Tag: Geneaology
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1922: Chicken and Waffle Dinner
Under the “Personal and Social News Items” section in the Harrisburg Telegraph August 11, 1922 Miss Rachel Flowers Hostess at Summer Home Miss Rachel H. Flowers, of Brandtsville, entertained at a chicken and waffle dinner at her country home. The guest included: Mrs. Lucie Arrington, Mrs. Smith, Miss. Rebecca Scott, Miss Gladyce Flowers, Mrs. Hilda Flowers…
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‘Day-O’: An Interview Between Harry Belafonte and Geraldine Wilson (Part 1)
Geraldine Wilson, date unknown When I first arrived at the Schomburg Center in 2013, I was full of many emotions. I was happy to research the Flowers family in such a prestigious archive, yet I was unsure of how to search through eighteen boxes of information in three days. Hours deep in Box 2 and 3…
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Mrs. Gladys Flowers-Stevenson
Gladys Flowers was one of Rachel’s younger sister. She first appeared in the 1910 Federal Census alongside her siblings. Per this census record, she was only two years old (born around 1908). In the next census record, a 12 year old Gladys lived with her father and three other siblings in Boiling Springs, PA. She…
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Rachel Flowers, a Philadelphia Black Socialite
Rachel was a well-known figure in the Black communities of Harrisburg and Philadelphia. In the City of Brotherly Love, she worked with a number of organizations including the Q.C. Charity Club, YWCA, Study of Negro Life and History, the Utopia Business and Professional Club, Las Buenas Amigas, and the Business and Professional Club. She also…
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Hilda Flowers
The Afro-American, January 4, 1936 Hilda Clifford Flowers was Harry and Nancy’s last child. Born around 1910, Hilda grew up on her family’s farm in Jacksonville, Florida. Following her parents’ separation, she moved with her father and siblings to Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. She may have attended Boiling Springs High School like her sister, Rachel.…
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Henry Sams Jr: The First Black Award-Winning Archer in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Tribune, July 26, 1955 For Henry A. Sams, target and field archery are unsurpassed as outdoor sports. The 37 year-old bowman, who lives at 5840 Ludlow Street, is a member of the Philadelphia Archery Club and New Jersey’s Aldebarans. As the first Negro in both organizations, Sams had little difficulty. Avid Bowman. Philadelphia…
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Her Mother: Nancy J.P (Sawyer) Flowers Sams
If you are new to my blog, please read my previous posts for more context surrounding this research. So far, I wrote posts on Rachel, two of her siblings, her father, but not her mother. Through the 1910 Federal Census, we are first introduced to Mrs. N.J.P. Flowers. A name was not given only the…
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Vincent Allen Flowers
From 1923 to 1927, Vincent Allen Flowers, Rachel’s youngest brother, attended Messiah Academy, the institution’s high school. Hierald Osorto also honored Vincent during the college’s centennial celebration. Based on the 1910 Federal Census, a four year old Vincent was born between 1905 to 1906. On the 1920 Federal Census, a 14 year old…
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“If Person is of African Descent, Cut Off This Corner”
My research began with Rachel; however, I quickly began to study each member on the Flowers family tree. This post is about her eldest brother, Chauncey Sawyer Flowers. Chauncey Sawyer Flowers was born on April 13, 1895 in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1917, he was drafted into the First World War. Chauncey lived on 504 Brown…
Diary of a Historian 