Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Top Five Surprises

Anytime someone asks me to list my top number X of anything, I have to think about it for a while, as I did with this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver.

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

1.  Check out Top Five Surprises by D. M. Debacker on the Gathering Leaves blog.

2.  What are your top five surprises you have found in your genealogy research and family history work?

3.  Tell us about your surprises in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook comment.

My surprises come from more than 50 years of research.

1.  My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, was born out of wedlock and was not the biological son of the man my great-grandmother Laura May Armstrong married.  This revelation, which I later proved with Y-DNA, came to me when I suddenly began to wonder why, if my great-grandfather had loved his stepfather so much as to name a son after him, he would name his second son after him, while naming his first son after a "close family friend."
See "I'm Apparently a Sellers by Informal Adoption"

2.  I had been told that my maternal grandfather's brother Rubin Meckler had been born and had died very young in the Russian Empire, before my great-grandparents immigrated to the United States.  I was amazed to discover him in the 1915 New York Census and then find his birth and death dates in the New York City indices.
See "Surprising Discovery in the New York Census"

3.  My great-grandmother Jane Dunstan was six months pregnant when she married my great-grandfather Thomas Kirkland Gauntt in 1891.  She had immigrated here from England only a year before.
See "Two Truths and One Lie"

4.  My great-grandmother Laura May Armstrong had an out-of-wedlock child, Bertolet Grace Sellers, three years after her husband had died.  She declined to name the father on both Bertolet's birth certificate and death certificate (she died at 6 years old).
See "Could 'Bertram' and 'Bertolet' Be Named for the Same 'Bert'?"

5.  My grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, was registered as a girl named Gertrude L. on his original birth certificate.  I still have no credible explanation as to why.
See "An Administrative Change of Sex"

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Do Some FamilySearch Full-Text Searching

Randy Seaver has more AI in store for us for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

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

1.  FamilySearch Full-Text Search continues to add databases and searchable images to their collections.  This is a gold mine, especially of land, probate, and court records.

2.  Pick one or two of your ancestors and see what you can find on FamilySearch Full-Text Search about them.

3.  Share your Full-Text Search find(s) in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

The results for most of my searches for my ancestors (and remember, an ancestor is someone from whom you descend, not a collateral relative; since there is no such thing as an "indirect ancestor", the term "direct ancestor" is redundant at best and nonsense otherwise) either had far too many results to look through, when I searched for just a surname, or no results at all, when I searched for full names in quotation marks to control the number of irrelevant results.  My names are not extremely common ones, such as Smith and Jones, but they are common enough that a blind search with no index produces far too many results to slog through.  My grandmother's name was Anna Gauntt, with no middle name that I have ever discovered, so I searched for "anna gauntt" and learned that the AI provides results with something between your search terms.  I was able to rule out all of those Anna Gauntts, because they either had middle names or initials or were not in the correct locations for my grandmother.  I abandoned my ancestors and searched for some of the unique surnames that I am doing research on.

My search for Gudapel, a name which has been used by only four people in the history of the world, produced two results.  Both had headers that read "History Records 1800–1902, Diaries 1800–1902 | New Hampshire. Genealogies 1978–1982, Society Records 1978–1982 | Maine. Genealogies 1978–1982, Society Records 1978–1982" (truncated on screen, but visible when I moused over the link).  If I were searching for a name that I did not know as well, I might have ignored these results, because I know the family was never in New Hampshire and Maine and would have no reason to appear in genealogies for those area.  Because I do know the name, I clicked on the links, hoping that maybe there was something from the 19th century, and discovered that the title was not particularly accurate.  Both links went to the same book, a 1941 Houston, Texas city directory, which did include the name of Geo. [George] Gudapel on two different pages.  While city directories can be classified as history records, the directory in question does not fall in the years of 1800–1902.  I'm not sure if I already had these directory listings.

I next searched for McStroul, a name which my aunt's grandfather created when he naturalized as an American citizen.  His original name was Moska Leib Strul.  He asked to have it changed to Leo Martin McStroul when he became a citizen.  The name McStroul belongs only to his family; when I find it, I know it has to be the right people.  When I entered it in the keyword field, I had 42 results.

I searched for McStroul when Randy did a previous FamilySearch Full-Text Search challenge.  At that time I had two results, both in my aunt's great-grandmother's will and probate.  The name appeared because my aunt's mother, who was the granddaughter of the deceased, was listed under her married name.  I noted at the time that the name actually appeared three times in the document, but only two were identified by the search.  This time the search picked up all three occurrences.

All 42 results for McStroul that Full-Text Search found were correctly read.  A couple of the given names were misread by the AI (such as Geo instead of what actually said Leo).  Many of the documents were ones that I have not previously found, such as articles in a Kingman, Arizona newspaper and naturalizations in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the McStroul family members appeared as witnesses.  So these are all useful in researching the family and are nice discoveries.

I tried searching for Szocherman, a name in my family that I believe more and more may be unique to that branch of my cousins.  I had no results.  But when I searched for Socherman, a spelling which some family members have adopted, I found many results, almost all of which were not for my cousins.  Amusingly, one that was my family was misread by AI and actually does say Szocherman.

After all of that, I tried to find a collateral relative in the database and searched for "frederick dunstan" in quotation marks.  Again the AI provided results with something between my search terms, and there were far more Frederick Dunstans than I had anticipated, more than was practical to look at.  I restricted the search to New Jersey and ended up with only four results, three of which were for Frederick C. Dunstan in Burlington County, which is exactly where my great-grandmother's brother should be found.  I believe this is the right person, so it appears he had a middle name, which I previously did not know, that started with C.  All three results are from deed indices from the early 1920's.  That does provide me with information about him.

Before I restricted the search to New Jersey, some of the results were for a Frederick Dunstan in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  I looked at them bcause that isn't horribly far from New Jersey and found that they were for a Frederick Dunstan from Combe Martin, England, which is in Devon County.  My Dunstans were from Lancashire, so I knew this was not my guy, but ironically, his wife's name was Jane.  Jane Dunstan is my great-grandmother and the sister of Frederick Dunstan.  I did find that entertaining.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Did Your Grandparents Know Their Grandparents?

In some ways, I love it when Randy Seaver's theme for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun is something for which I already know the answers.

