52 Ancestors (2015 version) is Sweet 16 this week. (It better not be expecting a car.)
The optional theme this week was “Live Long.” As you might expect, there were quite a few posts about ancestors who lived a long, looonnnnggg time. Celia Lewis at Twigs and Trees wrote about Harriett Ormsbee, who lived to 102 and left a wonderful family photo. Mary at Ancestors I Wish I Knew told about her great-grandmother Maria Huelster Eitlbach, who not only lived a long life, but covered a long distance. Brenna G. at Green Family Archives wrote about the Lathams, a group of long-lived relatives.
I wrote about Peter Kingery, my longest-lived ancestor. It is amazing to consider everything he saw.
Your Turn
Who did you write about this week? Leave a comment below with a bit about the ancestor and a link to your post. Looking forward to reading your posts!
Upcoming Optional Themes:
- Week 17 (Apr 23 – 29) – Prosper
- May themes
Remember, the optional weekly themes are just that — optional. Feel free to use them or not! The point of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks isn’t to follow the themes. The point is to write more about our ancestors. What you write about is up to you!
BARNHART, Florence 1902-1997
https://dawnsfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/52-week-challenge-week-16-live-long-florence-barnhart/
KESSLER
If you live long enough, you may learn all of your family’s secrets. Last week a member of my long lost family in Sweden found me through my blog, and this person filled me in on a big secret.
Oskar Paul Kessler – This Is Why I Blog
http://wp.me/p4ioO6-cD
I wrote about the idea of immortality and how remembering someone gives them immortality. I explained more with my grandparents and the stories they shared with me.
https://terstriep.wordpress.com/2015/04/16/52-ancestor-challenge-live-long/
GIESE, Minnie M. (Päplow), lived not as long as my gedcom stats showed me:
http://vorfahrensucher.de/wilhelmine-minnie-m-paeplow-giese-ein-sehr-langes-leben-oder/
My great-great-grandmother lived to be 102 – Harriet “Hattie” Philena ORMSBEE 1827-1929. A wonderful 4-generation photo shows my direct line (mom is 2 yrs) shows Hattie at 97.
http://twigsandtrees.blogspot.ca/2015/04/52-ancestors-52-themes-no-16-live-long.html
I wrote about my father’s cousin, William Kenneth Heiser, who was a roadeo champion. Yes, I meant to spell roadeo that way!
http://nancyhvest.com/52-ancestors-week-16-william-heiser-national-roadeo-champion/
Faye Elizabeth “Nanny” LITAKER (1901-1995), my maternal great-grandmother, lived a long, contented life, as did all of her full sisters. I spent a lot of time with her throughout my childhood and was blessed to get to really know her. She was a kind and special woman loved by all who knew her. – http://shaketree.blogspot.com/2015/04/FayElizabethLitakerLiveLong.html
BOE – Week 16 “Live Long”: Walter Floyd Boe
http://so-many-ancestors.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-week-16-live-long-walter.html
My maternal grandfather’s half-brother, who lived to the age of 99
My longest living direct ancestor was a 5th great-grandmother, Abigail (BLODGETT) GREELEY (1723/4-1818) who lived in New Hampshire.
http://frommainetokentucky.blogspot.com/2015/04/abigail-blodgett-greeley-lived-to-94-52.html
A few weeks ago I wrote about my paternal grandmother who lived to 103. When I started examining her pedigree, I found quite a few centenarians, but none who could quite match up to this one – 111? Really?
http://victoriajosfamilystories.blogspot.ca/2015/04/sten-haraldsen-srum-strmmen-1601-1712.html
ELDREDGE, Sarah “Sally” Hunt – long life and long mysteries!
https://kessgen.wordpress.com/2015/04/18/52-ancestors-2015-16-sarah-sally-hunt-eldredge-long-lived/
COMBS – John Combs (1705-1762), Slave Owner
http://dna-explained.com/2015/04/18/john-combs-1705-1762-slave-owner-52-ancestors-68/
This gives us a view into Amelia County, Virginia in the 1700s.
