2022 Week #1 Foundation

Last summer I made a quick trip to Jefferson City and made sure I had some extra time on my way home to visit a couple cemeteries. One of which was located right along the Missouri River in Saline County, Missouri. It's a small cemetery located high up on a bluff and adequately named Bluff Cemetery. 

I was in search of this cemetery because buried there were my 5x great grandparents Abner and Jedidiah Mullins. I knew that they didn't have stones but still wanted to visit where they were buried. There were also uncles and cousins who were also buried there who's stones were still standing so I took pictures of them and just admired the beautiful scenery around the quaint little cemetery on a beautiful day. 

My 4th great uncle Williams Mullins

When I got home I was telling my parents about visiting this cemetery and was on Ancestry looking up how people were related and I found a document about the History of Bluff Cemetery. According to that document the land where the cemetery sat was donated by Williams Mullins, Abner's son. But before Williams owned the land it belonged to his father Abner.  It truly warmed my heart knowing that the land I stood on that day had belonged to my relatives. When doing genealogy there is nothing better than finding a photo of a distant relative, seeing their signature, finding their grave or standing where they once stood. It helps connect the generations. 

Another neat thing that I figured out in looking up this branch of my family was how deep their roots really were in Missouri. This is where I tie in the theme of this week "Foundation". This family line  parallels with the founding of the state of Missouri. Since last year was the 200th anniversary I was curious to see how far back some of my Missouri Ancestors have been in the state. This group I believe have been here the longest coming to the Missouri Territory in 1817. 

Below is an excerpt from "Linn's 1976 History of Mercer County, Missouri" where it talks about Abner and his families journey to Missouri from North Carolina.  

I have also found 2 land records on Ancestry for Abner one dated 1835 and one dated 1840. 
 

I have lived in Missouri my entire life and am proud to know that I have had ancestors who have been here since before the beginning. The foundation of who I am is deeply rooted in my ancestors who lived all across this state.