Great news. My application to join The American Society of Die Söhne der Napoleonischen Kriege (also known as Die ZöNK) has been accepted! Loosely translated, the Sons of the Napoleonic Wars is made up of people like me who can trace their ancestral lineage to German soldiers who fought against Napoleon’s armies in the early 19th century. Not to be outdone by its… More →
Category: Utlaut Kenfolk
Bad news travels far, too
Johann Heinrich Ludwig Grannemann, my 3rd great grand uncle, died three weeks shy of his 19th birthday on December 1,1843. Born in Nordhemmern, Germany in 1824, Johann must have yearned for America. Two of his brothers – my 3rd great grandfather, Johann Heinrich, and the oldest brother, Johann Heinrich – had already made the trip to America by 1842 and were married and busy… More →
Gilley Willy-Nilly
This last week was productive genealogically speaking. I managed to fill in four squares on my mother’s ancestral scorecard and focus on a tree branch that I’ve pretty much ignored – the Gilley branch. Nancy Gilley, my 3rd great grandmother, was born in Henry County, Virginia about 1806. She married Stephen Turner in 1828. According to other Gilley and Turner researchers, Nancy’s middle name was… More →
Half of the Battle is Half of the Tree
The other half of the battle is the other half of tree. How profound. I’ve completed the second half of my ancestral scorecard representing my mother’s side of the family. For some reason I thought it might have been more complete than my father’s side. Au contraire, ma mere. Thirty years likely won’t be enough time to figure out all of… More →
My Cousin, My Enemy
We’re taught in school that the Civil War divided not only the nation but also families, often pitting brothers against brothers and cousins against cousins. Genealogically speaking, I have come across instances of this happening within my family tree. For example, my 3rd great grand uncle, Milas Deason, and his 1st cousin Benjamin Turbeville – both sons of Tennessee –… More →
Reincke the Remarkable
Reincke (the Remarkable) Rahtert, my 9th great grandfather, was buried when he was 90 years old according to church records from Hahlen, Germany. My assumption, of course, is that he was deceased at the time; or that would have made him Truly Remarkable Reincke. Nonetheless, his longevity makes him remarkable in my book considering the time period in which he existed. Born in the… More →
Once More From The Top
My 3rd cousin, 1x removed, Irene, is no stranger to this blog. Married to my paternal grandmother’s 1st cousin, Irene’s mother was an Uthlaut and a relative of my mother’s. Over the last year, Irene has become a good friend, helping me fill in the blanks on Uthlaut family members from her neck of the tree. Just recently, I learned that Irene and I… More →
Blarney Stone-hinged
Unlike the TV spokesperson for Ancestry.com, who traded in his lederhosen for a kilt, on Thursday I’ll be wearing one atop the other as I celebrate my Irish heritage. The roughly 6% of me that is Irish came from my mother’s Joyce ancestors and from my father’s Hollingsworth and Boren ancestors. Speaking of Borens, one of the treasures I came across… More →
By Hook or By Crook
When I learned recently that Peter Heinrich von Behren, my 5th great grandfather, was a German shepherd, I must confess I was a bit perplexed. The first thoughts that ran naively through my head were something along the lines of: Good Lord, how on Earth did he provide for his family wandering aimlessly about the countryside keeping sheep? and Oh,… More →
Cousins and Classmates
Jim Du(e)senberg was my father’s 1st cousin. He and my father and my father’s sisters attended the same high school in North Kansas City, Missouri. The picture below is from their 1959 yearbook. Jim, pictured in the lower right-hand corner, was a junior. I’m sure to get emails about this (as I most assuredly will screw this up) but I believe my father… More →