I wondered if the number of posts would slow down once we got into warmer weather. Then it dawned on me — that might not be an issue! In my neck of the woods, it was 78 degrees on Sunday… and today we had almost an inch of snow.

This week, Nellie has some wonderful photos of her 4th-great grandmother Mabel Dodson Cortright Ramsey Ransom. (Nellie — I agree that her name is fun to say!) Nervous about cold-calling a potential relative? So was thegenealogygirl. She overcame her shyness and learned a bit more about her great-grand-uncle. Vera Marie Badertscher outlines what she knows about the mysterious disappearance of her ancestor’s second wife. After reading Ian Hadden’s account of Helen Shand Gammie, you’ll see why a descendant called her “the strongest woman I ever saw.”

My ancestor this week was William H. Skinner, my 3rd-great-grandfather who had the decency to die in a timely manner.

• ABBOTT – “Abbott Family” by Cheryl Miller on Shaking Cheryl’s Family Tree
• ADAMS – “Sarah Adams” by Catherine Pendleton on The Pendleton Genealogy Post
• ALEXANDER – “Mollydine Alexander Cole and Twin” by Elizabeth Richards on Scrapping My Family History
• ASHBY – “Emma Ashby” on Elusive Ancestor Hunter
• ASCHENBRENNER – “Family in America: A Beacon of Hope for Aschenbrenner Family Expelled from the Sudetenland after WWII” by Susan McNelley on Tracings by SAM
• BAKER – “Eugene Smith Baker” by JessLibrarian on Genie Roadtrip
• BARNES – “George Barnes” by Jackie Holloway on Voices of Yesterday
• BARRON – “Sudie Louisa Barron” by Cindy Freed on Genealogy Circle
• BEASECKER – “Elizabeth Helen Beasecker” by William Wheeler on Wheeler Genealogy
• BEERMAN – “Josef Wilhelm Beermann – Cincinnati Blacksmith” by Cheryl Biermann Hartley on My Search for the Past
• BELKNAP – “Birdie Eldora Leona Belknap (Reed, Pandelis, Vanhorn)” by Jacqueline Foster on My Journey Back
• BESSAC – “William John Bessac’s Silver Teaspoon” on Notes From the Past
• BIANCHI – “Henry Bianchi” by Eileen A. Souza on Old Bones Genealogy
• BOTFAITE – “Suzanne Botfaite” by Caroll on Trace Your Genealogy
• BOWEN – “Hezekiah Bowen & His Bride, Phareaby (Fereby) nee (Fitz)Patrick Bowen” by Carol on Reflections From the Fence
• BRUMFIELD – “Jessie A. Brumfield: Soldier & Farmer” by Colleen G. Brown Pasquale on Leaves & Branches
• BRYAN – “Martha Ann Bryan Long (1820-c1900)” by D. Taylor on D. Taylor’s Genealogy
• BURNS – “Walter Pharr (Far) Burns” by Martha on Fascinated by the Dead
• CALNON – “Catherine Cecilia Calnon (1907-1997)” by lizf on Tell Me More Stories
• CARROLL – “Percy Carroll” by Judy Carroll-Thompson on Journey of a Family Historian
• CAZAKOFF – “Ann Cazakoff – How Doris Became Ann” by Yvonne Demoskoff on Yvonne’s Genealogy Blog
• CHINN – “The Chinn/Chynn Mystery” (Ann Chinn) by Cheryl Miller on Shaking Cheryl’s Family Tree
• CHRISTIE – “Remembering Vimy Ridge: James Christie (1894-1917)” by Linda Albert on My Acadian Roots
• COATS – “Clara Coats Kemp – Mysterious Woman Who Doesn’t Want to Be Found” by Tina Maria Chase on Random
• CONLEY – “Alfred Conley (1841-1932), Corporal in General Wilder’s Lightning Brigade” by Jo Allison Henn
• COOLEY – “Tabitha Ann ‘Tobitha’ Cooley 1861-1913” by Cathy Meder-Dempsey on Opening Doors in Brick Walls
• CORTRIGHT – “Mabel Dodson Cortright Ramsey Ransom” by Nellie on Nellie’s Basket
• CURLEE – “He Ran Away With the Circus – Carl Benjiman Curlee” by Martha on Fascinated by the Dead
• DENNARD – “Hellen Mariah (Dennard) Ball” by Susie Reynolds on Our Families and Their Untold Stories
• DEVINE/DEVON – “Robert Devine (Devon)” by Karen Acker on Karen’s Kin
• DOUGHERTY – “Alva Dougherty” on Putnam Sisters
• DOUGHTY – “Never Was So Much Owed By So Many to So Few” (James Clarence Doughty) by Hilary on Looking Back
• EMERSON – “Carol Emerson Winters, PhD – a Friend and Newfound Cousin!” by Helen Youngblood Holshouser on Heart of a Southern Woman
• FORBES – “Sir John Forbes, the 6th Lord Forbes” by Ray Nichols on Questions and Ancestors
• FREDERICK – “Lulu Gertrude Frederick Spencer” by Sally Knudsen on SallySearches
• GATLIN – “Henry Cornelius Gatlin” by Beth Gatlin on So Many Ancestors!
