Alabama Day 2 - Research, Photocopies and Lions

An eleven hour day is over and while I didn't find what I was looking for, new discoveries were made. And I think more importantly, I met some really nice people!

I picked up cousin Randy from his hotel about 9 am this morning. We went to the Lauderdale County Courthouse looking for the Circuit County records from 1852. We hoped these records would provide us more information about Abner's murder. After trips to the fifth floor, fourth floor and back to the fifth, we were able to speak directly with the Circuit Court Clerk. She spent about fifteen minutes with us trying to locate the records. Unfortunately, due to some renovations for asbestos removal, all of the records have been moved to an off-site storage unit. She offered to take my phone number and contact me when she located the records. It might be a couple of weeks, but they were all so very nice and accomodating at the courthouse, I can deal with the wait.

We then went over to the library so Randy could meet Lee and take a look at the Thrasher family files. Many Thrashers married into the Lambert family so the files contained lots of great information. Randy spent the greater part of an hour making photocopies for us to read later. Meanwhile, two other volunteers in the genealogy department were very excited to learn about a murder in Lauderdale County and starting searching some additional files. We discovered that the accused murderer, Burrell Warren, was shown in the 1850 census as living in Williamson County, TN with his wife and five children. This is important because Abner and his wife were married in Williamson County. It may be possible that Abner and Burrell knew each other.

Kitty, a volunteer at the library, also helped me decipher the Probate Records I had copied on Wednesday and we figured out that Abner had died prior to October 1851, probably August or September. We also realized that the murder probably took place near Abner's property, which was actually located in the most north western part of the county, actually very close to Tennessee. Therefore, it is possible that newspapers in Savannah, TN might have mentioned the murder. We will check this theory out when we go the Hardin County Library on Saturday.

Cousin Carolyn met us at the library around 12:30 and took us on a tour of the area. We grabbed some lunch and then went to Helen Keller's birthplace at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. It was very cool to see the little cottage where she and Anne Sullivan spent time and especially to see the water pump that changed Helen's life.

We spent some time seeing where Carolyn grew up - her church, family home and the homes of other relatives on the Hitchcock side.

We also went back to the courthouse to see if the Probate packet had any additional papers (it didn't) and went to University of Northern Alabama (UNA) campus library to look for 1851 Florence newspapers (there were none). Funniest thing - the mascot for UNA is the lion. Believe it or not, there is a lion habitat on the campus that contains a male and female lion. That's right!!! Lions on campus - so funny!!!

Carolyn headed home and Randy and I spent a little more time in the library. I was looking for some land deed records but by this point my eyes were so tired from looking at microfilm that I propbably missed it. That's okay, just another piece of the puzzle.

After a nice dinner (7 oz sirloin, baked potato and a frosty Coors Light, we met Carolyn at the local Office Depot where we proceeded to spend another hour making photocopies. Carolyn brought all of her records and we made many copies of photos, military records, newspaper articles and obituaries. Too much data to review tonight but I am sure I will enjoy reading it all later.

Tomorrow, we will head to Waterloo and the Panther Creek area where the Lambert family lived in the 1850's. We will then go to Walnut Grove, TN to met cousin Mac. Carolyn is bringing bbq pulled pork sandwiches for a picnic lunch and we will also check out some cemeteries in these areas. Carolyn has warned Randy and I that the area of Tennessee where we are heading is extremely rural, perhaps even "backward". We are also told that cell phones don't work in these hills. Oh boy - I am sure I will have stories to tell tomorrow night!! Util then...

Alabama Day 1 - Meeting Family

I have arrived in Alabama to meet distant cousins and learn more about my Lambert ancestors. I have a feeling this trip will be full of many little surprises and I am so glad I have taken this journey.

My flights were uneventful and the drive from Huntsville to Florence took about an hour. If I am being completely honest, I had certain expectations of what "the south" would look like. When in fact, my drive was no different than any other four lane "route" in New England. Okay, I saw some cotton fields and some restaurants we don't have in CT but other than that, this area is not so different at all.

I arrived to my hotel about 3:30 pm and by 4 pm I was at the Florence Lauderdale Library. The library has a wonderful genealogy department and a very nice man named Lee was incredibly helpful. I was able to make copies from microfiche of Abner's probate packet from 1852-1854 and land patent records and maps from 1850 and 1859. Lee told me that the circuit court records I am looking for are probably in storage across from the court house in "the old VA building". I will go there today with the hopes of discovering the mystery behind Abner's murder.

Last night, I met Cousin Randy for the first time and we drove to Cousin Carolyn's house across the river in Sheffield. Randy is a 5th generation descendant of Erasmus Lambert and Carolyn is 3rd generation descendant of Erasmus's (aka Raz) sister, Molly. I am a 5th generation descendant of their brother, Benjamin.

We arrived at Carolyn's about 7:15 pm and were greeted with warm hugs. Also at Carolyn's was a cousin of hers named Jane. Jane is related thru the Hitchcock side of the family. Carolyn served a "traditional" southern dinner which consisted of Roast Pork, stuffed squash, creamed corn, fried green toamtoes and rolls. For dessert we had butterscotch pie. And of course, ice tea!!

