Welcome back to the African Roots Podcast! You can reach me at African Roots Podcast@gmail.com.
Well summer is moving along quickly and finally the rains have stopped for a while and we are getting lovely dry weather here on the east coast. I do realize though that our friends and family in the far west have not had much rain at all, and hope that the on going drought will let us soon.
Well here is some good news! Yesterday I learned about the Social Security Death Claims index. Well as you know that there were many restrictions that were made in recent years about the Social Security death index, the SSDI. It turns out that now, on Ancestry that there is an interesting claims index available.
This pulls up information that we as genealogists seek. The names of parents of the applicants of deceased ancestors. This is called the Social Security and Claims Index 1936-2007. I was delighted to see that it truly pulled up the names of the parents–which is what we are seeking. (I have blocked out the full names for family privacy.)
This is worth exploring and hopefully you will find it useful.
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Remembering a Mentor, Teacher and Friend Agnes Kane Callum
This week the genealogy community lost a giant in the field. Dr. Agnes Kane Callum passed away this week due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease. Dr. Callum was a pioneer in the African American genealogy community and she is one whose shoes cannot be filled.
Born in Baltimore, Agnes Callum began researching her own family history over 30 years ago. Her research on her enslaved ancestors on Sotterley plantation in southern Maryland is immeasurable. Her work bringing the story of Irish Nell – Eleanor Butler, an Irish indentured servant, and her marriage to Negro Charles, brought to light the occurrence of many indentured women who met, and married Negro men in Colonial America.
Her work to restore the slave cabin at Sotterley plantation, is a model for many to follow. At the same time, her work to preserve the legacy of the United States Colored Troops has inspired many of us to find the Civil war ancestor in our own lines.
I met Agnes Callum in the spring on 1991, at a genealogy meeting in Baltimore. At that time she was publishing her yearly journal, Flower of the Forrest, A Black Genealogical Journal. During those years, she was steadily researching African American history of St. Mary’s County Maryland, and expanded her focus to include other parts of Maryland as well. She inspired all of use who met her, and I owe much of my own work to the model that she presented. She saw the value of looking at the larger picture, and sharing much more beyond the confines of one’s own single family. She saw the value of the community having a story and needing to have it’s voice, long silenced, be heard. I value the lessons that I learned and owe so much of my work, to her and her insistence to put something down on paper.
She has left an amazing legacy, and we can only be grateful that we were honored to have been influenced by her. We shall miss her, but her legacy will continue.
God speed, dear teacher, and dear friend.
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On that note, I shall close out a bit early this week. I hope you have a good weekend, good week of research, and remember to keep researching, keep documenting, and keep sharing what you find.
This is an absolutely beautiful tribute! Thank you for sharing!
HELLO, I am so glad to come across you.I submitted an application to Choctaw Nations for my gr.gr.grandparents.In April of 2014. Not know what I was doing. But they were so nice to work me thur the application.Then returned it to send to Cherokee Nations.After waiting not hearing from Cherokee by phone or letter. I call Choctaw see was there any way to reach the Cherokee nNations and why did they return my application?This when I was told my relatives are, Cherokees, and Choctaws mix with Freeman and are Mulattos.Now I have research the files more and gotten rolls numbers and cards numbers. What I need to know is are the Freeman Black and Natives Americans Indians entitled to be enroll in any of the Tribes?Any infromatiom will be helpful. ALSO I SENT IN BIRTHS, MARRIAGE,DEATH CERTIFICATES AND DRIVERS Ln. How long do it usually take for the register to research an application? The names are Woods, Fulbright and Knight. Thank you.
I was so glad to read your information about other issus. I forgot to tell you I have came across some of my relatives who served in the civil wars and have their compies they were asined to. Also I came out of a long line of Miltary peoples from World War 1, War2, My favorite cousin was a 1942 Waac for 22 years, My two Brothers in law were Navy men, My first husband was a Korea Veterans also my second husband was too. About my research of the families. I was not raised by my father nor around any of the Woods until 1976. Did not know anything about them being Indians. But they all looked like Indians. Even on the Knight and Fulbright side of the families. So it was Schock when an old lady that is known to be a historian asked me about our property that my gr.gr.grandfather owned in their county seat?Not knowning what she was talking about I began to asked question and found out it was so. A copy of the 1833 deed was on records and I called State Captiol records and they looked up the record and fax me a copy.This is when I began my researching and pages of information is rolling out like I am readind a novel.But what has hurted more than ever all these years my grandmother, or my daddy never knew or got one cent from all these legal going on why I do not know .how her sisters and brother, kept her from it.All the heirs that were over these legal papers, cards and roll numbers are dead in 2008. Saw me often and never told me any thng either.