World War I Registration Draft Card for Slave descendant ~ John Wesley Ijames ~

The Draft Registration Card shown here belongs to John Wesley Ijames, born on the 7th day of April 1900, in Mocksville, North Carolina, and died on the 27th day of October 1976. John is the great-grandson to John Wesley Ijames, b. between 1810 - 1812, (d. unknown at this time) a Slave on the Beal Ijames Plantation. Beal Ijames is my 4th great grandfather.  

As I was doing research on the Ijames family surname I came across this document on Ancestry.com...I was very excited to find this document as it confirms the information I had received. What is so wonderful is to actually see John Wesley Ijames signature on the card along with his father's name, also a confirmation as to the information I have. 

The first wife of (name unknown at this time) John Wesley Ijames, predeceased him, he then married: Lossie HUTCHINSON CLINKSCALE b. 05 Jun 1903, Abberville, Co., South Carolina; d. 15 Jan 1963, Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., North Carolina (Source: North Carolina Death collection 1908-1996, Reg. Dist. 34-95; Reg's No. 98; File 1169). Lossie's burial: 21 Jan 1963, Evergreen Cemetery, Winston-Salem, Forsyth Co., N.C.

Elisha 'Lisk' Ijames b. Abt. 1861 in North Carolina and [2nd marriage] Maude Nichols b. Abt. 1880 in North Carolina, the parents of John Wesley Ijames. His grandfather would be: Windfield Brooks 'Slave' Ijames, b. Abt. 1831 in Yadkin Co., North Carolina, and died Bef. 1880 in North Carolina. He married Annie 'Ijames', b. Feb 1833 in Yadkin Co., North Carolina.

Part two of the 2nd generation to be posted, which includes the Ancestors and descendants of John Wesley Ijames. Part one of the 2nd generation.

Sources: Ancestry.com World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line] Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc., 2005.

Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm

Registration Location: Davie County, North Carolina; Roll 1765636; Draft Board:

Happy Birthday To My Beautiful Mom ~

Mom loves sewing, needlepoint, cooking, and as far back as I can remember, her career was in women's fashions, which I posted about on the Give Their Face A Place ~ The 21st Edition of Smile For the Camera...she's a wonderfully creative, warm, loving, and giving mother, whom I have always been so very proud of!

Mom is driving down to our home tomorrow and we get to spend a few days together...I get to treat her like a queen!

Happy Birthday Mom ~ We love you!



My brother, John and his wife, Myunghee, flew in on Friday evening from Milwaukee. We have been having a wonderful time making memories...family history in the making. There will be a lapse in my posting until at least the 27th of March.  John and Myunghee are expecting their first child...a boy. This will be the first for me in becoming an aunt and I am so very excited! Another Eimes to add to the family tree.

John is a Molecular Genetics Biologist...he does DNA testing for a living and he also teaches Biology...we stayed up until 2 a.m. talking genealogy, DNA and our family history. Needless to say, I am learning alot. We also watched the last episode of Faces of America together and John enlightened me on several questions I had.  John and I only met in 1992, we have the same father, different mother's. Sadly, we did not grow up together but we are very close, as if we did grow up together.

It will be a great time for mom to visit...she can tell us both a little about our dad and enjoy each other, creating some great memories together this week.

                                                                                               

Happy St. Patrick's Day Greetings ~

~ Happy St. Patrick's Day to the genea-blogging community ~

Vintage Clipart

        
                                                                     

Restore My Name ~ CoAAG ~

In my family history, I have the names of the slaves that were on my 4th great grandfather, Beal Ijames plantation.

I have the list of five generation slaves of the descendants of: John Wesley Ijames, a slave on the Beal Ijames plantation. Being that there is quite a bit of information, I thought it would be best if I did an individual post on each generation. In the following posts, so far, I have transcribed the list of the slave names in my family history. Several generations are so large that I will have to break those up into several more posts.

Friend of Friends ~ Honoring the Slaves of the Beal Ijames Plantation ~ 1st Generation

Friend of Friends ~ Honoring the Slaves of the Beal Ijames Plantation ~ Part 1 of the 2nd Generation

The information I have will be transcribed and posted exactly as I had received it. I look forward to posting the remaining information I have.  I feel it is extremely important to get what information on the slaves in my family history out there in hopes to helping another.

I want it to be known that I was not the researcher of this information. My dear friend Roberta and her husband Guy who I am a very distant cousin to, has spent the last 40 years researching the Ijames family history. Any and all credit goes to this wonderful lady who spent hours, days, years compiling our family's history. Roberta has given me a gift of a lifetime, one I have no idea or way of thanking her properly for. Without Roberta's help and support, I would not have the information I am about to give to you or the information on my direct Ijames/Eimes line. Thank you Roberta, you are amazing.

