July 2004 Self Seekers Newsletter

SELF SEEKERS:

THE SELF FAMILY ASSOCIATION QUARTERLY ONLINE NEWSLETTER SUPPLEMENT

Editors
Tim W. Seawolf Self
Barbara Ann Peck
[email protected]
Volume 7, no. 3 July, 2004
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WELCOME

Welcome to the 27th issue of the quarterly online newsletter supplement to "Self Portraits: The Self Family NetLetter," the Website dedicated to Self family research at http://www.selfroots.com

You are receiving this newsletter because you were kind enough to join "Self Seekers: The Self Family Association." We appreciate all of your contributions, large and small, and we hope you will continue to support our page, our surname list, and this newsletter.

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ANOTHER SUMMER!

We can hardly believe that this is the seventh summer of "Self Seekers." There have been so many changes in the Self world: new little cousins born and older ones passing on; so many changes in Cyberspace; so many in the genealogical community; and finally, so many in ourSelfs. But when we look back and think that either those were better times or that we're much more fortunate seven years later, we need to remember that it is this constant state of flux that is the basis for the procession of the generations. When all of us began our ancestral quest, we were anxious to discover the line of people that went back from (or led up to) our own existence. As we grow older (and hopefully wiser) we begin to see that we are part of this chain and that it stretches beyond us not only into the past but also into the future. Genealogy and Cyberspace have embraced each other. It's so good to know that through the miracle of digital computing, we've left something behind for our descendants to build on--a very rich legacy of our Selfs.

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We are so happy to be the largest repository of Self information. With several domains, a second Webpage at RootsWeb, a surname forum and a suite of cluster pages at RootsWeb (see the link on "Self Portraits"), a Listserv, a Collaboration Surname list on the LDS "Family Search" site, well over 5,000 pages of connected and unconnected Self lines, and over 1450 valid e-mail correspondents willing to share information, we are well able to help you with your family research. We are also the Surname Resource Center (SRC) for the surnames of Self, Selfe, and Selph. We also host SelfSite at RootsWeb, an extension of Self Portraits containing our Census pages as well as state-by-state and county-by-county "loose ends," Selfs presently unconnected to any of the major branches; and Self Family Album II which presents more old Self photos. Family Record Online enumerates families presented on our Self Family of the Week page. And each time a new "Self Seekers" newsletter is released, we upload the one for the same month from the past year to our public page for all cousins to enjoy.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

We would like to have your gedcom so that we can add your information to our database. With your permission, we will also list and distribute your gedcom on request (but only with your permission). Please send us gedcoms so that we can start a library that will help others. If you've already submitted one, kindly re-send so that we will have the latest information. We would appreciate being kept informed of new family members as well as other changes.

If you haven't joined our Self Surname Mailing List yet, please subscribe. Instructions will be found on the main page of our Website. Note that we also host the Swindle, Eden, Edens, Cease, Breeze, Brezee, Bishop, Outred, Salazar, Snackenberg, Snackenberger, Schneggenburger, and Varian Surname Lists as well as listservs for Erath County, TX., King County, TX., Bossier Parish, LA., Murray County, GA., and Clay County, NC. In addition, we host the King County, TX, Murray County, GA, Union County, GA and Clay County, NC USGenWeb sites and the Murray and Union Counties, GA sites on the New GAGenWeb, affiliated with AHGP and granted space through the kindness of USGenNet. Our four county sites join "Self Portraits" in featuring a handy search engine for locating topics discussed in previous messages posted to their corresponding listserv--please click on the button directly beneath the instructions for joining the listserv on the main page of each site.

You've noticed by now that we've moved our "Self Seekers" newsletter to the RootsWeb "Free Pages" Server. We've decided to keep all our secondary sites in one place--it makes it much easier to keep track of the files. The new URL is http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~selffam/SelfSeek/index.htm. Please add it to your Bookmarks and Favorites.

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SELF SEEKERS MEMBERSHIP FEES

If you haven't made your 2004 contribution yet, please do so now...

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COMING TOGETHER
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self

In most endeavors, the real reward for all your hard work happens when things come together. For the genealogical researcher, that phrase can have more than one meaning. It's not just names and dates that fall into place, but individuals and families that come together to share their common heritage and fill in the gaps between generations.

