New Additon to the Family Tree. Our 3rd Great Grandparents McCrillis (Mattson / Dennis Line).

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Tonight we read about our 3rd Great Grandfather Joseph and our Great Grandmother Elmira Swift. Also, I'm adding names to the family tree (top of right side bar) to flesh out the McCrillis line. This line will take you to Francis Cooke, one of our Mayflower ancestors.

I'm hoping all is well with you and thank you for reading.

Simply,
Victor

Joseph and Elmira McCrillis. Our 3rd Great Grandparents.

Our 3rd Great Grandfather Joseph E. McCrillis was one of the early settlers of Crawford County, Wisconsin, arriving in 1874. Joseph McCrillis was born in Topsham, Orange Co., Vt., in 1808. In 1831 he went to Massachusetts, where he worked as a shoe-maker. He moved again to Providence, R. I., in 1837, and in the fall of 1838, went to Taunton, Mass. During this period he was worked as a shoe-maker and peddling. From Massachusetts he moved to Vermont. In 1855 he came to Rock Co., Wis., and in October of the same year came to Crawford county.

He was married in Massachusetts in 1832, to Abigail Rist, who died in August, 1835. His second wife, our GGG Grandmother was Elmira Swift. They married in Providence, R. I., in 1837. Elmira was born in Corinth, Vt. on Jan. 6, 1809.

Joseph McCrillis had one son (Joseph) by his first wife, Abigail. Joseph Jr. was killed near Mt. Sterling, Sept. 7, 1880. Joseph Sr. had five children by his Elmira three sons and two daughters --- John H., who lived in Vernon Co., Wis.; Sally A., wife of Elisha Moore; Robert E., who lived in Hampton, Iowa; Hannah E., wife of H. H. Whaley; our Great Great Grandmother Isabella D., wife of our GG Grandfather J. M. Dennis who lived in Hot Springs, Dakota.

The First Sunday of Lent

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Our family is a collection of individuals, each approaching God differently. We have a history of fierce religious independence as seen from reading and researching our family's history stretching back hundreds of years. But when all is said and done, we sit together as Christians, believing in the power of God in our lives.

Today is the First Sunday of Lent. At the Fortress I pause a moment to ponder the mystery of God as we approach Easter and the celebration of Christ's resurrection.

A Happy Sunday to All...

Simply,
Victor

(Singing today is King's College Choir from King's College, Cambridge England. I lived in Cambridge for several months and grew fond of this chapel and its world renowned choir. Enjoy)

Francis Standfield and Grace Achelly our 8th Great Grandparents (Williamson / Willis Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons!
It's a fine Spring like day in Pleasant Grove. Here's hoping our families living in the east are having better weather.

In our last gathering we talked about our 6th Great Grandparents Joseph Bennett and Rebecca Fincher. Today we meet to learn about the grandparents of Joseph Bennett, our 8th Great Grandparents, Francis Standfield and Grace Achelly. We begins with a climb up the Family Tree.

1. Click on Charles Williamson
2. Click on Margaret Willis, my Dad's Great Grandmother.
3. Follow the Tree up from Jonathan Willis to Bennett Willis to Phebe Bennett and up to Edward Bennett
4. Click on Sarah Standfield and climb up to Francis and Grace.

Biography of Francis Standfield and Grace Achelly

Francis Standfield arrived at Philadelphia on July 29, 1683, aboard the ketch “Endeavor” of Liverpool, George Thorpe was Master of the ship. The Endeavor was one of the ships that brought many of the original Quaker settlers to the Pennsylvania Province beginning in 1682. William Penn made at least one voyage on the Endeavor, when he returned to England in 1684. Francis and his wife, Grace, brought with them five children:

James, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Grace and Hannah; and eight servants, Daniel Browne, Thomas Massey (Marsey), Isa. Brookesby, Robert Sidbotham, John Smith, Robert Bryan, William Rudway and Thomas Sidbotham. A sixth child, Deborah, seems to have been born after the arrival in Pennsylvania.

