Discussions About Death - Black Communities - Funerals

Discussions About Death

Ras/Ross Womack - Son of John Womack (gravesite)

Reverend Ras Womack



Bernard Wilson - Permer Bernard Payne - Clue#8

I was rummaging through my things and guess what I found. A newspaper obituary. Oh what information you can gather from obituaries, though they are much like death certificate, the informant gives just what they know about the person. It is not always an informant is close. Yes, he married Dorothy Robinson (Payne) in 1991, but using the name Permer Bernard Payne.

 

So here's the deal, He was born Bernard Wilson, according to ancestry.com, he entered in as Permer B. Payne.

 

 

The previous entry for his search states that I forwarded letters to Marshall, Texas Public Schools for any school record that they may have and the National Archive Center for Census that may give more clues about when and why he changed his name.

 

 

As you read on the obituary he worked for "Spinks Aircraft". So, I looked "Spinks Aircraft" up and found that it opened in 1988 and it is a general aviation reliever airport for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...so on and so forth. I wrote them a letter to see if they would release any information about him.

 

Spinks Airport, Human Resource Department

13451 Wing Way, Suite 109

Fort Worth, Texas 76028

 

Dear Human Resource Department,

 

My name is Jacqueline of Texas. I am currently doing family tree research and am in need of any information on my family members as I can get. I am researching "Permer Bernard Payne"(deceased name)/Bernard Lewis (military name)/Bernard Wilson(birth name). I am not sure what name he would have used while employed with you company. He was b. March 1933, as far as I know. He married Dorothy Robinson Payne in 1991. I attempted contacting her and unfortunately she has passed on. I was adopted as a child, so I am unaware of any other family members. I slightly remember him, because when he was married to Irma Simpson they both cared for me until he left the home. He passed on August 2003. If you could please assist me some information on him it would be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Thank you sincerely,

 

Jacqueline





David Payne/Pain - Clue#4

 

I searched and searched for my Grandfather's death certificate. I had to tweak a lot of things to find it. I ended putting in the Father's name and city and it displayed all of Nelson Payne's children. The only thing I am not understanding is that is says he is married to "Georgia". I suppose he had separated from my Grandmother "Maggie Womack Payne" by then (she died in 1969). They had two children, and according to the Census "Aunt Virgie" was born about 1905 which would have made her 29 years of age and my Grandmother, Myrtle (Madea', as we all called her) born about 1915 which would have made her 19 years of age. His death certificate has "Port Caddo Road", he either lived with his mother (Ellen Evans Payne) or on the same street.

 

 

 

 



Bernard Wilson - Permer Bernard Payne - Clue#6

 

Okay!

 

I received a letter from the Department of Veteran Affairs Dallas -Fort Worth National Cemetery and the only information available was the location of his gravesite. I thought it was pretty cool that they sent the link to view the location of his gravesite. I attached the links of all military branches to my page tabs. Anywhoo, It is a step closer. I love it!

 

I definitely have to make plans to visit.  I would love to have pictures for my family tree scrapbook.

 

 

Response Letter

 

 

 

 

Once I open the link I learned that you can send request to the Branch in which the person you are researching served. I wrote a request to the Army in hopes of getting more information about "Permer". As I mentioned I just have to continue researching his un-given name for now. 

 

Letter to the Army

 

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63138

My name is Jacqueline. I am currently doing my family tree. Unfortunately, I was adopted and I am not aware of any existing family members. I do know that Permer Bernard Payne raised me for a short, short spell until he left the home. According to ancestry.com, he is my biological (B. Lewis) Mother’s brother and she for as I know is deceased as of 2013. I am looking for any records or pictures that can be released to the general public. I attempted contacting his wife Dorothy Robinson Payne and she too is deceased. If you could please assist me with my search it would greatly appreciated. 

 

Attached is information that I gathered from ancestry.com and that I received from the Dallas – Fort Worth National Cemetery.

 

Again, thank you.