THE PEOPLE--COMING TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE

The excitement of finding some tidbit of information about our ancestors is a pleasure unequaled to the genealogist. In this Information Age world, this is especially true. We have more data from diverse sources literally at our fingertips today than at any other time in history. We have so many choices: e-mail, message boards and forums, online gedcoms, county pages, and a wide variety of genealogical help tools and personal sites--as well as the traditional printed materials found in local libraries and those dedicated entirely to family history. The best part is that almost everything today can be accessed instantaneously.

P. T. Barnum once claimed that "If you build it, they will come." We've found this to be true with our sites, and if you have one, too--or if you have posted a query somewhere--you probably have also. So many times we look at a "dead" or "loose end" and wonder how these individuals fit into the grand scheme of things. We don't worry too much about it, though, because the chances are that someone out there will write eventually and hold just the key we need to solving the puzzle. Sometimes the person is related to us. But often, they are unrelated people who just happened to post something else or have presented an allied line; or perhaps have just contributed to a county page or an archive. But in one way or another, genealogists all over the world have come together on the Internet to help all of us in our search for our roots.

THE PUZZLE--COMING TOGETHER BIT BY BIT

It's been really gratifying for us to see the various Self lines coming together at last. Many of you are even more ambitious, trying to tie up all the lines that have come together to make you the person you are.

Those little tidbits of information are most important when there is little or no paper documentation to verify your heritage. When the roadblock exists in fairly modern times, someone may just remember a name or date that is a critical link from one ancestor to another. When it's much farther back, you may find that someone has documents hidden away in an old family Bible or a dusty trunk in the attic. Investigate every lead. You never know who might have that information. While you need to think carefully about spending a great deal of money on things such as books or subscriptions, just your time can be invested wisely--your promptness in answering e-mail or posting a follow-up to a query may be helpful to you and your correspondent. Talking things over on the Internet can renew your enthusiasm and give you some genuine theories to ponder.

Once you're fairly certain that your ancestry follows a certain path, do make it known to others. Post it on the Web, write to your contacts, whatever--and don't be afraid of making a mistake. If someone else catches an error you've made (and we've made plenty), they'll let you know. You can then eliminate that progression from your gedcom and concentrate on other avenues. Or you can convince that person that your way is correct. Maybe you really never will know for sure, but you'll have fun presenting your argument and hearing what others have to say. And even if you've been a Self researcher for decades--maybe ESPECIALLY if you have been--please post your ancestry or choose one ancestor to discuss on the Self ListServ every so often. Not only are there new subscribers almost every day, but sometimes just one thing that you've been saying for a long time may finally come to mean something to someone else.

THE PEOPLE--COMING TOGETHER AT LAST

Once upon a time--a long, long time ago--Olde Robert Selfe raised his family of sons. Once they all sat down to dinner at one table, sat around one fire talking about their day and swapping tales, did all the everyday things that families do. But one day, the boys grew into young men, married, and had families of their own--and then their children did the same and began to move to new places as our country expanded. It didn't take long before most of them forgot stories of England and Virginia and even the names of their ancestors. With each generation, the gap between past and present became wider and memory grew more faint.

Because of the growing interest in genealogy--and through the magic of the Internet--all of Olde Robert's multi-great grandchildren are coming together at last. And they're mingling with their English cousins, too, hoping to find that elusive link between old world and new. Whenever we make friends with a new correspondent, it still surprises us to realize that they're not strangers--they're part of us. You'd be astounded to know just how many pages of information we actually have here in our repository--Olde Robert had so many descendants that it's difficult to see the whole picture most of the time. But one by one, they're all coming together--getting to know the joy of writing (and even visiting in some cases) cousins they never knew they had.

SUMMARY

When searching for our roots, everything eventually comes together. We come together to exchange information. This information can make our "tree" come together. And the friends we make in our quest become bound to us, even for a few moments, as cousins and part of the larger family, coming together, coming home at last.

(NEXT: TAKING SIDES)

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INFORMATION ON THE FAMILIES OF
JOHN J. SELF AND JOSIAH W. SELF
contributed by Cousin Barry
Madisonville, TN

Based on an interview with Lannie Self Mahaffey and a letter by Eura Self Beaver

Lannie Self Mahaffey was born on May 25, 1905 at Choestoe near Blairsville, in Union County, Georgia. She was the oldest of seven children born to James B. (Jim) and Sarah (Sally) Frady Self. James B. Self was a son to John J. and Margaret (Peggy) Daniels Self, who are buried at the Shady Grove Methodist Church Cemetery in Union County, Georgia.

