Family-tree birthdays for the week of March 16:

March 16

The military headstone application for Lewis William Boone.

• Lewis William Boone (my wife's 2G uncle on her father's side), b. 1896 in Boonetown, Kershaw County, SC; d. Oct. 31, 1956, in Lee County, S.C. This birthday is provided in several family trees on Ancestry.com but is almost certainly incorrect. His death certificate indicates he was born March 9, 1898, not on March 16, 1996. it's possible the confusion stems from his applicaiton for a military headstone, which originally indicated his birthday ws March 16 — actually, his wife's birthday — but was later corrected to March 9. Incidentally, that form indicates Lewis served n the Army's 118th Infantry from June 1916 to April 1919. He received the Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart. Boone was the son of Elizabeth "Lizzie" Boone, who was married at least twice and possibly had children by several men. I've not been able to discern which of these was Lewis' father. In most of the official records pertaining to him, his last name is listed as "Boone," his mother's maiden name.

• Mary Ellen Long Boone (my wife's 2G aunt-in-law), b. 1909 in Oconee, Seneca County, S.C.; d. Aug. 22, 1997, in Bishopville, Lee County, S.C. Mary Ellen married Lewis William Boone in 1922, when she was 13. She lived 41 years after her husband's death. I'm not clear if Long was her maiden name or if she remarried.

• William Herny Caudill (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1882 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Nov. 8, 1961, in Land O' Lakes, Wisc.

• Dora A. Fultz Harrison (my step fourth cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1906 in Elliottville, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Feb. 4, 1987, in Butler County, Ohio. Dora was employed as a housekeeper at Weber Dairy in Ohio for 15 years before retiring in 1947, according to her obituary available on Ancestry.com.

• Roy Ervin Debord (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1912 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. March 31, 1912, in Morgan County, Ky. Little Roy died just two weeks after his birth. He was the son of Laura Belle Williams, my great grandfather's sister, and Levi Deboard.

My dad, at right, and his brother — my Uncle Pat — drink coffee on the front porch of my grandfahter's home in Springfield, Ohio. My uncle recently passed away. This photo was taken in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

• Atlee Cleo Kidd (my uncle on my father's side), b. 1934 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Feb. 8, 2015, in Clark County, Ohio. We just lost my Uncle Pat a few weeks ago, and it's hard to believe he's gone. Pat was a great conversatioalist and always seemed to be upon the news and sports. He was a man's man — he loved motorcycles, retired from General Motors after 31 years and was a proud veteran in the United States Army.

• Janet Lee Brooks Martin (my half Uncle Ronnie Jackson Brooks' first cousin on his father's side), b. 1935 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio; d. April 22, 2010, in South Vienna, Clark County, Ohio. Janet was one of four children of my uncle's aunt and uncle Wardie and Bessie Brooks. My grandmother, Leona Williams Brooks Wilson, was married to Ronnie's father, Otis Brooks, until his premature death in 1944 at age 26. Granny later married my mother's father, Oliver Wilson. Janet was retired from the Meijer's grocery chain.

March 17

• Elizabeth "Lizzie" Boone Moss Bowen (my wife's 2G grandmother), b. 1871 in Kershaw County, S.C.; d. Aug. 24, 1952. Elizabeth is an interesting old character, atlhough I've not been able to confirm a lot of what I've been told about her. She apparently wed at least twice and might have had children by other men. Several of her children went by her maiden name, Boone. Her mother, Frankie Shehorn Boone, is equally interesting, who has Indian ancestry and might have been escaped the Trail of Tears. Unfortunately, separating fact from fiction has been difficult with this wing of my wife's family. (Lizzie is on the left in the accompanying photograph, along with her granddaughter, Vermille Ray Graham.)

• Dora Kidd (my great aunt and my second cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1895 in Kentucky; d. Oct. 25, 1976, in Rowan County, Ky. My grandfather's sister married John William Kidd, who was not a direct relative. However, John William is also related to my on my mother's side, through marriages to Jennings and Slushers.

• Mary Merida Stidham (my 3G aunt-in-law and first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1895 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. Aug. 6, 1958. Mary married Lee Wilson, brother of my great grrandfather, Burl Wilson. Her parents are Brackston Jason Stidham and Serena Catherine Quesenberry Stidham. Brackston, or "B.J.", sold property to Lee, who in turn sold it to Burl. That property became the farm where my mother grew up. Even without that marriage, Mary and I would be releated, distantly. There are other Quesenberrys and Slushers in my family tree.

• Eleanor Loretta Templeman (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1920 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. April 27, 1973, in Illinois.

