FamilySearch’s Limited-Access Toggle: A New Research Tool

Include limited access content in your full-text search

I have been excited about FamilySearch Full-text Search since day one, but recently I found something new to get excited about: the “Include limited access content” toggle.

This is a big deal.

For years, I have known that some FamilySearch records are not viewable from home. I have taught others to use the FamilySearch Catalog to find land, probate, court, church, and other records that may be available only at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library. That method still matters. The Catalog is still important. But it takes organization, patience, and a good research plan.

The new toggle does something different. It does not make restricted images viewable from home, but it can show that a name appears in limited-access material when searching Full-text. That means I may now be able to more easily identify and organize the records I need to review later at a FamilySearch Center or FamilySearch Affiliate Library.

The chart above shows my comparisons of different Full-text searches with and without using the toggle. For Luther Read/Reed and Nancy Read/Reed in Windham County, Vermont, the number of results remained unchanged. Each search produced the same number of results with the toggle turned on or off.

For John Reed/Read in Jefferson County, New York, the search changed from 545 results without the toggle to 558 results with the toggle turned on. Those thirteen additional records included military, church, and court records. The church records are now at the top of my list to check. I will be at my local FamilySearch Affiliate Library tomorrow!

For Reddick Bryan, who lived in NC, GA, and LA, the situation is different. I already knew that many of his Bienville Parish, Louisiana, land records were limited in access, and I had copies of many from earlier searches. However, this new Full-Text Search option gives me a better way to search, compare, and organize what still needs to be examined.

The toggle does not replace the Catalog, but it gives me a better way to build a research list.

FamilySearch, if you are listening, my next wish is a “limited access only” filter.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post and other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

FamilySearch, “Unlock New Discoveries with Full-Text Search,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text/ : accessed 23 June 2026), landing page for FamilySearch Full-Text Search; page includes the “Include limited access content” option.

1000 Posts: More Than Names and Dates

This is my 1,000th blog post.

I never imagined I would write this many, and I hope I still have 1,000 more in me.

When I first began researching family almost 30 years ago, I had no idea how far it would take me. What started as curiosity became something much more—a way to learn about the people who came before us, to understand their lives, and to preserve their stories so they will not be forgotten. Along the way, I discovered that I love the search as much as the finding: the puzzle, the clues, the challenge, and the satisfaction of piecing together lives that might otherwise have been lost to time.

This blog has been part of that journey.

My love of teaching, technology, and history has all found a place here. Over the years, this blog has become more than a place to record research. It has helped me connect with cousins, meet interesting people, make friends, and share what I have learned. People sometimes call a genealogy blog a “cousin magnet,” and that has certainly been true for me. Some of the best parts of this hobby have happened away from the computer, as I have traveled to visit relatives, libraries, courthouses, conferences, and family places across the country and in Ireland. Those experiences have brought new people into my life, led to new discoveries, and given me more stories to share.

Family history is about far more than collecting names and dates.

What keeps me interested is learning about the lives of each ancestor—how they lived, what they endured, what choices they made, where they traveled, what hardships they faced, and what kind of people they were. After all these years, I have only scratched the surface. There are many ancestors I may never fully identify and many stories I may never uncover. There are also many ancestors I already know about but have not yet had time to study more fully. There is never enough time for all the stories waiting to be told.

And your ancestors were definitely not boring.

Some lived lives far more dramatic than anything I could have imagined when I began. My father was orphaned at the age of nine and joined the Navy at age 19. He was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked, and almost 20 years later, although he was in the Navy, he served with the Marines at the DMZ on the battlefields of Vietnam. My husband’s grandfather was heavily involved in the Irish rebellion. He fought with the old IRA, his house was burned, and he left Ireland for his own safety. 

Over the years, I have uncovered stories of courage, hardship, mistakes, scandal, loss, determination, and survival. Some of those stories I have written about here. Some I will never reveal.

That, to me, is what family history really is. It is not just names on a chart. It is people and their stories. It is a way of understanding that the people behind us were real and complicated and that, in one way or another, their lives shaped ours.

So this 1,000th post is for all of you—family, friends, readers, those I know personally, those I have met through research, those still distant, and those not yet born. Maybe one of you will someday pick up where I leave off. I hope you do.

