Events in My Family Tree: December 18

Margaret Gantt died on her 76th birthday, probably in the same county in which she was born.

Births

Margaret Gantt, daughter of Joseph Gantt and Mary Ann McGowan, was born December 18, 1836 in Pennsylvania, probably in Perry County.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gantts.

Marjorie Alene Gaunt, daughter of Charles Gaunt and Pearl E. Cory, was born December 18, 1907 in Richvalley, Wabash County, Indiana.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Jimmy Wayne Doerner, Jr. was born December 18, 1955 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.  He was the first husband of Stacy Ann Sellers, who is my sister.

Carol Sue Dunn, daughter of Harold Edwin Dunn, Jr. and Ruth Clara Ellis, was born December 18, 1959 in Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri.  She is my second cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

Annette Parker, daughter of Gerald Robert Parker and Gloria Jean Allen, was born December 18, 1962, possibly in New Jersey.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Anna Marie Gaynor, daughter of James Owen Gaynor, Jr. and Ruth Heard Hunt, was born December 18, 1964 in Sparta, Essex County, New Jersey.  She is the 2nd cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James on their Gaynor line.

Keith Mason was born December 18, 1972.  He is my 3rd cousin.

Marriages

Amos Evans and Elizabeth Gaunt, daughter of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, were married December 18, 1823, probably in New Jersey.  Elizabeth is my 4th-great-grandaunt.

George N. Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen and Hannah Ann Gaunt, and Ada E. Mason were married December 18, 1889 in Ocean County, New Jersey.  George is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Alfred Joseph Chase and Beatrice Emma Naylor, daughter of James Mason Naylor and Martha Ann Murdock, were married December 18, 1919 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Emma is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Naylors.

Alvin Irwin Moss and Claire Rochelle Garfinkel, daughter of Jack Garfinkel and Martha Freedman, were married December 18, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  Rochelle is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Deaths

Margaret Gantt, daughter of Joseph Gantt and Mary Ann McGowan, died December 18, 1912 in Center Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania at the age of 76.  She is still my 2nd cousin 4x removed.

Rebecca Elizabeth Coverly died December 18, 1950 in Camden County, New Jersey at the age of 65.  She was married to Joseph L. Gauntt, son of Mark Lewallen Gauntt and Rhoda Ewing, who is my 3rd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line.

Irene Corlotta Gaunt, daughter of Henry Plummer Gaunt and Emma Smith, died December 18, 1954 in Los Angeles County, California at the age of 82.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

William George Facenda, Jr. died December 18, 1959 in Santa Clara County, California at the age of about 33.  He was the first husband of Mabel Ellen Elizabeth Brickel, daughter of James Newbill Armstrong and Beatrice Ruth Anna Swain, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Armstrong line through the Swains.

Kenneth Charles O'Brien died December 18, 1999 in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania at the age of 48.  He was the first husband of Carol Beth Sellers, daughter of Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. and Anita Clarice Loveman, who is my aunt.

Events in My Family Tree: November 16

I am finally restarting the listing of births, marriages, and deaths in my family, from when I left off in 2021!  I am determined to finish it this year.

Births

Carrie Louise Thackeray, daughter of Selector Thackeray and Louisa Moodey, was born November 16, 1879 in Indiana, possibly in Ripley County.  She is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Alpha E. Thackeray, daughter of Francis Marion Thackeray and Emma Sophia Busch, was born November 16, 1899 in New Point, Decatur County, Indiana.  She is also my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays and is Carrie Louise Thackeray's 1st cousin.

Hyman Gordon (originally Chaim Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, was born November 16, 1899 (November 4 on the Julian calendar) in Kishinev, Besserabia, Russian Empire (now Chisinau, Moldova).  He is my great-granduncle on my Gorodetsky line.

Shelley E. Bonifas, daughter of Joseph W. Bonifas and Delores Gilbert, was born November 16, 1962 in Indiana.  She is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Bonifases.

David Thomas Overlin was born November 16, 1968.  He is my 6th cousin.

Heather McAllister was born November 16, 1978.  She is the 2nd cousin 1x removed of my 1st cousin Albert Lore.

Naomi Aviva Perley was born November 16, 1986.  She is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Cameron Joachim Rocke was born November 16, 1995.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Natalie Desiree Doerner was born November 16, 2005.  She is my grandniece.

Marriage

Harold Ernst Easlick, son of Daniel Leon Easlick and Ella Ritchie Mingen, and Eleanor Braddock were married November 16, 1935, possibly in Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland.  Harold is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Deaths

Rebecca Armstrong, daughter of Joel Armstrong and Catherine Stackhouse, died November 16, 1931 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 85.  She is my 3x-great-grandaunt on my Armstrong line.

