So Grateful for the Many Resources at our Fingertips

I attended an excellent presentation by Tami Osmer Mize today--one of four free GRIP Virtual Sessions offered this week. Her lecture on

ConferenceKeeper.org was a fantastic reminder of how many high-quality(and sometimes free) opportunities there are out there to learn about history, ancestors, and research methodologies.

You'll find the LegacyFamilyTree Webinars listed on ConferenceKeeper. While they are a subscription service, a massive number of their presentations are actually completely free to view for a full week after the live broadcast. (Though as a subscriber myself, I love having total on-demand access to the whole archive whenever I need it!)

This got me thinking about genealogical societies and their journals—which naturally led me to the Periodical Source Index (PERSI), which was recently updated. PERSI now includes direct links to some of the specific journal articles you can find online. While not every journal is indexed yet, I noticed a wealth of linked records from the Bedford County Historical Society. In fact, they recently made their quarterlies that are over three years old available for free via the FamilySearch Library.

With so much of my family rooted in Bedford County and its neighboring areas, I checked around and found excellent free historical publications available online for Rutherford and Williamson counties as well.

Journals, webinars, books, and historical records—there is an incredible wealth of information out there to help us piece together our family trees if we just take the time to look.

Key Resources Mentioned:

• Calendar of Events: ConferenceKeeper.org

• On-Demand & Live Classes: LegacyFamilyTree Webinars

• Periodical Source Index: PERSI

• Bedford County Historical Quarterlies: FamilySearch Library

• Rutherford County Tennessee Historical Society: MTSU Digital Collections

• Williamson County Historical Journals: Williamson County History

Bedford Co. TN: Searching for the Graves of Two Revolutionary Patriots

My fourth great-grandparents are William Harrison (abt.1750–1833) and his wife, Elvira Cooper Harrison. Their son, Edward C. Harrison, married Eliza Jane McClain, drawing a fascinating parallel in our tree. Eliza’s father, George McLain, was also a Revolutionary War soldier. Like William, George served out of North Carolina, though they hailed from different areas and served in separate regiments. Decades after the war, their paths converged closely in Middle Tennessee. The 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Bedford County shows George and William’s households enumerated just a few lines apart, surrounded by a close-knit cluster of other Harrison and McLain families.

From 1830 Bedford Co TN Dist. 9

The timing of their deaths is remarkably close: William died in 1833, and George followed shortly after in 1834. Both men were actively drawing pensions for their service at the time of their deaths. While I have their complete pension files in my possession, the exact resting place for both George and William remains unknown. It is my strong belief that each man was laid to rest in a family cemetery on their respective properties.

Wm. Harrison & widow Elvira Pension

Initially, I missed William's entry in Helen and Timothy Marsh’s Soldiers of the Revolution in Bedford County, Tennessee. When I finally located it, the brief mention offered little beyond data sourced from an old DAR file. Fortunately, his actual pension file contains a wealth of detailed information that I have explored in several previous posts on this blog. Clues regarding the location of his land do exist. I discovered a local land entry referencing where "old man Harrison" (or "old Wm Harrison") lived and died. Because he was the only elder William Harrison residing in that specific area, this undoubtedly points to him. The record also notes his daughter, Elizabeth Cook(my 3rd Great Grandmother), whom the 1830 census confirms was living in the immediate neighborhood. By 1851, Elvira and several of their children had passed away, and other family members migrated out of the region following the Civil War. This rapid displacement of immediate kin is likely why William's grave was never permanently marked and has eluded researchers for generations. If we are ever able to pinpoint his burial site, it is highly probable that Elizabeth and perhaps her husband are resting nearby. 

Uncovering more details on George McLain required sorting through some digital noise. I found a reference from a descendant mentioning a family history book published by his aunt. When I tried to use an AI tool to help me track down the volume, it completely hallucinated the source. Undeterred, I combed through Ancestry tree sources until I found a valid citation that led me straight to the digital copy on FamilySearch.

The McLains, by George! The Family History and Genealogy of George McLain, Revolutionary War Veteran through Two Sons, John Alexander McLain of Bond County, Illinois, Jediah Alexander McLain of Bedford County, Tennessee compiled by Carrie McLain West (1981) 

This history helped clarify why George’s grave was also lost. Following his death, his widow and children migrated northwest to  Bond Co. Illinois. With few family member left in Bedford County to maintain the homestead or care for the site, George's final resting place was left behind to be reclaimed by time. 

The three most likely factors that contributed to these graves becoming lost to living memory:

• The Era of Death: Both soldiers passed away in the early 1830s, a period where early land markers were often ephemeral.
• Gaps in Local Records: While land records for this era exist, the subsequent deed transfers from the 1850s—though partially reconstructed following Bedford County's courthouse losses—are far from all-encompassing.
• Family Migration: Harrison and McLain descendants moved west leaving few local caretakers to preserve the locations. 

