Following is a list of announcements made on the home page by date.   These are the ones that are no longer shown there to save space on the home page.

15 February 2008 - I'm very pleased to make the belated announcement of the birth of our cousin Shelby Blair Jones on September 14, 2007 at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville Florida.  The proud parents are Katie and Ian Jones of Jacksonville Beach, Florida.  Proud grandmother is Kay England of Jacksonville and very proud great-grandfather is Rufus Ward of Lake City, Florida.  We're delighted at the parents' good fortune.  Since she is five months old now, I decided to use a recent photo for the announcement, rather than the birth photo.  I also added photos of her and her mother to Noah's page

5 February 2008 - I'm delighted to make a belated announcement.  Shannon Opperman and Tom Bourbon were married in Veazie, Maine, on July 28, 2007. The bride is the daughter of Donna and Vernon Darling of Newburgh, Maine, and Paul Opperman of Ludowici, Georgia.  The groom is the son of Frank and Anna Sprague of Veazie, Maine, and Tom and Kathy Bourbon of The Villages, Florida.  Shannon is a 2000 graduate of Bangor High School and is employed in the accounting department at Hartt Transportation. Tom is a 1991 graduate of Brewer High School and is self-employed. The couple resides in Bangor.  Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Shirley-Donna-Shannon.

2 February 2008 -  Mariam Fulton just informed me of the death of Katharine Blair GiordanoI am very sorry to hear.  Born Katherine Blair in Newberry, SC, August 15, 1915, she grew up in Columbia, SC.  She was a daughter of Efale Buzhardt Blair and William Preston Blair.  She was predeceased by her sister, Nancy C. Blair of Columbia and her husband, Joseph John Giordano of New York City and Columbia.  A 1936 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.A. in Education, she also earned a Master's in Library Science from Columbia University.  She spent her professional life in New York City where she first worked on Wall Street, then spent more than twenty years as chief librarian, International Division of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey and completed her professional work with Bear Stearns Brokerage Firm as librarian.  Her heritage: George-Nancy-William Preston-Katherine.

 31 January 2008 - Reunion Postponed! - I really hate to announce this, but I am going to have to postpone the Dyer County reunion another year.  I am making the announcement now so you won't make travel and vacation plans around it.  I am still awaiting the announcement of whether my company will win the contract in Washington State.  It could come at any time.  If we win, I will have to move there in the May timeframe or earlier, and I will be in the middle of starting up a new company and transitioning the contract to the new company.  I couldn't possibly have the reunion or even attend under those circumstances.  If we were to have the reunion, I would already have to be arranging things.  I am sorry about this.  I hope in June 2009 my life will be more stable and we will have it then.  I will keep you posted.

21 January 2008 - The luck of the Irish!  Our Irish ancestry must be showing through.  My sister, Shirley Moon, has won a major prize in the lottery.  For privacy purposes, I am not going to reveal the amount or any indication of her address.  Suffice to say, she is ecstatic and we are happy for her.  This will allow her to finally retire from her job at a retail outlet.  She was widowed several years ago and has not been able to retire yet.  All of us are looking forward to her being able to enjoy herself more.  I will forward any congratulatory messages.  Her heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Shirley

22 Dec 2007 - It was sad to find out that Jim Ward died in Lake City, Florida last September 29.  He had been battling lung cancer for some time.  Jim was a cheerful, jovial person and regularly attended our reunions.  He was the brother of Rufus Ward, who has been a supporter of our family history and reunions since we first made contact with the Florida clan.  He was born James Leslie Ward on March 31, 1931 in Lake Butler, FL.  Parents were Clinton Broward and Verlie Ella Ward.  He had four children: Faye Lynn, Leslie Gayle, James Leslie Jr., and Amy Marie.  He had lived and worked outside Florida for some time and returned to Florida during retirement.  His heritage: Noah-Rubin Rufus-Verlie Ella-James

19 Dec 2007 - Congratulations on Graduation! - I pleased to let you know that my son-in-law Stan Caldwell received his Bachelor's degree in psychology from Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee on December 15.  It is particularly admirable that he obtained his degree at the age of 35 while working fulltime and driving 150 miles each way to class.  It has been a significant achievement and we want to congratulate him and to share our pride with you.  He is pictured her with my daughter Holly on graduation day.  Heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Miller-Holly(spouse)

2 Dec 2007 - Updated Descendancy Books - I have updated all of the descendancy books.  Hopefully they reflect all of the changes you have given me.  Let me know if they don't.