Francis Standfield married Grace Achele (Achelly) at the Worcester England Quakers (Friends) Monthly Meeting, about 1661. On June 3, 1678 Mary Achelly (almost certainly a sister of Grace) married Francis Fincher of the City of Worcester. This was a second marriage for Francis Fincher. The Achelly family may have been related to Grace Ashall of Up Holland near Liverpool, where one of the Lancashire Fisher families lived.

The Standfields are usually described as Cheshire (England) people, but they were among a group of Quaker families from around Worcester who came early to Pennsylvania and were associates in Chester County. In 1670, Francis Fincher had all his goods consficated at Grafton-Flyford near Worcester, for attending a Quaker meeting at the house of George Maris. George Maris spent time in prison, and in 1683 came to Pennsylvania and settled in Springfield Township, Chester County.

Francis Standfield had also been subjected to religious persecution in England, and was arrested in 1670 for attending a meeting at “Cartop” in Berkshire, which was almost certainly the village of Cutthorpe in the parish of Brampton near Chesterfield. Others who were arrested with Francis Standfield were from Brampton. Brampton is about 15 miles southeast of Marple (in Cheshire near Manchester), where Grace Standfield Jr. was born in 1673. In August of 1682 James Standfield, son of Francis and Grace, signed a certificate of removal for a group leaving the Congleton meeting in Cheshire with intent to emigrate to Falls Monthly Meeting in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Brampton is a little over 20 miles east northeast of Congleton.

Our Great Grandfather Francis Standfield, a Quaker, was listed as “husbandman” (farmer) when he arrived in Pennsylvania. The Standfields were listed as immigrants from “Garton in Cheshire,” although no village of that name has ever been listed. This may have referred to Gorton near Manchester (then Lancashire,) being very near the Cheshire line. It may be a mistake for Garston, a village on the Mersey River southwest of Manchester, at the lower end of Lancashire (now Merseyside). They had lived at Marthill and Marple, Cheshire, and possibly at Cutthorpe in Brampton Parish, Berkshire, as well as places in Worcester.

Francis Standfield may have been descended from the Yorkshire Stansfield family, who were early Quakers in and around Halifax Parish, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The Stansfield manor house still stands, in the village of Stansfield near Halifax.

The Standfields were among the earliest settlers of the township of Marple PA, just west of Philadelphia between Darby Creek and Crum Creek. Their land was not far from that of Francis Fincher of Springfield Township, presumed brother-in-law of Grace Standfield, and their friend George Maris from Cheshire. Thomas Achele, across the Delaware at Burlington, was a probable relative.

Francis and a son had numerous land holdings and were active in the community. Francis was an assemblyman for Chester County in 1685, and son James gained wealth and prominance until his untimely death in the 1699 yellow fever epidemic. Grace died in 1691 and Francis followed a year later.

Our 9th Great Uncle, James Standfield joined William Penn’s Free Society of Traders and began a career as a merchant trader. He had a two-masted brigantine, the “Betsy,"

A two masted Brigantine

In 1693 Griffith Jones, a Philadelphia merchant, sold part of his Delaware bank lot in Philadelphia to our Great Uncle James Standfield, also a merchant of Philadelphia. It was a narrow lot on Front Street and extending to the east into the river. It lay about 200 feet north of High Street, and was probably the berth for the Standfield brigantine, the “Betsy.”

In 1697 he bought a similar frontage from William Jenner on the opposite side of Front Street, extending to the west instead of east. The lot is shown on the map made by Albert Cook Meyer’s committee in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the first arrival of William Penn.

In 1699 Great Uncle James Stanfield of Philadelphia, son of Francis and Grace (Achele) Standfield of Marple in Chester County, left a detailed will and estate accounting that mentioned business in Maryland and Boston, his brigantine two-master the “Betsy,” Jerimiah Collett and the names of various sea captains.

Land records of Chester County reveal that during the 1690’s James Standfield laid out, for the heirs of Francis Standfield, a large tract of land in Kennett, Chester County. The land was abandoned with no survey when James died in 1699.

Our 7th Great Grandparent Edward Bennett married Sarah Standfield, daughter of Francis and Grace.

