Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Three Degrees of Separation

I looked at the title of this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, and I thought it looked familiar.  I was right!  Last year about this time Randy Seaver did "Two Degrees of Separation."  This year he has extended it a generation:

For this week's mission (should you decide to accept it), I want you to:

1)  Using your ancestral lines, how far back in time can you go with three degrees of separation?  That means "you knew an ancestor, who knew another ancestor, who knew another ancestor."  When was that third ancestor born?

2)  Tell us in a blog post of your own, in a comment to this blog post, or in a status line on Facebook or a stream post on Google+.

Well, this is frustrating already!  Two of the three examples I used last year for this challenge can't go back another generation:

• My great-grandmother Rose Dorothy (Ruchel Dvorje) (Jaffe) Brainin probably knew at least one of her grandparents, but I have no idea who any of their parents were.

• My grandmother Anna (Gauntt) Stradling almost definitely knew her grandmother Amelia (Gibson) Gauntt, but I don't know who Amelia's parents were.  Her paternal grandfather, James Gauntt, died four years before she was born.  And she never knew her maternal grandparents, because her mother was from England and they never came to the United States (or vice versa).

1.  I guess I'm lucky that I can still work backward from my paternal grandfather, Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr.  Here's the information from last year:

"Bertram Lynn Sellers, Sr., born in 1903, the son of Laura May Armstrong and Cornelius Elmer Sellers (if my grandfather was actually a Sellers, but that's still research in process).  He may have known his maternal grandfather, Joel Armstrong, who was born about 1849 and seems to have died about 1921 or so in Burlington County.  Grampa also probably knew his paternal grandmother, Catharine Fox (Owen) Sellers Moore, who was also born in 1849 and died in 1923."

Since that post, which was made in January 2016, I proved through DNA testing that Grandpa was informally adopted by Cornelius Elmer Sellers, so his paternal grandmother was through the adoptive line.  But Grandpa's maternal grandfather, Joel Armstrong, knew his paternal grandfather, also Joel Armstrong, because he lived in the latter's household when he was young.  Joel the elder was born about 1798 and died in 1854.

2.  I can go through a different line to get another three degrees, even though that line stays in the 19th century.  I knew my maternal grandfather, Abe Meckler (1912–1989), who knew his maternal grandfather, Gershon Itzhak Nowicki (~1858–1948).  Gershon most likely knew his father, Abraham Jacob Nowicki.  I don't know when Abraham Nowicki was born, but it pretty much had to be 1837 at the latest (and was probably earlier), because Gershon had an older brother.  I know Abraham died before about 1896, because his granddaughter named a son after him that year.

So Randy can go back to 1711, and I'm stuck at 1798, a difference of 87 years.  I feel . . . stunted.

This is simply as far as I can go on my biological lines.  If Randy does make next year's challenge four degrees, I'll be SOL, because I don't know the names of Abraham Nowicki's or Joel the elder's parents!  Apparently I need to find time to take a trip to New Jersey and do some serious archival research, so I can at least go farther back on the Armstrongs.

My Mother and Bridges

Pensacola Bay Bridge
Photo by Skye Marthaler; licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

I've had a minor scheduling glitch for the past few years with my blog.  My mother's birthday was November 11.  As most people know, that also happens to be Veterans Day.  So I've had to choose one or the other to write about on that day.  The other easy solution, to write about my mother on Mother's Day, works well, but it means that I don't write about any of my grandmothers, with or without "greats", on that day.  (This all presupposes that I'm only writing one post on a given day, of course.  Most of the time that's all I can handle.)

I've come up with a solution.  I'll be writing stories about my mother primarily on her yahrzeit.  This is a Jewish tradition that commemorates a relative on the date of that person's death.  My mother died on January 2, 1995.  Converting that date to the Jewish calendar (Steve Morse's One-Step site has a great tool for doing this) gives the date of 1 Shevat.  This year that falls on January 28.  (And if you want to know why the Jewish calendar dates change in relation to the Christian calendar, Steve Morse has information about that also.)

The idea for this post came about because of an article I read late last year about a service that's available for people who are afraid of driving over bridges.  My mother would have appreciated that service so much!  She had a lifelong fear of heights, and that fear extended to bridges.  I don't remember this being much of a problem while we lived in Southern California and Sydney, New South Wales, but when we moved to Niceville, Florida, there was indeed a problem.

Niceville is on the coast and in an area with lots of water and lots of bridges.  My mother actually did well with the bridges in the immediate area, none of which was particularly high or long.  But there was one that she dreaded:  the Pensacola Bay Bridge.

See, Niceville was (and still is) a fairly small town, and sometimes it was necessary to go to the "big city" to do business, see specialty doctors, etc.  Most of the time, that meant going to Pensacola.  The trouble was that between Niceville and Pensacola was . . . the bridge.