• GORDON – “Helen Gordon” by Jillian Glover on My Ain Folk
• GORMSSON – “King Harald ‘Bluetooth’ Gormsson, King of Denmark and Norway” by Ray Nichols on Questions and Ancestors
• GREENE – “Chester Walton Greene” by Jessica Carlson on Carlson and Carrico Family History
• HAIRSTON – “Jane Hairston Married Thomas W. Cook in Tallapoosa, Alabama” by Diana on Moments in Time
• HAMILTON – “Albert Thorburn Hamilton (1895-1979)” by Pam Schaffner on Digging Down East
• HARWARD/HOWARD – “Malachi Harward (Howard)” by Martha on Fascinated by the Dead
• HEBERT – “Richard and Julius Hebert” by Jackie Holloway on Voices of Yesterday
• HEDDLE – “Peter Heddle” by Karen Acker on Karen’s Kin
• HETTIG – “Augustus and Sarah Jane (Keiper) Hettig” by Patricia Rohn on Shaking the Tree
• HIGLEY – “Joel Higley” by Kathleen on Ancestry Search
• HOLMAN – “Kathryn Winchester Holman” by Deborah Holman on Who We Are and How We Got This Way
• HOOVER – “A Walk Down Memory Lane” by Kris Hocker on /genealogy
• HOUGH – “Boston Strong” (Thomas Whitehead Hough) on Passage to the Past’s Blog
• HOWLAND – “John Howland (1592? – 1672)” by lizf on Tell Me More Stories
• HUBBARD – “Christabel Ann Hubbard (1888-1961)” by famfinder4 on The Stories Found Among the Leaves
• HUNTER – “Robert Hunter (1821-1888)” by Jen Smart on Jen’s Genealogy Pages
• INLOW – “Anne Elizabeth Inlow’s Tintype” by Brenna G. on Green Family Archives
• JAMES – “Mary Helen James Lehman” by Tina Marie Chase on Random
• JEAN – “John Jean” by Donna Brown on DonnaB’s Weblog
• JOLLETT – “Melinda Jollett Marsh” by Wendy on Jollett Etc.
• JONES – “Charles ‘Shelley’ Jones aka ‘The Colonel’” by Jill Hill on The Life and Times of Trixie Jones
• KIMBRO – “Ancestor With No Name” (wife of James Kimbro) by Myra Vanderpool Gormley on Shaking Family Trees
• KINNICK – “George Washington Kinnick Jr.” by Dr. Bill Smith on Dr. Bill Tells Ancestor Stories
• KRING – “Aunt Birla Kring, Woman of Mystery” by Paul on Ups and Downs of Family History
• KOTLAREK – “Michal Kotlarek” by barb.may on 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
• LAIR – “William Lair and the ‘Lucky Thirteen‘” by Karen on Ancestor Soup
• LASWELL – “Joseph Laswell: The Tory in Me” by Cathy Sowders Fern on Remember Me – Heritage From the Past
• LOCKE – “Mamie Estelle Locke” by Aymee Lubinski on My Ancestor’s Leaves
• LOWERY – “Charles H. Lowery” by Cindy Freed on Genealogy Circle
• LŪKINS – “Līberts Lūkins” on Discovering Latvian Roots
• LYMAN – “Richard Lyman – One of the Founders of Hartford, CT” by Michelle on My Family History
• MacDONALD – “Jane Ferrier MacDonald” by Kathy on Study by Night
• MARTIN – “Ellin Martin (c 1600-1649) a Bride in Ringwould, Kent” by Roberta Estes on DNAeXplained
• MATHEWS – “William Joseph Mathews” by Barbara Murphy on My Family’s Branches and Twigs
• MAY – “Dr. Ernest Otto May (1900-1973)” by barb.may on 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
• McCALLUM – “Newdale Methodist Church – Women’s Auxilary, 1913” (Margaret Ann McCallum) by M. Diane Rogers on Newdale, Manitoba, Canada – Genealogy
• McCULLOUGH – “Eleanor McCullough born 1793 SC” by Beverly McGowan Norman on Roots, Branches, and a Few Nuts
• McFADDEN – “Ruth Eileen McFadden (1905-1985)” by Daniel Sample on Where Were They Then?
