Thomas Darron Jordan - Double Jordan: My Journey Towards Discovering My Paternal Ancestors

Double Jordan

My Journey Towards
Discovering
My Paternal Ancestors

Thomas Darron Jordan

AuthorHouse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: 1 (800) 839-8640

2016 Thomas Darron Jordan. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/26/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8445-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-8444-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016904621

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,
and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Chapter One
Genealogical Seeds

Chapter Two
Ancestry.com

Chapter Three
The Visit and The Question

Chapter Four
Dunbar

Chapter Five
Genealogist

Chapter Six
Are There Any Relatives Left?

Chapter Seven
Roberta

Chapter Eight
Cloud Cover

Chapter Nine
The Descendants of Jessie Jordan

Chapter Ten
Roberta Part Deux

Chapter Eleven
Family Reunion

Chapter Twelve
What a Tangled Webb We Weave

Chapter Thirteen
The Case of Rhoda Webb Washington

Chapter Fourteen
Double Jordan Breakthrough

Chapter Fifteen
Reunion Summer 2012: Some Final Pieces to the Puzzle

Chapter Sixteen
Did You Learn Anything Today?

Chapter Seventeen
A Hunch and the Favor of God

Chapter Eighteen
The Redemption of the Family

This book is dedicated to my mother Lela Beatrice Jordan who is the true genealogist and historian in the family

When I first met Thomas Jordan, I thought he was the most advanced beginner I had ever met. Less than a year into the search for his ancestors he was already using sophisticated research techniques, tools and resources. Within two years he provided African American research advice at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Countys Genealogy Experts Day, side by side with nationally acclaimed professional genealogists. The following year, he was interviewed for a Library podcast on African American genealogy and produced a video, which aired on the local news, on genealogy. All this left me wondering, How could someone come so far, so fast?

When Thomas presented me with a draft of Double Jordan, I found the answer to my question. Thomas is a first rate investigator, perhaps from years spent in the news industry. His detective work is fascinating and unsurpassed. Thomas is a scholar. His findings are verified and well cited, including images of original documents. He has passion, pursuing the search with missionary zeal, and is driven and determined.

Double Jordan is a journey. In it you will join Thomas search for his past and its meaning. You will experience the highs and lows of the ancestral search. In this well-crafted and organized work, you will meet his ancestors and learn from a pro how to track ancestors and tell their story.

Patricia Moseley Van Skaik, Manager,

Genealogy & Local History Department

Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County.

The list of relatives, individuals, organizations and institutions who have been so kind as to share their time, information, resources and encouragement is enormous. Having worked at a TV station for 29 years, I appreciate seeing my name in credits. I have tried to remember all who have helped us along this journey. But if you do not see your name listed please charge it to my head and not my heart, and know that I love and appreciate you all.

To my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for this calling and awakening in my spirit and most of all his patience, grace and mercy.

To the staff at AuthorHouse, especially my check in coordinators Rowella Alvaro, Nova Cage and Patricia Roney for their excellence and diligence in making this dream possible.

To My Family: Jacquelyne Marie Valentine Jordan, my wife of 30 years, for her continual support throughout this project as well as her input and editing; to the best mother in the world, Lela Beatrice Jordan, for being the rock of the family; my children Bethany and Joshua and my two precious granddaughters, Anaya Ceri and Imani Phylea Mae Jordan; my siblings: Larry and Bobby Kidd, Richard Jordan, Jr., Kerry Jordan, Cynthia Jordan Collins (who kept asking me when are you going to write a book?); Evangelist Mary Edith Wiley Jordan Thompkins and Kelli Thompkins; my brother and sister in laws - Larry Collins, Kimberly McGee Jordan, Sheila Marshall Jordan (aka Ms. Jaz) and Linda Bostic Kidd; my nieces and nephews: Derek, Marlo, Justin, Joslin, Jasmine, Donielle, Laura, Jonathan, Alea, Aisha and Stephanie;

My extended family: Uncle Robert Pouncey and Cousin Kenneth Pouncey, Felix and Louise Wilder, Thelma Jordan, Wardell Edie Jordan-Willis; Debbie Gibson; my Alpharetta Big Cuz and inspiration to do genealogy - Patricia Barnes-Frye, William Henry Barnes, Jr. aka June, Joyce Lewis, Rosemary Isaacs-Anderson and the Barnes-Boulding Family; Kathyrn Glenn, Helen Gentry and the Mitchell Family; The Valentine Family; the Baker, Davis, Sanders Family and the Cincinnati Elites; Gloria Pee-Wee Garner, Helen Thomas, Jeanette Atterberry, Herman Joe Borders and the Descendants of my Maternal Grandfather Martin Alphonso Thomas.; Minnie Mitchem, Gussie Williams and the Coleman-Gibbs Family; Andre Gibbs, Alphonso Gibbs, Sr., Mildred Gibbs Roebuck, Petral Robinson and the Descendants of Pauldo Gibbs, Sr.

To the people who made up the best church in the world, Christ Centered Apostolic Ministries. Lucy May, for her help with editing and all my co-workers at WCPO-TV, especially the Good Morning Tri-State crew, who had to live almost every week with a story about me finding a new relative. There is a saying that genealogy is when you discover the dead and irritate the living.

Cincinnati Support : Robin Buchanan, the Cincinnati Enquirer; Carla Basinger and Shirley Smith of the Hamilton County, Ohio Probate Court. Charlese Edmondson and the staff of the Elm Street Health Center Vital Records Office; the staff of the Family History Center in Norwood, Ohio; Kathleen Reed and the Hamilton County Genealogical Society. Patricia Van Skaik, Brian Powers and the staff of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton Countys Local History and Genealogy Department; the staff of the Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio. Greg Rust and France Griggs Sloat from Xavier University. Ted Maxberry, my IT whiz!!

Our Georgia Connection : Claude Burgess, Bonnie Smith and the Upson County Historical Society, Judge Pamela Busbee and Andrea Peterman of the Crawford County, Georgia Probate Court. Ryan Johnson, Jennifer Beach, Jennie Crane and the staff of the Superior Court of Crawford County. Kim Gordon and the Crawford County Historical Society. Hutchings Funeral Home, Macon, Georgia; Pamela Portwood of the Upson County Vital Records Office; N. Daniel, Willard Rocker, Murriel McDowell-Jackson, Charlotte Bare, Angela Torres and The staff of the Washington Memorial Library, Genealogical & Historical Room, Macon, Georgia); Dalton Royer, Columbus Georgia Public Library

Ohio : Phil Haas and Bill Hopkins, Archdiocese of Cleveland; Cleveland Public Library; Cuyahoga County Probate Court, Ann Sindelar and The Western Reserve Historical Society; Benjamin C. Richards, Kent State University Libraries; Maxine Marshall and the Marion Area Genealogical Society, The Ohio Genealogical Society, The Staff of the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library; Indiana: The Staff of the Allen County Library, Ft. Wayne, Indiana; The Lake County Indiana Public Library; Kentucky : The Kenton County Public Library; Alabama : Dallas Hanbury, Montgomery County Archives