Thank You Mothers and Aunties

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Dogwood tree in bloom in the rain

Mother's Day

The first week of May is always lovely, and a fitting time to honor mothers. Especially we genealogists and family historians appreciate the place of mothers in our lineage, and in the traditions and stories we so eagerly seek.

What Was Her Maiden Name?

In patriarchal societies where most women in the past gave up their birth surnames when marrying, sometime we cuss a bit when trying to find them. It is said that it takes a village to raise a child, and that means that it takes a village -- or a FAN club -- to support a mother. Often we find older women, especially widows, living with their children or perhaps siblings. or lodging with neighbors. So it is always useful to check out the FAN club.

Investigate the FAN Club

If we're fortunate enough to find a marriage record for our woman of interest, sometimes there are others mentioned in the record who might be friends, family, associates, or neighbors. Sometimes we resist researching these folks; however, successful researchers work these lines as a regular part of their practice. Even if they do not turn out to be relatives, they are often the people who migrated with our people, and are sometimes the key to cracking that elusive birth surname or village.

Focus on the Mothers

I personally find the most satisfaction in researching the women and mothers in my tree. The male lines have often been well-researched while the matrilineal lines have been ignored, perhaps because of a perceived lack of records. I have found that by researching the people who surround the women, especially their male associates - fathers, brothers, sons, cousins and male neighbors, I can make a lot of headway. 

Angeline McBee

Angeline McBee Tucker Bright
 

Let's tell our stories about the women we have found. 

Right now, I'm focusing on Angeline McBee, whom I think is my second great-grandaunt, sister to my mysterious second great-grandfather William McBee. So far this research has been productive, but not until I dig into the facts surrounding her probable mother, Martha "Patsey" Willis will I be able to make a good case. 

Next Up - Angeline's Mother

I have found Willises all over my McBee tree, which might be a reason that my cousins and I have as many large cM DNA matches as we do. 

I have even found an old photo of her while seeking cousins who also have Angeline in their tree, on the right. I look forward to having completed enough research to wrestle with the parentage question with other cousin/researchers, after so many years of complaining about my McBee brick wall!

Angeline is not one of my fore-mothers, but if she is truly my William's sister, her mother Patsey Willis is my third great-grandmother. I have written elsewhere about the "too many Angelines" problem [1] which needs to be untangled before proceeding further. But I see Angeline here in the 1850 US Census for Greene County, Illinois, which supports my hypothesis that she is the daughter of George Henry McBee Sr. and Martha Willis, and that William on the next page, is her brother.

Family of George H McBee, including Angeline in 1850 Greene County Illinois [2]

1. https://groups.io/g/McBee-Genealogy/message/214

2. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M85R-C8P : 20 December 2020), Angeline Mackly in household of George H Mackly, Greene, Illinois, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication  (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).


Valorie Cowan Zimmerman


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