Demetra Hay about 196014 Oct 2007 -  I just received word from Pam Williams that Demetra Hay has died.  Demetra was a very special lady and was my initial contact with the Israel branch of the family.  She loved the family and the family history.  I got copies of some rare documents from her, including the letter to Israel's widow telling the circumstances of his death.

She was born Demetra Pearl Taylor on September 28, 1915.  Her parents were Fred and Tennie Taylor.  She was born near Friendship, Tennessee and spent her life there.  She was married to Harry Wilson Hay on October 17, 1936.  They had four children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was preceded by her husband in death earlier this year.  Photos show here in 1960 and she and husband Harry Wilson Hay in 2001.  More information later.  Her heritage: Israel-Austin-Fred-Demetra. She will be missed

 

11 Oct 2007 - Newest Member of the Taylor Clan -  Preston Thomas Szeezil  was born at 7:45 AM Wednesday, October 10, at Lakewood Ranch Medical  Center in Bradenton, Florida.  He is 6lb 8oz, nineteen and a half inches long with brown hair and brown eyes.  He and parents are doing well.  The proud parents are Shellie and Walter Szeezil of Tera Ceia, Florida.  Proud grandmother is Norma Horton of Bradenton, Florida.  We are happy to have a new cousin.  Shown in the photo is Preston with sister Lauren (click to see full sized).  Photo of entire family is in the photo album on Noah's page.  His heritage: Noah-Russell-Russell-Norma-Shellie-Preston.

 

19 Jun 2007 - An era has passed.  Noah Van Dyke Taylor died near his home in Alachua, Florida on Sunday, June 17.  He was the last of the siblings and cousins that I first met when establishing contact with the Florida branch of the family.  He is probably also the last of the great-grandchildren of William W. Taylor. 

Van Dyke, his brothers Orville and Russell and their cousin Erma Millikin were my main connection to the Florida Clan.  They introduced me to others in Florida and their families helped arranged the reunions.  We had visits in multiple locations in three states.  All were dear to me.  Van Dyke was a skeptic when we first came as cousins from Tennessee, but he became a huge supporter.

Noah Van Dyke Taylor was born on March 27, 1928 in Florida.  He lived most of his life in the Lake City - Alachua area.  He was the son of Russell and Atlanta Taylor and the grandson of Noah and Cordelia Taylor.  He is survived by his wife Mary Langford Taylor, his daughter Marianne Hall, and granddaughter Christina Hall.  His heritage: Noah-Russell-Van Dyke.

 

19 June 2007 - I was sorry to hear from Robert Taylor that our cousin, Gene Foster of Sebring, FL has died.  Gene died June 15, 2007, in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Lawrence Eugene Foster Jr., was born November 16, 1929 in Sebring, Florida to Lawrence and Minnie Taylor Foster.  He was the grandchild of Otis and Belle Taylor.  He was a veteran of the Korean conflict, serving with the U.S. Navy, and was a retired building inspector for Highlands County.  He was a member of V.F.W. and First Baptist Church. He is survived by his son, Larry Foster and daughter, Alice Gill; father, D.W. Smith all of Sebring; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. His heritage: James-Otis-Minnie-Gene.

 

8 May 2007 - It is sad to report the passing of my sister-in-law, Peggy Taylor.  Peggy died in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, after a long battle with cancer.  Peggy was born April 17, 1937, in Dyersburg, Tenn., the daughter of Bob and Thelma (McFarland) Miller. She graduated from Dyersburg High School then went to work as a secretary.  In 1960, she moved to Fort Walton Beach and worked as an administrative assistant for 35 years at Fort Walton Beach City Hall until her retirement. Peggy was a member of Fort Walton Beach Church of Christ. She is survived by her daughter, Heather Dostart of Fort Walton Beach; grandson, Justin Dostart of Fort Walton Beach; brother, Jimmy Miller and wife, Norma, of Buford, Ga.  Her daughter Heather's heritage: Robert-Thomas-Owen-Gaylon-Heather.

