Re: Descs. of John Ogletree d. Wilkes Co, GA

Hi Myra,

Ref: John Ogletree & Ann Duncan Comments -

I've just read the messages concerning the elder Ogletree's whose research was said to have "perpetrated" errors concerning one of John Ogletree, Sr's wive's, [message 839) -

As a direct descendant of John Ogletree Sr thru his eldest son [David Ogletree] and also a long time Ogletree family researcher, I met both of the Ogletree's mentioned.Dr. Wiley Downs Ogletree is in my branch. Dr. Mott whose long time service to GA Tech (Atlanta, GA)was the descendant of William Ogletree, son of John Sr.

When these two Ogletree gentlemen were actually going to archives, libraries, Ogletree homes, GA counties and surveying land and cemeteries where John Ogletree Sr lived, many of us were most likely not born, in grade school, highschool or college.And most likely not interested in searching original records in old dusty courthouses and archives.This is what Dr. Mott and Dr. Ogletree did.

The sources we have today enable us to have communication with hundreds of relatives over the net, unlike Dr. Mott and Dr. Ogletree.Their research was done the hard way and I am also sure, took hours apon hours of long, hard work.

Since neither of the above Ogletree gentlemen are with us any longer, we can't ask them nor can they speak for themselves.But I can say this - The original records in Wilkes Co Georgia and those who wrote them in the original or copies- records were responsible.And with that said, I personally saw what Dr. Mott and Ogletree also saw.A record which would SEEM to say, "John and Ann Ogletree".The Duncans interaction with the family of John Ogletree was quite confusing, even to the best genealogists.I in fact showed the said document [copy] to a well known genealogist and he concluded the same thing!

Most all of us are interested in our own ancestry.This adventure takes hours of time and while I would love to spend hours on the other Ogletree families, I would never prove my own if I did.Dr. Mott left "Ogletree Papers" in the GA Archives [Atlanta], I've seen them.I've also seen all the other "Ogletree Loose Papers" in the collection at the GA Archives.

Those who came before us did their best to give us a good start on the family, by telling us what was in the original records [original copies]- It's now our responsibility to read it all and then come to our own conclusion.We certainly cannot blame other Ogletree researchers if we have not taken the same route they took.We now have the luxury of communication thru many means, they didn't.

So with that said, John Ogletree Sr and his descendants have been difficult to research in the early records.We just have to make decisions based on not just one document, but on those which link to the original document and that could be said for who John Ogletree Sr married.Hopefully we will be able to accomplish that.

Thank you for your hard work on the Ogletree's and for your interest in our wonderful family.

MaryJean