A collage of family photos.
My Families are varied:
Goodlaw, Hampton, Ingram, Newton, Rogers, Thompson, Trotter, Webb, Wheeler, and York from African-American lines from Bradley Co., Arkansas.
My new DNA family (gotta love finding an NPE): Campbell, Crispe, Deloach, Lindsey, Lambert, and Walters from Jefferson Co., Arkansas
Byrne, Cory, Cunningham, Dowdall, Massy/Massey, Macumber, Packer, Shea and possibly Jaquay who came from Ireland, England, and Scotland by way of Ontario, Canada and upstate New York to Leelanau, MI and then Grand Rapids, MI.
Baker, Gilbert, Gordon, Grove, Johnson / Surfling, Lapham; Helsel, Holden, Morningstar, Porter, and Skiff, most of which ended up in the four corners of Kent County, MI at Algoma, Cannon, Courtland, and Plainfield Townships.
I have also spent time on my adoptive Great-grandfather’s family the Baileys (married a Porter) and their cluster lines (Groner, McCormac, Dunn, King, etc,) from Kent Co. back to Rhode Island because Grandpa was one of the first people to help me when I started researching the first time for a Girl Scout Badge (more than 20 years ago).
Genie Road Trip 
March 24, 2015 at 5:11 pm
Very interesting. Captain Alison was my ggg grandfather. His daughter Mary, my gg grandmother. I have a portrait in oil of Charles Alison.
George McCabe
Ottawa ON
March 27, 2015 at 5:41 pm
Sorry for the delay in replying… some kind of glitch the last time I tried. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Mary is one of the family members I don’t have much information on. Did she marry a MacDonald? As for the painting of Charles, I would be very curious to see it. I found a drawing of him in the book, “The English Against the Persians” by Denis Wright which looks like a caricature but fits other descriptions I’ve read about him. And, as noted in the blog, I’m a descendant of Jane and Lt. Hugh Massy.
Jess
July 28, 2016 at 2:34 am
Hello, I’m one of your cousins in Arkansas. I’m John Newton and Irene Trotter Newton’s grandson.
July 29, 2016 at 7:42 pm
Hello Cousin! Thanks for stopping in! I was just using Uncle John as an example to a friend researching an ancestor with multiple marriages.
September 21, 2016 at 5:58 pm
Hello, I am Grandpa John Newton’s granddaughter. My father was Sterling James Newton Sr. also known as Scobie. I live in kansas City, kansas. Are you Paul’s Son?
Ondra Newton Penn
September 22, 2016 at 7:40 am
No, I’m Irene (Trotter) Newton’s grand niece through her brother Levie Trotter and my Grandmother Elnora (York) Trotter’s grandfather was Uncle John’s father Mose Wheeler. Who was your grandmother? And thanks for commenting!
June 30, 2017 at 5:03 pm
Susie Trotter was my grandmother and my Daddy’s mother who was married to John newton. Grandma Irene was Grandpa John’s third wife. My dad’s mother was his second wife. Ondra Newton-Penn
July 1, 2017 at 10:45 pm
Hi Ondra, If you have time I’d love to keep talking. I have Susie as his first wife (& Irene and my Grandpa’s aunt), Amanda Hampton as his 2nd wife and Aunt Irene as his third. And of course most of my info is coming from the Trotters. I don’t know as much about Susie’s children.
September 24, 2022 at 10:10 am
Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve been in touch but I hope we can stay in touch. We are cousins….
April 28, 2019 at 11:39 pm
Jess. I’ve already written to you about t minutes ago. but after perusing your above families, I’d like you to know my great grandmother was Hannah Porter Helsel, my great Aunt Rosie Helsel married a Morningstar and…my DNA shows Bantu and Congo roots in S. Africa.
May 20, 2019 at 10:16 pm
Hannah married Levi, right?
July 4, 2019 at 11:16 pm
Hi Jess,
I have been researching my maternal family and am stuck at my maternal 2nd great grandfather. I noticed Helsel in your lineage so am hopeful you may have some hints.
What I know is that his name is Ellis Albert/Elbert Helsel. It appears he sometimes went by Albert. He married Adaline/Adeline A. Perry/Tiffany in 1884 or 86, i think 84 moe Kelly correct. Their only child, Ida Lockwood, is my great grandmother. This was Adeline’s second marriage. I have some additional info and would be interested in discussing further with you if possible.
Many thanks,
Michelle
July 5, 2019 at 4:27 pm
Hi Michelle, My first comment is that every Helsel I’ve come across has been related somehow. That said off the top of my head these names aren’t familiar–however, I do have both Helsel’s and Tiffanys in the extended family. Feel free to email jmt [dot] trotter [at] gmail.com to talk further.
July 7, 2019 at 9:26 am
This is kind of what i thought regarding the Helsel’s all being related. My side tracks back to Lester Tiffany, he was Adaline’s father. I will email you to discuss further, thanks so much!
April 1, 2022 at 11:28 pm
Jess- U am a Helsel from Hiram-Floyd-Levi-Jacob- Peter-Phillip- Johanne Tobias-Philip Swendell Holtzel. I am very interested in your research on Philip 1769 DOB. As you know quite well, sorting the Philips is difficult. I live in N. Michigan, and would love to compare notes. Please contact me. Thank you!!