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Shirl,
Jan and Mary are my cousins. Our father's were brothers.
Ginger
On 7/30/2011 9:51 AM, Shirl McNeely wrote:
>
> Jan,
>
> Have her send an e-mail to the address below but put subscribe in the
> subject and body then she will be added.
>
> Shirl
>
>
>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: J Christmas
> Date: 7/30/2011 11:07:53 AM
> To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
> Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Addition to mailing list
>
> Hello: My sister Mary Christmas Ray would like to be added to the mailing
> list.
> maryxmasray(a)att.net
> We would like to attend next year if everything works out.
> Thanks,
>
> Jan
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
--
http://www.picturetrail.com/glxmashttp://www.victorianbathdelights.comhttp://www.ancestraltracks.comhttp://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/http://gingersdolls.blogspot.com/
Jan
Hello I would like to make the reunion next year as well. I have
corresponded with that branch for many years and met one cousin here in
Oregon years ago from that line. Hopefully we will be able to go there
and still go on up to Michigan to see Cliff's cousins and brother after
the reunion.
Ginger
On 7/30/2011 9:07 AM, J Christmas wrote:
> Hello: My sister Mary Christmas Ray would like to be added to the mailing list.
> maryxmasray(a)att.net
> We would like to attend next year if everything works out.
> Thanks,
>
> Jan
>
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
>
--
http://www.picturetrail.com/glxmashttp://www.victorianbathdelights.comhttp://www.ancestraltracks.comhttp://www.ncgenweb.us/ncwarren/http://gingersdolls.blogspot.com/
Jan,
Have her send an e-mail to the address below but put subscribe in the
subject and body then she will be added.
Shirl
-------Original Message-------
From: J Christmas
Date: 7/30/2011 11:07:53 AM
To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Addition to mailing list
Hello: My sister Mary Christmas Ray would like to be added to the mailing
list.
maryxmasray(a)att.net
We would like to attend next year if everything works out.
Thanks,
Jan
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
HI Elsie,
I am also in Alabama and it sure is hot. I am wondering about your Saunders
line. As I have that line too.
I am interested in what you get on the Christmas line.
James McNeely, my late husband
William Jefferson McNeely
Jefferson Davis McNeely
Joseph A. McNeely
David McNeely
Amelia Howard wife of Joseph McNeely
Mary Jones wife of Samuel Howard
Mary Whitlock wife of William Jones
James Whitock - Agnes Christmas
Thomas Cross Christmas
I do know how life gets in the way of genealogy. I have not been as active
as I use to be before my husband died. I was just getting back into it in
2007 when my only son was killed in a motorcycle accident. Now I am
struggling hating packing all my genealogy away for a move to Louisiana .
Would be glad to exchange information with you...
Shirl
-------Original Message-------
From: ELW
Date: 7/30/2011 7:13:48 AM
To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] CHRISTMAS Digest, Vol 6, Issue 30 THOMAS CHRISTMAS LINE
Dear Christmas Family,
My descent is from Thomas (Cross?) Christmas through his daughter Sarah
Ann (Nan) Christmas / Benjamin Sanders (Saunders).
Would be interested in any of the latest data discovered by ANYONE else
on this line. It was mentioned that DNA suggested that the line
descended from Surrey, England. Where / who was the origin of that
SURREY line? I have Goodman Christmas listed born Prestwold,
Leicestershire, England. Also what is the URL for the DNA info for
Thomas Christmas referred to in an earlier listing?
Enjoyed reading about (and envied) the enjoyment everyone had at the
reunion. Perhaps some day ....
Been out of genealogy circles for a while due to serious illness and
death of my older brother in April 2010...so please bring me up-to-date
on latest findings for the Thomas Christmas line (either via direct
email or on this list). THANKS and have a most wonderful day.
Elsie L. Wright from HOT and TOO SUNNY Alabama.
>Orion L. Wright
>Robert Hilliard Wright
>Mary Nance Shell (Wright)
>Nancy Sims Nance (Shell)
>Elizabeth Sanders Gilliam (Nance)
>Ann (Nancy) Sims (Gilliam)
>Mary Elizabeth Sanders (Sims)
>Sarah Ann (Nan) Christmas (Sanders) - 6th GGrandmother
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Hello: My sister Mary Christmas Ray would like to be added to the mailing list.
maryxmasray(a)att.net
We would like to attend next year if everything works out.
