52 Ancestors Challenge 2015: Week 4 Recap

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52ancestors-2015-04It seems as if the favorite activity of genealogists when it’s snowing is to hunker down and do some research. It sure beats shoveling the driveway, that’s for sure!

The theme for Week 4 of 52 Ancestors was “Closest to Your Birthday.” It’s a fun way to look at the people in your family tree. For Judy Everett Ramos, that person was a girl named Frank. Cara Jensen of Sherlock Homes almost shares a birthday with her grandfather; her photos are great! Julie Goucher of Anglers Rest took a different view of birthdays, and explored some children who were born and died between census years.

I share a birthday with several people in my family tree. I focused on my great-grand-aunt Addie Sarah Kelley. Maybe I should call her my great-grand-maiden-aunt.

Leave a link in the comments to your Week 4 ancestor (whether or not you followed the theme)! Be sure to give the name of your ancestor — it makes it easier for cousins to find you!

week4-twitterUpcoming Optional Themes:

88 thoughts on “52 Ancestors Challenge 2015: Week 4 Recap”

  1. Elizabeth Wilson Ballard

    This week, I wrote about my great-great grandmother, an immigrant who was born exactly 150 years before me (or should I say I was born exactly 150 years after her!). She gave birth to one of her children during the voyage from Germany to New York City in 1851.

    Barbara (GENGEL) HAAS (1816-1899): Gave Birth on the Voyage to America
    https://digginupgraves.wordpress.com/2015/01/27/barbara-gengel-haas-1816-1899-gave-birth-on-the-voyage-to-america-52-ancestors/

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  3. Dana Leeds, The Enthusiastic Genealogist

    Kansas was a territory from 1854 to 1861 and then it became a state. In 1855, my 3x great grandfather, Henry Bennett, and his family settled on the prairie in this newly named Kansas Territory. They dealt with the slavery issue, sending off sons to fight in the Civil War, statehood, a severe drought and more.

    Henry Bennett (1815-1903): http://theenthusiasticgenealogist.blogspot.com/2015/01/henry-bennett-settler-of-kansas.html

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  17. pen4hire

    BUTTS, Giles Allen

    Talk about premature baby! Giles Allen was born less than a month after his parents were married and a few weeks before his father left for the Civil War. Although I don’t go out of my way to follow the theme, it turned out that one of his sons shared my birthday.
    Bonus: Check out Giles’ father’s letter home from the Civil War with its heart-breaking portrayal of the life of the Union infantry marching through the Carolinas.

    http://ancestorsinaprons.com/2015/01/52-ancestors-4-giles-allen-butts-premature/

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  21. B. C. French

    My 9th great grandfather Stephen Gates and I share a birthday — albeit 298 years apart. But when I looked at him, he didn’t hook into my line where I expected he would — instead, he led me to an examination of one of many instances where I am my own cousin. I also looked briefly at my Gates family’s involvement with the failed attempt to put Jane Grey on the throne of England in 1553.

    https://bcfgenealogy.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/5252-week-3-closest-to-my-birthday-or-being-your-own-cousin/

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    1. Maureen Martin

      I like this “I am my own cousin” line – in a series of fiction books by Tamar Myers, the main character says something like even when its just her and a sandwich she is having a family reunion.

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  38. oldbonesgenealogy

    STRAUSSER, Peter L. – 52 Ancestors 2015 Edition: #4 Peter L. Strausser (1852 – 1919) by Eileen A. Souza at Old Bones Genealogy.

    The suggested theme for this week was to write about an ancestor whose birthday was the closest to mine. I searched my database and came up with three candidates. I finally selected my 2nd cousin 4x removed, Peter L. Strausser, who was born on 25 January 1852 in Norwegian Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

    http://www.oldbonesgenealogy.com/52-ancestors-2015-edition-4-peter-l-strausser-1852-1919/

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  54. Teresa

    Did you ever get shown movies in school about houses catching on fire? In second grade they showed me a movie about a cigarette lighting a couch which caught the drapes, etc. For years, I couldn’t sleep until I’d surveyed all the electrical sockets and other areas of the house for smoldering fires.

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  59. Penny Bicknell

    I took a little break from the them this week and covered a special occasion; my Mother & Stepfathers Vow Renewal.

    It was nevertheless a special month for birthdays, albeit not mine, with my Step-father, Auntie and Step-grandmother all celebrating birthdays. Also if my Grandad had been here (see previous 2015 blog on him!) it would have been his birthday too!

    Please take a nosey to enjoy photos of our celebrations including a link to speeches. If you like the English accent, you will enjoy – I’m speaking on there too!!

    http://abranchtoofar.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/mr-mrs-jones-special-edition-52.html

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  60. Shannon

    CRAIGHEAD, Thomas (1660-1739) “It was on one of these occasions, near the close of April, 1739, at a communion session at the Big Spring church, when having preached until quite exhausted, he waved his hand, being unable to pronounce the benediction, and exclaimed farewell, farewell, and sank down and died in the pulpit.”

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