Category Archives: A-Z Challenge 2025

O – Oh for a good nights sleep!

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

Ife and me. My sister’s foot.

Below is a letter I wrote home soon after my second daughter was born in Atlanta.

April 17, 1973

Hello Ma and Henry,

            How are you 2 doing?  The package came today – the blanket is a perfect crib fit and also quite fancy (smile).  She probably won’t use it much until this fall since she’s still sleeping in a drawer and I hope it’s warm by the time she gets to the big crib.  Do you think that crib there could be mailed or bused down here?

            Ife and Jilo are fine.  Jilo hasn’t been to school for about a week and her behavior has improved back to her normal self. I think a combination of lack of direction (on the staffs part) and not enough sleep at the school combine to make a dismal day.  I am going back to work for half day next month and Jilo will be going to school for half day and Ife will go to work with me since I can move to the empty house where nobody works mornings.  I don’t know how long they will go for this – however I am already making plans to start a small school of three over 3’s at $30/week or babysitting them but doing it like a school, so I can stay home.  I haven’t quite worked it out yet, but I’m sure with all the working parents and the eminent collapse of Jilo’s school, I can find some ready candidates.

            Ife sleeps a lot, except from about 5 to 10, during which she cries, eats, cries, etc.  It’s just when I’m trying to cook dinner and that’s a drag, but at least she’s sleeping good at night – not all night, but she’s not crying much at night. For awhile she stayed awake all night instead of the evening.

Jilo and Ife in the yard a few months later.

_________________

For more about life for us during those times -> Cascade Rd. SW, Atlanta

N – New Bonnet for Dee Dee

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Detroit, Grahams

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

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Doris Diane Elkins in bonnet front left, cousin Mary Jane Roberts, right front. Their mothers, Mary Vee Graham Elkins and Elizabeth Elkins Roberts are behind them.
The Detroit Tribune, Detroit, Michigan • Sat, April 22, 1944 Page 4

Sunday, four generations were represented at the christening of Doris Diane Elkins, the small daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Elkins, of McDougall. The ceremony took place at the home of the baby’s maternal great grand mother, Mrs. Jennie Turner, of Harding avenue. Her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Graham, aIso her paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Elkins, Sr.; her aunts. -Misses Daisy and Alice Turner, and Mrs. Elizabeth Roberts, all were present to witness the event. The baby’s godparents. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Franklin, of Oakland, Calif., sent their godchild a beautiful bonnet for the christening.

Paternal Aunt and paternal grandparents
Doris Diane with parents, Frank and Mary Vee Elkins
Maternal grandparents, Mershell and Fannie Graham.

Doris Diane Elkins is my first cousin. Our mothers, Mary V. and Doris Graham, were sisters. My sister wondered why our mother wasn’t there. The reason was because she was married and living in San Francisco where my father was co-pastor at Fellowship Church, non-denominational.

M – My Grandmother Enumerates

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Alabama

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

My grandmother Fannie M. Turner was  an enumerator for the 1910 US Census in Montgomery, Alabama.  She was 22 and lived with her mother and younger sisters in Montgomery, although not in the district she enumerated.  Her grandmother Eliza Allen lived in that district. I was looking at the entry for Eliza when I first noticed that my grandmother was the enumerator.  I found a newspaper article online about the appointed census takers.

APPOINT CENSUS TAKERS

ENUMERATORS. FOR MONTGOMERY ARE NAMED.

Supervisor At Washington Approves Designations Made By Director Swanson of Second District After Examinations Are Undergone.

The directors of the census at Washington has provided additional designations by Dr. C. Swanson, the supervisor of the Second Alabama District of the following named persons to act as enumerators in the counties mentioned:

Baldwin- Stanley M. Waters, W. D. Durant, Nell G. McKenzie, Cornelius A. Gaston, Jay B. McGrew.
Conecuh- Henry W. Pruett.
Covington- S. P. Barron, Rochford S. Parks, W. O. Searcy, Will C. Grant, J. Herbert Jones, Benjamin F. Parker, Gordon M. Brown, William B. Combs, David A. Beasley, John R. Cravey, Hilary D. Childre, John F. Phillips.
Montgomery- City – Whites: Albert S. Ashley, E. F. Davis, James C. Westbrook, Leopold Loeb, Thomas Robinson, R. Brownlee Centerfit, Charles S. Spann, Louis Lyons, Edgar W. Smith, Mrs. Fannie B. Wilson, Handy H. McLemore. Thomas M. Westcott, Alto Deal, Miss Gene Finch, Frank G. Browder.
Negroes- To enumerate negro (sic) population only – Gertrude V. Wilson, Ell W. Buchannan, Fannie M. Turner, David R. Dorsey.
Montgomery county- outside city – Whites: William F. Allen, Frank McLean, William T. Davis, William Tankersley, James F. Robertson, James A. Stowers, Charles A. Goodwyn, William C. Ozier, O. P. Davis, Miss Oralee Naftel, Ansley L. Stough, Henderson H. Norman, Joseph K. McClurkin, William A. Johnson, John H. Kennedy, J. W. Martin, Thornton E. Gilmer, Thomas B. Barnett, William D. Calloway.
Wilcox county- -Leonard L. Godbold, Fair J. Bryant, John H. Malone, John W. Pharr, W. E. Dilger, D. C. Murphy, James D. McCall, H. C. Pearson, R. L. Vaughn, R. H. G. Gaines, Danuel G. Cook, Joseph R. Harper, Joseph R. Harper, J. F. Fore, Leonard W. Hardy, Arthur Lee, William A. McLean, B. F. Watts, Jr. E. F. Spencer, Emmett L. Gaston, John C. Seltzer, F. R. Albritton, Eugene E. Williams, William J. Sessions.
Wilcox county- William J. Edwards.
For a very few districts in Montgomery and Wilcox counties Anal action has not yet been taken on the selection of enumerators, but will be in time for the enumeration.

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Fannie M. Turner began work April 15, 1910 and enumerated her Aunt Abbie and her Grandmother Eliza on pg 2. She finished on April 26.  Mrs. Fannie B. Wilson (white) completed the enumeration of Montgomery, Ward 4 by counting the white residents on several pages after that.  As noted in the newspaper article, Negro enumerators could only count Negroes.  I wonder how that worked. Did my grandmother go to the door, note that they were white and tell them someone else would return to count them later? Did the neighbors alert her?  Since she was already familiar with the neighborhood, did she already know where the white people lived or did all the white residences live in the same area?

________

Fannie Turner was my maternal grandmother. She managed her Uncle Victor Tulane’s grocery store in Montgomery, Alabama from the time she graduated from State Normal School until she married my grandfather in 1919.  I wish I knew the stories she could have told about that two weeks of counting the citizens in Ward 4.

L – Lowndes County Birth

A-Z Challenge 2025

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

________________

Alonza Turner was born on Thursday, April 14, 1910 in Lowndes County, Alabama. He was the 5th child of 35 year old farmer Alonza Turner and his wife 28 year old Galvester. The family included four other children: Nellie (7), Howard (5), Eddie (4), and Willie M. (2). Galvester had birthed five children and all five were alive. According to the 1910 Census, both parents were literate. The two oldest children had attended school. They rented their land.

Page from the 1910 census with Alonza Turner and his relatives marked in red.

On the same page there are three other households of Turners. Near the top of the page baby Alonza’s grandfather lived with his second wife, Luella, and their four children. Luella was literate, Joe was not. Their two oldest children were in school. Luella had birthed five children and all were alive. The oldest was born before she married Joe and was living with her parents. They owned their farm.

Baby Alonza’s uncle Joe and his wife Emma lived next door with their their four year old granddaughter. Joe was literate. Emma was not. Emma had birthed one child and she was alive and living down the road. They rented their farm.

Next is Alonza’s family. Below them lived Joe and Emma’s daughter, Fanny and her baby daughter. Fanny was literate and owned her house. She has birthed two children and both were alive. The older one was counted up with her parents.

Alonza Turner, the father, was the brother of my great grandfather Howard Turner. I do not have any photographs of this branch of the family.

K – Knickerbockers for Easter

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Cleages, Detroit, , ,

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

Henry, Albert Jr. (my father) Albert Sr, Gladys
Detroit Free Press April 18, 1924 page 15
Going to church
Cleage family going to church.

Were there Easter baskets back in the 1920s? Yes there were. You could get fillers or buy a ready made basket. I remember my Grandmother Pearl Cleage gave us ready made Easter Baskets in the 1950s .