It has been reported that Samuel Atkins took our 9th Great Uncle James Standfield as an apprentice to learn the shipping trade. (Source unknown.) He bought land near the original Standfield estate in Marple. Samuel divided his time between Sussex County and Philadelphia, and arranged leases of whaling vessels for companies such as that of John McGiver. Samuel’s business sometimes took him on return trips to England.

In 1699, Samuel Atkins sold his land in Marple to John Worral, who was the Standfield’s neighbor to the north, where the present-day “Worral Estates” are located. James Standfield and Samuel Atkins may have died together at their shared house on the Philadelphia waterfront.

Other possible family ties: The Standfield (Stansfield) family seat in Halifax Parish, West Yorkshire, was only a few miles from Clitheroe in Lancashire, where John Fisher and the Hindles lived before their emigration. The Standfields brought a crate of window glass when they came, which would have been needed by the glazier John Fisher. The Standfields had an active trading company, and had large acreage in Sussex County where the John Fishers family lived. The ship-building supplies and artisans mentioned in the John Fisher family tradition could have been associated with the two-masted ship, the brigantine “Betsy,” owned by the trading company. A “carpenter’s shipyard” was located on one of the Fisher tracts in Sussex County.

The Holmes map of the Marple area shows the Francis Standfield estate house in the north-east end of the Standfield 600-acre tract. The site has been identified with two different homesites which can be located today. A house on Crum Creek Road near Marple Road has been discovered to have been built around a two-story log structure. Another residence, a two-story brick house on McClarie Street nearby is also sometimes considered to be on the site of a Standfield house.

For further details concerning the Standfields, see “The Francis Standfield Family of Colonial Pennsylvania” by this author, and “Marple Township, the First 100 Years.”

Original Sources Mentioning Francis Standfield

At a Quarterly Meeting of Friends held 3 mo 3 1686 it was

“Agreed yt a meeting be kept at John Bolters (Bowater’s) upon ye same first day it was used to be at Bartholomew Coppocks, for ye ease of such yt live westerly in ye woods and ye rest of friends living ye other way, upon yt same day, to meet at ffrancis Stanfields until further consideration.”

At a Quarterly Meeting held 6 mo 2 1683, it was

“Agreed yt ye meeting at Francis Stanfields, upon fresh consideration be Removed to Bartholomew Coppock’s ye younger, to begin ye next first day and ye following 4th day untill friends se cause to remove it.”

Francis Stanfield was a member of the Pennsylvania Assembly from Chester County in 1685. He died in 1692. His wife died a year earlier.

Children of Francis and Grace Stanfield

1. James Stanfield, d. 1699; m. Mary Hutchinson, of Burlington, New Jersey, 1689.
2. Mary Stanfield, m. William Huntly, 1692 and had children, 1 Elizabeth, 2 Francis, 3 Deborah, 4 Mary, 5 Sarah. She married, 2nd, Richard Fletcher, 1713.
3. Sarah Stanfield, m. 1st, William Clows or Clews, of Bucks County. She m. 2d, Edward Bennett, of Thornbury, and had children, 1 Edward, 2 Sarah, 3 Joseph, 4 William, 5 Elizabeth.
4. Elizabeth Stanfield, m. 1st Thomas Hope, 1697. He died 1708. She married, 2d, William Horne, 1709. He died 1743. No children.
5. Grace Stanfield, m. 1st Francis Chads, 1695, and had children, 1 Sarah, 2 John, 3 Grace, 4 Betty, 5 Ann, 6 Francis. She m. 2d Guyon Stevenson, 7 mo 16, 1714. She died 1728.
6. Hannah Stanfield, m. Isaac Few, 1699.
7. Deborah Stanfield, m. Richard Woodward, Jr., 1701. She was the second wife of Richard Woodward, (who was four times married) and was the mother of most if not all his twelve children.

Joseph and Rebecca Bennett. Our 6th Great Grandparents. Williamson / Willis Line.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello Williamsons,
Tonight we take a moment to learn about the lives of our 6th Great Grandparents, Joseph and Rebecca Bennett.

