My Line of Fathers

Happy Fathers Day!

These are the known men of my Ancestry who have passed on, with their birth names intact. I begin with me and walk back each generation, with my living father, Phil being the First Generation and last of my living fathers. With a breath of gratitude as the world pauses to honor those who live I cross the threshold and whisper to those who stand beneath and behind me.

[If you find that we share a common ancestor, I would love to hear from you.]

Second Generation…

Richard Riddle (1931-2004) at 72, Mark Dutcher Eaton (1915-1982) at 66.

Third Generation…

Robert George Art (1892-1974) at 81, Harold Lafayette Riddle (1903-1975) at 71, Frank William Ruston (1888-1971) at 82, Royal Levant Eaton (1873-1931) at 57.

Fourth Generation…

Frank Burke (b.1863), George Art (1870-1943) at 72, George Durant (b.1871-1934) at 64, Lafayette Riddle (1873-1938) at 64, Hiram King Wicker (1844-1908) at 63, Charles Evan Ruston (1847-1933) at 85, Silas Parker Smith (1851-1896) at 44, Bennett Eaton (1847-1909) at 61.

Fifth Generation…

Thomas Burke (b.1834), David Conners (b.1829), John F. Pils (1827-1911) at 83, Adam Art (1836-1896) at 59, Levi H. Gillette (1845-1911) at 65, Albert Durant (1841-1920) at 78, Marquis DeLafayette Riddle (1825-1896) at 70, Bailey Harrison Whitcher (1799-1865) at 65, Thaddeus Rice Wicker (1810-1885) at 74, William Ireland (b.1827), Richard Ruston (b.1819), Reuben Feagles Dutcher (1831-1908) at 76, Ammi Smith (1824-1918) at 93, Philitus Tenney (b.1827), Solomon Gould Eaton (1800-1870) at 69.

Sixth Generation…

Francois Xavier Lavalle (1818-1889) at 70, Francis Berry (b.1816), Ezra Wheeler Gillette (1819-1849) at 29, Freeborn-Moulton Riddle (1793-1877) at 83, Peter DeLozier (1786-1849) at 62, Simeon Whittier (1765-1817) at 51, Manley Bird (b.1808), Martin Dutcher (1796-1872) at 75, Joshua Eaton (1771-1860) at 88.

Seventh Generation…

Alexis Lavallee (1793-1868) at 74, Thomas Berry (1782-1818) at 35, Joseph Boots, Eliphal Gillett (1771-1843) at 71, Joseph Riddle (1763-1812) at 48, Oliver DeLozier (b.1747), James Kittredge, Abner Whittier, David Dutcher (1741-1818) at 76, Benjamin Eaton (1732-1800) at 67, Edmund Bird (b.1784).

Eighth Generation…

Pierre Pasquier LaVallee (1759-1798) at 38, Walter F. Dixon (1754-1832) at 77, John Berry (1762-1820) at 57, Alexander Hannah (1726-1812) at 85, Wheeler Gillett (1744-1802) at 57, Thomas Ridel (1739-1809) at 69, Peter Lozier (b.1697), Henricus De Duyster (b.1704), Thomas Eaton (1698-1773) at 74, Enoch Bird (1751-1818) at 66.

Ninth Generation…

Jean Francois Paquet dit Lavallee II (1720-1790) at 69, Baltus Goedemoet, David Calhoun (1700-1769) at 68, Hugh Hannah (1687-1761) at 73, Eliphal Gillett II (b.1719), Freeborn Moulton (1717-1792) at 74, Jacob Zabriski (1679-1758) at 78, Nicholas LaSueur Lozier (1668-1761) at 92, Thomas Eaton (1675-1748) at 72, Direck De Duyster (1675-1733) at 57, Lemuel Lyon (1728-1781) at 53, Samuel Bird (1726-1787) at 60.

Tenth Generation…

Jean-Francois Paquet dit Lavallee (b.1689), John Smith III (1674-1751) at 76, Eliphal Gillett I (1673-1747) at 73, Nathaniel Walker (1682-1759) at 76, Robert Moulton (1675-1756) at 80, Albert Albertse Terhune (1651-1709) at 57, Albrecht Zabriski (1637-1711) at 73, Nathaniel Gay (1643-1712) at 68, Abner Perry (1703-1758) at 54, Peter Lyon II (1686-1752) at 65, Humphrey Atherton II (1707-1784) at 76, Samuel Bird (1680-1740) at 59, John Eaton (1640-1715) at 74, Jan Wilhelm De Duitscher (1640-1689) at 48.

