Finding mixed-race (black - white) distant relatives

[Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names]

All this took place in SW Mississippi.

My great-grandfather had a sister who married a man named Emile
L______ (1879-1949).

Emile had a brother, P. P. L_____________ (1878 - 1944). PP never
married, however, he had a common-law wife who was black. Together
they had several children -- I have heard 8, 9, and 11.

The common-law wife used her own name. However, in the mid-1950's she
and the children started using the father's last name, L________ --
much to the embarassment of the white side of the family.

Now, it's well-known that a lot of Southern men had "shadow families"
- a mixed-race child or children whose mothers usually were family
servants. However, it was -- and in some quarters, still is -- one of
those things that no one talked about.

I am trying to find the black woman. I know her last name and where
she and the children lived approx 1920 - 1950. I have searched for
her under her name and under the L______ name -- no luck in census or
FindAGrave, although I did find PP's grave. According to his great
niece, he never had a "real family."

Any suggestions?

[Joe Makowiec]

On 27 Mar 2012 in soc.genealogy.misc, Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names wrote:

> I am trying to find the black woman. I know her last name and where
> she and the children lived approx 1920 - 1950. I have searched for
> her under her name and under the L______ name -- no luck in census or
> FindAGrave, although I did find PP's grave. According to his great
> niece, he never had a "real family."

You might check with the 'black' churches in the area - African Methodist
Episcopal, Church of God in Christ (COGIC), ...

--
Joe Makowiec
http://makowiec.org/
Email: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe
Usenet Improvement Project: http://twovoyagers.com/improve-usenet.org/

[singhals]

Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names wrote:

Try the other grave sites; some have things the others
don't. Being honest, though, I don't see a whole lot of
"traditionally black" cemeteries on any of 'em. The two I
know about specifically aren't there.

Run the F-a-G search with ONLY her given and surnames unless
she's got a last name that is dirt-common in that corner of
Mississippi. Run the search with born "bef" and then again
with born "aft".

If the L___ is for what I think it is, touch base with their
family association.

Mississippi State Archives /used/ to have a rather
magnificent collection of out-dated phone books. If you're
not in driving distance, look for someone who is.

Use the county GenWeb site and tap into the FPOC
connections. Someone's already suggested the black
churches, you might also check the black newspapers for
obits or marriages.

And, finally, what specifically do you mean by "Black"? You
mean, had 8 non-white great-grandparents, or do you mean,
"was officially non-white"? MIGHT matter to where she went.
(Could she or her children be passing, in other words.)

Cheryl

[Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names]

On Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:01:07 -0400, singhals <sing...@erols.com>
wrote:

Thanks -- you've given me a lot of valuable tips.

By "black" I mean really, really African-American. She was black --
not "mullato," not "high-yellow," and not "passing."

I have since discovered that he was a big landowner in two counties.

My father was a high school coach and later principal in the county.
The county's black school superintendent had a son with whom I
maintain contact -- I'll ask him about this matter.

Thanks.

[Bob Melson]

On Tuesday 27 March 2012 22:31, Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names
(PopUl...@hotmail.com) opined:

At the risk of being simplistic by stating the obvious, have you checked
the state birth records for the kids? Or, alternatively, the county
records? Either under the mother's name or, as you put it, "L______"?
Even if the births were midwife attended, there ought to be a record.
I think you're likely to have better luck with the state records than with
the county, but those are both stones that need turning.

Swampy Ol' Bob

--
Robert G. Melson | Rio Grande MicroSolutions | El Paso, Texas
-----
The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated
in the name of the noblest causes -- Thomas Paine

[Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names]

On Tue, 27 Mar 2012 23:25:51 -0600, Bob Melson <amia...@mypacks.net>
wrote:

Thanks, Bob, for the tip.

However -- this is MISSISSIPPI. As much as I am proud of my
Mississippi roots, and as much as I love my Mississippi cousins -- no
matter what shade their skin color -- the state did and did not do
certain things.

I'll check the state records. They started recording births in 1913
-- I thnk that's correct -- and these births were after about 1930.

I have since located cemetery and obituary information.

Thanks again.

[Bob Melson]

On Friday 30 March 2012 00:19, Kickin' Ass and Takin' Names
(PopUl...@hotmail.com) opined:

<snip>

> Thanks, Bob, for the tip.
>
> However -- this is MISSISSIPPI. As much as I am proud of my

And, so? Even places like Mississippi collected vital stats, if for no
other reason than for public health purposes. They may have segregated
the records, as they did just about everything else, but I don't believe
they were so short sighted as to not keep records of births and deaths.
Maybe I'm wrong, but ...

> Mississippi roots, and as much as I love my Mississippi cousins -- no
> matter what shade their skin color -- the state did and did not do
> certain things.
>
> I'll check the state records. They started recording births in 1913
> -- I thnk that's correct -- and these births were after about 1930.
>
> I have since located cemetery and obituary information.
>
> Thanks again.

Somnolent Ol' Bob