To break through this brick wall and locate these homestead plots, it will take  neighborhood reconstruction using platting, watercourses, and adjacent land deeds to piece back together where these two patriots lived out their final days. Thankfully, I can narrow it down to the 9th District of Bedford Co TN.  That is more info than some folks who are researching lost graves have.  For that I am grateful.

The Danger of Specific Location Searches

Please be aware that if you are narrowing your FamilySearch Full-Text Search by location, you might want to make sure that you haven't gotten too specific. I've often found towns or cities listed incorrectly within the Catalog's description. The most common one I see in my research is Rutherford County, TN, being mistaken for Rutherford (city), TN. Rutherford the city is in Gibson County, TN.

One of my favorite ways to search is by using key community or family surnames. Today, I searched on some common surnames within my paternal grandmother's family and found a listing for Garrison Fork Baptist Church, Beech Grove, TN. So glad I found them! I never would have found this by looking within the correct location because it is listed as Weakley County, TN, instead of under Coffee County. No idea why anyone thought it was in Weakley County. The records from Beech Grove are the only ones on the reel, and there is nothing on the first few pages that would lead me to believe it was located there. This can happen within other sites as well and is not just specific to FamilySearch.  So, now to try and figure out how to ask for a correction so others don't miss out. Anyone interested in the Garrison Fork Baptist Church records on this reel can find it in the catalog here.  You will need to log in to access it.  If you don't have an account, no worries, registration is free.

Records Aren't Always Where They're Supposed to Be

Viola W Cooke Agee & her big sister Magnus Cooke Snoddy
Daughters of Thomas DeWitt Cooke Sr. & Pearl Gray Jakes Cooke

When searching for early 20th-century ancestors, we often lock ourselves into a strict birth year and a specific county. However, historical record-keeping quirks and shifting geographic definitions can easily throw us off the trail. While searching the name of a paternal aunt, I found a birth certificate which was issued for her in January of 1916. It shows her correct birthdate (June 12, 1915) and is not a Delayed Birth Certificate. The six-month delay in registering the birth caused it to fall into the next year's group of birth certificates. Why would a mid-1915 birth seamlessly slide into 1916 without being labeled delayed? Let's look at the timeline of mandatory record-keeping in Tennessee:

1908–1912: Tennessee first began requiring statewide birth registrations in 1908. This requirement lapsed and expired at the end of 1912.

1913: Because the law expired and no agency was actively charged with keeping records, 1913 is known as a "dead year" for Tennessee vital records.

1914: A new, and stricter vital statistics law was enacted, and permanent registration officially resumed.

Because the system was still relatively new and finding its footing in 1915, local doctors, midwives, or district registrars frequently hoarded certificates and submitted them in large batches months late. These batches were part of the standard, active registration system, so the state treated them as a regular filing rather than a Delayed Birth Certificate (a designation that later became common after Social Security was introduced in 1935).Not only was her 1915 birth grouped with the 1916 records, but her place of birth also contains an error. She was born in Chapel Hill, which is listed correctly, but the recording county is listed as Bedford County—even though Chapel Hill is located in Marshall County (just west of Bedford).Even though Chapel Hill is firmly in northeastern Marshall County today, families living near county lines often went to the closest major trading town, medical professional, or courthouse—regardless of lines on a map. If the attending physician or the family identified more closely with Bedford County (or if the doctor's primary practice crossed the county line), the birth was routinely filed in the neighboring county.

If you can't find a birth(or other vital record) expand your search parameters. 

• Look Ahead-Check the subsequent months or even the following year
• Check Bordering Counties-it could have been recorded in a neighboring county.
• Search by Parents' Names

A birth record isn't always where we think it should be. 

Remembering Pvt. J.D. Luna: A Memorial Day Tribute

Courtesy of The National WWII Museum
(soldier pictured is not J.D. Luna)

On Memorial Day, we remember those who gave all in service of their country. My mother's paternal first cousin, J.D. Luna, was one of those brave souls.

J.D. Luna was born on March 15, 1924, in White County, Tennessee, to Samuel Douglas Luna and Tennie England Luna. The family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, before the 1940 census, and that is where they were living when J.D. registered for the draft in June 1942. At the time of his registration, he was working as a sales clerk at McClure & Walker.

He was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 10, 1943, at Fort McClellan, Alabama. After completing basic training at Camp McCain, Mississippi, he volunteered for the paratroopers and completed Airborne training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Private Luna was assigned to Company D of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, a unit within the 101st Airborne Division. The regiment deployed to England in September 1943, spending nine months in intensive training for the Allied invasion of Europe. He was killed in action during D-Day operations on June 6, 1944 and is noted as the first resident of Madison County, Alabama, to die in the Normandy invasion.