 

Jacqueline



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In search of John Womack - Marshall, Texas #2 Clue

So, in the mean time I searched and searched some more for my Great, Great Grandfather John Womack. Unfortunately, to find this 1920 Census I had to tweak the 'search' just a little. On this 1920 Census, I learned a few more things:

Reference back to this post:
 

 

 John Womack - Post, update

1920 Census, found.

 

 

 

The 1900 Census showed him as being b 1835 (65 years of age), now it shows him being b 1850
(7- years of age), which is a fifteen year difference. The 1900 Census also showed him and Nellie Montague being married for twenty-nine years, which would have made him marry at the age of 6. We all now this is a piece of the puzzle not fitting.

 

Now they live on Frog Town Street, still renting their home (dwelling as they called it)

 

Same b place, Mississippi

 

Father b place the same, Mississippi

 

Mother b place changed from Mississippi to North Carolina

 

The only child living in the home is Octavia (Womack) Roland, married to John H. Roland.

 

Now a laborer, brick mason

 

Eliza 'Liza' (b 1883), his daughter according to the 1900 Census is married to Sol Walter is listed on this 1920 Census.

One more step closer to finding my Womack/Payne/Lewis roots.


I emailed the Marshall, Texas Public Library at info@easttexaskin.com.

Quick link at the bottom of this Blog


In search of John Womack - Marshall, Texas

 

This BLOG entry is the beginning of my family tree search (Womack of Marshall, Texas). I have done a big portion of my family tree search but because I was ask a number of times that same question; "where did you start?", I decided to begin again showing step by step - how to's - links to sites - letter of request  and - results. I am starting with my Great, Great Grandfather John Womack b abt 1835. As we know at great deal of 1890 Census was destroyed. We also know that Census Records are the foundation for building out family trees. As you can see below that my Great, Great Grandfather's birth parents were supposedly from Mississippi, but sometimes this is not always the case. Unfortunately, there were two negro John Womacks in that time period that resided in Marshall, Texas and he too was supposedly born in Mississippi. Because I don't have a whole lot of information on my Great, Great Grandfather I have to start with the 1900 Census.

 

 

The information I learned from this 1900 Census:

 

12th Census of the United States

Lived on East Border Street

The term 'black'

b March 1835

Married 29 years, 1900 - 29 = 1871

(To Nellie Montague)

Father b Mississippi

Mother b Mississippi

He was b Mississippi

read/write, no

Rented, house

I also learned that there were other Womacks on this Census

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

There was not a whole lot to learn on the death certificate but the year of his death:

 

 

I have researched the letters on his headstone to see what kind of organization he was in but it was a dead end. I will continue to research that. This is something that I did not figure during the first search. It is kind of on the back burner as far as research is concern (I will keep you updated).

 

 

So, the beginning of search is an email to the Marshall Public Library to see if they can find any information on when and where he was born. In the mean time I will continue to do research. I mentioned in other BLOG post that sometimes it take a couple of request before getting a reply, and that's okay.

 

Quick link at the bottom of this Blog

 

 

 

 

 



About African American Funeral Home Records

 

I have viewed a few funeral home records and found a lot of information. It is getting the funeral to agree to show the records. Some say they are open records and others say that they are not. If you are able view one, it is a great resource for your family tree research project.

 

Here are some links:

 African American Funeral Home Records
 
about.com 

 

genealogyblog.com, This link is specific, it may or may not help. 

ancestry.com

More on Funeral Home Records





Visit your cemeteries...

Visit the cemeteries, staff will sometimes give you information not gathered or information that will help you begin your search. They vary in the amount of information that they will give. Just have your documentation of who you are readily available. Take picture of the gravesites while you are there, even if it does not relate to the family member that you are initially searching for. Also, look around the grave of the person that you are researching, there may be a family member buried next to them or in the same area. Ask the cemetery staff if they have a ledger in which they record relatives.

 

Use the internet to search for gravesites and information.

 

findagrave.com

 

 

teafor2.com

 

 

Cemeteries by the State

 

 

Veterans Cemetery