• McGINTY – “John Patrick McGinty” by William Wheeler on Wheeler Genealogy
• McINTYRE – “Rose Ann (McIntyre) Murphy” by The Down East Genealogist on Pine Trees and Pedigrees
• McLAREN – “Jean (Jane) McLaren” by Karen Acker on Karen’s Kin
• McSHANE – “Bridget McShane, Irish Woman of Property” by Tim Graham on Photo Restorations by Tim G.
• MIDDLETON – “The Reverend Samuel Middleton of Ohio and Illinois: Nineteenth-Century Itinerant Methodist Preacher” by Susan McNelley on Tracings by SAM
• MILLS – “Secret Wife of John Wilkes Booth?” (Martha Lizola Mills) by Schalene Dagutis on Tangled Roots and Trees
• MOXAM – “Robert Carl Moxam” by Kaila Johnston on From Mowat and Beyond
• NASH – “Nathan Nash” by Kay Bauman on Relative Storyboards
• NEWMAN – “Nellie Newman” on Elusive Ancestor Hunter
• NICHOLS – “James Wood Nichols” by Terri on Genealogy Junkie – All Roads Lead to Arkansas
• NISSLEY – “John Nissley (c1722-1789) of Donegal Township” by Kris Hocker on /genealogy
• OATS – “Thomas John Oats” by Kirsty Gray on Family Wise Ltd.
• OLIN – “Henry Olin” by Celia Lewis on Twigs and Trees
• OYLER – “Mary Catherine Oyler, My 2nd Great Grandmother” by Larry L. Sanburg on larrysgroup
• PARKER – “Albert Parker (1815-1902) Ohio to Iowa” by Karen Blackmore on Karen’s Genealogy Oasis
• PARKER – “William Wiley Parker” by Martha on Fascinated by the Dead
• PERKINS – “John Butters Perkins” by Linda Woodward Geiger on My Family Research
• PERKINS – “Stephen Perkins of Chichester” by Linda Woodward Geiger on My Family Research
• PITZER – “Eunice Pitzer – Sifting Through Family Information and the Records” by MaeveM on From My Material Stash
• PREVITTE – “Emma Frances Previtte Boatwright” by Charlie Purvis on Carolina Family Roots
• PRUITT – “103 Years of Life: Samuel Wilson Pruitt (1900-2004)” by Amy Cole on Tracing Amy
• RASMUSSEN – “Kathie Rasmussen” by Michelle on Leaves and Nuts
• RICHARDS – “Like Father, Like Son – Abiathar Richards, Jr.” by Mary on Ancestors I Wish I Knew
• RICHARDSON – “Sarah Elvira Richardson, Horseback Bride” by Brenna G. on Greene Family Archives
• RICHMOND – “Thomas Richmond” by Brad on Montanatude
• RIOS – “Jose Juan Antonio Sabas Rios Descended from Spanish Conquistadors” by Judy Everett Ramos on Fort Worth Genealogy Examiner
• RIVERA – “Joseph de Rivera” by Luis Rivera on Genealogy Under Construction
• ROY – “Pierre Roy and Catherine Ducharme of La Prairie, Quebec: Parents of 18 provide a home for English child kidnapped in 1704 raid on Deerfield, MA” by Susan McNelley on Tracings by SAM
• SANDERCOCK – “Great Grandmother Myrtle Massey Had a Difficult Life and an Early Death” (Myrtle Louisa Sandercock Massey) by Brian on Ancestors at Rest
• SCHUETZ – “Theodore ‘Dora’ Schuetz Pfannstiel” by Kathryn Adam-Hurst on Conrad’s Stories
• SHAND – “Helen Gammie (nee Shand) 1864-1951 – ‘The Strongest Woman I Ever Saw’” by Ian Hadden on Ian Hadden’s Family History
• SHEARER – “Solomon Shearer – 1811-1881” by Ann Hinds on Yeakley/Jones Family History
