Finding Enslaved Ancestors

We want to identify whether or not we have had enslaved ancestors. We start in the wrong places though. Because I began before being a genealogist, I started talking and interviewing my own oldest family members. I interview uncles and cousins on my dad's side. On my mom's side I interviewedmy grandmother. When she was no longer able to communicatewith me due to sickness I turned to her sisters. I then got to know her first cousins. I had many accounts of the enslaved people. I even interviewd people many times.

It is important to understand that these interviews still assist me. I have begun to put more of there lives into perspective. I will share some of my goldmines with you as you read my book which if you have not yet gotten, you can get in here: Finding Enslaved Ancestors or message me out on Facebook. .

My Uncle Buddy was a family man. He

DeSoto County, Mississippi

lived most of his adult life in Cleveland, Ohio, but I can remember him even when young visiting my family every year. He started the reunions we used to have. He always believed we should all treat each other fairly young and old. I never had a problem with him because I believed the same way.

Uncle Buddy moved not to far from us to Joliet, Illinois in his latter years. I loved to go to his house to talk about the family and life. He kept up with everybody. One day when we by ourselves I asked him about the past. He told me his grandmother was Native American. She would carry him on her back like the Native Americans. He said that Native Americans were enslaved in Mississippi at that time. I do not know if she was part Native American or not. My dad's cousin kept hair of our ancestors, and it was thick and straight black.

Uncle Buddy also said that two of our enslaved Mississippians came from North Carolina. I knew they were the Nelms. He said the slave master's brother died and he got either my grandpa, Hence Nelms or my grandmother, Lucy Nelms.

After enslavement, my grandparents had a lot of land and a distillery. It was hard for them to stay on the property. Someone wrote "Nigger, read and run," on their tree, they were gone from their land by the next day.

In tellling the story, my Uncle was proud they could read the sign. Most of ther grandchildren became entreprenuers.

I miss my Uncle Buddy. I must continue what I have been given to do. I will leave a record of my family. I will continue to work to assist all people along the path they are on to discovery.

Next, we will follow the clues for Hence and Lucy Nelms to let you know what I was able to discover about them in 1870 and before. DeSoto County, Mississippi Genealogy

Let us know below about any of your challenges or breakthroughs: