December 2008 Dear Family, As you know I first began this family history project for two reasons: To honor our parents and to document for our children their own family tapestry. When our babies were born, we wondered who they would someday become. Every parent hopes for the best and we look for clues in our children and try to imagine them in different professions. Are they artistic, athletic? Do they love science; or are they budding young attorneys? Parents never know. There are many, many stories that must be added to our family saga. Your memory along with my own has already helped write some of our story. I want you and Kiki to begin making notes about more of what you remember. The laughter, sadness, tragedy and success – all of it is important. I will help as I can. Each of our stories needs recording! I also encourage Kiki to talk to her father’s family and capture as many stories as she can. Obviously this beginning focuses on a portion of the Ware family line; but I’ll continue writing about the Mixon surname too. Try to remember the tastes, smells, colors and textures of your life. The dates are not as important as placing you in time and space; talking about what else was going on around you.

I’m looking forward to reading your future contributions to this epic and weaving them into our family quilt. Merry Christmas and Love Forever, Matt

Ancestors of Matthew Lewis MIXON

Matthew LewisMIXONb: 23 Feb 1951 in Milwaukee, Milw. Co.

MatthewMIXONb: 30 Jun 1912 in McComb, Amite Co.,

LenoreWAREb: 02 Nov 1918 in Tinsman, Harrell Co.,

WilliamMIXONb: 15 Mar 1868 in McComb, Amite Co.,

MaryWATSONb: 15 Sep 1877 in Tangipahoa Parish, LA

Jerry C.WAREb: 01 Mar 1888 in Calhoun Co., ARK

MindiaJOHNSONb: 25 Feb 1893 in Calhoun Co., ARK

LewisMIXONb: 1840 in Pike County, Mississippi

LouisaMCKNIGHTb: ABT 1852 in Mississippi

LouisWATSONb: 1835 in Louisiana

SARAHb: ABT 1844 in Mississippi

GeorgeWAREb: Mar 1854 in Alabama

Dinah "Sallie"BUNNb: Oct 1857 in Arkansas

AlfonsoJOHNSONb: 10 Apr 1869 in Arkansas

AliceEARLYb: May 1875 in Calhoun Co., Arkansas

--MIXONb: in Mississippi

Patsey--b: 1803 in Mississippi

JohnMCKNIGHTb: ABT 1832 in Mississippi

UNKNOWNb: ABT 1832 in Mississippi

--WATSONb: ABT 1820 in Georgia

--b: ABT 1820 in Virginia

RobertTURNERb: ABT 1822 in Kentucky

INDIANb: ABT 1822 in South Carolina

Moses "Grandpop"WAREb: 25 Jan 1816 in Buffalo Settlement, SC

EASTERb: 1839 in Alabama

JerryBUNNb: 1814 in North Carolina

ELIZAb: 1830 in Alabama

EmanuelJOHNSONb: ABT 1850 in United States

SPICEYb: Bef. 1855 in Arkansas

BenEARLYb: Jan 1842 in Georgia

LETTYb: Mar 1848 in Mississippi

OUT OF ARKANSAS In October 1985 I began researching the story of our family. The original mission had been simple enough… trace the surnames of MIXON and WARE. The process began before computers or the Internet was available. At the time I lived outside of Boston; a city that was home to one of twelve regional branches of the Federal Archives and Records Centers. Within the archives with the help of volunteers I found the U.S. Census something that would prove to be an extremely valuable tool in researching my family’s story. I began searching the archives then added trips to Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. Along the way there were cemeteries, court houses, libraries and blind phone calling. I knew nothing about organizing a genealogical search and had no idea I’d find so many unrelated people who share our surname. My greatest resources were the memories of my mother Lenore, her sister Ella Ware; and their uncle John Lee Johnson. On my father’s side I got help from dad’s half-brother, Leon Mixon. As a teenager these two uncles sometimes coaxed me to write notes as they told stories. The notes were on scraps of paper, napkins or even pieces of cardboard. Each of my uncles traveled frequently to their home states of Mississippi and Arkansas to visit family. Uncle John was a wealth of information about the Johnson and Ware families. He actually knew several of the generation that preceded him. Our family is a wonderfully curious mix. We are Black and of African decent. We are White Europeans from France, Ireland and Germany. We are Native Americans who preceded the early U.S. Territories. We are Hawaiian and Japanese. We are bi-racial; quadroon and octoroon (look it up). Though most of us have never been to Africa, some of us have changed our names to more closely align with our root heritage; but we are still family. We continue to transform ourselves; lifting the family through education. This is a growing document that celebrates our ancestors and hopefully provides perspective on how we got here. It is not intended as a scholarly work but does draw on historical events that help us visualize our family and place us in time. Reflecting on our history we want to imagine what our ancestors could see, hear and smell. What were the tastes available to them? What were their joys, dreams and accomplishments? What did they fear and what would they think of the progress we've made? Ten years before beginning this project I had the good fortune of meeting Alex Haley. Ironically we did not discuss genealogy. Alex appeared as a guest on a weekly TV program I produced at the time in Pittsburgh. The topic: his work completing the Autobiography of Malcolm X, after Malcolm’s assassination. During a commercial break near the end of the program I left the control room and went into the studio to tell my host he had only 2 ½ minutes remaining. He needed to thank our guest and tease next

week’s show. At this point Alex sheepishly asked if he could take just a few moments to talk about his latest project; and he reached under his seat to pull out a book while apologizing for the surprise. At this point I was a bit frustrated with Alex because he hadn’t mentioned this before and adding this new information would threaten the final timing of my program – but I agreed. We rolled tape again and Alex gave a brief description of his new book, Roots. After the show he wrote this inside the book:

October 6, 1976 Matthew, my brother, Kunta Kinte's family wishes the very best to you and your family! Sincerely, Alex Haley

Off-camera, Alex then told me there were plans for a television program based on the book, though he offered no details. I put the book on a shelf and forgot about it until a year later when I began to hear promos for what became the most amazing television event of a generation. I decided to read Roots. Decades later I would discover that Kunta Kinte’s family was indeed tied to ours; though indirectly (the Merriwether’s can tell that part of our story). As we continue to research our past we will better understand that we are strong because we are family. The WARE, JOHNSON, WOODS and EARLY families hail primarily from Calhoun County, Arkansas. Our story precedes the American Civil War however we're still researching various branches of our family tree. As we honor our ancestors it is important to consider what they endured, the quality of life available to them and the foundation they laid for us. As curious family members it is also appropriate to find out about some of the events our ancestors were directly affected by -- Like the Louisiana Purchase, Civil War and The Great Depression. As you read this you will notice gaps in our story or perhaps become curious about some historical fact relating to your family. Please make notes and send them to me so that we can expand this work. Offer it to our grandchildren and encourage them to follow a particular branch of our tree and add to it. The migration of our family prior to the Civil War is confusing. As an overlay we have to study the events of history and their potential effect on Mose and George Ware; then do a bit of guessing. If Mose was born on the Seminole Nation, why was George born in Alabama before they both ended up in Arkansas? Read on.