Thanks,
Jan
Dear Christmas Family,
My descent is from Thomas (Cross?) Christmas through his daughter Sarah
Ann (Nan) Christmas / Benjamin Sanders (Saunders).
Would be interested in any of the latest data discovered by ANYONE else
on this line. It was mentioned that DNA suggested that the line
descended from Surrey, England. Where / who was the origin of that
SURREY line? I have Goodman Christmas listed born Prestwold,
Leicestershire, England. Also what is the URL for the DNA info for
Thomas Christmas referred to in an earlier listing?
Enjoyed reading about (and envied) the enjoyment everyone had at the
reunion. Perhaps some day ....
Been out of genealogy circles for a while due to serious illness and
death of my older brother in April 2010...so please bring me up-to-date
on latest findings for the Thomas Christmas line (either via direct
email or on this list). THANKS and have a most wonderful day.
Elsie L. Wright from HOT and TOO SUNNY Alabama.
>Orion L. Wright
>Robert Hilliard Wright
>Mary Nance Shell (Wright)
>Nancy Sims Nance (Shell)
>Elizabeth Sanders Gilliam (Nance)
>Ann (Nancy) Sims (Gilliam)
>Mary Elizabeth Sanders (Sims)
>Sarah Ann (Nan) Christmas (Sanders) - 6th GGrandmother
Oh wow this is great news since that is my late husband's line!!!!!!!!!!!
Shirl
-------Original Message-------
From: DONNA CHRISTMAS
Date: 7/29/2011 3:32:00 PM
To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Oh, something else . . .
After our dinner at the Ambassador Inn Saturday night, Shannon
Christmas
preseneted the history of the Christmas family. He also said DNA testing
proves
that the line of Thomas Cross Christmas goes back to the Christmas family of
Surry, England. (I know I once had that in the one I sent, but ?? )
Door prizes were passed out to ALL the lucky winners!
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Thanks Donna, for your take on the Christmas reunion. Sounds like
everything was planned out nicely and with a great deal of thought on what to do
and where. * But I'd have jumped on the cookies no doubt!
Sorry to have missed it.
I must say, coming from the south (I live in GA. and have nearly all my
life) it is still difficult to swallow the reminders of how 'things were
done' - and unfortunately, during my lifetime. Atlanta had its' share of
getting beyond the 19th and into the 20th century. I remember thinking when I
was maybe 6 yrs old, how odd and 'unfair' it was that (an old black woman I
knew) was having to wait...and wait..and wait..her turn to get water at a
downtown Atlanta drinking fountain. At a public park no less. My
grandmother stopped it and let 'Mrs. Fielder' take her turn.
Anyone read or ever run across this article on some of the Christmas family
in NC? Also, the Thomas Christmas mentioned - does anyone know, if there
was more than 1 Thomas Christmas'? I desc. from Thos. Cross Christmas, but
my guess is there must be another Thos.
Does anyone know if Ginger Christmas-Beattie (the author of the article) on
the list? It's great reading - a lot of research went into this.
Cheers,
Farley
_http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=106_
(http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=106)
Sounds like you all had a great time. I would be interested in the one in
Santa Claus, IN. That is a lot closer to me. My father and his family are
buried in a cemetery named Mt. Olive in Warrick County. Hard to find
sometimes. Let us know where you are going to have it.
-----Original Message-----
From: christmas-bounces(a)rootsweb.com [mailto:christmas-bounces@rootsweb.com]
On Behalf Of DONNA CHRISTMAS
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 2:45 PM
To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
I attended the Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC with
my sister, Mary Christmas Wooten, her daughter, Debbie Apple, and Debbie's
husband, Brian. Fifty-file people attended, coming from Virginia, New
Jersey,
New York, Washington, DC, California, Indiana, and, of course, North
Carollina.. (Sorry if I missed some.)
When we arrived at the hotel, Tonya Hobson-Williams (who organized the
event) and her family greeted us on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Her
little
9-year-old son (my estimate) is just precious! At the Meet and Greet that
evening, we were all walking around and mingling when he walked up to me and
asked me if I'd like
some cookies. I said, "No thank you, I don't believe I care for any right
now." He said, "I fixed them myself." (I guess he meant he put them on the
plate.) I told him how nice that was of him and thanked him for doing it.
He
said, "It' was my pleasure, Mam!" He was such a cutie.
Also, a car full of blacks was leaving as we first pulled into the
hotel
parking lot.. At the Meet & Greet that night, this one lady said to my
niece,
Debbie. "We were in that car that was leaving as you pulled in this
afternoon.
