Family Ties: Connecting my maternal and paternal line

06Feb10

I finally connected my mom’s family tree to my dad’s family tree.

The breakthrough was following mom’s Clevelands back to the Mayflower, when I noticed some Doanes/Doans suddenly appear.

Sure enough, they were the same Doans related to my dad’s Teeple line.

And since it is close to Valentine’s Day, and since I love my family, I drew the chart in the shape of a heart.

(C’mon, give me some slack. It is hard to draw shapes with family tree history)

Jerry Milo Johnson to Jerry Milo Johnson

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Tags: Teeple, Johnson, Hull, Pike, masters, Doan, relationship chart, Wilcox, Cleveland, Paine

Barack Hussein Obama II, the 44th President of the United States of America

31Jan10

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.

He was born in Hawaii just like my sister. According to her that makes him Hawaiian.

He served as an Illinois State Senator from 1997-2004

He served as a U.S. Senator from 2005-2008

President Barack Hussein Obama II is my 8th great-grandfather’s wife’s 10th great-grandson.

His g…grandmother was the step mother to my g…grandfather. That makes him somehow a step-cousin.

I think there might be a more direct link, but have not found it yet.

Jerry Milo Johnson to President Barack Hussein Obama II

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Tags: Pike, masters, relationship chart, President, FitzRandolph, Dunham, Obama, Blossom

My first Mayflower passenger, Constance Hopkins (1606-1677)

30Jan10

Constance Hopkins was born in England in 1606, and came to America on the Mayflower in 1620, landing at Plymouth Rock.

Although Constance is not a direct ancestor, but rather a cousin’s inlaw, she is the first person I have been able to place on my tree who came over on the Mayflower.

Constance Hopkins is my 1st cousin 10 times removed’s wife’s great-grandmother.

She was only 14 when she came across with her father Stephen Hopkins and her step mother Elizabeth Fisher. What a journey that must have been.

At about 10 years old I made a trip to the Plymouth Plantation living history museum. At first it was fun and exciting. Everything was different but surprisingly familiar. I was even asked by an old man to help him catch a chicken. I scrambled around the fenced-in yard after that darn chicken, eventually grabbing a leg (and cutting my hand). I handed the struggling chicken to the man, who promptly wrung its neck, laid it across a stump, and took off its head with an axe. The rest of the day suddenly wasn’t as much fun. To this day I am still mildly traumatized by the unexpectedness of that death, which I unwittingly aided.

Jerry Milo Johnson to Constance Hopkins, Mayflower passenger

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Tags: Hull, Pike, masters, relationship chart, Wilcox, Cleveland, Mayflower, Paine, Snow, Hopkins

Myles Standish, Mayflower passenger

29Jan10

Myles Standish is probably the most famous of the early Massachusetts settlers.

The Pilgrims hired Myles, who was an English military officer, as military adviser for the Plymouth Colony. He came over on the Mayflower, and  was tasked with overseeing the colony’s defense.

Soon after, on February 17, 1621, he was appointed the first commander of Plymouth Colony.

Myles Standish is my 4th cousin 10 times removed’s husband’s grandfather.

Basically, a cousin’s in-law.

Jerry Milo Johnson to Myles Standish

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Tags: Hull, Pike, masters, relationship chart, Wilcox, Cleveland, Winn, Mayflower, Sargent, Coles, Freeman, Gates, Standish

Haynes Township Plat Map, c1895

24Jan10

Bob Milligan sent me a photo of a plat map which he found hanging in the Lincoln Branch of the Alcona County Library.

I found this old plat map hanging at the Lincoln branch library a few months ago.  Finally got around to taking a photo of it.

Quite interesting.

There is no date but I place it somewhere around 1895 to 1900.  With a little more research I can probably pin it down to an exact year.

It contains just about all the names of the Alcona County relatives on my tree.

I have done a quick transcription of the sections. I intend to do a more detailed transcription by parts of the section, and intend to make each person’s name a link to their profile.

What a great start to the new year. Thanks Bob!

