Jacqueline’s Jaunts

In the 1990’s my Uncle Jimmie Griffin was ready to pass on the family genealogy research he was working on. I inherited the binder he had, and it was full of family group sheets. This was during the time when the internet had just begun. I started collecting documents; birth, death, funeral, funeral programs, graduation information and any other documents I could get from family members. I kept anything that marked a family event. I put these items in that binder or file folders I created, then forgot about them.  At some point I purchased the genealogy software Family Tree Maker. I started inputting the vital records information I had gathered and scanning items into Family Tree Maker. I still kept the paper versions if I had one. As of writing this post I still have A TON of documents I need to scan and update to Family Tree Maker. It’s a never-ending project.  Since I retired in August 2019, I have been working on my genealogy research and writing skills b...

There are times I miss my grandparents terribly. They were so much fun. Neither of them had favorites and I always loved visiting them as a child and even as an adult.  As a kid I remember my cousins, siblings and I were always with our Grandparents. We were very close to our Grandparents and have many, many, fond memories we talk about even today. I remember even as a child calling my grandparents to talk to them. My cousins and I knew their phone number by heart. My mom would say, “If you don’t want momma or daddy to know, don’t say anything around Jacqueline.” Mom claimed I would tell Grandma and Grandpa everything even when I became and adult. The earliest memories I have of my grandparents is when they lived at 1606 White Oaks in San Jose, California. They lived here when my cousins and I were all in grade school. The backyard was dirt and there was a huge oak tree on the left-hand side. Grandma and Grandpa let us dig in the dirt and we would always make these cities with road...

My 3 rd Great Grandmother The following information is from her civil war pension application under Moses M. CRADDUCK Private, Company D 1 st Arkansas Cavalry Volunteers. She  filed for Moses' pension after he died.  He enlisted Nov. 19, 1862. He was honorably discharged August 23, 1865 and died December 17, 1886. She filed on July 24, 1890 and was living in Lancaster, Crawford County, Arkansas (AR). This helps clarify residency since the 1890 census records are not available due to a fire.   On November 16, 1917 she made the following statement in regards to Mary Ann Elizabeth (McCaslin) CRADDUCK (first wife) filing for Moses M. CRADDUCK civil war pension. Statement was taken near Frisco, Pontotoc Co., OK. Below is her statement from the pension file record from Mary Ann Elizabeth (McCaslin) CRADDUCK’s filing.    “We lived a few years at Rudy Station, Crawford Co. [County], Ark [Arkansas]. Then one winter in Springfield, Greene Co.[County] Mo. Then a few mo...