MOSE WARE: 1816-1928 It was a cold Thursday morning but the temperature would warm to nearly 410 in the small village called Buffalo Settlement. The Arkansas River snaked through the new Seminole Nation; an area that would eventually become Creek County, Oklahoma. Along the river beaver made dams and black bear and grizzlies fished. The plains were patrolled by coyote, along with gray and red wolves, all hunting for deer or small stray buffalo. Because it was winter, except for tending the animals, farm work was minimal. There was still wood to be cut and men fished, hunted and smoked meat, while women ground meal for bread and prepared vegetables from root cellars. Midwives gathered and family awaited the child who would eventually become our patriarch, Mose Ware. Even in slavery the coming of new life was cause for celebration. The baby was wrapped in hand-woven cloth and blankets and suckled by the fire. The Wares were a slave family and likely to have been owned by either Choctaw or Creek Indians. This theory is based on a few things.

1. Comments by his son George Ware who talked about having been “sold like a Georgia mule;” stories told to our uncle John Lee Johnson who knew him.

2. Family lore also suggests the Ware family carries Indian blood; a fact we’ll need to confirm by testing both our maternal and paternal DNA.

3. The U.S. Federal Census and Mose’s Death Certificate (on file in Little Rock, Arkansas) list his place of birth as Buffalo Settlement, S.N. I believe the initials stand for Seminole Nation. Though that is speculative it is all we have to go on.

4. His Death Certificate also states that Mose Ware was born 25 January 1820, however this date differs from family oral history which states he was born in 1816. Either way, Mose lived to be at least 108!

The War of 1812 ended indecisively after four years and only a year before Mose was born. By the end of the war, 1,600 British and 2,260 American soldiers had died. In addition, tens of thousands of slaves escaped to British lines because of their offer of freedom, or had fled into the chaos of war. The British settled a few thousand of the newly freed Americans in Nova Scotia. By 1816 early records detail bitter temperatures throughout the eastern states and into the plains states. It has become known as “the year there was no summer.” Mose Ware would have to have been a healthy child to have survived at all. He was born under the sign of Aquarius. That describes his personality type as extremely social and someone who also likes their personal space. He would have been at his best in social settings and worked well with groups. To survive, young Mose Ware would have to learn many things at an early age. His family taught him to fish, hunt and clean game – how to tend crops and care for farm

animals. As a child he would have been unaware that he lived at the end of what would become known as The Trail of Tears. It was a turbulent time. Other than his Death Certificate there are no documents that list Mose Ware as having lived in Oklahoma or the Seminole Nation. This is typical for the pre-Civil War period. We don’t know why or how Mose Ware migrated to Arkansas Territory; but following the war, by 1870 we find him in Calhoun County, Arkansas. Why did Mose Ware eventually relocate first to Alabama, then to Arkansas? We don’t know. Was he sold as a slave? Several things could have happened to move Mose east. He may have been sold; or his family may have fled Oklahoma to avoid the Indian Wars. Mose might have been used as a laborer on the new railroad being built; or he might have migrated immediately following the Civil War. Without more information we simply don’t know. What did he own or value materially: A good knife or rifle; a dependable mule or horse; good boots, warm coat, or the family Bible? There were no family photographs on the walls of his childhood home since photography didn’t become available until years later. The only photograph we have of Mose Ware was taken in his later years, showing him surrounded by family. He was in a good mood with eyes locked on the photographer while Mose showed a fierce pride in the family gathered around him. His smooth sun-browned skin showed a few wrinkles on his brow and his beard and mustache were more salt than pepper as hair bristled around his ears. Mose wore overalls, long-sleeve shirt and a weather beaten hat. Look at how his hat brim breaks to the right, showing wear from the left side and suggesting that Mose may have been left-handed. Mose Ware was 45 when the first battle of the Civil War was fought in Oklahoma. The fight happened at Round Mountain, Oklahoma on November 19, 1861; at the edge of the Seminole Nation. Confederate soldiers won that fight and the next two. But the next four battles were won by Union troops with the last one fought at Elk Creek in July 1863. Freedom would have come on June 2, 1865 with the end of the Civil War. We can imagine the anticipation the slaves must have felt. They would have known the Confederacy was not doing well during the two years leading up to this point. They would have also seen Union soldiers in the area, even if they were not allowed to talk with them. After the war, Freedmen and new the African-American settlers in Oklahoma could vote, go to school and travel with relative freedom. The government distributed pamphlets throughout the South encouraging Negroes to join in land runs throughout Indian Territory, to create black businesses, black cities, and perhaps even the first black state. Pamphlets promising a black paradise in Oklahoma lured tens of thousands of former slaves from the South. Eventually 27 black towns grew to encompass 10 percent of Indian Territory's population.

There were also free lands available in Arkansas. There is record that a man named Mose Ware who received free land in 1877, in Arkansas (we need to trace the location of this land to see if it corresponds with what we know was our family’s home in later years). Mose had at least two wives. He married his first wife in slavery but there is no record of their union. Her name was EASTER (no last name found) and she bore him 13 children; Jennie, Rachael, Margaret, Jim, Jack, Easter, Mattie (Net), Doc, Carrie, Bud, Etta, Dochie and George Ware. His second wife was GEORGIA ANN PICKETT; married 5 March 1885. This union produced Nina, Emma, Mary, Effie, Camilla, Buddy, Jim and Jack. Based on what we know, Mose would have been 39 years old at the birth of his first child and 82 at the birth of the last. It seems unlikely that during the 19th century a man would wait so long to start a family. His children were born between 1855 and 1898, and Mose does not appear by name in any record prior to the 1870 Federal Census so the record remains incomplete. I am convinced this is an incomplete picture of his life partners because of some unusual numbers. We must accept the possibility that Mose Ware had a partner prior to 1855 and may have fathered children we don’t know about. Slavery may have torn the family apart. As if that weren’t enough, early tragedy struck when two of Mose's sons, Jim Ware and William Jack Ware were hung on 14 July 1895. They had been accused of murder though there was never a trial. One was studying to become a doctor; the other was a school teacher. There are two stories about how and why this happened. Jim Ware owned a “Long Tom” shotgun. Most farm families owned a shotgun for hunting or protecting livestock from the red wolf population native to Arkansas (an adult red wolf weighs between 50-80 pounds and is about 4 feet long from the tip of its tail to its nose). A White man who knew him came to Jim’s home asking to borrow the shotgun to kill a deer that was eating his crops. Though Jim was not at home his wife Susan allowed the man to borrow the shotgun. Using the borrowed shotgun, one White man shot another and then hid the gun. The same man led a search for the gun and after it was found Jim was arrested and jailed. Because of the climate of racial hostility, Jim's brother William Jack Ware suspected a mob would hang Jim. He volunteered to spend the night in jail with his brother. The cruelest twist came on the next day when finding William Jack in jail with Jim the mob decided to kill them both. Eventually the white man who had actually committed the murder confessed on his own death bed. Imagine the courage of William Jack Ware and the love he had for his brother Jim. Did they recognize many of the faces of their executioners? We also wonder how the Black

