This is the weekly recap I’ve been looking forward to. With the theme being “black sheep,” I’m sure there are going to be some great stories!
I think I might be turning into the black sheep of the family. This is two weeks in a row that I haven’t blogged as part of the challenge. Sigh.
Among the many posts I enjoyed reading this week were:
- “Black Sheep: John Goodenow (Capt.)” by Celia Lewis on Twigs and Trees. Gotta love it when you find your ancestor in a book titled Sex in Middlesex.
- “Edward Kaser and Sons, a Sad Family Story,” by Vera Marie Badertscher on Ancestors in Aprons. It’s a tale with ties to The Shawshank Redemption.
- “Henry Martin Miller of Ripley County, Indiana,” on Elusive Ancestor Hunter. He wasn’t a black sheep, but I have to hand it to anyone researching Millers in Indiana!
Your Turn
Who did you write about last week? We’d love to hear about them! Leave a comment below with a link to your post. Be sure to include the person’s name and a bit about them. You never know when I cousin will come along and find you!
And during this holiday weekend, spend some time reading the posts from Week 19. There are some wonderful posts there!
Upcoming Optional Themes:
- Week 21 (May 21-27) – Military
- Week 22 (May 28 – June 3) – Commencement
- June themes
I made a wonderful breakthrough after writing this week’s post and added it as an afterthought.
52 Ancestors: #20 The PEFFER-ZWANK Family of Moestroff 1832-1942
by Cathy Meder-Dempsey at Opening Doors in Brick Walls
RAMSEY, Isaac – incorrigible and worthless!
http://martinewsancestors.blogspot.com/2015/05/52ancestors-week-20-black-sheep.html
This was a wonderful story – Hannah Bradford Ripley took some serious risks in doing what she did and earned something rare for her time – respect and admiration enough to have her written about hundreds of years later.
https://kessgen.wordpress.com/2015/05/07/52-ancestors-2015-20-hannah-bradford-ripley-a-bit-of-a-troublemaker/
Pious Sylvester https://dawnsfamilyhistory.wordpress.com/2015/05/21/52-week-challenge-week-20-black-sheep/
COLUMBUS HOUCHIN born 1851 in Indiana
I knew I had a counterfeting distant cousin but as I researched him I found out a lot more.
http://timelinesandstories.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-20-black-sheep.html
A Warrant Was Issued – Ann Brandon and James Rutherford, Rowan County, NC 1777
http://downintherootcellar.blogspot.com/2015/05/a-warrant-was-issued.html
Not having found any real black sheep in my family got me to thinking that even those who are admired might from time to time do something that in a different time and place might be seen as tingeing them as at least “grey sheep”. Mayflower passenger John Alden, though generally admired, had a couple of such episodes.
http://victoriajosfamilystories.blogspot.ca/2015/05/john-alden-mayflower-self-conceited.html
ESTES family, from Halifax Co., Va – Moses Estes (c1742-1813), Distiller of Find Brandy and Cyder
http://dna-explained.com/2015/05/18/moses-estes-c-1742-1813-distiller-of-fine-brandy-and-cyder-52-ancestors-72/
SIGMUND
Some uncomfortable, but incomplete, findings about this man.
John L. Sigmund – A Black Sheep in My Mind
http://wp.me/p4ioO6-du
I have more than a few murderers in my tree and a bankrobber, too. But I chose to focus on another, tamer black sheep:
The Moonshiner
Lacy F. HATHCOCK (1910-1995)
http://tangledrootsandtrees.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-20-moonshiner.html
GROOMER – I chose to feature my cousin, Garrett Groomer, Confederate Guerrilla fighter (Bushwacker) in Civil War era Missouri, one of six Bushwackers I’ve found among my cousins there. I’ve included info about him, a link to read about the battle (Fayette Fight) in which he was killed as well as general info and many book selections on Confederate Guerrilla fighters and Civil War era Missouri and Kansas in general. LOTS of pins for this one as Civil War era Missouri/Kansas and all that falls under that is one of my favorites times/places to research! My ancestors and extended family members living in Missouri & Kansas at the time were spit in their loyalties, some for the Union, some for the Confederacy, and then there were those that became Bushwackers riding with the likes of Frank & Jesse James and the Younger brothers!
My Pinterest board address here:
https://www.pinterest.com/pattidi/52-ancestors-on-pinterest/
KASER, Edward and his son Glen.
Thanks, Amy, for mentioning this one, and for correcting an error in my post this week. I’m glad you liked the story of a relative who spent time in the infamous Ohio Reformatory in Mansfield.
I just have to mention that I have already written about some other black sheep in the family, like the misbehaving Pilgrims (first divorce in America!!) and the great grandfather who deserted his wife in Ohio and fled to the California gold fields, where he was shot by the mayor of Sacramento, and the New England wheeler dealer who cheated the Indians out of land, and a few couples who had babies who were as much as six months “premature.”
Now for the Ohio Reformatory: Edward Kaser and Sons, a Sad Family Story,
http://ancestorsinaprons.com/2015/05/52-ancestors20-edward-kaser-father-of-a-black-sheep/
Glad you enjoyed the post, Amy!