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

1.  Did your grandparents know their grandparents personally?

2.  Check your family tree and share your grandparents' names and birth and death years and places, and their grandparents' names and birth and death years and places, and indicate if they knew their grandparents.

3.  Share  in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

As another poster on Randy's site commented, we did this exact same topic in February.  I took her cue and did this with my parents instead of my grandparents.  I realized after I wrote everything down that it would be difficult to look up the years I couldn't remember, because the computer on which I have been running my family tree crashed three days ago.  I shipped the computer out yesterday and won't know the status of the hard drive until at least Tuesday.  I searched for when I've posted about these ancestors, though, and retrieved the few years of which I was unsure that way.

• Father:  Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935 New Jersey–2019 Florida).  His grandparents were:
    • Cornelius Elmer Sellers (1874 Pennsylvania–1918 New Jersey; adoptive) — no
    • Laura May Armstrong (1882 New Jersey–1970 Florida) — yes
    • Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870 New Jersey–1951 New Jersey) — yes
    • Jane Dunstan (1871 Lancashire–1955 New Jersey) — yes

• Mother:  Myra Roslyn Meckler (1940 New York–1995 Florida).  Her grandparents were:
    • Morris Mackler (about 1882 Russian Empire–1953 New York) — yes
    • Minnie Zelda Nowicki (about 1880 Russian Empire–1936 New York) — no
    • Joe Gordon (about 1892 Russian Empire–1955 New York) — yes
    • Sarah Libby Brainin (about 1890 Russian Empire–1963 Florida) — yes

Totals:
Yes:  6
No:  2

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Tell Us about the Fathers in Your Tree

Tomorrow is Father's Day, so we knew that fathers would be the topic in some way for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun with Randy Seaver.

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

1.  It's Father's Day on Sunday.  This week, tell us about the fathers in your tree — their names, their birth and death years and locations, their occupations, the number of spouses, the number of children, etc.  Go back at least four generations if possible through your known second-great-grandfathers.

2.  Share your father list information in your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, BlueSky, or other social media post.  Leave a link to your post on this blog post to help us find your post.

I can handle this!  Well, except for the chart.  Family Tree Maker and I could not agree on producing that, so I'm omitting it.  I'll try to figure out how to beat FTM into submission at a later date.

• Father:  #2 Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935 New Jersey to 2019 Florida), automobile mechanic, 3 spouses, 4 children (3 girls, 1 boy)

• Grandfather:  #4 Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903 New Jersey to 1995 Florida), civil engineer, 3 spouses, 5 children (3 girls, 2 boys)

• Grandfather:  #6 Abraham Meckler (1912 New York to 1989 Florida), taxi driver, 1 spouse, 3 children (1 girl, 2 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #8 Mr. Mundy, unknown everything else except at least 1 child (1 boy)

• Great-grandfather:  #10 Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870 New Jersey to 1951 New Jersey), farmer, 1 spouse, 10 children (5 girls, 5 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #12 Morris Mackler (about 1882 Russian Empire to 1953 New York), carpenter, 1 spouse, 7 children (3 girls, 4 boys)

• Great-grandfather:  #14 Joe Gordon (about 1892 Russian Empire to 1955 New York), furrier, 1 spouse, 4 children (1 girl, 3 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #16 Mr. Mundy, unknown everything else except at least 1 child (1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #18 Joel Armstrong (1849 New Jersey to maybe 1921 New Jersey), laborer, 1 confirmed spouse, 3 confirmed children (2 girls, 1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #20 James Gauntt (1831 New Jersey to 1899 New Jersey), wheelwright, 1 spouse, 10 children (4 girls, 6 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #22 Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840 Lancashire to 1873 Lancashire), file grinder, 1 spouse, 6 children (3 girls, 3 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #24 Simcha Dovid Mekler (unknown Russian Empire to before 1903 Russian Empire), unknown occupation but carpenter would be a good guess, 1 known spouse, 2 known children (1 girl, 1 boy)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #26 Gershon Itzhak Novitsky (about 1856 Russian Empire to 1948 New York), wood turner, 1 official spouse, 7 known children (3 girls, 4 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #28 Victor Gordon (about 1863 Russian Empire to 1925 New York), furrier, 2 spouses, 8 children (4 girls, 4 boys)

• 2nd-great-grandfather:  #30 Morris Brainin (about 1861 Russian Empire to 1930 New York), shoemaker, 1 spouse, 8 children (4 girls, 4 boys)

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Who Are Your 32 3rd-great-grandparents?

I'm not sure how many names I'll be able to come up with for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver.

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

1.  Who are your 32 3rd-great-grandparents?  List them (with birth names).  Tell us when and where they were born, married, and died.  [NOTE:  This is easily done in your genealogy software program or online family tree by making an Ahnentafel or Ancestors report from yourself as #1, then copy and paste.]

2.  Share your list of your third-great-grands on your own blog post or in a Facebook, SubStack, or BlueSky post.  Leave a link on this blog post to help us find your post.

Let's see how well I do.

32.  Unknown.

33.  Unknown.

34.  Unknown.

35.  Unknown.

36.  Franklin Armstrong:  born about 1825 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; married Unknown before 1849, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died September 13, 1870 in Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.

37.  Unknown:  born before 1832 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died before October 8, 1850, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.

38.  Abel A(mos?) Lippincott:  born about January 26, 1825 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; married Rachel R. Stackhouse before 1846, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died May 28, 1888 in Florence, Burlington County, New Jersey.

39.  Rachel R. Stackhouse:  born about 1825–1826 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died November 15, 1890 in Chester Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.

40.  Hananiah Selah Gaunt:  born about January 25, 1795 in Burlington County, New Jersey; married Abigail Atkinson 1826–1829, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey; died April 15, 1852 in Burlington County, New Jersey.

41.  Abigail Atkinson:  born about August 19, 1804 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County; died February 1883 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.

42.  John Gibson:  born before 1814 in New Jersey; married Mary before 1832, probably in New Jersey; probably died in New Jersey.

43.  Mary:  born before 1814 in New Jersey; probably died in New Jersey.

44.  Richard Dunstan:  born about June 9, 1813 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; married Jane Coleclough December 25, 1833 in Manchester, Lancashire, England; died after April 7, 1861, probably in Lancashire, England.

45.  Jane Coleclough:  born about 1811 in Lancashire, England; died April 12, 1865 in Chorlton, Manchester, Lancashire, England.

