Wordless Wednesday

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Farthest-flung Ancestor

I guessed the correct person in my family for Randy Seaver's question this week for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun!

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music, please!):

1.  Our family trees contain historical persons who came from places all over the world.  Each of our ancestral lines came from somewhere.

2.  Can you identify your Farthest-flung Ancestor (FFA)?  Who in your ancestral tree came from the most geographically distant place from where you live now?  What brought that person (or his descendants) to where your family ended up?

3.  Share your information about your Farthest-flung Ancestor in your own blog post, write a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Thank you to Linda Stufflebean for this idea.

Based on what I currently know about my ancestry, ancestors on my father's side came from the British Isles and on my mother's side from eastern Europe, in the former Russian Empire, so I focused on my mother's side.

I believe my great-grandfather Joyne Gorodetsky (who changed his name to Joe Gordon after he immigrated to the United States) was born in what is now known as Kamianets-Podilskyi, Ukraine.  It is 5,667.56 miles in a straight line from Gresham, Oregon, USA, where I currently live.

I also checked the distance to Krustpils, Latvia, where my great-grandmother Sore Leibe Brainin (known as Sarah Libby here) is supposed to have been born.  It is 5,152.8 miles from Gresham.

My great-great-grandfather Gershon Nowicki (who changed only the spelling of his last name, which became Novitsky, when he came here) was from Porazava, Belarus, which is 5,357.92 miles from Gresham.

And my great-grandfather Moshe Meckler (Morris Mackler here) was from Kamyanyets, Belarus, which is 5,382.88 from Gresham.

So the winner appears to be Joe Gordon.  He was the first person in that branch of my family to leave Europe for the Goldene Medine for better opportunities than were available to Jews in the Russian Empire.  He arrived at New York City in 1909, going to his uncle Sam Schneiderman.  The family's decision to leave appears to coincide with the death of my great-great-grandmother in November 1908, but I don't know if that was the deciding factor.

Joe's departure started the chain migration of his immediate family, most of whom came to the United States:  brother David in 1910; sister Sarah in 1911; father Victor and brothers Hyman and Morris in 1914; and sisters Anna and Rose in 1921.  The oldest sister, Etta, who was already married and had children, went with her family to Ottawa, Canada, where her husband's family (he had eleven siblings!) had immigrated.

I don't know if my great-great-grandfather Victor (or his father Gersh Wolf) was born in Kamianets-Podilskyi or in nearby Orynyn, but it is only 5,658.4 miles from Gresham.  So Kamianets-Podilskyi is the clear winner for distance.

I used Distance Calculator US to determine the straight-line distances between locations.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Artifacts Did You Find in an Ancestor's Closet/Attic/Garage?

Coming to the party a little late, but better late than never, right?  I have received treasures I can write about for the recent Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music, please!):

1.  Were you lucky enough to receive or find artifacts from your relatives (parents, grandparents, others) as you pursued your genealogy research?

2.  Describe one or more of the artifacts you found or received and where you obtained them.

3.  Share your information about your ancestral artifacts in your own blog post, write a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Thank you to Marian B. Wood for this SNGF suggestion.

I have received two such artifact bounties and, to some degree, found a third.

After my paternal grandfather passed away in 1995, his widow moved to live with her nephew.  A couple of years after she died, her nephew contacted my aunt and asked whether she was interested in my grandfather's old papers and photographs.  I am still thrilled that she said yes and accepted them.  She kept them for some time and then gave them to my father, who dreamed of scanning everything.  He eventually gave up on that and asked me if I wanted them, and of course I said yes.  The photographs eventually helped me find my aunt (my father's youngest half-sister), and the papers follow his career through the civil service.

When my father passed away in 2019, I told my siblings the only physical items I was interested in were his photographs and his racing trophies.  They were all taken by my stepbrother from Florida to Texas when he closed out the property and moved his mother (my stepmother) to his home, and eventually found their way to my sister, also in Texas.  I still don't have the trophies or the original photos, but my sister's niece scanned the photos (I hope all of them), which my sister sent me on a flash drive (my photo bonanza).  I am still working on identifying many of the photos, and I have posted several here on my blog.