Dinner, and wonderful conversation, lasted for 2 1/2 hours. Carolyn grew up hearing stories from her Grandmother Molly and mother, Lizzie so she had many stories to share with us. She also had many old photos, news clippings and records. With her permission, I turned on the digital voice recorder I brought and so I now have a record of the stories she told us. There were so many, I would not have remembered them all!! All in all, it was a great night and I know that these next three days will be full of similar conversations.

So, today's plans include the court house and possibly a return trip to the library with Randy. Carolyn will join us around lunch time and give us a tour of Florence and the local cemeteries. Also a trip to Office Depot to make copies of some of Carolyn's photos and records.

We will also play tourist for a little while and visit Helen Keller's birthplace in nearby Tuscambia. It promises to be a great day!!

Searching my Southern Roots

On Wednesday, the adventure begins! 

I'm heading to Florence, Alabama to research the murder of my great-great-great-great grandfather Samuel Abner Lambert.  Flying in from California will be my 5th cousin Randy.  We will meet up with 4th cousin Carolyn from Sheffield, AL and 4th cousin Mac from Savannah, Tennessee.  A family reunion with people I have never met, to learn more about the ancestors I never knew.

Wednesday afternoon and Thursday will be spent in Florence at the court house and library.  We will be looking for old court records, newspaper articles and obituaries from 1852/1853.  I also hope to walk on the 50 acres that Abner purchased from the US Government in 1850.  I have copies of the land patent records signed by President Millard Filmore.  The area was known as Panther's Creek and if Google Earth is correct, currently undeveloped.  It's probably swamp land!!

On Friday, we will travel west to Waterloo, AL and then on to Savannah, TN to meet Mac and visit some area cemeteries.

Saturday's plans include a visit to the Shiloh National Park (TN), site of The Battle of Shiloh, also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, where a major battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War was fought April 6–7, 1862.  Abner's son James (my great-great-great grandfather) joined Co E, 11th Illinois along with three of his brothers-in-law and fought at the battle of Shiloh. James was wounded and died on Jan 30, 1863 at the Overton Hospital in Memphis, TN, probably from complications of his wound.  No one is quite sure where he is buried.

Yes, you read that right.  At some point around 1860, eight years after Abner died, the Lambert family moved north to Illinois.  The Civil War was about to break out and apparently my ancestors were not sympathetic to the South.  Some of the men in the family fought for the Union.  And some of the family did move back to TN after the war was over.

As you can tell, my days will be busy and I will be absorbing a lot of family history over a short amount of time.  I will be bringing a digital camera, digital voice recorder and my laptop on this trip.  I hope to update this blog on a daily basis and share my discoveries with you.  I hope you enjoy the journey!

In Search of the Past

For the past four or five years, I have been working on my family's geneology.  At first, I was focusing on the Wilson side of my family.  I knew that an ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War and thought it would be pretty cool to join the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR).  I've learned a lot over the years, not only about my family but also about myself.  I've also met some wonderful people - some of them are distant cousins I would never have known about were it not for my geneology research.

So anyway - in the course of my research, I discovered that my great, great, great, great grandfather was murdered!  Samuel Abner Lambert was born about 1804 in Bedford County, Tennessee and died in 1852 in Lauderdale County, Alabama.  In about three weeks, I will be traveling to Alabma and Tennessee to research his story.  I hope to use this blog as a journal of my trip. 

I hope you will enjoy sharing my journey with me!

Did God Invent Baseball?

(Below is one of the very first sermons I preached at my church. The UCC likes when lay people share their faith!)


Did God Invent Baseball?


Two old guys, Abe and Sol, are sitting on a park bench feeding pigeons and talking about baseball, like they do every day.

Abe turns to Sol and says, "Do you think there's baseball in heaven?"

Sol thinks about it for a minute and replies, "I dunno. But let's make a deal: if I die first, I'll come back and tell you if there's baseball in heaven, and if you die first, you do the same.

They shake on it and sadly, a few months later, poor Abe passes on.

One day soon afterward, Sol is sitting there feeding the pigeons by himself when he hears a voice whisper, "Sol...Sol”

Sol responds, "Abe! Is that you?"

"Yes it is, Sol," whispers Abe's ghost.

Sol, still amazed, asks, "So, is there baseball in heaven?”

"Well," says Abe, "I've got good news and bad news.”

"Gimme the good news first," says Sol.

Abe says, "Well... there is baseball in heaven.”

Sol says, "That's great! What news could be bad enough to ruin that!?"

Abe sighs and whispers, "You're pitching on Friday."


I grew up surrounded by sports, especially baseball. My dad was a die-hard Yankee fan who had season tickets to every Saturday home game and he even went to a Yankee Fantasy camp in Florida. My brothers both played in Little League and my dad played softball in the Danbury Industrial league.

