While at home, I offered to pick up Jared and Tyler (John’s sons) from the corner while it was raining. This was on February 4th. Jared got into the front with no problem. As I was talking to Jared about his day, Tyler put his instrument case into the car. When he sat it down, it sounded like the car door, so I started going forward. Unfortunately, he was not in and I ran over his foot. While he turned out later to be okay, I felt horrible about it. For some reason, if I do hurt one of my brothers’ offspring, it is usually Tyler.

While I was in Walker, I was able to visit with several of my aunts and my uncle. I talked to my Aunt Marie and her husband, Uncle Wayne several times. I also visited my Aunt Madge. She was always my favorite, because she was closer in age to Mom and Jacob, her son, is one of my best friends (if not the best). In addition to visiting, I recorded an hour or more of interviews with them. I was not able to do the same for my Aunt Gene or Aunt Billie, but I plan on doing it soon. Eventually, I will transcribe it and place it in the genealogy section of this site.

On the 13th, I went up to Greensburg to look at their information. It was too much and I didn’t have enough money to get what I wanted. I did copy Joseph Clark’s probate record. He is my 4th great-grandfather. His daughter, Martha Elizabeth Clark, married first John Wilkins and then Michael Milton (son of the one in Part 1). I have documented a little of their history here on this blog.

While in Greensburg, I ran across something posted on Ancestry by another descendent of Martha. It was a sale in 1829 of an 11 month old slave by Martha and her husband John Wilkins to her brother for $125. I spent some time on the drive home trying to think on how to explain this horrible situation. The bill of sale did not give much detail. While I whole-heartedly oppose slavery in all its varieties, I tend not to judge these people. I also feel very little need to be ashamed of my ancestors as Ben Affleck did recently. In my family tree, there are heroes and villains alike, and many of whom are both. I try to understand them in their own context and setting, rather than my own.

Eventually, I had to return back to Beijing. I enjoyed eating the food of my hometown (thus gaining a few extra pounds in the bargain). I was able to see some of my friends, most of my family and even a few co-workers. I breathed in the fresh air and relaxed. To be honest, it was a great vacation.

This post is about two months or so late. Any perusal of my blog would inform a person that I am not a proficient blogger. Yet, I am resolved to some improvement.

On January 14, I returned home to the US and was picked up by 2nd brother, Jason. It was glorious being home after a year and ½. Jason was and is going through some tough times, so I was happy to hang out with him. He was building a mobile tent platform on the top of a trailer. This was extensively for camping and traveling with his new Jeep. He has now fallen into that bottomless pit of Jeep owners, started by my cousin Jacob. I didn’t not have the heart to tell him that I hate camping. To me, it seems mainly consists of being hungry, cold and wet. These feelings are part of the reason I live in a city with 14 million people. However, I was happy to help him because I love him and that is what he is interested in. To be honest, though, neither one of us are competent carpenters. Ok, neither competent nor carpenters, which is why this project required repeated trips to Home Depot.

I also talked him into a trip to Baldwin Co., Alabama. I think we both had a good trip as we skirted around the east bank of the Tensas River, looking for the old homestead of our ancestor Michael Milton. We also went to Bay Minette where I picked up several documents that I had previously lost track of a couple of years before. One of these was a copy of a bill of sale from 1801. I was allowed to hold it in my hands, which was awesome but a little nerve-wracking. I had some copies made for our uncle, George Milton, as he had never seen these before. Uncle George has been the principle genealogist of the Milton family for over 50 years. I merely stand on the shoulders of a giant.

On Sunday the 18^th, I drove Morgan’s car (Jason let me borrow it as she is away at school in Hawaii) to Doug’s house. It felt good to drive. I hung out with Doug (my 3rd brother) for a couple of days. We went to the genealogy section at the Jefferson Parish Library. I found a book there that lists a marriage document for Michael Milton at the Mobile Archdiocese Archives. I eventually paid $10 each for this and a baptism certificate for William and Adelaide Milton. We did have plans to drive out to S. Carolina to visit Jacob, but it did not come to pass due to a sickness and poor logistics on my part. Still, I was very happy to see Dougie. He told me he is planning to have a surgery sometime in the future, something that I much more hesitant about any surgery after the death of our Aunt Carol.

I then drove home to see Dad and John and other family members. On Friday the 23^rd, I went up to Woodville, MS. I was researching my 5^th great-grandparents, Barnabas and Margaret Hux Partin. I found quite a bit up there, including the marriage document of my 3^rd great-grandparents, John and Emily Partin Moore. The courthouse was quite nice and I enjoyed the area, as it was my first time there.

About 4 or 5 days into the trip, I had to switch from the guest bedroom (my old room) to John’s travel trailer. The bed that Dad & Darlene (my stepmother) have in the guestroom killed my back, causing me to walk like an old man in need of a cane. Living in the trailer was frankly great, as I have come to greatly appreciate my privacy. Also, it allowed me to experience life in a small place. For the last couple of months, I had been watching Tiny House Nation on TV. I think that this movement to smaller space is something I would like to try out and the trailer gave me an opportunity.