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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Landtroop Family: Current Research Completed

We have traced our ancestry to the immigrant John Lantthorpe, who immigrated to America as an indentured servant in 1679. We have processed information into our files for 1107 descendants of John, including spouses, of which almost 400 of them are also descendants of John Daniel & Kizzie Comer Littrell. John Daniel Littrell  is the great-great-great-great-great-grandson of John Lantthorpe.

The first known immigrant to America was this John Lantthorpe, born in about 1647 and died about 1718.

On May 30th, 1679 John was 'transported' along with eight (8) other indentured servants by Benjamin Hatcher and John Milner to their plantation on the James River in Henrico County, Virginia.

It would seem that Benjamin Hatcher and John Milner sold John Lantthorp's service to William Hatcher, son of Benjamin, as shown in a deposition made in court in 1680, Thomas Burton, Jr., age 16 testified he saw:

"Jno. Lantroppe strike a piece out of the head of Mr. Robert Woodson's canoe with an axe, and that ye deponent hear Mr. William Hatcher order ye said Lanthroppe and his other servants to split all ye canoes they found in the swamp."

The destruction of the canoes was evidently taken to discourage or stop poachers of fish or game on Hatcher's property.

It is not known when John Lantthrope fulfilled his period of indenture, but it appears to have been before 1714 which is when we find his first 'known' transactions as a free man (barring transgression, extensions of the original contract, or new contracts it is most probable that John gained his freedom long before this time):

    • 1714 On 19 November a survey of 125 acres, South side of Second Swamp was made for John Lowthrop by Robert Boiling, Surveyor. This property was willed to his son John.

    • 1714 John (1) is on the tax list for this year.

Most references point to the family being invested in the Second Swamp area. From several documents we know that John and his descendants settled in the Second Swamp area of Henrico County, Virginia. Henrico County would be sub-divided over the years into Prince George and Henrico, then Prince George into Prince George and Dinwiddie Counties. Dinwiddie County is where his descendants are found in 1812… still in the Second Swamp area.

From John's Will we know his children and wife's name was Margaret (maiden name unknown).

John died between 9 Jan. 1718 and 10 Mar. 1718. John, the immigrant, would have been 31 or 32 years of age when he arrived in this country in 1679, and 70 to 71 years of age at his death.

We do not know when John married or to whom, except her first name was Margaret.

1718 -John Lannthrope's Last Will and Testament (punctuation, spelling and grammar are kept as much as possible in their original form, but for clarity some spacing has been added) 

In the Name Of God Amen I John Lanthrop of Prince George County Do make and Design this my Last Will and Testament in manner and form following that is to say First I bequeath by soul unto the hands of Almighty God believing remission of Sinns and everlasting Life by the merritts death and passion of Jesus Christ Lord and only Saviour.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Joseph Lanthrop all my Land on the North Side of Second Swamp to him and his heirs for ever, and to my son John all my land, the sough side of second swamp to him and his heirs forever -

Item. I do so desire that my Daughters shall have the privelege of tending ground on the plantation where on I now Live, keeping all things in repair, as Long as they keep themselves single

Item. the Bed where on I Lye I give to my Loving wife Margaret, and all the furniture belonging to it, but no more of beding, and but her third of the Land if she marries.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my Daughter Elizabeth one cow and calfe, and to my Daughter Mary and my Daughter Ann one cow and Calfe, and one sow and four piggs between them both,

Item. I give to my son Joseph one red Heifer with a white face and one — boor belonging to the black sow.

Item. I give the first fold that my Mair brings to my son John , and the old horse and mair I give for the use of the plantation amongst them all, as long as they Live all together, but my son John shall be free at Seventeen if his mother marries again, but if she remains my Widow she shall serve till he is one and twenty.

Item. I give and bequeath all the rest of my Beds and Bedding betwist my six children namely Mary and Ann and Francis and John and Margaret and Isabell them six children and to my wife to them do I give all moveables when the debts are paid, and my son John if he be unruly, I give unto my son Joseph all powere to give him correction. And I do desire that in Dividing the movables that they choose to or three men to Divide it amongst themselves, this my Last Will and Testament whereunto I set my hand and seal this 9th day of January 1718.

Moses Beck
Andrew (his mark) A B Beck
Henry (his mark) H L Ledbetter
(Seald w" red wax)

At a court held at Merchants Hope for the County of Prince George on the second Tuesday in March being the tenth day of the said month Anno Dom 1718

On 10 Dec. 1718 the Will and Testement of John Lanthrop Dec'd was presented in court by Margaret the relict and Joseph the son of the said Dec'd and there being no executors appointed therein the said - Margaret and Joseph made oath thereto, and it being proved by the oaths of Moses Beck, Andrew Beck and Henry Ledbetter witnesses thereto to be the Last Will of the said John Lanthrop Dec'd is by order of the court truly recorded and certificate is granted the said Margaret and Joseph Lanthrop for obtaining letters of Administration with the said will and next in due -?-

Test Wm Hamlin Cl Cur


Stith Landtroop marriage (3)


We have currently completed research on our Ancestral Family Line for the Landtroop Family. The maternal ancestors of our John Daniel Littrell. While we will return to all families eventually we beleive that we have collected as much as we currently can on this family, in fact we find ourselves with an amount of new material that has placed us in a position that we cannot process all of the new information without delay all other work. This is part of an ongoing cycle: research, processing, organizing, integration of new information, presenting and then publishing information; the ultimate goal being publication, we must sometimes cut off or delay some processes to get to publication. It much like doing a lot of laundry: wash, rinse, repeat… dry, fold, and putaway, sometimes you have to do it in segments inorder to complete it all.   GlennDL


Landtroop-Luttrell Page / Landtroop Family Page

What's the difference? John Daniel Littrell’s grandmother was a Landtroop who’s ancestors go back to Virginia in the 1600s.

  • So whenever we have information or articles on Landtroops that are the direct ancestors of John (and their immediate family) we will label them with the “Landtroop-Luttrell” tag.
  • Whenever we have information or articles on any other Landtroops, not direct ancestors of John Littrell, we will label them with the “Landtroop Family Page” tag.
This way visitors to www.littrellfamily.org who are not descendants of John Littrell can narrow their focus when looking for missing Landtroop ancestors. It is suggested that all Landtroop researchers search both pages. Remember if a page contains a lot of articles/post it may cover more than one page… use the “older post” / “newer post” links to move among pages of the same label.
The labels, called “Index Labels” can be found under the article/post title or in the Table of contents section in the sidebars of the website. Use these labels to list and isolate multiple articles/post by those labels.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Simbecks are blood related to Littrell Cousins: Research notes from Deer Camp Road Trip

About 20 years ago I came across a book on the Landtroop families of America in the Indiana State Library. At the time I was not researching that line of our ancestry (Grandpa John's grand mother was a Landtroop.) so I just made a mental note to return to it later. A few years later I went back to the library looking for the book for some information and the library no longer had the book. Since then I have periodically tried to locate a copy of it, but was always unsuccessful.