Eleventh Generation…

Isaac-Etienne Paquet dit Lavallee (1636-1702) at 65, James Briscoe (1649-1711) at 61, John Smith Jr. (1646-1732) at 85, Ephraim Wheeler (1646-1684) at 37, Sgt. Jeremiah Gillett (1650-1707) at 56, Ens. Israel Walker (1648-1719) at 70, Nicholas La Groves (1645-1701) at 55, Robert Moulton (1644-1731) at 86, Steven Coerts Van Voorhees, Joost HuybertszenVan der Linde (b.1639), John Gay (1615-1688) at 72, Peter Lyon, Robert Field (d.1759), Humphrey Atherton (b.1671), Desire Clapp (1652-1717) at 64, John Bird (1641-1732) at 90, John Eaton (1611-1658) at 46, Willhelm Willemsson Janseen Dutcher (1615-1673) at 57.

Twelfth Generation…

Mathurin Paquet (b.1618), John Wheeler (1640-1704) at 63, Nathaniel Briscoe Jr. (1629-1683) at 53, Thomas Canfield (1623-1689) at 65, John Smith (1600-1684) at 83, Richard Holbrook (1618-1670) at 51, Thomas Wheeler II (1620-1676) at 55, Jeremiah Gillett (b.1608), Deacon Henry Baldwin (d.1697) Capt. Samuel Walker (1615-1684) at 68, Robert Sallows (1626-1663) at 36, Thomas Grove (b.1619), Henry Cooke (1615-1661) at 45, Robert Moulton (1616-1665) at 48, James Foster (b.1670), Robert Field (1653-1710) at 56, Sgt. William Pond (1622-1690) at 67, Capt. Roger Clapp (1609-1691) at 81, Richard Williams (1606-1662) at 55, Thomas Bird (1613-1667) at 53, Nicholas Eaton (1573-1637) at 63.

Thirteenth Generation…

Thomas Wheeler II (1620-1676) at 55, Nathaniel Briscoe (1595-1651) at 55, Thomas Canfield (b.1596), Thomas Wheeler (d.1654), Rev. William Gylette (1574-1641) at 66, Richard Walker (1592-1687) at 94, Peter Wolfe (1606-1675) at 68, Michael Sallows (1596-1646) at 49, Henry Birdsall (1590-1651) at 60, Edward A. Cooke (1568-1619) at 50, John Goode (b.1587), Robert Moulton (1590-1655) at 64, Robert Field (b.1613), George Dyer (1579-1672) at 92, Robert Pond (1597-1637) at 39, Thomas Ford (1589-1676) at 86, William Clapp (1565-1640) at 74, William Williams (1555-1618) at 62, William Bird (b.1577), Minister William Eaton (1543-1602) at 58.

Fourteenth Generation…

Thomas Wheeler (d.1654), Edward Briscoe (d.1653), Thomas Bryan (b.1581), Richard Gylette (b.1551), Richard Walker (1560-1622) at 61, William Kempe (b.1560), Henry Birdsall (1560-1631) at 70, John Nichols (b.1547), Henry Cooke (b.1542), Sir George Downing (1552-1610) at 57, Robert Moulton (1565-1633) at 67, William Pond (1575-1637) at 61, John Ford (b.1567), Robert Channon (1536-1616) at 79, Richard Clapp (b.1528), William Eaton.

Fifteenth Generation…

Jacques De Gylette (b.1520), John Hutchinson Walker (b.1530), Robert Birdsall (1535-1594) at 58, Henry Goodere (b.1520), John Cooke (b.1520), Thomas Moulton (1535-1587) at 51, William Pond (b.1550), William Ford (d.1593), William Clapp (1500-1555) at 54, Sir Henry Eaton (b.1499).

Sixteenth Generation…

John Birdsall (b.1510), Robert Moulton (1510-1535) at 24, Thomas Ford, Louis Eaton (b.1440), Richard Cressett (b.1470).

Seventeenth Generation…

John Moulton (1490-1549) at 58, Richard Fford (d.1508), Sir Nicholas Eaton (b.1410), Thomas Cressett (b.1436), Sir John Savage (1370-1450) at 79, Richard Wrottesley.

Eighteenth Generation…

Robert Moulton (1465-1516) at 50, Hugo de Forde, Georgis Eaton (b.1385), Richard Cressett (1419-1490) at 70.

