Generations, The Root, The Tree and The Branches

by Earl Gillespie

Overview

Historical records indicate that three unrelated events took place in three unrelated segments of the world in 1785. It was by providence that these three events were set to collide within the state of Mississippi, in the town of Starkville. A battle of epic proportion took place in the fertile hills and valleys of what is now called Oktibbeha County, along the banks of the Talking Warrior and Dancing Rabbit creeks. Overseen by the Europeans, an Irish farmer's obsession, fueled by the sweat of the Africans, met the indomitable spirit of the Choctaw Indian. That meeting produced the Gillespie-Ward bloodline, a proud family name, though bloodied by the curse of slave traders, land grabbers, Indian fighters, and the Civil War, the Gillespie Family name is the product of an Irish family that immigrated to the United States in search of freedom and for the expressed purpose of making a new start.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781478318552
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	08/13/2012
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.65(d)

About the Author

Earl Gillespie's formative years were spent learning the rituals of farming in Oktibbeha County and he is a proud native of Starkville, MS, the home of his ancestral bloodline. After researching his family tree, genealogical research became his passion.
1962 marks the year Earl Gillespie graduated from W.C. Henderson High School in Starkville, MS and headed to Nashville, TN to pursue a college education. He attended class at the now defunct National Business College. Tennessee State University became his school of choice to pursue a degree in Electrical Engineering. Due to the hardship of financing a college level education, he joined the US Air Force and took advantage of the extensive educational opportunities that were offered.
He excelled in the field of electronics, first as an Aircraft Electronic Specialist and later in the field of computers. Before retiring in 2005, his vast knowledge of computers allowed him to function on many different levels as an Information Technology expert. As the owner of a computer repair and training service, Mr. Gillespie's knowledge influenced the skill level of many students of computer science.
With his extensive knowledge of computers, the maintenance and updating of an extensive computerize genealogical research database become second nature. He has compiled an extensive database of families members who can trace their roots to Oktibbeha County in Starkville, Ms.
Earl Gillespie is married to Iola Woods-Gillespie and is proud father of six children and thirteen grandchildren, and he spends his time fishing, writing and researching family histories.