James B. Self was married twice. His first wife, Margaret Talitha Frady, died leaving four children. Their names were Norman, Joe, Lou and Ila. James married Talitha’s sister, Sarah L. Frady on June 20, 1902 in Union County, GA. Sarah helped him raise the four children and they had seven of their own. Lannie was the oldest. Her full brothers and sisters were: Ada, Roberta, Juanita, J.B. (also called Junior), Eunice and Eugene Ogle Self. Lannie and Ada were the only two surviving at the time I met her and conducted an interview on October 30, 1995. Ada was living in Ohio. Lannie still resided in Blairsville, GA. Eunice and Eugene both died at a young age. One died at 11 months old and the other at 14 months old. They are buried at the old Salem Cemetery in Union County. There was a Methodist Church located there many years ago according to Lannie. The congregation was later moved to Choestoe and a new building was erected. Services are no longer held at this church either. Cicero Self, who is buried at the old Salem Cemetery, was a brother to James B. Self, Willis, Calvin and Joe Self. Joe moved to Craig, Colorado as a homesteader. He never moved back to Georgia, but did return for visits a few times.

When Lannie was about 12 years old, her family moved away from Choestoe to a place near Shady Grove Methodist Church. This is where they attended church. Years later, the family moved to Lower Young Cane. Lannie was living there when she got married.

Lannie remembers seeing uncle Joe Self when he would come in from Colorado to visit. He brought one of his daughters on a visit when Lannie was about 18 years old. Joe brought his wife once also. This was after Lannie got married because they spent the night at her house on this visit. That was the last time she recalls seeing any of this family. Joe died in Colorado. He had a few children. At one time, Lannie kept in touch with the family in Colorado. Later they just quite communicating with one another.

Lannie’s mother passed away at her house in 1964 and is buried at the Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery on the Blue Ridge Hwy., 8 miles out of Blairsville, GA. Juanita, Lannie’s sister, who died at the age of 15, is also buried there. Lannie stated that her father died at the age of 84 around 1950 in Copperhill, Tennessee with his first, oldest son and was buried down there. She could not recall the name of the church cemetery.

Lannie married Plomer Mahaffey and had four children of her own. Their names were Cline, June, Billy and Don. Plomer died in 1984. His family came from Buncombe County, NC Lannie believes. Plomer and their daughter, June, are buried at the Philadelphia Church Cemetery. June was an RN. She was killed in an automobile accident in 1980, leaving four children. Lannie also lost a son to cancer at the age of 57 in 1992.

Lannie stayed at home about a year after Plomer passed away. She then moved to the Branan Lodge, a retirement complex in Blairsville, to live. This is where she was living when I first met her.

Lannie’s mother was raised in a one room house that had a side room built onto it that served as the kitchen. She says they lived rough back in those days. Her mom’s sister, John Berry’s mother, had 13 children. Large families were common in those days. Lannie’s mom had several brothers and sisters.

Lannie spoke about growing up and said that her family raised what they ate. “Folks couldn’t afford to feed a large family these days”, she says. They grew turnips, cabbage, sweet potatoes and Irish potatoes. Her dad would dig a large hole in the field, bed it with straw hay and dig four holes inside the larger hole to separate the vegetables. He would cover the goods with straw and dirt. They always left a small opening just big enough to allow someone to run a hand down into the hole to take out enough to prepare a meal. The vegetables would keep all winter long without freezing. Folks also had their own sugar cane patches and would make their own syrup to use as sweetener. The people of Union County, Georgia still celebrate this crop every October at the annual Sorghum Festival. It is a major event and runs three consecutive weekends according to Lannie.

Lannie moved from the Branan Lodge to the Union County Nursing Home around June, 1996.

Concerning the Self family in Colorado, I was able to make contact with Eura Self Beaver of Craig, Colorado in January, 1996. Eura is a daughter to Josiah W. (Joe) Self, son of John J. Self and Margaret Daniels Self. Joe is the family member that Lannie spoke of who moved to Colorado as a homesteader. Eura was able to provide me with some additional information.

