Rest in Peace Cousin Tony Dow

Tony Dow. The cast of *Leave it to Beaver*.

I used to watch Leave it to Beaver in syndication when I was a kid. I was quite saddened to learn of Tony Dow’s death at the age of 77 this past Wednesday. So, I thought I’d post my genealogical connection to him. We were distant cousins, 10th cousins actually. We shared Colonial American ancestors Edward Bangs and Rebecca Hobart. His line continued with Apphia Bangs and Col. John Knowles and mine with Hannah Bangs and John Doane, Jr. This is on his Dow lines. My Bangs/Hobart ancestors are on my Cole side way back in Colonial Massachusetts.

Edward Bangs and Rebecca Hobart are the ancestors of many well-known individuals including:

William Rufus Day, 36th U.S. Secretary of State.
Bing Crosby, Singer-Songwriter and Actor.
Thomas Pynchon, American Novelist.
Brewster Kahle, Founder of Internet Archive (Wayback Machine).
Annie Proulx, Novelist and Short Story Writer.
Tamsin Todd, CEO of Findmypast.
Anna Gunn, Actress.
Fergie, Singer-Songwriter.
Avril Lavigne, Singer-Songwriter.
Edmund Sears, Boson Tea Party Participant.
Eugene Foss, 45th Governor of Massachusetts.
Pres. H.W. Bush.
Pres. George W. Bush.
Charles Dawes, 30th U.S. Vice President.
Norman Rockwell, Artist.
Jeb Bush, 43rd Governor of Florida.
Endicott Peabody, 62nd Governor of Massachusetts.
Kyra Sedgwick.
Taylor Swift.
Orrin Hatch, U.S. Senator from Utah.
James Taylor, singer-songwriter.
Dan Quayle, 44 U.S. President.
Pete Buttigieg, current U.S. Secretary of Transportation.
Sydney Biddle Barrows, Mayflower Madam.

The first eleven listed share the next set of ancestors with me and are also descended from Hannah Bangs and John Doane, Jr. Five of those eleven also share Paine ancestors with me. The rest above are descended from Edward Bangs, the brother of Hannah Bangs and Apphia Bangs. To my knowledge, Tony Dow is the only famous person descended directly from Apphia Bangs and Col. John Knowles.

*Tony Dow, left, and Jerry Mathers as Wally and Beaver Cleaver. | Photo courtesy of Pat McDermott/Wikimedia Commons (CC0)*

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About Anna Kasper, ACDP

I am an avid Genealogist. I am currently a student at Phillips Theological Seminary (one of the few Catholics!). I am an ACDP - Associate of the Congregation of Divine Providence (Sisters of Divine Providence of Texas). If you are unfamiliar with what a Religious Associate (also called an Affiliate, Consociate, Oblate, Companion) is exactly, visit my about me page for more information. In community college, I majored in American Sign Language/Deaf Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies when at university.

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