Family History Trips

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Family History Trips
- 1992 – Hayward California / San Francisco
  - Trip to visit Cousin Pauline Sibyl Edwards Daughter to Charles Edwards who was a Brother to my Grandfather James Dale Edwards & visited Cousin Beulah Rae Edwards Daughter to Brian Edwards who was a Brother to my Grandfather James Dale Edwards.
  - This trip was a result of my early research at the Family Research Center near the Navy Base which I was living at the time.
  - Pauline’s Mother Mary Catherine had submitted many family group sheets to Salt Lake City. One of these forms allowed me to get in contact with Pauline.
  - She immediately invited me over to stay and visit.
  - This opened up a huge door in my early research getting me in contact with Beulah who was the daughter of Brian Edwards my Grandfather Edwards Brother. She had more contacts with cousins in Napa Valley who were children Claude Edwards a Brother to my Grandfather Edwards.
  - Pauline shared with me her cousin Audrey Monhollon Smith who lived in Canon City Colorado. This was where my father and his siblings were born. Colorado was in my target zone for 1993.
- 1993 – Canon City Colorado
  - Trip to visit Audrey Munhollon Smith daughter of Edna Edwards sister to my Grandfather Edwards.
  - In my 1992 trip to visit Pauline (see above) she suggested I get in contact with Lloyd Smith who was a recent widower. He was married to Audrey Monhollon.
  - Audrey had direct contact over the years with many branches of children of my Great Grandfather James Philando Edwards (See my ancestry page).
  - Even more important was that Audrey had the only copy of the pictures of my 2nd Great Grandparents Edwards, WSE William Samuel Edwards and Mary Willet which I immediately made copies of. It is because of this trip that we have WSE and Mary’s wedding photographs.
  - From Canon City Colorado I had enough data to take me to where my Great Grandparents Edwards, James Philando Edwards and Florabelle Breeding were born and raised their children. Davis and Appanoose Counties Iowa.
- 1995 – Davis / Appanoose Co. Iowa
  - This trip was awesome. I visited my 3rd Great Grandfather Owen Edwards Grave in Drakesville Iowa, and his son WSE William Samuel Edwards and his wife Mary Willet my 2nd Great Grandparents.
  - Walked the area where my family lived.
  - I also was able to visit the original land, home where my Grandfather James Dale Edwards and his siblings lived.
  - The next logical trip to take was to Sullivan, Washington and Carter County Tennessee where Abel and Polly Potts Edwards migrated to in ca.1780 from Virginia.
- 1995 – Sullivan / Washington / Carter Co. Tennessee
  - This trip was amazing. I was able to visit the church grounds that my 4th Great Grandfather Joshua Edwards b.1781 built the Holston Baptist Church from the ground up.
    - I held the minutes in my hand that my 4th Great Grandfathers wrote into, and also held the Eulogy for my 4th Great Grandfather when he passed away.
    - It was because of these minutes from the Holston Baptist Church that I found out where my 4th Great Grandfather was buried.
      - Weaver Cemetery – OLD SECTION WHERE JOSHUA IS BURIED AND POSSIBLY ABEL AND POLLY
- 2011 – Davis / Appanoose County Iowa & Illinois
  - Through previous research I was able to collect sources in notes, ledgers and letters that told me that down the road of the original land of my Great Grandfather James Philando Edwards. This gravel road literally walked my 2nd and 3rd Great Grandfathers. Very moving emotionally and spiritually.
    - VIDEO 1 OF THIS LAND AND ROAD
    - VIDEO 2 OF THIS LAND AND ROAD
  - In 2010 I was so excited to get in contact with a man who was a descendant of Sarah Amanda Edwards Dixon b.1855 who was the sister of my Great Grandfather James P. Edwards b.1858. Cousin Reese had the original photograph of my 3rd Great Grandfather Owen Edwards b.1806! (See my ancestry page). He lived in Illinois and I stopped in for a few hours and made copies of this photograph and many others he had that were related to the family.
- 2023 – Abel and Polly Potts 2023 Reunion
- Future Trips??
  - Edgar / Logan County Illinois
    - Visit the grave of John Edwards b.1772 the first child born to Abel and Polly
  - Clark County Iowa
    - Visit the Gravesite of Arthur Edwards b.1786 last child born to Abel and Polly
  - Henry / Franklin County Tennessee

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