March 18

• Oliver Hall (my 2G uncle on my mother's side), b. 1896 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Sept. 28, 1984, in Rowan County, Ky. Oliver was my great-grandmother's brother. I'm not positive, but I think my grandfather, Oliver Wilson, was named for him.

March 19

• P.P. Richardson (my third cousin once removed on my mother's side), b. 1870 in Mount Sterling, Montgomery County, Ky. No details about his death available.

• Bessie Caudill (my second cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1914 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky. No details about her death available.

March 20

• Estill E. Fultz (my fourth cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1911 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. May 1983 in Bethany, Moultrie County, Illinois. Estill was the son of William Lewis Fultz and Lula Bell Hamilton, who was the second wife of my 2G uncle, Edd Lambert. Edd and Lula's marriage created a blended family of 13 children. Both had been widowed.

• Andrew Bubp (my first cousin once removed), b. My recently married cousin. Hope you have a great day, Andy.

March 22

• Col. Richard Lee (my 10G grandfather on my mother's side), b. 1617 in Shropshire, England; d. March 1, 1664, in Northumberland, James County, Va. Col. Richard Lee I, "the Immigrant" (1617–1664) arrived in Jamestown in 1639 at the age of 22 with very little to his name other than the patronage of an influential man, Sir Francis Wyatt, the first governor of Virginia. Once there he became attorney general of the Colony of Virginia, colonial secretary of state, and member of the King's Council. He became clerk of the Quarter Court at Jamestown, within the Secretary of State's Office. He was a loyal supporter of King Charles I of England, and his public offices ceased when Oliver Cromwell seized power in England in 1649. In addition, he served as high sheriff and was a colonel in the militia. He was also a tobacco planter, trader, owner and trader of slaves, and employer and importer of indentured English servants (who paid for their passage to America with 7 years of labour). At the time of his death, he was the largest landholder in the colony (13,000 acres) and perhaps the richest man in Virginia. He was the great-great grandfather of Confederate general Robert E. Lee and great grandfather of President Zachary Taylor.

• Susanna Caudill Nichols Parker (my 3G aunt on my mother's side), b. 1873 in Rowan County, Ky.; d. March 27, 1967, in Texas. Susanna was one of 15 children of the Rev. Henry J. Caudill and Elizabeth Jane Short Caudill. Her father was a prominent minister in Rowan County, Ky.

• Stella Wilson (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1882 in Elliottville, Rowan County, Ky.; d. about 1953 in Pine Bluff, Jefferson County, Ark. Stella was the daughter of prominent Morehead, Ky., doctor Jeremiah Wilson and Anna Halley Wilson. Her sister Cora was a renowned adult-literacy advocate, her brother Bunyan Morehead's first mayor and her brother Homer Lee a dentist. Stella married Edgar Boone McGlone, a successful businessman.

• Preston Taulbee Wilson (my first cousin three times removed on my mother's side), b. 1882 in Elliottville, Rowan County, Ky.; d. May 27, 1897, in Farmers, Rowan County, Ky. Preston was Stella's twin brother. He died shortly after his fifth birthday, but I'm not sure of the cause. He and Stella are the first of two sets of twins born to Jeremiah and Anna Halley Wilson. The other twins — Cleveland and Hendricks Wilson — like Preston, died while young. Cleveland lived less than two months and Hendricks died at age 12.

• Fred Arnold (husband of Effie Mae Lambert, my fourth cousin twice removed on my father's side), b. 1896 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky.; d. June 7, 1960, in Galipolis, Gallia County, Ohio.

• Marvin Holt Wilson Sr. (my first cousin threee times removed), b. 1905 in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky.; d. Nov. 20, 1981, in Morehead, Rowan County, Ky. Marvin was the half-brother of Stella, Preston and the other children of Jeremiah and Anna Halley Wilson. Jeremiah remarried after Anna's death in 1900. He had two children by his second wife, Virginia Lee Crawford Wilson — Marvin and William Allie Wilson. In an entry at Ancestry.com, one of Marvin's grandchildren recalled that Marvin "had a barbershop in Morehead. Sometimes his black clients would stop by the house to visit. As a child, I had never seen a black man before. I asked my grandfather and I remember him telling me to treat them with respect. It was the 1960's, but my grandfather instilled in me respect for others at an early age."

• Ted Denzil Petitt (my first cousin twice removed on my mother's side), b. 1932 in Clearfield, Rowan County, Ky.; d. April 17, 1995.

• Brian Walter Gartin (my second cousin on my mother's side), b. 1972. Happy birthday, Brian.