Nineteenth Generation…

John Moulton (1415-1494) at 78, Humphrey Eaton (b.1360), Sir John de Stapleton (1399-1455) at 55, Hugh Cressett (1400-1445) at 44.

Twentieth Generation… Robert Eaton (b.1330), Sir Richard Norton (1355-1438) at 82, Sir Miles de Stapleton (1369-1400) at 30, Thomas Cressett.

Twenty-first Generation… John de Eaton (b.1300), John Tempest (1360-1389) at 28, Richard Norton (1360-1420) at 59, Gerard de Ufflete (1331-1420) at 88, Brian de Stapleton (1325-1394) at 68, Thomas Cressett (d.1332).

Twenty-second Generation… Peter de Eaton (1273-1320) at 46, Hugh de Clitheroe (b.1346), Roger Manningford (1346-1380) at 33, Adam Norton (b.1334)*, Gerard de Ufflete (b.1319), John St. Philibert (1300-1333) at 32, Sir Gilbert de Stapleton (1297-1321) at 23, John de Upton, William Cressett.

Twenty-third Generation… Peter de Eaton (b.1240), John de Gras, Robert de Clitheroe (b.1300), Thomas Nunwicke (b.1300), Roger Conyers (b.1305), John Botetourt, Sir Hugh St. Philibert IV (1260-1304) at 43, Sir Brian FitzAlan (b.1274), Baron Miles de Stapleton (1263-1313) at 49.

Twenty-fourth Generation… William Eaton (b.1210), Sir Richard de Houghton (1260-1345) at 84, Adam Clitheroe (b.1270), Richard Norton (b.1285), Egbertus Conyers (b.1274), Hugh St. Philibert III (1230-1272) at 41, John de Bella Aqua (b.1237), Sir Nicholas de Stapleton (1236-1290) at 53.

Twenty-fifth Generation… Peter de Eaton (b.1180), William de Lea (1237-1302) at 64, Hugh St. Philibert II (1195-1249) at 53, Roger de Stapleton (1191-1245) at 53.

Twenty-sixth Generation… Peter de Eaton (b.1150), Robert Banastre (1217-1261) at 43, Henry de Lea (1217-1288) at 70, Hugh St. Philibert (1165-1240) at 74, Galfidus de Stapleton (1148-1203) at 54.

Twenty-seventh Generation… Robert de Eaton (b.1120), John de Lea (1197-1265) at 67, Randulf de Stapleton (1110-1148) at 37.

Twenty-eighth Generation… William FitzAlan (b.1090), William de Lancaster (1154-1184) at 29, Henry de Lea (1177-1210) at 32, Nicholas de Stapleton (b.1065).

Twenty-ninth Generation… Alan FitzAlan, William de Lancaster (1154-1184) at 29, Geoffrey de Stapleton.

Thirtieth Generation… Fleance FitzAlan, Robert de Stuteville IV (1112-1183) at 70, William de Lancaster (1100-1170) at 69.

Thirty-first Generation… Fitzalan Banqui, Idwal Iago Ap (974-1039) at 64, William de Valognes, Robert de Stuteville III (b.1075).

Thirty-second Generation… Muerig Idwal Ap (946-996) at 49, Saher de Quincy the 1^st Earl of Winchester (1155-1219) at 63, Phillip de Valognes (d.1209), Hugh FitzBaldric (b.1055), Robert “Frontebonef” de Estuteville II (1040-1107) at 66.

Thirty-third Generation… Idwal Muerig Ap (917-986) at 68, Sir Robert de Quincy (1127-1197) at 69, Robert de Valognes, Yves de Beaumont II (b.1005), Robert de Stuteville (1010-1090) at 79.

Thirty-fourth Generation… Anarawd Idwal Foel Ap (883-942) at 58, Saher de Quincy (b.1100), Peter de Valognes.

Thirty-fifth Generation… Simon de Saint Liz aka Senlis (1046-1111) at 64.

And, if history can be trusted…

Thirty-sixth Generation… Ranulph “The Rich” (b.1018), Waltheof II the Earl of Northumbria (1046-1076) at 29.

Thirty-seventh Generation… Lambert of Boulogne, the Count of Lens.

Thirty-eighth Generation… Robert VI “The Magnificent Devil,” Duke of Normandy (1003-1035) at 31.