They were faithful Quakers (Friends) as were many of our other descendants. We start by referencing you to the Family Tree to see their relationship with us. Click on my father's name Charles. Follow his line through to George Matthew Williamson and Margaret Willis. Click on Margaret Willis and follow the line through Phebe Bennett who married John Willis.

I'm curious about Quakers, after having discovered the role in played in our early family history. I'll reasearch Quakerism and report back soon.

And now, information on our 6th Great Grandparents.

Joseph and Rebecca Bennett

About 1738, Joseph and Rebecca Bennett moved with other Quakers and settled in Newberry Township, in what is now York County PA, as appears by the following extract from the Minutes of Salisbury's Monthly Quaker (Friends) Meeting, which until the founding of Warrington Meeting, in 1747, included the meetings on the west aide of the Susquehanna River;

At our Monthly Meeting of Sadsbury held at Leacock [Lancaster Co., Pa.], ye 7th of 3 rao. 1739 The Representatives being Called all appeared. There being Divers families of friends of late Settled on the west side of Susquohanno some of them have produced Certificates to this Meeting from Kenet Meeting where they formerly Dwelt their being four mentioned In one Certificate bearing Date ye 18th of ye 2 mo: 1738 viz. Nathan Hussey, Ann his wife, John Garrison & Content his wife, Christopher Husy & Ann his wife & another Certificate from the Same place bearing date ye 4th of ye 5 mo: 1738 Recommends Joseph Bennett & Rebecca his wife all wch this meeting receives in membership with us. The Friends of that Settlement [Newberry] being desirous of a Toleration from this Meeting to keep Meetings of worship Every first day and fourth day of ye week for Six months time wch request Is Granted."

Joseph Bennett purchased land in Newberry and gave his name to the largest stream of the neighborgood, still called Bennett's Run. He served as overseer of the Friends Newberry Meeting from October 21, 1751, to August 20, 1757.

Joseph and Rebecca (Fincher) Bennett had ten children as follows:

1. William, b. 12 mo. 19, 1727-28, was married by a "priest" to Lydia , in the early part of 1753. Children : Enoch, b. 1 mo. 23, 1754; Itebecca, b. 4 mo. 6, 1756; William, b. 11 mo. 27, 1757; Joseph, b. 8 mo. 19 1759.
2. Sarah, b. 4 mo. 29, 1733; m. 4 mo. 22, 1756, at Newberry, to John Day, son of John.
3. Rebecca, b. 10 mo. 29, 1734; m. circa 1756, Rankin, and from her probably descended the Nankins of Newberry, celebrated as Tories in the Revolution.
4. Mary, b. 7 mo. 19, 1736; disowned from Friends in 1756.
5. Phebe, b. 1 mo. 30, 1738; m. 4 mo. 27, 1757, at Newberry Mtg., to John Willis, son of Henry.
6. Joshua, b. 2 mo. 15, 1741; m. 10 mo. 25, 1780, at 8adsbury Mtg., to Mary Brogan, dau. of James, deceased, of Sadsbury Twp., Lancaster Co. Children: Joseph, b. 8 mo. 15, 1781; James, b. 5 mo. 2, 1783: d. 8 rao. 21, 1784; Rebecca, b. 1 mo. 4, 1785; Joshua, m. Sarah Wain, dau. of Nathan and Sarah Thomas, at Newberry, 11 mo. 6, 1833; Marv.
7. Elizabeth, b. 12 mo. 25, 1742-43. A certificate to Sadsbury Mo. Mtg. was signed by Warrington Mo. Mtg., 12 mo. 12, 1761.
8. Edward, b. 5 mo. 7, 1744.
9. Hannah, b. 10 mo. 19, 1745; ra. 9mo. 8, 1767, at York Town, York Co., Pa., William Kersey, of York Town, son of William and Elizabeth, both deceased. He produced a certificate of removal, dated 5 mo. 31, 1766, from New Garden Mo. Mtg., North Carolina. It is supposed that he was born in Pennsylvania. A William Kersey was a witness to a marriage in Chester county, Pa., 8 mo. 18, 1738, and Possibly he was the father of William, who married lannali Bennett.

