Finding Eliza (23 page)

“You had a wonderful idea,” Lizzie said as she stood near Avery.

“I couldn’t have pulled it off without you.” Avery leaned to bump his shoulder against Lizzie’s.

As organizers of the event, Avery and Lizzie took a seat near the podium with the other speakers. Gertrude sat to Lizzie’s left as she prepared for her presentation on the preservation of the cemetery. Other speakers sat waiting for their turn to share the history of the area during the 1930s through the Civil Rights Movement.

Lizzie was impressed with the way the speakers handled the horrifying details of the KKK's actions during the period. Each presentation was given in a way that was approachable for the audience without sugar coating the facts.

After the speakers finished, everyone walked up the hill for the unveiling of a new memorial. Dedicated to the lynching victims in the area, the twenty-five foot tall monument sat upon a base inscribed with the names of fourteen victims in addition to Eldridge. Genealogists in Gertrude’s Tuesday Night Genealogy Gathering provided research that turned names and dry facts into lives the people of Everett Springs could remember.

Unlike the weeping angel that comforted Eliza in her time of need, this monument supported an angel of hope that reached toward heaven in joy and praise. It was Avery’s idea to make the monument that celebrated life rather than mourned death. Lizzie couldn’t have been more pleased.

Lizzie walked to the front of the group and waved her hand in the air to get their attention. Avery followed behind her and set up two wooden folding chairs, one for Gertrude and one for Thomas. As she gazed across the faces of her family and friends, Lizzie felt a hand sliding across her back. She looked up to see Jack smile at her as he stood by for support. She turned back to the group and took a deep breath to stop the shaking in her knees. Then she saw her family.

Blue gave her a wink and a thumbs up.

Abi blew her a kiss.

Claud patted her eyes with a handkerchief and whispered, “We love you.”

Lizzie had everything that she had ever wanted. She had her family.

“Good morning, and thank you for coming. My name is Eliza Hines Clydell, but you can call me Lizzie. My friends and I have one last thing that we’d like to share with you before we start the picnic over at the church.” Lizzie turned her head and smiled at her grandmother. “We would like to tell you a story about why we’re here today. It all starts with a girl named Eliza and the people who loved her.”

Thank You

Thank you for reading
Finding Eliza!
I hope that you have enjoyed meeting Lizzie, The Gals, and the rest of the characters from Everett Springs.

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Finding Eliza
.

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Finding Eliza
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Author's Note & Resources

I remember the first time I learned about lynchings in my history class. I was growing up in the Deep South, and as I looked at the faces of my classmates, it struck me that I could be sitting in the midst of a legacy of pain. I could be friends with the descendants of both aggressors and victims. As I fell in love with family history and began my journey in genealogy, I dug deeper into the pasts of my ancestors. Eventually, I found my first slaveholder in Virginia. I started thinking back to that moment in the classroom, and my earlier realization took on a deeper meaning: If I was related to a slaveholder I could be related to a member of a lynch mob. This part of history became real to me. It became something that I had to confront.

My family holds generations of people on both my maternal and paternal sides who wanted to fight for equality in their own ways. Whether it was a simple statement or an act of social justice, it surrounded me, and for that I am thankful. I will never forget several things that we were taught by my grandmother as her mother taught her.

Every person has a name.

Every life has value.

Every story needs remembered.

The story of Eldridge and Eliza is fiction, but it could just as easily have been true. The time line of laws that Lizzie discovers is real. Interracial marriages and relationships were illegal in some parts of the United States as recently as 1967.

I encourage you to learn more about this horrendous history so that we can prevent it from repeating in the future. We also have an obligation to remember those victimized in this fashion. Their stories must be remembered so that we can not only shine a light into the darkness but also to give a legacy to their deaths. Our country faces a great divide on many civil issues, and if we are not careful behavior like this could raise its ugly head once again when emotions and beliefs collide. Violence is never the answer.

For those wanting to learn more, here are some wonderful resources that I discovered during my research. Some websites contain descriptions or photos that may be upsetting to some. As a homeschool parent, I like to share what I learn with my daughters. This list of resources is intended to help educate not scar, so please use your judgment in sharing these websites with others.

The American Experience: The Murder of Emmett Till

The Murder of Emmett Till is a fascinating website to accompany the PBS special about the fourteen year old Emmett Till who was brutally murdered by a lynch mob in 1955 after whistling at a white woman.

George H. White and Ida B. Wells Lynching Index

This website contains a wealth of information including books, videos, and even pop culture references. While it may not be the most beautiful or high-tech site, it is one of the most complete resources I have yet to find.

