What's in a name?

Harry Tyler's Lion

Heart String Samplery

Stash Linen

Williamsburg Blue NPI Silk

Families you gotta love them!  I often refer to my family as the good, the bad and the ugly.  Like most families, my family is full of characters--some brave and noble, some pranksters, some who have made unwise choices and poor decisions.  One of the many wonderful traits which endeared me to Grandmother Bessie's heart was her memories of her family (and neighbors) and living in the mountains--The Great Smokey Mountains.

When I had a sleep over at Grandmothers, the two of us would look at old photographs.  She would identify the people in the photograph and tell me about them.  There were many funny stories about the pranks Grandfather Isaac and his eight brother played on each other.  Stories about Grandmother Bessie living with her mother-in-law, Sarah Miranda while her house was being built and sad heart breaking stories about the sickness and death of Grandmother Bessie's Mother and her two sisters.

When I first started stitching samplers, I was encouraged by fellow needle workers "to make the samplers personal.  Stitch something on them which make them mean something to you."  So I did, and I have and I will continue to do so.  Each time I stitch something with a name, or initials or a year, I do some family research and incorporate a tiny piece of my family history into the piece.

Here is my connection with Harry Tyler's lion.

Emeline Rogers was born November 3, 1829 in Haywood County North Carolina.  Emeline married Jackson(?) Ferguson and they had a daughter, Margaret.  

Margaret Ferguson was born February 27, 1855 in Haywood County North Carolina.  Margaret married Peter Lafayette Noland.  Margaret and Peter had a daughter who they named Laura Jane.

Laura Jane Noland was born August 6, 1871 in Haywood County North Carolina. In January 1885, Peter, Margaret and Laura moved from Haywood County North Carolina to Sevier County Tennessee.  Laura married James Lawson Shults (Shultz--a census taker changed the spelling) and one of their five daughters was named Bessie Ann.

Bessie Ann Shults was born September 29, 1899 in Sevier County Tennessee.  When Isaac returned home to Sevier County after his military service he and Bessie Ann were married.  Bessie and Isaac had five children--four sons and one daughter.  Their fourth child and third son was named Roe Henry.

Roe Henry was born January 4, 1927 in Sevier County.  When Roe returned home to Sevier County after his military service, he married Dorothy.  Roe and Dorothy had three children--two daughters and one son.  I am one of their daughters.

What's in a name?  Emaline Rogers Ferguson is my Great, Great, Great Grandmother.

Now back to Cotton Bird.