46.  Thomas Winn:  born about 1792 in Lambrook, Shropshire, England; married Mary Parr(?) about 1812, possibly in Shropshire; died in England, possibly in Lancashire.

47.  Mary Parr(?):  died before June 7, 1841, probably in Lancashire, England.

48.  Zvi Mekler:  born before 1854 in Russia; married Esther before 1872 in Russia; died before 1903, possibly in Kamenets Litovsk, Russia.

49.  Esther. born before 1854 in Russia; died in Russia.

50.  Unknown.

51.  Unknown.

52.  Abraham Yaakov Nowicki:  born before 1839 in Russia; married Sirke before 1857 in Russia; died before 1896 in Russia.

53.  Sirke:  born before 1839 in Russia; died before 1893 in Russia.

54.  Ruven Yelsky:  born before 1841 in Russia; married Frieda Bloom before 1859 in Russia; died about 1898 in Russia.

55.  Frieda Bloom:  born before 1841 in Russia; died about 1898 in Russia.

56.  Gersh Wolf Gorodetsky:  born before 1823 in Russia, probably in Orinin or Kamenets Podolsky; married Etta Cohen?/Kagan? before 1840; died after 1905 in Russia, possibly in Kishinev, Bessarabia.

57.  Etta Cohen?/Kagan?:  born before 1823 in Russia; died before 1891, possibly in Kamenets Podolskiy, Ukraine.

58.  Joine Schneiderman:  born before 1841 in Russia; married Anna Ida (Chane Etta?) Kortisch? before 1868 in Russia; died before 1893 in Russia.

59.  Anna Ida (Chane Etta?) Kortisch?:  born before 1841 in Russia; died before 1891 in Russia.

60.  Solomon (Zalman?) Brainin:  born before 1846 in Russia; married Yetta before 1864 in Russia; died in Russia.

61.  Yetta:  born before 1846 in Russia; died in Russia.

62.  Joseph Jaffe:  born before 1854 in Russia; married Anna Binderman before 1872 in Russia; died in Russia.

63.  Anna Binderman:  born before 1854 in Russia; died in Russia.

Not anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be.  Seven totally unknown names, and for one of those I do have a small amount of hypothesized information.  For the 27 with names, only four are missing surnames.  It could have been much worse.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Two Truths and One Lie

This isn't a game that I used to play, but I have heard of it.  It certainly makes an interesting challenge for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Let's play the game "Two Truths and One Lie."  Tell three family stories — two must be true, and one must be a lie, an untruth.

2.  Have your readers guess which story is the lie and give their reasons for picking that story.

3.  Share your three stories on your own blog, on Facebook or other social media, or in a comment on this blog.  Share the link to your stories on this blog, so readers can respond.

4.  After all comments are in, share the lie in a comment on your post.

Okay, here goes.

1.  My great-great-grandmother Martha Winn (1837–1884) was three months pregnant when she married my great-great-grandfather Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873) in 1858.

2.  My great-grandmother Jane Dunstan (1871–1954) was three months pregnant when she married my great-grandfather Thomas Kirkland Gauntt (1870–1951) in 1891.

3.  My mother, Myra Roslyn Meckler (1940–1995), was three months pregnant when she married my father, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. (1935–2019), in 1961.

Which story is the lie?  Why do you think that story is the lie?

The Big Reveal

Even though Randy's instructions said to share the lie in a comment, everyone else updated the original post, so I'll do that also.  The lie is #2.  My great-grandmother was actually six months pregnant when she married my great-grandfather.  I guess the Nineties were a little more swinging than the Sixties in this case.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: The Occupations of My 2nd-great-grandfathers

I'm sure I have most of the information for tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver, but I don't know if I have it memorized.  I'm going to test myself.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Our ancestors had to work to support themselves and their families.  Do you know what occupations your 2nd great-grandfathers had?  Tell us about them.  If one intrigues or mystifies you, ask a free artificial intelligence tool to tell you more about the occupation in that place and time.

2.  Tell us about the occupations of your 2nd-great-grandfathers (and any AI created descriptions of those occupations) in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Okay, let's see how I do.

My eight 2nd-great-grandfathers and their occupations are:

Joel Armstrong (about 1849–?), laborer

James Gauntt (1831–1899), wheelwright

Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873), file grinder

Simcha Dovid Mekler (?–before 1904), possibly carpenter

Gershon Novitsky (originally Gershon Nowicki, about 1856–1948), wood turner, Hebrew teacher

Victor Gordon (originally Avigdor Gorodetsky, about 1863–1924), businessman, furrier

Morris Brainin (originally Mendel Hertz Brainin, about 1861–1930), shoemaker, peddler, rabbi

And that's only seven of them, because I still don't know who my biological great-grandfather was on the Sellers line, so I can't know who his father was.  If I include Sellers, my adoptive line:

Cornelius Godschalk Sellers (1845–1877), printer

I actually did very well from memory.  I did not remember the birth years of James Gauntt, Frederick Dunstan, and Cornelius Sellers or the earlier occupations of Gershon Novitsky and Morris Brainin.  Everything else I knew.

I still don't know when Joel Armstrong died.  I've seen it listed in a few family trees as 1921, but I have seen no documentation of his death (I don't think I've seen a complete date).  I keep looking.

Simcha Dovid Mekler never came to the United States.  I'm happy to know his name.  My guess for carpenter as his occupation is because his son, my great-grandfather Morris Mackler, was listed as a carpenter when he immigrated here, and many sons follow in their father's occupations.

And I just noticed that all eight men had different occupations!

I know that a carpenter and a wood turner are not the same thing, but I decided to search for the difference to clarify what they each do.  Google now automagically returns an AI synopsis at the top of the results page most of the time.  It said:

"a wood turner focuses on creating symmetrical, rotational objects using a lathe, while a carpenter focuses on structural and functional wood construction [such as] framing [and] trim, and installing fixtures."

So Randy can be happy that I did an AI search for my post.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Did Your Ancestor Have a "Different" Occupation? Try "Sam the Digital Archivist" on ChatGPT

I still think it's much more beneficial for people to do their own research rather than have AI do the work for them, but I am participating in this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Did one (or more) of your ancestors have a "different" occupation?  If so, try to find out more about that occupation in Steve Little's "Sam the Digital Archivist" custom prompt using the free ChatGPT4 artificial intelligence tool.  Click on the "Exploring unique ancestral occupations?" button and tell Sam in the "Ask anything" box to define and/or describe the occupation.