When my material grandmother suffered a stroke in 2005, it was immediately apparent that she would be unable to live on her own anymore.  I was able to arrange to work remotely, so I flew out to Florida to pack up everything from her apartment.  I brought home three large boxes of photographs stored in her closet, most of which were identified because I had visited my grandmother a year before that and had convinced her to let me label them.  I have made copies of and scanned several photos and shared them with my many cousins.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: An Ancestor Who Took a RIsk

Tonight's topic from Randy Seaver for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun applies to several of my ancestors.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission: Impossible! music, please!):

1.  The life of every person has events and decisions that have risk factors that can significantly affect that life.

2.  Describe a risk that one of your ancestors made that affected that person's life.  How did it all turn out?

Share your information about an ancestor's risk in your own blog post, write a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

Every ancestor (and collateral relative) on my mother's side of the family (my Jewish side) who made the momentous decision to immigrate to the United States took a risk when doing so, because none of them knew how it would turn out.  I'm sure they all heard stories about the wonderful opportunities available in the Goldene Medina, the "golden country", but they probably also heard stories about how the move didn't work out as well as expected for some.  Probably the ones who took the biggest risks were the first ones in each family to do so.

My great-grandfather Joyne Gorodetsky, who chose the name Joe Gordon after he immigrated, was the first member of my Gorodetsky family to cross the pond.  The chain migration of the family from the Russian Empire began after the death of my great-great-grandmother Esther Leah (Schneiderman) Gorodetsky on December 10, 1908; eventually all eight children and my great-great-grandfather came to North America.  Joyne arrived July 5, 1909 (right after Independence Day!) at Ellis Island, traveling to meet his uncle Shmuel Schneiderman (Sam Schneiderman here), his mother's brother.

Joe found work in the garment industry in New York City.  A few years after arriving, he was a boarder at the home of Mendel Hertz (Morris) and Ruchel Dvojre (Rose Dorothy) Brainin in Manhattan, which is where he met my great-grandmother, Sore Leibe (Sarah Libby) Brainin.  Soon they married and had three children:  my granduncles, Alexander and Sidney, and my grandmother, Esther Lillian (who later changed her name to Lillyan E.).

From everything I have been told, Joe was successful in the garment industry.  In 1930 the family was in Baltimore, Maryland, possibly having moved there for better opportunities after the Depression had hit.  But soon they moved back to New York, where Joe bought a house in Brooklyn.  The extended family, including many aunts, uncles, and cousins, got together (almost?) every Saturday to socialize, with Joe and Sarah's house the center of the activities.  My grandmother told me how her father loved to host these events.  My mother remembered how he used to bounce her and her cousin Harriet on his lap and sing "Buttons and Bows" to them.

For many years Joe did not become a U.S. citizen.  He finally did so after World War II began, naturalizing on August 3, 1943 in New York.

Joe died May 2, 1955 (yahrzeit 10 Iyar) in Brooklyn.  He is buried in Wellwood Cemetery, Pinelawn, Suffolk County, New York.

Overall, I'd say his taking a risk turned out well.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Ancestors in the 1930's Great Depression

I actually know the information for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun challenge from Randy Seaver for most of my families without even looking.

Here is your assignment, if you choose to play along (cue the Mission:  Impossible! music, please!):

1.  What did your ancestral families do during the Great Depression (1930–1940)?  Did they keep their jobs and standard of living?  Did they suffer personally or economically?

2.  Share your information about your ancestors in the Great Depression in your own blog post, write a comment on this blog post, or put it in a Substack post, Facebook Note, or some other social media system.  Please leave a comment on this post so others can find it.

NOTE:  I could use ideas for different SNGF topics.  Please send me a message at randy.seaver@gmail.com.

Thank you to Marian B. Wood for this week's SNGF challenge topic.

My paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, was still married to his first wife at the beginning of the Great Depression.  They had two daughters.  In the 1930 census, the four family members were enumerated in four different locations.  My grandfather was living at home with his mother and two siblings in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey; he was working at the large textile mill which provided most of the employment in that city.  The older daughter was in the Burlington County children's home.  The younger daughter was in Camden County, boarding with a well-off family who was otherwise not connected to my family.  And the girls' mother, Grandpa's first wife, was also living in Camden County, working as a live-in private servant to another unconnected family.

I interviewed Grandpa for a civics class while I was in high school.  We were studying the Great Depression, and we were told to interview a family member who had been alive at that time.  I can't find the interview notes (I don't know if I kept them!), but I remember him telling me that he did have financial problems, particularly that he mentioned trouble supporting his family.  I really hope I kept that interview, because it will be even more relevant to me now that I know more about the family.

Grandpa's mother, Laura May (Armstrong) Sellers Ireland, was living at her home in Mount Holly in 1930, as I wrote above.  She was married at the time to John Ireland, whom she married in 1929.  I don't know when he was no longer in the picture, but I was told she didn't keep him around long.  She kept the name Ireland, though, and was known in the family as Nanny Ireland.  In 1940 she was still living in the same home, but her address was not enumerated in the census.  She was able to keep her home throughout the Depression, even though she was not listed as having an occupation in 1930.