Charles Dalton Gaunt, son of Jacob Gaunt and Melvina F. Bennett, died November 16, 1929 in Scarsdale, Westchester County, New York at the age of 69.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Bertram Ruthledge Render died November 16, 1970 in Omaha, Douglas County, Nebraska at the age of 54.  He was the husband of Ruth Schumeister, daughter of Henry Schumeister and Celia Perlmutter, who is my 1st cousin 3x removed on my Nowicki line through the Perlmutters.

Events in My Family Tree: October 20

Vinton Thompson Easlick had a nephew also named Vinton Thompson Easlick.  I'm pretty sure they are the only two people in the history of the world with that name.

Births

Jacob B. Gaunt, son of Benjamin Gaunt and Sarah C. Plume, was born October 20, 1869 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Richard Wright Gaunt, Jr., son of Richard Wright Gaunt and Abbye P. Faulkner, was born October 20, 1929 in Los Angeles County, California.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Norman Farbman, son of Murray Farbman and Etta Millstein, was born October 20, 1943, probably in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line via the Millsteins.

Michael Leonard McStroul, son of Darwin Monroe McStroul and Rose Ruth Bloom, was also born October 20, 1943, albeit in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.  He is the 1st cousin of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Jean McStroul and the 1st cousin 1x removed of my 1st cousin Todd Meckler, my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams, and Mindy McStroul.

Shirley Hunt, daughter of John Hunt and Lois Adele Weaver, was born October 20, 1950, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line via the Weavers.

John Facenda Hall, son of William George Facenda, Jr. and Mabel Ellen Elizabeth Brickel, was born October 10, 1955 in Alexandria, Virginia.  He is my 3rd cousin on my Armstrong line through his mother.

John Randell was born October 20, 1965.  He is the 3rd cousin of my half-sister Laura Sellers.

Mary Eileen Wickham was born October 20, 1969.  She is also the 3rd cousin of my half-sister Laura Sellers.

Marriages

Benjamin Franklin Gaunt, son of Isaac Gaunt and Susannah Webb, and Elizabeth K. Frazer were married October 20, 1839 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Benjamin is my 1st cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

William Edward Gaunt, Sr., son of Samuel Gaunt, Jr. and Ann Horner, and Frances E. Fithian were married October 20, 1853 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  William is also my 3rd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Vinton Thompson Easlick, son of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, and Beaulah Anna Elizabeth Bozarth were married October 20, 1926 in New Jersey.  Vinton is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Kenneth Michael Meraw II and Maryann Austria Leoncio were married October 20, 2007.  Kenneth is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Deaths

John Gaunt, son of Reuben T. Gaunt and Hannah Lewallen, died October 20, 1821 in Burlington County, New Jersey as an infant.  He is my 1st cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Harry T. Gaunt, son of Isaac H. Gaunt and Emma Trowbridge, died October 20, 1918 in Camden County, New Jersey, at the age of 52.  He is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Garry Travis Doerner died October 20, 2012 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas at the age of 29.  He is my nephew.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Did You Or Your Children Know Their Great-Grandparents?

I'm going to broaden the scope of this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun question from Randy Seaver so I can have a more interesting post.

Your mission, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music) is:

(1) Did you or your children know their great-grandparents?  

(2) Tell us in your own blog post, in comments to this post, or in comments on Facebook.  As always, please leave a link to your work in Comments.

As I've mentioned before, I have no biological children of my own, so if I restricted this question to exactly as asked, it would be a really short post.  Therefore I'm going to expand it a little.

First, neither I nor my siblings knew any of our great-grandparents.  The closest any of us came is the story that I was told not only by my mother but also by my father, that my mother flew with me to Florida when I was but a babe in arms so that her grandmother — my great-grandmother, Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon — could see me.  Unfortunately, there is no proof of this visit that I have yet found, even though my grandfather routinely took all sorts of family photos.  How he missed the opportunity to get four generatiosn of women together in one photo is beyond me.  One of these days (soon, obviously) I need to ask some of my cousins on that side of the family, who still live in the Miami area, if they remember this momentous visit.  Anyway, as it stands, it's a story with no documentation.

The only other great-grandparent who survived to when my two siblings and I were alive was my father's paternal grandmother, Laura May (Armstrong) Sellers Ireland, known later in life as Nanny Ireland.  After I began doing family history research, I discovered that Nanny Ireland had lived to 1970.  That was before my family moved to Australia.  We had made some trips back east to visit family, but it was always my mother's family.  My father was not close to his family, so we never visited them.  And that meant we did not meet his grandmother.  When I learned that we had missed that opportunity, I was a little annoyed, but it was way too late to do anything about it at that point.