There are still many stories waiting to be found

Diana

© 2026

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #4 William Reed, Father of John

According to The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, From 1635 to 1902, William Reed (also spelled Reade/Read) lived in Weymouth, Massachusetts, was born 15 Oct 1639, and was the son of William and Avis (Deacon) Reade. He is the father of John Reed (#3) and quite possibly my seventh-great-grandfather.

Across several decades, William appears repeatedly in Weymouth town business—work connected to fences, roads, boundary lines, and other civic responsibilities—including service as constable and selectman. The Reed Genealogy also places him on Pleasant Street in South Weymouth and describes him as an active landholder involved in numerous land transactions.

 

William served in King Philip’s War (1675–1676)—a New England conflict between English colonists and several Native communities, led in part by the Wampanoag under Metacom (called “King Philip” by the English). William was in the Weymouth militia and was also a Trooper, meaning he was part of a mounted unit used for quicker movement and patrol-type duties. Records place him in the Mount Hope campaign, an early phase of the war focused around the Mount Hope/Bristol area (in what is now Rhode Island).

William married Esther (also written as Hester) Thompson by about 1675. The Reed Genealogy reported that William and Esther had the following children:

• John, b. 21 Oct 1680; d. young

• William, b. 24 May 1682; d. 3 Jun 1753; m. 1703 Alice Nash

• John, b. 10 Jul 1687; m. (1) Sarah Hersey;* m. (2) Mary Wheeler

• Jacob, b. 6 Nov 1691; d. 1766; m. (1) Sarah Hersey;* m. (2) Hannah Noyes (widow)

• Bashna, m. Nicholas Porter

• Mercy, m. [surname Whitmarsh—first name missing in excerpt]

• Mary (details not in excerpt)

• Hester, m. 1707 Joseph Allen

• Sarah, b. 21 Mar 1694; m. Hezekiah King

*Needs more investigation.

Both William and Esther (Hester) were said to have died between the writing of William’s will dated 26 Oct 1705 and probate in the fall of 1706. William's will is below. 

Click on the will to see it enlarged. If you have a free FamilySearch

account, you can view the will here. 

Will of William Reed (Weymouth), dated 26 Oct 1705; proved 12 Sep 1706. William provided his wife, Esther/Hester, a lifetime right to the home place (house and adjoining land/meadow), barn and orchard, and household goods, while directing his sons, William and John, to manage it for her benefit.

He then divided major landholdings among sons William, John, and Jacob, left each daughter £20 (with instructions for which sons paid which legacies), and ordered shared assets—such as a wharf interest, common lot, Bridgewater land, and a sawmill interest—to be divided among the three sons.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page , where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts, from 1635 to 1902. Baltimore, Maryland: n.p., 1902, pages 5-14.

Massachusetts. Suffolk County Probate Court, Probate and Family Court Department File Papers, Box 18 (Cases 2961–3150), 1 January 1636–31 December 1894; digital images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSXD-83GV-Q?view=explore : accessed 26 January 2026), image 164 of 1320; Image Group Number 102992159; citing Massachusetts Department of Archives, Boston.

Mathew Carey, The State of Massachusetts (Philadelphia: Mathew Carey, 1815), engraved hand-colored map, published in Carey’s General Atlas; digital image, David Rumsey Map Collection, List no. 16102.014 (https://www.davidrumsey.com/uv/index.html?manifestUrl=%2F%2Fwww.davidrumsey.com%2Fluna%2Fservlet%2Fiiif%2Fm%2FRUMSEY~8~1~363533~90131027%2Fmanifest#?: accessed 25 January 2026).

Philip Hildreth Reade, Ancestors of Captain Philip Reade, 3d Regiment of Infantry, U.S. Army: who, in a military capacity, aided to create, defend and preserve the colonies of North America between 1607 and 1776 (Fort Snelling, Minnesota: [publisher not identified], [1896]), unnumbered page, entry for “William Reade (Sometime Reed-Read-Reid.), 1633–1706”; print, Genealogy & local history series G5266; Allen County Public Library, Genealogy Center, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: #1 Benjamin Reed

Benjamin Reed is my 4th great-grandfather and my DAR Patriot. His life followed the path of many New England men of his generation. Born in Massachusetts, he served during the American Revolution, married, raised a family, and eventually moved north to Vermont, where he became an early settler and a town officer in Woodford, Bennington County. He eventually left Woodford for Windham County, Vermont, where he first lived in Wardsboro and later in Putney. His life left traces in military records, land transactions, town books, and family memories—enough to outline his story, even when no single record tells it outright.