2.  Tell us about your ancestor's "different" occupation, and what Sam had to say about it,  in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

So I had to start by creating a login for ChatGPT4, because I have not used it previously.  After I did that, confirmed my e-mail address, and logged in, I used Randy's exact phrasing, substituting the information for my 2x-great-grandfather.  He didn't have a particularly different occupation, but so far none of my ancestors did.  I chose him because I have previously researched what a file grinder did, and I wanted to see whether ChatGPT4 would reveal anything I had not found.

So I typed the following question for Sam:

"My 2nd great-grandfather Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840-1873) resided in Hulme, Lancashire, England in 1871. The census record says he was a file grinder.  What was he doing?"

And this is what Sam/ChatGPT4 told me:

-- >< -- >< -- >< -- >< --

Great question! Your 2nd great-grandfather, Frederick Cleworth Dunstan, was a file grinder, which means he had a tough, dangerous, and highly skilled job in the metalworking industry. Let’s break it down:

What is a File Grinder?

A file grinder was responsible for sharpening, shaping, and finishing metal files used in various trades, from woodworking to metalworking. The job was part of the cutlery and tool-making industry, which was booming in industrial-era England, particularly in places like Sheffield and Lancashire.

The Process:

 Rough Shaping: Workers took raw, forged metal files and ground them to the correct shape using massive, high-speed grinding wheels made of sandstone.
 Sharpening the Teeth: The characteristic teeth of a file were cut (often by hand) and then refined on grinding wheels for precision.
 Smoothing & Polishing: Final grinding ensured the files were smooth, sharp, and ready for sale or use.

The Danger Factor 

File grinding was one of the deadliest industrial jobs of the 19th century due to:
 "Grinder’s Rot" (Silicosis & Lung Disease): Grinding metal and stone created a fine dust that workers inhaled daily. This led to serious lung diseases, often fatal.
 Exploding Grinding Wheels: If a stone wheel cracked or ran too fast, it could shatter, sending razor-sharp debris flying. Many workers were killed or maimed this way.
 Sparks & Fire Hazards: Grinding produced intense sparks, increasing fire risks, especially in factories filled with flammable materials.

Working Conditions

• File grinders typically worked in dimly lit, poorly ventilated workshops called grinding hulls.
• Most worked long hours (10-12 per day) for low pay.
• Protective gear? Ha! Workers had little to no protection, and safety regulations were practically nonexistent.

Why Was This Job in Hulme, Lancashire?

Hulme was part of the greater Manchester industrial area, known for its ironworking, tool-making, and manufacturing industries. Though Sheffield was the heart of steel grinding, Manchester had its fair share of metal and tool trades feeding into the broader economy.

Given that Frederick died in 1873 at only 33 years old, it raises the question:
 Could his occupation have contributed to his early death? Many grinders didn’t live past 40, succumbing to lung disease or workplace accidents. If his death certificate lists lung-related illness, consumption (TB), or a sudden accident, it could be tied to his trade.

What Next?

 Check Frederick’s death record—cause of death could confirm if his job played a role.
 Look for trade directories—they might list his employer or the workshop he worked in.
 Explore Hulme’s industrial history—find out more about metalworking in the area.
 Something else? What do you want to dig into next?

-- >< -- >< -- >< -- >< --

Well, no great revelations here.  As I wrote above, I have previously researched what work a file grinder did, including health hazards on the job.  Frederick Cleworth Dunstan died of chronic bronchitis, which is indeed a lung-related illness, so his fatal illness likely was related to his trade.

The only thing Sam told me that I had not read before was that a file grinder was a highly skilled job.  My research has indicated it was more the opposite, the type of job that people who couldn't find better ones ended up in.  Part of that reasoning was related to the job hazards due to the dangerous conditions.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Did Your Grandparents Know Their Grandparents?

We have a really fun challenge today for Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Marie Cooke Beckman on her blog, MarieB's Genealogy Blog--Southeastern USA, asked and answered this question, and it is right up the SNGF alley:  Did your grandparents know their grandparents?  Thank you for the idea, Marie!

2.  Tell us about your grandparents and their grandparents in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

This is a really cool topic!  I love it!

My maternal grandparents were Abraham Meckler (1912–1989) and Lillyan "Lily" E. Gordon (1919–2006).

• Abraham Meckler's maternal grandparents were Gershon Itzhak Nowicki (c. 1856–1948) and Dube Yelsky (c. 1848–1936).  Gershon and Dube immigrated to the United States in 1922 and lived in Brooklyn.  They changed the spelling of their family name to Novitzky, and Dube used the name Dora.  My grandfather knew both of them.  My maternal uncle Gary Meckler, who was born in 1951, was named after Gershon.

• Abraham's paternal grandparents were Simcha Dovid Mekler and Beila (birth and death years unknown for both).  They both died in Europe, almost definitely before my grandfather was born, and he never met them.

• Lillyan Gordon's maternal grandparents were Mendel Hertz Brainin (c. 1862–1930) and Ruchel Dvojre Jaffe (c. 1868–1934).  The immigrated separately to the United States in 1906 and lived in Manhattan.  They used the secular names Morris/Max and Rachel Dorothy, and my grandmother knew both of them.  She was born in their house.

• Lily's paternal grandparents were Avigdor Gorodetsky (c. 1863–1925) and Esther Leah Schneiderman (c. 1867–1908).  Esther Leah was my grandmother's birth name, following the Ashkenazi tradition of naming after a deceased ancestor (my grandmother changed her name as an adult).  Esther Leah's death was what precipitated the chain migration of this branch of my family to the United States.  Avigdor came in 1914 and changed his name to Victor Gordon.  My grandmother knew him, and I have a big family photo with the two of them in it.

My paternal grandparents were Bertram "Bert" Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995) and Anna Gauntt (1893–1986).

• Anna Gauntt's maternal grandparents were Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873) and Martha Winn (1837–1884).  They both died in England before my grandmother was born, and she never knew them.