Jesse Kersey, the eldest child of William and Hannah (Bennett) Kersey, became an eminent minister in the Society of Friends. A biographical narrative of his life has been published in book form (p. 288). He was born 8 mo. 5, 1768, at York. In the spring of 1784 he went to Philadelphia to learn to be a potter. In 1789, having completed his apprenticeship, he left Philadelphia, and opened a school in East Cain township, Chester county, in the autumn. He was married, 5 mo. 26, 1790, to Elizabeth Coates, daughter of Moses Coates, and removed to York, engaging in his trade. In 1794 he removed again. About 1824 he removed to West Chester, Pa., where he was a conveyancer and postmaster. He died 10 mo. 26, 1845, and was buried in Friends' graveyard at West Chester.

The Quest (Williamson Line)

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Researching our family history is a very rewarding hobby. The satisfication of breaking through a barrier and opening up a new branch of the family tree motivates me to keep looking.

In tonight's digital family gathering I've decided to invite you into the search and witness a sampling of the detective work required to gather and paste a family history together from the tattered remnants of records time forgot to wipe from history.

First, the genealogical problem.....

Look at the family tree (click on the family tree link at the top of the right side bar). Click on my Dad, Charles Williamson. His line will appear. Click on his father Charles. Click on his father William. Click on his mother Margaret Willis. Follow her line until you get to this entry "John Willis and Phebe Bennett". You'll notice the question mark. The question mark signifies a point in the tree I'm unsure about. The "?" was added after spending hours trying to determine if Phebe Bennett and John Willis were the actual parents of the Great Grandfather I was sure about - Bennett Willis.

The frustration comes from a conflict in the records found online and on various genealogical sites. Some records state that Bennett Willis was the son of John Willis and Sarah Jones. Other records indicate Bennett was the son of John Willis and Phebe Bennett. Now you understand the problem. Which record is correct? How does one make such a determination?

I've spent hours on this problem, searching for a link that might definitively solve the mystery. Finally, taking into account all evidence at hand, I choose Phebe Bennett as Bennett Willis' mother and placed the "?" in front of her name because the doubt I could be wrong was still present. Over the last several months I revisited the issue at least once or twice a week, always looking for enough evidence to removed the question mark.

Tonight I spent more time on the issue. Here are my evening's findings:

1. I reasoned that if Bennett Willis lived in Franklin County Virginia in the early 1800's then any other Willis in that county might be related. If they were related, then that relationship might point me in the right direction.

2. I pulled the records for the 1810 Census, the last taken before Bennett Willis died in the War of 1812. I found Bennett living in Franklin County Virginia. I discovered my hunch was right. Near Bennett's name was a certain Mark Willis.

1810 Census. Click to Enlarge

3. In 1810 the Census recorded the heads of households only. So Mark might be Bennett's father, cousin, brother or none of the above.

4. I started looking for information on Mark Willis and found the following:


John Willis and Phebe Bennett are the parents of Mark Willis and Mark Willis appears on the same page of the 1810 Census as Bennett Willis.

5. I went back and pulled more information on John Willis and Phebe Bennett and found the following:


You'll notice that this entry lists Bennett as the eldest child. Looking further down you'll see that Mark Willis is listed as Bennett's younger brother.

6. Therefore, the 1810 Census provides another missing piece to the puzzle and solidifies the case for Phebe Bennett as being the mother of our Great Grandfather Bennett.

Am I convinced enough to remove the question mark from Phebe's name? Perhaps.

And so you have it. A sampling of the process it takes to trace our history.

Thanks for reading and thanks for joining me in remembering and honoring those who came before.

Simply,
Victor

Our Cousins Who Fought for the Confederacy at Gettysburg. (Williamson Line)

The Battle of Gettysburg

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
It’s been a full week since my last addition to the family history. Don’t think me a slacker. If you don’t see a daily post to the blog, then you would be right to assume I’m researching. I’m sorry to say that the easy stuff is posted. I call it the low hanging fruit. Our easily found ancestors are found, posted and their stories told. Now comes the hard part. Instead of a few hours per post, I’m spending days researching to find new information. It is a fact of life that the further back you go the fewer historical resources there are.