The Pensacola Bay Bridge isn't actually that long.  It's a little shy of three miles.  And there are certainly taller bridges.  But it was long enough and high enough that my mother couldn't drive over it.

One of the main reasons we would go to Pensacola was to accompany my grandfather when he needed to visit a specialist there regarding his amputated leg.  (He lost the lower part of his right leg when he was 12 years old.  Over the years, he occasionally had to have adjustments made to it and his prosthesis.)  Grandpa usually drove.  But one year, in 1975 or 1976, when Grandpa needed to see his doctor because the leg was bothering him, my mother decided she was finally going to conquer the bridge.

It started off great.  We headed west on Highway 98.  My mother was calm.  She sounded fine.  Everything was going well.  We really thought she was going to make it.

Then right at the last minute, at the foot of the bridge, she suddenly pulled over to the right.  She just couldn't do it.  Grandpa had to drive over the bridge.  And as soon as we were over, my mother took over again.

She came so close.

The other bridge that really terrified my mother was the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.  It isn't tall — the definition of a causeway is that it's built on an embankment, and they're very close to the water — but it is almost 24 miles long.  My stepfather has told me that she would sit in the back seat of the car with her head covered while they drove over it.  And in an odd coincidence, my grandfather was supposed to have worked on the causeway.

Wordless Wednesday

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: How Many Presidents?

Well, I suppose Randy Seaver has found a timely topic for this week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun, but my list will have some asterisks.

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

1)  Which U.S. presidents have held the office in your lifetime?  Your parents' lifetimes?  Your grandparents' lifetimes?  How many generations do you need to cover all of them?

2)  A list of the U.S. presidents is at http://www.presidentsusa.net/presvplist.html to help you out.

3)  Put the answers in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook or Google+ post.

Here are my lists.

My life, 1962–present:  11 presidents

#35 John F. Kennedy
#36 Lyndon B. Johnson
#37 Richard M. Nixon
#38 Gerald R. Ford
#39 James E. Carter
#40 Ronald Reagan
#41 George H. W. Bush
#42 William J. Clinton
#43 George W. Bush*
#44 Barack H. Obama
#45 Donald J. Trump*

*lost the popular vote; not my president

My father, Bertram Lynn Sellers' life, 1935–present:  14 presidents

#32 Franklin D. Roosevelt
#33 Harry Truman
#34 Dwight D. Eisenhower
#35 John F. Kennedy
#36 Lyndon B. Johnson
#37 Richard M. Nixon
#38 Gerald R. Ford
#39 James E. Carter
#40 Ronald Reagan
#41 George H. W. Bush
#42 William J. Clinton
#43 George W. Bush
#44 Barack H. Obama
#45 Donald J. Trump

My mother, Myra Roslyn (Meckler) Sellers Preuss' life, 1940–1995:  11 presidents

#32 Franklin D. Roosevelt
#33 Harry Truman
#34 Dwight D. Eisenhower
#35 John F. Kennedy
#36 Lyndon B. Johnson
#37 Richard M. Nixon
#38 Gerald R. Ford
#39 James E. Carter
#40 Ronald Reagan
#41 George H. W. Bush
#42 William J. Clinton

My mother did not have to suffer through either asterisk.

My paternal grandmother Anna (Gauntt) Stradling's life, 1893–1986:  18 presidents

#23 Benjamin Harrison
#24 Grover Cleveland
#25 William McKinley
#26 Theodore Roosevelt
#27 William H. Taft
#28 Woodrow W. Wilson
#29 Warren G. Harding
#30 Calvin Coolidge
#31 Herbert Hoover
#32 Franklin D. Roosevelt
#33 Harry Truman
#34 Dwight D. Eisenhower
#35 John F. Kennedy
#36 Lyndon B. Johnson
#37 Richard M. Nixon
#38 Gerald R. Ford
#39 James E. Carter
#40 Ronald Reagan

My paternal great-grandfather Thomas Kirkland Gauntt's life, 1870–1951:  15 presidents

#18 Ulysses S. Grant
#19 Rutherford B. Hayes
#20 James A. Garfield
#21 Chester Arthur
#22 Grover Cleveland
#23 Benjamin Harrison
#24 Grover Cleveland
#25 William McKinley
#26 Theodore Roosevelt
#27 William H. Taft
#28 Woodrow W. Wilson
#29 Warren G. Harding
#30 Calvin Coolidge
#31 Herbert Hoover
#32 Franklin D. Roosevelt
#33 Harry Truman

(16 presidencies, but only 15 presidents, because Grover Cleveland was the same person in his nonconsecutive terms)

I had to follow my father's lines, as none of my mother's ancestors was in this country prior to 1903.  In going back four generations to my oldest known great-grandparent, I can cover 28 presidencies.