My husband commented, "I bet those people are my cousins." She said she
poked
him and said, "Oh, don't be silly!" (we are white.) Then she said she
noticed
Debbie's little nose piercing and tattoo and thought --- "Well, you know,
they
could be his cousins. With the piercing and tattoo, she's sure does have
Soul!" (HA! I thought that was so cute!)
All the people were so nice. It was just like being with family! Many
seemed to be very well educated. Tonya is a lawyer and judge (elected
position)
in New York. Her husband is an investigator, One guy had taught music at
Hampton University in VA for 22 years and was associated with William
and Mary. Another had graduated from Harvard and MIT. It was a very
impressive
group.
Bob Ranson brought a huge chart showing Christmas descendants. It was
the
center of attention at the Meet and Greet Friday evening.
Saturday morning we went to Warrenton and had our picture taken in
front of
the court house by a
photographer from the local newspaper. While we were waiting, Jim Ransom,
who
grew up in Warrenton, told about how things were when he was growing up.
There
were two water fountains standing in front of the court house, one on each
side
of the walk going from the sidewalk to the court house. (They are still
there,
incidently.) He said the blacks drank from the one on the left and the
whites
drank from the one on the right. He also told that when he was in high
school,
they were building a restaurant and the word was -- it would be for whites
only.. He said he and his high school buddies laid down in the middle of
the
street to prevent the truck that was hauling lumber from entering the area.
He
said the police came and hauled them off to jail. The next morning
representatives from the NAACP came and got them out of jail. Another guy
said
he was the first in his family to go to a school that wasn't "all black."
He
said they didn't like him being there, but "That was ok!"
Then we visited some Christmas grave sites.
We stopped at one grave where the grandparents of several in attendance
were
buried. They were reminiscing about them. Their grandpa was a little man,
but
happy and always laughing, they said. "He never worked a day in his life but
he
always had money; he fared well down at the pool parlor." They said he
always
had chocolate drops to give his grandchildren.
We also visited the gravesite of Lewis Yancey Christmas, (He
was my great
gr gr gr grandfather's cousin's grandson). He kept the children in the big
house with him and the mothers took turns caring for the children. Lewis
Yancey
left a will leaving $10,000 to his children to share and his slaves were to
be
freed. The brothers and sisters contested the will. The fight continued
for
years. The brothers and sisters ended up winning the court battle; Lewis
Yancey's children received one dollar each!
Anyway, Lewis Yancey Christmas was buried on at the site of his
plantation. The house no longer stands. A 2 foot tall wall of
rock surrounds
the grave of the mother and two other unidentified graves.
Lewis Yancey's grave was alone, on the outside of the wall! I think
that said
something! He had an old tombstone which was broken, but you could still
make
out the name.
We returned to the Ambassador Inn for lunch. The blessing for the
meal
was given with an abundance of "Glory, Glory"'s, "Praise the Lord"'s, and
"Amen"'s. That is different from what I'm accustomed to in prayer, but it
was
really neat.
On our own, we saw the Ashland Plantation that belonged to Richard
Henderson. William Christmas who laid out the towns of Warrenton, NC,
Raleigh,
NC and Boonesboro, KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from
his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the
mother's
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our
hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of
Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't
find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa
Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell
your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the
quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Thank You Donna for sharing.... I will put next year on my calendar. I
sure hope I can do it.. I love Indiana and so many of my lines came from
there. Christmas as a lot of you know was my late husband's line. I
will try and get my daughter to go with me.
Shirl
-------Original Message-------
From: DONNA CHRISTMAS
Date: 7/29/2011 2:45:24 PM
To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
I attended the Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
with
my sister, Mary Christmas Wooten, her daughter, Debbie Apple, and Debbie's
husband, Brian. Fifty-file people attended, coming from Virginia, New
Jersey,
New York, Washington, DC, California, Indiana, and, of course, North
Carollina.. (Sorry if I missed some.)
When we arrived at the hotel, Tonya Hobson-Williams (who
organized the
event) and her family greeted us on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Her
little
9-year-old son (my estimate) is just precious! At the Meet and Greet that
evening, we were all walking around and mingling when he walked up to me and
asked me if I'd like
some cookies. I said, "No thank you, I don't believe I care for any right
now." He said, "I fixed them myself." (I guess he meant he put them on the
plate.) I told him how nice that was of him and thanked him for doing it.