farm community contained their grief and anger, knowing that no justice was available to them. Another account recalls that a Black woman was having an affair with a White man and became pregnant by him. Her husband found out and became furious. The husband went to Jim Ware asking to borrow his shotgun, claiming that he wanted to kill a deer that was eating his peas. He then shot the man involved with his wife laid the gun beside a tree before fleeing to Mississippi. Neighboring Whites were angry and wanted retaliation. Because they could not get the man who had committed the murder their anger was focused on Jim for lending him the shotgun. The mob hung both brothers; William Jack because they were convinced that if he lived, he would take revenge against them. The black man that committed the murder, after a time, gave himself up and was extradited back to Arkansas. During the train ride he asked for a knife so that could peel and eat an apple; that is how he committed suicide to keep from being hung. Every family story evolves over time and sadly we will never know exactly what happened in this instance. But we do know that between 1860 and 1936 there were 318 lynching in Arkansas. Lynch mentality did not require facts – just hatred. The fear of lynching was perhaps the most violent crime of the era. At this writing we don't know details but we do know that daughter Nina accompanied Mose to nearby Hampton Township to recover their bodies. The Ware brothers were the only ones hung in Calhoun County during this period; but a few miles further north, in neighboring Hempstead County, six men were hung over the same years. Later in 1904 thirteen more men would be hung following a race riot in St. Charles, Arkansas. (Research "St. Charles Lynching of 1904") I cannot confirm it but evidence suggests that Mose may have had three brothers: George, John and Henry, also a sister, Carrie. The U.S. Federal Census of 1870 lists his personal estate value at $500; an amount equal to $10,888 in current dollars however land values have increased even more dramatically since then.

GEORGE WARE: 1854 - 1898 George Ware was born in Alabama and later relocated to Calhoun County, Arkansas. He was a husband and father. He was a share-cropper who like his father was born into a turbulent time. He was witness to America’s only Civil War – and later to the end of slavery. George married or partnered with three women: DINAH “Sallie” BUNN, IDA JOHNSON, and RACHELL PRIMM. According to our Uncle John Lee Johnson, George Ware owned property in Calhoun County and somewhere on it he built the “George Ware Bridge”. When I searched census rolls I found the families that would eventually inter-marry with our own, living near each other. All were farming and cotton was the primary crop.

George fathered at least 7 children by his first wife, Sallie. There were six boys: Edgar, Jerry, Tony, Jett, George Jr., also known as “Lush” and William. The one daughter was named Copey. These names all come from Federal Census records from 1870, 1880 and 1900; and in each case the family resided in Calhoun County. A couple of historical markers give us perspective. Abolitionist John Brown led his unsuccessful raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. He was tried for treason against the state of Virginia for the murder of five proslavery Southerners, and hung for attempting to incite a slave insurrection. This frightened Southerners because they realized that on their plantations whites were outnumbered by slaves. By 1860 twelve million people populated the 15 slave states. Four million were slaves. So the Federal Government passed a law against any more slaves being imported to the United States. The last “legal” slave ship landed at Mobile Bay, Alabama in fall of 1859. The schooner Clotilde arrived in Mobile Bay carrying a cargo of between 110 and 160 slaves African slaves. From there they would be sold to various slave markets. Imagine the Ware family providing comfort to a newcomer; helping them fit in and perhaps even hope. There would be confusion, crying, anger and maybe even hope for someday having a new life. Often it would become an assignment for an older slave to teach newcomers some of the necessary skills they would need to survive. It is even possible that the new slaves brought news from their native homeland; things whispered and shared in a language the slaves had suppressed or almost forgotten. What traditions did our family practice that has since faded away? When I was seven or eight, on a trip to Mississippi with my father’s older sister Rosa, we visited a black cemetery so that my aunt could pay respect to a relative who had recently died. When she paused from her praying I asked: “Aunt Rosie, how come there are broken dishes and shells are on top of these graves?” Some of the graves were decorated around their perimeter with shards from broken cups and plates, while others were plain. Some of fragments were stuck into the ground and others lay on top of the grave. In the hot summer sun the small ceramic pieces stood out in various colors; white, yellow and blue. I was puzzled because it was a strange sight but today I cannot remember how my Aunt responded; only that she didn’t fully explain what I was seeing. Until beginning this project that memory was all but lost. Now, with a bit of online research I’ve discovered what may be a relevant part of our collective family story. I’ve learned about one African-American tradition; that broken

dishes, shells and small utensils are sometimes placed on a grave to protect the living from the dead. Granted, this was not something related to the Ware family but I offer it as an example of the sort of mystery we may discover as we dig deeper. As Calhoun County grew, the town of Hampton became its County Seat. Among the new arrivals there were lots of immigrants that settled and became planters or merchants as the town of Hampton grew into a prosperous southern town. River traffic grew as merchants bought stock at New Orleans and shipped it via the Ouachita River, to Little Bay Landing, just south of Hampton. Numerous landings along the river allowed steamboats to unload goods brought from New Orleans, then loaded with cotton and other products for the return trip. It was here that Mose Ware migrated and raised his family. Even as slaves they probably knew of battles fought nearby at Jenkins Ferry, Marks Mills and Poison Spring. During his time, many Civil War Veterans still lived in nearby towns and celebrated the memory of fallen Confederate comrades and family. The Wares could not avoid the symbols of the Confederacy that remained. Recall that John Lee Johnson quoted George as having said “I was bought and sold like a Georgia mule.” When the Civil War came more than 400 men from the county joined the Confederacy while about 40 enlisted with the Union Army. Despite its relative lack of strategic importance during the war, Arkansas was the scene of numerous small-scale battles.

Though no military engagements occurred in Calhoun County, the halt of cotton trade suspended all business in the county. On occasion, Confederate troops burned cotton bales to prevent Union troops from taking it. Many of the merchants closed businesses to enlist; and by the end of the war there wasn't a single business left in Hampton. Many of the men who left died in battles or from disease or exposure.

It would not be until the 1880's and the appearance of a railroad that commerce began to increase again with new settlers mainly coming from Alabama.

JERRY C. WARE: 1888 – 1932

MINDY JOHNSON: 1893 – 1960 Jerry C. Ware was born at home on Thursday, March 1, 1888 at the family farm in Calhoun County, Arkansas. Parents George and Dinah like most Arkansans were farmers. During this period the majority of Americans made their living from agriculture. The effects of the industrial revolution were just beginning to be felt. Nine out of ten blacks in America lived in the South. His middle initial appears only once in public records but we don’t know the name it represents. According to his World War I Draft Registration card, Jerry was short and of medium build. Mama remembers him as handsome, medium complexion, weighing around 130 lbs.

