Category Archives: Genealogy

Finding Eli Utech: A Palatine Genealogy Breakthrough and Our Bonhoeffer Connection

The Day the Utechs Became Nuticks: Cracking a Century-Old Palatine Mystery First, I owe a sincere apology to my Nutick kin. In the past, I have been guilty of getting so excited by a sudden genealogical breakthrough that I quickly … Continue reading

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The Pearl, The Maid, The Reformer, The Bishop, and the Red Kettle: Hunting for Graces Across 31 Generations.

The Queen’s Table: A Legacy of Messy Charity “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink… truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the … Continue reading

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My Ancestor Elizabeth “Betty” Roundkettle 🫖 Plant. Her Origins and Kin.

Betty Roundkettle is my 9th great-grandmother on the maternal side of my tree. I must admit, I love her surname—being the tea connoisseur that I am! Many public trees link Betty to an Elizabeth Ramsbottom, daughter of Francis, born in … Continue reading

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The St. Martin’s Eve Murder: A Tale of Betrayal, Orphans, and the “Double” Anna Apollonia

Full details regarding all of my Schönlaub ancestors and related kin are found in a prior blog entry: My Schönlaub Ancestors of Minfeld, Germany. A Censor, A Mayor, A Collector (and Murder Victim), A Lawyer/Court Judge, and an Innkeeper. This newer … Continue reading

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Surname Saturday. A Day in the Life of My Ancestor Wicker von Ovenbach zur Ecke of Frankfurt am Main, Patriciate of Frankfurt.

I have many interesting ancestors in this same family line, so much is known of them. I have chosen to write about my paternal 19th great-grandfather, Wicker von Ovenbach zur Ecke of Frankfurt am Main. He was a Patriciate of … Continue reading

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Submit and Hopestill. Two Ancestors I Admire. 52 Ancestors, Week 1.

A new year, and a new year of writing prompts for 52 Ancestors. This year it appears most prompts are going to be phrases. This week it is An Ancestor I Admire. I have been thinking about this for some … Continue reading

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Surname Saturday. My Bonnet Ancestors of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France and Berlin, Germany.

I have been doing further research on my Bonnet ancestors. I was going to add the new information to my original post about my Greatsinger ancestors: My Greatsinger (Gretzinger) and Bonnett ancestors of Berlin, Germany and Related Lines, but that post … Continue reading

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Cpt. Samuel DeWees. Fife Player During American Revolutionary War & War of 1812. Extended Family. 52 Ancestors, Week 51, Musical.

This week’s writing prompt is Musical. I have numerous musicians in my close family, and my great-grandfather Abraham G. Kennedy played piano and, after his retirement from teaching, worked in a piano store and a music store. Previously, I wrote … Continue reading

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Happy Birthday to My Very Distant Cousin Jane Austen.

Today, December 16, 2025, is Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. She was born December 16, 1775. It was once thought that I had a much closer connection with Jane Austen, via my ancestor Elizabeth Lane, wife of John Hine. They are my … Continue reading

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Surname Saturday. My Barton Ancestors of Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

My Barton ancestors are on my paternal Armstrong/Lyons lines. Armstrong-Lyons-Barton. My third great-grandmother is Catherine Ann Barton. She was born on 11 November 1795 in Bristol, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as the daughter of Thomas Barton and Rebecca Ann Cooper. She died 11 … Continue reading

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