Week 3:
The theme for Week 3 is “Nickname.” Nicknames can hint to a person’s personality, occupation, or appearance. But be careful to not always take them literally! (Think of all the burly guys nicknamed “Tiny!”) Sometimes they have an “origin story” – like “Coco,” a classmate of mine. She got the nickname because her little brother couldn’t pronounce her real name (Colleen). Which of your ancestors had a nickname? Do you know how they got it?

So now let’s meet Percy’s (from week 1) wife. Celestia Dalton Woodard. Celestia was better known by her nickname Lessie.

 The Life of Celestia Dalton "Lessie" Woodard

Celestia Dalton Woodard, affectionately known as "Lessie," was born on August 18, 1876, in the small town of Waltertown, located in Ware County, Georgia. Raised in the rustic charm of the region, Lessie spent her early years surrounded by the love and support of her family.

By 1880, at the age of four, Lessie’s family had moved to Pierce County, Georgia. Her formative years were shaped by this rural community, which instilled in her a sense of resilience and a deep connection to her roots.

At 19, Lessie embarked on a new chapter of her life when she married Percy Scott Archibald on November 20, 1895, in Ware County. Percy, born in 1867, became her devoted partner. The couple made their home in Waycross, residing with her Aunt and Uncle, Willoughby and Mary Cason. Mary, the sister of Lessie's mother Elizabeth Butler, provided a familial haven during this early phase of their marriage.

Lessie and Percy were blessed with four children who brought joy and purpose to their lives:

• Marybelle Archibald (1899–1953)
• Sadie Archibald (1902–1984)
• Willoughby Newton Archibald (1904–1965)
• Percy Archibald (1906–1909), who tragically passed away at a young age.

The loss of Percy in 1908 marked a difficult period for Lessie, but she remained strong for her children.

In 1910, Lessie found love again and married Edward Parker Fairchild on March 31. Edward, born in 1886, was nearly a decade younger than Lessie, but their bond was strong. They celebrated their union with a honeymoon in the beautiful city of St. Augustine, Florida.

Lessie and Edward expanded their family with two more children:

• Pearl Fairchild (1911–1999)
• E Parker Fairchild (1912–1969)

The Fairchild family continued to live in Waycross, where Lessie embraced her role as a wife and mother.

 

Social Life in Waycross, Georgia (1900-1910)

During the early 20th century, Waycross was a bustling hub in southeastern Georgia. As a growing railroad town, it became a focal point for social and economic activity. Social life in Waycross was vibrant, with a strong sense of community and frequent gatherings. Families like the Archibalds and Fairchilds likely participated in church events, which were central to social life. Churches were not only places of worship but also venues for social gatherings, picnics, and charitable events.

Community events often included fairs, parades, and markets, which were opportunities for residents to connect and celebrate local culture. The railroad brought a mix of people and ideas, contributing to the town's dynamic social atmosphere.

For women like Lessie, social clubs and organizations provided a space to engage with other women in the community. These clubs often focused on civic improvement, education, and support for local families. Lessie's involvement in such activities would have helped her maintain a strong network of friends and acquaintances.

The turn of the century was also a time of transition, with advancements in technology and transportation beginning to influence daily life. This era's social fabric was woven with traditional values and a spirit of progress, creating a lively and connected community in Waycross.

As the 1930s began, Lessie remained a cornerstone of her household, supporting Parker and contributing to their home life. By this time, she was in her mid-50s, still living in Waycross, which had become her lifelong home.

Lessie’s life came to a peaceful close on July 31, 1935, in Waycross. She left behind a legacy of love, strength, and family devotion. Her final resting place is in Lott Cemetery, where she remains a beloved figure in the town she called home.

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“write a narrative of the life of _____ using the following facts:” prompt. ChatGPT, ChatGPT4.0 version, Open AI, January 2024, https://chat.openai.com/

 

Week 2:
Week 2’s theme is “Favorite Photo.” Yes, I’ve included this prompt in the last few years of 52 Ancestors, and for good reason: Photos capture our family history like few other things can. Besides, how can you limit yourself to one?! This week, tell the story of a favorite photo: who is in it, where and when was it taken, and – just as important – why was it taken?

This photo taken around 1926 in Tampa, Florida captures 4 generations of the Archibald descendants. Olive McCurdy Archibald, the matriarch (mother of Percy from week 1), seated on the left and next to her, one of her daughters, Mary Elizabeth Clay, standing behind them is Estelle Forsyth, daughter of Mary Elizabeth Clay and the two young girls are her daughters Elizabeth and Annie. I love the photo because the expressions on their faces show true joy. The Archibalds may have scattered but there was always love.

