Amberly R. Carter-Mills

Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist of BEFORE TILL. Cultural technologist, researcher and interpreter, and a living descendant of the John and Laura Smith household. Born 23 May 1985 and recorded at birth under the surname Harris, the surname of her mother's first husband, whose name Illinois law required on the original certificate because the marriage had not yet been dissolved. Michael Carter married her mother in 1986 and adopted her at the age of one, at which point her surname became Carter. She considers herself a member of Michael Carter's family. Biological paternity is attributed to Tyrone White and is recorded for accuracy only; no relationship is claimed.

No claim in this case has reached documented status.

• The eighty-acre place

  “John and Laura acquired approximately eighty acres, with a house, barns, livestock, a blacksmith shop, wells, orchards, pastures, streams, gardens, trees, and poultry.”

  Earliest known teller: Alma Smith Spearman · BT-TRD-00097

• Laura attended "Vicksburg College"

  “Laura Tolliver, while yet a student of Vicksburg College, was given in marriage to John Smith, a country farmer.”

  Earliest known teller: Alma Smith Spearman · BT-TRD-00098

• Bishop C. H. Mason in the Smith home

  “Around 1897 John and Laura Smith welcomed Bishop C. H. Mason into their home, extended an ongoing invitation for him to stay when in the area, their son Joe cared for his horse and buggy, and their oldest grandson Mason Harrison Smith was named for him.”

  Earliest known teller: Alma Smith Spearman · BT-TRD-00099

• The five-year separation

  “Hilliard was sold to another enslaver in Arkansas and separated from Bettie. Bettie's grief was so constant that her enslavers purchased Hilliard back, ending a separation the family remembers as lasting about five years.”

  Earliest known teller: Alma Smith Spearman · BT-TRD-00195

• Choctaw ancestry in Bettie's line

  “Family memory identifies Choctaw ancestry in the ancestry of Bettie Alexander Taliaferro, born about 1837.”

  Earliest known teller: Not recorded · BT-TRD-00604

• Shawnee ancestry in Hilliard's line

  “Family memory identifies Shawnee ancestry in the ancestry of Hilliard Taliaferro, born about 1823 in Virginia.”

  Earliest known teller: Not recorded · BT-TRD-00605

• Is Amberly R. Carter-Mills a child of Magnolia Gordon-Carter?

  Family Tradition

  Obtain the amended Illinois birth certificate and record a redacted public extract establishing the mother-child relationship.

• How did the founder's surname change from Harris to Carter?

  Family Tradition

  Can the adoption decree and the amended Illinois certificate be obtained and entered as a redacted derivative?

• Who was named as father on the founder's original birth certificate, and why?

  Family Tradition

  Obtain both the original and the amended certificate so the legal sequence can be cited from documents rather than testimony.

• · Locate and examine a census enumeration, birth record, death record naming parents, marriage record, obituary, Social Security application, church record or probate file.
• · Request the adoption decree and the amended certificate from Illinois; enter only a redacted public derivative.
• · Obtain both certificates. Any original remains in restricted storage.

1. Family knowledge supplied by Amberly R. Carter-Mills

   Amberly R. Carter-Mills · BEFORE TILL research files · Authored Narrative

   Primary oral history — for the interviewee · Original image: Transcript verification pending · BT-SRC-00264

2. Statement of Amberly R. Carter-Mills concerning her mother, Magnolia "Maggie" Carter

   Amberly R. Carter-Mills, Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist · BEFORE TILL archive, Hello Ambi, LLC · Original

   Primary oral history — for the interviewee · Original image: Transcript verification pending · BT-SRC-00317

3. Statement of Amberly R. Carter-Mills concerning her parentage, adoption and change of surname

   Amberly R. Carter-Mills, Founder, Creator & Descendant Archivist, Hello Ambi, LLC · Authored Narrative

   Primary oral history — for the interviewee · Original image: Transcript verification pending · BT-SRC-00327

4. Amended Illinois certificate of birth for Amberly R. Carter-Mills, 23 May 1985 — described derivative, no image published

   State of Illinois, Division of Vital Records · Held by the family; certified copy not yet ordered by the archive · Abstract

   Derivative source · Original image: Citation entered — image review pending · BT-SRC-00387

5. Bibliographic details pending — family history by Alma Smith Spearman

   Alma Smith Spearman · Authored Narrative

   Authored family history · Original image: Publication details pending · BT-SRC-00040

7 discrete observations were extracted from these sources for this case.