Hudson’s Department Store – Detroit Free Press Wednesday, April 02, 1924

One hundred years ago, it was Easter Sunday and my father and his family were ready for church. They were members of St. John’s Presbyterian church, in Detroit, Michigan. My grandparents Albert and Pearl Cleage were founding members. Just a few weeks ago, I wrote about my Cleage family 100 years ago. You can read it at THE CLEAGES 100 YEARS AGO – 1925.

J – Jones Tabernacle hosts Music Festival

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Indianapolis

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

MUSIC FESTIVAL FRIDAY.

Miss Pearl Reed One of Singers at Jones Tabernacle.

Among the special attractions of Easter week will be the music festival to be given next Friday evening at Jones Tabernacle, under the auspices of the Witherspoon Memorial United Presbyterian church. A carefully selected program has been arranged in which the best available talent will take part.

In addition to Miss Pearl Reed, popular soloist, Miss Osie Watkins, of Richmond, has been engaged to sing. Other features will be vocal solos by Aldridge M. Lewis and Mrs. Sallie Robinson. There will be Instrumental solos by Alfred Taylor and Philip Tasch, and readings by Miss Harriet Mitchell, of Knoxville, Tenn.; G. W. Cable, Aldridge and Alfred Taylor. The Twentieth Century Club of Jones tabernacle, will serve refreshments at the close of the program.
The Indianapolis News Indianapolis, Indiana • Sat, Apr 10, 1909 Page 12

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Pearl Reed was my paternal grandmother. In 1909 she lived with her mother and older brother George. She and my grandfather were “keeping company’ and married the following year.

You can see a better copy of the photo above at this earlier post: F- Forgive this writing

You can read more about my grandmother’s life at this post: Grandmother Pearl Reed Cleage and also find more links about her life.

I – Ice Cream Served?

A-Z Challenge 2025

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

L>R – Robert Pope, Jennie Allen Turner, Alice Turner, Daisy Turner. Back – Beulah Allen Pope. 1921 on a trip to Detroit.
The Emancipator, Montgomery, Alabama • Sat, Apr 10, 1920 Page 2

MASTER WILLIAM PRICE ENTERTAINS.

Master Willie Price delightfully entertained at a party in honor of Master Harold Scott of Talladega, Ala. Delicious refreshments were served. Among those present were: Hazel Shipman, Annie Marie and Lonnie Miller, Theo. Alexander. Hazel Miller, Louise and Elizabeth Lewis, Agertha Lee Cook, Rebecca Wiley, Lelsie Hooks, James Lewis, Myrtle, Rosebud and Leon White, Margaret Johnson, Alice Turner, Ruth Harris, Agnes Tondee and Homer Hamilton.

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If delicious refreshments were served at a children’s birthday party, I think cake and ice cream would be among them. If they didn’t make it themselves, perhaps they bought it from Kratzer Ice Cream Co., that advertised in the same edition of The Emancipator.

The Emancipator, Montgomery, Alabama • Sat, Apr 10, 1920 Page 3

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Alice Turner, who was a guest at the birthday party was my maternal grandmother Fannie Turner Graham’s little sister. She was my great aunt. I knew her.

Other posts about Alice:

Finding Alice
Memories of Alice – 5 Family Members in 3 Generations Remember
More about Alice (Wright) Turner
Just The Facts – Timeline For My Great Aunt Alice

H – Home Entertainment at the Tulane’s

A-Z Challenge 2025, Montgomery Alabama

For this year’s A to Z Challenge I am posting an event involving someone in my family tree for that date. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

Willie Lee Allen Tulane and husband Victor Tulane on their porch. Montgomery, Alabama..
The Emancipator Montgomery, Alabama • Sat, Apr 13, 1918 Page 3

KINGS DAUGHTERS CLUB ENTERTAINS

The Kings Daughters, one of the working clubs of the Old Ship Church, very pleasantly entertained Messrs. Allen Carleton, Oscar Saffold, Prof. Finley and the church choir, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. V. H. Tulane, 10 S. Ripley St., Tuesday evening, April 9th. A fine musical program was rendered, the numbers including vocal and instrumental selections by those present, and, besides, a variety of choice selections by the Victrola, after which enjoyable refreshments were served.

______________

Miss F. M. Turner, manager, was my maternal grandmother. She was the Tulane’s niece.

