Category Archives: Family Lines

Ancestor Sketch – Anna Maria Dürst (1770–1858)

Posted on April 24, 2026 by Don Taylor

Anna Maria Dürst was born in 1770 in Diesbach, Glarus, Switzerland — a mountain canton that would shape her world for nearly nine decades. She married Bernhard Trümpi in 1806 and raised a family in Ennetbühls. If Patrick Wild’s research holds, her ancestry may trace all the way back to Charlemagne. Continue reading →

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Johann “John” Huber (1880–1948) & The Pfeinclauf Register

Posted on April 18, 2026 by Don Taylor

A newly examined Swiss Familienregister reveals the full family of Johann “John” Huber — Ancestor #14 in the Darling-Huber line — born 1880 in Windlach, Canton Zürich, and the son of farmer Johann Jakob Huber and Katharina Nüsslingen. Seven children, one emigrant, and two words in the remarks column: in Amerika. This sketch brings John’s Swiss origins into focus for the first time. Continue reading →

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Warren – Surname Saturday

Posted on February 28, 2026 by Don Taylor

My recent discovery that I likely descend from Richard Warren of the Mayflower opened an entirely new ancestral pathway. The Warren surname, of Norman-English origin, traces through Plymouth Colony and back into medieval England, with a purported connection to Charlemagne. This Surname Saturday explores the name’s origin, geographical distribution, and my documented Warren lineage from Mary (Warren) Bartlett to earlier de Warren ancestors. Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Grandma Donna

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Happy Birthday rememberance of my grandmother, Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran (1893–1976). She lived a complex and fascinating life that extended far beyond her vaudeville years. Born in Albion, Michigan, she married several times, later settled in Michigan and Minnesota, and ultimately donated her body to science. This remembrance reflects both documented facts and the enduring personal legacy she left to her family. Continue reading →

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Lurancy Taft (1796-1870)

Posted on February 2, 2026 by Don Taylor

Luransa Taft (1796–1870), Ahnentafel #41, was the daughter of Asa Taft and Sarah Whitney and spent most of her life in Triangle, Broome County, New York. Married at seventeen to Luman Olmstead, she raised a large family and appears regularly in state and federal censuses. This profile confirms her maternal line and helps clarify confusion surrounding similarly named women in the Taft family. Continue reading →

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