Family Events ~ October 29 - November 4

October 29th ~ This day is marked by the death in Oyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland in 1929 of Helen BENZIE my 2x great-grandaunt.

October 30th ~ On this day in 1860 my great-great grandparents, John Ulrick SAURER and Caroline FLORY are married in Apple Creek, Ohio. Caroline was only 16 (some 21 years younger than her husband.) I have no identified picture of John, but do have one of Caroline. She always looked sad to me.


October 31 ~ This is a busy day in family history! 

First, on this day in 1802 in Oyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland my 2x great-granduncle, Alexander BENZIE is born.

This day is also marked by the death in 1892 of the 5x great-grandfather of my nieces and nephew, John MOUSER. There is a wonderful memorial for him on Find-A-Grave with a picture of his gravestone and some great additional information regarding his will and the names of all his children.


Also on this day in 1896, my great-granduncle, Raymond Rudolph GRABER is born in East Union Twp, Wayne County, Ohio.

And last, but certainly not least - on this day, an unspecified number of years ago, my brother-in-law, Christian Mathis MOUSER was born. Happy Birthday Chris!


November 1st ~ On this day in 1805 in Ceres, Fife, Scotland is born Euphemia GOURLAY, my 3x great-grandaunt.

November 2nd ~ On this day in 1886, John MOUSER (mentioned above) married Frances S NATIONS, his first wife Anna's sister - Anna having died in July of that year.

November 3rd ~ On this day in 1818 in Alabama, Anna NATIONS, first wife of John MOUSER is born.

November 4th ~ On this day in Los Angeles, California Katherine Elizabeth KEEFER, paternal grandmother of my nieces and nephew, is born.

Family Events ~ March 28 - April 3

March 28 ~ On this day in 1801 my 3x great-grandaunt, Catherine Benzie was baptized in Oyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

March 30 ~ On this day in 1785 my 4x great-granduncle, William Gourlay is born in Ceres, Fife, Scotland.

Also on this day in 1808 my 3x great-grandaunt, and niece of William, Elizabeth Gourlay, is born in Ceres, Fife, Scotland.


Finally, this day is marked by the death, in 1985 of my great-grandaunt, Laura Hazel Graber Rittenhouse.  Because Aunt Laura was the youngest in a family where my great-grandmother, Ella, was the oldest I was fortunate enough to have a link back to my great-great-grandparents even though my great-grandmother, Ella, died when I was only 4 1/2.  Aunt Laura was very interested in family history and it is because of her that I have so many wonderful pictures on the Graber side of the family.

March 31 ~ On this day in 1893, Roy Duncan, my Grandma Belle Duncan Quick's uncle.  I say it that way because Grandma Quick was my mother's step-mother so Roy comes up as "no blood relationship" in my genealogy software although my Mom knew him as Uncle Roy.

April 3 ~ This day is marked by the death in 1793 of Ann Magdalena Laesser in Bern, Switzerland.  Anna is possibly my 6x great-grandmother.

On this day in 1903, my granduncle - my grandfather's half-brother, William Harry Nissen is born in Denver, Colorado. [picture to the left is of Harry]

Also on this day is born Kenneth Logan Keefer, the granduncle on their father's side of my nieces and nephew.

Family Events ~ January 31 - February 7

[Yes, I know - February 6th should be the last day...but I have a special reason for including it here!]

January 31st ~ On this day in 1901 in Edinburgh, Scotland William Hannan RITCHIE, my 2nd cousin twice removed is born. He will only live for 4 days.

February 2nd ~ On this day in 1838, marriage banns are read for David RITCHIE and Agnes GOURLAY in Ceres, Fife, Scotland. They are my 3x great-grandparents. This day in 1993 is also marked by the death of my granduncle, Windsor Benzie RITCHIE in Ohio.

February 3rd ~ This day is marked by the death of James KIRK, my 5x great-grandfather in 1829 in St. Andrews, Scotland. I am fortunate that there is a marker for him in St. Andrews, erected by his son and that I got to see and photograph it! It was an early Tombstone Tuesday post last year.

This day is also marked by the death of Selma EICKELBERG, my great-grandaunt in Denver, Colorado in 1913. She was just 5 days shy of her 19th birthday.

February 4th ~ On this day in 1897 Edna SAURER is born in Dalton, Wayne County, Ohio. She will become the wife of my great-granduncle Raymond GRABER. She will also cause be no end of problems early in my genealogical "career" as she was born Edna SAURER and became Edna GRABER while her sister-in-law, Raymond's sister, is born Edna GRABER and becomes on marriage Edna SAURER!!! Even when people noted names on the backs of pictures it all depended on who was doing the labeling as even after marriage both women might be noted by a maiden name.

And now for the most special days of this week:

February 6th AND February 7th ~ On these days, some years ago, right before and right after midnight my twin nephew and niece are born. My niece, the one born on the 7th used to say that the 6th was always, "the worst day of the year for me" because on that day her brother would tell her, and anyone who would listen, that HE was a year older! "I'm already x but you are NOT" I'm sure any of you with brothers can imagine. While they are teenagers now, I just couldn't resist using their one-year old birthday party pictures.

Happy Birthday Twins!!

Family Events ~ November 15 - 21

[I know it's been awhile. I just have a lot going on in my personal life right now. I guess I'm not really a true blogger because my first instinct isn't to rush out and tell the world...anyway, I've decided to do at least 2 genealogy/blog things. First, I'm going to start posting my weekly family events on Sunday. My family likes those and I seem to get the most comments on those as well. Second, I'm going to pick ONE family name and only work on it and only it - really! (trying to cure my GADD) So, that's it for now.]