HUELSTER–Living a Long Life–Maria Huelster
Maria was my greatgrandmother. This blog is a little bit about her life, my recollections of her and some pictures.
http://ancestorsiwishiknew.blogspot.com/2015/04/54-living-long-life-maria-huelster.html
I didn’t choose my longest living ancestor, but she’s the third longest living and her maiden name was Long. She had one husband die young and another went to prison. You might also say she’s long-suffering.
LONG, Serilda
http://wiseheartjourney.com/2015/04/22/serilda-long-a-long-life-52-ancestors-16/
Nathan Augustus Hobbs, Sr. – no. 32, week 16—Live Long: A nonagenarian. He made is 6 months shy of 100. http://denise-livinginthepast.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-no-32-nathan-augustus.html
My longest living ancestor was my maternal grandmother who died at 95. The SCHWARTZ-SCHMITT family of Osweiler, Luxembourg, had a centenarian who did not like to lose.
52 Ancestors: #16 Live Long: Hélène SCHWARTZ 102 years, 3 months, 20 days
by Cathy Meder-Dempsey at Opening Doors in Brick Walls
Working on my husband’s ancestry: 52 Ancestors II, Week 68. Robert and Ralph Greenlee wrote (in 1908) this biography about their great grandfather,
Michael GREENLEE (born 1700).
This is a short blog post: the Scotch-Irish immigrant arrived in America in about 1714, and lived a full life to the age of 88, having two wives and eleven children.
http://ourfamilytreetales.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-ii-week-68-michael-greenlee.html
RICHARDSON, Henry Melbourne was my Great Uncle, my mother’s maternal uncle. Born in PEI in 1886 and dying in Seattle in 1988. At the age of 102 he was probably my longest-lived relative.
http://boormanfamily.weebly.com/blog/henry-melbourne-richardson-16-52-ancestors
My ancestors didn’t live to 100, but Maciej MILLER almost made it to 85. https://pastprologue.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/week-16-maciej-miller-1824-1909/
Keith Karl KASER
Although some time ago I spotted a woman in my lineage who lived so long that she was noted as the oldest to be buried in an old New England cemetery–I could not locate her when this week’s challenge came around. Sigh!
But I was happy to continue my Kaser tree with my funny Uncle Keith Kaser. From Farmer to Politician
http://ancestorsinaprons.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-keith-kaser-farmer-to-elected-official/
LESLEY, LYONS, ANDREWS – Though I have ancestors that fit the bill for this week’s theme of “Live Long” – I chose instead to feature my great grandmother, Lena (Lesley) Lyons. She missed the century mark by 7 years , but she lived long *enough* that I got to know her in my lifetime!
My Pinterest board address here:
https://www.pinterest.com/pattidi/52-ancestors-on-pinterest/
This week I wrote about my Aunt Dorothy, who missed her 101st birthday by one month!
http://suesresearch.blogspot.com/2015/04/dorothy-nye-adamson-1913-2014-52.html
Three years shy of 100…
https://themixthatmakesupme.wordpress.com/2015/04/20/three-years-shy-of-100-emanuel-h-greger-52-ancestors-no-16/
Andrew HINDLEY, sadly lived nowhere near long enough.
http://springhillhistory.org.uk/blog-3/files/ece3adce88804008e83d09dfbee86c0b-99.html
Marie Lassalle died at 76. Not a particularly long life, but an achievement considered the times she lived in (born in 1740) and having to raise her grandson at age 60.
http://www.researchjournal.yourislandroutes.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-week-16-marie-lassalles-long-life/
LATHAM — “Long Live the Lathams” on Green Family Archives.
Three consecutive generations of Lathams from the eighteenth century lived to be well over 100 years old. Thanks for featuring my post!
http://greenfamilyarchives.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-2015-16-long-live-lathams.html
McDONOUGH, Mary Estella (Whittemore) 1863-1963? or 1964?
http://wide-eyed-window.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-challenge-week-16.html
BIANCHI – 52 Ancestors 2015 Edition: #16 – Victor Bianchi (1908 – 2006), Almost a Centenarian by Eileen Souza at Old Bones Genealogy
http://www.oldbonesgenealogy.com/52-ancestors-2015-edition-16-victor-bianchi-1908-2006-almost-a-centenarian/
Matilda Tendick Moehlmann – 1872-1970 – my great grandmother.
http://timelinesandstories.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-live-long-matilda.html
I wrote about my great great grandmother – Annie McNabb Preston – who died in 1930, just two months shy of her 90th birthday. A resident of Washington DC for most of her life, she was a writer and a government clerk, still working at age 69 in 1910! If you’re interested, check her out at my blog!
https://thefamilyletterblog.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/annie-mcnabb-preston-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-live-long/?preview_id=159
Looking for who had lived a long time I discovered an ancestor I’d never found before. I was blown away with his life!
