Drinkin Buddies

Here's a funny picture of my grandfather, Harold Johnston with some of his buddies: Jack Edge and Harold Webb. It looks like they're having a good time...

Frank Lee Johnston

Frank Lee Johnston was Papa's Nephew. His father's name was also Frank.

Uncle Louis Johnston

Tataw's Uncle Louis Johnston was Papa's brother. I have lots of pictures of him. He was a bachelor.

Hal and Sibyl Johnston

Harold Banks Johnston was my great grandfather. We called him, "Papa". I have many happy memories of him. When I was young, we visited him in Yell County, AR often. We'd always stop and get him a hamburger. He would take out his teeth to eat it, saying that it was easier. He always had hard candy for us to eat and passed the time reading and watching the many squirrels he fed in the yard. He was a retired farmer. I think my grandfather looks a LOT like his dad.

Sibyl Johnston (Grandma Johnston) died about a month before I was born. My family says that she was especially fond of her grandchildren and great grandchildren and that family was very important to her.

I have lots of pictures of them. Here are a few:

Sibyl Clarissa (Ross) Johnston

My father's father (Harold Ross Johnston) was given the middle name of Ross because his mother's maiden name is Ross. Here are two pictures of her. We call her "Grandma Johnston".

Willie Bell (Ivy) Keeling

This is one of the few pictures that I have of my great-great grandmother, Willie Bell Ivy Keeling. She was 1/2 Cherokee. I've been doing a lot of research on her lately. I'm trying to find more information about her parents. She was born in Purdy, TN and moved to Wright County, MO where she met my great-great grandfather, Abraham "Seib" Keeling. They married and settled eventually in Pope and Yell Counties in Arkansas.

Nikki's Parents

My parents divorced when I was about 6 years old. This is a picture that was taken of them before I was born. Mom was 18 or 19 and Daddy was a few years older. I think Mom looked a lot like my sister, Laura does now.

Ross Family Picture

This is a picture of a cousin of my grandfather, Harold Johnston. His mother's maiden name was Ross. This picture is of Faye Ross. My grandfather says she married a man with the last name of "Meek". Her father was Carl Ross. She had a sister named Mildred. She lived in Conway, AR and I think she died in a car wreck. I love her striped socks.

Me and Memaw

This is a picture of my grandmother, Sallie when she was a child. Here's a picture that was taken in 1993 of Grandma Nell, me and Memaw (Sallie)
And here's a picture taken about 3 years ago when Memaw (Sallie) and I went on a vacation in New England. We were on a ship that had just docked in Nantucket, Mass.

Aunt Rosie

This is a picture of Aunt Rosie (Keeling) Foster. Barbara Sue Keeling (Boog's daughter who passed away about 31 years ago) is standing next to her. Aunt Rosie is holding Leonard Carl Keeling and Judy (Johnston) Thompson. My father, Johnny Johnston is standing in front of her with a big grin.

Keeling Boys

Hollis Hayes Keeling, Ernie Keeling, Ray Keeling and Skinny Keeling

1908 Oak Grove, Freeman Springs Mountain

This school picture was found in some of my grandmother's old photos. I scanned the front and back of the picture so that you could identify everyone. Notice Clarence Keeling (Uncle Skinny), Alvie Keeling (Uncle Ab), Earnest Keeling (Grundy), and Ray Keeling (their brother).

Fate "Heavy" Keeling

Fate Keeling (or "Heavy" Keeling, as he was called) was my great-grandfather's, William Ernest Keeling "Grundy" brother. He is remembered as being a big man, hence the name "Heavy". He died in some sort of car accident in California.

Elnora Cain and Sallie Johnston

Here are a couple of pictures of (Elnora Foster) Cain. She is the daughter of Rosie (Keeling) Foster and Jesse Foster. Elnora is fondly referred to as "Cuzo" by my family. Her mother, Rosie was a sister to my great-grandfather, "Grundy" William Ernest Keeling.
Below is a picture of my grand mother, Sallie (Keeling) Johnston. She and Elnora are first cousins. Sallie's parents were Nellie Leora (Terril) Keeling and "Grundy" William Ernest Keeling.

This is a picture taken of Sallie (left) and Elnora (right) that was taken in December of 2006 at my baby shower.

Grundy and Grandma Nell Keeling

My Great Grandparents (The Keelings)

My father's mother's parents were Nellie Leora "Nell" and W. E. "Grundy" Keeling. They lived their married lives in and near Pope and Yell Counties in Arkansas. Grundy died when I was young, but I have a few memories of him. He died of Leukemia and was bedridden in all of my memories. Grandma Nell lived a good while longer than him. I was in my mid twenties when she died of natural causes. Her last few years of life were spent in the care of my grandmother. Here are some pictures of them in the later years of their lives as I remember them...

Grandma Nell and Grundy

Grundy and Grandma Nell with their friend, Louise Hicks
Grundy, Carl Bryant, Cleveland (grandsons) and Leonard (Grundy's son) Keeling


Grundy and one of his brothers (Ab Keeling)

Grandma Nell was an avid gardener

Daughters of the American Revolution

I just received word that my application for Daughters of the American Revolution has been approved. :) I am officially a member! The application process was very involved and required a good bit of research and paperwork, but thanks to Cornelia Daniels and Carol Cochran, I managed to wade through it all. I am very appreciative to both Cornelia and Carol for their patience with me and for generously giving of their time, $ for postage and copies and energy. I'm looking forward to being an active member.

True Grit- The Ross Family

I recently discovered that Mattie Ross (of the movie True Grit with John Wayne) was my grandfather's grandfather's sister. She's the young girl that went into Indian Territory to avenge her father's death. Very interesting. They're from Yell County, AR. I'm doing what I can to gather more information about this.

If there's anyone with more information and willing to share, please email me at nkiblueeyes@yahoo.com.

Thanks!
Nikki

Mary Mays

I went to visit some of my Keeling relatives in Centerville, AR and learned a bit more about my family history last night.

My great grandmother (Nell Terrell Keeling) was from Searcy County. Her mother was Mary Mays Terrell and her father was John "Boy" Terrell. I knew that both Mary and John died before my great grandmother left home. I found out more details last night.

We think that John "Boy" Terrell had TB and probably died of it. Many people who lived around the Buffalo River had short lives due to TB and other diseases. Many of the springs/wells are contaminated with toxins, I think.

After he died, I believe that my grandmother, her remaining siblings and her mother went to Pope County, AR to work in the cotton fields. On the way home, Mary Mays Terrell got sick and died. They buried her on the way. My great grandmother has since gone back to try to find the graveyard where she was buried, but was unsuccessful in finding her. She did not have a tombstone, so it's likely that we will not ever find her final resting place. Her husband is buried in the Osborne Cemetery in St. Joe, AR.

Genealogical Mysteries to Solve

The following are areas upon which I am focusing my current genealogical research:

- Keeling Family: I have things traced back to Reuben Keeling of KY around 1867. Would like to trace the Keeling family back to England (or whereever they're from)...

- Cherokee Indian: I know that there is Cherokee blood on my paternal grandmother's side of the family. My great grandfather was William Ernest Keeling. His mother was Willie Bell Ivy (1874-1934)of Purdy (?), TN. I believe her father was Richard Ivy and I believe her mother's last name was Clendennan. Either the Ivys or the Clendennans were Cherokee Indians. I'm not sure which, but I suspect it's the Clendennans. I need to track this down.

- Johnston Family: I've traced things on my father's side back to Cecil County, MD in 1814. I am trying to trace things further back.