She stated in a letter to me dated August 4, 1996 the following:

“ You asked why they moved to Colorado. I think Dad’s health was bad. He had some kind of stomach trouble. They came to Eaton, Colorado in later part of 1911 or early 1912. My brother, Josiah W. Self, Jr. was a baby still in long dresses. I was a brat of one or two years of age. My dad worked for a farmer, Mr. Blanden, in Eaton and at the sugar mill in Greeley. He was working at grinding hay of some sort for sheep on the Blandon Ranch when he got in the machine and lost most of his right hand. He had a thumb and one finger left. I believe it was in 1913 he moved his family to Moffat County to my uncle John Majors place on William Parks (?) Ranch. He took up a homestead in Spring Gulch (?) and made a home for his family. He was an ordained minister of the Methodist Religion. He did conduct Sunday School for the young folks of the community. He also taught school at our rural school called Waddle Creek School. He also taught at Pagoda during the spring and summer. He took tax schedules in Moffat County, riding horse or walking. He did love to walk. My mother stayed on the homestead and took care of the kids. My brother, John and sister, Mary were born on the ranch making 5 girls and 4 boys in the family. He was elected to our county judge position in 1936 and 1938. Two terms then he retired. He lived a busy life to old age & passed away at the age of 83 in 1953.

My dad’s brothers & sisters as well as I can remember (were): James Self, Willis Self, Calvin Self, Mary Self, Sarah Self. Believe mother and dad were John J. Self and Margaret Danials (Daniels) Self. Not sure name is right.” … “I am an old lady of 86 years old.”

Note:
Lannie Self Mahaffey still lives in Blairsville, Georgia and turned 99 years old on May 25, 2004. Eura Self Beaver passed away around 1997 or 1998 I have been told.

For a photo of Lannie (Self) Mahaffey as a young woman, click HERE

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NEW LITTLE SELF
contributed by Cousin Barry

Lydia Elizabeth Self
(b. 2003)
Daughter of Cousins Barry and Svitlana

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MINOR SELF LINES
by Barbara Peck and Tim Seawolf-Self

In 2003, we presented an article on the major unconnected Self lines. Now we'd like to concentrate on the minor lines that are still not connected to Olde Robert Selfe, even by "best evidence." In this second installment, we've included Self branches from Arkansas. We hope to feature more small family lines in the following newsletters.

ARKANSAS

MADISON SELF: Madison Self was born in Benton County, Arkansas but went to Kansas later in his life. He m. Marjorie Elizabeth Casebier, b. Feb. 23, 1838 in Greene County, MO. His children were Maybelle and Alfred--whom we know nothing more about--Benjamin (1889) and Madison (1861).

SARAH JANE SELF: Also from Benton County, AR., Sarah Jane Self married Robb T. Raper and had at least one son named Albert Covington Raper. He m. Ola Elizabeth Prickett.

ALLISON ALONZO SELF: Listed under Cleburne County, AR., Allison Self was born on July 9, 1906 and died in Oct. 1980. He married Minnie Vaughn Fitzgerald, b. Oct. 1, 1905 and d. Jan. 25, 1983. They had 5 children. Who were his parents?

CLYDE ALBERT SELF: Clyde Self was from Crittenden County, AR. We don't know who he married, nor do we know who his parents were--we don't even know his dates, but he was born sometime around the turn of the 20th century.

JOHN MADISON SELF: John Self was born in 1867 and died before May 7, 1919. He lived in Franklin County, AR., birthplace of his wife, Edward Jimmie Barclift (1871 - 1949). They had 6 children--Emma, Elmo, Effie, Marie, Grace, and Matthew.

ALICE CALDONIA SELF: This is a real mystery woman--or two. We have an Alice Caldonia self born 1877 in Mulberry, Franklin County, AR. We also have one who m. Apr. 19, 1885 in Scott County, AR. The first Alice married Caleb Mott. The second Alice married Caleb Platt Mott. Are these the same person with incorrect dates? Or are they two separate people? And who was her/their father?

RACHEL SELF: Born Dec. 1859 in AR., Rachel Self m. (1) ??? Lunsford and (2) about 1888, Robert Franklin McAbee, by whom she had 3 children. She died about 1910 in Greene County, AR. To which parents does Rachel belong?

SAMUEL BOYD SELF: Cousin Sherry has been looking for the ancestors of this man for years. Samuel Boyd Self was born about Aug. 1880--his father's name may have included "Boyd" also. He died in 1979 in Little Rock, AR. He m. May 11, 1914 in Jackson County, AR., Clara Ocean Hawkins and had 10 children. We've learned a whole lot about Arkansas Selfs since we met Cousin Sherry in 1996, but we've never been able to find out a thing about Samuel. Do you have any clues?