 

26 March 2007 - I was very sorry to hear this weekend that Harry Wilson Hay had died.  Harry died March 18, 2007 after a lengthy illness.  Harry was born July 4, 1916 to Everett Ernest and Era Hassell Hay.  He married Demetra Taylor on October 17 1936 and together they had four children: Demetra Helen Hay, Harry Wilson Hay Junior, Susan Marie Hay, and Phillip Murray Hay.  He lived and raised his family in the Hawkinsville area near Friendship, Tennessee.  He worked as a farmer and carpenter and was retired.  His wife's heritage: Isreal-Austin-Fred-Demetra.

 

7 March 2007 - I was especially saddened to learn of the passing of Jere Blalock.  He died yesterday after a long illness.  His loss is particularly significant since he is the husband of Pat Blalock who was key to the research that led to connecting the three Taylor groups.  Without her help none of this would be here.  Jere and Pat were close friends to me as well as cousins. 

Jere Malone Blalock was born October 19, 1935 in Finley in Dyer County, Tennessee to Paul and Willie Blalock.  He married Patricia Anne Taylor on the first of August 1953.  They have resided in the Dyersburg area since that time.  Jere and Pat had six children, one of which is deceased.  He is survived by the children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.   He is at Dyersburg Funeral Home in Dyersburg, TN.  The visitation is Thursday, March 8 from 5pm-8pm. Funeral is Friday, March 9, at 1pm at the Funeral home.

Jere was a person who was perpetually cheerful and friendly.  He was the sort of person who made you feel good to be around.  His wife Pat's heritage: Robert-Thomas-Rob-Pat.

9 Feb 2007 - Reunion Delayed - “Sometimes life comes at you fast”, as the commercial goes. That’s what I have been feeling like the last 2 - 3 months. We have been in a new job, in new living quarters, and adapting to other new issues. We are enjoying DC and having some fun, but we are busy all of the time with no letup. It has swamped me to the point that I have found it necessary to delay the Dyer County reunion until June of 2008. I still haven’t posted the photos from the last reunion. I hope that with the breather I can get caught up on the Web site and other genealogy issues so that we can have the next reunion with a solid and up-to-date Web site. Please keep in touch and keep checking the site. I’m going to miss it this year, but sometimes you have to make choices.

27 Jan 2007 - Timothy Connelly informed me of the sad passing of our cousin Fred Lester, 86, of Newberry, South Carolina, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007.   Fred was born Nov. 27, 1920, in Newberry, a son of the late Allen Hawkins and Pauline Nichols Lester. He was an Army veteran of WWII. He was a graduate of Newberry College and of the University of South Carolina where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He was a professor at Newberry College for 35 years.  Fred is survived by his wife, Frances Wise Lester of Newberry; a sister, Joyce L. Johnson of LaGrange, Ga.; and a number of special nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by two sisters, Thelma Dominick and Bonnie Culclasure; and three brothers, Vernon Lester, Willie Frank Lester and Jimmie Lester.  His heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Euphamia-Malissa-Pauline-Fred

1 Nov 2006 - I was sad to receive word from Robert Taylor yesterday of the passing of our cousin John  T. Harrison.  John, 94, of Sebring, Florida died Monday, October 30, 2006 in Sebring, Florida. Born in Pendergrass, Jackson County, Ga., he moved to Sebring in 1936. he had been a Florida resident since age 12. He retired from Joe Stiles Sr. Standard Oil Distributorship after 25 years. He was a member of Sebring Historical Society and First Baptist Church. Survivors include his wife of 79 years, Ellen (Taylor); sons, Jerry W. of Tallahassee and John S. of Bartow; brother, mark of lake City, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.  His heritage: James-Otis-Ellen(wife of John)

16 Oct 2006 - Memorial to Jean - In August, shortly after Jean Ward died, her husband Rufus sent me the text of a tribute or a memorial to her.  It is a very touching account of their life together.  I have placed it as a separate page and linked it to the Memorials page.  Click here to read the tribute.

