Calvin Willie Claxton, Sr. 1924-2008

Most of you have probably heard the very sad news of the recent passing of Calvin Claxton Sr. in Memphis Tennessee on January 26, 2008. With the passing of Mr. Claxton, the Descendants of Mandi mourn the loss of another cherished family elder. The past year has seen the transition of several precious family elders, each loss has been felt with deep feelings of loss and sadness. Calvin Willie Claxton Sr. was 83 years old, he was the son of William Claxton, Jr.

He had 10 known children named Immogene Claxton, Calvin Claxton, Jr., James Claxton, Melvin Claxton, Deborah Claxton, Michael Claxton, Mary Claxton, Rosie Lee Claxton, Kimberly Claxton, and Carolyn Claxton.

His father, William , Jr. Claxton was the son of William Claxton and Liza Jane Williams. William Jr.'s siblings were T. J. Claxton, Robert Claxton.

Calvin Claxton Sr.'s connection to Mandi Williams came through his grandmother Liza Jane Williams who was born in Haywood County TN. She is the daughter of Jerry Williams (1848-1923) and Sallie Miller. Her siblings were Nellie Williams, Melissa Williams, Emmaline Williams, Anna Williams, Mary Helen Williams, Lucy Harriett Williams, Sam Williams, Eugene Williams, Jerry Williams, Roger Williams, Jasper Williams.

Cousin Calvin's family is very special to us because they are one of the few families that we have contact with that descend from Uncle Jerry Williams...who was, of course one of the son's of Harmon Williams (1825-?) and Harriet Elizabeth Rayner (1827-1918), Mandi's daughter.

Below are the final arrangements which were relayed to us by Kimberly Claxton through the Descendants of Mandi mailing list.

Saturday 1pm at Antioch Baptist Church @ 4715 New Allen Road, Memphis, TN 38128. The wake will be from 10:30am-12:30pm. The burial will be on Monday (February 4th) at National Cemetary on Jackson Ave. (in Memphis). The time has not been set as of yet.

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BELOW is a reprint of the notice which was published in the Memphis Commerical Appeal:

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Claxton, Calvin
CALVIN CLAXTON, 83, of Memphis, TN died January 26, 2008.
Services by: J. E. Herndon Funeral Home Golden Cross Chapel | 901-346-1291
Published in The Commercial Appeal on 1/29/2008.

Claxton Sr., Calvin Willie
MASTER SGT. CALVIN WILLIE CLAXTON, SR., 83, died January 26, 2008. Service will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 2 at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 4716 New Allen Road, Memphis, TN. A veteran of the U. S. Air Force, Mr. Claxton leaves to cherish his memory children, Imogene C. Jones, Pastor Calvin W. Claxton Jr, Ronnie Murrell, Devat Umbles, Cherie Smith, Marilyn Smith, James, Deborah, Michael, Mary, and Kimberly Claxton, Rosa Cline, Aziz Shakoor, Karen Holmes, Eric Meeks and Mickey Falls; mother-in-law, R. Mary Meeks. sisters-in- laws, Fannie Langford, Frances Frazier, Omega Murrell, Permethia Washington, Rosie Murrell. 39 grandchildren; 59 great-grandchildren; and nine great-great grandchildren and a host of loving relatives and dear friends.

J. E. Herndon Funeral Home Golden Cross Chapel | 901-346-1291

Please join us in prayer tonight and during the coming weeks for the entire Claxton family.

Trim the Tree and Fill in the Family Tree

The Holidays are here and it is time to gather together sharing gifts and fellowship. It is also the perfect time to begin or add to the information on your family tree. Why? Because everyone is there-- usually several generations of family members are present at once and Christmas also puts many people in the mood to talk about memory and family members from "Christmas' Past." Take a digital recorder with you to your holiday gatherings and ask a few questions. You never know what clues you may discover, clues that may set the direction of your genealogy searches for the new year.

It's also a time when estranged family members think about reconnecting. How many times has that call come in from a distant cousin wishing "holiday cheer" or wanting to "get back in touch." These are perfect opportunities to get more information on a part of the family tree that hasn't been updated in ages. We had the web version of one of these "getting back in touch calls" happen just a week ago when a descendant of uncle Jerry Williams found us on the web and made contact through our family email list. Her letter to the egroup began:

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Hello All:

I am happy to say that I am truly in awe that I "stumbled" upon the
site which traces my family history. I want to tell everyone hello
and that I look forward to speaking to you all and keeping in touch as
our family should. I am Kimberly Claxton (32 years old), daughter of
Calvin Claxton Sr. (82 years old)-Memphis, TN.

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The response was immediate as family members reached out to welcome her and to find out where she fell in the Descendants of Mandi Tree. Here's a sample:

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Hello Kimberly! Glad you connected! Keep in touch. SMILE!

Rachel D Washington

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This is so great...and demonstrates the improved power of modern technology to help us re-connect and stay connected. And to think, Kimberly's family is in/from Memphis - the geographic nucleus of the family and where I was born and raised. Until now, the only descendents of Uncle Jerry I knew were the Jones', from Memphis, too. This proof that we can no longer take for granted that traditional modes of communication are the best and most effective ways for us to keep in touch. We're too large a family for that.

Great to meet you Kimberly,

Your cousin Nicole

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"Who is your fathers immediate descendant? I take it you didn't make it
to St. Louis for the famiy reunion this summer."

Donna Washington descending from Dennis Williams

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I asked cousin Kimberly to take a look at her family's branch of the tree and tell us if it needed updating. She said that it was very outdated, as her siblings now had children, meaning that there were probably a dozen or more family members missing from their part of the tree. She has promised to get all the details as her family gathers for Christmas this year. We will all look forward to the additions to the family tree.

I hope we all are able to have a wonderful Holiday and to gain more wonderful details about our family's rich heritage. Remember all the Descendants of Mandi in your Christmas prayers. Peace on Earth and to you all.