Because the passing down of history through oral narration is not occurring as much anymore, genealogy records serve an even bigger importance in today’s society. Genealogy records provide insight into family history that people of this generation could not obtain otherwise.
My maternal grandparents Bryant Cameron was born (1895) in Franklin County Mississippi and Carrie Bell Cameron born (1900) in Liberty, Amite County, Mississippi.
I located my grandfather Bryant Cameron’s Draft Registration Card, dated June 5, 1917. He was 22 years old. My grandfather seemed to be very aware of who he was, he listed his race as African on the registration. The record also reflected he was employed with the Central Lumber Co. as a laborer. He later became a barber and owned his own shop.
Bryant Cameron's Draft Registration dated June 05, 1917
In the 1920 census my grandparents Bryant and Carrie Cameron are residing in Amite county Mississippi along with first child Enoch Cameron born in 1919. The census record also show that my grandmother Carrie could not read or write and my grandfather Bryant was able to read and write.
My mother the oral Historian, told the story of my grandfather Bryant father Alec working as a sharecropper on the property of Dr. D.P. Butler and as a child Bryant worked for the Butlers and was taught to read by one of Dr. Butler childrens. I located Dr. Butler and his wife Willena and children in the 1900 census living next door to the Cameron family.
I was very sadden that my grandmother never learned to read and write, the situation for African American were dire and some were not given the opportunity to learn to read and write. However, she was a outstanding seamstress.
By the 1930 census they have moved to Franklin Parish, Winnsboro, Louisiana, this is where they raised all eight of their children and where they lived their remaining years.
Carrie Bell Cameron (Mama Cameron) born 1900 died 1991
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