Finding Truelove, part 1

The Photo

Everyone has seen it. Without a doubt, there was one in your house, or possibly it was in a family member’s house. The wall covered in fascinating family photos. My grandparents arranged a marvelous photo wall that begins in the living room and continues toward the end of the hall. In truth, it’s not that long. However, back when I was a little girl, it seemed to be huge. That wall of photos is where my love of genealogy sparked.

Truelove Girty Waldron
 1865 - 1945

I’m not sure how old I was when I discovered her photo on the wall. I likely walked by her a hundred times. When I took the time to truly look, I was surprised. Her old photo was a bit grainy and blurry, but she looked like a white woman. I looked at her and felt as if I had been caught. Have you ever done something you shouldn’t, and turned to see if anyone had noticed? Unfortunately, you find your mother looking at you, knowingly. That was the expression she carried on her face. She was sitting in her chair, back straight, with a hand resting on the arm. Her head was slightly tilted, and her eyes looked right at me.

I remember asking grandma who the white woman was in the photo, and she laughed at me. That wasn’t a white woman. The woman in the photo was her grandmother, Truelove Girty Waldron. Afterward, I engaged in discussions about the photo with my sisters, and some of our cousins. We were told she was part Native American, probably part white. All I could focus on was her name. Why was she given the name Truelove? Who was she?

Throughout years of searching, I would discover that Truelove was born free just as slavery ended. She was the 5th of seven children, and her older siblings were born under slavery. They grew up during reconstruction, without their mother, surrounded by turmoil we can’t genuinely imagine. She would go on to marry a man named Aaron, manage a farm, and have 13 children of her own. Although I know she experienced joy, love, and laughter, I have certainly discovered an abundance of pain and anguish. 

All of my research originates from the discovery of her photo. What photos do you have in your home? Do you recognize everyone in them? If genealogy and family history is something you are interested in, start looking in your own home. So often I wish I could go back and ask my grandmother more questions about her photo albums, or her photo wall. Who were they? What did she remember about them?

Your recollections will never be as fresh as they are today. Write down what you know about your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Talk to your parents if they are still with you. Take notes on what they tell you, or record their voices if you can. Use those photos to ignite their memories, and let them recount their stories. You will gain treasure you never knew was accessible. If you can accomplish these things, the information you gather from their oral history will be of great assistance when you finally search for documentation through records.