He
said, "It' was my pleasure, Mam!" He was such a cutie.
Also, a car full of blacks was leaving as we first pulled into
the hotel
parking lot.. At the Meet & Greet that night, this one lady said to my
niece,
Debbie. "We were in that car that was leaving as you pulled in this
afternoon.
My husband commented, "I bet those people are my cousins." She said she
poked
him and said, "Oh, don't be silly!" (we are white.) Then she said she
noticed
Debbie's little nose piercing and tattoo and thought --- "Well, you know,
they
could be his cousins. With the piercing and tattoo, she's sure does have
Soul!" (HA! I thought that was so cute!)
All the people were so nice. It was just like being with family!
Many
seemed to be very well educated. Tonya is a lawyer and judge (elected
position)
in New York. Her husband is an investigator, One guy had taught music at
Hampton University in VA for 22 years and was associated with William
and Mary. Another had graduated from Harvard and MIT. It was a very
impressive
group.
Bob Ranson brought a huge chart showing Christmas descendants. It
was the
center of attention at the Meet and Greet Friday evening.
Saturday morning we went to Warrenton and had our picture taken in
front of
the court house by a
photographer from the local newspaper. While we were waiting, Jim Ransom,
who
grew up in Warrenton, told about how things were when he was growing up.
There
were two water fountains standing in front of the court house, one on each
side
of the walk going from the sidewalk to the court house. (They are still
there,
incidently.) He said the blacks drank from the one on the left and the
whites
drank from the one on the right. He also told that when he was in high
school,
they were building a restaurant and the word was -- it would be for whites
only.. He said he and his high school buddies laid down in the middle of
the
street to prevent the truck that was hauling lumber from entering the area.
He
said the police came and hauled them off to jail. The next morning
representatives from the NAACP came and got them out of jail. Another guy
said
he was the first in his family to go to a school that wasn't "all black."
He
said they didn't like him being there, but "That was ok!"
Then we visited some Christmas grave sites.
We stopped at one grave where the grandparents of several in
attendance were
buried. They were reminiscing about them. Their grandpa was a little man,
but
happy and always laughing, they said. "He never worked a day in his life but
he
always had money; he fared well down at the pool parlor." They said he
always
had chocolate drops to give his grandchildren.
We also visited the gravesite of Lewis Yancey Christmas, (He was
my great
gr gr gr grandfather's cousin's grandson). He kept the children in the big
house with him and the mothers took turns caring for the children. Lewis
Yancey
left a will leaving $10,000 to his children to share and his slaves were to
be
freed. The brothers and sisters contested the will. The fight continued
for
years. The brothers and sisters ended up winning the court battle; Lewis
Yancey's children received one dollar each!
Anyway, Lewis Yancey Christmas was buried on at the site of his
plantation. The house no longer stands. A 2 foot tall wall of rock
surrounds
the grave of the mother and two other unidentified graves.
Lewis Yancey's grave was alone, on the outside of the wall! I think that
said
something! He had an old tombstone which was broken, but you could still
make
out the name.
We returned to the Ambassador Inn for lunch. The blessing for
the meal
was given with an abundance of "Glory, Glory"'s, "Praise the Lord"'s, and
"Amen"'s. That is different from what I'm accustomed to in prayer, but it
was
really neat.
On our own, we saw the Ashland Plantation that belonged to
Richard
Henderson. William Christmas who laid out the towns of Warrenton, NC,
Raleigh,
NC and Boonesboro, KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from
his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the mother
s
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our
hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was
the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of
Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't
find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa
Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell
your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family
reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July
family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
After our dinner at the Ambassador Inn Saturday night, Shannon Christmas
preseneted the history of the Christmas family. He also said DNA testing proves
that the line of Thomas Cross Christmas goes back to the Christmas family of
Surry, England. (I know I once had that in the one I sent, but ?? )
Door prizes were passed out to ALL the lucky winners!
I'll try to get some pictures on soon, but have something else to work on right
now.
--Donna
----- Original Message ----
From: Shirl McNeely <alakinchaser(a)tds.net>
To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
Sent: Fri, July 29, 2011 4:16:14 PM
Subject: Re: [CHRISTMAS] Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
Thank You Donna for sharing.... I will put next year on my calendar. I
sure hope I can do it.. I love Indiana and so many of my lines came from
there. Christmas as a lot of you know was my late husband's line. I
will try and get my daughter to go with me.
