I’m remembering the Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Little Zuzu Bailey tells her father, George, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.”
I’ve decided the genealogy world has its own version of bell ringing.
When we begin searching for someone from the past, a little bell rings somewhere.
This week I started looking for H. Oscar Summerlin, the man whose name has become attached to the house at 430 S. Church Street. I’d like to imagine Mr. Summerlin hearing that bell, smiling and thinking, “Well now, after all these years, someone is looking for me.”
As a self-appointed House Historian and Detective, I have been tracing not just the architecture of old homes, but the lives that remain in the dust motes that sparkle in the sun.
Tomorrow the tax office is on my radar screen. I’m hoping the records will answer one question in particular: whether South Church Street was renumbered at some point, which could explain why Mr. Summerlin’s addresses don’t match the house we know today. OUR house is 430 S. Church Street but he is listed at 328 S.Church Street with his funeral home at 416 S. Church,
You probably know that addresses can sometimes change as cities grow and streets are renumbered. I’m hoping that’s the case here.
So, Mr. Summerlin, if you heard a bell this week, it’s because I’m looking for you.
Main Street Rocky Mount 