• Anna's paternal grandparents were James Gauntt (1831–1899) and Amelia Gibson (c. 1831–1908).  Everyone lived in Mount Holly, New Jersey and the nearby vicinity.  Since Anna was born in 1893 and James died in 1899, there's a reasonable chance she knew him.  Amelia died when my grandmother was 15 years old, so I'm pretty sure she knew her.

• Bertram Sellers' maternal grandparents were Sarah Ann Deacon Lippincott (1860–aft. 1904) and Joel Armstrong (c. 1849–c. 1921).  I don't know if he knew them.  I don't have documented dates of death for either person or confirmation that they were divorced, which I believe to be the case.  I suspect he might have known his grandmother; I'm pretty sure she's in the household with Grandpa's mother in 1900, so his mother was apparently on speaking terms with her mother.  If I have researched the correct person, his grandfather remarried and had a second family, so maybe he didn't know them, but I really don't know.

• Bert's biological paternal grandparents are still unknown to me, as I have not yet determined his biological father.  His adoptive father's parents were Cornelius Godschalk Sellers (1845–1877) and Catherine "Kate" Fox Owen (1849–c. 1923).  As Cornelius died so young, none of his grandchildren knew him.  Kate had a second husband, George W. Moore (1840–1920).  Bert did know Kate, and we have a photo of her.  In fact, she's the person who paid for his father's funeral, as he also died very young.  It's reasonable to believe that Grandpa probably knew George Moore, even though we don't have a photo of him, as Grandpa's brother was named after George.  I was told that Grandpa's father loved his stepfather so much that he named his second son George Moore Sellers after him.  That certainly suggests he was around the family.

And I am proud to say that I didn't need to look up any of the above information except some of the birth and death years.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Were Your Ancestors Doing 100 Years Ago?

Keeping tabs on my ancestors for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver should keep me busy for a while.

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  Every one of your ancestors was doing "something" in their lives in early 1925.  Do you know, or do you have to guess?

2.  Tell us about what your ancestors were doing in early 2025 in your own blog post, in a comment on this post, or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Well, in 1925, neither of my parents was born yet, so I'm starting with my grandparents.

My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers (he wasn't Senior yet, because there wasn't a Junior yet), was still with his first wife, Elizabeth Leatherberry Sundermier.  He was 21, and she was 19.  Their first child, Bertram Ezra Sellers, was 18 months old.  My aunt, Dorothy Mae Sellers, was just barely a gleam in their eye, as she wouldn't be born until October.  They were living in Northampton township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  I don't know what my grandfather was doing for work; the first occupation I have for him is from 1930, when he was a textile weaver in the silk mill in town.

My paternal grandmother, Anna Gauntt, may have already separated from her husband, Charles Cooper Stradling; I don't know when that happened.  In 1925 she was 32 and living in Northampton, New Jersey.  She and Charles had an 11-year-old daughter, Ruth Carrie Stradling; I'm pretty sure that she was with her mother.  I don't know if my grandmother was working or if Mr. Stradling was.

My maternal grandfather, Abram Meckler, was 12 years old and living with his parents (my great-grandparents), Morris Meckler and Minnie Zelda (Nowicki) Meckler, and four of his siblings (two older brothers, two younger sisters) in Brooklyn.  Morris was about 43, and Minnie was about 45.  Morris was a carpenter, Minnie was a housewife and took care of the children, and my grandfather was going to school.

My maternal grandmother, Esther Lillian Gordon, was 5 years old and living with her parents (my great-grandparents), Joe Gordon and Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon, and her two older brothers in Manhattan.  Joe was about 33, and Sarah was about 35.  Joe was an operator in the clothing industry, which meant he was involved in production.  He may have been observing Jewish mourning practices, because his father had died on January 26, but this branch of my family was not as observant as my grandfather's (who were very traditional and very Orthodox), so maybe not.  Sarah was a housewife and took care of the children.  I don't think my grandmother was going to school yet.

Anna's parents, my great-grandparents Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane (Dunstan) Gauntt, were living in Northampton, New Jersey.  Thomas was 54 and Jane was 53.  Thomas was probably a farm laborer, as that is what he did for most of his life.  Jane was a housewife.

Minnie's parents, my great-great-grandparents Gershon Itzhak Novitsky and Dora (Yelsky) Novitsky, were living in Brooklyn, possibly with their son Sam.  Gershon was about 69, and Dora was about 67.  They had arrived in the United States in 1922.  I don't know if Gershon was working yet, but in 1930 his occupation was listed as a Hebrew teacher, so it's possible.  Dora was a housewife.

Sarah's parents, my great-great-grandparents Morris Brainin and Rose Dorothy (Jaffe) Brainin, were living in Manhattan.  Morris was about 64 and Rose was about 57.  Morris may have been a rabbi at the time, and Rose was a housewife.

Events in My Family Tree: December 30

Joseph Gaunt and Phoebe Severn were married on Joseph's aunt Ann's 44th birthday.

Births

Ann Gaunt, daughter of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, was born December 30, 1775 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  She is my 4x-great-grandaunt.

Logan Thackeray, son of Selector Thackeray and Louisa Moodey, was born December 30, 1886 in Indiana, possibly in Ripley County.  He is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Clara Louise Rathert was born December 30, 1888 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.  She was married to Charles Jacob Gaunt, son of Arthur Lee Gaunt and Rachel Lovena Stutsman, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Bertha Florence Gaunt, daughter of James Knox Polk Gaunt and Sarah Naomi Boone, was born December 30, 1892 in Armona, Kings County, California.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Charles E. Wickham, son of Charles E. Wickham and Martha Elizabeth Bowen, was born December 30, 1899 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James on their Bowen line.

John H. Gauntt, son of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, was born December 30, 1914, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my granduncle.

Anna Elizabeth Easlick, daughter of Daniel Leon Easlick and Ella Ritchie Mingen, was born December 30, 1925 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Rose Marie Hise was born December 30, 1970.  She is my 3rd cousin 1x removed.