Thirty-ninth Generation… Richard II “The Good,” Duke of Normandy (958-1027) at 68.

Fortieth Generation… Richard “The Fearless,” Duke of Normandy (933-996) at 62.

Forty-first Generation… William “Longsword,” 2^nd Duke of Normandy, aka Guillaume “Longee Epbee” (d.942).

Forty-second Generation… Rollo “The Ganger” of More Ragnvaldsson, 1^st Duke of Normandy (846-932) at 85.

Forty-third Generation… Gui of Senlis, Rangvald “The Wise” of More Eysteinsson (830-892) at 61.

Forty-fourth Generation… Quentin of Senlis, aka Pepin II, Count of Vermandois (818-892) at 73.

Forty-fifth Generation… Bernhard Martel, King of Italy (797-818) at 20.

Forty-sixth Generation… Pepin/Carloman, King of Italy (733-810) at 76.

Forty-seventh Generation… Charles Charlemagne, Karl de Grosse (747-814) at 66.

*In an interesting note, Adam Norton was the son of Margaret Norton and Roger Conyers, both of whom were located in Norton Conyers, Yorkshire, England. He took his mother’s name.

The Food We Eat, the Food We Grow

Summer is here and the heat is setting in. These hot days keep us present in our bodies and in our lives even as they seem to lengthen time as we walk through our days. In reality they are gone all too quickly.

Outside, our garden of tomatoes, cucumbers, two different beans, as well as herbs and flowers is growing. We do a lot with the little bit of yard that we have and are grateful to the landlord who encourages our use of it. There is something about the action of waking, going out to put my hands in dirt, weed and water that prepares me better to greet the rest of the day. I am caretaking this land and nurturing these plants so they will grow food for my home and my body.

Growing up, we didn’t always have a lot of money, but we ate better and healthier than I did on my own in college. I grew up on fresh farm meat, and my mother grew the same vegetables along the side of our small lot home as I do at my apartment now. We always had real tomato sauce for pasta, homemade applesauce and jam. I was very blessed.

Somewhere, I took it for granted and lost the connection to what I put in my body while I sat in my ignorance of all-things-kitchen and the ever popular "I can't do that."

I couldn’t help but realize, in the midst of my genealogical research, how quickly our lives move now as compared to the centuries of generations before. Just four generations ago, all of my people were farmers or farm laborers, dependent on having a relationship with the earth that many urbanites can’t imagine. But I can. In that realization, I remembered that I could imagine it and that I had known it.

It’s in our blood.

Five years ago I didn’t believe I could cultivate vegetables in our brick-fill apartment lot. My idea of gardening was putting seed in the earth and leaving it alone to see if nature would win out without my interference. I preferred sitting in the ‘me’ that was known for killing cactuses, and using as a shield for why I couldn’t be a gardener.

One day what I heard was me saying I can’t grow things, can’t give life to something else. I was mortified to realize that I what I was manifesting was I am not a nurturer and cannot be one. Gardening became a healing balm for my spirit as well as one for my body.

Fresh food tastes better to my body and makes me feel better in it. When first out on my own, I was used to going to eat something frozen or fast food to ease the hunger that never seemed to be sated or satisfied. My body always felt like it was yelling at me for something it wanted in a language that I couldn’t quite understand.

I get it now. It’s the difference between buying a waxed apple from the grocery store that’s been refrigerated for months until it crossed the country versus picking one fresh off a tree and biting into it. If you’ve never plucked an apple from a tree, you don’t know what an apple really tastes like. If you’ve never fed your body fresh food full of vitamins and nutrients, your body doesn’t know how much it needs and wants it.

I live in a small city were we grow our own vegetables along the front of our house to help sustain us through the summer and early fall and ease our pocketbooks. We are doubly blessed to have two different farmer’s markets near our home, as well as plenty of local farms with u-pick services within a twenty minute drive.

It connects me to my ancestors, those who founded cities and first broke farmland, when I go out into my front yard and pluck ripe vegetables from the stem, pile them in my skirt and bring them inside to wash and prepping them for meals. It helps me understand why the kitchen is the hearth of the home, the heat in the winter months and the spice in the summertime, with all the love that goes into growing, nurturing and preparing sustenance for our families with our hands, our sweat and our energy.

