Nancy Cohen Gumby

2nd cousin of husband of 1st cousin 1x removed of stepmother

& relative of mother

When Nancy Lee Cohen was born in 1934 in Georgia, her father, Mitchell, was 46, and her mother, Estelle, was 26. She had one sister. She died on November 11, 2019, in her hometown at the age of 85.

Notes:

am saddened to announce the passing of our dear Honorary Board Member Nancy Cohen-Gunby on Monday, November 11, 2019. She was my inspiration for wanting to rehabilitate the 1910 Cherry Grove schoolhouse! At one time, she taught there. Not appointing her an honorary board member was not an option! But more importantly, forty plus years ago, when I first starting digging into the attics and cellars of our family history, Cousin Nancy was one of the FEW sources that I could go to: she possessed the depth of knowledge, facility of recall, and in the true Southern Tradition a penchant for storytelling.

But she also exemplified another tradition; long before the invention of the internet, the advent of Ancestry.com or the popularity of DNA testing. Once upon a time if you wanted to know about your ancestors, you sought out an Elder, one who possessed the above-mentioned gifts, and you asked if they would pour some of their knowledge into your cup. This Elder would be a living, breathing, walking repository of history of a tribe, village or family. In the West African oral tradition, they were called GRIOTS or JALI. For Cousin Nancy, her village was Cohentown and her tribe all the families who called Cohentown home. She gained much of her knowledge from the Ancestors who came before her, and she pass much to those who would come after her. Especially, to THIS student apprentice who drew heavily from her well of knowledge! Thank you! A DAY OF DUTY DONEA NIGHT OF REST BEGUNSLEEP WELL WITH THE ANCESTORSUNTIL THE MORNING COME Barrett HansonFriends of Cherry Grove Schoolhouse, Inc.Board Chair