Stuart Marvin Cornett and Gincy Malinda Long

Stuart and Gincy were my great grandparents and Stuart was also the grandson of James Monroe Cornett and Mary Ann Cornett. He was born on September 22, 1881 in Grayson County, Virginia and died on February 3, 1966 in Smythe County, Virginia at the age of 84. His immediate family includes his wife, Gincy Malinda Caroline Long and their 14 children.

Stuart Monroe/Marvin Cornett (09/22/1881-02/03/1966)

Gincy Malinda Long (07/01/1886- 09/24/1978)

Married April 5, 1905 by Rev. Johnson Stamper

Children	Born	Married	Died
Della Pauline Wayne Wright	02/06/1906 02/14/1904	11/23/1924	02/07/1963 01/10/1979
Mary Frances Verlin Cornett Frederick L. Corriston	05/04/1908 01/19/1905 04/24/1910	N/A N/A N/A	N/A 04/16/1972 09/10/1979
Anna Mae James Dean Russell	07/12/1910 03/06/1908	07/01/1928	N/A 07/14/1986
Grover Fred Cornett Wave L. Kiser	08/31/1912 07/15/1919	10/07/1939	N/A 01/20/1987
Lucia Rose Cornett Walter Allen Cornett	07/08/1914 12/29/1909	07/15/1928	11/2010 06/30/1967
Pearl Mildred Harmon Harold Hash	05/08/1916 07/17/1913	04/07/1939	N/A 08/04/1986
Elbert Wayne Cornett Edith Roberts	05/04/1918 07/04/1926	07/12/1941	N/A N/A
Charles Estel Cornett Velma Louise Parks	05/02/1920 07/13/1925	10/04/1941	N/A N/A
Lillie Edna Millard C. Parks	04/10/1922 05/29/1921	05/22/1941	N/A N/A
Carl Wesley Cornett Margaret Emaline Watson	03/21/1924 02/22/1929	08/01/1949	N/A N/A
Ora Lee Stanley Franklin Anderson	11/10/1925 05/26/1927	12/16/1946	N/A 06/10/1993
James Donald Cornett Doris Jeanne Leonard	07/22/1928 07/03/1931	09/20/1952	N/A N/A
Billy Cornett Jackie (Wadie) Richardson	07/05/1930 01/19/193_	08/10/1949 (Divorced)	N/A N/A
Claude Scott Cornett Betty Sue Shepherd	11/30/1932 07/26/1934	12/05/1953 (Divorced)	N/A N/A

I have been researching the Cornett line for some time now and have been adding data as it becomes available to me. It is a long process when trying to incorporate data tables of the information supplied to me, in hard copy form I might add. But it is all coming together. Patience is a virtue I am learning, as I like things completed NOW. But in genealogy you have to be patient, so I'm taking baby steps!

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A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

Memories that last a lifetime, photos of family are the treasures of the past. I'm sure you have heard the saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words", but for a family historian seeking photos of family members, long gone is really a dream come true.


Have you ever been into an antique store and seen framed photos and wonder who they may have belonged to? There have to be memories linked to such things. Maybe you have seen old photo albums, silver framed photos that are now probably tarnished and could use some extra loving care. Vintage clothing? An old wedding dress or a child's antique toy? I love going into antique stores even if it's just to look at all the things that may have been cherished by a person in a bygone era. Going into these shoppes, have you ever wondered if you were passing up a good find? What if one of those photo albums that was displayed, was a part of your family history and you just never thought to really look at it? I'm not talking about merely glancing through the images, but really looking at the pictures, looking for names and dates and so on. Are you willing to walk away and just forget about these artifacts of the past? I don't think I could!


As a family historian myself, it would be a dream come true to find such a priceless, prized possession! Even if the album or photo didn't have my particular family history attached to to it, I would want to seek out the person that it may have rightfully belonged to. How did it not get passed down through the families generations? How did it end up in an antique store to begin with? 


Personally, I would love to have one of my grandmothers older photo albums, an old journal, love letters, her wedding dress, or any other type of memorabilia from her past. It's all about staying connected to her in a much more personal way even though she has already passed. Today, people take such things for granted and consider something like this as just old junk that should be tossed away or donated. 


Try visiting an antique store in your area, take a look around and see all the lost items of our ancestors past.


I found a website that caters to finding these gems of the past and would like to share it with you!
Check this site out and let me know if you found something :)


Abby's Buy And Sell Genealogy


Image Source:
ImageZoo.Shopping At An Antique Store. (Online Image) Available at http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/77377764/Imagezoo
 Image # 77377764

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Your Genetic Genealogy~ Is It As Accurate As You Think?