The timeline above tells much of his story, and far more than is known for many of my other 4th great-grandparents. The real challenge, however, was proving the generations on either side of him. No record states that Benjamin was the son of Peter and Lucy, and no document directly connects him to his daughter, Nancy, my third great-grandmother. 

Benjamin Reed’s story marks my return to 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks, and in the posts ahead, I will share not only my ancestors’ stories but also the research that has helped connect their lives across generations.

If you would like to learn more about the families I research, follow my Facebook page, where I share each post along with other genealogical finds.

Diana

© 2026

 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27499357/benjamin-read : accessed 04 July 2022), memorial page for Benjamin Read, Find a Grave Memorial ID 27499357, citing East Putney Cemetery, East Putney, Windham County, Vermont; Maintained by Cynthia Kaley (contributor 51056978).

   

Hampshire, Deeds 1789-1795, Book 3:550, Reed to Coock, images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-99Z8-29DJ?view=fullText : Mar 28, 2025), image 286 of 597; Massachusetts. County Court (Hampshire County).

John Ludovicus Reed, The Reed Genealogy: Descendants of William Reade of Weymouth, Massachusetts from 1635-1902 Vol. I  (no publisher named, 1901). 

Lewis Cass Aldrich, History of Bennington County, Vt. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. (D. Mason & co, Syracuse, NY: 1889), 475-476; digital images, HathiTrust  (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yul.11775368_000_00&view=1up&seq=1&skin=2021 : accessed 25 June 2022).

“U.S., Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, 1800-1900,” database and images, Ancestry.com (https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/49769:1995 : accessed 25 June 2022), for Benjamin Reed, images 266 to 320; citing "Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files" (NARA microfilm publication M804, 2,670 rolls). Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Starting Again: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks — 2026

My mother, age five, and her sister, age four, sitting on a table in their home
at 92-43 214th Street in Queens Village, New York, in 1937.

My blog has been quiet for most of the last year. I’ve been busy as a full-time grandmother. Swim team, soccer, homework, piano lessons—and all the moments in between—required a change in priorities. 

As we move into 2026, I’m intentionally making room for genealogy again and committing time to learning and writing about my family through 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

This will be my third time taking part in this challenge, in which you write about an ancestor each week. In 2014, I used the challenge to document the collateral families of my second great-grandfather, John L. Hairston. A later round in 2018 followed the prompts more closely. This time, I’ll use the prompts as inspiration but expect to deviate as the research unfolds.

My focus in 2026 will be on my mother’s family. My mother and her sister—now 93 and 92—are faithful readers of this blog, making this a meaningful place to spend my research time. I will begin with my fourth great-grandfather, Benjamin Reed, and follow his parents, siblings, children, and grandchildren, allowing the story to move through the Reed, Glynn, and Harvey families and forward to my grandmother’s generation.

I’m looking forward to returning to regular writing and to spending this year reconnecting with these families and their stories.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2026

My Disclosure: AI is my Writing Assistant

For the last 14 years of my career, I worked in an office where writing was a key part of my job. I regularly prepared evaluation reports and communication plans for children with physical disabilities and other challenges that significantly impacted their communication abilities.

I collaborated closely with three other speech-language pathologists. Together, we critiqued and proofread each other’s reports, relying on free grammar-checking tools and Google searches to refine vocabulary and verify grammar rules. Our process was thorough. We discussed each report, offering suggestions for revisions and improvements. While I had the final say, my reports were never just my own; they represented a collaborative effort enriched by the team's insights and expertise.

  

A New Kind of Collaboration: My AI Disclosure

Now retired, I still write often. While I no longer need rigorous critiques, I still appreciate a second set of eyes before publishing. I’ve found the paid version of Grammarly helpful, but over the past year, I’ve turned to Artificial Intelligence (AI) for assistance—not just with grammar but also with refining content and improving overall readability. This has significantly sped up my writing process. 

