Earlier I mentioned that I could trace my family tree back to Emperor Charlemagne through one of my great great grandparents, and I thought that I would make a short video showing at least one way I make that connection. There is nothing exceptional about this in any way. Many geneticists and statisticians have concluded that anyone of European ancestry should trace at least one … Continue reading Sacré Charlemagne
Another great-great-grandfather, Francis “Frank” Gaume, was 19 years old when he volunteered and joined the Union forces during the American Civil War. In the Fall of 1862, Frank signed up with the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Stark County, Ohio. In September of that year, his unit was in reserve at the Battle of Perryville in Kentucky. Then at one of the bloodiest, muddiest battles … Continue reading They Simply Fade Away
During the Civil War, my great-great-grandfather, DJ Dobbs, held, at one point, the rank of Colonel, at another point, the rank of Private, and on yet another occasion, the rank of Master Private. And no, he was neither promoted nor was he demoted. As I revealed in a previous post, I found a letter from some citizens of Marietta, who requested of the Confederate state’s Secretary of War that “Col. DJ Dobbs of Marietta” be made the county’s enrolling officer for the Confederate Army. As I mentioned, I found no indication that he had been granted that office. Continue reading What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?
At the start of the Civil War in 1861, my great-great-grandfather, Constantine Kollros, was 23 years old. Yet, up until yesterday, I was unable to determine which side of the battlefield he was on or whether he served not at all. According to the US census of 1860, Louisville, Kentucky, Constantine was employed as a musician. For years, I searched through Kentucky and Ohio muster … Continue reading A First Draft
I was looking at the nationalities of my great-great-grandparents, and I figure that I am only 6% French, 13% Belgian, almost 20% British, one-quarter German, and nearly 40% Irish. Yet, although I can trace one British branch back to Charlemagne via a daughter of Edward I, and I can trace my DeBacker family back to the early 1500s, most of my Irish branches cannot be … Continue reading The Shamrock Wall
The previous post ended with me wondering who Edward H Strobel was and what was his relationship with my great-grandfather, James M Dobbs, Sr. I thought it would take a while to figure that out; however, it only took me about 15 minutes. Edward Henry Strobel was my great-grandfather’s boss when James was the consul general to Valparaiso Chile (1893 to 1897). Mr. Strobel was … Continue reading International Man of Mystery-Pt. 3
In a previous post, I reported finding that my great-grandfather, James M Dobbs, Sr., had lied about his age on a passport application he submitted in 1918. He was going to the European war zone on behalf of the YMCA, the precursor to the USO. Travel during World War I required approval from the War Department, and the U.S. government was not allowing civilians over … Continue reading International Man of Mystery-Pt. 2
In my search of newspaper archives, I found some curious things regarding my forbearers. Yet nothing has surprised me more than learning that two great-grandfathers were involved in train wrecks that occurred in the 1920s. I discovered these accidents accidentally while searching for something else. Wreck at Gilmore Junction (1921) Patrick A O’Malley (1851-1925) was the father of my paternal grandmother. The O’Malley family lived … Continue reading A Pair of Train Wrecks
Back in December I discovered that my maternal grandparents eloped and were married in Chattanooga Tennessee in July 1925. . It was an extraordinary find that raised the question of how a 19-year-old girl from Louisville, Kentucky came to marry a 23-year-old man from Atlanta, Georgia. Coupled with this is the question of how my mother came to be born in Columbia, South Carolina. Since … Continue reading A Huge Discovery
It seems that after my mother passed away in July, I caught the genea-bug once again following a hiatus of nearly a decade. In the past eight or so months, I have written over two dozen posts on this blog detailing my recent discoveries. These findings have revealed not only new information but also there are certain details in my book that require correction. As … Continue reading Diving into Historical Context
Gathering Leaves 