I will solider on with your help. If there are stories to tell, they will be told, even if the information is one sentence long. I’m committed to the proposition that this will be an all inclusive story our our American Dynasty. Our ancestor will not be forgotten as long as there is information on them. We will find it and it will be posted.

By the way, much of this week was spent fleshing out our new family tree. You can access it anytime by clicking on the picture of the family tree at the top of the right side bar. Only a fraction of the tree is visible at any one time. To see a person’s ancestry, click on that person’s name. Their ancestors will appear above them.

I need pictures. If you have a picture of an ancestor please send it.

And now, a bit of information on for the Williamsons. We knew we had strong Southern roots. Today we learn about our cousins who fought to defend the Confederacy during the Civil War. We begin with the relationship chart.

Hans George Pfluger (1703-1754) and Eve Franzisk Jost
to
Georg Friedrich Pfluger (Phlegar) (1735-1791) married Maria Margretha Kieffer
to
Hans Jacob, Christine, George Frederick, Hans, Marie Christine, Marie Margaret, Abraham, Hans Michael, Henry.

Abraham Phlegar (1776 - 1865) married Margaret Goodykoontz
to
Arabella Phlegar (1809-1865) married Jonathan Willis
to
George Matthew Williamson and Margaret Ann Willis
to
Selina, William, Abraham, James, Samuel, George, Ella, Walter, Glen, Bertha, Ralph.

William married Effie Helen Victor
to
Vennie, Ima Della, Inez, Lillie Ethel, Josie, Emmett, Walt, Charles, Maurice.
to
US

Tonight we discover the following grandsons of our 4th Great Grandfather Abraham Phlegar served in the Confederate Army (Our first cousins four times removed).

Archer A. Phlegar
Abraham Hogan
Addison Epperly
Headen Epperly
David Willis
Bennet Willis
Samuel Willis
Thomas Willis
James Willis
Peter Willis.

We also learned that five of Abraham Phlegar’s Great Grandsons were commissioned officers in World War One. (2nd cousins, three times removed).

Seven of our 5th Great Uncle George Frederic Phlegar's grandsons served in the Confederate Army (all our 2nd cousins, four times removed).

Benjamin Phlegar’s sons:
George Phlegar was killed in the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863,
Andrew Phlegar
Gideon Phlegar (also killed in battle)
Simon Phlegar

Joseph Phlegar’s son:
Calvin Phlegar

Isaac Phlegar’s sons:
Joseph Phlegar
George Phlegar

World War I Marine Recruiting Poster

At least seven of George Phlegar's descendants were in the World War I. Hagan Phlegar, was with the Marines, first of the American forces sent into battle.

Simply,
Victor

A Essay on Where We've Been and Where our Descendants will Venture.

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

I ponder on what our ancestors accomplished as I research, write and post this history of our family. I marvel at the valleys, mountains, oceans and prairies they crossed and the lands they tamed to give us this land we call home. Then I wonder where our descendants will travel. I think of the challenges they will face.

Who will be the first in our family to venture into the darkness of space? Who will be the first to step foot on a distant planet? Will they remember us? Will they pause and thank us for the gift of life and knowledge as they search their night sky looking for a pale blue dot called Earth?

Please take a moment with Carl Sagan and think of those yet to come that will carry your name and genes to the stars.

Simply,
Victor

Sunday's Photo Album

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
Today I spent time on the new family tree (look at the top of the right side bar on the blog. Click on the photo of the family tree to be taken to the site). I'm adding photographs to go with the names. My goal is one photo per name. I'll need some help. I'll use whatever photo I have handy for the tree. If you'd like a different photo please send it to me and I'll swap them.

Williamson relatives, If you have better photos than the ones I'm using please send them. This tree will eventually include all cousins etc, so please send the photos.

Today, in addition to the work done on the tree, I've scanned a few pictures for you to enjoy.