At the time I first discovered the book I did not record detailed information that would have made finding the book easier. Fortunately a recent online search resulted in locating the publisher information that made a thorough search possible. This led to finding the book, now out of print, for sale on Amazon and various websites (all copies are sold out). With more accurate information it was possible to find several libraries with a copy of the book, the closest one being the St. Louis County Library.

Finding the book at the library on the last day of the Deer Camp road-trip has provided a treasure trove of information. The visit was planned for 2 hours to gather information, but it turned into a 6 hour visit that produced 30+ pages of notes and xerox copies and the possibility of a second visit at a later date.

Initial examination has provided clues to connecting/identifying at least two Landtroop families that were previously a mystery:

  • We had a newspaper clipping from 1933, a wedding announcement, that identified some Ezells, Belews, and Landtroops. There was enough information to identify a family unit, Landtroop marrying an Ezell, but we were unable to connect them to any known Landtroops or Ezells. With new information we have been able to connect the Lantroops in the article to our Landtroops. As far as the Ezells and Belews we still haven't progressed on their identification.
    click for more information

  • Many years ago Gary Littrell (<son of>Jesse<son of>John & Kizzie Littrell) provided me with a copy of a family history of the Johns/Simbeck family. The Johns/Simbeck families are connected to the Littrell family by the marriage of Jesse Littrell to the widow Viola Johns-Simbeck. Viola had two children by John Henry Simbeck, Geneva and James 'Bud' Simbeck. When Viola remarried to Jesse she had several children by him, making Geneva and Bud Jesse's stepchildren and half-siblings to Gary and the remainder of Jesse's children. Many of Geneva and Buds Littrell cousins were unaware or unconcerned that they were 'step-cousins' and not related by blood.
    In the Johns/Simbeck family history the mother of John Henry Simbeck was Elizabeth Landtroop, leading many to speculate that she might be connected to our Landtroop ancestry. The absence of any knowledge about the parents of Elizabeth prevented the discovery of that connection. Until now.
    click to see more on Elizabeth information
    We now know that Elizabeth's full-name is Elizabeth Betty Landtroop and her father is George C. Landtroop, brother of Grandpa John's grandmother, SusannaMary and George C Landtrooph L.E. Landtroop. This makes Grandpa John and John Henry Simbeck (Viola's first husband) 2nd cousins. Meaning that Jesse Littrell married the widow of his 2nd cousin, once removed. More importantly it means that Geneva and Bud are true 'blood' cousins to their Littrell cousins.
    While we have always considered Geneva and Bud among the First Cousins they are also 3rd cousins, once removed to the other First Cousins and their siblings.         
                                                                 Mary & George are Geneva & Bud’s great-grandparents
    click her to see who are the first cousins

There is much more information to process from the St. Louis County Library trip. Several generations have to be added and identified, new information on the ancestral line is now available, and questions about the large Landtroop migration to Texas need to be answered. Much of this new information dwells on Landtroop families that break off from our family line in Alabama and Tennessee.

For now the new information has helped us identify all heretofore unidentified families and individuals of the Landtroop name that were in our files and database. There are still Ezells, Belews, Urbans and even Littrell's that are still unconnected or unidentified.

The following chart is provided for the Landtroop family. It does not contain all generations, lines, or information. It just shows basic information and only shows 5 generations:

Descendants of John Lanthrop

...2 Peter Lantrop b: Bef. 1782 in Virginia, USA
    + Martha {Lantrip} b: 1780 in Virginia, USA, m: 1799 in Virginia, USA
......3 William Landtroop b: Abt. 1800 in Virginia, USA; probably Dinwiddle County
       + Charity Rainboldt
.........4 John P. Landtroop b: Abt. 1825 in Alabama, USA
.........4 Stith Jackson Landtroop b: Bet. 1826–1829
.........4 Sarah E. Landtroop b: Abt. 1834 in Tennessee, USA
.........4 Rebecca J. Landtroop b: Bet. 1839–1840 in Tennessee, USA
......3 Stith Landtroop b: Abt. 1802 in Virginia, USA;
                Probably Dinwiddie County, or Prince George County
       + Mary "Polly" Agee b: Abt. 1805 in Tennessee, USA,
                m: Jan 05, 1826 in Madison, Alabama, USA
.........4 William Smith Landtroop b: Abt. 1829 in Alabama, USA
          + Louise Elizabeth Halbert
.........4 James Thomas Landtroop b: Dec 29, 1829 in Alabama, USA
          + Martha Jane Jones
............5 John Thomas Landtroop b: Sep 11, 1872 in Limestone, Alabama, USA
............5 Mary A. S. Landtroop
............5 Elizabeth E. Lena Landtroop
............5 Martha Catherine Landtroop
............5 Lodenvia Landtroop
............5 Harriett Landtroop
............5 Malissa A. Landtroop
............5 Louisa Eugenia Landtroop
............5 Labada Landtroop
............5 Georgia W. Landtroop
............5 Rosa E. Landtroop
............5 Lula B. Lucy Landtroop
          + Nancy Kerr
.........4 Julia Ann Landtroop b: Abt. 1830
.........4 Martha J. Landtroop b: Abt. 1833
          + James Brown
.........4 Susannah L.E. Landtroop b: May 27, 1837 in Alabama, USA
          + Cassandra Urban b: Jul 04, 1831 in Alabama, USA,
                   m: 1856 in Madison, Alabama, USA
............5 Mary Catherine Urban b: Abt. 1857 ; Alabama or Tennessee ??
             + Timmons Seburn Literal
                      b: May 27, 1856 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA; from death certificate,
                      m: Jul 25, 1877 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
 