Good morning and Aloha! 
It has been breezy but also rainy here on Oahu this morning and it makes for great sleeping weather, so what am I doing up? It's 9 a.m. that's why; I cant sleep in like my husband can, he can sleep through a tsunami! If I were only that lucky...but anyway, I have been wondering about the accuracy of DNA in our genealogy. 

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DNA Genetics

How do we know this is truly accurate, as DNA is taken from the living, not the dead? The genetic genealogy tests can be expensive, depending on your own economic standpoint. So just how great is this anyway? I've been reading up on several different articles that pertain to this topic and in my opinion, I wouldn't waste my time or money on something that isn't 110% accurate. I'm not saying that a person shouldn't do this type of testing, if it leads them to finding their missing links in their families history. By all means, go for it if that's what you want to do. I am merely expressing my own opinion. After reading the following article, I became a little skeptical. There are many companies offering these types of services that promise to trace your lineage through means of a DNA test, whether it's paternal or maternal, the price goes up depending on your needs. Read this article from another blogger, who seems to have done her research and then let me know whether you think this type of test is something you would do. 


Genetic Genealogy Blog




To My Readers: Have you tried this sort of testing to trace your ancestral roots? Did you have any success? Please post your success stories! Below is a company offering this type of service. What do you think?


DNA Ancestry Project

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Family Genealogy Package

Yesterday, I received my genealogy package in the mail from my Aunt Evelyn! I was so excited to open it, that it was like opening a birthday gift except there wasn't any frilly bows or paper to unwrap. In this package came two thick stacks of family history, stapled together, one for Lucia Cornett, (my grandmother's side of the family) and another packet of information for Walter Cornett's side of the family, (my grandfather). 


One packet was labeled, "The Family of Stuart Marvin Cornett and Gincy Malinda Long Cornett" which contains names, birth and death dates, marriages and the children's information, etc and there was even a few photos included in each of the documents, a couple of newspaper articles, one which was a 50th wedding anniversary article, another article titled, "Three Couples From Cornett Family Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversaries" (Gazette, Galax, VA, Monday, December 9, 1991) How exciting to have three different couples, all in the Cornett family to celebrate such a momentous occasion at one time! The other packet was labeled as "The Descendants of David and Feby (Phoebe) Sutherland Cornett.


The package also included a death certificate for Walter and a birth certificate for Lucia, two different Honorable Discharge papers for Walter's WW II military service, a press release regarding his service in the Army Air Forces and a story titled, "Roberts Cove" which was written by Pat Miles Burris and Anna J. Woods and included a photocopy of the George Parks homestead which is posted below.

George Parks Homestead

(Notice that there are three front doors)

In the above photo, the back side reads: George Parks and Vinnie Testerment- 
Izora's Mom & Dad- (Walter's grandparents on mother's side)
Date Unknown
'
The Homestead Photo has writing also- "Old George Parks Homestead"
Date Unknown

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Through The Looking Glass

Our ancestors of past generations would probably think that living in today's digital world of computers, the iPad, and even our smart phones, as alien. In their days, they were lucky if they even had a land line! Knowing what I know now, depending on Internet and my iPhone on a daily basis, I would be lost without them; I couldn't imagine living life day to day without these items which have become so common in our world today. 

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My Smartphone

Taking you back in time, imagine life without any technology whatsoever. You don't have electric or gas stoves, but wood burning stoves instead, you don't have computers to write your family and friends an email or the ability to share photos, but you have to hand write everything down to the last letter, there was no such thing as a washer and dryer, you had to use an old washboard for every article of clothing you wore. Which by the way, had to be taken to the nearest lake or creek to be washed and you can just forget your handy dryer with your lavender scented fabric softener sheets! And what...no FaceBook? My husband's grandmother, Evelyn is still in awe, when I show her pictures on my iPhone and she doesn't understand how they got there! I have tried many times to explain to her what FaceBook really is and how you can share photos of family and comment on them. My favorite part of this is the way she says, "You can do this on the computer? It does that? Oh, how nice!" (Laughing) Oh the possibilities! We haven't even really started to break the mold as far as what technology can do for us today.

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Time To Do Your Laundry!

So with this great thing called technology, I am searching and scouring the various websites and resources in search of my family. Making contact with relatives I never even knew I had, all through the use of the Internet and my laptop! Ha! Who knew?? But being out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, living on Oahu, I find that I am forever grateful for the high tech world I live in, and being able to re-connect with family I haven't seen since I was probably six years old! 


