Generations
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About this ebook
Like many, the author grew up attending public schools and hating history. However, as he matured, a paradigm shift in his thoughts concerning history occurred. Through this book, the author inspires and encourages others to understand the importance of the past, in particular, their own. But more importantly is the authors desire to get readers to understand societys critical need to learn from our ancestors through knowledge of what they got wrong, and to gain strength and hope from the things they did right.
Kenneth A. Hordge Sr.
Kenneth Anthony Hordge Sr. was born in the Bronx in New York City. He also lived in Flushing and Brooklyn where he resided with his mother and siblings until 1969 when they moved to the midwestern city of Indianapolis. Mr. Hordge has held several occupations, from finance and accounting clerk, and television production assistant, to freelance photographer. Currently he earns his living as an independently contracted tour director traveling throughout the country inspiring youth by exposing them to opportunities and showing them how to chart a course toward those opportunities. He is a smooth jazz enthusiast, and world traveler who has visited six of the seven global continents. He is a graduate of the School of Communication Arts, where he studied visual communications. He is also a graduate of the International Tour Management Institute, and has recently completed coursework to receive his certificate in Cultural Heritage Tourism from Indiana University. His first writing venture began when he wrote travel articles for a local Indianapolis newspaper called: “Exploring Your Heritage.” His background in motivating youth and adults spans 20 years, having been involved with prison ministries, and mentoring youth through networks such as the Boy Scouts of America as well as the Cub Scouts. He developed and implemented his own for mentoring youth in the juvenile detention center in Indianapolis. One of his most adventurous achievements is the completion of a personal goal of having visited 50 countries and all 50 of the United States. He loves challenges and is motivated by his accomplishment of publishing three books; Memoirs of a Melanin Sojourner 1 & 2, and his latest; Generations; a study of his ancestors going all the way back to the slave trade and the continent of Africa. His accomplishments have inspired him to embrace even more his motto, which says: “tomorrow’s life is too late, live today.”
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Generations - Kenneth A. Hordge Sr.
© 2013 Kenneth A. Hordge Sr. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.
Published by AuthorHouse 09/14/2013
ISBN: 978-1-4817-1716-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4817-1715-1 (e)
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013902694
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
Contents
My Family History
This is Me
My Father
My Mother
My Paternal Grandfather
My Paternal
Grandmother (Hordge)
My Paternal Great Grandmother (Richards)
My Maternal
Grandfather Thomas
My Maternal Great Grandfather Thomas
My Maternal Great Grandmother Thomas
My Maternal Grandmother Thomas/Michel
My Maternal Great Grandfather Michel
My Maternal Great Grandmother Michel/Smalls
My Maternal Great-Great Grandfather Michel
My Maternal Great-Great Grandmother Michel/Houston
My Maternal Great Great
Great Grandfather Michel
My Maternal Great Great
Great Grandfather Houston
My Maternal Great-Great-Great Grandmother Houston/Smith
Glen Wilton Heritage
Charleston Heritage
Generations.jpgFamily Tree designed and illustrated by my son; Kenneth Anthony Hordge II
Dedication
I dedicate this book to my Ancestors with a
simple but deep and meaningful expression;
Thank You
My Family History
My name is Kenneth Anthony Hordge Sr. and this is the history of my ancestry. I really don’t remember when I started to have a curiosity about my ancestors, I just know that whenever it was it ignited a burning fire of interest that would not cease until I learned all I could about the when, where, and who of how I came to be.
I started where most people start when they are researching their genealogy, questioning my parents about their lives. When I questioned my parents, I learned all kinds of interesting and even shocking facts, along with some mysteries that are still unsolved to this day. The fact that I am an African American means that in some cases what should be simple research turns out to be an extreme challenge. The main challenge is a result of the record keeping, or I should say the lack thereof caused by the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade.
However, I have been extremely fortunate in that my families oral history and the records I was able to find through researching official documents like the census have helped me to uncover my families history back some 190 years. And through the use of modern technology, I have even been able to trace my origins back to the continent of Africa.
The initial reason I started this project was to know more about myself through the knowledge I gained from my genealogical history. Now, I have broadened the idea to include others who may be interested for the same reason and because I sincerely believe that in order to better our chances for a successful future, we have to be willing to learn from the past.
So, I hope you will join me on this journey, and as you learn about my Ancestry, may the spark ignite a fire of curiosity for you about your own. Ultimately it is my hope that we will all see the beginning of a clearer, brighter future because we took the time to learn about the importance of our past.
This is Me
Here I am in Springfield Illinois circa 2007, and at the time 51 years of age. I was born in New York City in the Bronx at around 9:30 pm on May 31, 1956. I spent the first 13 years of my life in New York before