13 Aug 2006 - In DC - I am now back in DC.  I am now on a long-term assignment here.  I am still keeping my residence in Tennessee, but we have an apartment here.  I apologize that I haven't been updating the site regularly in the last month.  Getting up here and the new job have been very chaotic.  Things are starting to settle out now and hopefully I can do better.

29 May 2006 - Thoughts and Prayers Requested - Jean Ward, wife of Rufus Ward, is in serious condition in Shands Hospital, in Gainesville, Florida. She went into the hospital three weeks ago for a reverse shoulder replacement and complications set in.  She has now been in the hospital for three weeks and is still in a serious condition.  We all have the family in our thoughts and prayers as they go through this ordeal.  Her heritage: Noah-Rufus-Verlie-Rufus.

28 May 2006 - I am saddened to report that our cousin Reba Sue Newby died Sunday, April 2, 2006, at a local hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Born Reba Sue Hawkins Sept.10, 1936, in Jonesboro, Ark, she was the daughter of Haskell Hawkins and Marguerite Stenger Hawkins. Survivors include her husband of 39 years, Jim Newby of Hot Springs; two sons, Keith Walsh of Pearcy, AR, Ken Walsh of Lonsdale; three daughters, Holly Fish and her husband Tom of New Castle, N.H., Lynda Postlewate and her husband Richard of Hot Springs, Anita Rodgers and her husband Greg of Dale, Texas. Other surviviors include eight grandchildren, Kristen Walsh, Jennifer Walsh, Kyle Walsh, Amber Walsh, Tammy Halcomb, Sarah Carter, Jessica Carter and Chad Allison. Other survivors include four great-grandchildren.  Her heritage: Isabella-George-Curry-Haskell-Reba.

6 May 2006 - Major Milestone! - I am delighted to announce the 70th wedding anniversary of John and Ellen Harrison.  They were married April 29, 1936 in Lake City, Florida and have resided in Sebring, Florida for the last 70 years.  They have two children: Jerry and wife Jan of Tallahassee, Florida and Johnny and wife Lucy of Bartow Florida.  They have four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.  Ellen is the daughter of Otis and Belle Taylor.  Her heritage: James-Otis-Ellen.  (Pardon the photo quality - It is a newspaper scan).

5 Apr 2006 - Tornados in Dyer - I'm sure you have all hear about the devastating tornados in Dyer County, Tennessee.   Many of us have been especially concerned, since it is a center for our family and many of our relatives live there.  I have been enquiring about our relatives.  Here's information I got from Roxanne Gibbons,  "None of the people were kin to us as far as I know. This was the worst thing I've ever seen. It looks like a war zone is what people are saying. For about a 20 mile stretch there's trees down and no homes. There are 15 people dead in Dyer County and 8 in Gibson County. The tornado hit about a mile from my brother Chris's home and lifted about 1 1/2 mile from mine. God was with us."

1 Mar 2006 - Luncheon Arrangements Set - The luncheon at the reunion will be different this time, but we have done this once before.  Helen Craft and Norma Horton have volunteered to prepare the noon meal at the reunion for only $5 per person 12 years of age and older.  They plan to grill hotdogs and hamburgers and provide side dishes such as baked beans and potato salad along with dessert, drinks, and utensils.  What a deal!  We should come out ahead on this at the expense of their hard work.  See the Columbia 2006 Web page for full details of the reunion.

24 Feb 2006 - Hotel Arrangements Set - Thanks to a substantial effort by Helen Craft, the hotel arrangements are now set.  The headquarters hotel will be the Holiday Inn and Suites in Lake City.  This is the new hotel that replaced the one we used before.  It is a very nice hotel and we have a great arrangement.  We have a block of rooms for the reunion at a special rate ($89).  They are clustering the rooms on the 6th floor around the Presidential suite, which we will use as a get-together room.  Helen Craft and Norma Horton will be providing snacks in the suite as they did before in Lake City. 

