One
of the things that many people overlook about genealogy is the fact that it is
not always about making the remarkable link to some historical figure or event.
Sometimes it is about making sure that people are not forgotten. This doesn’t
just apply to those names that may not be part of the usual family discussions,
it is about the names that may not have even carried over to the next
generation. I have written about many of the people that lived interesting
lives, some that may have died too soon, and others whom I simply wanted to
learn more about. To date, the list is rather extensive and includes the
following leaves from my tree:
Those
are just a few of the lives that I have tried to bring back to the forefront of
my family history. Many of the details were already known to various family
members but there have been a few that have come as a surprise (at least some
of the details). These stories are fascinating to me and I will certainly be
adding to that list in the near future but, for now, I wanted to take the time
to share some of the names that can too easily be forgotten. Some lives are cut
short while other lives never had a chance to get started.
When
looking through the census records it can be a little startling to see the two
numbers listed a few columns over from the mother’s name. These columns stick
to the factual… number of children followed by number of surviving children. The
census is a form full of facts and numbers and doesn’t provide any additional
insights as to the discrepancy. Seeing these do, usually different, figures has
become routine for many of us conducting research on our families. However,
when we dig a little deeper, when we find a name, that column is no longer
filled with simple numbers. Below are just a few of the names that I have been
able to find…
- I knew about my great aunt Frances Reba Teaford
from the time I initially became interested in the family history. A few
of her siblings are still around and have shared stories about her with me
and the short life that she lived. Frances was born in Eagle Rock, Virginia
to Harry Gilmore Teaford and Nettie Love in 1926. She succumb to the
ravages of Tuberculosis a few years after the family moved to Pennsylvania
in 1943. However, I didn’t find out until later about a baby brother that
was born in August 1930. Unfortunately, he passed away three months later
still without having been given a name.
- Samuel Ardis and Sarah Myers had three children
together including twins born on April 18, 1902. Thomas died in July 1902
(a month before his father) and Edna died in March 1903 (seven months
after her father).
- My great great grandmother, Susan Laura Corner,
was one of nine children born to Jacob Corner and Tamise Culp. However, by
the time she turned five year old, she had already lost three of her
siblings including her twin sister. Calvin was born two decades before my
grandmother and never made it to his first birthday. Hannah was six when
her baby twin sisters were born but only knew them for five years. Emma
Flora, Susan’s twin, was just over two years old when she passed away.
- William McKannan and Susan Corner had three
children, two sons and a daughter. Their youngest son, Reuben (named after
Susan’s brother), was born in July of 1893. He was laid to rest in what
would become the family plot in May of 1897.
- By the end of 1919, William Jacob McKannan
(Reuben’s brother) and Helen Fulton had four children, two boys and two
girls. By the close of 1922, William was a widower caring for two sons.
His two daughters, Marion (1916-1920) and Helen (1919-1922), both preceded
their mother in death. Helen succumbed to a stroke on September 7, 1922.
- Over the course of a single year from 1879-1880,
John Uttley lost both his first wife Sallie, who passed away in January
1880, as well as their only child Charlotte who was born in February 1879
and died three months later.
- Jacob Wirth and Mary Eppright had four children.
By August of 1864, Mary was a single mother of one. Their oldest daughter,
Emma, didn’t even make it to her first birthday passing away at 10 months
old in October 1858. The day following her father’s death aboard the USS
Tecumseh at the Battle of Mobile Bay, Laura died just over a month shy of
her second birthday on August 6, 1864 and Mary succumb to her illness
(likely yellow fever) three days after her sister on August 9th.
Genealogy
is about ensuring that the family history is passed down to future generations.
Sometimes those facts and events are obvious and quite well known, other times
it takes some digging to ensure that we have as complete a picture as possible.
As many of you know, it is usually about the tiny details. Sometimes, even just
ensuring that the name of a lost child it remembered is the greatest thing that
we can accomplish. This is why I continue to try to make the connections and
put the pieces together to tell the larger story but take the time to make sure
that these children are part of the story and not forgotten. After all, each
life is part of the family.
