Our Somers Family Heritage

Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers Indications are I'm Scottish through my mother's family line (the Lawson's) and the oral family history from my father's side handed down from my Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers to his son, my Grandfather, William Henry Somers, and to my father, Jesse Cecil Somers, is that we are descended from both the Scots and the Cherokee.  So, I'm sharing these informative excerpts and resources for the Somers family researchers. The Cherokee Indian Nation (Scottish Tartans Authority) : It may seem strange to link tartan with some of the great tribes of north American Indians and you could be forgiven for querying the link. It is however, part and parcel of the legendary global spread of the early Scots adventurers who permeated all walks of life and all cultures. The modern appeal of tartan as a unique identifier with those adventurers - whether the links are by nature or nurture - is a fascinating phenomeno

Indications are our branch of the Somers family tree has some connections to the Netherlands through the Arden/Beekman and Casteal ancestry. Please be blessed as you learn more about the Dutch Reformation and Protestant history presented by W. Robert Godfrey at Ligonier Ministries . - Angela (Somers) Wittman, ed. The Dutch Reformation The success or failure of the Reformation in a particular region often depended on whether the ruler of the region supported or opposed it. However, the Dutch Reformation was an exception to this tendency. Though bitterly opposed by the Habsburg monarchs, Protestantism attracted a large following in the Low Countries. As religious and political tension led to upheaval and war, the courage and persistence of the Dutch people prepared the way for a free Dutch Republic and the rise of the Dutch Reformed Church. From the series A Survey of Church History, Part 3 by W. Robert Godfrey Source: http://www.ligonier.org/learn/daily-video/2016/10/12/the

Grandmother Lillian Mae Weaver/Somers Grandmother Lillian Mae Weaver/Somers told me as a child our ancestry was "Black Welsh" and "Blackfoot Indian."  I remember asking her what is a "Black Welsh"? And Grandma replied that it simply meant we had dark hair and dark eyes. Here are my notes regarding Grandma's family surnames and their origin: Weaver - English origin. (Father's surname) Wright (Mother's surname) - English or Scottish origin. Casteal or Casteel (paternal Grandmother) - Dutch or Spanish origin. Jones (maternal Grandmother) - Welsh origin. Burdett (paternal Great Grandmother) - French or English origin. The Jones name certainly points to our Welsh ancestry, but what does "Black Welsh" mean?  Wikipedia has a stub article which says: Black Welsh people are inhabitants of Wales who have an African or a Caribbean background. Wales is home to one of the United Kingdom's oldest Afro communities, an

Editor's Note : I'm so happy to share this bit of America's Christian history with you! Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers was a "Circuit Rider" for the Baptist Church in the Southern Missouri/Tennessee/Arkansas region and areas beyond! What a wonderful legacy he has left for his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;... Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV)

Mamie Irene Shepherd, daughter of William Henry Somers and Lillian May Weaver Somers was born October 30, 1921 in Thruman, Ark. She departed this life on February 14, 2011 at the Mark Twain Caring Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. She enjoyed cooking, gardening, sewing, and her church work.  On November 20, 1936 at Poplar Bluff, Missouri she was married to Rev. John B. Shepherd. He preceded her in death on May 5, 1996. She is survived by eight children, Luther E. Shepherd of Naylor, Missouri, John E. Shepherd, Neelyville, Missouri, Phillip Shepherd, of Doniphan, Missouri. Daughters, Lou Lundry, of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Janet Shepherd Graham of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Thelma Eldridge of Pollard , Arkansas, Laveda Ellis of San Jose, California and Martha Shipman of Fairdealing, Missouri, and brother Jesse C. Somers of Poplar Bluff, Missouri.   Mrs Shepherd was preceded in death by her parents as well as 2 sisters, Lorene Pickard and Daisey Mae Buhler and 6 b

My aunts - Minnie Lorene (Somers) Pickard, (11.07.1926 - 4.28.2006) and Mamie Irene (Somers) Shepherd, (10.30.1921 - 2.14.2011) - Photo taken 10.29.2000 One of my most recent memories of Aunt Lorene is attending Worship with her at a Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, Mo., while she sang this Baptist Hymn solo:

A story my father has often told me, which he learned from his father, is that our branch of the Somers family was involved in a "family split over religion" between two brothers.  I'm not certain which generation this happened during, or if it's just a family story handed down through generations that was elaborated on with little truth left in it. But, as my grandfather was not known to be a liar or inventor of tall tales, I believe it is based on fact. So, please bear with me as I give you my theory as to what might have happened. Great Grandfather Henry Francis Somers was a popular evangelist around the turn of the 20th century and into the early 1900's. He preached at tent meetings and outdoor revivals in the Southern Missouri and Arkansas area. How far his travels took him, I really don't know except they must have been extensive as Grandpa's half sister, Amanda Tidwell, told my father that Great Grandfather Henry was a circuit rider gone for