| When I first began researching my roots 15 years ago, the family that I knew the least about was my mother's mother's family, the Hilliards. In the past 15 years I have found, spoken, written, and e-mailed Hilliard descendants that we never knew existed. In this page, I will share with you all some of my encounters. The first one that comes to mind is Elmer Lee Hilliard, son of Horace, Mary's brother. He remembers meeting Aunt Linda and her sons, remembers Mary's last visit to Haskell, and even has some pictures and 8mm film that he planned to share with me. Unfortunately, he has since died, and I have not been able to contact his widow. He is the one who provided the most information for me to connect with other Hilliards. The next Hilliard that comes to mind is the daughter of Marvin, another of Mary's brothers. Her name is Rose. She told me stories of the Hilliards from her childhood. One of her most vivid memories is the slaves that the Hilliards had. She remembers playing with the children of one slave in particular, Manna Carrie. She shared with me her knowledge of the extensive amount of information available at the Belton County Library on the Hilliards. I have not made it out there yet, but I will. Another person that comes to mind is a gentleman who comes to our shop to buy filters. His name is William N. Hilliard. I have only spoken with his wife, and only briefly, but we quizzed each other on the possiblity of him being a relative, and when I questioned his middle name she said, "Well, what's your William's middle name?" When I told her Newton, she told me that was his middle name as well, and we knew we were related. His father is Charles Hilliard, who I believe is uncle to William Newton Hilliard. I plan to speak to him more extensively. Another Hilliard that I have found is named Harley. He is the son of Lee Hilliard, another of William Newton's brothers. I have called and written him a couple of times, and he has shared his family's history. Unfortunately, he doesn't really know anything about the Hilliards overall. I continue to make contact with people on the Internet who are searching for Hilliard descendants. There is a lady here in Texas who is the granddaughter of one of John Lafayette's (William's father) sisters. It's amazing how much Hilliard information is on the Internet. Some of it is incorrect, though, according to my records. That's why it is so important to verify things with vital records. And finally, the burning question that everyone always has, "Are we related to Harriet Hilliard Nelson of Ozzie and Harriet?" No, we are not. I have found no evidence of such, and in fact, even Elmer and Rose have told me that that was just rumor. Her biography states that Hilliard was simply a stage name. |