My paternal grandmother, Anna (Gauntt) Stradling, who was at least separated from her husband (if not divorced), was living in Mount Holly and was working at the same textile mill as my grandfather.  I have always guessed that's where they met/got together, which had to have been at least by about March 1935, because my father, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr., was born in December 1935, but in an entirely different county in New Jersey (Bergen).  I have been told the family moved around quite a bit during the Depression as my grandfather found construction and civil engineering work in New Jersey and New York.  They were missed by the enumerators in 1940, but they apparently lived in three different locations that year, so they were probably either just ahead of or just behind the census takers.

Nana's parents, Thomas Kirkland and Jane (Dunstan) Gauntt, were living in Mount Holly in 1930 and 1940.  They owned their home, and both were retired.  They lived in a rural area, and I've never heard that they were affected much by the Depression.

My maternal grandmother, Lily Gordon, was living with her parents, Joe and Sarah Libby (Brainin) Gordon, and two older brothers in Baltimore, Maryland in 1930.  They moved there sometime after 1924, because they were enumerated in 1925 in the New York state census in Manhattan.  My grandmother told me they moved to Maryland because her father had some trouble finding good work in New York, but I don't know what year, so I don't know if it was related to the Depression.  By 1939 they were back in New York, but in Brooklyn instead of Manhattan.  From what I have learned my great-grandfather had continuous employment throughout the Depression working in the garment industry.  The 1940 census recorded Joe and Sarah as retired and as owning their residence.

Sarah's parents, Morris and Rose Dorothy (Jaffe) Brainin, were living in Manhattan as documented by the 1930 census.  Neither was working.  Morris died in February 1930 and Rose died in November 1934, so they did not make it through the Depression.

My maternal grandfather, Abraham Meckler, was enumerated with his parents, Morris and Minnie (Nowicki) Meckler, and four of his siblings in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York.  His father was working as a carpenter.  I have no stories that reported them as having financial problems during the Depression.  Minnie died in August 1936; Morris was still in the same house in Brooklyn in 1940.

Abraham and Lily were married in October 1939 in The Bronx for some reason, but they were living in Brooklyn according to the 1940 census.  Their occupation was retail candy store, and I even have a photo of them in the candy store they owned.  (My mother was born in November 1940, so she isn't quite enumerated in the census.)

My great-great-grandparents Gershon and Dora (Yelsky) Novitsky, Minnie Meckler's parents and Abraham Meckler's grandparents, were enumerated in the 1930 census living with one of their sons in Brooklyn.  Gershon was working as a Hebrew teacher.  Dora died in February 1936.  I know Gershon was alive in 1940, because he didn't die until 1948, but I have still not found him in the census.  I'm pretty sure he was in Brooklyn, but I don't know if he was working.  His son owned the building where he was living in 1930 and did well through the Depression, but Gershon was not living with him in 1940.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: What Was the Great Love Story in Your Family Tree?

It's Valentine's Day today, and Randy Seaver has created a challenge related to that for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.

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

1.  It's Valentine's Day — a day for lovers!  We all have hundreds of love stories in our ancestry.

2.  What was the great love story of the ancestors in your family tree?  What wedding had a great story in it?  Choose one ancestral couple.  Share how they met (if known) and when and where they married.  Note how long they were married.  Highlight something that suggests affection or partnership.

3.  Share your great love story in your family tree 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 one great love story that I know about in my family tree is that of my maternal grandparents, Abraham Meckler and Lillyan Gordon.  Bubbie (Yiddish for grandmother) told me they met on September 15, 1937 in Manhattan, but she never told me how they met.  I know they were both living in Brooklyn (half a mile from each other!), so I have no idea what they were doing that day in Manhattan.

They were married October 29, 1939 in The Bronx, even though they lived in Brooklyn.  It was a double wedding with the younger of Lily's two older brothers, Alexander Gordon, who married Roslyn Rubin.  Technically Al and Rose's wedding was recorded as October 28, 1939, so I don't know if they married before midnight and my grandparents married after midnight.  Supposedly there's a Jewish superstition about double weddings, so the dates were recorded as consecutive instead of the same.

I have been told the caterer for the wedding was Abe's older brother Harry's wife Ida Bogus, who worked in catering with her aunt and uncle, Louis Perelmuth and Anna Posner (sister of Ida's mother).  Louis and Anna had a son named Jacob who was a singer, although not famous at the time (he did become famous under the name Jan Peerce).  He sang two songs at the wedding, although Bubbie did not remember what those songs were.  She did remember that the cantor's son sang "Oh Promise Me" and "Because."

