Genealogy

[Gale Hawkins]

Genealogy was never of much interest to me until recently I started to find the history of the father of a 69 year old man who never had speech and can not read or write. After finding his live birth record at the health department I was able to learn his father was born in Franklin Co KY in 1867 and died in 1947 when this guy was three. Talked to a grandson of his dad this past Saturday in Stamping Ground who claims he has a photo of the father of the guy that I have been his legal guardian since his mom died 21 years ago. We plan to drive up to see his dad grave and any family members that we can see this coming weekend. Being non verbal he is totally visual and should enjoy getting a picture of his dad he never knew and seeing his grave. It is a sad case of a bright young man who fell through the cracks as often happened to kids of that era but he still smiles more than most.

It seems the Riddle family has a long history dating back to France 1200 years ago per some sources. I though this map and photos might be of interest to some families in the USA today.

American ethnicity map shows melting pot of ethnicities that make up the USA today | Mail Online

 

[creekbend]

I respect You for what You are doing.

 

[houstonscott]

Yeah, getting ready for german history month.


HS

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks creekbend. I let my mouth get me into this guardianship but I have to say it has been and still is a great blessing.

The guy and his family lived around here for the most part since his birth about three miles from my home and often on the place of a guy who brought them to church. It was not until after the Navy, college and graduate school and moving back did I realize this guy was not retarded as most assumed because of the environment he was living in. All anyone knew his dad was that Old Man Riddle who was a good carpenter but only two are alive who ever saw him.

After observing him at church and seeing how bright he had to be to do the things could do that the rest of the family could not do I got to wondering why he was deaf. The ENT group that reconstructed both his ear drums so he could be fitted with hearing aids expected as a child due to the pain of fluid build up he relieved the pressure with foreign objects. There is a story by a long since deceased lady that she witnessed him as a child with discharge running out of both ears. Yes I do not understand how people could see that and do nothing but there was a time when the very poor did not get the attention of those in position to help them I guess.

Anyway about 20 years later with aids he can hear fairly well but it was too late to gain speech. He does understand English if he knows about the subject but is effective with self taught signs. Thankfully I was finally able to get him into a very nice retirement home but it did take legal steps to get him accepted because he was initially rejected by the then administrator due to lack of speech and hearing. This was about 18 years ago but still not all is well for the handicapped without a voice.

His mom loved him very much but was very limited due to no education and being trapped in an abusive environment. After all the ear surgeries were behind us one day when I took him home after a dental visit his mom stated she was concerned about him. I assured her he was fine because we just had been to get a tooth pulled.

She said no she was concerned about what would happen to her son when she died. I passed it off by telling her she would live a long time but if something did happen I would see that he was cared for or would do it myself and forgot about it. She was dead in six months. While she was 74 I now know she had a very retarded daughter married to guy and they would come and take their food. She had become sick and weak to the points rats chewed on her when she was bed fast. He son came up with an old hammer and some used nails and was nailing old boards over the rat holes when I got there after learning about her death. He stayed with us until the guardianship hearing.

With the event of her death I had to step up to the plate or have lied to a dying woman about the care of her son without a voice for his future. Some were supportive of my efforts and others told me I was crazy but my wife was supported and so was the court system. Where he lives today they all love him because he is so nice and kind and helpful. Actually he works there and makes some spending money but having a job means more to him than the money I am sure. Even after all the years of living conditions beyond what words can describe well he has pride and really takes care of his few processions.

He is saving for a tombstone for his step dad, mom and his grave site that are currently marked with 8x12" markers. Well the stone his is selected is very nice so it got me to thinking about how I could use the back side so after his death he will be remembered as a real person which in not the mind set of some today.

That started the genealogy process. On the back will be his mom's complete name and dates, Daughter of then her parents full names, dates and then Mother of and the full names of her three children. Then I will do the same for her son. My wife and kids have this info that I have pulled together of the last couple weeks in case something happens to me before I get a final draft of it to the monument company this week. The retirement home is working to get a timeless photo that will be processed and mounted in an insert in the black head stone that will have a colored etching of a church in the vale scene.

I have to say doing for others that can not tangibly return the favor is very rewarding. So many people need help but can not be helped or even appreciate it so when one can make a difference in a life it is a good feeling.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

houstonscott I caught you are from Oglesby TX. That is the guy's mom's maiden name I learned doing the genealogy on his family history. From what I read there are many Riddles that when to TX from these parts too.