                      Grandparents of Jesse Littrell
............5 John H. Urban b: Abt. 1860 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 James C. Urban b: Feb 20, 1860 in Tennessee, USA
             + Mary E. Newton b: May 16, 1856 in Tennessee, USA,
                       m: Sep 18, 1881 in Lawrence,Tennessee, USA
............5 Martha C. Urban b: Abt. 1864
             + John Harrison Smith m: Aug 03, 1881 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 George T. Urban b: Abt. 1866
............5 William C. Urban b: Abt. 1868 in Tennessee, USA
             + Emily Garrett b: Abt. 1867 in Tennessee, USA, m: Abt. 1888
............5 U.S.G. Urban b: Oct 1869
............5 Susan Malissa Urban b: Nov 26, 1871
             + Samuel Stutts b: Jul 15, 1871
............5 Daniel J. Urban b: Abt. 1874
             + Lola Sirvirginia Philips
............5 Thomas Marion Urban b: Oct 26, 1876
             + Mary Ann Robertson b: Nov 26, 1887
............5 Nancy L. Urban b: Dec 13, 1878
             + Claude P. Richardson b: Jan 11, 1881, m: Bef. 1898
............5 Margaret Urban b: Mar 01, 1881
             + Noah F. Robertson b: Sep 24, 1879
............5 Albert Agee Urban b: Oct 26, 1884
             + Emma b: Jul 04, 1886
.........4 Mary H. Landtroop b: Abt. 1840
.........4 John Dawson Lantroop b: Jan 09, 1842
          + [unknown spouse]
............5 Thomas Newton Lantroop b: 1868 in Lauderdale, Alabama, USA
............5 Edna Lantroop
............5 Martha Mattie Lantroop
............5 Lou Lantroop
............5 Mozella Lantroop
............5 Susan Lantroop
............5 Edward Luther Lantroop
............5 Maggie L. Lantroop
.........4 George C. Landtroop b: Nov 09, 1845 in Alabama, USA
          + Mary Neece
............5 John Henry Landtroop b: Dec 10, 1876 in Alabama, USA
............5 Marion Huston Landtroop b: Jul 15, 1879 in Alabama, USA
             + Laura Mae Fisher b: Nov 06, 1895 in Tennessee, USA,
                   m: Aug 04, 1912 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 Elizabeth Betty Landtroop b: Oct 06, 1881 in Alabama, USA
             + Henry J. Simbeck b: Dec 05, 1879 in Tennessee, USA,
                   m: Nov 23, 1902 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA

                   Grand Parents of Geneva and Bud
............5 Nancy Lee Landtroop b: Jul 18, 1884 in Alabama, USA
             + Elic Fisher b: Mar 02, 1893,
                   m: Oct 11, 1914 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 Fanny Dasie Landtroop b: Abt. 1887 in Alabama, USA
............5 Frances Landtroupe b: 1889 in Alabama, USA
             + David Payne b: 1887, m: Sep 22, 1912 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 George Landtroop b: Feb 19, 1894 in Tennessee, USA
             + Virgie Hamsley b: May 20, 1906, m: Oct 01, 1922 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
             + Verena Hamsley b: Oct 09, 1909
............5 Susie Landtroop
             + James R. Fowler b: Aug 22, 1878 in TN., Wayne Co.,
                    m: Jan 27, 1901 in Lawrence, Tennessee, USA
............5 William E.J. Bill Landtroop
             + Haughty Fowler
.........4 Stith J. Landtroop b: Abt. 1850
......3 Sarah Landtroop b: Abt. 1805 in Virginia, USA; probably Dinwiddle County
       + John Frick b: 1803 in Virginia, of
......3 Susan Lanthrop b: Abt. 1808 in Virginia, USA; probably Dinwiddle County
......3 Julia P. Lanthrop b: Abt. 1816 in Virginia, of; probably Dinwiddle County

Sunday, November 22, 2015

2015 Deer Camp Road Trip:

Spent the weekend in Missouri at Deer Camp (see video below), Monday at Breakfast in Portageville w/family, Thursday at brunch in St. Louis w/family (see pictures below) and doing research in St. Louis County… home on Friday.

100_4818100_4819100_4822100_4820100_4823100_4824100_4827

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Essie Belle Littrell: born October 24, 1927

Essie Belle Littrell (#433)  daughter of Carl Littrell and Lillie Brown. She was born October 24, 1924 in Loretto, TN. She married Ernest Winford Ellis, son of Mary Mozella7 Littrell and Alonzo Ellis. Married: 2nd~OJ Littrell, 3rd~JP OdemBell's family

Children of Ernest Ellis and Essie Littrell are:

i. Judy Ann9 Ellis, born November 02, 1946 in Loretto, TN.

ii. Shirley Mae9 Ellis, born September 14, 1949 in Loretto, TN.

iii. Charles Wade9 Ellis, born March 04, 1952 in Loretto, TN. He married Patricia Gist March 02, 1979 in Loretto, TN.; born September 12, 1951 in Lawrence Co., TN.

iv. Earnest Steven9 Ellis, born September 17, 1956 in Loretto, TN. He married Cindy Lee in Loretto, TN.; born March 13, 1958 in Lawrenceburg, TN.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Need More Information For MRC: Jesse Comer, Wesley Littrell and Lowell Mann

Any descendant of John and Kizzie (including spouses and step-children) who served in the military is eligible to be included in the Military Roll Call (MRC) book and website page, but I need you to provide that information. The book has already been published but it will be updated and reprinted every few years and the website is constantly updated.

wesleylittrell

FBook-Sandra

Wesley Littrell                                                        Lowell Mann


Jesse cropped

 

 

Jesse Comer (Civil War)

As of 10-4-2016 we have been unable to find any proof, or the original source for our belief that Jesse served in the Civil War.

Until we do we will continue to list  Jesse here, but will remove him from his listing in MRC and move him to an FYI section.

 

 

 

 

 


If you haven't sent me military information on your Littrell, ancestors, descendants, cousins or siblings please do so as soon as possible. 

Please don't make the common mistake of waiting until you have all your information together before sending it.  Send me what you have now and the rest when you get it together… you would be amazed at what I might find out from anything you send. Photos, letters, DD214 or discharge papers etc. Any updated information you send later will be added to the next edition and immediately to the website.

Send me what you have now to insure that at least that makes it into the books next printing. 

So don't hesitate, send what you have now!

Slide143 

Pictures (especially in uniform), dd214, letters, duty stations, training, stories, post cards, accommodations & awards, dates of service, etc., What you can when you can, don’t hesitate.


The above information is from: Military Role Call: The Littrell Family of Mississippi County, Missouri, The Littrell Family Journals Volume IV. (click here)
also: 
Littrell Family Veterans Video

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

5th Annual Littrell Family Reunion: 2015

I will post the registration sheet later this week. If you have additional pictures from the reunion post/share them to the family page on Facebook or email them to me.