I can just barely cover all 45 presidencies by going back to my 3x-great-grandfather Hananiah Selah Gaunt, who lived from 1795 to 1852.  I didn't realize until today that this 3x-great-grandfather was born three years before my 4x-great-grandfather Joel Armstrong.

My grandmother lived through the most presidencies, but then again, she was 93 when she died.

Treasure Chest Thursday: A Second Letter from Adrienne La Forêt

As with last week's letter, this piece of blue paper is 21 cm x 26.8 cm.  It also has faded along the lines where it was folded into quarters.  It has the same watermark as last week's letter, but this time I can read the entire thing:  SANDRINGHAM DUALIS PP (with the P's linked) PARIS.  I can't find a reference online to this paper manufacturer, but progress has been made.

This letter is again handwritten in French, addressed to Mon cher Papa, and signed by Adrienne.  Jean La Forêt's older daughter wrote him a second letter that he kept.

The envelope in which the letter was contained is 14.2 cm x 10.2 cm, as with last week's.  Its blue is a little darker than the stationery.  It is again addressed to Monsieur Jean L. La Forêt at 615 Indiana Street in Vallejo.  It cost 150 centimes to mail, although this time Adrienne used three 40 centime stamps and three 10 centime stamps, as opposed to last week's two 75 centime stamps.  But this envelope has something last week's didn't:  a legible postmark!  The postmark says "MANTES A PARIS", which I have not yet been able to determine the location of, but I have found references online.  It does seem to be in Paris.  The postmark date looks like 24 August 1926.

I will again transcribe and translate Adrienne's letter.  The envelope is easy enough to read.

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

Lundi 23 Aout 26

Mon cher Papa,

Je voudrais bien recevoir de tes nouvelles et savoir que tu vas de mieux en mieux a que je souhaite de tout coeur.

J'espère aussi qu'Emma et soeurette sont bien.  La petite Rosita devait lui m'ecrire un peu, elle est en vacance en ce moment et doit avoir plus de temps a elle, cela me ferait tant plaisir.

Je vait très bien en ce moment et me sens forte pour recommencer la lutte quotidienne.  Mais celas(?) c'est un grave problème maintenant que d'arriver a vivre, tant est hors de prix!  on va t-on?  on n'on sait rien, que les pauvres comme moi tant malheureux!  enfin j'ai du courage, pourra que j'ai la santé j'arriverai bien tant de mème a gagner mon pain.  Heureusement j'ai un tant petit loyer et suis petite mangeuse.  En dois voir sur les journeaux ce que tant coute en France!  Et dire que c'est pour ce resultat que nous avons laisser tuer des ètres cheris, et nous avons gagni la guerre, nous avons eu la victoire!  triste victoire si les ètres qui ne sont plus voient, ils doivent fremir dans leur tombeau et regretter leur sacrifice.

Mais je ne veux pas t'attrister plus long temps au contraire je veux te rassurer, le dire que j'ai du courage et que je veux arriver a me refaire une petite situation si ???? me donne un peu de santé.

Lorsque toi ???? mon cher Papa donne moi souvent de tes nouvelles, dis a Rosita de m'ecrire, embrasse les bien fort toutes deux par moi et pour toi recois les plus affecteureux baisers de ta fille qui t'aime et pense a toi

Adrienne

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

Monday, August 23, 1926

My dear Papa,

I would like to hear from you and know that you are getting better and better, which I wish with all my heart.

I also hope that Emma and little sister are well.  Young Rosita should write to me a little, she is on vacation now and should have more time, it would make me very happy.

I am doing well currently and feel ready to start the daily struggle again.  But this is a big problem now that to live, at what price!  Where are we going?  We know nothing, with the pitiable ones like me so unhappy!  In short, I have courage, and if I am healthy I will be successful in earning my keep.  Luckily I have low rent and don't eat much.  You see on the news how much everything costs in France!  And to say that it is for this that we have allowed dear people to be killed, and we won the war, we had the victory!  Sad victory if the people we no longer see must shudder in their tombs and regret their sacrifices.

But I don't want to make you sad any longer, I want to reassure you, to say that I have courage and that I want to redo a small situation if ???? give me a little health.

While you ???? my dear Papa, give me lots of news, tell Rosita to write to me, give big kisses to the two of them from me, and for you loving kisses from your daughter who loves you and thinks of you.

Adrienne

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

I'm very frustrated that I was totally unable to decipher two words in this letter.  I have enlarged the high-resolution versions of these images on my screen and simply got nowhere.  Maybe someone else will be able to tell me what the question words are.

