“Shall We Gather at the River”: A History of Yellow River Baptist Church

I’m sorry I haven’t posted much lately. Given what my schedule is gearing up to look like during the holidays, I decided I needed to seriously focus on getting those few less than glamorous parts of a published book done, and the book uploaded to the printer’s website so I could get a final proof … Continue reading “Shall We Gather at the River”: A History of Yellow River Baptist Church

Upcoming Book on Yellow River Baptist Church History and a Call to Homecoming

For any of you that have followed my blog, either through WordPress or through my Facebook business page, you already know two things about me, I write a lot about northern Okaloosa County history, and I write a lot about Yellow River Baptist Church. There is a reason for both. My Mom was born and … Continue reading Upcoming Book on Yellow River Baptist Church History and a Call to Homecoming

Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Association and Its Role in the early Baptist history in the Panhandle

Have you ever wondered how the early Protestant churches in the Panhandle got their start? If we are lucky in our search for answers, the churches where we are looking will have a written history or records that will give us a hint as to who in the community was instrumental in founding the church … Continue reading Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Association and Its Role in the early Baptist history in the Panhandle

Three of the Older Cemeteries along the western side of the Upper Yellow River

We’ve come to the third and final installment in this series on burial rituals and cemeteries in the Florida Panhandle. The first two, if you missed them are here and here. In this post, I would like to present three small cemeteries that I am as intimately connected to as a person can be with … Continue reading Three of the Older Cemeteries along the western side of the Upper Yellow River

Some of the Oldest Cemeteries in Northwest Florida

Let me start by saying that I do not have connections in every county in the Florida panhandle. Both sides of my family are mostly congregated in the northwestern end of the panhandle: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Holmes counties. In the 20th century when family began moving out of the area they skipped … Continue reading Some of the Oldest Cemeteries in Northwest Florida

Updates and Links to My Posts on Yellow River Baptist Church

For any of you who have followed me for any length of time, you know one of my favorite subjects to discuss is Yellow River Baptist Church, in the very northern part of Okaloosa County, FL, nestled near the banks of the river by the same name. The church was founded in June of 1840, … Continue reading Updates and Links to My Posts on Yellow River Baptist Church

The Lore of Native Americans in the Southern Family Tree, Part 2

Introduction Last month, I began a series of blogs on Native American ancestry in the Southern family tree. This blog will continue that series. Maybe I should start by explaining how I express my own Native ancestry. I’ve had my DNA done by several providers and appear to have between 2% and 8% Native ancestry … Continue reading The Lore of Native Americans in the Southern Family Tree, Part 2