AI has taken the place of my three coworkers, offering suggestions and refinements much like they once did. But the core remains the same—these are still my ideas and words, just with a little extra help along the way.

I added a full disclosure statement about my use of AI to my blog. You can read it in the Disclosures tab, where I explain how AI supports my writing process.

Posts Featuring AI

My Week with AI: Citations, YouTube, eBay, a Will Transcription, and a Spreadsheet

Navigating the History of Erath's Old Poor Farm with New Technologies

My Week with AI: Podcasts, a PowerPoint, and a Timeline

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 2 Families, with Insights from AI

Friday's Photo: Forgotten Faces Found in the Marguerite Cook Clark Collection - Part 3, with Insights from AI

Terrell Bryan at the 1894 Dublin, Texas Veteran's Reunion

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2025

"Writing Assistant,"AI-Generated Image, created by DALL·E via ChatGPT, October 2024; digital image, privately held by Diana Quinn, Virginia Beach, 2024.

My Week with AI: Podcasts, a PowerPoint, and a Timeline

Finding photos for my blog and presentations is much easier with AI. Simply imagine and
describe your photo. I asked Meta AI to create a fall scene with someone raking and
listening to a podcast. 

Two weeks ago, I posted My Week with AI: Citations, YouTube, eBay, a Will Transcription, and a Spreadsheet. That was my first post about AI, and I plan to share something I’ve done with AI at least monthly. I learn something new every time I use it, and this past week has been no different. Here are a few of my AI learning experiences from the past week.

Podcasts

My yard chores often translate into listening to podcasts and audiobooks. I always look forward to and often replay two genealogy podcasts: The Family History AI Show with Steve Little and Mark Thompson and Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast with Diana Elder and Nicole Dyer. Diana and Nicole have integrated AI into many of their recent episodes, while Steve and Mark's podcast focuses entirely on AI's role in genealogy. These aren't the only genealogy podcasts I listen to—there are plenty of great options. If you want to listen to genealogy podcasts, check out the Genealogy Podcasts page at ConferenceKeeper.org for many wonderful choices.

PowerPoint

I have a 60-minute how-to presentation on FamilySearch that I need to trim down to 30 minutes for one of my local genealogical society's activities. I decided to try Perplexity, a new-to-me AI platform, to help with the task. It gave me useful suggestions, including what to put on each slide and how long to spend on them. But when I asked it to create the slides, I was told it couldn't.

Just for fun, I tried the same prompts in ChatGPT. The results were similar, but ChatGPT actually created slides. However, after opening the PowerPoint from ChatGPT, I found that it consisted of only one slide with just a little text. 

Determined not to give up, I tried a different approach—I asked ChatGPT to create slides based on its own suggestions. The results were quite amusing. I had forgotten how much ChatGPT struggles to spell words on images.

I will definitely be creating my own PowerPoint slides!

A Timeline

I am a firm believer in timelines. I've been working hard on my Plymouth, Massachusetts, Reed family and created two timelines in Word documents for this family. I asked ChatGPT to extract the information from both documents and add it to an Excel spreadsheet with columns for dates, events, locations, and notes. 

I now have a nice readable Excel document, but it wasn't a quick process—it took over an hour to analyze the information. The first spreadsheet only captured 27 out of the 87 items from the timelines. I felt like I was constantly nagging ChatGPT to add or adjust entries. In the end, however, ChatGPT put together a more user-friendly document in less time than if I had done it manually.

AI may not always get everything right, but it’s helping me streamline my research and uncover new possibilities. Give it a try—it just might surprise you! 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page. There, you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

ChatGPT, "Essential FamilySearch Resources," Slide Illustrations, OpenAI DALL·E, October 10, 2024.

Meta AI, "Fall Picture with iPod," Digital Artwork, October 9, 2024. Artificially generated image of a fall scene.