As children, the neighborhood kids were always playing baseball in backyards and in cul-de-sacs. One summer, we cleared a patch of land in the woods behind our house, to make our own ball field. We spent days using our dad’s saws to take down saplings, shovels to clear away rocks and rakes for making base paths. We even made benches. We were very proud of ourselves. It wasn’t a perfect baseball diamond but we loved it.

It was ours – a patch of land in the middle of the woods. A place where we could be kids, a place close enough to hear if our moms called us in for dinner, yet hidden from grown-up eyes. A place where we could laugh, make up our own rules and just have fun. It was our own “Field of Dreams.”

In the movie, The Field of Dreams, Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, hears a voice saying, “build it and they will come.” Not unlike Noah hearing a voice on a clear sunny day saying “build an ark” for the coming flood. The movie encourages us to believe…believe in ourselves and others. To believe in our dreams. To believe that love conquers all. To believe in a power greater than our own. To believe in God…

So – back to my Dad. He wasn’t anybody famous and he didn’t make a lot of money. He was an ordinary guy who spent time with his family and always tried to do the right thing. He wasn’t very religious, but he helped out in the community by serving on Town Boards and working with Brotherhood in Action. He taught us kids to give back to our town and to help those in need. Oh – and he believed in the Church of Baseball.

Annie Savoy, played by Susan Sarandon, makes this old fashioned testimony of faith in the opening narrative of the film Bull Durham:

“I believe in the Church of Baseball. I’ve tried all major religions and most of the minor ones. I’ve worshipped Buddha, Allah, Shiva, trees, mushrooms and Isadora Duncan. I know things. For instance, there are 108 beads in a Catholic rosary and there are 108 stitches in a baseball. When I learned that – I gave Jesus a chance…But it just didn’t work out between us. The Lord lay too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics to theology…I’ve tried them all – I really have – and the only church that truly feeds the soul day in and day out, is the Church of Baseball.”

For me, the Church of Baseball is slightly different. I believe that Baseball dramatically represents some of life’s most important lessons.

Lesson 1 : Baseball is about falling short of perfection.

In Hebrews, the Law is discussed as a standard of perfection that is impossible to meet. All we can do is strive to be our very best. We cannot succeed unless we try. Mickey Mantle struck out 1,710 times in his career, and is considered one of the all times greatest players. Think about it – he struck out 1 out of every fives times at bat. One out of every five. 20% of the time he failed – but he was not a failure. Baseball players are guaranteed to fail more often than they succeed. They are judged by, and cannot escape from, their statistics. God however, does not judge us by how many times we succeed or fail. He loves us despite how many times we succeed or fail.

Lesson 2: Baseball is about the grace of second chances.

Baseball is a game with no clock. There is always time for redemption. For example, San Francisco Giant Bob Brenley made four errors in one inning. Later in the game he hit two home runs, including the game winner. Paul made a lot of errors in his life, but Jesus found him and turned his life around. Jesus himself spent most of his time with people who had gone 0 for 4 in life. With Christ, as with baseball, we will always have another chance.

Lesson 3: Baseball is about perseverance.

It took forty years for Moses to lead the people of Israel to the land of Canaan. Let’s imagine for a moment some of the feelings the Israelites may have had during these forty years. There was joy and disappointment. There was hope and despair. Despite all they went through, Moses was determined to listen to the Lord and lead the people to freedom.

Now let’s more than double those forty years and look at a longer journey – a journey that lasted eighty-six years. Again, there was joy and disappointment. Again, there was hope and despair. Yet there was always determination. Yes, I am speaking of the time it took for the Boston Red Sox to win another World Series Championship. If this journey doesn’t teach us about perseverance, I’m not sure what does.

Baseball is a spiritual metaphor.

Those summer days on the makeshift ball diamond taught us kids numerous more lessons. Many of which are paralleled in the bible:

Baseball teaches us to try your best, no matter what. In I Samuel, Chapter 17, David defeats Goliath against all odds. He knew that the Lord was with him.

Baseball teaches us to pay attention or you will get hurt. Titus, Chapter 3 provides us standards of Christian Conduct – ways in which we should respond to situations and people.

As children we are taught to listen to the big kids – they’ve already made mistakes and we can learn from them. After his conversion, Paul spent the rest of his life teaching Gentiles how to be good Christians. He had learned from his own mistakes.

Don’t brag too much when you win – you could lose tomorrow. Remember, Samson lost his strength after being arrogant with the Philistines.

Stay in the base lines and you will be okay – In other words, follow the Ten Commandments.

Think about it – these aren’t just guidelines for baseball – they are guidelines for life. They are guidelines taught to us in Sunday school when we were young and in Confirmation class as we grew older. We learn these lessons every Sunday in church and in bible study classes on Wednesdays. These guidelines are there for us every day of our lives – just as God is.

So, did God invent baseball? Well, popular tradition says that baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, N.Y., in 1839. I’d like to think that God had a little hand it. Amen.

(Sermon preached by Lori Cipot Summer 2006)