The theme for 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks is broken branch. I don’t think I have any branches yet that I consider to be broken. Mostly mine are just not completely researched. I am slow in my research. I would like to get my grandmother’s family out of the U.S. to find their countries of origin.
Nettie Myrtle Smith(my grandmother) was born in Franklin, Nebraska in 1883. She died before I was born, I never knew her but through all the family stories I feel like I do. So far I have made it back to my fourth great grandparents on Myrtle’s mom’s side. Four sets of fourth great grandparents born between 1755-1785, all born in the USA. There is one I don’t have a name for yet but all the rest were born in Pennsylvania or Virginia. Kind of exciting to know my family was here when our Independence was just beginning.
A couple of my grandmothers paternal line go back to 1690’s and they are in Maine. My grandmother’s dads maternal line was from England. I haven’t figured out how to find them yet either but I don’t consider it a broken branch, just not fully researched yet. The Slaters and the Marks are both from England according to the Census records. Thomas Slater and Mary Mark came to the U.S. in 1847 with seven children. I would like to learn what was happening in their life at this time. The decision to pack up everything you know and leave all the rest of your family behind always has me curious.
I have learned the names of Daniel Smith’s parents, and I know they lived in Maine, but that is all I know about them so far. I would love to take a trip to Maine some time and research some of the historical societies. I can go back three more generations for John Fenderson and they are still in Maine. John’s great grandfather, Robert McKenney, was born in 1695! That would be my seventh great grandfather if you are counting.
There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to research all of these people and still have a life outside genealogy. It keeps me busy and learning new skills everyday. I am taking German for Genealogists right now so I can improve my skills for researching both my husbands and my German ancestors. I am part of Icelandic Roots to research my husband’s maternal line. I send requests for information all over the country. I just requested information from a historical society in Pennsylvania, maybe I will find out the name of the one fourth grandparent that I don’t know yet.
Do you have any broken branches in your tree? Hope you can find a way to keep researching and continue the branches of your tree.
My Tree in the Forest 