Upcoming FREE Genealogy Presentation: "Ten Resources I Use Every Day: Miscellaneous Tips for the Online Researcher"

The Virginia Beach Genealogical Society is hosting a FREE hybrid presentation that you will want to attend! On Thursday, October 10, 2024, at 6:00 PM, renowned genealogist Cyndi Ingle will share "Ten Resources I Use Every Day: Miscellaneous Tips for the Online Researcher." Whether you're attending in person or joining via Zoom, this presentation will be an excellent opportunity to learn from one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field. See the flyer at the end of this post to sign up for the meeting via Zoom. 

The Virginia Beach Genealogical Society's monthly meetings are hybrid events, offering convenience for both local attendees and those joining remotely. In addition to the monthly meetings, the society hosts four Special Interest Groups that meet regularly—three via Zoom and one in person. For more about this wonderful group and its valuable resources, visit the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society's website. 

If you want to know about families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

UPDATE! Court Records Found using Full-Text Search!

Search terms are highlighted in these hard-to-read documents.

Last week, I spent several hours at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., sifting through transcribed but unindexed court records with little success. Then, yesterday, I discovered those same records on FamilySearch using their Full-Text Search. Not only were these the original documents, but I also didn’t have to go through them page by page. I simply searched "Peter Reed," and records appeared!

Earlier this year, FamilySearch introduced Full-Text Search, and I spent days diving into land records, uncovering details I never would have found otherwise. I had hoped that court records would be added, and for many areas of the United States, that wish has come true. My to-do list has been completely ignored for the past two days—this discovery has been too exciting to put down. Here are some of the items I found:

• In Erath County, Texas, I encountered a lawsuit involving my great-grandfather that explained a few newspaper clippings in the family Bible.

• In a Wayne County, North Carolina, equity case, I found my third great-grandfather, Mitchel Giddens (spelled with one “l”), named as a witness. His signature appeared several times. Once, he was referred to as "Mitch" and described as a poor man planning to leave the area—new clues for me!

• I uncovered many Giddens court records in Duplin and Sampson counties, which will keep me busy all winter.

• I have always known my ancestor, Reddick Bryan, was civic-minded. Houston County, Georgia's court records prove just how active he was in local affairs.

• Finally, in Hinds County, Mississippi, probate estate files, I found my 2nd great-grandfather, John L. Hairston. I wasn’t surprised that he appeared to owe money to almost everyone!

For those of you not familiar with FamilySearch - all of this is FREE! Note that all records are NOT available from home. Tomorrow, I plan to visit my local library, a FamilySearch affiliate, as some records can only be viewed at a FamilySearch library or affiliate. 

Full-Text Search

To learn more about Full-text search at FamilySearch, check out these links for demonstrations and tips. 

Full-Text Search is found at this link. Make sure you watch the video to improve your search. If you don't have an account at FamilySearch, create your free account at familysearch.org 

Testing the Full Text Search in FamilySearch Labs - An Immediate Success!! From Randy Seaver (read his lessons learned and advice) 

FamilySearch Full-Text Search Is a Genealogy Goldmine - Randy Seaver's most recent post.

12 Strategies for Using FamilySearch Full-Text Search From Kimberly Powell

I have written two posts about Full-Text-search: 

• Last Week, Everything Changed . . . Finding Reddick Bryan Using FamilySearch's Full-Text Search 

• Navigating the History of Erath's Old Poor Farm with New Technologies.

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Start Reading Genealogy Blogs Tomorrow!

I started reading genealogy blogs in the early 2000s and wrote my first blog post in 2011. 

Reading genealogy blogs allows me to keep up with the latest genealogical innovations, resources, and learning opportunities.  

I use Feedly to follow the blogs I like. Feedly is an app and website that helps you keep track of articles and blog posts from your favorite websites all in one place. 

There are three blog posts published each week—one on Friday, one on Saturday, and one on Sunday—that I never miss reading. These posts highlight content from the week - blog posts and articles that include new announcements from the genealogical community, how-to guides, resources, and other genealogists' reflections and stories. Occasionally, my own blog is featured in these lists. 

As tomorrow is Friday, you will want to start with Linda Stufflebean's "Friday's Family History Finds" on her blog, Empty Branches on the Family Tree. She categorizes her findings under the headings: Family Stories, Research Resources, Tech News, Genetic Genealogy, Methodology, Education, and Keeping Up with the Times. 