November 15 ~ On this day in 1778, my 4th great-granduncle, George KIRK is baptized in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

November 16 ~ On this day in 1746, my 5th great-grandfather, John GOURLAY is baptized in Ceres, Fife, Scotland. This day is also marked by the death, in Chevy Chase, Maryland in 1997, of my brother-in-law's grandmother Vestal [MATHIS] MOUSER.

November 17 ~ This day is marked by the death, in 1800 in Berne, Switzerland, of the man I believe to be my 6th great-grandfather, Abraham ZAUGG. Also on this day in 1838, my 3th great-grandparents James BENZIE and Mary BENZIE [this was her maiden name as well as her married name] were married in Oyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

November 20 ~ This day is marked by the death, in 1913 in Weld County, Colorado, of my great-great-grandaunt, Mary Ann [AUFLICK] SAUNDERS.

Wow ~ a whole week's worth of events and not ONE picture!! That's unusual for me.

Family Events ~ September 27 - October 3

September 27 ~ On this day in 1839 my 2x great-granduncle James BENZIE was born in Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

This day is also marked by the death of my 2x great-grandmother, Nellie [AUFLICK] EICKELBERG in Pomeroy, Ohio. (See my post here for my discovery that she died in Ohio and NOT Colorado as I had always assumed!)


Finally this day is also marked by the death of my great-grandaunt, Edna Mary [GRABER] SAURER in 1965.



September 29 ~ On this day in 1912 my grandmother, Ruth Penrose [Evans] QUICK [?] was born in Broomfield, Colorado. Her actual birth date was something I had been looking for over the past many years. I need to write about her for a Madness Monday post as there are still many other things I need to find out.

September 30 ~ On this day in 1832 my 3x great-grandmother, Anna Barbara [BARTCHEY] ZAUGG was born in Switzerland.

This day is also marked by the christening of the above James BENZIE.

October 2 ~ This day in 1885 is marked by the death of my 3x great-grandaunt, Margaret GOURLAY in Ceres, Fife, Scotland.

October 3 ~ On this day in 1906, Cotys Milner MOUSER, my brother-in-law’s grandfather, is born in Louisiana.

This day is also marked by the death, in 1924 of my 2x great-granduncle Alexander RITCHIE in Toronto, Canada. I’ve posted a picture of his gravestone in a previous Tombstone Tuesday post.

Family Events ~ September 20 - 26

Not much going on this week in the family history ~ and on top of that NO PICTURES.

On a side note however, I gain so much from doing this. I almost always find something to clean up. In this case I had 2 dates for Barbara Gourlay which were both showing as "birth." While I was fairly confident that one was really the baptism, I didn't know for sure. A quick "trip" out to ScotlandsPeople got me on the right track. I also downloaded the entry in the records so I can source this bit of information.

September 20 ~ on this day in 1801 my 3x great-grandaunt Barbara GOURLAY is baptized in Ceres, Fife, Scotland.

September 21 ~ on this day in 1858 Margery Ann WEAVER, wife of my 2x great-granduncle Frederick ZAUGG, is born in Homes County, Ohio.

September 22 ~ on this day in 1889 my great-granduncle, William Moore RITCHIE is born in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

Family Events ~ August 9 - 15

August 11 - David GOURLAY and Barbara PORTER my 4x great-grandparents are married in Ceres, Fife, Scotland on this day in 1800. Also on this day in 1803 the couple's daughter Margaret, my 3x great-grandaunt is baptized in Ceres Parish. Finally, this day in 1907 is marked by the birth of Vestal MATHIS, my brother-in-law's grandmother, in Arkansas.

August 12 ~ James RITCHIE, my 3x great-granduncle is baptized in Kembeck, Fife, Scotland. Also on this day in 1833 Robert Souter SWINTON, my 2nd great-granduncle was baptised in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.

August 13 ~ Jane/Jean SWINTON, my great-great-grandmother, is born in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. While I have no pictures of Jane, this is a picture of the house in St. Andrews where she grew up. Today it is a chocolate shop.



August 15 ~ In 1904, Hildagard Moore RITCHIE (left), my grandaunt, is born in Cleveland, Ohio. This day is also marked by the death, in 1970, of my great-grandmother Nelle EICKELBERG (right) in Denver, Colorado.

Family Events ~ August 2 - 9

August 3 ~ In 1800, marriage banns were read for my 4x great-grandparents, David GOURLAY & Barbara PORTER in Kennoway, Fife, Scotland.


August 4 ~ In 1886, Paris Roy BUPP was born. Paris was the husband of my great-grandaunt, Hilda GRABER.





August 5 ~ This day was marked by the death of Rudolph GRABER, my great-great-grandfather in 1918 in Apple Creek, Ohio. He will be buried in Apple Creek Cemetery on August 7th.


August 6 ~ In 1863 Elizbeth KIRK, my 4x great-grandmother, would die in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. A picture of her marker was posted in a previous Tombstone Tuesday post.

Also on this day, in 1964 James DUNCAN, my step-great-grandfather, would die in Riverside, California. He is buried in Boulder, Colorado.

August 8 ~ In 1841 Charles SWINTON, my 2x great-granduncle, is baptized in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland.