| My families came to California in the 1930s. When that generation died, so did our connection to our other family members. And the branch that I knew the least about has proven to be the easiest to trace-go figure! The Bradleys and Taylors came from Conway County, Arkansas. They came with large families, a farm work ethic and a tendency to "push the envelope". The Bradleys tend to choose between Jesus and the wild life in the teen years, and stick with the choice through life. Family lore passed on by my father said that we have been clergy or mercenaries for centuries. It makes a great story, but I have yet to verify it. The Taylors were very active in the Scottish Rite Masons and Order of the Eastern Star. The Caudles and Farnis came together from Pottawatomie and Roger Mills Counties in Oklahoma and scattered all over the Central Valley of California. Their love of people was moderated by fiscal responsibility. The Richards married into our Caudles. My great-great grandmother was obviously Native American--but was a total mystery. I did not even know her given name until Mom stumbled across her own grandmother's obituary. After years of telling her photo that I knew she had existed-I found out that she was Delphine Cyr! She was born in Illinois and her family were Acadian metis. Our tribe appears to be Canadian Mic-mac, a branch of Algonquin. (My grandfather had always made a big joke of it all--saying we were Kick-a-poo while doing a campy version of a war dance. And wondering why we never believed him. . . Just before his death, he said we were Cherokee. That turned out to be a partial truth.) Another offshoot of the Caudles, the Brumbelow's, have an ancestor who was North Carolina Cherokee. All I know of her is her English name--Elizabeth. My Grandma Caudle confessed that her family was ethnically Jewish. I have been unable to verify that independently. I want to make our joint heritage available to my children and to my family across the world. We have forgotten who we are and where we came from. Some of my ancestors were so ashamed of their ethnic heritage that they lied about it. That has made the hunt that much harder. I feel the pain that caused them to lie. The Bradleys, Caudles and Farnis were missionaries for the Christian Church and the Churches of Christ. My generation, born in the 1950s, has become charismatic or pentecostal. Our children are finding their own paths. I am christian, and my Bible teaches that we are all related through Noah. All children are a blessing from God. And none of us can be well until we know our own heritage. If you find errors, typos, or omissions--please let me know. Nothing is perfect, and I hope I and my site will always be growing. |
Penny's Roots
Updated March 20, 2006 |
Penelope Bradley |
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