Bubbie and Zadie (Yiddish for grandfather) were married for just over fifty years, until Zadie died on December 10, 1989.  Zadie had been ill for several years but held on for the 50th wedding anniversary party, which was held in Las Vegas.  It was a big family reunion, with relatives coming from all over the country.

I always remember Bubbie and Zadie as being very in love with each other.  Among the many things Bubbie told me was that every year while they were married, Zadie gave her a big flowery card for Valentine's Day.  After Zadie passed away, I sent Bubbie cards for Valentine's Day.

Wordless Wednesday

 

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: 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 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.

Significant Anniversaries of 2025

I haven't written about the milestones in my family tree for the past couple of years, but as I try to get back to a regular posting schedule, it's one of the topics I wanted to bring back.  I find it interesting to look at what happened years ago in my family (obviously, or I wouldn't be doing genealogy!), and I like to make sure these people and events are remembered.

200 Years Ago

In January 1825, my 3x-great-grandfather Abel A. Lippincott, son of Stacy B. Lippincott and Alice Parker, was born in New Jersey.  Because New Jersey is the real Quaker state, and because you can't go anywhere in New Jersey without tripping over lots of Lippincotts, I still don't have Abel's complete birth date or where in New Jersey he was born, because Lippincotts are just bloody hard to research.  I wish I could spend a month or two at the New Jersey State Archives and do some in-person research to sort all this out.  And if wishes were horses . . . .

150 Years Ago

Henry Heath, the great-great-grandfather of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul and the 3x-great-grandfather of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams, died December 2, 1875 in Thurman, Warren County, New York.  He was originally from Surrey, England, born roughly between 1816 and 1819 in Haslemere, although I still need to nail that down.  He immigrated to the United States around 1838 and married Eliza Bullock in 1844 in Argyle, Washington County, New York.  I have names for his parents and grandparents but little information beyond that.  More research I need to catch up on!

100 Years Ago

My aunt Dorothy "Dottie" Mae Sellers, daughter of Bertram Lynn Sellers and Elizabeth Leatherberry Sundermier, was born October 29, 1925 in Trenton, Mercer County, New Jersey.  Technically Dottie was my half-aunt, because she was a child of my grandfather's first marriage.  Grampa was still married to Elizabeth while he and my grandmother were living together and my father came along.  (My father had no full siblings but had seven half-siblings, three from his mother and four from his father.)  I met Dottie when I was about 11 or 12 and then stayed in touch with her the rest of her life, through my moves and hers.  She lived to be 95 years old.  I'm still looking for the son she surrendered for adoption in 1945.

My great-great-grandfather Victor Gordon, originally Avigdor Gershovich Gorodetsky, died January 26, 1925 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  He immigrated to the United States from the Russian Empire in 1914, bringing his two youngest sons with him but leaving his second wife behind (I was told by cousins that she did not want to come).  He lived long enough to see his second-youngest daughter (of eight children) get married, on December 31, 1924, for which occasion a wonderful oversized family photograph with about three dozen people in it was made.  I have a two-piece photocopy of the photograph; I'm working on getting it scanned and tiled so I can share it.

Henry Crawford, son of Wallace Crawford and Louisa, died April 25, 1925 in Upatoi, Muscogee County, Georgia at the age of about 69.  He is the great-great-grandfather of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams on her father's side.  Henry was Black and born enslaved.  In 1917 he and four family members sued Standard Oil for gross negligence for having misrepresented an explosive for kerosene lamp oil.  Standard Oil settled out of court and they received payment for damages.

75 Years Ago

Richard Wesley Preuss, son of Richard Preuss and Donna Potter, was born March 14, 1950 in Missoula, Missoula County, Montana.  He is my stepfather.  He married my mother December 19, 1977 in Villa Tasso, Walton County, Florida, a small unincorporated community which might have had a grand total of about 200 people living in it.  He used to be a paint and body man, and I learned a great appreciation for car bodywork because of him (although I still don't know why he painted my father's Chevelle BFY).

50 Years Ago

This is one of those years when there was a significant birth, marriage, and death.

In 2021 I wrote about my first cousin Andy Meckler turning 50.  This time around, it's his brother, Todd Meckler, who turns 50.  They're the cousins I knew the most growing up, and it makes me feel really old to know that both of them will have hit the half-century mark.

Also on my mother's side of the family, her 1st cousin Yedida Marcia Amine, daughter of Moshe S. Amine and Florence Meckler, married Richard J. Merrill on December 24, 1975 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.  Aviva was born exactly one year after my mother, on Armistice Day, so they had a special connection.