Keeping this in my generation, I'm not sure if any of my sister's children met a great-grandparent.  The only one who could have would have been her son Garry, who was born in 1983.  My paternal grandfather died in 1985.  Stacy might have brought Garry with her on a trip to Florida, and he might have met Grampa.

But if we take it one additional generation, we have a definite positive.  Stacy's granddaughter, Natalie, absolutely met her great-grandfather — my father.  So by manipulating this challenge just a little (okay, quite a bit), I finally have one positive result!

This photo, from the family reunion/birthday party I coordinated in 2015, includes my father and my grandniece.  My brain seems to be mush at the moment, because I have blanked on how to draw circles around each of them using Photoshop.  My father is on the far left wearing the blue and white shirt.  My stepmother is to his right in the photo, wearing a yellow blouse.  My grandniece is behind her with her back to the camera.  So I have documentation of my story!

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Photographs through the Generations

This week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun exercise from Randy Seaver is a fun one!

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music!), is:

(1) How many generations do you have photographs or portraits of your ancestors and descendants?  It can be any line—it just can't be broken!

(2) Tell us the line, or better yet, show us the unbroken line.  Provide birth and death years, and the approximate date that the photograph or portrait was made.

(3) Share your generation photograph line in a blog post of your own, in a Facebook post, or in a comment to this post.

I thought I wouldn't be able to compete with Randy on this, but I found one of my Jewish(!) family lines with eight generations of photographs.  It doesn't include me, because I don't have any descendants, but has my sister instead.

1.  3rd-great-grandfather Gersh Wolf Gorodetsky, unknown birth and death dates, probably from Podolia gubernia, Russian Empire (now in Ukraine), maybe from Kamenets Podolsky or Orinin, no idea when photograph was taken.  (At least I'm pretty sure this is Gersh Wolf Gorodetsky.)

2.  Great-great-grandfather Victor Gordon (originally Avigdor Gorodetsky, Hebrew name Isaac), ~1866–1925, from Kamenets Podolsky, Podolia gubernia, Russian Empire, photograph from about 1890 (on the left in the photo).

3.  Great-grandfather Joe Gordon (originally Joine Gorodetsky), ~1892–1955, from Kamenets Podolsky, Podolia gubernia, Russian Empire, photograph from about 1914 (on the right in the photo).

4.  Grandmother Lillyan E. (Gordon) Meckler, 1919–2006, originally from Manhattan, New York, photograph from 1937.

5.  Mother Myra Roslyn (Meckler) Sellers Preuss, 1940–1985, originally from Brooklyn, New York, photograph from about 1972.

6.  Sister Stacy Ann (Sellers) Doerner Fowler, living, originally from La Puente, Califorina, photograph from 2019.

7 and 8.  Nephew Garry Travis Doerner, 1982–2012, from San Antonio, Texas; and grandniece Natalie Desiree Doerner, living; unknown date for photograph.

Events in My Family Tree: May 26

I've seen Birdsall as a surname, but as a given name only for my grandfather's sister.  I wonder how her parents chose the name . . . .

Births

George Mack Holsinger, son of John Holsinger and Elizabeth Mack, was born May 26, 1804, possibly in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Macks.

Joseph Willet Votaw, Jr., son of Joseph Willet Votaw and Florence E. Barnett, was born May 26, 1913 in Wabash County, Indiana.  He is my 4rd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Patricia Chase, daughter of William Richardson Chase and Beatrice Bertha Vogel, was born May 26, 1941 in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Chases.

Leah Kay Michel was born May 26, 1952 in Baltimore City, Maryland.  She is married to Albert Lynn Lore, son of Frank Everett Eckman and Dorothy Mae Sellers, who is my 1st cousin via the Sellerses.

Yale Lawrence Minuk, son of Julius Minuk and Esther Golub, was born May 26, 1956 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  He is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Golubs.

Sandra Rosanne Rudin, daughter of Raymond Harold Rudin and Ruth Garfinkel, was born May 26, 1957 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  She is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Stephen Arthur Gauntt was born May 26, 1962 in New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin.

David Phillip Rosenbaum was born May 26, 1981 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  He is my 3rd cousin on my Gordon line.

Nathan Brailsford was born May 26, 1982.  He is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line.

Marriages

Charles E. Gale and Mary Hopkins Gaunt, daughter of Joseph L. Gaunt and Elizabeth Hopkins, were married on May 26, 1876, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Mary is my 2nd cousin 3x removed.