Starting Small

You can start as simply as purchasing a tomato plant from Lowes or Home Depot, or a greenhouse or nursery near you, and put it in a large pot. You’ll need one of those little metal cages as well- when the tomatoes begin to grow the plant gets heavy. What I have learned is that they need water to grow and then, once your plant is full of green tomatoes, they require sunlight to turn yellow, orange or red so find it a sunny spot on your patio or stoop. When the fruit is ripe, it will pull easily from its stem with a gentle, but firm, tug. And, something else I learned, is that green tomatoes left in a windowsill, will ripen in the sunlight.

Open (What the Mountain Told Me)

Take a breath and feel me beneath you. Feel the rough and smooth skin of me holding and supporting you as we reach up to the skies, like trees, roots in the earth and arms reaching eternally toward the wonder… reaching up and outward when the heart of you lies within and below. Take a breath and follow me. I will show you how.

Open to the starlight, to the history of our ancestry shining above us. Open to the glittering mirrors reflecting the great unknown mystery we carry within, beneath the surface. We are all children of stardust, descending over eons, travelers through space who fall as light falls against absence into ether, into body. Light falls and life falls into brilliant darkness. A jewel in the sky, the star reminds us that even heavenly beings die, shift and transform.

Open to transformation, to the echoing footfall of the two-legged and four-legged Spirits walking among us. The beings who made way, like river opening to delta, for our bodies to take in breath and be here. We are one, but not without the millions who came before. The stars above us knew our ancestors. The earth beneath us knows our names.

Open to the Ancestral Spirits of the trees that flourished into forest and fell in the woods, whose bodies nourished the ground, built our homes, and feed our fires. Our ancestors lived in the bones of their ancestors. They were and are felled for our survival and the time has come. Return to the trees. Return to their stewardship and honor their dead.

Open to the voices of the living trees around you and remember that they are a-live beings, too. Open to the power within you to wake change beneath your feet.

Awaken yourself to the well of mysteries that lives within you- that glimmer of dust that glows at twilight. Follow the blood to the Source and re-member that the way to the Ancestors lives within you. You are the way-point of all the mothers and fathers who have come before you. You are the doorway. The ancestral fire burns behind the eyes of every person you meet. It fuels your path.

Wake up and remember.

With Ribbons I Honor the Dead

Ancestor ribbons hang like prayer flags, cotton fiber suspended from wood, green and quick with living energy. As the greenery around them grows and blooms and falls and dies, the names written on the simple muslin strips grow faint and fade into the grey of gloaming. Edges tatter against wind and rain, witness to the turning of the world as both ribbons and seasons unravel.

It is a simple gesture, these words on white cotton. An offering, the memory of a name that whispers to the stars at night, this person was loved, this person is remembered, this person was here. There are so many names that swim in my mind, so many names that bear remembering. If I live long enough, the number of names may someday outnumber the ribbons I make, which could be a sad acknowledgment but knowledge is what we make of it and I choose to see it as a blessing for the number of people I have connected to and a gratitude for the number of lives I have known and will know in this lifetime.

There are many people whose names I write, who were loved by me and loved me, whose bodies are returning to the same earth I still pull my energy from. The most beloved of my ghosts, who loved me in breath, feed me still. I find my strength in that emotional bridge. The connections we make transcend worlds. But sometimes the brain forgets that truth, the hurt resurfaces and I ride a brief wave of sorrow.

The price of love is loss, eventually. Loss can be sweetened by memory and the act of remembering. I write the names of people who challenged me and were instrumental in my evolution and growth. I write their names on ribbons and hang them on bowers, arbors and trees.

Over time, the natural fiber weakens and frays, taking a similar journey to the ones our bodies do when our spirit has left it. I do little more than witness and speak the names aloud until I can no longer see enough ink to remember which ribbon belonged to which name. Little pieces will fall, stolen away for materials to flesh out nests and burrows for eggs and litters and new generations.

My Grandfather's Shoes

I have a pair of shoes that belonged to my Grandpa Dick. I found them in his closet after he died and announced my intentions to take them with me even though my mother told me they were too big on me and raised her eyebrows at their sloppiness on my feet (because I didn’t need one more thing to take home and put away in a closet). They were old rubber slip-on sandals that he wore gardening, pruning the flowers, and mowing the lawn. There weren’t many belongings in the house identifiable to him, and I wanted something he used a lot.

I brought the shoes home and wore them out and about in my garden, while I learned to differentiate weed from seedling. I sloshed around in those shoes, in the wet dewy morning grass, growing flowers, vegetables and herbs in the front property of the apartment I rent. One sunny morning, a magical thing happened. I slipped the shoes on to carry the buckets of water out to the front yard, where I pour it into our watering can to drench our flowers and food.

