About the Book

Tracing my ancestry was challenging and painful-yet, exciting. I encountered learning experiences at my every turn, and had to climb over many a brick wall during my research. I must say that my persistent, tireless efforts to achieve my goal proved beneficial and rewarding.

This book has been written not only to spark an interest in its reader for family research, but also to document my gratitude for those who struggled and weathered the emotional storms and endured to strengthen and secure our family ties.

Unlike the famous writer Alex Haley, I was unable to link my ancestors to the country of Africa. The trace only led me to the state of Georgia. Our ancestors had many shades of color-from ivory to chestnut, dark brown, and ebony. Hair was all ways from kinky to straight to curly. Eyes ranged from blue to grey and brown. And noses as well as ears showed up little all the way to big. There were high cheekbones on some and round faces on others. Some were tall, some short. I attribute their many features to the Caucasian, Creek, Cherokee, Blackfoot Indian, and the African American bloodline.

I must note that no legal references were uncovered to verify the location from which our ancestors migrated.

Information concerning our surnames-Banks, Walker, Ross, Swift, and Lockett-I leave for the future generation to uncover. I give each of you my blessings, and I assure you your discoveries will be worth the challenge of doing the job.

In this book you will witness my research and view my memory. I hope that as you read it you will learn new aspects of yourself.

About the Author: Clara Lucille Banks Chandler has resided in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., for the past twenty-seven years. She lives there with her husband, Hugh D. Chandler, who retired after working in several departments of the federal government. She is the mother of two children, grandmother of four, a great-grandmother of four, and a stepmother of six.

Clara grew up through high school in Macon, Georgia. Clara left her hometown of Macon, Georgia, in 1963 and continued her education at Apex Business School in Brooklyn, New York, and at National Medical\Business School in Alexander, Virginia. Clara went on to work in the Washington Metropolitan area in a variety of roles in the medical field until she retired in February of 2002. For more than a decade she has faithfully attended the New Macedonia Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

She hopes that by writing this book she will inspire the youth of today to learn of their historical cultures, appreciate the struggles of their forefathers, and continue to keep their legacy alive.

They Weathered the Storm is the first book written by Clara. Among her many friends and relatives who made this book possible, she would also like to thank her editor, Mrs. Netty Kahan. Thank you Netty-your patience and editing skills are exceptional.