Shirl
-------Original Message-------
From: DONNA CHRISTMAS
Date: 7/29/2011 2:45:24 PM
To: Christmas-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
I attended the Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
with
my sister, Mary Christmas Wooten, her daughter, Debbie Apple, and Debbie's
husband, Brian. Fifty-file people attended, coming from Virginia, New
Jersey,
New York, Washington, DC, California, Indiana, and, of course, North
Carollina.. (Sorry if I missed some.)
When we arrived at the hotel, Tonya Hobson-Williams (who
organized the
event) and her family greeted us on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Her
little
9-year-old son (my estimate) is just precious! At the Meet and Greet that
evening, we were all walking around and mingling when he walked up to me and
asked me if I'd like
some cookies. I said, "No thank you, I don't believe I care for any right
now." He said, "I fixed them myself." (I guess he meant he put them on the
plate.) I told him how nice that was of him and thanked him for doing it.
He
said, "It' was my pleasure, Mam!" He was such a cutie.
Also, a car full of blacks was leaving as we first pulled into
the hotel
parking lot.. At the Meet & Greet that night, this one lady said to my
niece,
Debbie. "We were in that car that was leaving as you pulled in this
afternoon.
My husband commented, "I bet those people are my cousins." She said she
poked
him and said, "Oh, don't be silly!" (we are white.) Then she said she
noticed
Debbie's little nose piercing and tattoo and thought --- "Well, you know,
they
could be his cousins. With the piercing and tattoo, she's sure does have
Soul!" (HA! I thought that was so cute!)
All the people were so nice. It was just like being with family!
Many
seemed to be very well educated. Tonya is a lawyer and judge (elected
position)
in New York. Her husband is an investigator, One guy had taught music at
Hampton University in VA for 22 years and was associated with William
and Mary. Another had graduated from Harvard and MIT. It was a very
impressive
group.
Bob Ranson brought a huge chart showing Christmas descendants. It
was the
center of attention at the Meet and Greet Friday evening.
Saturday morning we went to Warrenton and had our picture taken in
front of
the court house by a
photographer from the local newspaper. While we were waiting, Jim Ransom,
who
grew up in Warrenton, told about how things were when he was growing up.
There
were two water fountains standing in front of the court house, one on each
side
of the walk going from the sidewalk to the court house. (They are still
there,
incidently.) He said the blacks drank from the one on the left and the
whites
drank from the one on the right. He also told that when he was in high
school,
they were building a restaurant and the word was -- it would be for whites
only.. He said he and his high school buddies laid down in the middle of
the
street to prevent the truck that was hauling lumber from entering the area.
He
said the police came and hauled them off to jail. The next morning
representatives from the NAACP came and got them out of jail. Another guy
said
he was the first in his family to go to a school that wasn't "all black."
He
said they didn't like him being there, but "That was ok!"
Then we visited some Christmas grave sites.
We stopped at one grave where the grandparents of several in
attendance were
buried. They were reminiscing about them. Their grandpa was a little man,
but
happy and always laughing, they said. "He never worked a day in his life but
he
always had money; he fared well down at the pool parlor." They said he
always
had chocolate drops to give his grandchildren.
We also visited the gravesite of Lewis Yancey Christmas, (He was
my great
gr gr gr grandfather's cousin's grandson). He kept the children in the big
house with him and the mothers took turns caring for the children. Lewis
Yancey
left a will leaving $10,000 to his children to share and his slaves were to
be
freed. The brothers and sisters contested the will. The fight continued
for
years. The brothers and sisters ended up winning the court battle; Lewis
Yancey's children received one dollar each!
Anyway, Lewis Yancey Christmas was buried on at the site of his
plantation. The house no longer stands. A 2 foot tall wall of rock
surrounds
the grave of the mother and two other unidentified graves.
Lewis Yancey's grave was alone, on the outside of the wall! I think that
said
something! He had an old tombstone which was broken, but you could still
make
out the name.
We returned to the Ambassador Inn for lunch. The blessing for
the meal
was given with an abundance of "Glory, Glory"'s, "Praise the Lord"'s, and
"Amen"'s. That is different from what I'm accustomed to in prayer, but it
was
really neat.
