Huckaby Home

02/08/2025

Have you ever thought of writing a letter to yourself? To your children? To your grandchildren?

Maybe you have, but you struggle to think of things to write.

Every other week, we send out a newsletter offering tips for finding info, reminiscing about the past, and even suggesting things to write about to preserve those memories.

If you're not already on our list, we'd love to have you join us. Sign up here 👇

https://huckabyhome.com/signup/

📌And please share this with your friends and family! This is not just for those related to us (although, Jef seems to be related to just about everyone if we go back far enough 😆).

Anyone and everyone will find these newsletters inspirational.

01/06/2025

Creating websites is something I really enjoy doing. There's just something about conquering technology that brings a smile to my face. 🤓

So, I'm going to do it again!

Past "Journeys" have included a niche site, this family genealogy site, and a curriculum-specific homeschool site.

This time, the Journey will be another homeschooling site, but it will be more general.

You don't need to be a homeschooler to join this Journey. If you've ever wanted to see how a website "evolves" as it's being created, then hop on this list and come along for the ride!

The Journey will include weekly (or less) emails, usually sent on Thursdays. You'll have access to the website all the time, as it will be created in real time -- no 'coming soon' page will be used.

Most Journeys take 6-12 weeks to complete. (It all depends on how many holidays and family obligations come up along the way.)

I'd also love it if you shared this post with a friend who is interested in blog design. More followers means more feedback, and that's a good thing!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to set up a website? Maybe you have a website, but you know that because technology is always changing there is more to learn, more ways to improve.

19/02/2025

Age is just a number.

This is one of the reasons why, when searching for ancestors, you need to "give or take" 2-5 years when looking for births, deaths, marriages, whatever.

Case in point: Jef's paternal grandmother, Gracie Mae (Carter) Huckaby.

As you'll note in the graphic, her marriage bond states that she was 17 when she got married. (The date on the marriage bond is also the date that we have as her wedding day.) Yet, the birth date we have for her -- the one on her gravestone -- would make her 18 when she married.

Also in the graphic, you'll see entries for two census records. One for 1910 and one for 1920. The 1910 entry shows "age at last birthday" to be a month shy of 2-years-old. Normally, only those less than one-year-old would have a fraction for an age, which leads me to believe the census taker wrote "1" and then decided to change it to 11/12, but didn't cross off the "1."

If we read the 1910 census as if she is 11/12 of a year, that would make her born in 1909. The 1920 census and the marriage bond both make her born in 1909, as well. With this information, we have to wonder why she was listed as being born in 1908 on her gravestone.

Do you have a family member that shows an age discrepancy over the years? Drop a comment and let us know!

12/02/2025

For years we wondered where Don was living, if he was married, safe, happy. But, we also knew Don "loved the bottle" and was probably still struggling with that demon, wherever he was.

We reached out to various agencies for help finding him, but they all came to dead ends. Some of his immediate family members (ex-wife, parents, two brothers, and a sister) all passed without ever knowing what happened to him.

And then one day, a few months after his sister (Kelly's mom) passed away, as Kelly was checking her grandparents' listing on Find a Grave, she saw an unfamiliar photo. It was an artist's rendition of Don at a young age.

While that photo looks nothing like Don, the story of how they identified him is fascinating. After many conversations between Kelly and her cousin (Don's youngest daughter), his story finally has closure.

https://dnasolves.com/articles/donald-elden-verhalen-tennessee/

05/02/2025

We love to watch Finding Your Roots on Tuesday nights. The show gives us lots of ideas on places to do our research. If you have ever seen the show, you can 'hear' the host as he says, "Would you please read the transcribed section?"

-- -- --
We George Huckaby and wife Margaret Ann of Anderson County ... have sold ... unto G. W. Lovley ... in consideration of the sum of four dollars ... five acres more or less. Witness our hands and seals on this 7th day of November AD eighteen hundred and eighty seven.
-- -- --

Also note, at the very bottom it says that the county clerk met with Margaret by herself to be sure she was in agreement to sell the land.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

31/01/2025

This is another set of "unidentified" relatives.

Thanks to the writing on the back (bottom photo), we know this is the Capps family.

We also know, from our records, that Jef's great-grandmother, Mary (Poland) Carter, had a sister, Rebecca, who married a man named Joseph Capps. This is probably a brother or cousin to Joseph, and his family.

23/01/2025

Are you a "picture-taker" like Jef? Or do you live in the moment and only capture memories, like Kelly?

We're so thankful that our ancestors thought to take photos and preserve memories so they could be shared with their descendants. It's fun to "see" them through the years of their life.

Pictured is Kelly's paternal great-grandmother through the years. The first photo is taken (we think) at the wedding of their youngest daughter. The second photo was taken around the end of 1962. And the final photo was taken in 1987, the last time Kelly would see her. (She lived another 8 years, reaching the age of 100!)

So, here's your reminder to take some photos today! Thanks to technology, you always have a camera with you. 😘

15/01/2025

Being able to put a face to a name is what makes our family histories come alive.

But sometimes, information is either misplaced or not heard correctly.

This is a photo of "Tom & Lucy." The original photo belongs to a gentleman named Jackie Farmer. Jackie is a distant cousin on the Poland side of Jef's family, and he had some wonderful stories to tell about his grandfather (the common ancestor) and other relatives.

As I write this, I cannot recall exactly where Tom & Lucy fit in, but I believe he is Jackie's uncle on his mom's side, thus making him Tom Poland. (Thankfully, the info is not completely lost, as we have an audio recording of conversations with Jackie.)

Do you have a photo of a relative that you are not sure "where they fit in" to your family tree? Share it in a comment! Maybe someone will see it and be able to identify it for you.

08/01/2025

Our Christmas was held late, and all of our guests are officially gone. As we "put the house back together" and get back into the swing of everyday life, we want to know:

What was your favorite family memory from 2024?

While it was a hard year (we lost Kelly's mom during the summer), it ended with our five grandchildren coming to our home. Some were able to meet for the first time! It was a joyous time and the memory will be cherished.

01/01/2025

Happy New Year from the Huckaby Home! 🥳

May your day be restive (especially if you stayed up late last night) and your year be productive.

May you break through the brick wall you've hit in your genealogy research, and take your family back a few more generations.

And, may you be surprised to find new cousins who live nearby. (Funny story... Jef actually discovered three people at our church who are distant cousins.)
{Hi Phil! 😃}

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas from the Huckaby Home!

It is our prayer that your Christmas (whatever day you celebrate) is filled with family, friends, and lots of good food.

18/12/2024

Do any branches of your family tree intertwine?

Whether it's two brothers from one family marrying two sisters from another family, or a woman marrying her brother's brother-in-law, it was common occurrence prior to the 1950's in many communities. While it seems to be a stronger trend in the South, it happened in the North as well.

Once upon a time, the world was a very small place. It consisted of neighboring farms, the local store, the post office, a few small churches, the school house, and the train station. With only a mule for farming, handwritten letters, and the need to walk everywhere, you didn't know many people outside of your community.

Families were large back then. If you only had five children, you had a small family. Ten to twelve children was the norm. Friendships were made at church, with like-minded, faith-sharing people. And as parents watched their friends' children grow into fine young adults, they often steered their own children toward them to create marriages.

So, it was not unusual for two brothers from one family to marry two sisters from another. Or a brother and sister from one family to marry a brother and sister from anther. It's not as common today, because we have cell phones and easy transportation making the world (and people) easily accessible to us. But, it still happens -- twin brothers marrying twin sisters, for example.

Have you come across any intertwining families in your family tree? Leave a comment and let us know!