DNA to the Rescue

Looking into the camera, there was a faint hint of a smile on her face. Dressed in a fashionable suit, her hair was pulled up under a stylish hat with a large plume. Sitting beside her was a man equally well dressed, sporting a double breasted suit, and a hat cocked slightly on his head. This couple appeared to be a little better off than many of my ancestors. Who were they and what was the occasion?

Carl Fricks and Wife (original in my possession)

Once again, a simple picture from my Grandma’s suitcase would take me on an adventure as I sought to learn more about the identity of the people captured in the photo.

On the back of the picture was written, “Carl Fricks and his wife.”  In addition, as a standard part of the photo, it read “Pickard’s Photos, 820 Market Street, Chattanooga, Tennessee. CLOSED ON SUNDAYS. This style, 4 for 25 cents.”  Simple enough? Well the problem was, I had no idea who Carl Fricks was.

I discovered the picture years ago and after a failed effort to learn who Carl was, I set him aside to work on later. This was long before the onslaught of online databases that are now available and so I turned to the Fricks message boards on Rootsweb and GenForum seeking anyone with connections to a Carl Fricks.  I found a few individuals searching the Fricks family, but no one was exactly sure who Carl was.  Over time and with many other projects to work on, I forgot all about “Carl Fricks and his wife.”

Enter DNA!  Recently a DNA test at Ancestry led me to a new cousin and with it a renewed interest in Carl Fricks. I initiated the contact with my DNA match and indicated that I had discovered both the familiar names of Faucett and Fricks in her tree and told her that my great grandmother was Sarah E. Faucett and I was curious about her Fricks family.

She was unsure of how we connected, but shared that she had an Emma Faucett who married a Ramsey Fricks but she was unsure who Emma’s parents were. My tree didn’t have either Emma or Ramsey.  It would take a little digging to figure out who Emma was.

With what she knew about her Emma, she began the quest to find Emma’s parents and it didn’t take long. With some research it became apparent that the Martha Ann Emmeline Faucett in my tree and the Emma Faucett in her tree were one and the same. Martha Ann Emmeline Faucett. With that line up of names it is no wonder that without really focusing on her, neither of us had made the connection.

Emma was born the 28th of October 1856 in Chapel Hill, Orange County North Carolina. She was the third child and second daughter of James Merritt Faucett and Elmina Bowers. By 1860 the Faucett family was living in Lafayette, Walker County, Georgia.

Emma married Ramsey Fricks about 1879, likely in Walker County, Georgia,  as both of their families were living there and Ramsey and Emma can be found there on the 1880 census.

So just how did Carl Fricks fit in and why did I have a picture of him? It would take a little more digging to find his story.

Copyright © Michelle G. Taggart 2015, All rights reserved

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