The digital world has turned my laptop into a great tool. I now have the power to see through the looking glass (my laptop screen) to the world that was once my ancestors, and see not only photos of them, but also see the homes where they lived, the town where they grew up, the ability to see historical maps as they were back in the 1700-1800's, searching old newspapers and census records, and so on. 


Today, my research is at a standstill somewhat, as I am waiting to receive documents from a family member that will give me something solid and concrete as far as actual data and birth records. Having contacted several members of my family, who I might add, are gathering photos and documents for me as I type this article. I hope to read and go over these very soon!


Hopefully I will be able to tear down one or more of the brick walls that seem to have stopped me in my tracks. 


Happy Hunting!!

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And the Plot Thickens!

This past week, I've been researching and reading on my Cornett relatives even though I haven't been posting new articles as I go along. In the beginning of the week I received a book that I purchased on Amazon's web site, entitled, "Grayson County: A History in Words and Pictures".
I found a few things about my family personally inside and a couple of photos also, which was very exciting. I can actually put a face to the name now. The book explains the history of Grayson County and how it came to be what it is today. 

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Grayson County, Virginia Map

Among the events that happened in the 1700's is a story, which caught my attention and it's the legend of Caty Sage. She was kidnapped at a young age and given to Indians. Caty's mother had been at the creek, and came back to get clothes for washing when she found her daughter was missing. Caty grew up among the Indians and even spoke their language, she even married a Chief of the tribe, so when she was eventually found some fifty years later, she needed an interpreter as she no longer knew the English language. The sad part of the story is that when she was about to be reunited with her mother, the mother was already in her elderly years, and died before she was able to set eyes on her beloved daughter. There is so much history regarding Grayson County as a whole; before white man settled here, it was the hunting ground of many different Indian tribes, not only was settling in Indian territory one of the events of the time but the families had to deal with the effects of war too. 


Today, I am still researching my Cornett family and just enjoying the time I get to spend learning about them, their hardships, their way of life, their occupations, the way they dressed and a little about how they raised their children back in the day. It is one never ending journey that I have been taking one day at a time! As a family historian, researching your ancestors will never, ever really be completed, no matter how hard you try. I can't imagine someone saying "I'm done with my family tree!" Ummm....really? That's nice, but HOW? I don't even consider that a possibility! There are so many people in your tree that could be studied and their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings, for generations and generations. I just don't see it happening like that. I don't think my research will ever be complete, at least not in my lifetime! 

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My Sutherland Family~ Did They Live In Dunrobin Castle?

A thought I have been pondering~ Did any members of my Sutherland family ever reside in Dunrobin Castle? Being that said castle is magnificent in its' own right, it is also a castle, which is located in Golspie, Scotland and was built and still owned by the Sutherland family. (The Sutherland Family) It is only that several hundred years later that Sir Charles Barry did an extensive remodel, which he is famous for designing the Houses of Parliament. The Sutherland family may still inhabit this grand castle, but is it my Sutherland family or those of another?

Image Source: Getty Images

Photographer- Giorgio Perbellini

From prior reading, I know that Dunrobin Castle is the seat of Clan Sutherland and the oldest part of the castle dates back to the 13th century and was considered a stronghold of the family. What I wouldn't give to just take the actual grand tour of this place! According to Clan Sutherland, the castle has 189 rooms! Yikes- imagine having to clean that on a daily basis! But what intrigues me the most, is what is inside the castle, not necessarily the magnificent exterior and  its' gardens. Although that would be a pleasure to see too, but it is the artifacts, furniture, art and most of all the families memorabilia that I would like to see firsthand! I can just imagine the history that is on display here at Dunrobin.  
Tour The Castle!

I hope you enjoy the videos! 

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Are Your Children Interested In Genealogy?

Good afternoon! I have been trying to figure out a way to get both of my sons, ages 20 and 14 to have an interest in their family tree. I have had some success with my oldest son John, but Dakota, well that's another story entirely. All he is interested in, is playing basketball! So how can I get him involved and actually start liking "the hunt"? I have a few ideas that I have been thinking about but have come to realize that he may never really be interested in genealogy or where he comes from, for quite awhile. But in the meantime, I like to share what I have found out so far with both John and Dakota. John likes hearing it to a certain extent, he wants to know about all the drama in our family! Personally, I think he watches too much television! I haven't found any mobsters or convicted criminals yet. My family is not based on a mobster movie like the "Godfather", either! 

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Genealogy For Kids

As much as they would like it to be, I can't say that the research I have come across, resembles anything even close to that. Dakota, on the other hand, thinks I'm weird for focusing my time on research and not doing fun stuff! He told me the other day, "Mom, you live in Hawaii! You need to do fun stuff like going surfing!" Haha, me on a surfboard? Now that would truly be a sight! Don't get me wrong, I love the ocean and watching the surfers do their thing. But I don't want to be one!! I like to go snorkeling. Now that's something I could do without getting cut up by the reef. Besides I kind of fear sharks A LOT! Give me a boat and I'll go out in the middle of the ocean, but you aren't going to find me on a surfboard, catching the next swell anytime soon. 


