52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

         DNA connections are truly amazing. I started building my family tree the old fashioned way, as so many did, with paper and online records, plus with my family’s knowledge. Without a doubt, this is still the gold standard of family history research and will continue to be needed to verify and source these connections. But now, with DNA testing being done over such a wide population base, and the tools that have been created using DNA to make family connections, I find it enormously satisfying to see my paper-based research come to life! It is almost unbelievable that I can see the DNA connections from distant cousins to my 4th and 5th great grandparents.   Going back to the early and mid 1700’s, my mother’s side of the family had many ancestors that immigrated from Germany and western Europe, and settled in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties in eastern Pennsylvania. I knew many of their names from my family tree, but now the DNA connections...

          This is not a story that was handed down to me, but it is one of many I have found on my family history journey. This sad and gruesome tale occurred in 1863 in the sparsely settled rugged and beautiful areas of  Bledsoe County, Tennessee, where many generations of my dad’s ancestors lived. As stories go, some of the details vary, but the end result was that John Tollett Jr., a land owner and farmer,  and my 3rd great grandfather Francis (Franklin) Monday were murdered on the night of April 30, 1863, during the height of the Civil War. Here is what happened on that fateful night, according to the stories told and passed down. John Tollett Jr. was a wealthy man, and it was rumored that he kept a lot of money and/or gold in his home. A few days before he was killed two masked men came to his house, and demanded they give them his money or they would kill him. Tollett refused, and for some reason the men couldn’t find the gold, so they lef...

         Back in 2013 when I was really starting to delve into family history, I felt compelled to find photos of my ancestors. I asked my mom and both of my brothers if they had any photos of our grandparents and great-grands. I had some of our grandparents, but just a very few of one line of their parents. Well, turned out my brother Jim did have some. And the people were identified on the back of the photos! I was so excited. So between what our mom and my brother Jim had, I now had great photos of the four grandparents, plus all our great grandparents except for one.   George Akin Sherrill my great grandfather born 1835 Cumberland County, TN My dad's maternal grandfather   After seeing the photos, I now knew I had to find a way to share them with the rest of our family, kids, and grandkids so they could be not only be preserved, but could easily shared and passed down.   I could digitize them, put them on a flash drive, and share them t...

            I have given this particular topic a lot of thought, trying to decide what direction to go with it. In the end, I thought I would share a few different ideas of what the phrase “Home Sweet Home” means to me. When I travel to places where my ancestors lived, and I walk on the same ground where they have walked, I always get that feeling of “being home.” It is a warm and comforting feeling. The area where my dad was raised in central Tennessee in particular evokes this feeling whenever I visit there. While I have never actually lived there, I have visited it many times over the years, and it definitely feels like home. And I love hearing the stories of the old days from my friends and relatives when we have reunions.   atop Hinch Mountain overlooking Sequatchie Valley The home I grew up in certainly holds a special place in my heart. My dad did a lot of the physical labor in building this house in northern New Jersey. Even though my ...

          The witness to history I would like to write about today is not about a person in my family tree, but an actual tree that has watched over and shaded the final resting place a 5x great grandfather of mine (Christopher Saur/Sower) for over 233 years. This amazing tree has witnessed so much history in its lifetime, and I would like to share its story, how I was introduced to it eight years ago, and how in some small way it has weaved its story into our own family tree. In late June 2017 I was on a family history trip by myself to explore an area about 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia PA where many of my ancestors were born, lived and passed on. I had cemeteries to visit, an old tavern to see that my 4th great grandfather ran for many years (The Harleysville Hotel), some scrapple to eat for breakfast (which no one in Fargo has ever heard of - big surprise!), and to just drive around the area to get a feel for where so many ancestors called home....