By Eilene Lyon My North Carolina German family lines did not make that colony/state their first stop on this continent. For the most part, they arrived in Philadelphia and settled in established German communities in Pennsylvania. They, or their descendants, later moved to North Carolina where good land could be had for less money. There... Continue Reading →
“Local Marine Alive, Well”
Originally published May 26, 2019. Week 21: #52 Ancestors – Military By Eilene Lyon This time of year, I like to feature someone on my family tree who perished during service to their country. They are invariably young men who never had a chance at a normal adult life. I hope I run out of... Continue Reading →
Jerking Lightning
Originally published July 15, 2018 By Eilene Lyon Since I seem to be on a roll with the Ransom family, I thought I’d follow up with a bit about one of Robert Ransom’s sons. He and Emma had four surviving sons: James Henry, William Randolph, Arthur Lemmon, and Albert Frederick (“Fred”). The first two were... Continue Reading →
North Carolina Branches
By Eilene Lyon There’s an entire section of my family tree that I’ve neglected over the years. These are the ancestors of my great-grandfather, Sterling Price Davis. Just his name gives you a clue why. Sterling was born in Missouri and is named for the late Missouri governor, Sterling Price. Price was earlier a general... Continue Reading →
The Schoolboy
By Eilene Lyon This “Found Photo” is not likely to find a family home, though it does have a name, date, and location on the back. It caught my niece’s eye when we were strolling through the local antique mart earlier this week. Maddie has been studying German for the past seven years and will... Continue Reading →
Sauerkraut
By Eilene Lyon In America we tend to think of sauerkraut as a traditional German dish. It was also an important food to my 3rd great-grandparents in the Jenkins-Bedford line. Their heritage was Welsh-English, not German. Abigail (Bedford) Jenkins mentions it twice in her gold-rush letters to her husband, Henry Z. Jenkins. From August 1851:... Continue Reading →
Georgia Who?
By Eilene Lyon Late last year I shared with you the story of Ann Jenkins Ransom, who was William C. Ransom’s first wife. He had five wives and an unknown number of affairs. He did not always bother with the nicety of divorcing one wife before marrying another. The wives are well-documented except Number Four.... Continue Reading →
A Bates Family Mystery
By Eilene Lyon Found Photo Project #12 I was surprised to find it’s been a year since I last posted a found photo project. This one’s a three-fer: two success stories and one enigma, all from a local antique mart. The two largest portraits, which have been successfully reunited with family, are both from New... Continue Reading →
Ann’s Adventures—Part 3
By Eilene Lyon Part 1 Part 2 1857–1863 Ann’s brother, Billy Jenkins, left San Francisco in the spring of 1857 to rejoin his daughter, Lizzie, and his parents in Jay County, Indiana. He purchased his parents’ farm and they all lived together there. Billy spent a year learning new skills at the Indiana School for... Continue Reading →