 

[forgeblast]

ancestry.com once you register lets you put your info into an easy to use program. You can scan pictures etc. they also have "free" weekends when they release different records and you can tie them into your program. I just found my great-grand father and mothers immigration papers and naturalization papers.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Yesterday we drove 572 miles to visit the graves of Ted's dad and brother yesterday. findagrave.com was helpful in locating the dad's grave.

I just typed in the full name and selected the state to search and got two hits but one was about 50 years to young.

George William Riddle (1871 - 1947) - Find A Grave Memorial

 

[dave1949]

That's a very kind action on your part Gale.

What is odd about genealogy, is we probably have better lineage records for race horses, dairy cows, and stud dogs than we do for humans.

Genealogy is interesting, but finding ancestors and their histories to give them context and meaning is difficult unless they were notable for some reason.

Imagine what could be known by future generations given a comprehensive database of DNA correlated to a bit of info about the person's life and times. Some would find that their supposed ancestral mothers weren't their biological mothers, and likely more would find the same in their family tree of fathers.

Here is an article about human DNA that I find interesting. Of course there is much to learned yet.
The when and where of the Y: Research on Y chromosomes uncovers new clues about human ancestry

"By studying the DNA sequence of Y chromosomes of men from many different populations, scientists have determined that their male most recent common ancestor (MRCA) lived sometime between 120,000 and 156,000 years ago."
[ ... ]
"And, it agrees reasonably well with previous findings about our female most recent common ancestor, made by studying DNA carried down through the human race's female line. Such studies used DNA from mitochrondria -- structures inside cells -- and placed that time of the most recent common ancestor between 99,000 and 148,000 years ago."

 

[kenmac]

Thanks creekbend. I let my mouth get me into this guardianship but I have to say it has been and still is a great blessing.

The guy and his family lived around here for the most part since his birth about three miles from my home and often on the place of a guy who brought them to church. It was not until after the Navy, college and graduate school and moving back did I realize this guy was not retarded as most assumed because of the environment he was living in. All anyone knew his dad was that Old Man Riddle who was a good carpenter but only two are alive who ever saw him.

After observing him at church and seeing how bright he had to be to do the things could do that the rest of the family could not do I got to wondering why he was deaf. The ENT group that reconstructed both his ear drums so he could be fitted with hearing aids expected as a child due to the pain of fluid build up he relieved the pressure with foreign objects. There is a story by a long since deceased lady that she witnessed him as a child with discharge running out of both ears. Yes I do not understand how people could see that and do nothing but there was a time when the very poor did not get the attention of those in position to help them I guess.

Anyway about 20 years later with aids he can hear fairly well but it was too late to gain speech. He does understand English if he knows about the subject but is effective with self taught signs. Thankfully I was finally able to get him into a very nice retirement home but it did take legal steps to get him accepted because he was initially rejected by the then administrator due to lack of speech and hearing. This was about 18 years ago but still not all is well for the handicapped without a voice.

His mom loved him very much but was very limited due to no education and being trapped in an abusive environment. After all the ear surgeries were behind us one day when I took him home after a dental visit his mom stated she was concerned about him. I assured her he was fine because we just had been to get a tooth pulled.

She said no she was concerned about what would happen to her son when she died. I passed it off by telling her she would live a long time but if something did happen I would see that he was cared for or would do it myself and forgot about it. She was dead in six months. While she was 74 I now know she had a very retarded daughter married to guy and they would come and take their food. She had become sick and weak to the points rats chewed on her when she was bed fast. He son came up with an old hammer and some used nails and was nailing old boards over the rat holes when I got there after learning about her death. He stayed with us until the guardianship hearing.

With the event of her death I had to step up to the plate or have lied to a dying woman about the care of her son without a voice for his future. Some were supportive of my efforts and others told me I was crazy but my wife was supported and so was the court system. Where he lives today they all love him because he is so nice and kind and helpful. Actually he works there and makes some spending money but having a job means more to him than the money I am sure. Even after all the years of living conditions beyond what words can describe well he has pride and really takes care of his few processions.

He is saving for a tombstone for his step dad, mom and his grave site that are currently marked with 8x12" markers. Well the stone his is selected is very nice so it got me to thinking about how I could use the back side so after his death he will be remembered as a real person which in not the mind set of some today.