I slipped those sandals on and even though my shoe size had not altered or changed, they hugged my bare soles as if they were made for me, as if they had always been meant for me, the brown boardwalk fare that held my grandfather’s feet and now hold mine. He left such big shoes to fill when he left our family and, like many who are left behind, I tortured myself with the notion that it was up to me to fill them.

Slowly over these last seven years, over the years of hands in the dirt and mulch, planting seeds, and harvesting food for our table has become a catalyst that stirs memories of family dinners and warm summer nights at my Grandma and Grandpa’s house… from their home to mine.

Recently, I have come to understand what it means to say that home is where my heart is. I have found that wherever I am sleeping for the night is what I refer to as home in conversations. Home lies with whom my heart lies and I am blessed to know home in the houses of many people. And that idea of home is a gift that I learned from having my Grandparents in my life.

They can’t be replaced. No one can fill the position in my life these old gardening shoes symbolize to me. We’re not always meant to replace lost things.

But as I slip my feet into those shoes I am reminded of the goodness and generosity of my Grandfather, the connection he had to life and the ease with which he seemed to navigate the world. That- footprints rather than shoes- is something I can aspire to while I find my own way.

Ancestor Prayer Beads

I am always searching for new ways to experience my ancestor work, physically, visually, energetically, artistically. I find that more experiences and points of view give dimensionality to intangible theories, which gives it more flesh and weight. One of the first things I learned about ancestor worship came from the Yoruban religion of Ifa, built around the core belief of ancestor reverence. They say that if you do not know seven generations of your ancestors- those who walk behind you and paved the way for you- then you cannot know who you are.

That is something easily done in a culture that prioritizes holding onto the names of ancestors past, but in Western culture it is easy to forget those who traveled before. It is possible to lose an entire branch of history in one generation; a forgotten sibling, the sudden death of a parent with no other family, adoption, etc. It is easy for facts to become lost. But we all come from somewhere. We all have histories that trace back to the first signs of life.

When my work deepened, I wanted to see how far back I could go. How much of my own history did we already know? That thought prompted me to look into the genealogy notes we had. There were very few names to my mother’s family, and a couple blocks we’d been stuck at in my father’s. I could only go back seven generations in one line and we had yet to verify if it was accurate. Thanks to the help of the information age, the improbable became more possible and I more discoveries were made.

So I have these names, interesting, strange and old and all belonging to people whose blood flows in me. I have sat and recited their names aloud, bearing witness to their place in the journey of our family. And recently, I found myself wanting something different, something fuller, something with a weight I could hold in my hand.

Prayers beads are used by many differing religious faiths as a means of repetitive prayer, chant or devotion: Buddhist, Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, Anglican, Islam, Hindu, Sikh- just to name a few. Having experience with both rosary and mala beads, I was drawn to trying to create something towards that purpose. I started simply, buying plain wood beads and hemp rope at the local craft store.

In the generation above me, both of my parents are still living so I started my prayer beads with the first generation of dead relatives, my Grandparents (both bio- and step-). I placed four beads for four Grandparents, tying a double knot afterwards. In the next section I put a bead for each name I had for my Great-Grandparents, and then tied a double knot. And I moved into the next section and so on, for 7 generations of dead. When it was finished, I had a necklace made of 120 names, long enough to double-wrap around my neck.

In my meditations I hold each bead in my hand and speak the name of an ancestor into it, learning their names, calling their memory into the wood and paying homage to them.

This necklace is another way to process what it means to have those generations supporting me, with that tangible weight upon my shoulders layering another perspective into my awareness. With every step of my foot and shifting of the wood around my neck, I am made aware of the presence of support I have gathered in the spiritual world and, if nothing else, I am humbled by the lives that gave way for mine and reminded that I am not alone. I am never alone.

My Line of Mothers

Happy Mother's Day!

These are the known women of my Ancestry who have passed on, with their birth names intact. I begin with me and walk back each generation, with my living mother, Margaret being the First Generation and my living grandmothers Pat and Doris being the second and last of my living mothers.

With a breath of gratitude as the world pauses to honor those who live, I cross the threshold and whisper to those who stand behind and beneath me.

[If you find that we share a common ancestor, I would love to hear from you.]