Simply,
Victor

This is my brother Jon with his wife Lisa, stepson A.J. and son Jet.


This is picture of my Step Grandfather Emmerson Leissman standing at the grave of my Grandmother Elda Vercellino in Bismarck North Dakota.

Yes, we are in total random mode. This is my sister Annette taken in our home at 2214 38th Street, Rapid City, South Dakota. Ah memories.....

Finally today we have my Step Grandfather Emmerson Liessman with Caden Williamson, Lisa's Williamson Coronado's Oldest son. He recently turned 18 years old. Happy Birthday Caden.

Newly Discovered Photograph of our Great Great Grandmother Catterina.

Our Great Great Grandmother Catterina Camerlo

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
I'm spending much of my available family history time on the new family tree. I'd like to get that caught up with everything I've posted in the blog. It will take some time, so while I work on that there will be fewer historical posts.

Tonight I'd like to share a newly discovered family picture found in material our cousin Jared Peterson (Karen Vercellino's son) posted to his Ancestry.com site.

Her name was Catterina Camerlo. This is the relationship chart:

Great Great Grandmother Catterina Camerlo b. 26 Feb. 1853 married Giovanni Viano
Their Children

Joseph Camerlo, Eleanora Viano, Maria Maddalena Gertrude, Julia, Dolph, Frances Delfina, Aurelia

Great Grandmother Maria Maddalena Gertrude married Great Grandfather Giovanni (John) Vercellino.

Their Children
Great Uncle Ray, Grandma Elda, and Great Uncle Ed.

Grandma Elda married Charles Williamson
to
Charles Ray Williamson married Luella Mae Mattson
to
Kim, Victor, Kevin, Janice, Jon, Jilane, Lisa, Annette

Great Great Grandmother Catterina was born in Courgne, Torino, Piedmont Italy. She died on February 1, 1918 in Coal City, Ill.

Simply,
Victor

Our Family Tree Ready for Examination

Our Family Tree, A Work in Progress

From the Fortress of Solitude
Pleasant Grove

Hello All,
You may be wondering why its been nearly one week since my last post. If you haven't been wondering then I ask, why? Why aren't you rushing home every day, breaking speed limits along the way, bypassing the welcoming embrace and kiss of a loved one, in a hurry to get to your computer and discover what new ancestor I've unearthed to study? If you haven't, then shame on you. Might I also add a suggestion that you reprioritize your priorities and put long dead ancestors first, at the expense of work, home and family :)

To quash rumors spread through family circles, let me say that I've not fallen off the face of the Earth, or spirited away by Somali Pirates or gray extraterrestrials. The Space Center had a few staffing problems last week caused by a staff that refused to take my suggestion and get a yearly flu shot. When I don't have subs I need to muck in with the troops to get the job done.

What time I had for family history was spent doing something I've know I had to do ever since I started this project. I had to take all these ancestral names and family lines I've discovered and get them into a proper family tree for all of you to study and enjoy.

Well, after hours of work, I've got a family tree that is accessible to everyone. The Williamson line is nearly entered (although I don't have all the dates etc yet). The Mattson line is waiting and will get done this week.

To access our family tree please click on the following link, then bookmark the page for future reference. AN AMERICAN DYNASTY FAMILY TREE.

There are a few things you should know about this site.
Family trees are very large and take up hideous amounts of room. So, family lines are cut off. To access cut lines look for the following:


You know the family line continues if you see a vertical line exiting the name boxes. Click on the person's name and the line will continue on the screen.

If you click on a person's name, information on that person will appear in the left side bar.

These family lines are the result of over one year's research. There is always the chance the information I have might be incorrect. If you see an error please tell me so I can get it corrected.
Remember, these lines may change as additional information is discovered.

You'll also notice a question mark in front of some names ? A question mark means that this line represents my best guess based on all evidence available. I will not add a branch to our tree is I'm not at least 90% - 100% sure it is correct. If I'm between 70%-89% sure then I'll add a question mark before the name. The question mark will stay there until I'm sure, or almost sure it is correct based on the evidence I find.

Please let me know any dates I can add in people's biography.

Simply,
Victor