Important- To reserve a room, call 386-754-1411 and ask for the Taylor Family Reunion.  Don't reserve by any other method.  If you reserve by any other means, you won't get the special rate, you won't be located in the cluster, and we won't get the room counted in the block we've reserved.  Most people will stay Friday and Saturday nights and we have a good number of people get together on those nights.  I'll arrive on Thursday and some of us will get together that night.  These get-togethers have become a fun and important part of the reunion.  The Columbia 2006 page has full details of the reunion and will always contain the latest information.

20 Feb 2006 - Help with Missing Taylors - As is normal, some of the mailouts are being returned because people have moved and their forwarding address has expired.  When this happens contact can be lost for good.  Please go to the Missing Taylors page and see if you know any of these people and can provide a current contact.

17 Feb 2006 - Descendancy Books Complete - I have now updated the descendancy books for William and Ann.  This makes the update of the books complete.  To access the book go to the person's page and click on "Printable Book of Descendants".

9 Feb 2006 - Finally - I have finally updated the Newberry 2005 with the information from the reunion.  I have an account of the events and quite a few photos.  I can't identify all in the photos.  I would appreciate your help.  This time the photos are numbered to facilitate that.  Please provide any other updates or corrections.  It takes a lot of work to put one of these together.

5 Feb 2006 - Reunion Date SetThe date for the 2006 family reunion has been set.  It will be Saturday, June 10, 2006 in Lake City, Florida.  Norma Horton and Helen Craft volunteered and have been assisting me in making preparations. Mike Millikin has generously obtained the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church for us to use for the reunion. With my Gypsy lifestyle these days, their help is critical for this reunion to come off.  Information can be found on the Columbia 2006 Web page.  I will also mail postcards shortly.  As always, the latest information will be available on the Web site.  Come to the reunion and combine it with a trip to the beach or to Walt Disney World.

21 Jan 2006 - Remembering Those Who Left us in 2005.  In 2005 we lost several cousins and they are missed very much.  Now at the new year, let's remember them once more. You can see more about them on the Memorials page.

9 Dec 2005 - We are very sad to report the passing our cousin the Rev. Linus Breazeel Taylor of Batesburg, South Carolina on Wednesday, December 7.   Born in Newberry County, a son of the late Clarence Samuel and Ossie Lee Smith Taylor, he was the husband of the late Reba "Lila" Delilah Taylor. Mr. Taylor served in the U.S. Army as an M.P. in the Korean Conflict. He was a carpenter and a Minster. He was a member of the American Legion Post #65 and a member and pastor of Open Bible Baptist Church. Surviving are three daughters, Reba Taylor Durst of West Columbia, Becky Taylor Comalander of Lexington and Frankie Taylor Smith of Leesville, a son, Linus B. Taylor, Jr., of Lexington, nine grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a sister, Sara Crouch of Pelion. Mr. Taylor was preceded in death by a son, Wade C. Taylor of Gilbert, and a granddaughter, Stephanie Alicia Summers, of Gilbert.   His heritage:

21 Oct 2005 - Major Milestone Reached - Since I began this site in January of 2002, I've had a goal of surpassing 10,000 hits.  We reached that today.  Our home page has been accessed 10,000 times.  A lot of people have come into the site through the home page.  Even more have come in via search engines to one of the other pages.  They aren't counted in the 10,000 hits.  It appears that David Boling (Israel-Austin-Fred-Nannie-Lloyd-David) may have been the 10,000th hit. Joan Holling (George-Nancy-Mattie-Smith-Joan) wins the prize for the closest guess as to when we would reach the milestone.  Thanks for all your participation.

17 October 2005 - Back Home Again - My two month assignment has ended after only eleven months.  We don’t know how long we’ll be home.  It could be short or could be relatively permanent.  The job assignment at the Department of Energy ended on Friday.  My company thought that they could have me start on other work in DC the following Monday.  That work has been delayed and it is uncertain by how long.  The company sent me back to Oak Ridge to work until the next assignment. We had mixed feelings on leaving DC.  We had a lot of fun while we were there and had adapted to the lifestyle.  It was good to be going home, but it was hard to leave.  Right now, however, we’re enjoying the house and the yard.   It’s going to take a lot of work to get the house back to where we want it, since we left in a hurry.  Hopefully now I will be able to spend more time a catch up on the Web site work.  Thanks for your patience.