My longest living ancestor was my great grandmother Flora Hasemeyer 1889-1991
http://gatheringbranches.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-week-16-flora-hasemeyer.html
I chose to write about the second oldest person in my tree since I had written about the oldest person before. Turns out there was a 3-way tie for second. The second, third and fourth oldest people in my family tree all lived to see their 106th birthday!
Minnie Hazel (Gordon) Greenlee (1885-1992)
Ruth Marion (Schultz) Falkenberg (1881-1987)
Susana Bertha Amelia (Talmon) Amsberry (1892-1998)
http://tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com/2015/04/52-ancestors-16-106th-birthday-girls.html
Velma KELSEY – who lived her entire life in Wisconsin, up to the age of 91. https://patriciarohn.wordpress.com/2015/04/19/week-16-2015-velma-myrtle-kelsey-fish-1897-1989/
BEAL(S), John – He lived to 100, but his death is described as sudden and unexpected. Sounds like he was in pretty good health. http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/04/live-long-100-years-old-died-suddenly.html
My husband’s 5th great grandmother lived 97 years, 3 month, 7 days – a long and prosperous life!
Nancy ALLISON TROTTER
https://ginnysgems.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/nancy-allison-trotter-lived-a-long-life/
WESTFALL, John of Lackawaxen Pennsylvania not really the longest lived but a very full life.
https://putnamsisters.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/52-ancestors-john-westfall/
LENNON: 52 Ancestors No.16 – The Lennon Sisters: Sisters in life and in vocation http://moynahangenealogy.blogspot.ca/2015/04/52-ancestors-no16-lennon-sisters.html
The theme for week 16 is “Live Long”. Both Sister Clarisse and Sister Marie lived ninety four years. Sister Clarisse lived sixty-nine years in her Ursuline community and Sister Marie lived sixty-four of them in her Grey Sisters community.
McDONALD, Rose Anna McLuckie
The person who I thought was my longest lived relative – who turned out not to be.
http://martinewsancestors.blogspot.com/2015/04/52ancestors-week-16-live-long.html
FAGAN, Sarah – lived to be 104 years old and outlived her entire family
http://www.examiner.com/article/ancestor-16-sarah-fagan-lived-a-long-life-of-104-years
I wrote about one of my longest lived ancestors and one of the longest lived mysteries in the family- what is the deal with the name?
http://wp.me/p5z5tj-4B
To mark the third anniversary of the death of my mum – I wish she had lived longer.
http://ancestorchaser.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/52-ancestors-week-16-live-long-if-only.html
For a long time, I have wondered at the origin of my father’s surname in the U.S. I still don’t know it, but I have a new possibility to explore: Hessians.
http://genealogy.dreamwidth.org/9375.html
Here’s Week 16 – finally!! Ella Augusta Burt Potwin – a well educated woman.
http://ancestorarchaeology.blogspot.com/2015/05/ella-augusta-burt-potwin-well-educated.html
Oh dear, I am so far behind. This is the story of my Great Grandfather’s younger brother, James Brawley who was born in Scotland in 1867 and died in America in 1955.
https://msgenealogyuk.wordpress.com/2015/05/20/james-brawley-1866-1955-52-ancestors-in-52-weeks-16/
So far behind, dont know if I can catch up but I will try. This is about my Aunt Ena Bough 97years and 8 mos old.http://shelleyskylinejourney.com/2015/05/31/52-ancestors-16-ena-dorothy-bough-lived-to-97/
Still trying to catch up!
Another great find in newspapers!
In English: http://www.huboutourvillegenealogy.com/wp/?p=1135
In French: http://www.huboutourvillegenealogy.com/wpfr/?p=1008