Visiting Aunt Ree

Continuing our genealogy filled weekend, yesterday my mom and I went to visit Aunt Ree (my mom's dad's sister). We hadn't seen her in quite a while and wanted to visit and share our research. We were able to share the information that we'd been collecting over the years, as well as the new information we collected in Lincoln County on Friday.  In return, Aunt Ree shared her information and some photos, some of which she gave to us!

There were a few things that I was especially excited about. First: my Great-Grandfather, C Vernon Albea's, wallet. My aunt still had her father's wallet, complete with it's contents, which were something of a goldmine. Aside from photos of his children, my Great-Grandfather carried his 1942 WWII Draft Card, his 1944 Voter Registration Card, his 1946 unemployment card, and an odd piece of asian/US military currency. You can see everything here, all of which will be returned to Aunt Ree soon.


Another great item in my Great-Aunt's possession were photos of her grandparents, my Great-Great Grandparents. I'd never seen a photo of my GG-Grandmother Frances Iola "Ola" Quattlebaum Witt.  Well, now I've seen two! She also had two photos of other GG-Grandparents, as well as an assortment of cousins.

Lastly, I was very excited to see photos of 400 Whitehall, which is what the family called The Frederick Hotel. The hotel was owned by my Great-Grandmother, Auline Witt, and her second husband, James Wilson. It seems that all of Auline's children, my maternal grandfather and his family included, stayed at this hotel at one time. There are a number of stories told about the family living at the hotel, such as when my Grandfather would climb the columns outside to sneak in after a night of fun - his mother wouldn't have approved.

I'd very much wanted to see this building, which they ran in the 1940s and '50s. However the building is no longer in existence - now it's a parking lot for MARTA bus commuters. It's exciting to finally see the building and be able to put a face on my ancestor's home. This photo shows the front of the hotel, and I believe that the man is James Wilson's brother.





In addition to these items, I received a number of obituaries and photos of my mom as a child, heard family stories, and learned about some distant relatives. I'm looking forward to going back to visit again soon!