When you read this letter and compare it to last week's, it's hard to say whether Adrienne had heard from Jean in between.  This letter repeats a lot of what was in the first letter.  Maybe Jean was too ill to write to her.  And it doesn't sound as though Rosita had written to her, either.  She wasn't ill; maybe she was a flaky kid, or wasn't that crazy about her older sister.  Or maybe Jean didn't relay the message?

It's nice that Adrienne sent good wishes for Emma in this letter and sent her kisses also.  I doubt that Adrienne thought of Emma as her stepmother in any way, but she's maintaining good relations.

Adrienne didn't include her surname anywhere, so we still don't know if she was married or single.  At least with the postmark we know she was in Paris.  And it does sound like she was taking the traditional August vacation and was getting ready to go back to a normal work routine.

And this is the last item I have in my treasure chest for Jean.  I need to look at my documents to determine who is next up on the list to be analyzed.  In the meantime, I may take a break next week for Treasure Chest Thursday to make my plans.

Wordless Wednesday

Wow, It's My 6th Blogiversary!

Photo by Ardfern*

I know there are lots of bloggers out there who have been writing longer than I have, but I'm just amazed that I've been able to stick to it for this long.  It's now a regular part of my routine.

I hit a major milestone this past year:  my 1,000th post.  I looked over my labels to see what I had posted about the most.  First I realized I have a lot of labels, probably because I'm an indexer, and I like a good amount of detail in my indices.  Also, many of my posts have multiple labels.  That said, I was not too surprised to see that the highest number for a label is 296 (almost 30% of my total posts) for Wordless Wednesday, a meme where I don't have to write.

Trailing well behind that with only half the total (150) is Sellers.  The next few significant numbers are for cousins (108), children (104), newspaper research (99), and Meckler (89).  So even though I cover a wide range of topics on my blog, most of the big numbers relate to my own family.  I like that.  And it makes sense that newspaper research is high on the list; after all, I am the genealogy newspaper queen of the Bay Area!

Along with Wordless Wednesday, two other memes I regularly write under are Treasure Chest Thursday and Saturday Night Genealogy Fun.  And I still have a long list of other topics I want to write about.  It looks like I'll be able to keep going with my blog for a few more years.


*Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  The image has been cropped but not otherwise changed.

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Best Find of 2016, and Research Challenge for 2017

I love topics where I know immediately what I want to write about.  This week's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun from Randy Seaver falls into that category.

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

(1)  What was your best research achievement in 2016?  Tell us:  Show us a document, tell us a story, or display a photograph.  Brag a bit!  You've earned it!

(2)  We all have elusive ancestors.  What research problem do you want to work on in 2017?  Tell us where you want to research and what you hope to find.

(3)  Put the answers in your own blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a Facebook or Google+ post.

(1) By far, my best research achievement in 2016 was proving that my paternal grandfather's father was not the man whom my great-grandmother married.  I had suspected for several years that was the case, but I was able to prove it with DNA.  My father's Y-DNA and that of a male cousin who is a descendant of my grandfather's brother show conclusively that they do not descend from the same man.  I wrote about this after I had announced to my family members the results of the test.

(2) The research problem I will focus a lot of my time on in 2017 is identifying this so-far nameless great-grandfather.  I have a strong suspect, thanks to help from Suzanne McClendon, who found a lot of relevant newspaper articles about the candidate after reading my post about my most recent unknown ancestor (who happens to be this great-grandfather).  I've been researching the suspect's family, going back one generation at a time and then bringing family lines forward, trying to find a living male descendant who is willing to take a Y-DNA test.  Even if that person matches my father, the test won't tell me who my great-grandfather was, but matching will tell me that I'm not barking up the wrong family tree.  One step at a time!

I Will Be Presenting at RootsTech!

I received a phone call late Thursday afternoon.  Due to another speaker having to cancel at the last moment, I was asked if I could step in and give two presentations.  I'm sad that my opportunity came became someone else wasn't able to go after all, but I'm happy to report we were able to work everything out.  I will be presenting at RootsTech this year (my first time as a speaker there).  The two sessions will be on Freedmen's Bureau records and Freedman's Bank records.

You know, it's amazing what you can accomplish in a short period of time when you need to.  We were trying to get everything done in time to get my session information into the printed program, and I think we made it.  I wrote and rewrote my session descriptions (including the Twitter versions), updated and uploaded my handouts, and completed all the other tasks on the speaker list.  Plus I booked my airline ticket, found a hotel that still had rooms available (!), and made boarding reservations for my birds.

And since I'll be in Salt Lake City, I'll have to find some time to go to the Family History Library for research.  I just have to narrow down what to work on, since I'll only be in town for a few days.

Genealogy happy dance all around the house . . . .