Geoffrey Philip McStroul was born December 30, 1975.  He is the 1st cousin 1x removed of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul, and the 2nd cousin of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Marriages

Joseph Gaunt, son of Jacob Gaunt and Hannah Holmes, and Phoebe Emily Severn were married December 30, 1819 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  Joseph is my 1st cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

James W. Gage and Mary Rosella Hutson, daughter of Thomas R. Hutson and Ruth Thackeray, were married December 30, 1875, possibly in Indiana.  Mary is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Julius W. Berenoff and Lillian Gordon, daughter of David Gordon (originally David Gorodetsky) and Freeda Alterman, were married December 30, 1939 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Lillian is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

John Oren Clark, son of Gilbert Lewis Clark and Helen Opal Abbott, and Linda Mabbs were married December 30, 1971 in Barrington, Cook County, Illinois.  John is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Clarks.

Reed Allen Gershwind and Annick Sarma were married December 30, 1998.  Reed is my 3rd cousin.

Death

Joseph Gaunt, son of Hananiah Gaunt and Ann Ridgway, died December 30, 1806 in Evesham Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 4x-great-grandfather.

Events in My Family Tree: December 25

I've heard from friends that being a Christmas baby is mostly a disadvantage, because you often don't have a regular birthday party and people want to give you a combined birthday/Christmas present.  This is probably not a big problem when you're Jewish, right?

Births

Mary Ann McGowan was born December 25, 1805 in Pennsylvania.  She was married to Joseph Gantt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Mary A. Lobaugh, who is my 1st cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Pauline E. Smoot was born December 25, 1827 in Virginia.  She was married to Redden N. Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Phoebe Emily Severn, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Wilma Elizabeth Norris was born December 25, 1912 in Orestes, Madison County, Indiana.  She was married to Neil Gaunt Clark, son of Oren Wilson Clark and Anna G. Gaunt, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Irene Bassie (Bessai?) Dubensky was born December 25, 1920, possibly in Ohio.  She was the third wife of Harry Herman Mackler, son of Morris Mackler (originally Moishe Meckler) and Minnie (originally Mushe) Zelda Nowicki, who is my granduncle.

Gene Paul Gaunt, son of Clarence Meridith Gaunt and Mary Grace Stewart, was born December 25, 1931 in California.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Melanie Amron, daughter of Eli Morton Amron and Alice Gold, was born December 25, 1952 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my 4th cousin on my Nowicki line through the Amrons.

Edward James Ellis, Jr. was born December 25, 1977.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Nathan Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Achsah Taylor, and Sarah Coles were married December 25, 1823 in Swedesboro, Gloucester County, New Jersey.  Nathan is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Richard Dunstan, son of James Dunstan and Maria Hilton, and Jane Coleclough were married December 25, 1833 in Manchester, Lancashire, England.  They are my 3x-great-grandparents.

James Andrews and Mary D. Gaunt, daughter of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Rose, were married December 25, 1841 in Tuckerton, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Mary is my half 2nd-great-grandaunt.

Francis D. Matthews and Susannah H. Gaunt, another daughter of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Rose, were married December 25, 1876, probably in New Jersey.  Susannah is also my half 2nd-great-grandaunt.

Floyd Richard Williams, son of Preston Frank Williams and Priscilla Crawford, and Susie Lee Adams, daughter of Alma Adams, were married December 25, 1927 in Muscogee County, Georgia.  They are the paternal grandparents of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Deaths

Isaac Gaunt, son of Hananiah Gaunt and Rebecca Mulliner, died December 25, 1864 in Tuckerton, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 77.  He is my 3rd-great-granduncle.

James H. Fuller, son of Joseph E. Fuller and Lorina G. Tripp, died December 25, 1929 in Stony Creek, Warren County, New York at the age of 80.  He is the 2nd-great-granduncle of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul, and the 3rd-great-granduncle of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Janet Edna Weaver, daughter of James Henry Weaver and Ada Adelle Allen, died December 25, 2005, possibly in Whiting, Ocean County, New Jersey, at the age of 75.  She is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Joseph W. Bonifas, son of Charles Dennison Bonifas, Sr. and Georgia Grace Gaunt, died December 25, 2011 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana at the age of 80.  He is my 6th cousin via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: December 11

All three of my father's marriages both took place in Florida, even though he was born in New Jersey and lived in California.

Births

Mary Elizabeth Dunstan, daughter of Frederick Cleworth Dunstan and Martha Winn, was born December 11, 1863 in Gorton, Lancashire, England.  She is my great-grandaunt.

Harold Lee Gaunt, son of Joseph Harley Gaunt and Settie Inez Horn, was born December 11, 1910 in Jay County, Indiana.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Elsie Berezniak, daughter of Sam Berezniak and Anna Perlman (originally Chana Perlmutter), was born December 11, 1926 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line through the Perlmutters.

Rosemary Ann Trindade was born December 11, 1931 in Santa Clara County, California.  She was married to Jack Lowell Gaunt, son of Walter Everett Gaunt and Norma Marguerite Prusso, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

James Frederick Browning was born December 11, 1954 in Harris County, Texas.  He is married to Linda Jean Bowen, daughter of Robert Francis Bowen and Jean Drake, who is the 1st cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers.

Lorna Matilda Rayside was born December 11, 1956 in Arouca, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago.  She is the mother of my sister-in-law Sandra Nicole Farrier.

Joseph Gilbert Bonifas, son of Joseph W. Bonifas and Delores Gilbert, was born December 11, 1937 in Indiana.  He is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Bonifases.

Kevin George Tucker, Jr. was born December 11, 1964 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio.  He is the third husband of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Luis Casas Szocherman was born December 11, 1972.  He is my cousin in an as yet undetermined way.

Tommy Lucas was born December 11, 1990.  He is the 2nd cousin 1x removed of my half 1st cousin Albert Lore.

Marriages

Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., son of Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. and Anna Gauntt, and Mary Lou Jocelyn Bowen were married December 11, 1956 in Miami, Dade County, Florida.  Lynn is my father (and Mary Lou is my "pre-mother").

Carol Alene Gauntt, daughter of James Kirkland Gauntt and Newita Wanda Scott, and Charles Edward Rundell were married December 11, 1974 in Carson City, Nevada.  Carol is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Death

Simeon Purdy died December 11, 1890 in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 82.  He was the husband of Mary A. Gaunt, daughter of Isaac Gaunt and Susannah Webb, who is my 1st cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Events in My Family Tree: December 4

Janet Eileen Gaunt was born on her mother's 25th birthday.  That's a lovely birthday present!