On our own, we saw the Ashland Plantation that belonged to
Richard
Henderson. William Christmas who laid out the towns of Warrenton, NC,
Raleigh,
NC and Boonesboro, KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from
his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the mother
s
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our
hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was
the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of
Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't
find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa
Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell
your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family
reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July
family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
-------------------------------
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-------------------------------
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Warrenton, NC
I attended the Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC
with
my sister, Mary Christmas Wooten, her daughter, Debbie Apple, and Debbie's
husband, Brian. Fifty-file people attended, coming from Virginia, New
Jersey,
New York, Washington, DC, California, Indiana, and, of course, North
Carollina.. (Sorry if I missed some.)
When we arrived at the hotel, Tonya Hobson-Williams (who
organized the
event) and her family greeted us on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Her
little
9-year-old son (my estimate) is just precious! At the Meet and Greet that
evening, we were all walking around and mingling when he walked up to me and
asked me if I'd like
some cookies. I said, "No thank you, I don't believe I care for any right
now." He said, "I fixed them myself." (I guess he meant he put them on the
plate.) I told him how nice that was of him and thanked him for doing it.
He
said, "It' was my pleasure, Mam!" He was such a cutie.
Also, a car full of blacks was leaving as we first pulled into
the hotel
parking lot.. At the Meet & Greet that night, this one lady said to my
niece,
Debbie. "We were in that car that was leaving as you pulled in this
afternoon.
My husband commented, "I bet those people are my cousins." She said she
poked
him and said, "Oh, don't be silly!" (we are white.) Then she said she
noticed
Debbie's little nose piercing and tattoo and thought --- "Well, you know,
they
could be his cousins. With the piercing and tattoo, she's sure does have
Soul!" (HA! I thought that was so cute!)
All the people were so nice. It was just like being with family!
Many
seemed to be very well educated. Tonya is a lawyer and judge (elected
position)
in New York. Her husband is an investigator, One guy had taught music at
Hampton University in VA for 22 years and was associated with William
and Mary. Another had graduated from Harvard and MIT. It was a very
impressive
group.
Bob Ranson brought a huge chart showing Christmas descendants. It
was the
center of attention at the Meet and Greet Friday evening.
Saturday morning we went to Warrenton and had our picture taken in
front of
the court house by a
photographer from the local newspaper. While we were waiting, Jim Ransom,
who
grew up in Warrenton, told about how things were when he was growing up.
There
were two water fountains standing in front of the court house, one on each
side
of the walk going from the sidewalk to the court house. (They are still
there,
incidently.) He said the blacks drank from the one on the left and the
whites
drank from the one on the right. He also told that when he was in high
school,
they were building a restaurant and the word was -- it would be for whites
only.. He said he and his high school buddies laid down in the middle of
the
street to prevent the truck that was hauling lumber from entering the area.
He
said the police came and hauled them off to jail. The next morning
representatives from the NAACP came and got them out of jail. Another guy
said
he was the first in his family to go to a school that wasn't "all black."
He
said they didn't like him being there, but "That was ok!"
Then we visited some Christmas grave sites.
We stopped at one grave where the grandparents of several in
attendance were
buried. They were reminiscing about them. Their grandpa was a little man,
but
happy and always laughing, they said. "He never worked a day in his life but
he
always had money; he fared well down at the pool parlor." They said he
always
had chocolate drops to give his grandchildren.
We also visited the gravesite of Lewis Yancey Christmas, (He was
my great
gr gr gr grandfather's cousin's grandson). He kept the children in the big
house with him and the mothers took turns caring for the children. Lewis
Yancey
left a will leaving $10,000 to his children to share and his slaves were to
be
freed. The brothers and sisters contested the will. The fight continued
for
years. The brothers and sisters ended up winning the court battle; Lewis
Yancey's children received one dollar each!
Anyway, Lewis Yancey Christmas was buried on at the site of his
plantation. The house no longer stands. A 2 foot tall wall of rock
surrounds
the grave of the mother and two other unidentified graves.
Lewis Yancey's grave was alone, on the outside of the wall! I think that
said
something! He had an old tombstone which was broken, but you could still
make
out the name.
We returned to the Ambassador Inn for lunch. The blessing for
the meal
was given with an abundance of "Glory, Glory"'s, "Praise the Lord"'s, and
"Amen"'s. That is different from what I'm accustomed to in prayer, but it
was
really neat.