His Draft Card lists him as Black however in at least one census entry he was listed as mulatto. The Draft Card also states his eyes were black; and in a family photo you’ll notice Jerry’s sharp gaze and Chaplin-like mustache. One surprise is that by June 5, 1917 Jerry could not read. He signed his Draft Registration card with his mark, an X. He was born under the astrological sign of Pisces suggesting an imaginative and sensitive nature. If that profile holds true he would also have been compassionate and kind to family and friends. Jerry would have been a bit unworldly while at the same time, intuitive and sympathetic. A Pisces profile also suggests he may have been somewhat idealistic as well as artistic. His daughters Ella and Lenore remember him as affectionate, though strict. His brother-in-law John Lee Johnson remembered him as a friendly neighbor who showed concerns for the problems of others. At the same time he wasn't afraid to stand up for himself. He played harmonica and sang and generally displayed a happy personality. Since the 1890 United States Federal Census was destroyed by fire we do not have a clear snapshot of who lived in the household during Jerry's infancy but it appears he was the fifth child born to George and Dinah. During the year of his birth two of the most severe blizzards in history announced Jerry’s arrival. The first storm occurred between January 12th and 14th and caused a sharp cold front ("blue-norther") to drop rapidly south from Canada through the Dakotas, into Wisconsin, then sweeping south across Arkansas and into Texas. Temperatures dropped to -520. Tens of thousands head of cattle and other livestock were killed. Two months later a second storm dropped snowfalls of 20 - 50 inches along much of the East Coast. Only the Great Snow of 1717 has achieved such a terrifying reputation. The blizzard raged from March 11- 14 with snow and cold killing more than 400 people; including 200 in New York City alone. Railroads were shut down and people were confined to their homes for up to a week. People tried to go to work for fear of losing their jobs. Almost 30 New Yorkers froze to death after their electricity failed. On the Ware farm in rural Arkansas there was no electricity. It was a time of oil lamps, wood stoves, dirt roads and covered wagons. Water was pumped from a well and family members bathed in a large metal tub near the warm kitchen stove. Though his parents could not read or write Jerry studied in the segregated local schools of Calhoun County, doing homework by fireplace and lantern light. When not in school Jerry worked with his father and brothers as a share-cropper. From another nearby farm family Jerry courted and married Mindia Johnson; or as we knew her, “Mindy.” They were married in 1912. It is interesting to note that Jerry and Mindy shared the same astrological sign, Pisces. Shortly after his arrival in Milwaukee in 1921, Jerry began working for the Solvay Coke Plant. The plant was sandwiched in between the rail lines east of Kinnickinnik Avenue

and the Milwaukee and KK rivers. Today it is a long-abandoned industrial site, with the remains of a number of buildings crumbling away among weeds and broken concrete. The Solvay Coke Plant operated on the site from around the turn of the century until 1983 when it was abandoned. The Solvay Coke Plant was located at 187 Greenfield Avenue. Today that same 46-acre former industrial site would be 311 East Greenfield Avenue. Before the natural gas pipe lines crisscrossed the country, natural gas had to be created where there was none. In Milwaukee, in 1906, the Milwaukee Coke and Gas Co. built a large plant on the south east side of the city; between the railroad mainline and Milwaukee Harbor. The property started near Washington Street and ended near Greenfield Avenue. It was state of the art, and used electric traction for in-plant operations. Coal was brought in by boat and by rail, then dropped into an extremely wide gauge electric rail car that eventually dropped it into ovens where the coal was heated to a high temperature in a low oxygen atmosphere. The carbon reacted with the oxygen to produce carbon monoxide, or coal gas. The gases were collected and sent to storage tanks. The resulting hot carbon was then pushed out the front door of the oven into a hopper car and sent to a quenching tower. This produced coke. It was an impressive sight to see the hot coke dumped out to see the steam billowing from the top of the quenching tower.

LENORE WARE: B. 1918

Lenore Ware was born Saturday, November 2, 1918 in the small agricultural community of Tinsman, Calhoun County, Arkansas. Even today Tinsman is a small town with a population of only 75 people in 31 households. As the baby of the family, Lenore was the fourth child born to Jerry Ware and Mindia Johnson whose other children included: Earl (b. 27 Nov 1914); Dudley (b. 03 Jan 1916) and Ella Beatrice (b. 10 May 1917). They were another farm family like the generation before. Life for the Ware family was beginning a period of rapid change and Lenore had arrived just in time for the excitement. Several things were going on. The First World War would end in eight days when German leaders would sign an armistice. For the past two years Arkansas’ Black troops were shipped out from nearby El Dorado, 38 miles Southwest of Tinsman. Around 400,000 Black soldiers served for the United States during the war. However, many Black soldiers worked as laborers and did not see combat. Arkansas became the only southern state to allow women's suffrageprior to the 19th Amendmentand two years before it was ratified and women got the right to vote.

Arkansas Governer Charles Brough was a liberalDemocrat and publicly opposed lynchingand advocated for the passage of anti-lynching laws. Also in 1918 the Great Pandemic, a deadly attack of Influenza had just reached Arkansas. By early October, a month before Lenore's birth, state officials were announcing that serious epidemics have been reported from several points. Most Arkansans lived in rural districts and were overwhelmingly hard hit. Every two months Dr. Talley rode a circuit, seeing to patients on outlying farms. The Doctor would travel the red dirt roads of the Arkansas countryside and arrive in his horse-drawn buggy. There would be laughter as the men exchanged pleasantries and caught up on news from nearby towns. For the Ware children it must have been an exciting break from their farm routine. A new face. Perhaps some candy. After checking on their health the Doctor would ask Mindia to join him on his circuit as nurse assistant. When the Doctor was not available she would help as Midwife for neighboring women. In future years Mindia would take the two youngest children, her girls, with her so that she could watch them. The wagon ride was a fun change for the girls. For the girls it was an adventure over country roads, seeing new things and places beyond their normal world. In the fall of 1918 as the flu raged and her baby was due, Mindia remained home. By October, the Arkansas Board of Health was forced to put the state under quarantine. In Pulaski County, home to Little Rock, the quarantine was not lifted until November 4th, two days after Lenore's birth. Across the state, public schools remained closed even after the quarantine had been lifted. Children under eighteen were confined to their homes until December. Segregation meant African-Americans suffering from influenza were treated only by African-American caregivers. Limited numbers of Black physicians meant that many people suffering from influenza were unable to obtain the services of a physician or nurse. Additionally, as African-Americans were also more likely to suffer from poverty, they tended to be more vulnerable to disease and to die in larger numbers from influenza and related diseases. Future Ware Family historians can research the causes of death of family members during this time. Lenore's world was not much different than it had been when her father was born. In those first days of November the ground was hard and winter chores kept the family busy tending animals, cutting wood and awaiting the baby’s arrival. A midwife helped Mindy through childbirth and Lenore arrived; the newest and final addition to the Ware family. Baby Lenore learned to walk, run and play on the Ware farm with her brothers and sister. The farm was rented and the iron rich, red dirt was cultivated by their father. Cousins lived on neighboring farms but there were few children matching the Ware kids in age. The children amused themselves on the farm, unaware of the industrial world and events that would soon propel them toward a new home and lives they had never imagined.

Crops were planted, animals fed and families worked hard as they had always done. While Jerry worked the farm Mindia managed the home and children. Sometime she would drive their wagon into town when supplies were needed. The great out-migration of the 1920's had not yet happened but World War I had fired-up the nation's industrial complex and Blacks were learning more about factory jobs – up North. Soon the single largest migration of African-Americans would move approximately 500,000 people north; away from their rural and small-town Southern roots. For the first time, the northern states needed southern blacks. Before World War I most northern factories had barred blacks, and few other well-paying positions were open to them. The steady migration out of the South lasted until the 1970s; from 1916 through the 1960s, more than 6 million black people made the move. All the migrants--male laborers, women domestics, families--made individual decisions to move. Nonetheless, deterioration in the quality of life for southern blacks in the two decades prior to World War I, coupled with a labor shortage in the industrial North, stimulated the migration. Except for her brother Earl, each of Lenore’s siblings would eventually have children, extending the family line, creating future generations. Her clothing was home-made and some dresses were shared with older sister Ella. As the youngest daughter Lenore inherited many of Ella’s clothes. Living on the farm the four children were best friends to each other. In October of 1921 Jerry Ware made a decision that changed their lives. He defended himself against three white youths who attempted to take his horse and wagon. They ordered him down so they could ride. Less than six feet tall and of medium build, with his axe handle, Jerry fought them and won. He rode home leaving the young men in the road. Jerry had been working as a tenant farmer, for C.W. Johnston. That evening a neighboring farmer, a white man, came to warn the family that the Klan was coming for him. They encouraged him to leave immediately. He did. Mindia packed food and some clothing in a small satchel and Jerry Ware headed north. One year later on the day before Lenore’s fourth birthday, Mindia and her four children arrived in Milwaukee. To the children, especially Lenore, the trip was wondrous. They had joined the great migration and were leaving the produce fields, farm stock and iron rich, red soil of Arkansas. The train ride would take them from Calhoun County to Chicago, then to Milwaukee. Children under 6 rode free so Mindy bought two tickets; one for herself and one for Earl since there was no way he could pass. Meanwhile, Dudley was told to answer as a 6-year-old, should anyone ask. This was a challenge since he kept grumbling, “I am seven” endangering the plan.

Mindy had prepared lots of food for the train ride and the kids pressed noses to the windows as the countryside swept by. It was their mother’s first train ride too and she too was experiencing new things for the first time. Keeping a close eye on the children, when anyone needed to use the toilet they all went; mother and her four ducklings crowding into the small cubicle. Trains used buckets of water, pulled by chain to flush the toilets. As a curious 7 year old Dudley couldn’t resist pulling the chain. The sudden flush of water startled them all, causing them to quickly exit the cubicle! As the train entered Chicago the kids saw for the first time, large crowds of people. Locomotives were moving cars and the steam, noise and colors were for Dudley, an amazing sight. For Lenore it was wondrous and a bit intimidating but she felt safe, staying close to her mother, sister and brothers. In post World War America, Milwaukee was rapidly evolving and becoming an intersection of interesting people. A few months earlier Mindia and her children might have crossed paths with the future Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir who had been living and teaching in Milwaukee and had only just left for Palestine. The Ware family arrived in Milwaukee on November 1, 1922, a day before Lenore's fourth birthday. It was the same year that a professional sports team, the Milwaukee Badgers, part of the National Football League from 1922 to 1926, began playing on Athletic Park. The field would later be renamed Borchert Field. In the 1950's our family would live within blocks of this park and Lenore's children, Sonny and Jackie would play there long after the professional teams had moved to Milwaukee County Stadium. Another historical note: Also arriving in Milwaukee that same year was Paul Robeson, one of the few Negroes to play for the Badgers. He would later become legend as athlete, actor, singer, writer and activist. Earl, Dudley, Ella and Lenore were also about to discover the Washington Park Zoo that was still being built. Years later Lenore would take her own children there to see Monkey Island, the Reptile House and other animals that hadn't yet been moved to the new Milwaukee County Zoo. By 1925 the family was renting a home at 419 Fifth Street. It was on the south side of Milwaukee and walking distance from Jerry’s job. In the Milwaukee City Directory, listed at the same address were CARL WARE and MOSES WARE. Over the years city street addresses have changed and today that same home would exist at 1331 north 5th street. Children under the age of 18 are not listed however Jerry’s wife is listed as Armanda. This is interesting because I’ve also found it spelled Arminda and Mindia. And though everyone called her Mindy it never appears that way in print.

To Ella and Lenore, their parents Jerry and Mindy were, Papa and Mama. Sometime during the late 1920’s tragedy struck the Ware family. Jerry suffered an almost fatal injury. One night after leaving a local tavern with two of his cousins, Jerry was walking across the street, slightly ahead of the others as a car came swerving around the corner. The driver avoided the pair of men but instead, ran into Jerry. The old car did not stop as it raced away with Jerry clinging to the bumper; and it is assumed the driver panicked. Blocks away the driver swerved into an alley and pried the small injured man, our grandfather, from the front of his car. The ugliest moment came next, as Jerry was dumped into a window well and the grate was replaced to hide his body. Uncle John went on to explain that Jerry’s body went undiscovered until the following morning when a woman who was taking out garbage heard a moaning cry for help. Still alive and critically injured he was taken to Milwaukee County Hospital where he stayed for the next 11 months. With multiple injuries to his ribs, back, legs and some internal trauma; Jerry never regained full health and would require a cane for the remainder of his life. Lenore and Ella remember long trolley rides out to the hospital on Watertown Plank Road as they visited their father. Years later, Mindy would also spend time here as her own asthma and emphysema worsened. I’ve tried to locate their medical records but they no longer exist. After his release from the hospital Jerry began a downward spiral. Unable to work, he became depressed and began to drink heavily. The stock market crash of 1929 and The Great Depression had not yet begun but for a black family with an unemployed head of household, the financial stress was tremendous. It may be for this reason that Jerry turned to crime, trying to feed his family. He was arrested with his cousin Otto Johnson. Because of their appearance and disparity in height and build, the Press dubbed them the “Mutt & Jeff” robbers; named after popular comic strip characters featured in the newspaper and comic books. In the 1930 census Jerry and Otto are listed as prisoners in Milwaukee County House of Correction. Also during 1930, Lenore age 11, and Dudley, age 14 were listed by the census as boarders at the school. In that same census entry, the house “parents” are listed as Father Fred and Sister Gertrude. I’ve not been able to find a listing for Mindy or the other two children. From 1924 through 1934 Lenore was a student. She received a large part of her education at Saint Benedict the Moor Catholic School; getting as far as 10th grade. In Milwaukee’s small black community of the 1930’s you eventually began to recognize the familiar faces of the neighborhood. Jack Patterson had come north from Arkansas. By 1937 he met and befriended the beautiful Lenore. When Lenore became pregnant Jack denied paternal responsibility. Though years later he acknowledged that he was the father, neither Lenore nor her daughter Barbara Ann sought his affection. The irony is that Jack would resurface. More on Jack, later.

(I don’t know how or exactly why Lenore left Milwaukee; nor do I have details of her meeting Jesse Howard Barnett. I need help with these details from our Aunt Ella Cooper.) Still pregnant and saddened by Jack Patterson’s rejection, in 1937 Lenore met someone new, Jesse Howard Barnett. As I write this I do not know where or how they met. Jesse was 16 years older, handsome and had an outgoing and gregarious personality. Most important was the fact that he was sympathetic to Lenore’s pregnancy and courted her, eventually proposing. When Lenore’s child was born on June 29, 1938, they named her Barbara Ann Barnett. He appeared to be a good man, unafraid of family responsibility and happy to have a family. A man of many skills, Jesse bought and refurbished a home for his new family in Gary, Indiana. When the city didn’t connect the house to the main water line, Lenore held a lantern while Jesse connected the pipes. At various times following WWII Jesse would become a building contractor, plumber, electrician, brick mason, constable, entrepreneur (leased restaurant), janitor and even school bus driver. During their first marriage while still living in Gary, Lenore gave birth to her second child, Howard Richard Barnett, on Thursday, January 2, 1941. At the time, Lenore was a young woman of 22 and Jesse was 38. Sometime during 1941 Jesse and Lenore separated; and though I’ve still got to confirm this timeline, based on what I know today this appears correct. Researching our family history, I questioned mama about the years when she was married to Jesse Barnett but she avoided detail when answering. The most she would ever say is that she and Jesse divorced because of his infidelity; and later they remarried and divorced a second time. We do know that after the divorce she stopped calling her son by his first name, Howard. And as a single woman, Lenore now needed to find work. Later that same year Lenore’s sister Ella came for a visit and she brought her children Geraldine, 6 and Virgil 4. During their visit two major events helped her make the decision to extend their visit. A fear of childhood Polio had gripped the nation as its most extensive outbreak had begun; all before the vaccination, created by Jonas Salk, became widely available in 1955. By 1941 state governments were discouraging families with children from traveling and railroads and buses began enforcing an unofficial prohibition on children’s travel. President Franklin Roosevelt came to symbolize the fight against Polio and by 1946 was honored as the Mercury dime was replaced by the now familiar FDR dime; honoring his leadership in combating polio. The second event affecting Ella’s decision was the attack on Pearl Harbor, as the war began on December 7th.

Ella had been married to Virgil William Grady, born in Alabama, 1914. As Lenore’s older sister, Ella provided good counsel, love and emotional support; and as a role model would become the first family member to achieve a professional career as a Licensed Nurse. Her talents as an artist have been passed down to her children; a streak that now runs in the family. After her divorce from Virgil, Ella would eventually meet and marry Ike G. Cooper and would make her home in Detroit until Ike’s death in May of 1972. Over time Ella’s children each developed their artistic skills; Virgil became a talented painter, illustrator and musician. At the same time, Geri also showed artistic talents, though leaning more toward music, singing and playing guitar. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the population was first shocked, then outraged; springing into action as Americans tried to gain a wartime footing. Men began enlisting and traveling to military bases for training. Civilians were urged to stay home whenever possible to free up space on trains and buses. And trains and buses quickly filled since Public transportation wasn’t equipped to handle the large numbers of people who had to move. Unable to get home and essentially stranded, Ella decided to remain in Gary for a while. As newspapers filled with accounts on the war preparations, Lenore and thousands of other women applied for defense work at area plants. Early in 1941 Franklin Delano Roosevelt had signed legislation making it illegal to discriminate against Negroes or other racial and religious groups when hiring for government contracted work. Lenore was hired at a straight wage of 60 cents per hour. This was her first paying job and her first need for a Social Security Card. The job was at a defense plant in LaPorte, Indiana called the Kingsbury Ordinance Plant. Barbara and Howard were cared for by an older woman and her husband, Mr. And Mrs. Prayther. They lived on the outskirts of Gary. The Praythers owned rabbits, cats and dogs and the children enjoyed their time there. Mrs. Prayther kept the children during the week and Lenore visited briefly by day, taking them home on weekends. Paid less than the men who got 30 cents per hour more, her wage was still considered good money. The distance from her home in Gary to the factory was 40 miles. Lenore commuted each day with friends; each contributing five dollars per week for gas money.

There were several reasons the United States War Department chose LaPorte County, Indiana as the site for the Kingsbury facility during World War II. For starters, LaPorte County was far enough inland to escape enemy bombing raids. Three railroads served the area and thousands of people available to work. There was also enough land and an adequate water supply available for a project of this scale.

When the factory was built between 1940 and 1941 it was spread over nearly 14 square miles. The first shell was completed in 1941 and during the war; millions of shells were produced; ranging in size from 20 mm to 105 mm. Rumor has it the Kingsbury

Ordinance Plant was on Hitler's list of places to be bombed if WWII had lasted longer. The old bunkers still exist and the site is now called Kingsbury Industrial Park.

By December America was plunged into war and security was tight with guards visible throughout the plant. The workers entered under security, showing their badges at checkpoints. Lenore's first job was weighing black power and building detonators for 35 millimeter shells. She wore a clean white protective “powder suit” with black rubber-soled safety shoes. The shows were routinely inspected for foreign matter to avoid possible sparks. At first the work went slow but soon she and the other women became extremely quick, each producing more than 100 shells per day. Workers were pressed to put in as many hours as they could. Sometimes they worked as many as 12 hours per day. The shifts rotated on a monthly basis. The hours were often long but Lenore described it as “easy and fun” One month first shift, one second, then third. In time Lenore became a “bay leader” supervising other women in her line as they constructed detonators.

At its peak 20,785 employees worked at the plant. When the war ended in August 1945, the plant began the process of closing down. Later, beginning in 1951 the plant was used again during the Korean War.

People came to the Laporte plant from all over the region. Some traveling up to 70 miles each way for the work Lenore's sister Ella also found work at the factory making armatures. A few months later, even her ex-husband Jesse Barnett wound up working at the Kingsbury plant. Jesse worked on a different production line, one that made primers. Eventually he became a foreman, a job that paid 90 cents per hour. Eleven months after their divorce Lenore and Howard reconciled and remarried,. Lenore was granted a transfer to Howard's work line allowing them to work the same shift and to ride in the same carpool. Over time they decided to move closer to work; and as the company developed a worker’s community called Kingsbury, they found a home. in LaPorte, much closer to the plant, so they moved. During these days Lenore's friends called her by her last name, Barnett. They didn't know her first name or just didn't use it. It was Howard who got the attention. Whereas Lenore wanted people to be known in her own right and not be eclipsed by her husband's persona, Jesse sought and found the center of attention. He was charismatic, flirtatious and chauvinistic. Over time the marriage became strained. One of their friends was a single woman named Rachel who often took advantage of Jesse’s handyman skills; calling with requests for Jesse’s help fixing something in her home. Rachel had four children and also worked at the Kingsbury plant. She too was trying to survive the war and feed her family. On September 2, 1945 the war officially ended and the Kingsbury Ordinance Plant began plans to shut down. Work was ending and the good jobs for women were going to

become difficult to find. Adding to this stress is the fact that Lenore suspected Jesse’s infidelity. She finally made the painful decision to take her children and move back to Milwaukee. She did it move and the marriage ended for the second time. Howard made at least one visit to Milwaukee but ended up breaking contact with his family and eventually remarrying and starting another family. His marriage to Lenore ended for the second time in divorce, filed for on October 19, 1945. The following year, Jesse married Rachel. They briefly moved to San Francisco before settling in Idlewild, Michigan. In the late 1940s Lenore became close friends with Gertrude Brown, formerly Gertrude Mixon. Gert was married to James Brown, who like Gert hailed from Mississippi. She was an outgoing spirit who loved life on several levels. She loved to go fishing, play cards, dance and bowl. Gert was a party waiting to happen. Gert also loved family and continued to talk to Lenore about her younger brother, Matt. In 1949 Matthew Mixon was a recently divorced bachelor with no children. He was an avid fisherman and deer hunter; and a member of the Milwaukee “Y” Rod & Gun Club. One of the city’s few black social organizations of stature. By November 1949 Matt had purchased a home. The house was empty and without furniture, rugs or curtains. It was also in need of cleaning and a serious domestic makeover. Gert promised her brother that she’d help him pull things together and make the place livable and she enlisted her friend Lenore to help. This was a match-making ploy. On cleaning day Matt was out of town on a hunting trip as Gert and Lenore attacked the house. They cleaned, hung drapes and arranged the kitchen. At some point Gert excused herself to make an errand. While she was away, Matt returned home from his hunting trip to find Lenore alone in the house. The door opened and there was Matt, surprised that he had company he did not know. He made an imposing sight wearing hunting regalia; red-checked shirt, orange hat and heavy jacket draped over his arm. Matt put down his rifle cases and they began introductions. Mom remembered being impressed and even a bit embarrassed about being alone in his home; but the chemistry was immediate. They liked each other. Matt invited Lenore to go shopping for furniture with him and give advice while providing a woman’s touch. Mom was happy to oblige, picking out “nice things.” She’d later tell me while laughing, “I’d have picked out better if I knew we were going to get married.” That’s what they did. Three months later they married, on January 20, 1950. Perhaps the ultimate irony occurred when Lenore was hit with the shocking knowledge that Matt’s best friend was Jack Patterson. She was stunned by the news and immediately wanted Matt to know about her history with Jack. This news changed nothing as the past was past. Eventually mama shared her story about Jack with Barbara.

For Barbara and later, her children; there was never a doubt that Matt Mixon would always be her father and their grandfather. We don’t know about the discussion between Matt and Jack but the matter was never discussed in front of the children. Jack never acknowledged Barbara as his own until she was an adult and mother of her own children, making Jack Patterson a biological grandfather. During Matt and Lenore’s brief courtship Barbara and Richard quickly decided they liked Matt Mixon. He was kind and though he didn’t talk a lot, he drove a nice car; something that really impressed 8 year old Richard. After the marriage, Barbara and Richard asked their new father if they could call him Daddy. The following summer Matt exposed them to his love of fishing. On Friday, February 23, 1951, Lenore’s third child and Matt’s first was born; Matthew Lewis Mixon: That would be me; born at Saint Joseph’s Hospital. In those days men waited in an area set aside for fathers and well wishers. As mama told me the story, when daddy was able to visit me in the nursery he viewed me through a window. After reading my ankle tag a nurse walked me to the window and with a smile, held me up for inspection. Dad took a quick look and shook his head no. The nurse walked back to the bassinette and checked the tag again. Returning to the window she again smiled at Matt and nodded, yes. Once more Dad shook his head, no; this baby was far too light-skinned to be his. Something wasn’t right. Dad went into mama’s hospital room and said, “Lenore, we got to talk.” Matt spoke his mind and mama began to cry. Less than a day later I’m told that I got some pigmentation and my father relaxed and the drama had ended. Though mama laughed about it when telling the story I’m sure the event wasn’t funny at the time. Barbara and Richard were happy to have a little brother and have told me several stories about mischief at my expense. More on that some other time… The couple took baby Matthew to their small home on Juneau Avenue where they lived for the next few years. On Sunday April 26, 1953, Jacqueline Marie Mixon was born. This rounded the family with two boys and two girls. Lenore and Barbara were especially happy with Jackie’s birth. So were the two grandmothers and both families. At Christmas, Jackie and I were spoiled by Matt’s sisters, our aunts Rosie and Gert. Dad was the baby of his family and we were his only children. His two sisters competed for our affection, escalating with each Christmas and birthday. Jackie and I loved it. By now the family had added Pepper and Arthur, two adorable Beagles our father used for hunting. Years later they would be replaced by Marble and Tony. Dad was as proud of his dogs as he was of our family. They were Field Champion Beagles so he had them insured against injury or theft.

After Jackie’s birth doctors made an early diagnosis and discovered that Lenore had uterine cancer. None of us kids were told how serious her condition was but the danger was real. While mama was still in the hospital Aunt Rosie visited with a well intentioned plea; in case of Mom’s death, could she have Sonny and Jackie. Mom told me how hurt she was. She never answered Aunt Rosie. Mom cried, despite knowing that Rosie meant well she felt hurt and afraid. The wonderful news for our family is that the doctors caught the cancer early and Mom was never bothered by it again. The 1950’s got better. We were a middle class family but our father often worked two jobs to provide for us. Matt worked at Wehr Steel Company, a south side foundry that made large machine parts; however sometimes there was too much month at the end of the money. So at various times he took a second job driving Checker Cab. Weekends always seemed interesting. Dad would come home and announce something like; “Lenore, lets go over to Gary.” Mom would then spring into action and within an hour we’d be packed and in the car. We’d stop on Third Street and Mama and Jackie would go into Kroger to buy cold-cuts and snacks. Daddy and I would first step into 1st Wisconsin Bank before walking next door to Heinemann Bakery to find a Rum Cake and fresh bulky rolls. Mama would make sandwiches in the car as we’d head south toward old Highway 41 and our trip to Gary to visit Dad’s older half-brother Louis Cook and his wife, Aunt Babe. Other weekends might find us on a river bank or up in Princeton, Wisconsin at the “Y” Rod & Gun Club. During the 1950’s Lenore’s brothers struggled with alcoholism and depression. Perhaps because of a predisposition to the disease; or maybe because of life’s pressures. Regardless, both men drank too much. Today we’d call Dudley a functioning alcoholic. He maintained a good job but remained reclusive, rarely joining family gatherings or even coming out of his room when we visited. Dudley’s scared face caused him embarrassment. I’ll admit that as a child he frightened me. He wasn’t at ease around kids and didn’t make small talk like our Uncle John, but he was always nice to us. Sometime mama would take us to his home on 12th street to be watched by Miss Clemmy (Clementine), Uncle Dudley’s common-law wife. Miss Clemmy was a loving motherly woman who lived with him until her death (abt. 1958). My siblings and I have personal memories of our grandmother Mindy, our mother Lenore and several aunts and uncles. I recall Mindy’s pleasant smile; something I see, reflected in my mother Lenore and my aunt Ella. I remember that Mindy sometimes had the odor of Garrett Snuff on her breath; from a tobacco habit that both of my grandmothers shared. My father’s mother, Mary Watson Mixon, was fond of Day’s Work Chewing Tobacco. Both women used an old

coffee can to spit in and I recall summers when Mary visited from Mississippi and she and Mindy would sit on our porch talking, shelling peas or shucking corn. Those coffee cans were not far away. When I was old enough I’d sometimes be sent to the neighborhood market with a note, giving me permission to buy snuff, chewing tobacco or cigarettes for our mother. Sadly, I don’t recall any detailed conversations with her or any wisdom that she passed on. But I do remember the beautiful quilts she made; there were several in the house. Mindy (and Lenore) had the habit of pinching, no – it was really stealing bits of food from my dinner plate while saying; “Baby, you don’t want this, do you?” Jackie or I might cock an eyebrow, groan or laugh. It was all about love. During the 1950’s Mindy was often sick and by the end of the decade she was spending lots of time hospitalized for asthma and emphysema. When home, Grandmother sometimes looked after us while mama went to work but she was not active. She did spend time helping prepare meals; washing greens, shelling peas or peeling something. Mindy adored us both and a happy memory is when she helped me graduate from suspenders to my first leather belt; it was brown with a dark stripe down the middle. It was second hand but I loved that belt. It is a vivid memory. Sometime around 1957 Mindy came to live with us and she remained with us until her death on Easter Sunday, 1960. She is the first person whom Jackie and I loved, that died. It was a tough year as I also lost two first cousins from my father’s side of the family a few months later, both on the same day in June. But the ‘60’s were a far happier time for us as Jackie and I came of age; and Barbara and Richard were starting their adult lives. To Be Continued… Click here to meet the youngest member of our family; Journey Demi DeSilva