TABITHA NARCISSUS SELF: Tabitha was born Jan. 21, 1851 in Newton County, AR and died Nov. 1, 1928 in Waldron, Scott County, AR. She married Mar. 21, 1871, Peter Peterson Barnard. She should be easy to trace, coming from Newton and Scott Counties, but she's been elusive so far. The Barnards had 9 children. We know a little about their eldest child, Sarah Jane (Barnard) Callahan, but we'd actually like information on all of her descendants, including Sarah's, as well as Tabitha's lineage.

MARY JANE SELF: Another Self woman who married into the Barnard family was Mary Jane (1852 - 1919) She and her husband, Jonathan T. Barnard, had 4 children: William, Rachel, Polly, and Manervia. Is Mary Jane the sister of Tabitha Self, above?

ELIZABETH SELF: Born 1833 in AR., Elizabeth Self married about 1855 Barton Doolin. Again, this individual is associated with Newton County and with Johnson County, too. So that indicates the Levi line. Yet we can't place her. Do you know where she belongs and perhaps have a list of her descendants?

JOHN SELF: We have no dates for this John Self, but he lived in Phillips County, AR and also spent time in Mississippi. He married Sarah Barrett, also known as Sadie, and had 5 children. He then married Dolly ??? who gave him 8 more. Who is this John Self?

LOUETTA ASA NETTIE SELPH: Louisa was born in Randolph County, AR on Jan. 29, 1860 and died May 29, 1948 in Wayne County, IL. She m. Feb. 21, 1883 in Wayne County, IL., William Johnson Taylor and had three children, Luther (1885), Otis (1890), and Charles (1903). Who were her parents?

TAYLOR BESSIE SELF: Taylor Self (1891 - 1963) is another elusive person from Scott County, AR. Married in 1919 to Louis Stanley Hutchins (1894 - 1969), she had six children.

EMMA JANE SELF: It's possible that Emma Jane Self (1883 - 1937) was a sister or cousin to Taylor Bessie (Self) Hutchins. Emma lived in the same area, married Joseph Daniel Neal (1856 - 1933) and had twelve children. Descendants and parents are wanted.

MARY DELILAH SELF: Mary, born on Oct. 21, 1820, possibly in Alabama, married John Jackson Bull. We have her in our Sebastian County, AR fragment file, but she may have been married in either Arkansas or Texas, though her husband was born in Tennessee. What happened to her 9 children? We only know of William Benjamin (1854 - 1904) whose descendants remained in the Arkansas area. We're looking for more on him, also descendants of Elizabeth, Betsie, Sarah, Benjamin, Allan, Thomas, Elmira, and Nancy, as well as Mary Delilah's parents.

ANDREW JACKSON SELF: We know that Andrew Self was born May 2, 1876 in Harrison County, AR. We also know that he died on May 17, 1924. In 1896, he married Victoria Isabel Upton Corley (1879 - 1914) and had 9 children. But we don't know who his parents were.

CORA ALICE SELF: Born Oct. 21, 1881 in AR., Cora Alice Self died there in Dec. 7, 1916. We're not exactly sure what county she lived in. She married John Calvin Hull and had at least three children.

ELIZABETH SELF: Elizabeth Self is such a common name that we're really lost when there is little or no other information to go on. She was born somewhere about 1808 and apparently lived in Arkansas when she married Mr. Holt, first name unknown. Their daughter, Nancy (1830 - 1907), married John Frederick Bowen, and went to Santa Cruz County, CA with their seven children.

MARGARET SELF: We don't know when or where Margaret Self was born or where she died. All we know is that she and her husband, William T. Wheeler, lived somewhere in Arkansas. Do you know who she is?

SUMMARY

If you know about any of these Selfs from Arkansas, please send us a chart or gedcom showing their ancestry. In the issues to follow, we'll be listing other "Loose Ends" from other states. You'll find these people listed on the "Loose Ends" section of "SelfSite" as well. We'd just love to put them in their place!

(NEXT: Minor Self Lines, part 3)

Maybe your ancestors used to tell stories about life in the "old days," stories you remember hearing as a child. Please tell us about them. We will even supply editing and formatting; but we'd all love to know about daily life in the Self families of old--and you may be able to help. Please contact us. And please state that your story is specifically for the newsletter.

LOOSE ENDS

Please go to our "Loose Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.

DEAD ENDS

Please go to our "Dead Ends" subsection at our SelfSite at RootsWeb.

SELFS IN SPACE

What would you like to see here? This space is reserved for any topic of interest to Self cousins. Express YourSelf!!

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