Initially buried in France, J.D.'s remains were returned to Tennessee in 1948 and he was reinterred in Taylors Providence Cemetery, where many of his family members rest. He is also memorialized on the Huntsville-Madison County Veterans Memorial in Alabama.

Sources: 

"J D Luna First Invasion Death," The Huntsville Times, June 26, 1944, Vol 35, No 91, p 1, col 3; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-j-d-luna-first-inva/198083660/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J D Luna First Invasion Death by user rmbeckman.

"First Madison County Soldier to died at Normandy," The Huntsville Times, Online News at AL.com,  May 30, 2021, Page  A6; image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-huntsville-times-jd-luna-1924-1944/198083127/ : accessed May 23, 2026), clip page for J.D. Luna 1924-1944 by user rmbeckman.

"U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), draft registration card for J D Luna, serial no. N333, order no. 11247, Local Draft Board, Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama; citing WWII Draft Registration Cards for Alabama, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947, Record Group 147, Box 169, National Archives at St. Louis, Missouri.

"1940 United States Federal Census," digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 May 2026), J D Luna, West Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama, population schedule, ED 45-52, sheet 6B, household 117, 28 Ninth Avenue, line 67; citing US Federal Census, 1940, National Archives microfilm publication T627, roll 57.

Find a Grave, digital images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 May 2026), memorial page for Pvt J D Luna (1924–1944), Memorial ID 8070284, citing Taylors Providence Cemetery, Smithville, DeKalb County, Tennessee; maintained by Rhonda C Poynter & Friends (contributor 46849444), headstone photographs by Rhonda Sue.

Triple Cousin, Lifelong Teacher: The Legacy of Oscar Roy Ashley

Discovering a cousin who connects to your tree thru multiple lines is not that rare on my paternal grandmother's side of the family.  I always like to map out the lines.  This one was a really great find even though he didn't leave any descendants, he left much more.

Oscar Roy Ashley (1906–2001) is my cousin thru 3 ancestor couples: James Morrow & Margaret Sutton, James Jakes & Nancy Harger, and James Knox & Elizabeth Craig. Born in Bedford County and raised in Murfreesboro, Oscar never married or had any known children. Instead, the record trail shows a life completely dedicated to literature and education. Oscar pursued his love for words at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, graduating in 1927 with a BA in English. The census records map out his decades in the classroom:

1930: Back in Bedford County, working as a local schoolteacher in Shelbyville.

1940: Relocated to Chattanooga, where he joined the faculty of the prestigious Baylor School.

1950: A brief stint in New York City working as an instructor before returning home to Tennessee.

He also served in the US Army Air Forces  during World War II

He spent decades mentoring young minds, eventually retiring in Chattanooga where he lived to be 94.

While Oscar left no known descendants to carry on his name, his final act ensured his passion for education would live on. In his will, he left his estate to his alma mater to establish the Oscar Roy Ashley Graduate School Fellowship at UT Knoxville. Today, this permanent endowment funds a $4,000 annual fellowship for talented, returning graduate students who show exceptional academic performance.

From the UT Knoxville Website  https://gradschool.utk.edu/ 

Also see the Oscar Roy Ashley Papers

The census records simply list him as "never married, but Oscar’s legacy is clearly written in the fellowship that still bears his name.

Sources Consulted:

Oscar Roy Ashley Graveside services for Oscar Roy Ashley, 94, formerly of Murfreesboro, who died Monday, July 16, at his home in Chattanooga, will be 2 p.m. Thursday at Chattanooga National Cemetery. The Rev. E. Lane Alderman Jr. will officiate. He was the son of the late Edgar Leander and Mary Elvira Stephenson Ashley.

The Daily News-Journal, July 18, 2001, Page  11. image, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news-journal-oscar-roy-ashley/197716870/ : accessed May 17, 2026).

1910 United States Federal Census: Civil District 1, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1920 United States Federal Census: Murfreesboro Ward 1, Rutherford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Son.

1930 United States Federal Census: Shelbyville, Bedford County, Tennessee. Status: Single, Boarder; Occupation: Teacher.

1940 United States Federal Census: Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee. Occupation: Secondary School Teacher.

1950 United States Federal Census: New York, New York, New York. Status: Never Married; Occupation: Instructor. 

Tennessee, Delayed Birth Records, 1869–1909: Confirming birth on September 26, 1906, in Bedford County.

U.S., School Yearbooks, 1880–2012: Documenting his education, including his 1927 graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007

U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935–2014

The Daily News-Journal (Murfreesboro, TN): Obituary published on July 18, 2001, page 11.

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938–1946

U.S., WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940–1947: Showing his employment at the Baylor School in Hamilton County, Tennessee, dated October 16, 1940.

U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s–Current: Documenting his burial at the Chattanooga National Cemetery in Hamilton County, Tennessee (Memorial ID 64920975).