The other notable event of 1975 for my family was the death of my grandfather's brother, George Moore "Dickie" Sellers, on March 26.  One day Grampa was out of town, and when I asked why, my mother told me that his brother had died.  To which my stunned reaction was, "Grampa has a brother?"  It was the first I had heard of him.  Several years later I met their youngest sister, Betty, who told me that his nickname Dickie came from the Dickie Do Flicker.  When I Google that, however, nothing comes up.  When I get no results from Google, I tend to think something is wrong.  Maybe it was an inside family joke.

Events in My Family Tree: December 31 (at last!)

I have a copy of a big family photo that was taken on the occasion of Anna's wedding in 1924.  Hymie died on the 40th anniversary of his sister Anna's wedding.

Births

Edmund Hoffman was born December 31, 1825 in Pennsylvania.  He was the husband of Mary Gaunt, daughter of David Gaunt and Pamela Plummer, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Clarence Eugene Easlick, son of Allen Severs Easlick and Mary E. Shemeley, was born December 31, 1912 in New Jersey, probably in Burlington County.  He is my 3rd cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Carol Alene Gauntt, daughter of James Kirkland Gauntt and Newita Wanda Scott, was born December 31, 1940 in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California.  She is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Marriages

Henry C. Buckley and Ella Gaunt, daughter of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Elizabeth K. Frazer, were married December 31, 1868, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Ella is my 2nd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

John B. Gaunt, son of James Gauntt and Amelia Gibson, and Sarah V. Woolston were married December 31, 1876 in Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey.  John is my great-granduncle.

William B. Gaunt, son of Abner H. Gaunt and Emeline Severs, and Fannie Rebecca Hall were also married December 31, 1876, but I don't know where.  It was likely New Jersey or Pennsylvania.  William is my 1st cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

William Lippincott Gaunt, son of Benjamin Franklin Gaunt and Mary A. Woolman, and Clara M. Taggart were married December 31, 1921, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  This William is my 3rd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Gabriel William Lederman and Anna Gordon (originally Chana Gorodetsky), daughter of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, were married December 31, 1924 in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  Anna is my great-grandaunt.

Jose "Uchey" Yngber and Edie Ida Jakowszycka, daughter of Aaron Samuel Jakowszyck and Findle "Novinska" (probably Nowicka?), were married December 31, 1939, probably in Cuba.  Edie is likely my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line.

Philip Charles Alexander and Jessie Utley Easlick, daughter of Vinton Thompson Easlick and Beulah Anna Elizabeth Bozarth, were married December 31, 1951 in Burlington County, New Jersey.  Jessie is my 4th cousin on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Melvin Cecil Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon and Roslyn Rubin, and Marcia Urrutia were married December 31, 1982 in Dade County, Florida.  Melvin is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

Joel Ian Katz and Leala Rona Birnboim, daughter of Chaim Avraham Birnboim and Shirley Hirt, were married December 31, 1989 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Leala is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Birnboims.

Deaths

Hyman Gordon (originally Chaim Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, died December 31, 1964, probably in Manhattan, New York County, New York, at the age of 65.  He is my great-granduncle.

John F. Kelly, son of Joseph Kelley and Martha W. Lawrence, died December 31, 1975 in New Jersey.  He is the 2nd cousin 1x removed of my half 1st cousin Albert Lore on his Eckman line through the Lawrences.

Events in My Family Tree: December 29

It's nice to see another Janice in the family tree.

Births

Carl Thomas Gantt, son of Daniel Taylor Gantt and Phoebe Thomas, was born December 29, 1889 in Nebraska, probably in Jefferson County.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gantts.

Ruth E. Barnett was born December 29, 1891 in Wabash County, Indiana.  She was married to Uz Millard Votaw, son of Millard F. Votaw and Ida Mary Fisher, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Votaws.

Anna Schwartz was born December 29, 1905 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  She was married to Hyman Gordon (originally Chaim Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, who is my great-granduncle.

John Joseph Preisner was born December 29, 1942 in Blue Island, Cook County, Illinois.  He is the husband of Anna Heath McStroul, daughter of Eugene Washington McStroul and Anna Krebs, who is the sister of my aunt Mary McStroul and the aunt of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

David Charles Ellis, son of Harold Levi Ellis and Josephine Fiori, was born December 29, 1950 in New Jersey, possibly in Burlington County.  He is my 2nd cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

Francis Wickham, son of Raymond Henry Wickham and Janice Kasabula, was born December 29, 1957, possibly in New York.  He is the 3rd cousin of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James on their Bowen line through the Wickhams.

Julianna Copestick was born December 29, 2014.  She is my 2nd cousin 2x removed.

