Vines and Keeling

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Welcome to the Vines and Keeling Family Tree Website!

The data gathering for the Vines and Keeling Family Tree, as it exists today, was initiated by Charles Lee Vines in 1990. Charles is the 11th child, 5th son, of High and Pinkie Vines. Charles was inspired to document the Family shortly after the passing of his mother in January of 1988.
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WHO WE ARE

High Vines (Daddy) and Pinkie Keeling (Momma) were born into the world in 1901 and 1908, their lives represented a profound journey through the 20th century full of extraordinary change, all experienced from a unique and significant vantage point.

Pinkie was literally the “girl next door” to High, they fell in love and married on November 20, 1924 in Bowie County, Texas. During the 30 years of marriage came 12 children and the big move to California. High and Pinkie moved to California in the spring of 1943, settling in Wasco, California. Roger, High, Australia, Ivory, Alva, Arlene, Octavia, Thurman, William, Rosemary, Charles and Levon are pictured at Pinkie’s funeral in 1988.

High Vines, Sr. was born on Monday, March 18, 1901, in Texarkana, Texas. His vision was to have all his children with Pinkie Keeling, and they had 6 boys and 6 girls.
Mother and Father: Lottie Allen-Smith and William Vines.
Brothers and sisters: Madie, Marth Anna, Charles (Charlie) and Richard.
High’s documented ancestry dates back to his Grandfather, Sipual Vines and Grandmother Rose. Sipual was born about 1820, was freed from slavery while in Texas. Rose was also freed from slavery while in Texas after having 25 children.
Note: We have recently discovered that William Vines’ death certificate refers to Cipual Vines as “Sip Vines”. The website will refer to Cipual Vines in the family tree information.

Pinkie Keeling Vines. was born on Friday, April 10, 1908 in Texarkana, Texas. Her vision was to raise
her children in California. She and High had 13 children, the 1st was stillborn, with 6 boys and 6 girls.
Pinkie’s Mother and Father: Pinkie Mathilda Short and Forest Keeling
Brothers and Sisters: Mamie, Percel, Ivy Catherine, Tyler, Leomie, Sullie, Margaret and Forest. She was
the youngest girl.
Pinkie’s documented ancestry dates to her Grandfather, Lewis Keeling and Grandmother Margaret.
Lewis was born in Pittsylvania County, Virginia around 1820 and later became a property owner in
Texas. Margaret was from North Carolina. We don’t know when they migrated to Texas, however
we have census records from the mid-1870’s showing his father born in Texarkana, Texas.
High and Pinkie moved to California in the spring of 1943, settling in Wasco, California.
Several of Pinkie’s brothers and sisters had moved from Texarkana to Los Angeles in the late 1930s and early 1940s and owned businesses in the city.

High and his oldest son, Roger, left for California in early 1943. They got settled, found work in the fields and sent for the rest of the family. All of High and Pinkie’s children made the trip except Australia, who had married and started a family in Texarkana. High Vines, Jr. remembers the trip quite vividly, as he was 13 at the time. The children making the trip included: High, Ivory, Alva, Arlene, Octavia, Thurman, and baby William. Rosemary, Charles and Levon were born in the mid 1940s and early 1950s in California.

About High and Pinkie’s children:  

1. Roger Vines

Bio: Roger Vines, born Thursday July 8, 1926 (“Thursday’s child has far to go” per the 1570 nursery rhyme about each day of the week you were born). His conception date was about October 1925. Roger was born on a rented farm in the “Black Bottom” near his Aunt Marth Anna Vines in rural Bowie County, Texas near Hooks, Texas and between Smith Hill and Burns.  Nickname was “RV”.

2. Australia Vines:

Bio: Australia Vines, born Tuesday, January 31, 1928 (“Tuesday’s child is full of grace”). She was conceived around April 1927 and born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname “Sister.”

3. High Vines, Jr.

Bio: High was born Sunday, January 12, 1930 (“Sunday’s child is fair and wise, and good and gay”). He was conceived in April 1929 and born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname was “Son”

4. Ivory Vines

Bio: Ivory was born Tuesday, April 19, 1932 (“Tuesday’s child is full of grace”). She was conceived around July 1931 and born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname Tuey.

