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Subject: [BLACK-L] Re: Ill. and Ark. J.W. Black, James Black,
Date: 18 Dec 2001 14:02:13 -0700

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Classification: Query

Message Board URL:

http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/JNE.2ACIB/2361.1

Message Board Post:

I do not have any info on your John Black, but I am very interested in him for 2 reasons: his location in Arkansas & his name.

I have been desperately searching for my great-grandfather who was named J.W. Black (we have no idea what the initials stand for) & who, at the time of his death lived in NE Arkansas (Mississippi Co.). I have been unable to link him to any other Blacks thus far, so I thought it would be worth a shot.

I had been assuming J.W. stood for family names & we have guessed either James or John (although none of his children were named similarly--no "J" names or "W" names).

All I have on JW is this: he was born c1874 (unknown place), married Bertha Redburn (second marriage-no date or place found so far), had several children (son & daughter from first marriage then at least 2 daughters from Bertha & sons including Cleve, Arthor, Sammy & the twins--Harold & Murrel, Murrel being my grandfather). JW was found with his throat cut in the ditch in front of the house. According to family legend via one of the Black children, JW was a bootlegger & may have lost his life on account of it or he may have committed suicide (as his death certificate reads) due to hard times financially. Another theory is that JW was of some sort of Indian decent & may have been murdered for that reason. Who knows?

Anyway, Bertha died almost a year afterward & the younger children were sent to AR Children's Home & Hospital where my grandpa & his twin brother were adopted.

Sorry so long--but really it is just this limited information we have on the family. We are absolutely against a brick wall!

Do you have any info on James, the father of your John? Like, other children? It just seems that your John was born close enough (in years) to have been kin & they lived fairly close in AR. Please let me know if you have any additional info which could help identify or eliminate my JW as a relation.
Thanks,
Megan Franks

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