Appreciation for the Opportunities We Have Today Performing
genealogy and local history research gives me an appreciation
for many of the opportunities I have today. For most adults,
attending school as a child and learning to read and write are
skills we take for granted. Such was not the case for many of
our ancestors. For many, educational opportunities were few to
non-existent. When educational opportunities did exist, many
people could not take advantage of them because the daily tasks
of providing food, shelter and clothing often took precedence
over receiving an education. A few years ago while visiting a
cousin who agreed to share information on my Woolfolk ancestors;
I had an experience that caused me to reflect upon my life. One
of the items my cousin shared with me was a letter written in
1906 by Lucy Jane Woolfolk Ellis, the sister of my great
grandfather, Overton Woolfolk. Lucy Jane was born in 1875, a
little more than ten years after the end of slavery. According
to the 1900 census, Lucy Jane co