5. Alva Vines

Bio: Alva was born on Tuesday, February 27, 1934, (“Tuesday’s child is full of grace”). She was conceived around May 1933 and born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname was “Hog Boy”

6. Arlene Vines

Bio: Arlene was born Monday, January 27, 1936 (“Monday’s child is fair of face”). She was conceived around April 1935. She was also born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname was “Baby”

7. Octavia Vines

Bio: Octavia was born on Monday, January 10, 1938 ((“Monday’s child is fair of face”). She was conceived around April 1937. She was also born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname “Tater Baby”.

8. Thurman Vines

Bio: Thurman was born on Saturday, January 13, 1940 (“Saturday’s child has to work for a living”). He was conceived around April 1939. He was also born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname was “TV”.

9. William Vines

Bio: Bill was born on Saturday, January 10, 1942 (“Saturday’s child has to work for a living”). He was conceived around April 1943 and was born in the Bottom, Bowie County, Texas. Nickname was “Doll”

10. Rosa May (Rosemary) Vines

Bio: Rosemary was born Friday, July 14,1944 (“Friday’s child is loving and giving”). She was conceived in October 1943 and was the first child born in California in the town of Shafter, California. Nickname was “DuhDuh”.

11. Charles Vines:

Bio: Charles was born Tuesday, June 13, 1950 (“Tuesday’s child is full of grace”). He was conceived around September 1949 , was the 2nd child born in California and the 1st child to be born in a hospital in Bakersfield, CA. Nickname was “Boogie”.

12. Levon Vines

Bio: Levon was born Thursday, January 17, 1952 (“Thursday’s child has far to go”). He was conceived about April 1951 and born in Kern County General Hospital, Bakersfield, CA. Nickname was “NeNe”.

  • Family Values: Daddy and Momma were intent on instilling a set of values for set the tone their children’s lives, then included:  
  1.  The girls were taught that they should be careful about the people they met because not everyone was necessarily a friend and always keep enough money to get back home. 
  2. Every child was expected to be a responsible individual which included being trustworthy and truthful. And take pride in your word.
  3. Avoid children out of wedlock. (boys and Girls)…(remember High, Sr’s vision)
  4. Faith in God would be a bedrock from Daddy.
  5. Acquire your education and avoid being a “dummy” was espoused by Momma. 
  6. Save some money, at least a dime for every dollar (a big deal from Momma)
  7. It would always be important to ultimately be an independent person and not be beholding to others (including siblings).. a real emphasis from Momma. 

Thanks to Alva Vines Reagor for providing Daddy and Momma’s family values.

On this website, you'll be able to:

  • See the latest Family News and upcoming events
  • Link yourself as a descendant of either Sipual Vines or Lewis Keeling
  • Display your ancestry or descendant trees
  • Find a list of individuals and information about the individuals
  • Provide feedback/input with respect to corrections or new additions to the family tree
  • View Family photos from the past and present
  • Provide information on events you would like posted to the website  

Death

  • January 27, 2011: Bernice Keeling James passed quietly in Texarkana, Texas. She was the second child of Aaron Lee Keeling,Sr. and Lessie Bradshaw. She was born May 3, 1917 in Texarkana, Texas. She left two children to carry on her legacy.
  • November 7, 2010: Rosemary (Vines) Poole passed quietly from a long time illness in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was the eleventh child of High and Pinkie Vines. She was born July 14, 1944 in Shafter, California.
  • September 4, 2010: Levon Vines passed from a violent crime in Bakersfield, California. He was the thirteenth child of High and Pinkie Vines. He was born January 17, 1952 in Bakersfield, California. He left two children to carry on her legacy.
  • May 20, 2010: Octavia (Vines) Burris passed quietly from a longtime illness in Woodland Hills, California. She was the eigth child of High and Pinkie Vines. She was born January 10, 1938 in Texarkana, Texas. She left three children to carry on her legacy.

Special Awards:

October 21, 2004: Tony Luton, son of Marlene Gurley Duncan, was recognized a one of America’s Outstanding Teachers. He received this award in 2002 and again in 2004. He was chosen by people of his community for his influential work with High School Students.

Contact Us

Charles L. Vines, Family Historian