Z's Genealogy Journey

  I've enjoyed exploring my family genealogy for many years but as a retiree, I've been able to devote more time to this hobby.  As a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, it is always fun to find a new Patriot in one's family tree.  I have found over a dozen currently on both sides of my family.*  Unfortunately, in the pursuit of these Patriots, I haven't always taken the time fill out my trees like I should.  It is now a goal to do more comprehensive research, filling in siblings and sharing the stories that make these ancestors interesting and relevant.  Since there are photos, documents and artifacts, using this format will hopefully make it easier to archive and share these with others. As with all genealogy, the work is never complete.  Sometimes we accept information as accurate that we later discover to be in error.  I will be sharing my research here and provide documentation as proof but if you find anything that you believe to be in error, I wou

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