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Kinship of Matthew Lewis MIXON

Name Relationship with Matthew MIXON Civil Canon

BARBER, Florence Chloe Grandmother of the ex-wifeBARBER, George Great-grandfather of the ex-wifeBARBER, Glenn Granduncle of the ex-wifeBARBER, Hazel Grandaunt of the ex-wifeBARBER, Oddetta Grandaunt of the ex-wifeBECK, CHRISTOPHER PATRICK Nephew of the ex-wifeBECK, MICHAEL ANTHONY JR. Nephew of the ex-wifeBill Half 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeBRADY, Catherine Grandaunt of the ex-wifeBRADY, Clarence (aka Terrence) Granduncle of the ex-wifeBRADY, Frank Great-grandfather of the ex-wifeBRADY, Hazel Agnes Grandaunt of the ex-wifeBRADY, James Gilmore Grandfather of the ex-wifeBRADY, James Joseph Uncle of the ex-wifeBRADY, Jean Constance Aunt of the ex-wifeBRADY, Joseph Granduncle of the ex-wifeBRADY, Marjorie Ann Aunt of the ex-wifeBRADY, Mary "Mayme" Grandaunt of the ex-wifeBRADY, Merilynn Camille Mother of the ex-wifeBRADY, Terrance 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeBRADY, Virginia Lee Aunt of the ex-wifeDONLEY, Carol Lee 1st cousin of the ex-wifeDONLEY, Peggy Ann 1st cousin of the ex-wifeDONLEY, Steven Arthur 1st cousin of the ex-wifeDONLEY, Timothy Michael 1st cousin of the ex-wifeDURICK, WAYNE Half 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeEDDY, DOROTHY BERNADETTE Half grandaunt of the ex-wifeERNESTINA 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeFred Granduncle of the ex-wifeGILL, AMANDA RAE Niece of the ex-wifeGILL, Camille Louise Sister of the ex-wifeGILL, CHARLES 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeGILL, Female 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeGILL, Frank Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeGILL, FREDERICK "FRED" PETER Granduncle of the ex-wifeGill, Frederick Peter Granduncle of the ex-wifeGILL, George 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeGILL, George William Great-grandfather of the ex-wifeGILL, George William Jr. Grandfather of the ex-wifeGILL, Georgia Lee Sister of the ex-wifeGILL, JOHN Granduncle of the ex-wifeGILL, Katherine L. "KATE" Grandaunt of the ex-wifeGILL, Laurie Kay Sister of the ex-wifeGILL, LINDSEY ALLISON Niece of the ex-wifeGILL, LOUISE Grandaunt of the ex-wifeGILL, MADELINE MARY Grandaunt of the ex-wifeGILL, Male-2 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeGILL, Male-3 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeGILL, Mary Lynn Ex-wifeGILL, Robert Bernard Father of the ex-wifeGILL, Robert Joseph Brother of the ex-wifeGILL, ROSE Grandaunt of the ex-wifeGILL, Tracey Ann Sister of the ex-wifeGILMORE, Katherine 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeGOERDT, VIOLET 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, AUGUST (twin) Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, AUGUSTA Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, CHARLES Great-granduncle of the ex-wife

2

Name Relationship with Matthew MIXON Civil Canon

HUEBNER, DAVID 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, FRED Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, GUSTAVE (twin) Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, LENA Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, LOUISE Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeHUEBNER, WILHELMINA PHILIMINA Great-grandmother of the ex-wifeJEGLUM, ANTHONY DRAKE Grandnephew of the ex-wifeJimmy Nephew of the ex-wifeKATE Grandaunt of the ex-wifeKUTZ, DAWN MARIE Niece of the ex-wifeKUTZ, SHANNON CHRISTINE Niece of the ex-wifeKutz, Sylvan James Jr. Nephew of the ex-wifeKUTZ, SYLVAN JAMES JR. "JIMMY" Nephew of the ex-wifeMAYME Grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcAFFREY, Mary 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Agnes Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Ann Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Catherine Great-grandmother of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Celia Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Hannah Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Infant Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Jane Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, John 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Mary Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Mathew Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeMcARDLE, Sophia Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifeMcCARDLE, GEORGE 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARDLE, MARY 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARDLE, WALTER 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, CLARA 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, GILMORE 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, JOHN LABORTINE 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, LAWRENCE 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, MALE 2nd cousin once removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, MARIE 2nd cousin once removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, MAURICE 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, SARAH 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMcCARVILLE, WILLIE J. 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeMIELKE, Bernice L. 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeMIELKE, Ethel J. 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeMIELKE, Helen M. 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeMILLER, Mary 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeMIXON, Errin Marie Daughter I 1MIXON, Matthew Lewis Self 0MIXON, Matthew Robert Son I 1MOELLER, Mary Great-grandmother of the ex-wifeMOELLER, WILLIAM 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeNEHLS, CAROL Half 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeNEHLS, WILLIAM "BILL" Half 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeNun, Catholic Grandaunt of the ex-wifeREMEN, MARIA 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeSCHELLY, Hanna Bell Great-grandmother of the ex-wifeSCHELLY, UNKNOWN 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeTerrence Granduncle of the ex-wifeTIPMORE, Collette Half grandaunt of the ex-wifeTIPMORE, Edna Half grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, CLARA Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, Florence Margueretta Camilla Grandmother of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, FRANK (twin) Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, GILBERT JOSEPH Granduncle of the ex-wife

3

Name Relationship with Matthew MIXON Civil Canon

TOUSSAINT, HENRIETTA CHRISTINA WILHELMINA Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, HENRY JOSEPH Great-grandfather of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, JACOB "JACK" Half great-granduncle of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, JACOB J. 2nd great-grandfather of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, JOSEPH WYNAND Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, JULIANNA (Catholic Nun) Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, LEWIS Half great-granduncle of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, LOUISE A. Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, MARIE ROSE Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, MARTHA Grandaunt of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, THEODORE (twin) Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeTOUSSAINT, THERESA SYBILLA Grandaunt of the ex-wifetwin Great-granduncle of the ex-wifetwin Great-grandaunt of the ex-wifetwin Great-granduncle of the ex-wifetwin Great-granduncle of the ex-wifeUNKNOWN, SIBILLA 2nd great-grandmother of the ex-wifeUNNAMED 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeUnnamed 1st cousin twice removed of the ex-wifeWESTCOTT, ANDREW RYAN Nephew of the ex-wifeWESTCOTT, JAMIE ROBERTA Niece of the ex-wifeWESTCOTT, REBEKAH RENEE Niece of the ex-wifeYOUNG, Courtney Cambell 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeYOUNG, Jacob William Robert 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wifeYOUNG, Sara Susan 1st cousin once removed of the ex-wife