Jacob Persoff and Frieda Schneiderman, daughter of Joe Schneiderman and Annie Rachel Petranovsky, were married on May 26, 1940 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  Frieda is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Tom Ali and Rhonda Fay Minuk, daughter of Julius Minuk and Esther Golub, were married on May 26, 1994, probably in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  Rhonda, who is the sister of Yale Minuk (above) and got married on her brother's 38th birthday, is also my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Golubs.

Deaths

Isaiah Mock, son of John Mock and Mary Brown, died May 26, 1881 at the age of about 55 in Knox County, Ohio.  He is my 4th cousin 4x removed.

John Gaunt, son of David Gaunt and Pamela Plummer, died May 26, 1898 at the age of about 79, probably in Camden County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin 4x removed.

Birdsall Sellers, daughter of Cornelius Elmer Sellers and Laura May Armstrong, died May 26, 1916 at the age of 1 month in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my paternal grandaunt.

Alice Ann Mawhorr, daughter of William G. Mawhorr and Rosetta Sellers, died May 26, 2001 at the age of 67 in Lima, Allen County, Ohio.  She is my 6th cousin once removed.

Jimmy Wayne Doerner died May 26, 2017 at the age of 61, probably in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.  He was the first husband of my sister Stacy Sellers.

Events in My Family Tree: April 4

This is the first date for which I have an event for a Söller, which was the original German spelling of my Sellers family name.  My Söller ancestor came to the British colonies in 1728 and became a British citizen before the American Revolution.

Births

Maria Salome Söller, daughter of Johann Paul Söller and Anna Maria Heilmann, was born April 4, 1697 in Weinheim, Baden.  She is my 1st cousin 3x removed.

Elizabeth A. Gaunt, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Elizabeth K. Frazer, was born April 4, 1846 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  She is my 2nd cousin 3x removed.

Sallie Janet Hartman, daughter of Samuel Frank Hartman and Lucy Ann Gaunt, was born April 4, 1878 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 3rd cousin 2x removed.

Esther Jane Ellis, daughter of Levi Ellis and Carrie Florence Gauntt, was born April 4, 1915 in Burlingotn, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 1st cousin once removed.

Kenneth Melvin Gantt, son of Carl Thomas Gantt and Mabelle Yost, was born April 4, 1921 in Bradshaw, York County, Nebraska.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed (Gantts are also Gaunts, by the way).

Ruth Rebecca Segal was born April 4, 1925 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  She was married to George Kushner, son of Myrim Kushner and Chaye Golubchik, who is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Meckler line through the Golubchiks.

Selma Belle Lubin was born April 4, 1927 in New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts.  She was married to Sydney Brainin, son of Max Joseph Brainin and Nellie Doctor, who is my 1st cousin once removed.

Rose Marie Gaunt, daughter of Frank Eugene Gaunt and Judith Maxine Ditzenberger, was born April 4, 1956 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  She is my 6th cousin once removed.

Mary Esther Desiree Lewis was born April 4, 1986 in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas.  She is the mother of Natalie Desiree Doerner, who is my grandniece.

Marriages

Joseph Sellers, son of John Leonard Sellers and Elizabeth Wenger, and Leah Crumrine were married on April 4, 1852 in Allen County, Ohio.  Joseph is my 3rd cousin 4x removed.

George Horner Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Ann Horner, and Emily A. Miller were married on April 4, 1855 in Gloucester County, New Jersey.  George is my 3rd cousin 4x removed.

Joe Gordon (originally Gorodetsky), son of Victor Gordon (originally Gorodetsky) and Esther Leah Schneiderman, and Sarah Libby Brainin, daughter of Mendel Hertz Brainin and Ruchel Dwojre Jaffe, were married on April 4, 1914 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  They are my maternal great-grandparents.

Earl Perkins and Patricia Ann Lore, daughter of Clarence Newcomb Lore and Dorothy Mae Sellers, were married on April 4, 1981 in Ft. Myers Beach, Lee County, Florida.  Pattie is my 1st cousin.

David Harry Durland and Laura Lynn Sellers, daughter of Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. and Mary Lou Jocelyn Bowen, were married on April 4, 2004 in Indialantic, Brevard County, Florida.  Laurie is my half-sister.

Deaths

Gertrude Perlman, daughter of Abraham Perlman and Stella Joffe, died April 4, 1928 at the age of 4 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my 3rd cousin once removed on my Nowicki line through the Perlmans.

Adele Garfinkel, daughter of Eliezer Louis Garfinkel and Doba Ajzner, died April 4, 1970 at the age of 34 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Donna Jean Phillips, daughter of Cecil Thurman Phillips and Martha Ann Surran, died April 4, 2001 at the age of 46 in Wichita, Sedgwick County, Kansas.  She is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Surrans.

Wordless Wednesday