On Saturdays, Gail Dever posts "This week’s crème de la crème" on her blog Genealogy à la carte. This is a daily genealogy news blog from Montréal, Québec. 

Randy Seaver posts "Best of the Genea-Blogs" every Sunday on Genea-Musings. Randy writes that he chooses posts that "advance knowledge about genealogy and family history, address current genealogy issues, provide personal family history, are funny or are poignant."

Blogs provide countless learning opportunities and have greatly simplified staying updated and motivated in my genealogy research. I'm grateful to the bloggers who consistently share their valuable content every week.

If you want to know about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

Family Notes From The Baylor County Banner, Baylor County, Texas - January 1919

In 1919, much of the news centered around World War I and the return of soldiers. While this isn't a photo from Baylor County, it’s one from my personal collection. It belonged to my great-uncle Charlie, whose unit was part of the Rainbow Division that served in France during the war.

The extracted data in this post was taken from Baylor County Banner issues on a microfilm reel labeled "Baylor County Banner Jan 2, 1919 thru Dec 30, 1920." 

Nearly two decades ago, I published this information on my web pages, which, while still online, can no longer be changed. To protect the content in case it disappears, I’m adding it to this blog.

Today, I fixed some errors and revisited several weekly issues to uncover additional details. Usually, I share information related to births, deaths, and marriages in Baylor County, along with details about my father's Bryan family. However, after coming across several intriguing letters from soldiers, I’ve also decided to include information about those.

You can locate the 1919 issues of the Banner on Newspaper Archives by Storied, a subscription site, though many groups offer it free to their members. I take advantage of this resource through my memberships with the Southern California Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society.

January 2, 1919 

Levelview - Mr. D. A. Chapman and his family of Plainview spent Christmas with her mother, Mrs. Cox.

Judge H. P. Branham died. 

Monroe Graham married Ova Boone.

Marriage of Bertha Martin and Rev. R. Egbert Connell (very long article)

Velma Harrison, daughter of W. C. Harrison, died in Abilene. 

Quarantine is Lifted - All Schools and Churches of the County Authorized to Hold Sessions. Also Gatherings. 

 

Letter from Ephraim Goss in France.

From Osro L. Watson, in France, to his father, O. Y. Watson. 

From Charley, in France, to his mother (last name not recorded) - he mentions Marvin Reynolds and Joe White.

Iry High, in Luxembourg, to his mother.

January 9, 1919

Lost: Somewhere between Porter well and Seymour a 10ft. hose, steel lined, with yellow cloth.  Had been used for loading fuel oil.  Reasonable reward to finder.  R. E. Bryan  14-15pd

Theodore Roosevelt dies

 Helen Robertson White died at age 23

A letter from Porter Brown, in France, to Bess, Aline, and Lee

A letter from Emberry D. Baccus, in Germany, to his parents

A letter from Reid Wallace Thomas, in Germany, to his mother

A letter from J. T. Crabb at Fort Travis in Texas to the people of Seymour and Baylor County

January 16, 1919 

Richland - Mr. Riley Henson and Ross Session visited Red Springs Sunday afternoon.

Little Charley Henson is on the sick list at this writing.

Death of Mrs. John M. McCauley (Miss Magie Lee Gwinn)

Claude B. Clouse died at 26. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Breeland from George W. Truett in England regarding their sons. 

Rhand H. Brothers, in France, to his family. 

J. W. Sanderson sent a letter to his mother. In it, he mentions Joe and Jesse. He appeared to be at a YMCA in France. 

John Franks wrote a letter to Lee from a village in France.

 

Rhand H Brothers wrote his mother and family from a base hospital in France. 

George W. Truett wrote to Mr. and Mrs. Breeland to tell them that he had seen their sons, Silas and one unnamed son, in England. 

 

January 23, 1919

A memorial service was held for these men who died in the war from Baylor County: William L. Blankenship, Frank Armstrong, Columbus Reed Morris, Wilburn Frank Watts, Reuben L. Wilson, Esaw H. Estridge, Arthur Williams, Noel H. Graham, Homer N. Dennis, Claude Ausley, and Sam Allen. 

