The O'Neal Genealogy Association Newsletter

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TOGA NEWS Volume III, Issue 5, May, 2003

Lola Speratos wrote:
"Hi; John, I wanted to tell you that I have finally found my way into the MAYFLOWER society as of March 18,2003. My man is Thomas Rogers & son Joseph. I belong to the Holderman side of the family. I enjoy your news letters, keep 'em comin'." Lola Speratos. In a follow up letter she wrote: "It was not too hard a trip to find my Mayflower man as Rogers info had been proven up thru the 8th generation I was told by the Mayflower historian. So that brought it up to about 1776 the Revolutionary war. Some of the info I had since the Holderman was in the line. And that was the line that I used to join DAR. Also a great help was my cousin Don Miller who has that great web site "Holly Mill Run" on the internet. Your Charlotte O'Neal married into the holderman family. She married Abraham in  Ross Cty, Oh on 13 Jan 1807. Also I have a friend who subscribes to ancestry.com & she was able to get into the states & print off some B & D & M certificates which Mayflower accepted. Which helped to not cost me quite so much money for documents."
GREAT JOB, Lola!
 
 

 "I grew up in a small rural community in Central Illinois (no Ken, not the big city), with a population around 3500.  My parents were separated when I was quite young, and I remember asking my Mother if we were related to anyone else around here, and she would answer no.  My father’s parents and my father’s brother and his family lived nearby, and I thought that was the extent.  I vaguely remembered, whom I thought was a brother to my grandmother, but didn’t really pursue it.
 Then a couple of years ago, while helping a friend look on line for his roots, I posted a query on a few sites.  Initially nothing came of it.  A little time passed and I happened upon a “relative” (didn’t know how we connected, but his last name was O’Neal).  Yes, he had some O’Neal history that he would share. All of a sudden I had some family, wow, did that ever make me feel great!  By adding a few more details to my query, John W. O’Neal, II found me.  My Samuel and Martha Cowgill O’Neal came to Illinois in 1857, and John was able to connect me with Samuel’s parents, Barton and Mary Dyson O’Neal.
 I recently made a trip to a small community near where I live, in search for more of the O’Neals, and did I ever strike gold.  Some kind soul had donated papers titled “A Complete Record of Eleasure O’Neal and Wife, Margaret”.  The initial report was prepared in 1926 by Zella M. Tongate.  Included in the packet were newspaper articles on the annual reunions, which started in 1919, and each year, family information was updated.  What a find!!
 A report on the 2nd reunion told of 190 individuals who had attended, and that some of the many food baskets could not be opened, as there was no room on the tables.
An article on the reunion in 1925:  “There were 250 in attendance at the seventh annual reunion of the Rees and O’Neal families.  Families from 27 Illinois cities attended this happy reunion.  Our records show these two families and descendants, formed this organization, in September 1919, and with only three or four days notice, gathered together to the number of 200.  The reunion was started by the descendents of William Rees and wife Keziah, twelve in number, and of Eleasure O’Neal and wife Margaret, also twelve in number.   Two of the Rees boys married two of the O’Neal girls and four of the Rees girls married four of the O’Neal boys.  Altogether something over 500 descendants being enrolled.”
Familiar names started bouncing out at me, “I know them, and her, and him and, I didn’t know they were O’Neals”. Should you happen to stop by Central Illinois, I’ll introduce you to everyone, as well, they are my relatives!" Bev Crowe