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Tags: Armstrong, Barber, Campbell, Clark, Cook, Fettes, Fleming, Freer, Hastings, Haynes Township, Hill, Jack, Johnson, London, Martin, McLellan, Milligan, plat map, Ritchie, Shaw, Silverthorn, Tacia, Teeple, Van Alstine, Venard, Yuill

Lowell J Thomas (1892-1981), writer and radio star

09Jan10

Lowell J Thomas was a writer, broadcaster, and traveller, best known as the man who made Lawrence of Arabia famous.

He is my 8th cousin 5 times removed.

Jerry Milo Johnson to Film and Radio Star Lowell J Thomas

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Sarah (Heath) Palin (1963-), Governor of Alaska

03Jan10

Sarah Palin was Governor of Alaska from 2007-2009, and was the 2008 Republican Vice Presidential candidate on the ticket of John McCain.

She was the first woman Governor of Alaska.

She may very well be the most polarizing political figure of the last 50 years.

She is my 11th cousin twice removed.

(You are welcome, mom).

Jerry Milo Johnson to Alaska Governor Sarah (Heath) Palin

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Tags: Curtis, Curtiss, Filer, Governor, Gower, Griswold, Heath, Hull, masters, Moore, Palin, Phelps, Pike, relationship chart, Sackett, Sheeran, Strong, Wilcox

Roger Griswold (1762-1812), Governor of Connecticut

03Jan10

The Town of Griswold, where I weekend in the summer on Pachaug Lake, was named for Connecticut Governor Roger Griswold.

He owns the distinction as being part of the first physical fight on the floor of the U.S. Congress.

In 1798, for instance, Connecticut Federalist Roger Griswold had spoken badly about Republican Matthew Lyon’s war record. Lyon spat in his face. Griswold hit Lyon more than 20 times with a hickory cane as their colleagues watched. Lyon then grabbed a pair of fire tongs and beat on Griswold.

- Professor Julien Zelizer of Princeton – Why the shock about Joe Wilson

As Governor he refused to supply President James Madison with troops from Connecticut’s militia to defend the United States during the War of 1812, saying the troops were not necessary to “repel invasion”. The Supreme Court eventually upheld President Madison. Governor Griswold died later that same year.

President John Adams offered to Roger the portfolio of Secretary of War in 1801, which he declined.

He was born in Lyme, attended Yale, practiced law in Norwich. Basically a local boy.

The wikipedia entry for Roger Griswold.

He was my 4th cousin 10 times removed.

Jerry Milo Johnson to Connecticut Governor Roger Griswold

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Tags: Governor, Griswold, Hull, masters, Moore, Phelps, Pike, relationship chart, Wilcox

Aaron Burr (1756-1836), 3rd Vice President of the United States of America

03Jan10

Although Aaron Burr was Thomas Jefferson’s Vice President, he is probably better knows as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel.

In the election of 1800, he actually tied Thomas Jefferson with 73 electoral votes, sending the election to the House of Representatives, taking 36 ballots to finally choose Jefferson as the 3rd President of the United States of America, giving Burr the Vice Presidency.

His father, Aaron Burr Sr was the cofounder and second President of Princeton University.

He holds the distinction of being the only serving Vice President indicted for murder, was later tried (and acquitted) for treason, and is the only ex-Vice President to be captured by the enemy during wartime.

He founded the Bank of the Manhattan Company, which later became Chase Manhattan Bank, then Chase Bank, and now JP Morgan Chase.

He was my first cousin 8 times removed.

Jerry Milo Johnson to Vice President Aaron Burr

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Tags: Burr, Hull, masters, Pike, relationship chart, Vice President

Herbert Clark Hoover (1874-1964), the 31st President of the United States of America

02Jan10

Herbert Hoover was the 31st President of the United States of America.

Hoover was the Secretary of Commerce during the Great Flood of 1927 in Louisiana, powerfully captured by Randy Newman’s Louisiana 1927.  He was sent by President Calvin Coolidge to oversee the humanitarian effort after the flood.

He is credited with great works on behalf of the white citizens, but was also guilty of inhumane acts against the African American citizens, including rounding up thousands at gunpoint, and forcing them to work at forced labor.

He was President during the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and was in office to see the beginning of the Great Depression.

He was my 8th cousin 4 times removed through our shared ancestor Edward Winn.

Jerry Milo Johnson to President Herbert Clark Hoover

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Tags: Hoover, Hull, masters, Minthorn, Pike, President, relationship chart, Sherwood, Wilcox, Winn