Dr. Benjamin Emerson Washington

One of the most wonderful research tools in genealogy is the internet. Many of the available software programs and social networks allow people who are researching in similar regions and for similar surnames connect online. This process has reunited many families who may have never reconnected. Recently one of the connections I made online was with my cousins Wendy and Wendell. They are the great-grandchildren of Scott Washington.

Cousins Wendy and Wendell have been a great resource in putting together the missing pieces about the children of Scott Washington and Eliza McLain. Most recently, Wendy sent me a copy of a newspaper article from Blount County, Tennessee newspaper "The Daily Times" and photo of Dr. Benjamin Emerson Washington (1883 - 1961). Turns out Uncle Benjamin was the doctor lived in Tennesse who I heard about when I was a little girl. When the family talked about him there was always a tone of admiration for his accomplishments. Enjoy the photos and article about this great man who made history in Tennessee. A special "Thank You" to Wendy who provided this information.

Who is Roxie Earl? Pt. 2

In my continued quest to find out about Roxie Earls, I have been fortunate enough to uncover some new information. First, I would like to thank the experts over at Afrigeneas.com for their continued assistance with my genealogical research. They are as follows: Al Thomas, Vicky Mitchell-Davis, Selma and Angela Walton-Raji (If I messed up your names, I'm sorry, I cannot recall which surname comes first! lol). Your expertise is what keeps the world of African-American genealogy turning!

Below is the information that was discovered about Roxie Earls:

Roxana/Roxie/Rockey McFarland was born in District4, Wilkinson county, Mississippi
Click title to read more. . .

The 1870 census reports the following McFarland family members residing in Wilkinson County, Mississippi:

Peter McFarland b. abt 1805 in Virginia
Milly McFarland b. abt 1850 in Mexico (YES MEXICO!)
Rockey McFarland b. abt 1856 in Mississippi
Albert McFarland b. abt 1860 in Mississippi
Julius McFarland b. abt 1862 in Mississippi
Thomas McFarland b. abt 1863 in Mississippi
Mary McFarland b. abt 1866 in Mississippi

Roxana McFarland married John Earls on 17 Feb 1876 and had the following children:

Daughter Kate was born in September 1876 in Wilkinson County, Mississippi
Daughter Millie was born in abt 1877
Daughter Lucy was born in about 1879
Daughter Mary was born in about 1880
Daughter Jane was born in about 1886 (I think that Aunt Jane is the connection to the McFarland's. I'll write on this more later once I get my old family reunion books out)

Roxie had the following children with Scott Washington:

Son Will Washington born in December 1888
Son Elijah born in about 1892

So far with this research I am so thrilled that I am finally able to know more about Roxie Earls! It definitely fills in a void for me personally as I knew nothing about her, the basic information. Now to find that old Bunker Hill cemetery in Woodville where she is buried. . .

More to come!

Who is Roxie Earl?

One key person that I have been doing research on is my great-great grandmother, Roxie Earl. I know very little about her. The information that was presented to me is that she resided in Lanehart, Mississippi a small town in Wilkinson County, MS. She died when her youngest son, Elijah, was an infant and is buried in a cemetery called Bunker Hill. She was also a widow. That was the only information that I had to go on in an attempt to find out anything about her life.
I made several attempts in earnest to locate her using different spellings of her name, first and last. I then knew that I would have to take another approach to locating her through census records since the 1890 federal census records have been destroyed. After searching for her daughters Kate and Jane, I was able to ascertain a very good lead on Roxie. Here is the information that I was able to acquire from ancestry.com. I will demonstrate the records that I used to acquire this information.

First I found Jane Lutcher, my great grandfather's sister in the 1920 census.

Jane Lutcher 37 born abt 1883 in Tennessee
Clarence Lutcher 17
Allen Parker 38

Next I found sister Kate/Katie Earls in the 1900 census records raising brother Will.


Katy Earls 23 born in Mississippi in Sept 1876
Leola Earls 1
Chester Earls 3
Willie Washington 11 (my great grandfather)

From this information I know that Katy was born in Mississippi and Jane was born in Tennessee. Information I hadn't known prior to my search. On a wing and a prayer, I searched in Tennessee for Kate. This is what I found.

1880 census record for Shelby County, Tennessee

Jacob Earl 48
Charlotte Earl 47
Steven Earl 26
Mary Earl 18
Lee Earl 4
Henry Earl 2
John Earl 24 Roxana's husband
Roxana Earl 21 born about 1859 in Mississippi
Kate Earl 3 born abt 1877 in Mississippi
Millie Earl 2
Lucy Earl 1
Mary Earl 1M

This is a very strong match for my great-great grandmother, who was called Roxie and her eldest daughter Kate/Katie. As I stated previously, Jane is listed as being born in Tennessee. If this is in fact, my great-great grandmother and her children, I wonder what happened to her husband and her three daughters Millie, Lucy and Mary.