In a regularly featured article, "WITH THE SUBSCRIBERS," the Banner editor wrote that it had been some time since he mentioned subscribers from other parts who had sent in renewals. This article covers more than half the newspaper page and includes renewals from as far back as October 1918. He wrote a short paragraph about each letter he received. I am adding names and residences at the time of renewal below.

• Mr. C. A. Pierce of Silver City, Utah
• Rev. J. C. Cook of Norman, Oklahoma
• Mr. G. W. Ballard of Corpus Christi
• Mr. Fred B. McGuire from Gilliland
• Mrs. L. S. Foster of Vanderpool - She is one of Mr. A. E. Clayton's daughters.
• Mrs. J. S. Gore of Woodward, Oklahoma
• Mr. S. W. McRae of Burkburnett
• Mr. Lucian Goss of Dalhart
• Mr. F. L. Sorelle of Ft. Worth
• Mrs. M. A. Knight of Portales, New Mexico
• Mr. John Gunnels of Texico, New Mexico
• Mrs. D. P. Conditt of Frederick, Oklahoma
• Miss Lula Townzen formerly of Lake Creek community, remitted from O'Donnell. 
• Mr. C. E. Sessions of Adobe Walls. 
• Mr. J. E. Windield - It is not told where he lived. His sons Stillman and Hilory were with the Marine Corps in the West Indies. Uncle Bob Bennett and Mr. Newlin had been there visiting Mr. Sharver. 
• Mr. G. Gatzkie of Hoising, Kansas
• Mr. Don McLeod of Henryetta, Oklahoma
• Mr. L. L. Dantzler of Lexington, Kentucky (is married to Mary Hawkins)
• Mrs. J. A. Shawver of Crowell
• Mr. J. J. Macha of Shiner
• Mr. J. E. Blankenship of Yuma, Arizona
• Mrs. J. A. Morgan of Granite, Oklahoma
• Rev. Ed Tharp of Margaret
• Mr. J. S. Bussell of Rogerson, Idaho
• Mr. D. E. Hammettt of Phoenix, Arizona
• Mr. L. H. Brown of Burkburnett
• Rev. W. O. Hart of Kings Mountain, North Carolina
• Mr. J. S. Carr of Alpine
• Oct. 23 Mr. J. R. Hammett renewed from Post. He said money matters were close in the drouth district and he couldn't keep on taking the paper indefinitely unless things go to breaking better.  He may not be able to take the paper always.  Mr. Hammett has a boy in France.  They had just received a letter from him and he had been under shell fire for 31 days and had gone over the top and had not received a single scratch.  Mr. Hammett was very thankful for that and that his boy was not a slacker.  Mr. Hammett wishes the Banner and Old Baylor all kinds of good luck.
• Mr. W. H. Moore of Des Moines, New Mexico
• Mr. E. J. White of Idabel, Oklahoma
• Mr. W. T. Miller of Hedley
• Miss Ella Sewall of Jacksonville

R. E. Ford Dies in Christoval.

Martha Adeline Thomason married James Emmet Blakemore in Crowell, Texas.

The death of Mr. J. P. Hackley of Jacksboro, father of Mrs. G. L. Forrester. 

Letter from Charlie B. Dunn in France to his mother. 

A letter from Parks A. McLarty in France to Myrtle.

A letter from Lt. Francis S. Wall to Thomas Wilson about the death of his son, Rueben Wilson. 

A letter from Grady McRae in France to his brother, Sid McRae. 

 January 30, 1919

Mrs. C. O Thorton died in Yuma, Arizona. 

A letter to Mrs. Blankenship about the death of her son, Lawrence, written by an English chaplain, C. Hottan Vuisins, in Glasgow, Scotland. 

An extremely interesting letter from D. L. Chenault to Mr. Morris from France. In it, he describes his trip from Texas to France in detail and writes much about the town and the French people. 

A letter from Charles Euel Fogle from a hospital in Glasgow, Scotland. 

If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds. 

Diana

© 2024 

The Baylor County Banner issues from the year 1919, microfilm images, The Baylor County Banner (Seymour, Texas), 1916. Microfilm titled "Baylor County Banner Jan 2, 1919 thru Dec 30, 1920," accessed from the privately held collection of D.B. Quinn.