Georgia Lynchings Project circa 1875-1930 (Emory University)

A team of researchers at Atlanta’s Emory University took an analytical view of newspaper articles and reports of lynchings in the state. This site breaks down the commonalities, including the alleged crimes given in each murder. It is amazing to see the number that could be attributed to interracial relationships. Although most are listed as rape, I’m left to wonder how many could have been similar to
Finding Eliza.

The New Georgia Encyclopedia: Lynching

Learn about the history of lynching in the state of Georgia, including frequency, location, and some of the most famous cases.

The Mary Turner Project

In 1918, a “lynching rampage” took place in South Georgia leaving twelve dead, hundreds fearing for their lives, and even more evacuating the area to hope for safety. Mary Turner and her infant were among the victims. The goal of this project is to remember the victims who never received justice.

Pinterest

Other resources related to the subject matter in
Finding Eliza
as well as fun tidbits (and even lemon square recipes!) can be found on
my Finding Eliza board on Pinterest
.

About the Author

I chase dead people. I’ve grown up hearing family stories all of my life. In 1998, I picked up a new hobby as a way to pass the time with my grandmother. I now perform
genealogical research for clients
as well. I love to discover and share the stories of our ancestors. The words found in documents like marriage records and newspaper articles tell the stories of our families. In addition to providing research services, I enjoy creating narratives of family stories for my relatives as well as the relatives of clients. I am also active as a presenter speaking to genealogy groups and societies on topics related to family history research.

I’ve been a
freelance writer
for several years writing mostly on the subject of family history for blogs, websites, and genealogy societies and publications. I’ve also been a ghostwriter for areas ranging from air conditioning to the food service industry. I’ve enjoyed writing about family history much more than Chinese food.

I’m a 14-year veteran homeschool mom who tries her best to raise creative and curious kids. Two have survived into adulthood, so we can’t be all that bad at it. The youngest is a triple threat: writer, musician, and artist. I’m hoping to work on a few projects with her in the future.

My favorite book will always be Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier. I remember sitting in the classroom after school as my eighth grade English teacher introduced me to it. I had read everything on our list for that grade so she gave me her favorite titles to read instead. I also learned that at age thirteen I didn’t enjoy Steinbeck but I loved Orwell.

During high school and college I bounced between creative and nonfiction writing with even a stint on a community college newspaper. I was just too nervous to tell anyone about it. Very few people read my words so it surprises me that my parents knew I wanted to be a writer before I was able to speak it aloud. As I got closer to a milestone year I decided to break out of my fear and start writing my books with the goal of sharing them with others.
Finding Eliza
is a fortieth birthday present to myself. I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

I’m in love with the Oxford Comma. I’m hopelessly addicted to having my heart ripped out by BBC dramas. I love to insert references to history, pop culture, and humor into my writing and conversation. I currently have purple hair. I believe Joss Whedon can strike creative lightning at whim.

Official Biography

Stephanie Pitcher Fishman is an author and professional genealogist specializing in Midwestern and Southeastern United States family history. She is the author of seven family history research guides in the Legacy QuickGuide series on topics including religious records, census records, and state-specific research techniques. She has also written articles and blog posts for websites such as Archives.com and is a co-founder of The In-Depth Genealogist. She is also an active member of the Ohio Genealogical Society volunteering by lecturing on topics such as Plain Religions, Quaker research, and introducing family history to children. Her first novel,
Finding Eliza,
was published in 2014. To learn more, visit:
www.StephanieFishman.com.

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Acknowledgements

My thanks to…

My daughters, who are my world.
Caitlin: I wouldn’t have written Lizzie’s first words during NaNoWriMo without you telling me that I could. Erica: You are my hero. I am so proud of you and the family you love so beautifully. Amy: I love you with all my heart.

My parents, all three of them.
I’m blessed with three who love and support me, who fed me a steady diet of literature and story games, and who took me to bookstores just as often as playgrounds. They are truly the reason that this book was born. My mind builds characters and worlds because of the stories we created on living room floors and under covers before bedtime.

My family, especially my cousin Christian.
Without their constant support (and endless Facebook and text messages of encouragement!) I would have stopped writing at the first stumble. Marc, my sisters, my uncle, my grandparents, my cousins… I am blessed beyond measure. I wish that Granny and Roy could see me now.

My friends, both those I claimed in childhood and those I met as an adult.
You’ve all ended up in here. Whether it’s your cemetery, your coffee cup, or your car, there are traces of you in all I do. A few of you even inspired The Gals.