Marriages

James Edward Slentz, son of Ephraim Slentz and Zilpha Emily Gaunt, and Caroline Ella Estella Oler were married December 29, 1899 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  James is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Clarence Gilbert Lore, son of Clarence Newcomb Lore and Dorothy Mae Sellers, and Carna Marie Ellis were married December 29, 1979 in Grundy, Buchanan County, Virginia.  Gil is my half 1st cousin on my Sellers line.

Les Perley and Selma Ruth Tennenhouse, daughter of Arnold Tennenhouse and Faye Garfinkel, were married December 29, 1981, possibly in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  Selma is my 4th cousin on my Meckler line through the Garfinkels.

Deaths

Loran Clarence Gaunt, son of Clarence Meridith Gaunt and Mary Grace Stewart, died December 29, 1987 in Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin at the age of 72.  He is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Wanda Joan Hutson, daughter of Calvin William Hutson and Berdella Martha Elisa Abplanalp, died December 29, 2016 in West Chester, Butler County, Ohio at the age of 84.  She is my 6th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Events in My Family Tree: December 23

Barbara Allen was born on her grandfather Elwood Allen's 51st birthday.

Births

Settie Inez Horn was born December 23, 1885 in Pennsylvania Township, Jay County, Indiana.  She was married to Joseph Harley Gaunt, son of David Clinton Gaunt and Martha Sophronia Hartman, who is my 4th cousin 2nd removed via the Gaunts.

Elwood Lambert Allen, son of Cyrus Kunze Allen, Jr. and Clara Barton Shinn, was born December 23, 1895 in Bordentown, Burlington, New Jersey.  He is my 4th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Barbara Lee Allen, daughter of Clarence N. Allen and Mary Elizabeth Stradling, was born December 23, 1946, probably in Burlington County, New Jersey.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line through the Allens.

Janet E. Brainin, daughter of Samuel Michael Brainin and Blanche Mildred Sax, was born December 23, 1957 in Whittier, Los Angeles County, California.  She is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Brainin line.

Ellen Kardash, daughter of Louis Kardash and Mary Udashkin, was also born December 23, 1957, but in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  She is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardashes.

Christopher James Guy, son of William Thomas Guy and Patricia Claire Gauntt, was born December 23, 1960, possibly in Pennsylvania.  He is my 5th cousin 1x removed on my Gauntt line.

Elliott Garth Feller was born December 23, 1970.  He is my 3rd cousin.

Beth Anne Gordon was born December 23, 1974..  She is my 2nd cousin.

Matthew R. Clark was born December 23, 1978.  He is my 6th cousin.

Marriages

Millard F. Votaw, son of Daniel W. Votaw and Louisa Gaunt, and Ida May Fisher were married December 23, 1891 in Wabash County, Indiana.  Millard is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Calvin William Hutson, son of Conner W. Hutson and Rosa A. Bultman, and Berdella Martha Elisa Abplanalp were married December 23, 1925 in Ripley County, Indiana.  Calvin is my 5th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Hutsons.

Anna Heath McStroul, daughter of Eugene Washington McStroul and Elizabeth Almire Heath, and John Joseph Preisner were married December 23, 1967 in Tucson, Pima County, Arizona.  Anna is the sister of my aunt Mary McStroul and the aunt of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Deaths

William Thomson died December 23, 1904 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania at the age of about 77.  He was married to Almira B. Githens, daughter of Thomas Githens and Mary Gaunt, who is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Mamie Adams, daughter of Harry Adams and Mary Julie McClain, died December 23, 1929 in Macon, Bibb County, Georgia at the age of about 26.  She is the great-grandaunt of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Herbert Simon died December 23, 1994, probably in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, at the age of 79.  He was married to Sylvia Pollack, daughter of Isaac Pollack and Bessie Brainin, who is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Brainin line.

Events in My Family Tree: December 22

This is a busy day of crossovers.  Joseph Gaunt was born on his brother Hananiah's 7th birthday.  Redden Gaunt died on his daughter Phoebe's 8th birthday.  Steve Gordon was born on his Uncle Sidney's 39th birthday.

Births

Hananiah Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, was born December 22, 1762 in Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 4x-great-grandfather.

Joseph Gaunt, another son of Joseph Gaunt and Elizabeth Borton, was born December 22, 1769 in Little Egg Harbor Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my 4x-great-granduncle via the Gaunts.

Phoebe Emily Gaunt, daughter of Redden N. Gaunt and Pauline E. Smoot, was born December 22, 1846 in Indiana, possibly in Jay County.  She is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Alice Mullin was born December 22, 1906 in New Jersey.  She was married to John Francis Gaynor, Jr., son of John Francis Gaynor and Josephine O'Connor, who is the great-granduncle of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Sidney Gordon, son of Joe Gordon (originally Joyne Gorodetsky) and Sarah Libby (originally Sore Leiba) Brainin, was born December 22, 1915 in Manhattan, New York County, New York.  He is my granduncle.