Are your children interested in Genealogy? Does anyone have any ideas for activities that will help get children involved more? If you do, please share! I imagine if I had started this when they were younger, there would be plenty of things that I could do with them. But they're a little older now, so it may not be such an easy task. Everyone has their own idea of fun, their likes and dislikes and what I may like and think as fun, someone else may not. 

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Saturday Shout Out

A few days ago, I thought about taking a few college courses in Genealogy to further my research and put my thirst for knowledge to work. Then life intervened and I got side tracked and it just slipped my mind to investigate it any further. That is, until I read a blog called Family Cherished written by Valerie, a very talented and inspiring writer I might add. The particular blog article I am referring to is called, "Getting a Great Genealogical Education For Little or No Money!"  Can I just say, I was hooked before I even finished the first paragraph? 


The article was very informative, and just what I was looking for, in terms of courses that wouldn't put me into tremendous debt. Been there, done that! I'm still paying off college loans, so why would I want to be further indebted just to take a couple of extra courses? This article is a "must read" for those that have been thinking about gaining a little extra knowledge on this topic. Valerie listed some very good ideas on.....well you really need to read it for yourself! 


Kudos, Valerie for writing such a great article and spurring me into action!

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Happy Aloha Friday!

It's such a beautiful day here in Kailua! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and how I love the ocean breeze. Such a perfect beginning to a wonderful weekend ahead! As I sit here, I am debating on the content of today's blog post. To all my fellow blogger's out there: Do you ever get "Blank Screen Syndrome"? For me, it's almost like writer's block! 


But anyway, I want to tell you about my most recent 'jump for joy' feeling that I had last night! As you know, I have been doing all this research, and in the process I have made a few contacts through Ancestry.com and other sources. By discussing my searches on these forums, forums such as Ancestry.com.com and Genealogy.com, I have made three different contacts, who turned out to be distant cousins!! I never knew I had these cousins, and I never met them in my whole life! To be able to connect with family, is truly a treasure and worth its' weight in gold, especially when we are all trying to attain the same goals in regards to our past lineage. So going on... last night I received a message through Ancestry's web site, from a cousin that I have been going back and forth in correspondence with. My initial question to her was about my search for Alexander Sutherland, who is one of my current brick walls and also one of hers too. She didn't have much information on Alexander but we still send messages to one another just in case we manage to break through the mortar. Anyway, her message was about her brother, a "Sutherland" cousin of mine. Where does he live? Oh! Only about 30 minutes away from me!
So you can imagine, I was just about ecstatic when I read and re-read the message. I had to read it at least twice to make sure it wasn't my imagination! This was great news for me, I was so excited to learn this. What a small world it is! I mean really, what are the odds? I only moved here to the Hawaiian islands a mere 5 months ago! 


Ever since then, I have been digging deeper than ever to find the base of my ancestral roots, some roots which don't want to be found and have turned into such a congested knot, never to be untangled! But I have news for you, Sir Root, as you are about to become untangled and care free! I don't give up so easily. It's only a matter of time before you unravel.


Yesterday, I was searching high and low, in every nook and cranny on the world wide web, changing up keyword searches and all; looking for information on my Sutherland link to the Cornett line. I didn't find too much, but I am in the process of trying to retrieve birth documents and death records to prove my lineage along the way! I hope I have better success today. 


Good luck to you in your searches as well! 


Have a happy Aloha Friday everyone!

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Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness

As I am researching my Cornett surname, I happen to come across another web site that I had to share! It's called Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness, where select volunteers offer to do look ups for people like myself, that cannot locate a particular document. In my case I was looking for a marriage record, which I couldn't find for my grandparents. After searching Ancestry.com and not really wanting to pay the price, at least not at the moment; I came across this little gem of a web site. The volunteers on the site have generously offered their time to do some genealogical research on my (visitor to the site) behalf. So really the only thing that must be reimbursed to the volunteer is copy and printing costs, postage, mileage, parking and the like. I didn't think that was such a bad deal! You never know unless you try, right? 

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Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness

So here's the link if you would like to try the services being offered.

Random Acts Of Genealogical Kindness

Awards

So for now, I have sent in my request and hopefully I will receive the results that I couldn't find elsewhere. Wish me luck! What would you do as a random act of kindness for another person? Comments are most welcome.

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