Why were you invited to this newsletter?   This is what all of us have in common.    In the early stages of the website some very interesting family history was included. It took us back to the early 1780's with Charles and Sarah Marshall, the parents of Mathew Marshall Ford who was Enslaved. It went on to tell us how Jane Ford a free woman married a slave and so Mathew took on her Surname. Jane and Mathew had 17 children. And finally, it explained our Early beginnings in what is known as Culpeper, Virginia. 

  You may not have been a history buff, but Culpeper was the sight of the most military battles in the Civil war.  Why is this important to Our family?  Jane and Mathew (a former slave) ran a commissary for the Union Army in the midst of the war.  Less than a mile away from the homestead was a military jail. 

  You have to ask yourself: What kind of People were Our Family!  Some of our new readers may still ask: Why  is Jane and Mathew important to us. Well Jane and Mathew fathered Richard Ford who married Sarah and had Mary T who in turn married Dock Stroud.  Well, hold on, Dock  and Mary had 5 daughters who eventually moved to Mount Vernon, N.Y and married into the Haden, Tucker, Michael,  Ford and Wyatt Family.  Need I say more?

145th Edition

 Blessings of Peace and Grace ,

I pray each of you are at Peace in your hearts.  Our journey through life has had many twist, turns as well as ups and downs. It's been Grace that's brought you to this point, it's Grace that has begun to heal your wounds, I'm feeling life at this moment and just want to share with each of you that whatever we're are going through we will  be alright. Our losses in this lifetime left many open wounds that we're afraid would never heal.  The meaning for these losses is a reminder of how precious each of us are to someone. You see if they didn't mean anything to us we wouldn't hurt.  The hurt is a validation of our capacity to love and be loved.

     For me July is that month that puts the exclamation mark on my life.  It's the month of my only sister's birth,  the month of my mother's transition, the month of my short lived marriage and the month of my Grandmother's birth. You see how life had it's ups and downs? And for every down there is an up. So let me encourage us all to keeping living life to the fullest, enjoy the good times and hold on tight during the rough times.  We have come so far from where started and we have so much to give.  So be a cheerful giver and a humble receiver!

  Click Click to my Grandmother Janie Stroud Haden who would have been 126 years old on July 30th

    Family, it's July and it's summertime. So let's get the summer fun started !

The messages in this news letter are to offer hope, encouragement  and acknowledgement.  So I trust you will reach out to one another and share your victories, desires and needs.  We can only hope you will find this newsletter worthy of your time and take a moment to read and share your news with us.  Please send any thoughts, messages or history to fullergail@hotmail.com or give me a call at 646 8515247; I'll answer. 

The Cousin I never met

     Family there's a cousin that I've never met but we are not only Cousins we are friends.  Now let me tell you I enjoy chatting with her on Facebook and listening to her many challenges.  Family our Cousin is fearless in the things she likes and challenges she prepares to face. Now let me introduce to some of you, originally from Watertown, Mass. and now makes Atlanta Georgia her home Delyah Tucker. Delyah is the daughter of the Late Curtis G Coleman and Gail W Tucker.  Granddaughter of the late Majorie Wood Tucker and the late Richard W Tucker. Delyah is a Fitness trainer who is a living example of how a lifestyle can change really works.  

"Welp..... The scale has me trying on things. You know that all little black dress is the highest motivator LOL things are starting to fall into place, 35 more pounds to go! And this baby will be ready! #results #gettitdone #keepwatching #results #committed #fabove"

  

   

Some people go on cruse ships, Delyah goes on adventures of your imagination. Her FB post are always challenging your will, your drive and your fears.  I often ask her if she's trying to kill me with her challenges and questions.  Now some of you may have the courage to climb these heights, or play on these courts, but I'm not the one.   Are you?   Here's an example                     

 

Good News:

 Florida lets shout Happy Birthday to  Dolores Coley Cooper m daughter of the late Richard and Josephine Haden Coley.

While you are screaming loud and Proud let it out for Laila E Fuller who is celebrating a milestone birthday.  Laila's parents blessed her with a cruise for her 16th Birthday.  Laila is the daughter of Victor and Paulette Miller Fuller and granddaughter of  Ronald and Gail Haden Fuller. 

 

Congrats to Carl and Debra Grant Strand on their new home in Delaware.  Debra is the daughter of our Matriarch Jean Tucker Grant.  We wish you much happiness in your new home.

 Congrats to Kyle and Chela Sanchez Haden for being invited to the Tony Awards. Kyle is the son of Clarence Stroud  Jr. and Constance Lowe Haden. He is the grandson of the late Clarence S Sr, and Barbara Glover Haden                                                                               

                               

Relay for Life in Southern Nevada will be taking place Sept 21st.  Reach out to Mary Harris or Michele Harris Dixon for details.  email mharrism@msn.com Join our winning team as we take the field in Los Vegas to stomp out Cancer                                         

Prayer Warriors:   Please keep our Elders names lifted  in constant Prayer.  Our Elder Cousin Jean Tucker Grant 98 ..  Our Elder Cousin Elizabeth "Betty" Tucker Scotland just celebrated he 87th birthday on April 22  and Our Elder Dr Gloria LeCompte mother of Lisa Michael Semere and Tammie Michael.\

Keep our Family members lifted in your Prayers because we do not know what everyone is going through.

Our History:

In our lineage through DNA samples of the 5 sisters offspring's  we have found that our African lineage comes down through Nigeria at least 23% as well as Cameroon  21%, Ghana 12% and Benin 17%

This is what we have learned about the area our ancestors came from.

The Benin Kingdom was a flourishing ancient city situated in modern day Nigeria. During the pre colonial era, Benin was one of the many highly developed cultures in Africa. This kingdom got its start up around 900 CE when Edo people settled in the tropical rainforest of West Africa.

The walls of Benin City and its surrounding kingdom was the world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era, and was featured in the Genius Book Of Word Record. Benin City was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting. Huge metal lamps, many feet high, were built and placed around the city, especially near the king’s palace. Fueled by palm oil, their burning wicks were lit at night to provide illumination for traffic to and from the palace. When the Portuguese first visited the city in 1485, they were stunned to find this vast kingdom made of hundreds of interlocked cities and villages, calling it "Great city of Benin".

Great City of Benin”. The city was destroyed and burnt to the ground in 1897 by Britain.