• SIMPSON – “Aaron Lloyd Simpson” by Laura Johnston on Getting Started in Genealogy
• SKIDMORE – “Skidmores in the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War” by cosmokids on Our Family Tree Tales
• SKINNER – “Decent Enough to Die in a Timely Manner: William H. Skinner” by Amy Johnson Crow on No Story Too Small
• SMALLWOOD – “Alfred Smallwood (1815-1893 Birmingham)” on Joynealogy
• SMITH – “Betsey Gertrude ‘Gerty’ Smith” on Elusive Ancestor Hunter
• SMITH – “Sandra Smith Davis” by Dave Lucey on The eLuceydator
• SPENCE – “John ‘The Ploughman’ Spence (1868-1947)” by Simon on The Branches of My Tree
• STAPP – “Isaac William Jackson Stapp” by Lacey on Branches and Twigs Genealogy
• STICKLER – “Thomas Stickler” by Karen Acker on Karen’s Kin
• STOUT – “Into Wild Wild West – Tom Stout” by Vera Marie Badertscher on Ancestors in Aprons
• SWAN – “James Swan” on Joynealogy
• TAYLOR – “Annie Taylor Mitchell – The Heart of a Family” by Andrea Kelleher on How Did I Get Here? My Amazing Genealogy Journey
• TAYLOR – “Nora Ellen Taylor” by Ray Nichols on Questions and Ancestors
• THOMAS – “Eleanor Thomas” by Cathy G. on Orlandel Creations
• THOMPSON – “The William Thompson” by Brian Zalewski on Zalewski Family Genealogy
• TILLEY – “Elizabeth Tilley Howland (1607-1687)” by lizf on Tell Me More Stories
• TONGUE – “Mary Ann Tongue” by Kathy on Study by Night
• TONGUE – “Mary Ann Tongue – Where Were You Born?” by Kathy on Study by Night
• TONGUE – “Mary Ann Tongue – Found” by Kathy on Study by Night
• VAGEDES-TERVORT – “John Heinrich Vagedes-Tervort (1832-1876)” by Miles Meyer on Our Ancestories
• VOLLICK – “It’s All in the Name” (Isaac Vollick) by Lorine McGinnis Schulze on Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
• WALKER – “Elizabeth Walker Holland” by Juli D. Quinteros de Hernandez on Life in the Past Lane
• WALTON – “Reuben Walton – A Double Life” by Larry L. Sanburg on larrysgroup
• WASHBURN – “Leola Washburn Canfield James Wills” by Tina Marie Chase on Random
• WEBSTER – “Rollin Waterman Webster – Such a Dapper Young Fellow” by Jana Last on Jana’s Genealogy and Family History Blog
• WELTE – “Welte Assessment for Taxes – 1864” by dgfamilyhistorian on I’m Proud to Be the Family Historian
• WESTFALL – “Gabriel Westfall – Sometimes Clergyman” on Putnam Sisters
• WHEELER – “Howard Robinson Wheeler” by William Wheeler on Wheeler Genealogy
• WHEELER – “Willard Wheeler” by William Wheeler on Wheeler Genealogy
• WHITE – “Henry Arnold White (1824-1885) of Killingly, Conn.” by Randy Seaver on Genea-Musings
• WILSON – “Hezekiah Isaiah ‘Babe’ Wilson” by Martha on Fascinated by the Dead
• WINSLOW – “Kenelm Winslow (1599-1672)” by lizf on Tell Me More Stories
• WITHERELL – “David Witherell – A Disappearance Act” by NikiMarie on My People in  History
• WORLEY – “The Mysterious Case of the Missing Wife: Mattie Worley” by Vera Marie Badertscher on Ancestors in Aprons
• YOUNG – “George Vickers Young, a 98 Year Old Ex-wife, and My Shyness” on thegenealogygirl
• ZAUGG – “Christian Zaugg” by Diana Ritchie on Random Relatives