In 1918 Victor and Willie Lee Tulane and their daughter Naomi lived in a comfortable apartment over Tulane Groceries. In addition to the grocery store, Victor Tulane also was very active in the life of the community. He was on the Board of Trustees of Tuskeegee Institute and cashier of the local Penny Bank.

They lost two young daughters early in their marriage and Willie Lee was overly protective of the surviving daughter, Naomi. Naomi was a student at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1918. They were active members of the Old Ship A. M. E. Church.

Willie Lee Allen Tulane was my great grandmother Jennie Allen Turner’s sister.

This is the house that goes with the porch. It now houses the Alabama PTA. This photo is from google.

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V.H. Tulane
Naomi Tulane
“Child of Victor Tulane…”
“Tulane Calls on Members of Race to be Patriotic”

G – Going Back to 1972 Black Religion Symposium

A-Z Challenge 2025, Cleages

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

My father, Rev. Albert B. Cleage Jr. later Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman

For several years after the 1967 Detroit Riot/Rebellion, my father received many invitations to speak around the United States. His participation in the Duke University Black Religion Symposium was one such instance.

For those who want to hear more from the Black Religion Symposium, audio of the speeches is available here -> Black Religion Symposium. The date on this page is for August, but the paper above gives April as the date and I’m going with that date. My father is the first speaker after the introduction.


F – Forgive this writing

A-Z Challenge 2025, African-American Genealogy & Slave Ancestry Research, Indianapolis, Pearl Reed's Letters

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I will be posting an event for that date involving someone in my family tree. Of course it will also involve the letter of the day. It may be a birth, a death, a christening, a journal entry, a letter or a newspaper article. If the entry is a news item, it will be transcribed immediately below. Click on photographs to enlarge in another window.

___________

While looking for some of his ancestors several years ago, my cousin Peter Olivier found a packet of  letters online written by my grandmother Pearl Reed (Cleage) from 1903 to 1905. They were for sale by Michal Brown Rare Books who “specialize in Americana, especially manuscript materials. We offer manuscript letters and archives, diaries, journals, personal and business correspondence from the 17th century through the 20th.“

By the time I found out that the letters existed, they had been sold to the University of Georgia in Athens. I thought it was strange because neither my grandmother Pearl Reed nor Homer Jarrett, the young man she was exchanging letters with, were well known. Homer seems to have saved every piece of mail he ever received. Eventually all of those hundreds of pieces (which included my grandmother’s letters) ended up being sold after his death. In their entirety they give a unique picture of the era in which they were written.

I immediately got in touch with Special Collections Library at The University of Georgia in Athens.  I was able to purchase scans of all 41 letters and envelopes very reasonably. I was very excited to have a look into my 19 year old grandmother’s life through her letters. It was lucky that the University purchased them. I could never have afforded to buy them.

Below is one of the letters in the package. It was written on April 7, 1904.

Courtesy of Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library/University of Georgia Libraries. Click to enlarge.
Homer Jarrett, at a later date.

Homer Jarrett
#230 Bird St., City

2730 Kenwood Ave
City
April 7, 1904

Dear Homer;
Forgive me for not writing sooner, but don’t you know I did write but tore up the letter a few hours after. Mother is very ill now and has been since Easter eve. I am having a terrible time. I could not go to church Easter Morn and have just received an invitation to a friends at her birthday anniversary but had to send her my regrets. Pity me.
Your little friend

P.S. I am in an awful hurry, forgive this writing.

Your Pearl

P.S. Minnie’s address is #337 Colfax Ave. Benton Harbor Mich.

__________________

Pearl Reed about 1904
Pearl Doris Reed 1904

Pearl Reed was my paternal grandmother. Homer was a friend of my grandmother. Minnie was my grandmother’s older sister who was married to Homer’s cousin and had moved from Indianapolis with her husband and family to Benton Harbor, Michigan.

At this time my grandmother was about 20 years old. She had graduated from high school and lived at home with her mother and her oldest brother, George. One other brother lived nearby with his family. Another brother lived in Chicago and all three of her living sisters lived in Benton Harbor, Michigan with their families. Her oldest sister died around 1900.

My grandmother would not meet my grandfather for several more years.

_____________

Read more about my grandmother’s letters in these posts:
My Grandmother’s Letters
Finding The Letters
The Letters – The People