Florence Meckler, daughter of Morris Mackler (originally Moishe Meckler) and Minnie (originally Mushe) Zelda Nowicki, was also born December 22, 1915, but in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.  She is my grandaunt.

Harvey Stephen Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon and Roslyn Rubin, was born December 22, 1944 in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida.  He is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

George Steven Monat was born December 22, 1953 in Anniston, Calhoun County, Alabama.  He is the husband of Janis Susan Brainin, daughter of Harold Leon Brainin and Ruth Pauline Schwartz, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Marriage

Lewis Allen Gaunt, son of Lewis Cass Gaunt and Mary A. Kindlesparger, and Sylvia Belle Black were married December 22, 1906 in Miami County, Indiana.  Lewis is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Deaths

Redden N. Gaunt, son of Joseph Gaunt and Phoebe Emily Severn, died December 22, 1864 in Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, Tennessee at the age of 43.  He is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Harry A. Schwartz, son of Joseph Schwartz and Anna Ajzner, died December 22, 1990 in San Francisco, San Francisco County, California at the age of 80.  He is the 1st cousin 1x removed of my 3rd cousin 1x removed Esther Garfinkel on her Ajzner line.

Events in My Family Tree: December 20

Almost all of the deaths for this date are very young people.

Births

Mary B. Gaunt, daughter of Clayton Decou Gaunt and Sarah E. Edwards, was born December 20, 1849 in Gloucester County, New Jersey, possibly in Woolrich.  She is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Louis Victor Gaunt, son of William Allen Gaunt and Mary Ann Parrott, was born December 20, 1876, probably in Wabash County, Indiana.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

David Harry Durland was born December 20, 1955 in Nyack, Rockland County, New York.  He was the second husband of Laurie Sellers, daughter of Bertram Lynn Sellers, Jr. and Mary Lou Jocelyn Bowen, who is my half-sister.

Matthew Joseph Garfinkel was born December 20, 1997.  He is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Dovid Budwick was born December 20, 2005.  He is my cousin in a way I have not yet confirmed, but probably 5th cousins.

Marriages

John Charles Gaunt, son of William Alvin Gaunt and Mamie B. Mitchell, and Mildred Ailene Haddock were married December 20, 1975, probably in Kings or Tulare County, California.  John is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Melvin Cecil Gordon, son of Alexander Gordon and Roslyn Rubin, and Janet Elaine Goldstein were married December 20, 1964 in Jacksonville, Jacksonville County, Florida.  Melvin is my 1st cousin 1x removed on my Gordon line.

Deaths

Alfred Githens, son of Alfred Githens and Margaret Middleton, died December 20, 1853 in New Jersey, probably in Camden County, at the age of 4.  He is my 3rd cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Githenses.

William Allen Gaunt, son of Uz Gaunt and Sarah Ann Whitacre, died December 20, 1879 in Wabash County, Indiana at the age of 33.  He is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Jonathan Franklin Easlick, son of Jonathan Easlick and Susannah Sever, died December 20, 1930, probably in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, at the age of 53.  He is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

Ira Delbert Earehart died December 20, 1933 in Allen County, Ohio at the age of about 73.  He was married to Doris Lavina Rowland, daughter of Joseph Freeman Rowland and Sarah D. Pelham, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed on my Gauntt line through the Rowlands.

Darwin Monroe McStroul, son of Leo Martin McStroul (originally Moska Leib Strul) and Anna Krebs, died December 20, 1962 in Los Angeles County, California at the age of 43.  He is the uncle of my aunt Mary McStroul and her sister Anna McStroul and the granduncle of my not-quite-cousin Angela Williams.

Events in My Family Tree: December 19

Jennie Kardish died on her nephew Louis' 39th birthday.

Births

John Gaunt, son of Samuel Gaunt and Achsah Taylor, was born December 19, 1794 in Pilesgrove Township, Salem County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin 5x removed via the Gaunts.

Lulu May Sherman was born December 19, 1882 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  She was married to Walter Clayton Gaunt, son of Arthur Lee Gaunt and Rachel Lavinia Stutsman, who is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Louise Henrietta Smith was born December 19, 1885 in New York City, New York.  She was married to William James Bowen, son of William H. Bowen and Mary, who is the half-granduncle of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Samuel Allen Vanaman, son of Charles Milton Vanaman and Julia Ann Gaunt, was born December 19, 1892 in Vincentown, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Louis Kardish, son of Itzak Kardish and Shirley Bordelay, was born December 19, 1953 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Kardishes.