My 4th great grandfather Beal Ijames 08 February 1767 ~ 06 July 1855, was a slave master and owner of the Beal Ijames Plantation, located in Mocksville, North Carolina.

It is said that Beal Ijames did not believe in selling his slaves and making sure that those slaves at the Ijames Plantation had a good life. I am so glad for that. Reading this, I was relieved and felt that my Beal Ijames was a decent man.

This post was prepared for the very 1st edition of a Carnival of African-American Genealogy hosted by, Luckie Daniels, at OurGeorgiaRoots.com

Give Their Face A Place ~ 21st Edition of Smile for the Camera

My decision to honor my mother, Elfriede Haf and my maternal grandmother, Lieselotte “Oma” Haf, the women in my history, was not difficult at all. Both of these women have made such difference in my life as well as in so many others lives. This is a great opportunity for me to share their history and for them to see what a positive influence they continue to have in our family.

My Oma has lived thru some very difficult times in her lifetime. She never knew her father and sadly that missing piece from our family line is a link none of us will probably ever know about. When she was very small (unknown dates) her mother, my great grandmother Margarete Kaiser met and married, Peter “Opa” Saule. Opa adopted my Oma, changing her name to Lieselotte Saule, she would later marry Adalbert Haf. My Oma is 96 years old and still lives in Germany.

1933 in Augsburg, Germany my Oma gave birth to my beautiful mom, Elfriede Haf. In 1940 Oma gave birth to my twin uncles, Adalbert and Helmut, they have both since passed, strangely enough from the same illness, 10 years apart. This was very difficult for my Oma to endure.

In1944, during WWII, the bombing increased in Augsburg to it’s heaviest period. All school children were evacuated, separating my mom and other children from their families for a year. The children were transported to farms and villages for their protection. Mom remembers how much she missed her family, wondering when she would see them again or if they even survived the bombings. Oma and the boys were taken to air-raid shelters where they remained safe. Many homes were destroyed during the bombings, however, my Oma's home survived with minimal damage. Mom remembers the day her father came to take her home; transportation was no longer in effect due to the advancing invasion; they walked from the village to Augsburg taking a day and a night, a time she will never forget!

Oma has always been so close to my heart, she is the one that started me on hot peppermint tea when my tummy was upset...she’s also the one that let me have sips of ‘Blackberry Schnapps’ and German eggnog! She always made sure that she would send me German goodies every Christmas, once mom and I came to the United States. Oma made a major difference in my life and gave me strong German roots.

Once here in the United States, there was no holding mom back! In 1958, mom started working for Montgomery Wards in Monterey, California. This was the start of a lifelong career in Women's Fashions and she was darn good at it too! Mom was also an excellent seamstress and made all of my clothes for many years.

In 1960, mom was transferred to the San Jose Montgomery Wards Department Store, where she climbed the ladder of success quickly. She was the first woman ‘Merchandise Manager’, and then she was recruited to set up the Western Region on the ‘Computerized Merchandise Replenishment System’. Mom was then promoted to the first woman’ District Merchandise Manager’ and then on to the first woman ‘Regional Manager', directing 41 stores. At one point mom was the ‘Merchandising Director’ for the Central and Northwestern region, which is Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while simultaneously raising me. I don’t know how she did it, but she was always there for me, the best mom in the world. In 1990 she was transferred to the Southern Region, entailing the Southern California and Nevada area, until 1994.

I remember her having to travel quite a bit between New York, Chicago and various parts of the United States, I was grown and on my own at that point.

Mom always lovingly referred to Montgomery Wards as "monkey wards"!

Mom retired in 1994

~ Here's to giving your Faces a Place, Mom and Oma, the women in my family history ~

 

The word prompt for the 21st Edition of Smile For the Camera is "Give Their Face A Place." March is Women's History Month and you are asked to picture women back into history. The unknown, known and unsung women who are often the foundation of our family history. Give Their Face a Place. The interpretation is yours.

This was written for the 21st edition of Smile for the Camera: Give Their Face A Place, to be hosted by footnoteMaven and celebrate woman back into history.


                                                                     

Wordless Wednesday ~ San Diego in the Sand

Photo Taken by Bob Ewing

March ~ 2010

  
                                                                      

Wordless Wednesday ~ A Wedding With a Rainbow ~

View of San Diego skyline from Admiral Kidd Naval Base
Photo taken by Antoinette Perry
Sat. 27 Feb 2010

This rainbow came about right in the middle of our friends, Sarah and Keith's wedding ceremony we attended on Saturday, it was beautiful. Congratulations Sarah and Keith!