Hi Jonathan,
It's amazing that just today I came across this message because I have been working on your family genealogy for about 7 years.
My research does not have to do with Indian heritage of the Going surname. I am seeking descendants of Walter Leroy Going who I believe to be my biological maternal grandfather.
Your grandfather is John Thomas Going, Sr. born in 1936 and died in 1983. Isn't that correct?? I just today located the obituary of your father, Michael Todd Going, Sr. that lists his children: Todd Going of Mebane, Jonathan Going of Durham, Sherri Going Stephenson, and Brittany Going, both of Durham.
Since I have done extensive research on the Going surname, I have a lot of documentation and sources that positively indicate your descension is from a Going branch from South Carolina, in particular the town of Abbeville and Abbeville County.
Your grandfather, John Thomas Going, Sr. who was married to Charlotte Patricia Fisher was the son of Walter Leroy Going and Myrtle (Summeral/Sumerel-unsure of spelling). Walter Leroy Going was born Jan 15, 1910. His parents were William Beauregard Going (1863-1911) and Ida Eugenia Gilmer Going (1870-1942. They are both buried next to each other at Little Mountain Cemetery in Abbeville, South Carolina. Walter Leroy Going had a number of brothers and sisters: Frank Going, Wideman Going, Mary Harrison Going, and Essie Gertrude Going who married Stonewall Jackson Woolbright. The Woolbright Family goes back many generations in Abbeville, South Carolina.
I have located evidence that John Thomas Going, Sr. had a sister by the same parentage as he. Her name is Barbara Jean Going. She was born in 1934 in Laurens, SC. Unfortunately, she died August 20, 2011. She was age 75. Her obituary appeared in the Greensboro News-Record. She was married to Herbert Franklin Wrenn and had 5 children: Gary Wrenn, Michael Wrenn, Linda Wrenn Weldner (has family tree on Ancestry.com), Darryl Wrenn, and Harold Wrenn. I don't know if you were aware of these cousins of yours that live in the Greensboro area.
My mother was born Mabel Helen Going. She is shown on the 1930 census in Lockhart, Union County, SC with that name although the census takers did not know how to spell and it came out as "Jing." My mother knew her father as Roy Going. My mother's mother was Mabel Burtell Harris. Mother was born June 27, 1926, in Lockhart, South Carolina.
According to records, Walter Leroy Going never lived in Lockhart, SC. However, his grandfather, Drury Dobbins Going was a census taker in Union County who did live in Lockhart at one time but moved to Abbeville. Drury's name appears on many census records in Lockhart Township (which was called Pinckney at that time).
Roy Going left the household, if there was one, before Mother was 2 years old. Her mother remarried (assuming that her mother and Roy Going were ever married--I have my doubts as no records of marriage or divorce have been discovered by me). My grandmother was 17 and Roy was 16 when mother was born. Since mother was a baby when Roy left, she had no memory of him. The only other time she saw him was after I was born in 1947. Her mother called her over to Lockhart because her father was there and wanted to see her. I found all this information since my mother died in 2002. She never tried to look for her father and never knew anything about where he was and what he was doing or whether he had married and had other children.
In locating living descendants, I was hoping to find someone who may have had photos of Leroy Going to see if there was a family resemblance. I also considered the possibility of doing DNA testing if I located any living descendants willing to proceed with DNA testing.
I would very much like to communicate with you further about this and your other Going relatives. This is very important to me, so if there is some way I can contact you by telephone, that would be great. Here is my contact information: Dollie Yvonne Nance, 209 W. Walnut St. Apt 6-E, Bladenboro, NC 28320. Telephone: 910-207-0334.
Email Address:
dnance2@ec.rr.comIf you want to look at my tree on Ancestry.com where I have all this information posted and documented, the name of the tree is Johnson/Harris Family Tree, Lockhart, South Carolina. Or, do a search on Mabel Burtell Harris Johnson.
My mother's profile is shown as Mabel Helen Going Johnson Nance Helms. Going was her birth name, Johnson is her step-father's name, Nance is her lst married name, and Helms is her 2nd married name.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Dollie Nance