GOODENOW, (Capt) John, 1635-1721, Concord MA – He definitely was NOT “good enough”!
http://twigsandtrees.blogspot.ca/2015/05/52-ancestors-52-themes-no-20-black.html
Very interesting blog post – enjoyed reading about your cousin (and the gang)!
Sorry – that was supposed to be for Lynda above. pressed reply under her post, but it posted down here instead!
COMPTON, George Major was my great-great-uncle. He raised sheep – not sure what colour – in PEI Canada, and won prizes for them (a modified theme this week).
http://boormanfamily.weebly.com/blog/george-major-compton-1851-1928-20-52-ancestors
MOORE, Melvin – and my dad, Joe. I haven’t found a true black sheep ancestor, but I do have a story about a black goat that my great grandfather once owned. It was a mean goat! http://rootedinfoods.com/the-old-black-goat/
http://carolinagirlgenealogy.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-20-black-sheep-found.html
My black sheep was convicted of murder~twice. As I read the many newspaper articles that contained word for word testimony of one of the trials, I felt so bad for his family. He had several brothers and sisters and parents who loved him, not to mention his wife and 6 children. Can’t even imagine the pain.
I am not sure, but I think Martin Kelly might have been the black sheep in the Kelly family. http://www.researchjournal.yourislandroutes.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-18-no-name-on-the-tombstone/
GATLIN – Week 20 “Black Sheep”: William D. Gatlin
http://so-many-ancestors.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-20-black-sheep.html
My latest discoveries about my great-grandfather’s brother the career criminal.
Daisy Lee Shields – no. 36 (week 20). I interviewed my mother to learn about my Granny, described as the black sheep of the family.
http://denise-livinginthepast.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-no-36-daisy-lee-shields.html
Turner–Harlan Turner married my great aunt. I had no idea that he had been involved in a gun fight, much less the outcome
http://ancestorsiwishiknew.blogspot.com/2015/05/58-harlan-turner-gun-fight-in-goose.html
Feroll (MOORE) PYLE (1900-1999) was the second of my grandfather’s three wives. I have the divorce papers and much more…
See http://frommainetokentucky.blogspot.com/2015/05/black-sheep-feroll-moore-pyle-52.html
Harold “Pinky” Konzen (1900-1953) had some issues with Prohibition and he might have been involved in human trafficking…
http://konzengenealogy.com/2015/05/19/52-ancestors-pinky-the-black-sheep/
I blogged about my Grandfather’s Uncle Johan Almquist. Not esactly a Black Sheep but he did go to Reform School and was so miffed at his Father that he changed is name to John Allen and moved to Texas!
I wrote about my 4 x great grand uncle Jeremiah BUSH who was sentenced to death for stealing a sheep to feed his family. The sentence was changed to transportation to the Colonies (Australia).
http://ancestorchaser.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-20-black-sheep.html
PERKINS, Zaccheus – branded for stealing a silver cup, a gold ring, money & other goods. http://mymaineancestry.blogspot.com/2015/05/branded-thief-black-sheep-52-ancestors.html
BIANCHI 52 Ancestors 2015 Edition: #20 Anna Bianchi (1894 – 1973) – (nearly Wordless Wednesday) by Eileen A Souza at Old Bones Genealogy
“This photo was in the box of photos that my sisters and I inherited from our mother…”
http://www.oldbonesgenealogy.com/52-ancestors-2015-edition-20-anna-bianchi-1894-1973-nearly-wordless-wednesday/
Arval Arlando CARRICO
http://carlsonandcarricofamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2015/05/52-ancestors-week-20-arval-arlando.html
FLORES, Julian was a black sheep for leaving his family and never returning. Did he join Pancho Villa in the Mexican Revolution?
http://www.examiner.com/article/ancestor-20-julian-flores-the-black-sheep-for-leaving-his-family
Charles Edward “Ed” ASHBY (1887 – bef. 04 Apr 1930), my maternal 2nd great grand uncle, as well as a murderer of two of his family members in two separate incidents. – http://shaketree.blogspot.com/2015/05/EdAshbyBlackSheep.html
Margaret DeGARMO – (1806-1872). She actually was the mother of the Black Sheep in my husband’s family.
https://patriciarohn.wordpress.com/2015/05/31/week-20-margaret-degarmo-black-sheep-mama/
I never met my Uncle Jack, one of my grandmother’s 7 siblings. He seemed to be a loner and black sheep of our family.
In writing the blog post about Uncle Jack, I learned that one serves in the Merchant Marine (never plural) someone who serves in the Merchant Marine is a sailor or a seaman or their rank (Captain, Mate, etc.) they are never referred to as a Merchant Marine. Confusing, I know.
https://passagetothepast.wordpress.com/2015/06/03/the-eldest-son-uncle-john-jack-galatis-glatis-haines-jr/
Another catch up post! No black sheep – this guy was really well liked. Jesse L Twining, my 2nd great grandfather.
http://ancestorarchaeology.blogspot.com/2015/08/jesse-louis-twining-well-lived-life-52.html
I’m late and he’s no black sheep!
In English: http://www.huboutourvillegenealogy.com/wp/?p=1326
In French: http://www.huboutourvillegenealogy.com/wpfr/?p=1123