"Dancing with the Stars!"

'


We all have a few famous ancestors or cousins, as well as, a few that are infamous. I have a few of each, but I seem to have quite a few "celebrities"... Lester Flatt of Flatt & Scruggs; Doris Troy: "Just One Look" (Pepsi theme song); local DJ Tex Justus, WBNL radio Boonville, IN; Baseball Star Don Mattingly; local artist Calvin Maglinger. Today I want to talk about Mom's third cousin from Dale, IN. Mom descends from Joseph O. Lewis and Margaret Mattingly that were married on 01 Jan 1843 in Breckinridge, County, KY. Margaret was Joseph's second of 5 or 6 wives (who all died young). They were Mom's Catholic side of her family. Ann Hinton was Joseph's first wife. Mom's cousin from Dale descended from Ann & Joseph Lewis. She got into the entertainment business early in life and she eventually became one of America's favorite TV mothers on the show "The Brady Bunch." Florence Henderson will be one of the "Stars" on the TV show "Dancing with the Stars" that will start this coming Monday, September 20th. We can all vote to keep dancers coming back for the next week's show. I would like to ask anyone that watches to consider voting for Mom's cousin to stay longer on the show.
- Written by JGWest

Happy Mother's Day 2010

'

Happy Mother's Day to Mom & her mothers!


How should a genealogist remember Mom on Mother's Day? Well, in my case, Mom is not with me any longer - she died on 01 Oct 1997 with me and my two brothers watching her heart monitor in the hospital. It was a very important moment in my life, a life in which she gave me! She was very important to me in my development growing up. She gave me courage and confidence in myself when I was scared and so unsure of my abilities or what I wanted to do. I think most mom's are like my Mom was to me. Her name was Bernadine Long, the daughter of Mary Myrtle Wood (my grandmother).

I am not sure exactly how my Mom felt about her mother, but I know that grandma was there when Mom needed love and encouragement. Mom loved and respected her mother through the many great stories Mom told me about her mother. Grandma's mother was Donna Isabella Mays. Donna died when Grandma was just a little over 10 years old (Donna was only 33 when she died). My Great Grandmother Donna Isabella Mays' mother was Susan Apalone Lewis who lived to be 83 years old! Susan's mother, sadly died from complications from giving birth to Susan. This mother gave the ultimate for her child and her name was Margaret Mattingly. I have not, yet, learned what her mother's name was. So, that is the end, for now, of the mothers of my Mom. Without these generations of mothers my Mom would not have been born (nor would I) and I would have never known the greatest Mom in the world! Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you and miss you, Mom!

- Written by JGWest in memory of my Mom