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 ~ March 21 - 27

March 21 ~ On this day in 1759, Anna SCHENK, possibly my 5x great-grandmother is born in Langnau, Bern, Switzerland.



Also on this day in 1913 my paternal grandmother, Lela Mable SAURER is born in Wayne County, Ohio.






Finally, this day is also marked by the death, in 1966 of Enoch Melvin MOUSER who is the 2x great-grandfather of my nieces and nephew.

 March 22 ~ This day in 1900 is marked by the death,  of  Elizabeth RENNIE, my 3x great-grandmother.  She died and is buried in Inverurie, Scotland along with her daughter and son-in-law.  Although her name is not on the stone, she is buried here with them and I have posted a picture of the grave marker in a previous post.

March 23 ~ On this day in 1908, Elizabeth LOGAN, the great-grandmother of my nieces and nephew is born.  This picture of her on a trip to Egypt is one of the only picture I've seen of her.

 March 24 ~ On this day in 1863 my 2x great-grandfather, William EICKELBERG is born in what was then known as Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Or, to practice my German, "Mein Ururgroßvater, Wilhelm Eickelberg war in Mecklenberg geboren.  Als er zwei Jahren alt war, hat er nach Amerika mit seinen Eltern gekommen.  Das war im Jahren achtzehnhundert fünfundsechzig (1865.)"


 

March 25 ~ On this day in 1824 my 3x great-grandfather, Jacob ZAUGG is born in Bern, Switzerland.

Also on this day in 1885, my great-grandmother, Nelle EICKELBERG is born in Carbon, Clay County, Indiana. She is the original "Random Relative" featured in my first blog post.

Family Events ~ March 14 - 20

March 15th ~ On this day in 1881 in Apple Creek, Ohio my 2x great-grandparents, Rudolph GRABER and Emma ZAUGG were married.  I've posted previously about the incredible coincidence of my becoming best friends with the great-granddaughter of the minister who married this couple, Edmund ERB.

March 17th ~ On this day in 1800 in Cape Girardaeu, Missour John ROSS, the 4x great-grandfather of my nieces and nephew, is born.

March 19th ~ On this day in 1852 my 3x great grandparents Jacob ZAUGG and Anna Barbara BARTCHEY are married in Berne, Switzerland.  [pretty obviously NOT a wedding picture, but the only one I have of them.]  This day in 1892 is also marked by the death of my 3x great grandfather, Thomas SWINTON in St. Andrews, Scotland.  I've previously posted a picture of his gravestone.

March 20th ~ On this day in 1795 in Bern, Switzerland Jacob ZAUGG, father of the above Jacob and my 4x great grandfather is born.  Also on this day in 1844 my 2x great grandmother, Caroline FLORY is born in Wayne County, Ohio .

Family Events ~ February 21 - 27

February 21 ~ This day is marked by the death of my great-grandmother, Mary BENZIE in 1961 in Garretsville, Ohio. The picture to the right has a notation on the back "Ma Ritchie at the farm." I don't remember her as I was barely past 2 when she died, but I do remember visiting the farm. Her son Tom lived there all of his life.

February 22 ~ On this day in 1908 my grandfather (and son of Mary BENZIE), David Washington RITCHIE is born in Cleveland, Ohio. (Born on the day celebrated as Washington's birthday, thus his middle name)

He was "the youngest of the oldest four" as he always liked to say (in a family of 8 children.) So, that would make him the scowling youngest child in this picture. Maybe he didn't care for the hat??

This day is also marked by the death of my step-great-grandmother, Lena VENETTE DUNCAN in 1923 in Boulder, Colorado. She is buried with her mother Mary LEGAULT VENETTE BOWLEN and her daughter Melva Marie DUNCAN in Green Mountain Cemetery in Boulder, Colorado. This is a huge cemetery and I was fortunate to find a full index and map on-line (click the link above) that allowed me to locate this grave several years ago on a trip to Boulder.


February 24 ~ This day is marked by the death of a potential 7x great-grandmother, Barbara HUNZIKER in Staffelbach, Aargau, Switzerland.

February 26 ~ On this day Isabella DAVIDSON, my 4x great-grandmother is born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.


February 27 ~ This day is marked by the death of my grandaunt, Pearl Emma SAURER BIDLE in 1998 in Wayne County, Ohio.

One thing I remember about Aunt Pearl is visiting her when I was a teenager. I am 5'2" on a good day and Aunt Pearl is a good 3-4 inches shorter than I am. She was cooking something for us, I don't remember what, and she asked me to take a skillet off the burner. It was a huge old cast iron skillet and I used both hands to lift it. She later walked over and was slinging it around with one hand as it it weighed nothing at all!! Even then - and she must have been near 70 since she was my grandma's older sister by 10 year - she was stronger than I was. I guess living on a farm most of her life was better conditioning than 10 Minute Abs or Sweatin' to the Oldies ;-)

Family Events ~ February 6 - 13

As I ended last week's Family Events post, so I'll start this week's:

February 6th & February 7th ~ On these days, some years ago, right before and right after midnight my twin nephew and niece are born. I am using a more recent picture of them for this week - one taken at Christmas. We had the family celebration today so, once again,

Happy Birthday Twins!!!

February 8th ~ On this day in in 1835, my 2x great-granduncle Robert SWINTON is born in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. Also on this day in 1894, my great-grandaunt Selma EICKELBERG was born in Denver, Colorado. She would only live to be nineteen, but I have a number of pictures of her. My grandfather's baby book is also inscribed, "Presented to Baby Quick by His Aunt Selma" so I even have a sample of her handwriting.

February 12th ~ On this day in 1754, my 5x great-grandmother Agnes STEVEN is born in Kilmany, Fife, Scotland.



February 13th ~ On this day in 1908, my granduncle Clair Raymond SAURER was born in Wayne County, Ohio. Wasn't he the cutest thing?!