Those Registered:

  • Fred Littrell  *Red Littrell
  • Amanda Britain  *Red Littrell
  • Erica Church  *Red Littrell
  • Cannan Pytlinski  *Red Littrell
  • Mary Catherine & JC Cook  *OJ Littrell
  • John ‘JL’ Littrell  *Les Littrell
  • Wayne Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Bill & Alberta Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Pam Williams  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Alicia Garnett  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Madelyn Jones  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Mary Grace Garnett  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Joyce & Dwight Scruggs  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Glenn Littrell *JD Littrell
  • Kelly McKinney  *JD Littrell
  • Rick Littrell  *JD Littrell
  • Troy Littrell  *JD Littrell
  • Darlene & Wendell Williams  *Bertha Thurman
  • Lenny Cross  *Bertha Thurman
  • Terri Cross  *Bertha Thurman
  • Renee Medina  *Bertha Thurman
  • Sherra Bone  *Bertha Thurman
  • Maria Martinez  *Bertha Thurman
  • Monty & Janie Thurman  *Bertha Thurman
  • Ashley Casey  *Bertha Thurman
  • Hannah Casey  *Bertha Thurman
36 Family Members Present
Descendants of John & Kizzie’s children not present:   Jesse, Sis, Noble, Onene, & Dick.

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Military Roll Call, The Littrell Family Of Mississippi County, Missouri: Book Report

MRC COVER PIC

Description:
175 pages
Five sons and two son-in-laws of John & Kizzie Littrell served in the armed forces of the United States of America. To date at least 35 descendants and descendant spouses) of John Daniel Littrell and Kizzie Zore Comer (John & Kizzie) have served their country. They have served on 5 continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This book tells their stories and the stories of the ancestors of John & Kizzie going back to the Revolutionary War. Their stories are presented with pictures, letters home, newspaper clippings, maps, photos and narratives. From the 2nd Spartan Regiment of South Carolina to the USS Benfold in the Persian Gulf.

Included in the book:
The Revolution: Richard Luttrell, Thomas Luttrell, Colonel John Luttrell, Robert Luttrell, Rennie Belue, Private. Zachariah Belew, Captain Rodhom Literal (Luttrell)
The Civil War Era: Jesse Comer, Harbert H. Ezell, Robert Ezell, Lem (Lemuel) Ezell, Will (William) Ezell, Private Eli F. Literal.
World War II Era: Jessie Lee Davis, Lindsey Prior 'Bordie' Thurman, Oliver James 'OJ' Littrell, John Daniel 'JD' Littrell, Redford 'Red' Littrell.
The Korean War Era: James Edward 'Bud' Simbeck, Raymond Savat, Albert Rubin Littrell, John Daniel 'JD' Littrell, J. Fred Johnston.
The Cold War Era: Lesley 'Les' Littrell, Ronald Lyvonne 'Von' Littrell, Wesley James Littrell, Jeffrey Dolan Littrell, Wallace J. 'Wally’ Littrell,
The Vietnam War Era: Billy Lee Davis, Malcolm 'Mike' Littrell, Gary Russell Littrell, Glenn David Littrell, Troy Lee Littrell, John L. 'JL' Littrell.
Post 911 Conflicts: Lowell Mann, Joel Pfaff, Angela Pfaff, Garrett Russell Littrell, Blaine Scott Davis, Steven Johnson.

$60.00 + $5.00 S&H = $65.00 per book

Make checks or Postal Money Orders to:

Glenn Littrell

Mail to: PO BOX 20794, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, 46220

Enclose the following information with your check or Postal Money Order. As soon as your payment is in the mail send the same information to me by email (if possible) so that I can get started on your order:

Which books and how many copies.
What address do you want your copies sent to.

Send the above mentioned email and any questions to: indianaglenn@gmail.com

toc1 toc2toc3

Sunday, October 4, 2015

4th Annual John & Kizzie Comer Littrell Family Reunion: 2014

The ‘Loft’ was full, the ‘Bus’ was full and half the tents were full, but we still had room for more.
GDL~2014 (3)
Those Registered:
  • Glenn Littrell *JD Littrell
  • Kelly McKinney  *JD Littrell
  • Tom Bryer  *Jesse Daniel Littrell
  • Fred Littrell  *Red Littrell
  • Mary Catherine Cook  *OJ Littrell
  • Amanda Britain  *Red Littrell
  • John ‘JL’ Littrell  *Les Littrell
  • Wayne Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Bill Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Pam Williams  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Alicia Garnett  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Madelyn Jones  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Mary Grace Garnett  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Janet Littrell Silman  *Red Littrell
  • Joyce Davis Scruggs  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Jeffrey S. Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Blaine & Casey Davis  *Letha Mae Davis
  • Sheila Jimerson  *OJ Littrell
  • Darlene Williams  *Bertha Thurman
  • Monty & Janie Thurman  *Bertha Thurman
  • Ashley & Randy Casey  *Bertha Thurman
  • Hannah Casey  *Bertha Thurman
46 Family Members Present
Descendants of John & Kizzie’s children not present:   Sis, Noble, Onene, & Dick.

Friday, October 2, 2015

Littrell Family History books: Price List

The Family Book Projects: “The Littrell Family Journals”

  • “Volume I: Our Ancestral Namesakes”
  • “Volume II: An American Family
    This book will cover the direct ancestors and descendants of John Daniel Littrell. Sub-volumes will be published for the Ancestral Lines of John (Urban & Landtroop), and for the Ancestral Lines of John’s wife,  Kizzie Zore Comer-Littrell (Comer,Ezell, and Belew).  Anticipated completion date: October 2016)
  • “Volume III: Military Roll Call”
  • "Volume IV: Walking Among The Stones”

book marque
$60.00 + $5.00 S&H = $65.00 per book

MRC
$60.00 + $5.00 S&H = $65.00 per book

bookmarque
$10.00 + $5.00 S&H=$15.00 per book


Make checks or Postal Money Orders to:

Glenn Littrell

Mail to: PO BOX 20794, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, 46220

Enclose the following information with your check or Postal Money Order. As soon as your payment is in the mail send the same information to me by email (if possible) so that I can get started on your order:

Which books and how many copies.
What address do you want your copies sent to.

