Finding Your Folks

By JUDY FOWLER KILGORE
jkilgore@thecitizennews.

While it’s fresh on our minds from last week, I want to run the response I received from Belton Hollums of Peachtree City regarding Deb Spoonhour’s query on the Hallums family. Belton gives a lot of information on variations in name spellings which he had to contend with when he was researching his family. This is a most frustrating area in genealogy. Perhaps it will give some of you hope that persistence pays off.

I will paraphrase the first part of the letter for the sake of space, and say that Belton’s book written in 1987 — “One of One Thousand — The American House of Hallam-Hallum-Hollums” — contains the complete work of Charley Hal Houston who Belton says was “one heck of a fine researcher.” In trying to track Hallums down, Belton found that he had passed away, but he was able to get a copy of his book from Mr. Hallums’ widow, who loaned him the original copy and allowed Belton to include the contents in his book.

Belton also says copies of his own book are no longer available but may be found at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. In addition, his mother’s book, “From Roots to Wings” by Dorothy Estes Hollums, is at the Georgia Archives and contains some Hollums information. Belton finished her work following her death, as she instructed in her will. I’ll let Belton tell the rest in his own words:

“My mother’s maternal work was as frustrating for her lineage (Cherokee Indian) as was my own Hollums male search. But, armed with her efforts, I made the necessary connections, and now am a member of the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee. Please check out our web site, Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee Indians. I am on the board of directors. There are many Georgia Cherokees whose ancestors, like my own, hid out in the north Georgia mountains avoiding the famous roundup that began the Trail of Tears. So both my mother and I were looking for ancestors that did not want to be located by anybody. Not then while they were alive, much less after they passed away, which really makes it hard on those of us today — one or two plus hundred years later — who are trying to find out about them.

“But, back to my Hollums research problem, as I quickly discovered was all tied up in vowels. Particularly “a,e,o & u.” One at the front of the name, and another at the end. It really doesn’t matter how you spell my name, Hollums, Hallums, Holloms, Hallems, Hallams, Halloms, one “l” or two, etc., it still sounds the same.

“Therefore in very early American history when the bulk of our growing population scattered, living in rural isolated areas, phonetic spelling rather than historical spelling created a nightmare for folks like me (and now you) say 200 years later. And, in many cases, the name was truly shortened to Halm, Helm, Holm, etc., and even the shortened versions, also with and without the “s” on the end.

“Then there is that “s” on the end. Originally, as I discovered the name was Hallam, the “s” was added, I suppose, because it’s easier to pronounce, as “Hallam” sorta leaves your tongue hanging in the roof of your mouth, and tying the “s” on just gives it a smooth finish. Try it out for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

“In any case, what inspired me in the beginning was trying to locate the point when my family name was changed from Holmes to Hollums — as our family legend was verbally handed down. That was the story I shared with Judy and she published it in our local paper. As you read, our name changing was actually the other way around. And with all this vowel interchange within the family, it is next to impossible to truly tie brothers together.

“For example: My 3rd great grandfather, Aaron Hollums, was a Confederate soldier, and the hand-me-down verbal stories both within the branch that stayed put in Georgia, and the branch of Georgians that relocated to Texas after the war, was that there were seven brothers (Aaron being one) who served in the Confederacy — but I can’t actually locate all of them because their names are spelled so different. I found four but have no idea who the other two were.

“Aaron, for example. Some of his Confederate records spell it as Hollums, some as Hollams, some as Holums. His father Wilson who served in the war of 1812 spelled his name Holloms; his father William (who was a Jr.) spelled his name Hollems; his father William, who is apparently both your and my 6th great grandfather, was the Hallum in Hagerstown, Md, who fled Maryland, changed to Holmes, was also Hollums in N.C., who went back to Holmes in the American revolution, and later used the vowel changing quite a few times while living out his life in Greenville, S.C. Yes, sometimes he was a Hallum.

“He produced my 5th great grandfather and only one other son that I could prove, James who settled in Tennessee and took up the name Holmes permanently.

“But, I also know that was in the days before contraception was a science, and there is little doubt there were many other children — only I didn’t and still don’t have the time to totally sift through the multitude of various name spellings trying to figure out just who is really the brother or sister of whom.

“Besides, my effort was directed at the male lineage of the Hollums line — and I know without question I missed as many connections as I actually made. I made that clear at the end of my book by closing with, 'this is only the beginning.'

“It was then (17 years ago) and still is now, my hope that others will take what I did, attach a branch here, another there, and slowly the full tree will take shape. My efforts were solely directed at discovery of “who” changed our name from Holmes to Hollums. I discovered that. I fulfilled my quest! The only problem was it was the other way around, and I found out why.

“... Please share with me whatever new information you discover about our family. Good luck!

“Sincerely, Walter Belton Hollums, 101 Robinson Bend Trail, Peachtree City, GA 30269.”

I appreciate Belton’s allowing me to share his personal letter with our readers.

If you have a story to tell about your ancestors, send letters to The Citizen, Drawer 1719, Fayetteville, GA 30214; E-mail jkilgore@thecitizennews.com or jodiek444@aol.com.

Until next week, happy hunting!

(Judy regrets that time does not permit her to do personal research for others.)

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