Janice Tracy

Ghosts of Our Ancestors

This article was written to commemorate Black History Month in the United States and to remind us all of the contributions made by so many African Americans, as well as those with biracial and mutiracial heritage, to the history of our country. A few years ago, after I became aware that I had a Gibson great-great-great grandfather, I began my search for Gibson ancestors with virtually no facts at all.... (posted by Janice 3 years 93 days ago.)

Special Memories of Christmas

Our Christmas-related activities, " after children " were many and varied over the years. They changed somewhat every few years because of where we lived and how old the children were. But the ones I call " traditions " were started when our family was young, and they never changed. Some were influenced by our own upbringing, but the ones that meant the most actually started when our first child was born. One of the... (posted by Janice 3 years 176 days ago.)

The Settlement known as San Miguel de Gualdape

Many of those who settled in the north central area of the Mississippi Territory, and later in the counties formed there after statehood, migrated, many en masse , from Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia. It is a well-known bit of history that many of those who settled in the central "hills" area of Mississippi came there from the Pee Dee River in South Carolina, an area sometimes known... (posted by Janice 3 years 205 days ago.)

What Would You Have Chosen for Your Name?

Over the past fifty years, we have seen a drastic change in the names parents are giving to their children. It is not uncommon for a new baby to be named for a place, a season, a plant or a flower, or even an inaminate object. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned names like John, Jane, William, Joseph, and even Sue? After the Norman Conquest of 1066, a few individuals passed on heritary surnames, but... (posted by Janice 3 years 209 days ago.)

Education May Pave the Way Out of Poverty

During these difficult economic times, most of us are attempting to hold on tight to what we need to feel secure. It may be a job, a retirement account, good credit, or heaven forbid, a home. And then it may be all of those things. But what about those who don't have jobs, or at least good paying jobs, those who don't have savings of any kind, and those who do not have the slightest bit of hope they will ever be... (posted by Janice 3 years 211 days ago.)

Moving to the Delta

Yesterday, I began the story of my paternal grandparents during the Great Depression, and this is a continuation of that journey. It was quite a bold undertaking for my grandparents, because they left the only place that either of them had ever called home, Attala County, Mississippi, to travel to Humphreys County ("The Delta") where they would continue to live for almost twenty years. The decision to go somewhere else to farm... (posted by Janice 3 years 212 days ago.)