Diggin' Up Graves

Copyright Statement NOTE: Researched surnames are in ALL CAPS, and full names are in boldface type on first use. In a recent text to my friend and fellow genealogist Chris Mosher, I asked him what I should write about next and gave him four options. His reply: “Maybe the John Judge trip. It’s been 4 years, right?” Me: “3.5.” We both laughed. We all know I’m slow. Thanks for rubbing it in,…

Way back in November 2014, I wrote a short article (here) with a blurb about each veteran ancestor who I had discovered by then. There are five more that I now know of: Charles William TROUTMAN, Elias T. TROUTMAN, John JUDGE, Robert JOHNSON, and Strangeman HUTCHINS. I have researched the military service of Charles William TROUTMAN, Elias T. TRAUTMAN, and John JUDGE enough to be confident. Robert…

Matrilineal Descendants of Patience (WHITAKER) MARLOW of Iredell County, North Carolina

This article is a follow-up to “Were Mary (WHITAKER) JOHNSON and Patience (WHITAKER) MARLOW Sisters?” In it, I laid out some circumstantial evidence that has led me to believe, besides the surname, that Patience WHITAKER and Mary WHITAKER were related and even may have been sisters. You can review that short article for a refresher. Also, please see the endnotes [a] and [b] at the bottom of this…

Fortitude Book Release – Guest Post by Dale R. Spaulding

Fortitude: Preserving 400 Years of an American Family’s Faith, Patriotism, Grit and Determination Book Release Guest Post by Dale R. Spaulding NOTE by Elizabeth Wilson Ballard: Dale Spaulding is my 4th cousin. We are both descended from Absalom Renfro and Elizabeth (Cormack) Renfro, our 3rd-great-grandparents. I encourge you to read this post, purchase the book Fortitude, and follow Dale’s blog.…

Were Mary (WHITAKER) JOHNSON and Patience (WHITAKER) MARLOW Sisters?

Patience WHITAKER was the wife of Elijah MARLOW. Their marriage bond was obtained in Rowan County, North Carolina, by Elijah and bondsman William PARKE on 14 July 1795. Mary WHITAKER was the wife of Strangeman JOHNSON. Their marriage bond was obtained in Rowan County, North Carolina, by Strangeman and bondsman Elijah MARLOW on 6 March 1798. Strangeman and Mary (WHITAKER) JOHNSON were my 4th…

John JUDGE – Ohio Timeline: c. 1812 to c. 1839 – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 114)

Researched by Myrle Lea “Micki” DeFrance Jacobson (1951–2020), Elizabeth Wilson Ballard, and Christopher A. Mosher Written by Elizabeth Wilson Ballard NOTE: Surnames are in ALL CAPS, and introduced names are in boldface type. The introductory article about John JUDGE, originally Hans REICHTER, is at this link:…

John JUDGE (d. 1846) – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 114)

Researched by Myrle Lea “Micki” DeFrance Jacobson (1951–2020), Elizabeth Wilson Ballard, and Christopher A. Mosher Written by Elizabeth Wilson Ballard NOTE: Surnames are in ALL CAPS, and introduced names are in boldface type. This is a story of the life of John JUDGE as derived from decades of research performed by Micki Jacobson, a fellow descendant. I asked Micki if I could continue the…

Happy 90th Birthday, Mom – I wish you were here

Today, April 3rd, would have been my mother’s 90th birthday. Here are a few pictures of her with some of her favorite people. My mom and her mother, circa 1937 My mom and her mother, circa 1953 Mom and Dusty Tom, me, Mom, and Dusty Her little red-headed grand-baby, 1982 Kuhn Family Reunion, October 2004, New Castle, Indiana

Mother and infant in a rocking chair

Surprise! I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite photos of my mother and me. Mother and infant in a rocking chair

Uncles Perry and Ernest WILSON: My Grandfather’s Locomotive Engineering Brothers – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 6)

My maternal grandfather Roy U. WILSON was one of 8 children of Isaac Andrew and Barbara (HAAS) WILSON. There were four girls and four boys. Roy was the youngest.

Of his three older brothers, one died in Colorado, and the other two moved to northern Indiana and became locomotive engineers.

Great-uncle Perry Lucian WILSON (1878–1937) worked for the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad Company (EJE)…

Ancestor Adventuring and Adventures – 52 Ancestors (Ancestors 22, 24, 25, 46, 47, 62, 63, 72, 73, 96, 114, 480, 960)

Lately, I’ve been writing a few articles to go along with the weekly suggested themes of the 52 Ancestors Challenge. It’s what got me started with this blog in January 2014* during Amy Johnson Crow’s first year of the challenge.

I couldn’t think of what to write on this week’s theme of adventure. All that came to mind were danger and travels. It seemed like there should be more to it than that.…

William Cotter and Catherine (Shanahan) Cotter: From Ireland to America 1849 – 52 Ancestors (Ancestors 46 and 47)

William Cotter and Catherine (Shanahan) Cotter were already married when they emigrated from Ireland to New York in 1849. They brought some of their children with them, and some were born in the USA. According to Catherine’s 1900 U.S. Federal Population Schedule record, she had birthed a total of 12 children, with only 4 surviving at that time.

I have been unable to find any census record for…

Sarah (Johnson) Kuhn: “Mum” – Harvesting Photos – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 31)

Sarah (Johnson) Kuhn: “Mum” – Harvesting Photos – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 31)

Sarah Johnson was my great-great-grandmother. I have found or heard so much about her that I could probably write this story half asleep with my eyes closed. Yet, I wish I knew more.

Birth and Early Childhood

Sarah was born to Thomas and Rachel (JOHNSON) JOHNSONwho were distantly related through several endogamous Quaker…

Organizing Your Genealogy Contacts

Organizing Your Genealogy Contacts

I was chatting with a friend and fellow genealogist when I typed, “I really should make a spreadsheet of all my contacts with people for the different families.” Her response, “That’s a great idea!!” Then she encouraged me to write an article about that, so here it is, and the spreadsheet has begun. I doubt this is a novel topic, but this is my idea.

If you’re…

Roy U. Wilson (1894-1939) – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 6)

Roy U. Wilson (1894-1939) – 52 Ancestors (Ancestor 6)

My mother’s daddy died when she was only 8 years old. His full name was Roy Ulmont WILSON, born 1 October 1894 near Warrington, Hancock County, Indiana, to Isaac Andrew WILSON, a blacksmith and farmer in Brown Township, and Barbara Ellen (HAAS) WILSON, a first generation German-American who was born in Pennsylvania, probably Philadelphia, not…

Elizabeth (CORMACK) RENFRO – A Nice, Big X Match (Ancestor 45)

Elizabeth (CORMACK) RENFRO – A Nice, Big X Match (Ancestor 45)

If you’ve been studying genetic genealogy for a bit, you may understand X DNA, but I’ll give a summation here.

X DNA is different from regular autosomal DNA. The 23rd chromosomal pair contains the sex chromosomes – those which determine the biological gender of the child. In all but rare cases, biological females have two X…

Coon’s Fort – New Post on Coon Genealogy Blog

https://coongenealogy.wordpress.com/2019/09/09/background-more-about-coons-fort/