Author: cmb12

FindingthingsforU, LLC is owned/founded by Char McCargo-Bah. She is the author of two books, and you can find those books on amazon.com by putting a search on her name. She became a Living Legend in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2014.

“Thank You Dad for a Great Childhood”

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Thank You Dad for a Great Childhood”– dated June 6, 2019.

Mr. John L. Taylor’s at the Elks Lodge

Mrs. John Leonard Taylor’s maternal family has been in Alexandria, Virginia since the Civil War. This side of his family is connected to the Alexandria Freedmen Cemetery. On Mr. Taylor’s paternal side of the family, his great-grandparents where from Loudoun, Virginia.

Mr. Taylor is the youngest of four children, Donald, Charlene and Alvin. He was born in 1936 and he lived a great deal of his life in segregated Alexandria. Segregation was a way of life for many African Americans prior to 1965, but Mr. Taylor did not let the condition of segregation stop him from carving out a better life for his family. He was able to have a career at the Washington Metropolitan Transit and retired as a supervisor. Mr. Taylor was able to give his two girls an enjoyable life and he was able to purchase his own house.

Looking back, Mr. Taylor had a good life with his wife Beatrice Cross-Taylor, his daughters, parents and siblings. He was able to carve out a little bit of the American dream.

Check out the article “Thank You Dad for a Great Childhood”– dated June 6, 2019 in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 10 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/060519/Alexandria.pdf.

Two Unlikely Activists Made History

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “Two Unlikely Activists Made History”– dated May 30-June 5, 2019.

Can you a lone make a difference? Yes you can. Two women from two different backgrounds brought national attention to an unknown cemetery. Their community activism impacted thousands of descendants of the Alexandria’s Freedmen’s Cemetery.

Left to Right: Lillie Finkle, former, Mayor Euille and Louise Massoud

Without these ladies efforts, I would not have known about the Freedmen’s Cemetery. And, I would not have been able to make my contribution to the Freedmen’s project in locating the descendants. So I am indebted to Lillian Finkle and Louise Massoud for all their dedicated work for the Friends of the Freedmen Cemetery.

Check out the article on “Two Unlikely Activists Made History” – dated May 30 – June 5, 2019 in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 12 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/052919/Alexandria.pdf. Also you can read behind the scene of this article on my blog at http://www.theotheralexandria.com.

Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article – “A Mother’s Unconditional Love”

Carolyn Phillips-McCrae
Foster daughter of Mrs. Jennie Bell-Cantey

Behind the scenes of the Alexandria Gazette Packet’s article on, “A Mother’s Unconditional Love”– dated May 2-8, 2019.

Mrs. Carolyn Phillips-McCrae was extremely lucky that her mother made a decision to hand her over to Mrs. Jennie Settle Travis-Bell Cantey. She had the ability to love so many children like they were her own. It is believed that Mrs. Jennie was not raised by her own mother but whatever her childhood situation was, she impacted the lives of 44-children in a positive way.

Mrs. Carolyn heard numerous stories from Mrs. Jennie “Mama” about Fauquier County, Virginia where Mrs. Carolyn thought that was where Mama was born. Through genealogical research, I found that Mama was born in Rappahannock, Virginia. On her marriage license to her first husband, she stated that she was born in Rappahannock, Virginia. She and her first husband married in Fauquier, VA where he was born.

Check out the article on “A Mother’s Unconditional Love”– dated May 2-8, 2019 in the Alexandria Gazette Packet on page 12 at http://connectionarchives.com/PDF/2019/050119/Alexandria.pdf. Also you can read behind the scene of this article on my blog at http://www.theotheralexandria.com.

Alexandria, VA – Parker-Gray School’s Project

I am looking for people or/and their relatives who attended Alexandria, Virginia’s Parker-Gray School from 1920 – 1965. Please see my flyer for my contact information. Parker-GraySchool flyer3SocialMedia. Thanks.