Send the above mentioned email and any questions to: indianaglenn@gmail.com

Cemetery Book Project: Book Report

bookmarque
$10.00 + $5.00 S&H=$15.00 per book

Cover

Make checks or Postal Money Orders to:

Glenn Littrell

Mail to: PO BOX 20794, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, 46220

Enclose the following information with your check or Postal Money Order. As soon as your payment is in the mail send the same information to me by email (if possible) so that I can get started on your order:

Which books and how many copies.
What address do you want your copies sent to.

Send the above mentioned email and any questions to: indianaglenn@gmail.com

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Navigating WWW.LITTRELLFAMILY.NET :

web

Our Ancestral Namesakes: Book Report

book marque

$60.00 + $5.00 S&H = $65.00 per book

Make checks or Postal Money Orders to:

Glenn Littrell

Mail to: PO BOX 20794, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, 46220

Enclose the following information with your check or Postal Money Order. As soon as your payment is in the mail send the same information to me by email (if possible) so that I can get started on your order:

Which books and how many copies.
What address do you want your copies sent to.

Send the above mentioned email and any questions to: indianaglenn@gmail.com

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Evergreen Cemetery: Missouri

John and James Littrell brought their families to the Bootheel area of Southeast Missouri in the early 1930s. As tenant/sharecropper farmers they faced hard and unfair times trying to establish a foundation for rearing a family.

The depression hit most Americans in the 30s, but farmers and farm workers had been facing economic depression since the 1920s and win the rest of the country was hit by the stock market crash the farmers had already been living the hard life. OLC-18 (1) wname

Dawn to dusk farm hands were paid a measly $.75 a day for picking cotton. Tenant farmers and sharecroppers constantly faced mass evictions, company stores with landlord controlled price fixing.

James was a tenant farmer from 1930 to 1936 and John through most of the same decade. They both lost a son to farm accidents during that time:

  • James's youngest son JC died in a tractor accident at age 8, he was riding on the tractor with his father when the tractor rolled over pinning JC under the wheel.

  • Earlier that year John's 21 year old son Troy Lee “Dick” Littrell died after being kicked by a mule.

Evergreen Cemetery is less than 5 miles from the LaForge Community.

Dick was the only child of John and Kizzie buried in Evergreen. He is buried in an unmarked grave at this time, 85 years after his death.

Most of James's family is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, including JC.

Capture

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Onene Littrell married Bert Curtis September 15th, 1934

Ollie Onene8 Littrell (John Daniel7, Timmons Seburn6 Literal, Eli Franklin5, Rodhom4, Robert3 Luttrell, Richard2 Lutterell, James1 Lotterell) was born March 13, 1917 in Loretto, TN. She married Bert Louis Curtis (#419) September 15, 1934 in New Madrid, MO., son of Naith Curtis and Jane Steward. He was born September 22, 1915 in TN., McEwen, and died June 20, 1990 in MO., Marston.
Onene met Bert when he was running Sugar for Moonshiners.
Bert & Ollie Onene (Littrell) CurtisBert & Onene & baby
161

Friday, August 21, 2015

Book Project UPDATE: Volume II / Volume I

update: 8-21-2015

As some may have noted from the increased number of articles on our European ancestors, the emphasis has shifted from Volume 2 stories to Volume 1 stories. The reason is that the size of the Volume 2 work has made it apparent that I could not finish the book in time for the October reunion.

Cover V1As a consequence I have retargeted Volume 1 as the book most likely to be ready in time for the reunion. One positive effect of this change is that it will give everyone a chance to update their family information so you are included in Volume 2 (new target date= before next years reunion). Send me your family information, including your line of descent as far back as you know it. names, dates, pictures, stories, etc.

originally posted: 1-7-2015
…In preparing the first draft for the next book(s) we have found it necessary to address some old unresolved mysteries. Some of these mysteries have been as much as 20 years old. There is a lot more information (good and bad) available on the internet that use to require a visit to some small county library in “Poduck”, Kentucky or somewhere. This has led to some mysteries solved, new information discovered, and even some new mysteries created.

We’ve already posted two mysteries that have been resolved:

There is more, but we don’t want to delay work on the books so we will post them as we process them into the books first draft. We ask you to be patient, but just to aggravate you, here are some teasers:

  • In the past we have pointed out that Grandma Kizzie had the distinction of having ancestors on both sides during the civil war. While we are still trying to verify this we have discovered that Grandpa John also has that distinction. We knew his grandfather, Eli Literal, served and died during the war, serving with the 9th Tennessee Cavalry(CSA). Well, now we know his grandfather on his mother’s side, Cassandra Urban, and Cassandra’s father-in-law, Stith Landtroop (John’s great-grandfather) served together in the 1st Alabama Cavalry(Union). The 9th Tennessee and the 1st Alabama may have even faced off against each other.
  • We’ve discovered a possible additional generation on Grandpa John’s ancestors(Landtroop). We presently discovered an unconfirmed father for Stith Landtroop, John Lanthrop. If this can be confirmed we may also have our second Veteran from the war of 1812.
  • We’ve well documented the service of Grandma Kizzie’s Belew ancestors (Zachariah and Renney) in the Revolutionary War, and we’ve made mention of the marriage of Zachariah’s daughter to Daniel Comer, a neighbor of the Belews in South Carolina. Well it now turns out that Daniel Comer’s father Captain Daniel Comber actually served in the same regiment (2nd Spartan Regiment) as Susannah’s father Pvt. Zachariah Belew, and her grandfather Lieutenant Renney Belew.
  • We have also discovered a will for Daniel Comber of Union County, South Carolina. This the grandfather of Jesse Comer , of Lawrence County, Tennessee. In addition we may have identified his (Daniel Comber) father and grandfather.

volume 2

Monday, August 10, 2015

Noble James Littrell: married Corene Belew:

reposted from 2013
(Noble is the third son (fourth child) of John & Kizzie Littrell.)
imageNobel James Littrell(1) was born July 16, 1915 in TN., Lawrence Co., Loretto, and died August 08, 1972 in OH., Lorain.
He married (1) Corene Belew (#271) August 10, 1937, daughter of William Belew and Ivy Shelton.(2) She was born Abt. 1917, and died March 15, 1943.
  • Nobel James Littrell: Buried: MO., East Prairie, W.O.W. Cem.
Child of Nobel Littrell and Corene Belew were:
  1. Rex Littrell,
Sources:
Nobel1 John Daniel Littrell Family Correspondence File, (Letters, Family Group Sheets, and charts sent by family members to the compiler Glenn D. Littrell.), Family Group Data for the family and descendants of Nobel Littrell contributed by Nancy L. Hornbeck-Littrell [12-5-1990], and updated by Rex Littrell at the 1997 Reunion.
2 Both the Belew and Shelton families of the Lawrence County Tennessee area have ancestral connections to the Littrell families of the same area. The Belews connection begins in the area with the Comer ancestry and the Shelton connection dates back to the beginning of the families migration from Virginia in the late 1700s.




Saturday, August 8, 2015

13~Duchess Anne Luttrell-Horton-Frederick [#3037]

AnneLuttrell Duches of CThe eldest child of Earl Simon Luttrell was a daughter, Anne Luttrell [#3037] [and the widow of Christopher Horton] who would remarry to the brother of King George III, Prince Henry Frederick the Duke of Cumberland. King George III considered Prince Henry's (and another brother's) choice of wife unsuitable, which led to the passing of the Royal Marriages Act in 1772, one year after the marriage of Anne to Prince Henry Frederick. That act would require that descendants of King George II could not marry before the age of 25 without the permission of the king.

Upon the passage of the aforementioned Act the marriage of Anne and Prince Henry Frederick was further condemned by Junius' proclamation:

"... let parliament see to it that a Luttrell never wears the crown of England "

In spite of King George III's condemnation of Prince Henry's marriage to Anna Luttrell, she was evidently held in favor by the king's successor and son, the Prince of Wales (the future King George IV) and by the king's granddaughter, Victoria (the future Queen Victoria I).

After Anne was prohibited from attending the Court circle, the Prince of Wales attended Anne's parties more than those of his mother, Queen Charlotte.

Queen Victoria twice visited Luttrellstown Castle, Dublin, Ireland and is quoted as saying:

"I'll always love to come here when I visit Ireland for Anne was born here, she was my favorite aunt "

There were no children from this marriage. Though from a noble family – she was a daughter of Simon Luttrell, 1st Earl of Carhampton, and the widow of Christopher Horton of Catton Hall – Anne seems to have been rather loose with her favors, given one wag's comment that she was

"the Duke of Grafton's Mrs Houghton, the Duke of Dorset's Mrs Houghton, everyone's Mrs Houghton."

imageThe marriage between Anne Horton and the Duke of Cumberland was described as a

“…conquest at Brighthelmstone” (now Brighton) by Mrs. Horton, who had for many months been dallying with his passion, till she had fixed him to more serious views than he had intended."   Horace Walpole

Anne was however generally thought one of the great beauties of the age and Thomas Gainsborough painted her several times. Gainsborough also painted the famous “Blue Boy”

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http://www.thepeerage.com/p10849.htm#i108483

Thursday, August 6, 2015

John H. Littrell born 1810 VA ,died 1850 OH

Doing research with Stanley Littrell here in Medford, Oregon. He needs advice on how to find the parents of his 2nd great grandfather John H. Littrell born 1810 VA ,died 1850 OH, married Elizabeth Fox 1837 OH.
Best regards, Chuck Eccleston cgecc@juno.com.

I’m sorry but after a review of my computer files I have found nothing on your John Littrell/Luttrell.  I’m presently working on a book of Luttrell/Littrell European Ancestors, when I complete it I will be returning to my colonial research and part of that will include reviewing material that is not yet computerized. I will keep a look out for John H.

GlennDL

Monday, August 3, 2015

The Staunton Court Branch ~~~c.1584-1824

[Chapter 7]

14~John Luttrell [#6369]

The Staunton Court Branch of the family begins with the second son of Andrew Luttrell [#6352]see Chapter 6.25, John Luttrell [#6369].

John appears to have laid the framework for questionable behavior when he entered into an agreement with his grandmother to care for her, but after his purchase of Staunton Court, he failed to fulfill his agreement with her and she sought litigation against him in court.

John had three sons, John [#6442], Francis [#6443], and Edward [#6444], and one daughter Dorothy.

15~Col. John Luttrell [#6442]Cover V1

John Luttrell [#6442] was only six years old at the time of his father’s (John [#6369]) death. John [#6442] would take up arms in the parliamentarian see Appendix 6E cause and obtain the rank of colonel before being killed at a skirmish between Milverton and Wiveliscombre in 1645. Colonel John had seven children and was succeeded by his third child and eldest son, Southcote Luttrell [#6449].
When Southcote was an elderly widower, his first cousin, Edward Luttrell [#6448], son of Edward [#6444] below came to live with the aged Southcote. Edward and his wife, Mary, would involve themselves in Southcote’s affairs, and eventually they engaged him in an elaborate settlement that would serve to disinherit Southcote’s descendants in favor of Edward and Mary’s descendants.

The Lunatic

In 1702, following the death of both Southcote and Edward [#6448], Southcote’s third son and otherwise legal heir, Southcote Luttrell [#6461] was declared insane and placed in the care of Edward’s widow, Mary. After Southcote Luttrell [#6461] “the lunatic” died in 1751 all of his personal property passed to the his nephew, Marshall Ayers, and the estates passed to Edward and Mary’s grandson, Southcote Hungerford Luttrell [#6496].

Another cousin of the elder Southcote (and Edward) was Narcissus Luttrell [#6474], son of Francis [#6443]below a noted ‘antiquarian’ referred to his cousin Edward as both a “villain” and a “rascal”.

The Rascal

On the surface, Edward and Mary’s efforts might appear (in hindsight) as justified, since in this journal and the sources for it, Edward’s family line continues on longer than either of his uncles (John #6442 and Francis #6443). This would be a misleading conclusion though, as the record of Edward’s descendants is more complete because of its connection to the estates that he schemed to obtain for them. The male line of descendants of John [#6442] and Francis [#6443] does not end as a result of no male descendants as much as it ends because of no “record” of males with property.
The paper trail created by ownership of property and/or titles is a major resource in tracing family lines, as records of property, title, military service, and civil court actions are more complete and universally maintained than family birth and death records.

As the second son of the third son, any inheritable properties of his grandfather, John Luttrell [#6369], were not likely to ever fall upon Edward or his descendants by any natural means. His successful attempts at taking advantage of his elderly cousin, Southcote Luttrell [#6449], lacked any legitimate justification as an attempt to keep the estates in the male line of the family as the elder Southcote had a legitimate male heir at the time of the settlement.

This heir apparent, the younger Southcote ([#6461] “The Lunatic”), had not yet lost the use of his reason at the time of the settlement. It appears that Edward (an attorney) and Mary had taken advantage of the elder gentleman’s aged feebleness.

