WELCOME


~ The pieces are all sewn together, stitched with love.........and a quilt tells a story and the story is our past ~

The Arrowood family immigrated from England to Maryland in the 1700's. They went south, eventually settling in the mountains of North Carolina. Later , some went further south, into the Piedmont of North Carolina, in search of work and a better way of life.



I am in search of my family.

I search for those that came before me, and lived their lives as best they could. I am in search of their stories, how they lived, and how they loved.


I shared this love of seeking the past with my Dad, sharing each new finding with him, the thrill in his heart intermingling with mine. I continue this search in his honor, and hope to know these people of ours when I join up with them all in heaven.

~ Steve Lewis Arrowood 1932-2008 ~


Come with me, back to a simpler time and place. A place far removed from the hectic pace of today. To a time when life was hard, but the rewards were great. When your quality of life was determined by your own sweat, your own toil, and your own ingenuity.


Would you like a glass of sweet tea? Let's sit out on the porch where we will catch the sweetly scented breeze of summertime. Maybe Grandma will fry up some of her wonderful chicken... Time slows here.

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"We shape our lives not by what we carry with us, but what we leave behind."

~You live as long as you are remembered.~


"Our most treasured family heirlooms are our sweet family memories. " Author: Unknown


"But those who came before us will teach you. They will teach you from the wisdom of former generations."

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

A Walk Back in Time~ Antioch Baptist Church

We travelled to Blacksburg, Cherokee County in South Carolina to visit a church where I was sure family was buried.  I did not know that the connections were deeper than I first thought.


David M. Hull (1815-1902) is buried here. David is the son of William Hull and Catherine Cline Hull, who  are both believed to be buried at Mount Vernon Church in Vale, Lincoln County, North Carolina.


William of course, was a brother to my ancestor, Abner Hull. Both of whom are sons of Benjamin Hull and Sarah Hutchison Hull, buried at Hulls Grove.


Catherine "Catie" Ellis Hull Owensby  ( b. 1843 - d. 1935)

David M. Hull and Nancy Hoyle Hull's daughter was Catherine Ellis Hull.  Catherine married Thomas Newton Owensby and they are both buried in Antioch, near David Hull.  They do not have markers bearing their names, sadly, but descendants verify they are indeed buried here.  Nancy is buried at Pisgah.

Finding David was exciting and placing him in his rightful space on my tree,  was just wonderful.  This link linked me to a friend of mine, who is also my neighbor.  Just a few doors away from me and we are linked several ways in our trees, forever friends and also family.  Her family and mine intermarried through the years, and wove a colorful tapestry from the country land of South Carolina to Gaston County and Cleveland County in North Carolina.  The story just keeps on going.

I recently went to a family reunion up in the  mountains of North Carolina very near the Tennessee border. Never thinking that I was related to these fine folks, just sharing in friendship by accepting their gracious invitation.   I got to talking to a nice couple,  and sure enough..found a relative..This relative and I have several ties to the same families and the list just continues..Amazing stuff, this family tree searching.


Thomas Newton Owensby
Catherine "Catie" Ellis Hull Owensby

 My path of searching had taken me to the graves of the ancestors of this sweet lady, in years past,  and my path and her path were definitely supposed to link up, eventually. It was just ordained in the stars, no doubt.

 Now, we can share all of our wonderful finds together. Join forces, so to speak. Now, how wonderful is that?

Her grandmother married a relative of mine, her grandmother's two sisters married into my tree, and her grandmother's brother married the daughter of my 3rd great grandfather.. Mind boggling that we never knew the connection before...

Can't wait to see where this will take me next!  Stay Tuned.