Births

Charles R. Gaunt, son of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Elizabeth K. Frazer, was born December 4, 1840 in Medford, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Louisa Gaunt, daughter of Uz Gaunt and Sarah Ann Whitacre, was born December 4, 1843 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Rachel Anna Armstrong, daughter of Joel Armstrong and Sarah Ann Deacon Lippincott, was born December 4, 1878.  She is my great-grandaunt.

Scott Selvidge was born December 4, 1903 in Springtown, Parker County, Texas.  He was married to Lenore Corinne Gaunt, daughter of Charles Gaunt and Pearl E. Cory, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Marjorie Ellen Salisbury was born December 4, 1921 in Sacramento County, California.  She was married to Nolan Sidney Gaunt, son of Walter Everett Gaunt and Norma Marguerite Prusso, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., son of Bertram Lynn Sellers and Anna Gauntt, was born December 4, 1940 in Englewood, Bergen County, New Jersey.  He is my father.

Janet Eileen Gaunt, daughter of Nolan Sidney Gaunt and Marjorie Ellen Salisbury, was born December 4, 1946 in Santa Clara County, California.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Marriage

Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., son of Bertram Lynn Sellers and Anna Gauntt, and Virginia Ann Daugherty were married December 4, 1980 in Niceville, Okalossa County, Florida, because that way my father would remember his wedding anniversary, as it was the same day as his birthday.  This was my father's third marriage, and it lasted longer than the first two combined.

Deaths

Emma J. VanKirk died December 4, 1900 in Franklin County, Indiana at the age of 34.  She was the wife of Sherman Tecumseh Hutson, son of Thomas Hutson and Ruth Thackeray, who is my 4th cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Thackerays.

Hilda Cantor died December 4, 1991, probably in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, at the age of about 65.  She was the wife of Oscar Garber, son of Zelig Garber and Ida Mekler, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Meklers.

Thomas Franklin Gauntt, son of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, also died December 4, 1991, but in Sarasota County, Florida, at the age of 83.  He is my granduncle.

Vera Vanaman daughter of Charles Milton Vanaman and Julia Ann Gaunt, was another cousin who died December 4, 1991, in Los Angeles County, California, possibly in Long Beach, at the age of 75.  She is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Beatrice Fannie Allen, daughter of William Daily Allen and Fannie Goldsboro Brown, died December 4, 1995 in Medford, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 87.  She is my 5th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Elsie Grace Hoyer, daughter of Rollin Henry Hoyer and Bessie Floreen Schwier, died December 4, 2000 in Osgood, Ripley County, Indiana at the age of 84.  She is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Schwiers.

Events in My Family Tree: November 30

Whellimina Siemons ("Aunt Bill") died the day after her 64th wedding anniversary.  Still better than the day before your anniversary.

Births

George N. Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen and Hannah Ann Gaunt, was born November 30, 1860 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Arthur Harley Coward Eckman, son of John Eckman and Martha Johnson Atkinson, was born November 30, 1910, probably in New Jersey.  He is the granduncle of my 1st cousin Albert Lore on his Eckman line.

John Joseph Votaw, son of Verling Milton Votaw and Mary Elizabeth Mount, was born November 30, 1928 in Connersville, Fayette County, Indiana.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Rebecca Lore Lieser was born November 30, 1953 in Virginia.  She is the wife of David Whitman Addis, son of Robert Trenary Addis and Virginia Claire Votaw, who is my 6th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Jeremy R. Keith was born November 30, 1970.  He is my 6th cousin 1x removed.

Andrew John Fettig, Jr. was born November 30, 1987.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed.

Marriages

Benjamin Selah Gaunt, son of Hananiah Selah Gaunt and Mary Elizabeth Rose, and Hannah Ann Peters were married November 30, 1843 in Milford (now Kresson), Camden County, New Jersey.  Benjamin is my half great-great-granduncle via the Gaunts.

Charles H. Gaunt, son of James Gauntt and Amelia Gibson, and Mary Emma Berry were married November 30, 1878 in Tuckerton, Burlington, New Jersey.  Charles is my great-granduncle on my Gauntt line.

Finley Torrence Gage, son of James W. Gage and Mary Rosella Hutson, and Lillie A. Harding were married November 30, 1920 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.  Finley is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Murray Lederman, son of Gabriel William Lederman and Anna Gordon (originally Chantse Gorodetsky), and Ellen Hazel Duskin were married November 30, 1969 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Murray is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Deaths

Ephraim F. Gaunt, son of Reuben Lewallen Gaunt and Jane Weatherby, died November 30, 1868 in Green Bank, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 20.  He is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Joseph Ridgway Zelley, son of Ridgway Zelley and Rebecca Gaunt, died November 30, 1894 in Alliance, Stark County, Ohio at the age of 54.  He is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Anna Waltz Horner died November 30, 1928 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of 54.  She was the wife of Frederick Dunstan, son of Frederick Cleworth Dunstan and Martha Winn, who is my great-granduncle.

Whellimina Siemons died November 30, 1986 in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey at the age of about 87.  She was the wife of Theodore Allen Gauntt, son of Isaiah Allen Gauntt and Louisa LeMonyon, who is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line.

Harry David Garfield (originally Garfinkel), son of Morris Garfinkel and Mirka Ajzner, died November 30, 1994 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of 67.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Events in My Family Tree: November 22

This doesn't happen often:  Half of the events for today are on my mother's side of the family.

Births

William Isaac Gaunt, son of Dellaplain Gaunt and Mary Isaac, was born November 22, 1848 in Orange County, New York, possibly in Blooming Grove.  He is my 3rd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Harold Schneiderman, son of Joseph Schneiderman and Mollie Bernstein, was born November 22, 1936 in Bronx, Bronx County, New York.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Schneiderman line.

Isaac James Meckler was born November 22, 2002.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Maynard Dale Upper and Laura Jane Gaunt, daughter of Chauncey P. "Mack" Gaunt and Martha Nora Martin, were married November 22, 1950 in Allen County, Indiana.  Laura is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Charles Levy and Elaine Gordon, daughter of Morris Gordon and Rose Sopher, were married November 22, 1953 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Elaine is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gordon line.

Thomas Franklin Gauntt, son of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, and Grace Eleanor Williams were married November 22, 1979 in De Soto County, Florida.  Thomas is my granduncle on my Gauntt line.

Events in My Family Tree: November 20

I've been learning more about my grandfather's first wife recently and am in contact with relatives on her side of the family.