On our own, we saw the Ashland Plantation that belonged to
Richard
Henderson. William Christmas who laid out the towns of Warrenton, NC,
Raleigh,
NC and Boonesboro, KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from
his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the mother
s
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our
hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was
the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of
Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't
find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa
Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell
your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family
reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July
family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message
KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from
his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the mother
s
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our
hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was
the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of
Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't
find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa
Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell
your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family
reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July
family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message
I attended the Christmas in July family reunion in Warrenton, NC with
my sister, Mary Christmas Wooten, her daughter, Debbie Apple, and Debbie's
husband, Brian. Fifty-file people attended, coming from Virginia, New Jersey,
New York, Washington, DC, California, Indiana, and, of course, North
Carollina.. (Sorry if I missed some.)
When we arrived at the hotel, Tonya Hobson-Williams (who organized the
event) and her family greeted us on the sidewalk outside the hotel. Her little
9-year-old son (my estimate) is just precious! At the Meet and Greet that
evening, we were all walking around and mingling when he walked up to me and
asked me if I'd like
some cookies. I said, "No thank you, I don't believe I care for any right
now." He said, "I fixed them myself." (I guess he meant he put them on the
plate.) I told him how nice that was of him and thanked him for doing it. He
said, "It' was my pleasure, Mam!" He was such a cutie.
Also, a car full of blacks was leaving as we first pulled into the hotel
parking lot.. At the Meet & Greet that night, this one lady said to my niece,
Debbie. "We were in that car that was leaving as you pulled in this afternoon.
My husband commented, "I bet those people are my cousins." She said she poked
him and said, "Oh, don't be silly!" (we are white.) Then she said she noticed
Debbie's little nose piercing and tattoo and thought --- "Well, you know, they
could be his cousins. With the piercing and tattoo, she's sure does have
Soul!" (HA! I thought that was so cute!)
All the people were so nice. It was just like being with family! Many
seemed to be very well educated. Tonya is a lawyer and judge (elected position)
in New York. Her husband is an investigator, One guy had taught music at
Hampton University in VA for 22 years and was associated with William
and Mary. Another had graduated from Harvard and MIT. It was a very impressive
group.
Bob Ranson brought a huge chart showing Christmas descendants. It was the
center of attention at the Meet and Greet Friday evening.
Saturday morning we went to Warrenton and had our picture taken in front of
the court house by a
photographer from the local newspaper. While we were waiting, Jim Ransom, who
grew up in Warrenton, told about how things were when he was growing up. There
were two water fountains standing in front of the court house, one on each side
of the walk going from the sidewalk to the court house. (They are still there,
incidently.) He said the blacks drank from the one on the left and the whites
drank from the one on the right. He also told that when he was in high school,
they were building a restaurant and the word was -- it would be for whites
only.. He said he and his high school buddies laid down in the middle of the
street to prevent the truck that was hauling lumber from entering the area. He
said the police came and hauled them off to jail. The next morning
representatives from the NAACP came and got them out of jail. Another guy said
he was the first in his family to go to a school that wasn't "all black." He
said they didn't like him being there, but "That was ok!"
Then we visited some Christmas grave sites.
We stopped at one grave where the grandparents of several in attendance were
buried. They were reminiscing about them. Their grandpa was a little man, but
happy and always laughing, they said. "He never worked a day in his life but he
always had money; he fared well down at the pool parlor." They said he always
had chocolate drops to give his grandchildren.
We also visited the gravesite of Lewis Yancey Christmas, (He was my great
gr gr gr grandfather's cousin's grandson). He kept the children in the big
house with him and the mothers took turns caring for the children. Lewis Yancey
left a will leaving $10,000 to his children to share and his slaves were to be
freed. The brothers and sisters contested the will. The fight continued for
years. The brothers and sisters ended up winning the court battle; Lewis
Yancey's children received one dollar each!
Anyway, Lewis Yancey Christmas was buried on at the site of his
plantation. The house no longer stands. A 2 foot tall wall of rock surrounds
the grave of the mother and two other unidentified graves.
Lewis Yancey's grave was alone, on the outside of the wall! I think that said
something! He had an old tombstone which was broken, but you could still make
out the name.
We returned to the Ambassador Inn for lunch. The blessing for the meal
was given with an abundance of "Glory, Glory"'s, "Praise the Lord"'s, and
"Amen"'s. That is different from what I'm accustomed to in prayer, but it was
really neat.
On our own, we saw the Ashland Plantation that belonged to Richard
Henderson. William Christmas who laid out the towns of Warrenton, NC, Raleigh,
NC and Boonesboro, KY for Daniel Boone, learned his surveying skills from his
cousin, Richard Henderson (The relationship must have been on the mother's
side of the family -- does anyone know ??) Henderson, NC (where our hotel
was located) was also named after Richard Henderson.