 

Week 1:
This week’s theme is “In the Beginning.” (According to “The Sound of Music,” the beginning is a very good place to start.) Who was the first person you wanted to find when you started your genealogy journey? Was there a family member who sparked your interest, maybe by giving you a bunch of genealogy “stuff”? This would be a great week to write about them!

 

The year is 2004. I just moved from Cincinnati, Ohio to Fargo, MI due to my husband’s job. Fargo, MI is a one stop (notice I didn’t say stoplight) town in St Clair County near our current home in Port Huron. We were renting a home while we waited for our house in Ohio to sell. I had not found a job yet and one day as a sit watching tv an ad for Ancestry.com came on and I thought ‘What the heck’. I knew at that point that my grandpa’s grandpa was Percy Archibald and his dad was Walter and mom was Olivia. Given generational timing I knew he would have been born in the 1860s timeframe and I knew Percy was from Georgia. I went to the Ancestry.com typed in the search bar Percy Archibald born 1865 with a plus or minus of 5 years. The first search result was a census record from 1870, when I opened the census record it showed Percy Archibald as the son of Walter and Olivia with other siblings but the kicker was they were living in Port Huron, Michigan.  Port Huron today has a population of around 30,000 and in 1870 a population of less than 6000. What are the odds that the same small town I just moved to was where my family lived for 3 years before they headed south to warmer climes. I was immediately hooked and found out that the Archibald’s were from Nova Scotia, Percy’s father came to Michigan as a Lumberman and then eventually made the trek southward to Georgia and Florida. Following I will introduce you to Percy Archibald:

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Percy Scott Archibald was born on August 14, 1867, in the tranquil town of Truro, Colchester, in Nova Scotia, Canada. His early life was one of migration, as his family sought new opportunities in North America. By 1870, when Percy was just three years old, the Archibald family had moved to Port Huron, St. Clair, Michigan. There, young Percy began to experience the bustling energy of a growing American town. The family stayed only briefly in Port Huron due to Walter (Percy's father) taking a job in Alpena, Michigan in 1873. How long they stayed in Alpena in unknown but by 1878, Percy’s family's journey took him to Essex, Ontario, where he spent his teenage years. The lush countryside and thriving trade of Ontario offered a contrast to his earlier life, shaping his youth with the experiences of both rural simplicity and the promise of industrial progress.

In 1886 the family decided to relocate to central Florida in hope of better opportunities and health. Somehow along the way Percy stopped in Waycross, Georgia and decided to stay.

Percy’s life took a transformative turn when, at 28, he married Celestial (Lessie) Dalton Woodard on November 20, 1895, in Ware, Georgia. Together, they began a life in Waycross, Ware County, Georgia, a bustling railroad hub that likely provided them with opportunities and a vibrant community. Their union was blessed with four children:

• Marybelle Archibald (1899–1953), their eldest, who grew up to carry on her father's legacy into the mid-20th century.
• Sadie Archibald (1902–1984), who lived a long and fulfilling life, witnessing immense societal changes during her lifetime.
• Willoughby Newton Archibald (1904–1965), a son who continued the Archibald name and thrived in the years after his father’s passing.
• Percy Archibald Jr. (1906–1909), the youngest, whose life was tragically brief, passing away just a year after his father's untimely death.

Percy worked hard to provide for his family in Waycross, building a home and life far from the Canadian provinces of his birth. However, tragedy struck in 1908 when Percy’s life was cut short at the age of 40. He died from blood poisoning after cutting himself with a razor, an all-too-common danger in the pre-antibiotic era.

His death, reported in an Atlanta newspaper just two days later, brought sorrow to those who knew him. On the same day of his passing, Percy was laid to rest in Lott Cemetery, Waycross, Georgia, in old section 4, lot 10, grave 7.

The Archibald family carried on after Percy’s passing, with Lessie marrying Edward Parker Fairchild in 1910 and raising the children in the shadow of their father’s memory. Percy’s life, though brief, was marked by resilience, migration, and the enduring connections of family. His journey from Nova Scotia to Georgia encapsulates the spirit of adventure and determination, and his legacy lives on through his descendants, who remember the sacrifices and achievements of a man who bridged nations and generations.