Edward would precede his wife, Mary and the younger Southcote in death, and his grandson Southcote Hungerford Luttrell [#6496] would inherit the estates.

Scandal and Tragedy follow the Staunton Court Branch:

One of four children of the above Edward [#6448] was Captain Edward Luttrell [#6492] who married Anne Hungerford of Wilshire and received a commission in 1713 as a lieutenant and would later obtain the rank of captain.

On October 17, 1721, two bailiffs (Tranter and Reason) arrested Captain Edward, for failure to pay a debt. The captain convinced the two men to accompany him to his quarters were he could obtain the amount of the debt from his young wife. Upon paying the two men, an argument arose when the captain refused to pay the bailiffs an additional amount for their troubles. Captain Edward was called a “rogue”, a “rascal”, and a “minter” to which he responded by striking Tranter over the head with his walking cane. Reason reacted by stabbing the captain nine times and then shooting him.
The captain lived long enough (several hours) to make a short will in favor of his wife, Anne, who was pregnant with their only child (Southcote Hungerford Luttrell [#6496]). The two bailiffs were tried for manslaughter and found guilty, in spite of the brutality of their crime they were not hanged but only “branded” on the hand.

18~Major Southcote Hungerford Luttrell [#6496]

Born without a father the infant was soon completely orphaned, as his mother did not survive his birth for long. The Luttrell estates were placed in trust with Southcote’s maternal uncle, Walter Hungerford.

Southcote would obtain a Marine commission as a second lieutenant in 1741 and would eventually rise to the rank of major in the 45th Foot (Regiment). Documents in England indicate that he married in South Carolina, but his regiment was based in Halifax, Nova Scotia (North America), which is supported by family history.

Major Southcote fathered four children, the oldest born in Nova Scotia. Upon the death of his namesake second cousin (once removed), Southcote Luttrell [#6461],above “the Lunatic”, the major and his family returned to England and resided at Staunton Court. The major would eventually sell Staunton Court but his sons would be provided for through the inheritance of their cousin’s estates, the son of the major’s maternal uncle, Walter Hungerford.

The major had three sons, Wilmot, Edward, and John. All three would sell their interest in the Hungerford Wiltshire estates. While John would have descendants in England, Edward, a military surgeon would be the ‘progenitor’ of many descendants in Australia where he would die in New South Wales in 1824.

Friday, July 31, 2015

5~Sir Galfridus (Geoffrey) Louterell [#5395]

The name and spelling we are using for this Geoffrey, owner of the Luttrell Psalter, is the same spelling as it appears on one of the actual leafs of the Psalter; pp 6: The Luttrell Psalter by J. Backhouse.

Sir Galfridus (Geoffrey) Louterell was born at Irnham [England] in May of 1276 and baptized on May 24. In June of 1298, he was one of the “ten gentlemen” traveling overseas with Blanche, former Queen of Navarre and wife of Edmund Plantagenet, King Edward I’s brother. Blanche’s daughter by her first marriage was the Queen of France and through these circumstances, we can probably assume that Sir Galfridus was exposed to the life in the French Royal court.
Sir Galfridus [#5395] was summoned to military service 13 times from 1297 to 1319 (including the Scottish border war). We do not know when he was dubbed a knight but in 1324 he was on a list of forty knights from his region that were summoned by the sheriff to attend the "Great Council of Westminster.” The next year he was named commissioner of the Army of Kesteven, but ill health prevented him from serving.
Sir Galfridus’ first-born son was Robert [#5411], but Robert would not grow to adulthood and Sir Galfridus’ heir would be his second son, Andreas (Andrew) Loutterellus [#5410]. We know of this because Sir Galfridus twice obtained a royal license to grant his land to his brother Guy Luttrell [#5396] until his sons Robert and Andreas reached their majority. This was a legal ploy to establish guardianship in an attempt to keep his lands from "reverting" back to the crown in the event of his death.

Landowners held their lands as servants to the Crown, just as their tenants held their lands as renters or tenant farmers, if they died with no suitable heir their lands were returned to the Crown. This maneuver of Galfridus’ was similar to the modern day practice of designating guardianship of one’s children in a will to prevent the state from establishing guardianship of any children, and to control the distribution of an estate.

Sir Galfridus executed this maneuver, in 1318 and 1320. Robert and Andreas were both mentioned in the 1318 license, but only Andreas and a younger brother, Geoffrey [#5412], and their wives were named in 1320.
In 1320 Andreas was only seven and Geoffrey was even younger. Their wives were two sisters: Beatrice (Andreas) and Constance (Geoffrey), the daughters of Geoffrey le Scrope, the king’s “Sergeant at Law” and in 1324 “Chief Justice of
the King’s Bench.” Geoffrey and Constance are never mentioned again leading us to assume that at least Geoffrey, like his brother Robert, did not survive to adulthood.
Infant alliances of this nature were common. Apparently, if not customary, it was permissible for the child bride to be raised by the family of the groom. The evidence of this is that Elizabeth [#5406] (the first born child of Sir Galfridus and his wife Agnes Sutton) was in 1309 (age 12) living in the house of Walter de Glouchester as the future bride of his heir.
During the reign of King Edward the II, Sir Galfridus and Agnes must surely have been in a precarious position due to:CH 5 thomas lancaster

  • Their long term relationship with their neighbor (and son of the aforementioned Blanche), Thomas, the Earl of Lancaster, who was beheaded by his own cousin (King Edward II) in 1322 less than a mile from Hooten~Pagnel at Thomas’s Pontefract Castle.
  • Agnes’s own brother, John Sutton, was imprisoned and suffered much during this time at the hands of King Edward II * and his allies the family of Hugh le Despensers (the Elder).

Perhaps the childhood marriage alliance of:

  • Galfridus’ son Andreas [#5410] to the daughter of the King Edward the II’s Chief Justice (Geoffrey le Scrope)
  • and the marriage of Elizabeth to Walter (II) Gloucester, an ally of King Edward II.

provided some protection.

*John Sutton had married Margaret, co-heiress of the de Somery family, and was forced to give up most of his wife’s inheritance (including Dudley Castle in Worcestershire). Upon Edward III’s assumption of the throne, John’s suffrages were remedied and reversed.

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Chapter 6.5: The Dunster Castle Branch ~~~c.1560-1766 13~George Luttrell

from: Our European Ancestral Namesakes: volume I of “THE LITTRELL~LUTTREL FAMILY JOURNALS”.

