Genealogy is not that hard, from an obituary to slavery

Genealogy is not that hard, it just takes someone who wants to do some detective work if yours is not already published for you in a book somewhere.

Someone brought an obituary to the museum for Mr. George Goolsby III 1945-2004. So, we can assume that his father and grandfather were Georges' also. (even though assuming is genealogy is like thinking you can beat the train to cross the railroad tracks)....
But turns out his father and grandfather were both George's. George I, born around 1867, was in Fulton County Georgia on the 1930 Census. It was reported he was 62yrs old, wife Hattie 53, children: Jesse 23, Ola 17, Alzora 15, Nithona 13son, and a grandson George Howard 7yrs. So, George II must have already been married, will keep looking for him.

George III's mother a Finley. I found her father and mother on the 1930 Coweta Co GA Census Jesse 25 and Tommie 20 Fendley. Thus, we know there were at least four different ways to spell Findley on Coweta Co documents.

George III's mother remarried to a Hall, and she had several more children. Mr. Hall's father was also named George. I found him on the 1920 and 1930 Coweta Co Census: George born about 1875, Hattie born about 1880, Annie M, John A, Clinton, George W, David, Lenson, Enoch, Amos, Anderson, and Ola.
Then I found George with his father on the 1880 Troup Co GA Census. Phillip Hall born about 1831 was probably a slave and I will look in Troup to see if there were any Hall plantations to see if I can find where he was before the Civil War. Phillip's wife Susan born about 1843, Jessie? dtr, Philip Jr, Martha, Thomas, George, Lettie, and John.

Within about 10 minutes, I had found two probable slaves from one obituary someone brought to our attention, maybe because they knew the person, and felt we would do something with it. I could have just let it lie in the "In" box until someone else did something with it, maybe research, maybe throw it out.

One never knows when they go about their day, what will fall in their laps. The "powers that be" have things in store for us that we know nothing about. Things happen to us for a reason, we should be open to the many opportunities that jump in our path each day, and make the most of them......