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Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Nov. 9: Nov. 9 Samuel Webb Caudill and Sarah Maggard Caudill, his wife. Sarah Maggard Caudill, (my 4G grandmother on my mother's side), b. 1809 in Letcher County, Ky.; d. Jan. 18, 1898, in Rowan County, Ky. Sarah married Samuel Webb Caudill in Perry County, Ky., in 1825. She was 16. Sarah was born in Letcher County, where the Caudills settled after moving from Wilkes County, N.C. The Caudills had large families, and over time many

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Nov. 2: Nov. 2 Levi Alfrey, (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1875 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. before 1930, Indianapolis, Ind. Levi is one of 11 children of Franklin L. Alfrey (1839-1918) and Jane Elly Hall Alfrey (1842-1915). I do not know a great deal about Levi's life, but his parents were integral players in one of the more infamous events I've uncovered in my genealogical research. Jane was one of nin

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Oct. 26: Oct. 26 Nancy Frances Wilson Williamson, (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1840 in Somerford, Madison County, Ohio; d. Nov. 30, 1912. I've expounded at some length upon Valentine Wilson, who seems to come up in each week's report because, well, he had 19 children by three wives, and even more land and money. Nancy was one of them. The children, that is. She was the youngest of the nine children

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Oct. 19: Oct. 19 John Wilson, (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1910 in Bath Township, Greene County, Ohio; d. Dec. 28, 1868, in Madison County, Ohio. John was the son of wealthy landowner Valentine Wilson and his first wife, Elanor Judy. Valentine had six children by Judy, nine by his second wife Nancy Donnels Roberts, and four by his third wife Susan Humble. That's right — John had five siblings and 1

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Oct. 5: Oct. 5 Mary Abigail Banks Quesenberry, (wife of Andrew Quesenberry, my 3G uncle on my mother's side) b. 1819 in Grayson, Va.; d. March 5, 1907, in Carroll County, Va. Mary married Andrew, who was the brother of my 2G grandmother Nancy Abigail Quesenberry Hall. Troy J. Kidd, (my first cousin once removed on my father's side) b. 1926 in Morgan County, Ky.; d. May 28, 1980, in Fairborn, Greene County, Ohio. Troy was the nephe

Birthdays in my family tree from the week of Sept. 21: Sept. 21 Anna Martin, (my 4G grandmother on my mother's side), b. 1801 in Morgan (now Rowan) County, Ky.; d. June 1870 in Morgan County, Ky. One of the more interesting stories I've plucked from my family tree concerns Anna and her family. According to the 1870 census, she was widowed and living with her son, John Martin. Not an uncommon circumstance, then or now, right? But there's far more to the story. Anna was living

Birthdays in my family tree for the week of Sept. 14: Sept. 14 Wayne Monroe Wilson, (my second cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1901 in Kentucky; I have no details about his death. Wayne's parents are William Monroe Wilson (1865-1908) and Ella Byron Wilson. His father died when he was just 7. Our common direct ancestors are Isaac Wilson and Theodocia Lee Wilson, my 4-G grandparents and his great-grandparents. Elaine Rose Pucko Thomas, (wife of Billy Ray Tho

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Aug. 24: Aug. 24 Addie B. Hall, (my first cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b. 1874 in Robertson, Ky.; d. November 1875. Addie was the daughter and one of nine children of James Edmund Hall and Elizabeth Jane Coyle Hall. Archibald B. McBrayer, (my first cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1883 in Wagner, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Sept. 30, 1910, in Rowan County, Ky. Archibald was one of eight children and six s

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Aug. 10: Aug. 10 William M. Wilson Jr., (my second cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b. 1841 in Madison County, Ohio; d. uncertain. William was a grandson of Valentine Wilson, a well-to-do landowner in Ohio during the early- to late-1800s. William was the son of William Delano Wilson and Nancy Moore Wilson. Simpson Thornsberry, center, is photographed with his wife, Amanda Kidd, and his son, William Thornsberry. I'm

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of Aug. 3: Aug. 4 Melvina Manerva Catron Lambert, (my 3G aunt-in-law on my mother's side), b. 1842 in Wythe County, Va.; d. Aug. 11, 1876 in Moccasin Precinct, Elliott County, Ky. Melvina married Elias Lambert, who died in 1926 in Rowan County, Ky., at age 89. My paternal grandmother was a Lambert and likely a relative of Elias, but I've not established the connection. Rather, Melvina is the grandmother of Alexander Lambert, who marr

