Z's Genealogy Journey

This quilt was created by my maternal great-grandmother, Urcellia Katherine (Kate) Williams Clark Hartley.  She was born in Fayette County, Tennessee on 2 April 1848 to Alfred M. Williams (born 1821 in North Carolina; died 16 August 1891 in Lincoln County, Missouri) and Frances Atkinson (born 14 June 1827 in Kentucky; died 28 May 1913 in Lincoln County, Missouri). I'm not sure of the exact date this quilt was made but it was created in two stages.  The history, as it was told to me, was that Kate was sewing together this quilt top at a neighbor's/friend's home and stored the top and fabric scraps at the friend's home.  The Williams' family home caught fire and burned.  This was one of the only original possessions that was not damaged, as it was not in the home at the time of the fire.  Kate completed the Radiant Star design before 1869 but never set it together in a quilt until after she married James H Clark.  If you notice, the fabrics of the Star and pieced bord

  Sallie Mae was my mother's oldest sister.  She was born December 13, 1906 in rural Troy, Missouri.  I was fortunate to be gifted some of her personal items after her only daughter, Marion, passed away.  As Marion and her husband, Loyd, had no children, he wanted the items to stay with her family.  When I was able to look through these items I was surprised and delighted to find a sort of time capsule of her early life!  Aunt Sallie Mae was a kind, practical and intelligent woman and one of my very favorite relatives.  She loved telling family stories and sharing bits of wisdom.  She was also one who met her challenges with grace and acceptance and always persevered.  Here is her story.  I hope I do her justice. I included this rough draft as it was with her other pages and it includes a few other details. As Sallie Mae mentioned her teaching career, she said she taught at several different schools in Lincoln County.  Here is a map that includes all of the rural schools that exist

Charles Sheets and Sarah Edrington were my great-great-great paternal grandparents.   Charles was born 5 Feb 1796, we believe in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky to Martin Sheets and Sarah Aldridge. (I still have no actual documentation of Charles' parentage at this time.  This is what other family historians have concluded.)  Sarah was born 27 Nov 1798 also in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky.  Her parents were Benjamin Edrington and Lettica (Lettice) Hickman.  Sarah's obituary is quite descriptive, listing many specifics, including the fact that her grandfather, Elder William Hickman, baptized both her and her sister, Fidelia, and officiated at their weddings.  This documented connection to her grandfather helped prove that my family descends from Reverend William Hickman, a Revolutionary War Patriot. The obituary will be included later in this post.   Charles and Sarah were married 5 July 1821 in Franklin County, Kentucky.  Here is their marriage bond.  ( "Kentu