That started the genealogy process. On the back will be his mom's complete name and dates, Daughter of then her parents full names, dates and then Mother of and the full names of her three children. Then I will do the same for her son. My wife and kids have this info that I have pulled together of the last couple weeks in case something happens to me before I get a final draft of it to the monument company this week. The retirement home is working to get a timeless photo that will be processed and mounted in an insert in the black head stone that will have a colored etching of a church in the vale scene.

I have to say doing for others that can not tangibly return the favor is very rewarding. So many people need help but can not be helped or even appreciate it so when one can make a difference in a life it is a good feeling.

Amazing !

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Last week I did find out that his younger half sister was alive after being told she was dead two weeks ago so the kids and I took Ted to see his sister and her son who are 63 and 40 that live about 25 miles away. That went well. So on Friday he got to see the first living relative on his dad's side and his grave and the grave of his only brother and by the same father. Genealogy efforts that can make important live family connections I think is so neat and more than just a history lesson. At 69 his window to connect is closing fast.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Some shots of our genealogy trip to eastern end of state.

1. Ted standing on dad's grave who died in 1947 when he was 3. I was found out who his dad was a couple weeks ago and was buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Scott Co. KY near Frankfort. We got to visit with the one living nephew.

2. The stone Ted is getting for his, mom and step dad cemetery plot that stated me on my first genealogy quest. The back side will have his mom's parents and names of her children on the right side and Ted's parents will be listed on the left side.

3. Ted standing on his brother's grave who had not been seen about 40 years. He is in an unmarked grave in The Lexington Cemetery in Lexington KY since 1989. There is no doubt he would never had a marker (will get one when funds are saved by Ted) or his where about known to others.

4. Same as three but at a different angle.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Ted Riddle (1943 - ) - Find A Grave Photos

Right after his 70th birthday and right before Christmas they got the stone set.

http://image2.findagrave.com/photos/2014/2/95797705_138876696986.jpg

You can double click a couple times and blow up the genealogy that I researched and had put on the back.

The guy that set the marker and his equipment showed up in the mirror like surface for the black stone as did the landscape by you can compare it to the photograph of the display in the post above.

Ted was so excited to finally have a nice stone. Our 16 year old daughter took the photo that you see inserted into the marker.

The funny part is I an not stop doing genealogy for others now.

 

[ericb2400]

very nice. :thumbsup:

 

[Dr_Zinj]

Man, I hate sounding like an advertisement, but Ancestry.com is a great product. I got started with Family Tree Maker back around 1995 and they eventually merged. Started with talking to living relatives and reading old letters and photos, and writing stuff down. Then doing the Ancestry.com. Finally doing visits to places, graveyards, and town record offices as well as writing to the same for information. You do run into a lot of misinformation, poor writing, poor record keeping, things you really don't want to hear but happened none-the-less, things that nobody else in you family will believe. I make it a point to ensure I record sources and evaluate their reliability. Even with the Ancestry product, if I can't match parents, siblings, children, dates and locations, doesn't matter if the person had the same name, they don't get added to the known tree.

Of course you eventually come to a dead end no matter what you do, and sometimes the only way to go any further is to do the DNA thing, which gives probability of relationships, not hard and fast in writing.

 

[Soggy Bottom Outdoors]

I know of some Riddles in Meade Co Ky(Brandenburg) just west of Louisville. I went to school with some.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I know of some Riddles in Meade Co Ky(Brandenburg) just west of Louisville. I went to school with some.

I have talked to some but they were just east of Frankfort. You may have noticed on the stone Ted's dad is buried in Scott Co in Cedar Grove Cem near Stamping Ground KY. We actually talked with his only living nephew when we visited his dad's grave site.

On the Ancestor.com remark I find myself sticking with the site and adding to old and starting new research projects. Dad had a friend who died in 1946 and all I knew was it bother him because the guy started 'acting strange' after the war. Last weekend I did some work on that family and found the hand filled Death Cert by the local doctor at the time. The cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage due to brain abscess. That had to be a tough way to go with no CAT scans, etc. Also family secrets can come to light. My wife swore I had her great grandmother's first and second name wrong so I took her to the records so she could see the evidence I found. Family verbal and recorded history can be very different sometimes.