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of July 6: July 6 Martha Ann Black Trent (grandmother-in-law of Allie Wilburn Williams, my great uncle on my mother's side), b. 1877 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. April 8, 1949, in Rowan County, Ky. Among the children of Martha Ann and husband Julius Ceasar Trent (cool name, huh?) was Theodore Trent. (Juluis and Martha Ann are pictured at left.) And among the children of Theodore and his wife, Clara Essie Conn Trent, was Geneva Trent Will

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of June 22: June 22 Emile Roscoe Brinson (my wife Deborah Renee Ray Kidd's great uncle on her father's side), b. 1917 in South Carolina, d. Oct. 13, 1959, in Charleston, Charleston County, S.C. Emile was the brother of my wife's paternal grandmother, Ruth Augusta Brinson Ray. I've heard at least two stories about how Ruth met her husband, Clarence Richard Ray, and one of them involves Emile. It goes like this: Clarence grew up in Ker

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of June 8. June 8 Willis Lambert (my 2G uncle on my father's side), b. 1898 in Sandy Hook, Elliott County, Ky.; d. Jan. 27, 1969, in Rowan County, Ky. Willis was the brother of my 2G grandfather, Henry J. Lambert. His mother and paternal grandmother were first cousins once removed, so Willis is also a third cousin. Ruby M. Kidd (my second cousin once removed on my father's side), b. 1925 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. February 1987. Ruby w

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of June 1: June 1 Andrew J. Winkleman (father-in-law of Saul Kidd, my first cousin once removed and my first cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1855 in Lawrence, Ohio; d. Feb. 6, 1941, in Elliott County, Ky. Andrew's daughter, Allie Fair Winkleman, married Saul Kidd. Saul was the son of Peter Fannin-Kidd and Sarah Ann Wilson and the cousin of my grandfather, Elmer Kidd. Anna Elizabeth Williams (my 2G aunt on my mother's si

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of May 11: May 11 William Wilson (my 3G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1861 in The Narrows, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Jan. 30, 1896, in Sieview, Montgomery County, Ky. One of 14 children of Isaiah Wilson and Sarah Jane Wilson Wilson. His siblings included Dr. Jeremiah Wilson, a prominent (and one of the few) doctors in Rowan County around the turn of the 20th century; Dudley Boone Wilson, an accomplished civil engineer; and Abijiah Wilso

Birthdays from my family tree for the week of May 4: May 4 Joseph Brinson (my wife's 2G uncle on her father's side), b. 1893 in South Carolina; d. Nov. 24, 1943, in South Carolina. The son and one of six children of John James Brinson and Isabella Thornley Brinson, he was born in Berkeley County and lived most of his life in adjacent Charleston County, according to census records. Isabella was John's first wife. She died in 1895 at age 32, and John James married Elizabeth Rac

My family-tree birthdays for the week of April 13. April 13 Sarah Perry (my second cousin four times removed on my mother's side), b. 1850 in Rushcreek Township, Ohio; d. April 12, 1856, in Ohio. Sarah was the daughter of Mary Wilson Perry (1831 to 1907) and Solomon Perry (1832 to 1905). April 14 Lula C. Caudill (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1891 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Jan. 14, 1925, in Rowan County, Ky. One of 11 children of William B. Caudi

Birthdays from my family tree from the week of April 6. April 8 Jacob Wilson (my 5G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1779 in Berkeley County, Va.; d. 1824 in Nevada, Mercer County, Ky. Jacob Wilson, the first-born of 13 or 12 children of Jacob Wilson and Mary Fritz Wilson. The younger Wilson was born in Virginia 13 years before Kentucky, at the time of his birth a county of Virginia, became a state. Berkeley County is now part of West Virginia. At some point, Wilson moved to Ke

Birthdays in my family tree for the week of March 30. March 30 James Wooten Cornett (Husband of Jane Ellen Williams, my first cousin once removed on my mother's side), b. 1958. Jane Ellen is the daughter of my mom's Uncle Hobart Ray Williams, who passed away in 2003. My Aunt Vada, with my maternal grandparents, Leona Wilson and Oliver Wilson. March 31 Vada Louise Wilson Caudill (my aunt on my mother's side), b. 1953 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Nov. 6, 1992, in Clearfield, Rowan

Here are five more photos from my genealogical research to keep you entertained. 5. Unce Jack, raconteur This is my mom's brother, my Uncle Jack Brooks. I'm not sure about the circumstances in which this photo was taken. (Uncle Jack, if you see this and can recall, you can leave a comment below.) I believe it was taken in Ohio, shortly before Jack's father, my maternal grandmother's first husband, passed away from complications of a brain tumor. Little Jack looks large and in