While his choices in romance may have bordered on scandalous he was respected and loved at Dunster Castle.

“…To Giles Baker, my servant, who hath lived under the tyranny of my wife, to the danger of his life, during the space of two years…”

trailer1

Cover V1

Sunday, July 26, 2015

OLIVER LITTRELL: 7-30-1993

no source citation found: Obits OJ

 OJ Littrell 

courtesy of Mary Catherine Littrell Cook


O.J. LITTRELL. WAS A HARD WORKING MAN. HE CAME FROM A FAMILY OF 12. HIS PARENTS WERE JOHN & KIZZIE (COMER) LITTRELL. HIS SIBLINGS WERE:

JESSIE LITTRELL,

NOBLE LITTRELL,

VERILY VIOLET (SIS) LITTRELL JOHNSTON,

REDFORD (RED) LITTRELL,

ONENE LITTRELL CURTIS,

BERTHA LITTRELL THURMAN,

J.D. LITTRELL,

LETHA MAE LITTRELL DAVIS,

TROY LEE (DICK) LITTRELL ( WHO PASSED AWAY AT AN EARLY AGE),

LESLIE LITTRELL,

ALBERT RUBIN LITTRELL.


HE WAS MARRIED TO BETTY (NELSON) LITTRELL IN WHICH TWO DAUGHTERS WERE BORN, MARY CATHERINE LITTRELL (COOK), AND SHEILA DIANNE LITTRELL (JIMERSON). OJ AND BETTY WERE DIVORCED, AND OJ REMARRIED, HIS SECOND WIFE  WAS FAITH TATE LITTRELL IN WHICH THREE SONS WERE BORN ORVILLE JOHN (O.J.) LITTRELL, WALLACE JAMES (WALLY) LITTRELL, AND CHRISTOPHER DAVID (CHRIS) LITTRELL.

THIRTEEN GRANDCHILDREN, AND 12 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. MOST WHO NEVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO MEET HIM.

To view the OJ's Family page click here and after
the page reloads scroll down past this article.

144 / 155

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Cassandra Urban: died July 21, 1912

(Cassandra was the father of Mary Catherine Urban, wife of Timmons Literal.)

Fall96 (1)crpd Cassandra Urban was born July 04, 1831 in Alabama, and died July 21, 1912. He married Susannah L.E. Landtroop (#114) Abt. 1855, daughter of Stith Landtroop and Mary. She was born May 27, 1837 in Alabama ??, and died November 29, 1908.(1)

In January of 1870, Cassandra purchased 50 acres of land from R.L. McLaren on “the waters of Blue Water Creek” (Range 5, Section 1). It appears his neighbors were Frances Smith and possibly John Bivens.(3)   By June of 1870, we also find neighbors Powell, Tomas Marion Smith (and a widow, Polly Smith nearby), William Ezell, the families of Aaron, J.M., and Joseph Sandy, and the families of Zachariah and William Belew.

Also nearby is the family of a Mr. M. Holman (a millwright), his wife Sarah, and seven children, including a Sarah E. Holman, age 14. In 1882, as a result of some legal proceedings(4) involving Lizzie C. Holman, Clerk and Master W.J. Nixon deeded to C. Urban three parcels of land totaling about 400 acres of land for the sum of $75. These three lots “lying on Bluewater” in the 2nd Civil District bordered the 50 acres Cassandra had purchased in 1870 and a 600 acre tract owned by A. King.

On the 1860 Census, it appears that Cassandra and Susannah were in the Westpoint, TN area.

Cassandra & Susannah L.E. Landtroop Urban:

  • 1860, TN., Lawrence Co., Census w/family 1st District (Westpoint)
  • 1870, TN., Lawrence Co., Census w/family 2nd Civil District
  • Burial: AL., Lauderdale Co., Hill Cem.

Urban Lane in Loretto, TN.

To view the Urban’s Family page click here and after
the page reloads scroll down past this article.

34/50/71

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

INTERVIEW SOMEONE YOU LOVE ABOUT LIFE

In the past I have suggested setting down with aunts, uncles, parents, older cousins and grand-parents etc., to get them to talk about their life. The idea being that you take notes or record their stories for prosperity. Below is a list of questions you might ask… you can pick and choose which ones. Mainly use the questions to get them started. Usually as they relax they will open up and reveal more than what any specific question might have asked.

It’s best to record the conversation. Use your smart phone, cam-corder, or any recording device.

imageOnce you’ve done this, if you want to share their story or preserve it you can send me a a COPY of the recording and I will try to create a written transcript. Like with photographs, the best way to save a story is to share it. I’ll post it to this website,  FaceBook, and future books, with your permission.

If the question format doesn’t work just try asking them to “…tell me about…”

Questions from a FaceBook post by Brendon Burchard and Shared by Emily Hanks-Letterman.
1. What comes to mind when you think about growing up in [hometown]?
2. What did you love to do as a kid, before high school?
3. What did you love to do in high school?
4. What do remember most about your teenage years?
5. What do you remember most about your mom (grandma)?
6. What was most important to her?
7. What do you remember most about your dad (grandpa)?
8. What was most important to him?
9. If grandma and grandpa had a message to you and their grandchildren, what do you think it is?
10. How did you meet [spouse] and know (s)he was the one?
11. How did you choose your career and what was your favorite part about it?
12. What made you successful at work?
13. What did you believe about yourself that helped you become successful and deal with hard times?
14. What times in your life truly “tested your mettle,” and what did you learn about yourself by dealing (or not dealing) with them?
15. What three events most shaped your life?
16. What do you remember about when each of us was born?
17. Were you ever scared to be a parent?
18. What three words would you say represented your approach to parenting and why?
19. When you think about [sibling] how would you describe him?
20. What message do you have for [sibling] that you want him to always keep in mind?
[Do the last two questions above for each sibling in your family]
21. When you think about [spouse], how would you describe her/him?
22. What message do you have for [spouse] that you want her/him to always keep in mind?
23. What three words would you say best describe who you tried to be in life and how you want to be remembered?
24. When they think about their careers, what do you want your children to focus on?
25. What have you learned about other people in life? (trustworthy, kind or not and mean)?
26. What do you think the world needs more of right now?
27. What do you believe people want the most in life?
28. What were the three best decisions you’ve ever made?
29. What are you most proud of in life?
30. What were five of the most positive moments of your life?
31. What message would you like to share with your family?
32. What are you most thankful for?

END OF PAGE

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