Raquel Margot Francis was born December 19, 1971.  She is married to Jason Christopher Ellis, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed.

Marriage

Myra Roslyn Meckler, daughter of Abram Meckler and Lillyan E. Gordon, and Richard Wesley Preuss were married December 19, 1977 in Villa Tasso, Walton County, Florida.  Myra is my mother.

Deaths

Emma Gaunt, daughter of George Horner Gaunt and Emily A. Miller, died December 19, 1870 in Gloucester County, New Jersey at the age of 7.  She is my 4th cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

William H. Bowen, son of John Bowen and Martha Baden(?), died December 18, 1910 in South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.  He is the great-grandfather of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James.

Norma Marguerite Prusso died December 19, 1982 in Shasta County, California.  She was married to Walter Everett Gaunt, son of James Knox Polk Gaunt and Sarah Naomi Boone, who is my 3rd cousin 3x removed via the Gaunts.

Jennie Kardish, daughter of Dovid Kardish and Etta Gorodetsky, died December 19, 1992, probably in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  She is my 1st cousin 2x removed on my Gorodetsky line.

Events in My Family Tree: December 17

Bruce Ellis was born on his grandfather's 65th birthday, and Levi Ellis was still around to meet his grandson.

Births

Phebe E. Whitacre, daughter of Joseph Whitacre and Anna Gaunt, was born December 17, 1832 in Columbiana County, Ohio.  She is my 2nd cousin 4x removed via the Gaunts.

Levi Ellis was born December 17, 1885 in Tabernacle, Burlington County, New Jersey.  He was married to Carrie Florence Gauntt, daughter of Thomas Kirkland Gauntt and Jane Dunstan, who is my grandaunt.

Vivian Louise Gaunt, daughter of Joseph Harley Gaunt and Settie Inez Horn, was born December 17, 1918 in Portland, Jay County, Indiana.  She is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Bruce Oliver Ellis, son of Russell Oliver Ellis and Irene Elise Crater, was born December 17, 1950 in Morristown, Morris County, New Jersey.  He is my 2nd cousin on my Gauntt line through the Ellises.

Henry Maranz was born December 17, 1953, possibly in New Jersey.  He was the husband of Barbara Boulissa Lederman, daughter of Donald Lawrence Lederman and Miriam Jaffe, who is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Ledermans.

Mindy Deborah McStroul was born December 17, 1973.  She 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.

Matthew Royce Collier was born December 17, 1988.  He is my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Mitchell Logan Freitag was born December 17, 1992.  He is also my 4th cousin 1x removed.

Marriages

Charles Parker and Harriet Gaunt, daughter of David H. Gaunt and Eliza Anderson, were married December 17, 1900, probably in New Jersey.  Harriet is my half 2nd cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

Kenneth Leroy Abell and Emma Evelyn Gaunt, daughter of William Alvin Gaunt and Mamie B. Mitchell, were married December 17, 1941.  Emma is my 4th cousin 2x removed via the Gaunts.

James Chase Crawford and Luann Abell, daughter of Kenneth Leroy Abell and Emma Evelyn Gaunt, were married December 17, 1977 in Fresno County, California.  Luann is my 5th cousin 1x removed via the Gaunts.

Deaths

Evaline Viola Easlick, daughter of Jonathan Easlick and Susannah Sever, died December 17, 1931, possibly in New Jersey, at the age of 52.  She is my 1st cousin 3x removed on my Gauntt line through the Easlicks.

William Henry Wickham, son of Charles E. Wickham and Martha Elizabeth Bowen, died December 17, 1940 in New Jersey at the age of 48.  He is the 1st cousin 2x removed of my half-sister Laurie Sellers and her half-sister Shanyn James on their Bowen line.

Henry Schumeister died December 17, 1962 in Ramsey County, Minnesota at the age of about 82.  He was the husband of Celia Perlmutter, daughter of Maishe Eli Perlmutter and Ethel Nowicki, who is my 2nd cousin 2x removed on my Nowicki line.

Rose Sopher died December 17, 2001, possibly in Brooklyn, Kings County, New York, at the age of 92.  She was married to Morris Gordon (originally Moishe Gorodetsky), son of Avigdor Gorodetsky and Esther Leah Schneiderman, who is my great-granduncle.

Norman Stuart Farbman, son of Murray Farbman and Etta Millstein, died December 17, 2004, probably in New York, at the age of 61.  He is my 2nd cousin 1x removed on my Gorodetsky line through the Millsteins.