. It will help to learn about the contributions they made to the development and growth of the county and country where they lived at that time. We believe that it will help us to understand some of the tastes we have for this or that food, tend to clarify our preferences for certain kinds of work, and even show from where our hairlines have come, and the shape of our noses. It will be fun when we have pulled together this information to pass on to our children. It will make them proud of all that was done on their behalf and give them the reasons for giving to their children shoulders on which to stand -- and step off on their journeys. POST SCRIPT: Since I wrote this, I have received from the National Archives and Records Administration a note indicating that a Wall COWAN's former owner was named Isham VAN NOSTALL or VAN SARSDALE. This is the first information we have about any former owners. We have to verify the county, if we can, and look for deeds. We will, of course, look for census information too. It is somewhat like "detective work." My hope is that someone may see this and clarify, confront, and otherwise add to our picture of the past of Aaron and Fannie FLOYD. My prayer is to finish this work by August 2003 when we have our family reunion. I would like to present a paper of what we have then and persuade other family members to jump aboard and write up our findings together. If anyone has suggestions or additional information, we would be grateful. Be careful, though, because the trail can grow cold very quickly where names may change and/or be nonexistent, where often the dates and ages are mere guesses. Sometimes ages were disguised to avoid paying taxes on "property" and income. PERMISSION TO REPRINT articles from MISSING LINKS is granted unless stated otherwise, provided: (1) the reprint is not used for commercial purposes; and (2) the following notice appears at the end of the article: Previously published in MISSING LINKS, Vol. 7, No. 29, 21 July 2002 http://www.petuniapress.com --- By the way, subscribe to MISSING LINKS at http://www.petuniapress.com Valorie