Stanley M. Harmon Research Compendium of the Literary History Series
Publisher: Floyd Thomas Pratt F.H.C., M.A.G.I.
Published: 2014
Place of publication: Bradenton, Manatee, Florida, United States
Format: pdf
Number of pages: 594
Description: Stanley M. Harmon Research Compendium
Scanned, Organized and Compiled By Floyd Thomas Pratt F.H.C., M.A.G.I. 2015

Back in the 1970’s, when some of you were not yet born, the early Pratt, Blanton, Carter and Harmon family researchers were still wading through thousands of documents in all forms and in all types of repositories trying to identify and connect our ancestors. 

One of these many such individuals, who brought clarity to this chaos, was Stanley M. Harmon of Washington D.C. Stanley began his research into his Harmon family ancestry in the 1970’s. 

Son of Allen Moses and Grace Neal (SEATON) Harmon and descendant of Stephen William Nicholas "Nick" Sr. and Sarah Mary (LUSTER) Harmon of Greene County, Tennessee. Stephen in turn; son of Hance Peter Sr. and Margaret (CHOULYN) Harmon who descended from our common German emigrant ancestors; Jacob and Anna Catherina (PAUSCHEN) Hermann from Kusel, Palatinate, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. 

In the 1980’s, while the rest of us, were trying to “catch up” to what Stanley and others had already discovered, Stanley was engaged in field trips to Monroe, Greene and other counties of Tennessee, gathering Harmon, Luster, Blanton and Carter family data, which he generously shared with other researchers.

I was lucky to be one of those recipients, who had the privilege to correspond and exchange family data on these “lost” Harmon, Carter, Blanton and Luster families of early Tennessee with Mr. Harmon.

Stanley not only was a hands-on researcher, he even organized several Harmon family seminars, in various states, helping to promote the research and understanding of our common Harmon ancestry.

Back in the day, before, we knew…what your now know today about your Harmon, Carter, Blanton and Luster ancestors, none of us could make positive family connections to potential progenitors. The records available were sketchy at best and contained ambiguous links to a multiple of Harmon, Blanton and Luster families. 

With Stanley’s help, we were able to unweave the tangled threads of commingled families and organize through documented hardcore data into the families you have come to recognize today.

Stanley Harmon helped accomplish this monumental task through hand written correspondence, copies of legal documented sources, and by transferring these records to various researches, resulting in my collection of over 5 inches of pages of Harmon related documents.

As an act of preservation, I have scanned these documents of over 300 pages as .jpeg files on a cd available for distribution to interested Harmon, and Luster family researchers.  

These documents contain letters, articles, stories, pictures and various research materials on the Harmon, Luster, some Blanton and Carter families of eastern Tennessee and Missouri. 

Stanley a prolific writer, corresponded with some of the “legends” of Harmon, Carter, Blanton and Luster family history researchers, many of these Harmon “pioneer” researchers have already crossed the veil and are no longer with us, but the effects of their research can still be felt in many Harmon family trees. 

These great researchers helped build the Harmon family groups sheets we now take for granted and with guilty pleasure, we can click our mouse, and transfer their hard research into our family trees, without the responsibility of earning the knowledge.

My Harmon family compilation of notes, articles, letters, deeds, land records, census, cemetery records, tax lists and legal documents began when I visited William Jesse Blanton of Norwood, Missouri back in the 1990’s. 

William Jesse Blanton son of Earl Medley and Lois Mae (SECHREST) Blanton also shares the common ancestor of Stephen William Nicholas "Nick" Sr. and Sarah Mary (LUSTER) Harmon of Greene County, Tennessee with Stanley Harmon.

Bill had accumulated a huge collection of letters, documentation and research material over years of correspondence with other interested Harmon-Blanton-Luster researchers. I was overwhelmed by his collection and he graciously allowed me to drive from his home into Norwood where I copied these records on a copy machine so I could “catch-up” on his and Stanley’s research.

Although Stephen William Nicholas "Nick" Harmon Sr. was not my direct line, and a brother to my 4th Great Grandmother; Susannah (HARMON), who married Jesse Carter Sr. I could contribute very little to their research concerning their direct line. Remember, at that time (1970’s), no one knew who Susannah’s parents were or which Harmon children belonged to which families. We were all grasping for straws and in the dark.

But the documents I copied, had hundreds of letters and legal material concerning the Germany, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Missouri Harmon families. And through a collective research effort, over time, Harmon families were organized, siblings and children were confirmed and family associations were validated.
Table of contents: title: Without the help of the following individuals, Harmon genealogy in the US would still be a conjugated mass of confusion. Some of their correspondences date from 1976…; title: Stanley Harmon of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Barbara Jones of Indianapolis, Indiana, Frances A. Berk of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Earl Luster of San Bernardino, California, William Jesse Blanton of Norwood, Missouri, 	Tom Goldrup of Ben Lomond, California, Theresa G. Kingsley of Lancaster, California, Marilyn Ward of Sweetwater, Tennessee, Floyd Thomas Pratt of St. Charles, Missouri, Ralph C. Harmon of Niangua, Missouri, Evelyn Mason Harris of Bolivar, Tennessee, Joy Wells Dyer of Houston, Texas, Elmer T. Cox of Greeneville, Tennessee, Agnes Jones, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Theresa A. Janczak of Greensboro, North Carolina, Lynn McSpaddin of Mountain View, Arkansas, Hazel P. Bridgewater of Milton Freewater, Oregon,; title: Types of Harmon records compiled on this cd covering records from Germany, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Missouri are as follows…; title: Stanley M. Harmon’s 3 famous field trips to Monroe and Greene County, Tennessee; title: Harmon Family Group Sheets from various researchers; title: Harmon Passenger Ship Records; title: Harmon Census records from several states; title: Harmon Family Articles printed in various books; title: Almost 100 pages of letters between the above researchers covering Harmon ancestry; title: Deed records from Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas; title: Harmon Cemetery records Tennessee and Arkansas; title: Harmon Marriage records Tennessee; title: Harmon Tax Lists Virginia; title: Harmon DAR Records Virginia; title: Harmon Probate Records Pennsylvania, Virginia; title: Luster Family Data, including correspondences from the late great Earl Luster; title: Harmon Church and Baptismal Records Virginia; title: Also, over the years Mr. Pratt has collected an impressive Harmon Family History on his line with the same type of documents as listed above aptly named the Harmon Auxiliary File. This file has over 100 pages of Harmon documents and is included with this cd.; title: This cd contains over 50 years of accumulative Harmon research material, which has been compiled by our Harmon family heroes listed above. I estimate it will take researchers several weeks if not months to process, analyze and assimilate the material contained therein.; title: In the process of examining these records; you will discover new Harmon family material and have a greater appreciation of the sacrifices our elder researchers, like Stanley M. Harmon had to endue to advance the knowledge of Harmon Family history.; title: It is due to Mr. Stanley M. Harmon’s prolific writing, dedication to road trips, selfless time and financial sacrifices I have dedicated this accumulative research material in his honor.; title: Thank you Stanley M. Harmon.; title: Stanley M. Harmon Research Compendium; title: Compiled By Floyd Thomas Pratt F.H.C., M.A.G.I. 2014; title: 594 pages of Harmon Family Research as .jpeg image files on a cd for $35.00; title: Can be ordered from Floyd Pratt, email at floydpratt59@gmail.com for a flyer and order form