 

15 September 2005 - Welcome to the newest member of the Clan! - I am delighted to announce the birth of Taylor Grace Smith.  She was born at 7:43 PM on 13 September 2005, weighed 9 1/2 pounds and was 21 1/4 inches long.  The proud parents are J. Gary and Melissa Taylor Smith.  Proud grandparents are William S. and Marie Taylor of Batesburg, SC.  William S. (Sam) is a major researcher of the Taylors, a major contributor to this site and a great help with the reunions.  We wish the family the best and we are glad they're having such a joyous event.  A family photo can be seen at the bottom of the photo album on Ann's page.

10 Jul 2005 - Please bear with me - It is going to take a while to get some of the post reunion work done.  I am still on travel in DC and don't have a lot of time to work on the site.  My day job keeps interfering with my genealogy; but unfortunately, it pays the bills.

28 June 2005 - Reunion was Great! - We had a very successful reunion in Newberry last week.  There were over 90 people at the Saturday reunion.  About 20 cars were on the tour.  Several of us visited on Thursday through Sunday.  I'll post more as time permits.  Now I have to take care of my day job.

21 Jun 2005 - In DC! - We are still on the work assignment, but now instead of Maryland, we are in the heart of downtown Washington, DC.  Don't know how much longer we'll be here.  I expect 2-3 months.  During the move last week, we had interrupted Internet service.  It's fixed now. 

3 June 2005 - The reunion nears - The reunion is approaching.  Remember, it is June 25.  The Newberry 2005 page has been recently updated with additional information.  I thought I might be home before the reunion, but I'm still in the DC area.  William S (Sam) Taylor is handling a good deal of the local effort for me.  His help is really appreciated.

26 May 2005 - Database frozen - descendancy books updated.  I've now frozen the database prior to the reunion.  I hope I got all of your changes in, but I have to freeze it in order to produce the descendancy book.  The books have been replaced with the new ones on all of the children's and William's pages.

23 May 2005 - It really saddened me today to learn that Barney Hawkins died May 21.  He died suddenly of a heart attack at his home in Nashville, Tennessee.  He was born Lowell Barnell Hawkins in June of 1926 in Friendship, Tennessee.  His parents were the late Lowell and Sally Hawkins.  He was married to Ruth Ballinger.  He was also a Veteran of the Korean War and a Member of the Masonic order.  He was a very likable person and showed his enthusiasm for the family with attendance at many of the reunions.  He is survived by his wife, two sons, a brother and three grandchildren.  His heritage: Isabella-George-Fletcher-Lowell-Barney.

21 May 2005 - Oldest Family Photo - Pam Williams, gg-granddaughter of Israel found an old glass negative in a box of her Mother's.  It turned out to be a photo of Israel's children Fletcher and Austin taken in about 1862 (Way to go, Pam!).  It's the oldest photo of a Taylor kin that we have, and it gives hope that we may find others.  It can be seen on Israel's page in the photo gallery.

6 May 2005 - A major force in the Taylor Triangle has passed - I was extremely saddened to learn that Orville Taylor died last night at his home in Lake City, Florida.  Orville, along with Erma Millikin, and Van Dyke Taylor  were the three people who provided the first connection with the Florida branch of our Taylors.  When I was calling Taylors in Lake City trying to find a relative, Orville was the one with whom I first connected.  When we first visited Florida, he and Erma were the first ones we met.  It was he who pushed me to have the reunions and he kept pushing until I had them.  He was proud of his heritage and enthusiastic about documenting it and keeping relationships with cousins.  This is both a loss to the Taylor clan and a personal loss to me.

