The Kendrick Family heritage. is comprised of "rich legacies" which our ancestors have left with us. These legacies are embedded in myriads of resourceful information located in various documents.
FIVE WAYS INFORMATION DOCUMENTED
1. 1993 -
Kendrick family research of 1840-1910 U. S. federal and state census conducted in Miami and Tampa Florida
2. 1993-
Telephone conversation between Audry Kendrick (Ward) and Mildred Renae Cain, granddaughter of Mildren Kendrick (Williams).
3. 1998-
Lonnie Cain Jr, son of Mildred Kendrick Cain Williams (daughter of Walter Kendrick) submitted photos of Walter's family information and records of his historical research of various churches, state, and county cemetaries.
4. 2000 - 2006
Corinne Kendrick, husband of Ernest Kendrick (son of John Kendrick) contributed voice tape recordings of the Butler (Bertha) and (John) Kendrick's family rich legacies. She located, compiled, organized documents and records that comprises most of the information on this website. In addition, she dedicated and committed a great deal of time to communicating, connecting, visiting and making tape recordings of related families throughout Florida and Georgia.
5. 2011-Present
Kendrick and Butler Family historical background information research via genealogical website ancestry.com.
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The Kendrick family chronicles date back to Walter Kendrick who was born in Schley, County Georgia around 1858/1859 according to U.S. federal and state census records . His parents were also born in Georgia. Varying records are sketchy as to who his parents were - possibly a Henry and Malinda Kendrick (not verified as of to-date).
According to marriage records, Walter married Mary Knowlton (22 years old) September 9, 1883 in Schley County Georgia. Mary was born 1861/1866 in Georgia and her parents were born in South Carolina and Mississippi.
Walter and Mary had 13 children in 25 years (two boys and 11 girls) one daughter died at birth (click "Family" on left side- menu bar). According toMildred Cain (via her grandmother), Walter was easy going and was a deacon in Bethel Primitive Baptist Church. In addition, Walter had a couple of brotherd in Smytheville, GA.
"Mary was dominating and dipped snuff". "She always had a can of Prince Albert snuff or tobacco."
This story was told to me (word for word) by Mildren Renae Cain who is the granddaughter of Mildred Kendrick (Cain, Williams) via telephone in 1993.
"Walter was actually coming in from being out in the fields plowing, putting up the mules, and on his way into the house. He fell, but made his way to the house. He was placed in bed and soon afterward died." "Maybe his heart gave out." A Mr. Wise was overseer of the land and Mr. Mc. McDonald actually owned the land (Plains GA). The Kenrick family lived on his property.
Walter Kendrick died September 17, 1929, in Smitville, Georgia. Mary died August 25, 1961 in Smithville, Sumter, Georgia when she was 100 years old.
John Kendrick, the second son, third child of Walter and Mary Kendrick was born in 1888. He married Bertha Butler who was born 1902 . According to U.S. census records they had seven (7) children (see below) . John died in 1979 and Bertha died in 1984.
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VISUALLY IMPAIRED STORY
This portion of history was also reiterated to me (word for word) by Mildren Renae Cain, via her grandmother Milded Kendrick (Cain, Williams).
"John Kendrick contracted "bad blood", Syphillis. There probably was not a cure. " "When you have a person infected and not treated or treated properly because during that ime there wasn't probably a cure. " "When you have a person infected and they start to have children then because it is a blood infection, a lot of that is passed on to the children." "She was told this is why the Kendrick boys: John C, Booker t., Ernest Lee, James start being born blind."
Mildred Renae Cain met Ernest and James. She heard the story of the "panther" and their father John walking the boys from St. Augustine to Georgia. She stayed up in New York when she was little while they (Ernest and James) were passing through and she wanted to know why Denise and Aida were having eye problems. So she asked her grandmother and the story above is what she was told.
Her conversation conntinues with additional information: "Syphillis is contagious. One of the consequences of children being born to a parent with syphilis is blindness." "John was not born blind. successful treatment didn't occur until after World War II. They had what they called "rapid treatment" centers in the 1930's.They did not know how much penicilling to give. They were giving people enough "stuff" to kill a horse and some of them were not getting enough."
Mildred heard from her grandmother that Arthur (nicknamed "Buddy"), and John would go and come back promising that they would help their father with the farm, but very rarely would. Walter had to stay in the condition that he was in because he had to make a commitment to farm the land in order to survive and provide for his family. "But the white man always cheated blacks and one never would or could finish owing them". "A black man would do all of the work, get the least of the crop, and in order to increase "your" products, 'you" make that contract that year". "If one would make that contract to plow, they would ask for the supplies with the promise to yield a certain return from the land". The problem was that Arthur and John agreed to help their father, but would leave, and therefore, that placed a hardship on Walter. That's why the daughters had to help him; they were farm laborers.
"Arthur and John would disappear. No one saw Arthur after a while. Going into their teens and early twenties, it seemed as though they did not want to be saddled down with sharecropping;probably from seeing what their father's predicament was - they did not want that". "The fact is they would promise him that they were going to help their father and he believing they were -- would make these commitments. And this could have been what perhaps caused Walter to work himself to death. "There is no telling where John was when he contracted this disease because they (the boys) would go and come back.
Mildred continued her conversaton talking about "The Birmingham Experiment". "Men experimented on - in Birmingham Georgia. "Men were injected with the syphilis germ." "The doctors (white) were actually monitoring the stages of the disease and what damage it was doing to these men. Some of these men are living now. A black nurse unawae of what was going on became very friendly with her. This program was on PBS. Check medical records with syphilis epidemic 1930's . This may whow John Kendrick's name.
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Children of John and Bertha Kendrick
1. Ophelia Viola Kendrick (Fudge/Ealy)
2. Johnnie C. Kendrick --------------------------
3. Booker T. Kendrick --------------------------
4. Ernest Kendrick -----------------------------
5. Daisy B. Kendrick (Jordan)-----------------------
6. James Kendrick ----------------------------------
7. Bernice Kendrick (Jordan)---------------------
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