Births

Elizabeth Leatherberry Sundermier was born November 20, 1905 in Burlington, Burlington County, New Jersey.  She was the first wife of Bertram Lynn Sellers, son of Cornelius Elmer Sellers and Laura May Armstrong, who is my paternal grandfather.

Benny Austin Votaw, son of Millard F. Votaw and Ida May Fisher, was born November 20, 1912 in Wabash County, Indiana.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Mary Helen Burbank was born November 20, 1914 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana.  She was married to James Earl Gaunt, son of Lewis Allen Gaunt and Sylvia Belle Black, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Milton L. Barnett, Jr., son of Milton L. Barnett and Ethyl May Votaw, was born November 20, 21 in Indiana, possibly in Wabash County.  He is also my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Randy William Hutchison was born November 20, 1966 in Wilmington, New Castle County, Delaware.  He is married to Deborah Lynn Lore, who is my half-1st cousin 1x removed.

Jeffrey Alan Moss was born November 20, 1968.  He is my 4th cousin.

Ari D. Schneiderman was born November 20, 1977.  He is my 3x cousin 1x removed.

Yazmine Gabriela Gingras was born November 20, 1989.  She is my 2nd cousin.

Marriage

Frederick Cleworth Dunstan, son of Frederick Dunstan and Anna Waltz Horner, and Mary Emma Richardson were married November 20, 1920 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  Frederick is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Dunstan line.

Deaths

Benjamin Gaunt, son of Jacob Gaunt and Hannah Holmes, died November 20, 1852 in Ohio at the age of 48.  He is my 1st cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Charles Jacob Gaunt, son of Arthur Lee Gaunt and Rachel Lavinia Stutsman, died November 20, 1941 in Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana at the age of 61.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Lewis C. Galbraith died November 20, 1968 in Peru, Miami County, Indiana at the age of 93.  He is the husband of Dora Ann Kirtlan, daughter of Homer Astwood Kirtlan and Elizabeth H. Gaunt, who is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Ruth Ellen Hutson, daughter of Conner W. Hutson and Rosa Adeline Bultman, died November 20, 1999 in Fayette County, Indiana at the age of 73.  She is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Make a Descendants List for Second-great-grandparents

This week's challenge from Randy Seaver for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun is almost something I can do from memory, at least for some of my family lines (okay, only on my mother's side).

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision.

1.  How complete is your family tree?  Do you have information about your cousins, both close and more distant?  Today's challenge is to take one set of your 2nd-great-grandparents and make a descendants list (using your genealogy management program, e.g., Family Tree Maker, RootsMagic, etc.).

2.  Tell us about your choice of 2nd-great-grandparents and tell us approximately how many descendants of them that you have in your family tree database.  Share your answers, and perhaps a chart, on your own blog or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

And here's mine:

My family line with the most people on it for this exercise was the Dunstans, which surprised me.  I expected it to be the Gauntts.  Both of these are on my father's side.

The format that Randy used is called an Outline Descendant Report in Family Tree Maker, which is the program that I primarily use.  For this report FTM automatically set the number of generations at 99, which I didn't change.  It turned out to be six generations anyway, the same number of generations that Randy used.

Starting with my 2nd-great-grandparents Frederick Cleworth Dunstan (1840–1873) and Martha Winn (1837–1884), the result was 12 pages with about 20 descendant names on each page, so roughly 240 descendants total.  This is the first page of that report:

On my mother's side, the family with the most descendants was the Gordons (originally Gorodetsky).  The report for those 2nd-great-grandparents, Victor Gordon (circa 1866–1924) and Esther Leah Schneiderman (circa 1871–1908), ran nine pages.  It had about 25 descendant names on each page, so roughly 225 descendants overall.

The shortest report was for my paternal grandfather's paternal line.  As I still have not determined who his biological father was, that line stops with my grandfather.  The report was only four pages.  I was surprised to see that when I did take it back two additional generations of Sellerses, the report only increased to six pages total.  I admit I am not doing research on the Sellers line anymore, so that may be why.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: How Did Your Ancestors Meet Their Spouses?

Tonight's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge is a category of question I did not ask my relatives!

Come on, everybody, join in and accept the mission and execute it with precision. 

1.  How did your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and other greats meet each other?  Do you know any details?

2.  Tell us about your ancestors meeting each other in a comment on this post or in a Facebook post.  Please leave a link on this post if you write your own post.

Okay, here's what I know.

I wrote about my how my parents met in a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post in 2015.

I am pretty sure my paternal grandparents, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr. (1903–1995) and Anna Gauntt (1893–1986), met while both of them were working at the silk mill in Mount Holly, New Jersey during the early years of the Depression.  My hypothesis came about because in the 1930 census, I found both of them enumerated as employed at the silk mill.

I wrote about how one set of my maternal great-grandparents, Joe Gordon (c. 1892–1955) and Sarah Brainin (c. 1885–1963), met in a Saturday Night Genealogy Fun post in 2019.

With all the family stories I heard from my mother and her mother while I was growing up, I don't remember ever being told how my maternal grandparents met.  I know they both lived in Brooklyn, but I'm pretty sure they went to different synagogues.  I guess that's a big hole in my family knowledge.  And I just realized that my grandmother told me how her parents met and how her daughter (my mother) met my father, but not how she met my grandfather.  Hmmm, suspicious?

My paternal grandmother's parents might have met through my great-grandmother's older brother, Frederick Dunstan (1868–1932).  He immigrated to the United States first, about 1888.  My great-grandmother Jane Dunstan (1871–1954) arrived in Philadelphia in October 1890 and married my great-grandfather Thomas Kirkland Gauntt in Burlington County, New Jersey in September 1891.  That has always seemed awfully fast to me, so I've suspected introductions might have been made before her arrival.

I would not be surprised if some of my ancestors on my mother's side met through arranged marriages, particularly on my grandfather's side of the family.  His family was very Orthodox and very traditional.

I'm still trying to determine who my paternal grandfather's biological father was, but the leading candidate was a traveling salesman, so that's as good of a guess as any as to how he met my great-grandmother, .  She lived near Philadelphia, and that's certainly a place a salesman might have gone in the early 1900's to make a buck.

Any pairings beyond these would be even more wild guesswork on my part, so I think I'll stop here.