 

Orville Dayton Taylor was born on November 23, 1925 to Russell and Atlanta Ellis Taylor.  He was a grandchild of Noah Taylor and Cordelia Cheek.  He had a military career that included both the Navy and the Air Force.  He was married on March 10, 1950 to Krista Leschnik of Gliewitz, Germany.  They had four sons and a daughter.  After retiring from the military, he settled in Lake City, Florida.  He is survived by his wife Krista, his brother Van Dyke, his four children, and grandchildren.  Services will be at the United Methodist Church in Worthington Springs, FL, on Monday, May 9 at 11:00.  There are photos of Orville in earlier years on Noah's page. His heritage: Noah-Russell-Orville

 

27 Apr 2005 - Welcome to the clan!  I'm delighted to announce the birth of Kyle Davidson McGraw.  Kyle was born in Foster City, California, at 7:53 pm March 30, 2005.  Proud parents are Pat and Christina McGraw.  Proud grandparents are Dave and Dolores Whitaker.  All are doing well.  We want to congratulate them and wish them well.  A family portrait is on Isabella's page.  His heritage: Isabella-George-Curry-George-George-Dolores-Christina-Kyle.

 

7 Mar 2005 - Hotel Set for Reunion - I've now made hotel arrangements.  They are given on the Newberry 2005 page.  I recommend that you make reservations early.  I had some difficulty making arrangements because the Ms. South Carolina will be in Newberry the same day as the reunion.  Recommend that you don't delay.

17 Jan 2005 - Reunion Set!  The reunion is now set for June 25, 2005 in Newberry County, South Carolina.  Details are on the Newberry 2005 page.  Mark your calendars and try to come.  Announce to your close relatives.

28 Nov 2004 - In Maryland - We arrived in Maryland today after a long holiday weekend drive (bumper-to-bumper).  We're at the hotel in Gaithersburg and will be there for some time except for coming home for Christmas week.  I've taken along all my major computing equipment so I'll be able to correspond normally and maintain the Web site (as evidenced by this update).

9 Mar 2005 - I'm sorry to hear that Faye Dumas 86 died on 14 January 2005 in Fort Worth, Texas. Born Faye Padgett on May 6 1918 in Hill County Texas, she was married to Curtis O. Dumas who  preceded her in death Feb 20, 1997. She worked as a nurse at Grant-Buie Hospital for three years and was later employed for 11 years in the office of Dr. Norman West. Survivors include three children, four grandchildren, three step grandchildren, and five step great grand children.  Her heritage: Ann-Jefferson-Calhoun-Annie-Faye.

 

24 Jan 05 - I was very sad to hear this morning that our cousin Janet Lynn Hawkins Willett died of a heart attack January 11, 2005 at her home in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Born in Orange, California on April 18, 1957, she was the daughter of the late Layton Jerald and Darlene Beauford Hawkins. Surviving are a son, Steven Willett; daughters, Michelle Willett and Kathryn Willett; and brothers Layton "Bill" Hawkins and John Hawkins. She is buried at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana, CA.  She was a sister to John Hawkins, one of the major researchers of the line, a major contributor to the site and regular at the reunions. Her heritage: Isabella-Simon-John-Layton-Layton-Janet.

19 Jan 2005 - Happy Birthday to Us!!!  - It was three years ago on the fifth that I installed the first crude version of this Web site.  A lot has happened since.  The site has served far beyond just sharing of genealogy information.  It has been a place to share information about our cousins and to help give us a sense of family.  It has also been an effective "bait" to make contact with branches of the family and to get others involved.  You can help by sending information, photos, and letting me know when a life event happens to one of our cousins (birth, death, marriage, graduation, etc.).  Your participation will greatly advance the family ties we all value so much.

16 Nov 2004 - Off again!! - My job is sending me off again.  This time I going to be working in Germantown, MD (DC suburb) for about three months.  This came as a surprise this week, and things are happening fast.  Ginny and I will leave for Maryland a week from Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving).  Unfortunately, I have two business trips between now and then.  That really has us scrambling.  We'll be living at an extended stay hotel in Gaithersburg, MD.  I now have a new laptop as my main computer, so I will have full capability for the Web site and email while we are there.  The thing I won't have is paper files.  More on this later.

1 Oct 2004 - Descendancy update - I have now entered all of the family updates I've gotten at the reunion and via email.  I have created new descendancy books reflecting the updates.  Sorry it took so long, but the process is manually intensive.  The books are on William's page and all of the children pages.

