Stephanie Mills 


John and Malvina Peck are our earliest known ancestors who were both born in Virginia between 1820 and 1830. We are still researching to determine where in VA they were born, either free or enslaved, and what family they may have left. But, for the ones that we have found, the Peck are now "home".

The little oral history that we have for research comes from our ancestor, Eddie Pecke who was born in 1902 in Marion County, Florida. He stated to his son that his father Grant Peck born 1872, said that “our ancestors were not slaves”. So, we also search among the free. Other oral history comes from our Stewart relatives and Mable Sims in Hernando, County, FL and Esther in Tampa, FL.  
 It was also Eddie Pecke who change the spelling of his last name from Peck to Pecke. He had his reason, and his sisters also began spelling their name with the “e” on the end. Other family names that are spelled differently include: O’Neal/Oneal, and Yeoman(s)/Youman(s).

We started as a small group of one, two or three; now we are up to about 7 researchers. We continue to research our family history even connecting with those who are white if the DNA leads us to them. Using DNA has been a great aid. Some of us took DNA tests and invited others from Ancestry to join our research group. We have now grown to more than 200 living family members from all over the United States.

This site was started for several reasons which include the hope that more Pecks will find us here. We are still researching to prove or disprove migration theories and find ancestors whose trails we have not been able to trace. But, it was mostly started because we wanted family members to know their roots, and know each other.

We have DNA matches that we still need to figure out how we relate. Some of those are Margaret Evans-Love, Russell Peck, Albert Ruffin, Willie Russell, Tony Houck, Leontyne and Lyle Peck, our Foley twins, and more. Our work continues.

"Home" by Stephanie Mills was chosen for this site's first page because of the title, and because many time we would like to go back home where we can always find family, as you can on this site. And so, it is a "theme" of sort.

So, if you find us here and think that you are related, please contact us at Peckfamily2016@yahoo.com, or here in our comments at "click here" above, and tell us how you believe we may be related
 Thank you.

Written by Cynthia Sims Cann, daughter of Arletha James Sims, daughter of Rosabelle James Pecke. Some stories and ancestor's photo credits on this and the main site go to: Gloria Robinson                      Willie Pouncy 
 Richard Dixon                        Deidre Richardson McQuary  Evelyn Chester Henderson          Linda Yeoman
 Joyce Metzler                        Curtis Yeomans 
 Josie Harris                         Joel Harris 
 My Grandma Rosabelle Pecke           Shannon Richardson
 ...and my FB Peck Family
 Special thanks to: Alexis Erkert for the story and background for the Manuel Williams/Thurgood Marshall files; Corey Edwards for research assistance; Andi Cumbo-Floyd and Joanie Douglas for DNA comparisons and inspiration to research the Cocke family; to Les and Alan for technical support; and to Joel Harris, Margaret Evens-Love and Ida Branch for their spirit and enthusiasm.