In addition, Thomas Christmas, who fought in the Rev. War and was the
grandfather of Lewis Yancey, gave 100 acres of land for the town of Warrenton.
They say his home still stands but is covered with vegitation; we couldn't find
it,
Debbie and I volunteered to host the reunion next year at Santa Claus,
Indiana. So reserve July 23, 24, and 25th on your 2012 calendar and tell your
families We asked a few people if they would come to Indiana next year, and
they all said "Yes!"
And a big "Thank You, Tonya". The Christmas in July family reunion in
Warrenton, NC (2011) was great!"
Hope to see you all next year (2012) at the Christmas in July family
reunion in Santa Claus, Indiana,
God bless -- Donna Christmas
unscribe
In a message dated 7/29/2011 11:11:01 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
alakinchaser(a)tds.net writes:
Hi Dale so good to see you are still around....
I would also like to see some pictures and information from the reunion.
I still have not sold my home here in Alabama, sure thought I would have
moved by now...
Shirl McNeely
-------Original Message-------
From: Dale E. Colston
Date: 7/26/2011 1:33:33 PM
To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] How was the Renion?!
Dear Family:
I had to work and was not able to attend the Reunion.
I hope it was a complete success and the beginning of a tradition.
Please post memories and photos when you can.
If you'd like to send to me off-list, please do so.
Peaceful journeys,
Dale Colston missdale(a)yahoo.com
New Jersey
Paul9, Lois8, Louisa7, Christopher6, Lewis5, William4, Thomas3, John2,
Thomas1
-------------------------------
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CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject
and the body of the message
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject
and the body of the message
Hi Dale so good to see you are still around....
I would also like to see some pictures and information from the reunion.
I still have not sold my home here in Alabama, sure thought I would have
moved by now...
Shirl McNeely
-------Original Message-------
From: Dale E. Colston
Date: 7/26/2011 1:33:33 PM
To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] How was the Renion?!
Dear Family:
I had to work and was not able to attend the Reunion.
I hope it was a complete success and the beginning of a tradition.
Please post memories and photos when you can.
If you'd like to send to me off-list, please do so.
Peaceful journeys,
Dale Colston missdale(a)yahoo.com
New Jersey
Paul9, Lois8, Louisa7, Christopher6, Lewis5, William4, Thomas3, John2,
Thomas1
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to CHRISTMAS-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message
Dear Family:
I had to work and was not able to attend the Reunion.
I hope it was a complete success and the beginning of a tradition.
Please post memories and photos when you can.
If you'd like to send to me off-list, please do so.
Peaceful journeys,
Dale Colston missdale(a)yahoo.com
New Jersey
Paul9, Lois8, Louisa7, Christopher6, Lewis5, William4, Thomas3, John2, Thomas1
Good Morning List,
Since I will be moving I am going back to my yahoo address.
Also I have lost contact with a friend also of the Christmas line. If anyone knows Joyce Truit and how to contact her please let me know.
I sent her a birthday e-card but it doesn't look like she picked it up....
Thank You and Good Hunting to all
Shirl
'IN GOD WE TRUST'
'ONE NATION UNDER GOD'
Finding Ancestors is like eating potato chips, bet you can't stop with just one.
Please visit my genealogy web site:
http://cybergramsworld.com/mygenealogyoffice.html
My Cyber Grannie's Site Main Page:
http://cybergramsworld.com/index.html
Family Album:
http://cybergramsworld.com/myfamilyalbum.html
Yahoo Messenger alabamakinchaser
MSN Instant Messenger cybergrannieshirl(a)hotmail.com
Debbie,
Here is the link for that it tells you what to do.
http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/surname/c/christmas.html#CHRISTMAS
Subscribing. Clicking on one of the shortcut links below should work, but if
your browser doesn't understand them, try these manual instructions: to join
CHRISTMAS-L, send mail to CHRISTMAS-L-request(a)rootsweb.com with the single
word subscribe in the message subject and body. To join CHRISTMAS-D, do the
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Subscribe to CHRISTMAS-L
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-------Original Message-------
From: debianne(a)earthlink.net
Date: 7/20/2011 8:03:07 AM
To: christmas(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [CHRISTMAS] Email Change
Hi. I plan on changing my email address, but would still like to be a part
of this list. How/where do I change my contact info?
Thanks!
Debbie Erickson
-------------------------------
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