27 Sep 2004 - Newest Members of the Clan - We are delighted to announce the birth of Luke Oneill (Baby A) and Caleb Monroe Harrison (Baby B).  They were born on September 21 in Bathesda, MD to Tristan and Amber Harrison.  Luke is 5 lb 9 oz and Caleb is 4 lb 13 oz.  The very proud grandparents are Julian and Mary Harrison of Bushnell, FL.  Their heritage: [Viney-Fannie-Peter-Mary-Tristan-Luke and Caleb]

11 Sep 2004 - Welcome to the Clan!  I was delighted to hear this weekend from a new cousin Lynn Southwell.  Lynn found us through a search engine using his grandmother's name.  He's a gg-grandson of James.  His father had been involved with the Lake City reunions many years ago, but we have not had contact with that branch.  I'm looking forward to the additional information he can provide.  His heritage:  James-Susannah-Inez-Lynn-Lynn. 

 

14 July 2003 - I'm sorry to report that Valera Holstein, widow of Sidney Otis Holstein, Jr. died Sunday July 13, 2003. Born Valera Bowers on March 23, 1914 in Saluda County, SC, she was a daughter of the late Albert Oscar and Ethel Taylor Bowers. She was a member of Ridge Spring Baptist Church and was a housewife. Surviving are daughters, Rebecca H. Hart of Hickory, NC, Robin H. Walker of Columbia, SC, Rachel H. Bradshaw of Chapin, SC; brother Truman S. Bowers of Leesville, SC; sisters Gladys Fulmer and Amorette Bowers of Leesville; sister-in-law, Valarie H. Tingle of Columbia; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren. Burial will be Wednesday, July 16, 2003 at Ridge Crest Memorial Park in Batesburg. Her heritage: (Ann-Jefferson-George Rufus-Ethel-Valera)

 

 

Born Erma Dea Nettles on January 10, 1921, she was the daughter of Trumie Taylor Nettles and Ike Nettles.  She was the granddaughter of Noah Taylor and his second wife Cordelia Cheek.  She lived most of her life in the Lake City area and was very active there.  She is survived by a son Mike and wife Terri and granddaughters Katherine Ann and Mary Elizabeth. Receiving of friends will be at Sherrill-Guerry Funeral Home 5-7 PM on Tuesday.  Funeral Services will be Wednesday at 4:30 at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church.

 

25 Jan 2003 - Help!  A few cards for the reunion are coming back marked undeliverable.  Please help locate these people.  See the Missing Taylors page.

 

 

14 June 2002 - I was shocked and saddened this evening to learn of the death of Peggy Gourley Earp.  She died this morning unexpectedly of complications from surgery on the thyroid.  She was the g-granddaughter of Robert Taylor, granddaughter of Thomas Carter Taylor, and daughter of Nannie Taylor Gourley.  She lived most of her life in Dyersburg, TN.  She was an enthusiastic supporter of the Taylor research and loved her extended family dearly.  She was 68 and is survived by her husband Stanley, son Mike, daughter Kelly, and grandchildren.  She was a special cousin to me.

 

 

Mack Garrett and Yu Hong wed November 21, 2001 in Dalian, China.  The bride is the daughter of Dr. Liu Jin Li and the late Liu Tian Zhang.  The groom is the son of the late J. B. and Verdie Garrett.  The couple plan on making their home in Dyersburg, Tennessee.  (Robert-Thomas-Tommie-Verdie-Mack)

 

Zelda Fay Taylor died September 17, 2001 at her home in the Bruceville area of Dyer County, Tennessee.  She was sister to my cousin and closest fellow researcher, Pat Blalock.  Another sister, Dorothy Taylor Warren had died previously. She was born October 19, 1931 in Dyer County.  Although she had lived in Memphis, Tennessee, for most of her life, she had returned to the area of her birth and lived across the road from where she was raised.  She was the daughter of Robert and Vallie Taylor, the granddaughter of Thomas and Susie Taylor and the g-granddaughter of Robert and Mary Ann Taylor.

 

 

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