New Year, New Finds

Happy New Year!

I have been thinking and working on my genealogy, but I'm stuck in Arizona while all the records I want to look at are either back where my ancestors lived (I'm thinking specifically Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, North Carolina right now) or on microfilm up in Salt Lake.  My life does not allow me to spend hours at the genealogy library so even ordering the films is not realistic right now. 

But I've been working on my Kerley line - specifically the parents of Sarah Mariah Williams who married Solen E. Kerley. 

So, let's look at her parents.  John Williams.  Mary E.

I knew from census records that John was born in Kentucky and Mary E. was born in Virginia, and that Sarah Mariah was born in Illinois in 1845, but by 1850 they moved to Randolph County, Arkansas.  But Illinois is a big state.  Hmm.

For years I was just stuck there.  I followed Sarah Mariah's brother, John Albert Williams all the way to 1930. I could follow his descendants.

Then, I thought of the marriage records database at IRAD.  I was not sure which of the many John Williams listed was mine, but I had a time frame - before Sarah Mariah was born, and within a respectable date for Mary E. to be of age.  I finally found one that made sense.  John Williams and Mary Lancaster in St Clair County.

I admit I do not know the geography of Illinois very well. If I did, I would have grabbed that marriage record right away.  Only through continual research did I realize that St Clair is in southern Illinois.  I know the migration pattern of people through southern Illinois to St Louis, Missouri and on to other parts of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas.  It made sense.

Last night I was lamenting to myself that I did not have deed records for Randolph Arkansas at my fingertips so that I could see when the Williams family moved there, if they owned property, and so forth.  I did a few searches and found that familysearch.org has probate records for Randolph Arkansas digitized, though not searchable by name.  I took a chance and went digging.

And I struck gold!

In 1865, John Williams passed away. His estate went through probate in October 1865 and Mary E. Williams was named the administratrix.  She had to secure bonds and the people securing her bonds were her neighbors, H.L. Kerley and S.E. Kerley.  H.L. Kerley is Henry L. Kerley, my 4 great grandfather. S.E. Kerley is his son, Solen E. Kerley my 3 great grandfather. He went on to marry Sarah Mariah Williams in 1871.

It was awesome to see that not only did my ancestors exist (which, of course I know they did) but that these two families had an obvious care and concern for one another.  That is just really exciting.  Now, to get to my chores this morning so I can devote more time to looking through more pages in the probate records.  I'm hoping to see a little glimpse into more of my Randolph County, Arkansas ancestors.

Dece