Second Generation…

Donna McDonald (1938-2001) at 62, Ruth Emma Ruston (1916-1959) at 42 years old.

Third Generation…

Margaret Loretta Burke (1899-1938) at 35, Elsie Elizabeth Durant (1904-1994) at 89, Minnie Estelle Wicker (1890-1964) at 73, Hattie Eva Smith (1882-1969) at 86.

Fourth Generation…

Eliza Conners (b.1866), Katherine S. Pils (1871-1946) at 74, Emma Louise Burnah (1869-1939) at 69, Frances Gillette (1877-1963) at 85, Emma Angeline Whitcher (1845-1929) at 83, Ruth Ireland (1861-1940) at 78, Hattie Eva Dutcher (1857-1882) at 24 in childbirth, Theresa Cordelia Tenney (1850-1930) at 79.

Fifth Generation…

Ellen (b.1836), Mary Dowd (b.1834), Mary Burzee, Katherine Maria Schmeelk (d.1901), Jane Berry (1841-1901) at 59, Rosella LaValley (1843-1921) at 77, Sarah Clickner (1830-1876) at 45, Ordelia De Lozier (1810-1888) at 77, Cynthia Lusk (1819-1888) at 68, Phoebe Lenton (1826-1887) at 60, Anna Richardson (b.1822), Eliza Marsh Bird (1837-1926) at 88, Sophia Sears (1829-1909) at 79,  Malvina (b.1829), Hannah Ann Treadwell (1817-1884) at 66.

Sixth Generation…

Rosella LaRoche (1805-1871) at 65, Elizabeth A. Hill (1825-1899) at 73, Mary Ann Boots (1825-1899) at 73, Abigail Chaffe (d.1829), Lucy Raymond (1789-1874) at 84, Dorcas Kittredge (1774-1828) at 53, Irene Pond Marsh (b.1803), Cynthia Ann Feagles (1814-1890) at 75, Lucy Gould (1777-1840) at 62.

Seventh Generation…

Marie Amable Langevin (1795-1840) at 44, Susan, Gertrude Dixon (1783-1855) at 71, Harriet Gower, Abigail Hannah, Mary/Polly, Eleanor Erkells, Mary Bailey, Elizabeth Dow, Jane “Jennie” Palmer (1762-1815) at 52, Hepsibah Skiff (1733-1800) at 66, Mary Polly Coleman.

Eighth Generation…

Marie Agathe Charland (1751-1800) at 48, Annatje Goedemoet (1759-1827) at 67, Nancy Machet (1767-1844) at 76, Mary Calhoun (1732-1798) at 65, Julianna Merchant, Rebekah Moulton (b.1742), Fytje Sophia Zabriski (b.1707), Helena “Lina” Eleanor Van Deusen (1713-1769) at 55, Elizabeth Parker (1700-1739) at 38, Silence/Celenia Lyon (1755-1821) at 65.

Ninth Generation…

Marie Madeleine Coulon (1732-1799) at 66, Gertrude Michel, Catherine Coe (1700-1732) at 31, Margaret, Mercy Smith (1720-1793) at 72, Rebekah Walker (1717-1802) at 84, Antje Terhune (b.1681), Tryntie Catherine Slote (1671-1708) at 36, Lydia Gay (1679-1748) at 68, Jannetje Hendrickse Bondt (b.1677), Lydia Perry (1729-1763) at 33, Anna Atherton (1731-1779) at 47.

Tenth Generation…

Marguerite Deblois dit Gregoire, Ruth Briscoe (1682-1749) at 66, Mary Wheeler (1678-1731) at 52, Jemima Ward (1693-1731) at 37, Hannah Groves (1676-1764) at 87, Hendrickje Stephense Van Voorhees (1659-1692) at 32, Machteltje Van Der Linde (b.1661), Lydia Starr (1652-1744) at 91, Joanna Gibbs (b.1708), Waitstill Wyatt (1691-1729) at 37, Anna Field (1713-1748) at 34, Alice, Margaret Grietje Cornelisse (1642-1681) at 38.

Eleventh Generation…

Elizabeth Isabelle Meunier dit Lemonier (1656-1714) at 57, Sarah Wheeler (b.1663), Phoebe Canfield (1656-1730) at 73, Mary Holbrook (1650-1722) at 71, Rachel Kelsey (1656-1685) at 28, Susanna Baldwin (1652-1694) at 41, Hannah Sallows (1654-1718) at 63, Mary Cooke (1649-1732) at 82, Willempie Roeloffse Seubering, Fitje “Sophia” Roelofs Van Gelder, Joanna Borden (1612-1691) at 78, Jane Vose, Anne Foster (1684-1728) at 43, Elizabeth Withington (1676-1765) at 88, Sarah Pond (1641-1716) at 74, Abigail Gilson (1600-1658) at 57.

Twelfth Generation…

Marie Freemillion (1620-1670) at 49, Sarah Dell, Mehitable (b.1631), Phebe Crane, Grace Hawley (d.1689), Agnes (1622-1698) at 75, Joan Bryan (1614-1673) at 58, Phebe Richardson (1632-1716) at 83, Freeborn Wolfe (1632-1681) at 48, Judith Birdsall (1611-1689) at 77, Abigail Goode (1619-1666) at 46, Anne Lane (b.1670), Mary Jennery (1659-1719) at 59, Mary Dyer (1620-1710) at 89, Joanna “Joan” Ford (1617-1695) at 77, Frances Dighton (1611-1703) at 91, Anne (1617-1673) at 55, Katherine Masters.

Thirteenth Generation…

Joan Bryan (1614-1673) at 58, Elizabeth Honor, Anne Halsey (d.1659), Sarah Talmadge (1611-1695) at 83, Mary (b.1610), Ann Wilson (b.1598), Judith Agnes Kempe (1589-1632) at 42, Elizabeth Nichols (b.1570), Abigail Downing (b.1580), Deborah (1599-1656) at 56, Mary Stanley, Elizabeth (b.1595), Mary (1596-1637) at 40, Elizabeth Cooke (1589-1643) at 53, Johan Channon (1570-1629) at 58, Jane Woodward (1569-1614) at 44, Mary Woodhall (b.1581), Jane Hussey (1547-1584) at 36.

Fourteenth Generation…

Anne Halsey (d.1659), Joan Enberg (b.1555), Sharon Ione Sallee, Alice de Spendler (b.1562), Arene Goodere (b.1544), Dorcas Blais Bellamy (b.1554), Mary Smith (1579-1636) at 56, Judith Gordon (1575-1620) at 44, Joan Beck, Joan (1540-1618) at 77, Christian (b.1530).

Fifteenth Generation…

Lucille Evans, Isabel Marshall (b.1536), Joanna Green (1532-1589) at 56, Agnes Alice Harblutt (d.1616), Allyse (b.1502), Jane Cressett (b.1492).

Sixteenth Generation…

Isabel Auckland (b.1510), Margaret Wattes (1491-1549) at 57, Anna Savage, Joan Wrottesley.

Seventeenth Generation…

Agnes Moulton Dowwife (1490-1549) at 58, Katerina Talbott, Jane Joan Corbet (1445-1482) at 36, Maud Matilda De Swynnerton (1365-1415) at 49, Dorothy Dudley Sutton.

Eighteenth Generation…

Jane Brereton, Christina Stapleton (b.1423).

Nineteenth Generation…

Margaret Norton (1417-1465) at 47, Florence.

Twentieth Generation…

Elizabeth Tempest (1387-1438) at 50, Johanna Ufflete (1375-1415) at 39, Alice.

Twenty-first Generation…

Mary Clitheroe (b.1365), Katherine Manningham (1365-1431) at 65, Lora Furnival (b.1335), Alice St. Philibert (1330-1383) at 52, Constance de Upton.

Twenty-second Generation…

Isabel De Gras (1348-1421) at 72, Alice Nunwicke (b.1335), Emma, Ada Botetourt (b.1290), Agnes Maud Matilda FitzAlan (1298-1348) at 49.

Twenty-third Generation…

Margaret “Margery”, Sibyl De Houghton (1308-1388) at 79, Margaret Norton (b.1310), Maud, Alice (b.1265), Sibyl De Bella Aqua (1263-1301) at 37.

Twenty-fourth Generation…

Matilda, Sibilia De Lea (b.1263), Eufemia (b.1235), Laderinade De Brus (b.1241), Margery Bassett (b.1227)..

Twenty-fifth Generation…

Alice, Clemence De Banastre (1240-1298) at 57, Juliana De Wath (b.1200).

Twenty-seventh Generation…

Hawise De Lancaster (b.1192), Agnes (1105-1148) at 42.

Twenty-eighth Generation…

Helwise De Stuteville (1165-1226) at 60.