Discovering Our Dear Ancestors

Do you ever think about your ancestry past? If not, you should take the chance to do so! I recently just did some research on my great-grandfather, Harold Clement McGee, on my mother's side of the family. He is also known by the name "Trigger", but I'm not sure on the background of how that came about. My great-grandmother helped me understand the person he was back then by talking with me throughout my spring break.

When he was 18, first going into the Navy in WWII.

I never had the chance to meet my great-grandfather. He was born March 13, 1925, in Oxford NC, and he died January 24, 1981, in Greenville, SC. I have heard many stories of him throughout the years, but now I know more than I ever have! He was a genuinely good person and cared for others more than himself. 

A picture of when he volunteered at the Hejaz
Shrine Temple

My great-grandmother explained to me that he was in the US Navy during World War II for 3 years, as a Boatswain's mate (2nd class), volunteered for the Hejaz Shrine Temple, and worked in the textile industry for the rest of his years outside of the military.

During his time at the Hejaz Shrine Temple, he was a charter member of Hejaz Air Squadron, which was one of the largest units there at the time. The unit put on air shows and had parades with miniature planes in them!

His pilot license!

Not only was he a part of the Hejaz unit, he even had a pilot's license! It is super cool to me how someone in my family knew how to fly a plane! 

Also, my grandmother explained to me that he worked in the textile industry and took me to one of the mills that he used to work at, in my hometown, Greenville, SC. 

This used to be the old mill in Greenville, but it has been
changed to International Textile Group.

One of the old pictures of him in this same building, to the left

"He was an outside person and he loved his work. He was an outgoing person. He wasn't strict strict with the children, but he was stricter than me," a quote from my great-grandmother, Maude McGee, when I asked her to describe what kind of person he was.

My great-grandfather was happily married to my great-grandmother for 32 years. He died on January 24, 1981, of a heart attack. My great-grandmother also told me that he chose where he wanted to be buried before he died. He is buried at Graceland West Cemetery and Mausoleum, in Greenville, SC.

His grave marker at the cemetery.

He chose to be buried here because he knew of some people who were selling land to people at the cemetery. His grave marker is a flush headstone marker with a cross on the bottom along with his ranking in the Navy in WWII.

I chose to use him for this project because I thought that he was someone I hear about a lot in the family, and I wanted to get to understand more about him! I am glad that I did choose him for the project because I know more about him and more of who he was!

He will be remembered by our family by his achievements, such as being in the Navy, work, and so on. I believe he was a great person from what I hear from my family. I am glad I understand him more than before and I will be able to talk to my future family about him!